Hair loss

[Tummypainz]

How much hair loss did you all experience with low thyroid levels ?i take 125mcg now and have been having a lot of hair loss 😕my once thick hair is thinning rapidly to the point where I hate to brush it or dread washing it cause I see what’s coming out ! I have been to the doctors and have to go for complete blood work on the 28th I have also noticed an increase in headaches and just a general feeling of * blah*

[Pandora777]

I have two bouts of bad hair loss ..... once your levels are stabilized it will stop. Post your blood results on here when your get them and I and other members will tell you what we think. You need your iron and ferritin testing as well as your vitamin D because low levels of those can cause hair loss. Also if your thyroid levels are too high or too low that can cause hair loss. I ended up having hair extensions for 2 years because my hair was so thin but now I have had them removed because my hair is thickening up again and my hair loss has stopped. I felt depressed by the loss of my hair but I do know it does grow back so don't give up hope.

[Tummypainz in reply to Pandora777]

I just checked the blood work sheet and those are all going to be checked as well and I will definitely post results here . I also saw your post about the uterine biopsy and I didn’t know they could go hand in hand and yes the results were fine .

[Fruitandnutcase]

I lost hair like mad when I was first diagnosed with Graves. My hair was long and thick, eventually when it was wet it felt thin like a pencil when I gathered it up to squeeze the water out when I washed it. Hair used to be all over the bath and is have to rinse my hands and shake the hair off. It was very upsetting. Like you I avoided washing and touching my hair as much as I could. I used to photograph the hair loss and keep each load of fallout 8n a little money bag - I got so fed up with people telling me I had ‘lovely thick hair’ - next nurse who said that was about to get a present and be shown the photographs of it all. Think I was probably in danger of becoming deranged about it 😉

In my case it came about because I was given carbimazole to cut my thyroid production and let to go really hypo. My endocrinologist said the hair was falling out because my body was on a roller coaster ride from being massively overactive to being very under active.

Like you, I found it really upsetting and tried all sorts of potions. I used to use a meadowsweet shampoo and conditioner that I bought from someone on the aisle of Skye, that seemed to help. I then moved on to Plantur 39, shampoo, conditioner and lotion, that seemed ok too. I used a Kerastase shampoo that was aimed at helping my scalp - not sure what it was called and I’ve not seen it recently but if you are interested I’d ask in a hairdresser’s where they have expert knowledge of the products.

You didn’t mention your nails but as well as losing hair all over the place my nails were a disaster too -they were so painful, the nails had got so short they were right down to the nail bed and I could barely use my hands, I ended up massaging them with almond oil which is very light and painting them with an OPI Nail Envy product designed for flaky nails - again speak to someone who sells OPI - it was an assistant in John Lewis who got me sorted out and that made a huge difference.

I ate well, lots of fish and green vegetables, I ate loads of eggs and nuts and seeds, cut out junk food etc. I tested then supplemented my vitamins B12 and D my iron was fine and my ferritin was high. I also went totally gluten free and I really don’t have much dairy although I’m not on a dairy free diet, I just don’t like it.

In the end I suspect things improved because my thyroid levels improved and that plus time was what did it. So hopefully if you get your thyroid levels to a good place as well as your B12, vitamin D, folates and ferritin it will eventually sort itself out - especially as you sound like you’re not touching and messing with it. Good luck, I found the hair loss very hard to cope with.

[Tummypainz in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Thank you for your reply ! Yes it’s becoming worrisome it’s in my brush and yes when I wash it I have to rub my hands together to get it off my hands , it’s everywhere ! Then I brush it when it’s wet and squeeze the water out to have more come out ! In May I had my gall bladder out and prior to they for three months I could barely eat anything so I lost 64lbs rather quickly so it’s been a bit of a mess since then , the hair falling out , cold , headaches etc. My nails I always keep short due to work but I have been itchy and have a sore throat to , sort of feel like a cold is coming in but I never get one . I was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism after my son was born 16 years ago and there have been a few level changes over the years but not the hair loss like this ! I hope it’s just that and that adjusting the medication will fix it .

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Tummypainz]

Gosh, you sound just like I was. It was awful. If it’s any help I bought one of those tangle teaser brushes, the oval shaped one that you put in the palm of your hand rather than the kind with the handle (I had one of those too but it was kind of harsh on my scalp) it’s very pretty gentle although hair still comes out a bit but it’s easy to get through wet hair and you don’t feel as if you are ripping it out by the roots.

It sounds as if you have been really poorly and had a very hard time with your health - I know a couple of people who’ve had gall bladder problems and the pain is terrible - especially if gall stones are involved.

Hopefully it’s just taking a while for your system to recover and you’ll get there soon.

[Pandora777 in reply to Tummypainz]

Having your gall bladder removed can also mess with your metabolism and how you absorb food. My cousin had hers removed and suddenly could not eat fresh cream or onions because they gave her diarrhea.

[Pandora777 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

My nails lifted off their nail beds but the Doctor thought it was because I had a manicure ... stupid man.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Pandora777]

Stupid man indeed! My nails were absolutely agony until I got them sorted out. At least my hair falling out didn’t hurt physically.

[Pandora777]

You do realize that having had surgery in May could have caused your hair loss? Any operations can cause your hair to shred 3 to 4 months after the event ... something to do with the medication they use during the operation ... so that could also have contributed to your hair loss.

[BarbaraG70]

Hi. I had problems with my hair falling out. Had it cut short. Hairdresser told me to wet my hair, spread shampoo over my hands and just spread it over the hair, then rake it gently through with fingertips. Leave for a few minutes and rinse. No rubbing or massaging round and round. Put towel over head to dry and just pat dry. Again, no rubbing or massaging. Dry hair with hairdryer and use your hands to style rather than a hairbrush. I also used L’Oréal Hair Oil on it, again just raking it through, and after about 4 months it has stopped shedding. Hairdresser said that rubbing when washing, or brushing, just weakens hair. When raking your fingers through your hair, do it on your scalp as well, as this stimulates it. It’s a long journey. Thyroid can affect every part of the body. Hope you get sorted soon.