Just wondering if others think this a coincidence... My Levothyroxine was reduced at the end of January because I’d started getting headaches. No blood test was done before it was reduced. Around the middle of April my hair started coming out more than usual. Blood tests show my levels are okay. TSH is suppressed, T4 13 (7.00-16.00) and T3 at 5.1 (3.8-6.00). I just cannot get this hairloss to stop!
On my doctors advice I’ve tried reducing my Levothyroxine, hairloss got worse. I come off the pill, this made no difference. I’ve started b12 and folate supplements for low levels. Again no difference. Ferritin is at a good level (111) and also vitamin D.
Recently I’ve increased my thyroxine back up to the 150mcg I was on before my hairloss started. Is this crazy or what others would do??
Thank You!
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Sarahlouise1980
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anecdotal but I started developing headaches after 2 years on Levo. By elimination I worked out it was alcohol for which I had become intolerant. I have read that up to 30% of hashimotos sufferers develop some form of alcohol intolerance.
It was a low level headache that would last 2-3 days along with an icky feeling, a little nausea now and again but not enough to throw up.
gave up alcohol 4 months ago and they have all gone.
Hello Sarahlouise, you should have insisted that they do a blood test before thinking its your thyroxine that causes the headache - which by the way is not a usual side effect of thyroxine therapy!! Except if you are highly over-medicated but that you can only assess with a proper blood test!!
I had an episode when my GP insisted to reduce my thyroxine based on the suppressed TSH alone (T4 normal and T3 not assessed!!). I managed to insist to reduce it by 12.5 microgram (took 75 mcg and 100mcg on alternate days. My hair came out like you would not believe, I was also very low in energy and felt anxious.
Increased my dose to the normal 100mcg level again, and the hair loss stopped completely! If you are having too little hormone, your body directs it to the more essential processes like heart, metabolism etc - hair is not that essential hence it will get affected if the level drops and falls out.
I would have increased the levels as well like you did if you did not have a problem before, I can also recommend a good Vit B complex, which will help in strengthening your hair (I use the Igennix Super B complex).
Many people feel best with T3 at least 2/3rds through the range, which means a suppressed TSH and T4 on top of the range or slightly over, which is fine. My TSH has been suppressed since the beginning of my disease in 2003 and I am still here to tell the tale!
Listen to your own body and don't get bullied into changing your meds for no good reasons.
"before thinking its your thyroxine that causes the headache - which by the way is not a usual side effect of thyroxine therapy!!"
Actually it is listed as a side effect of Levo. I can't link to PDFs on my tablet, but this is the link to the patient information leaflet and you can click on the link, it's listed under number 4
It took around 3-4 months to get back to normal and my hair was still a bit thin for a while after that.
Just something to consider - we do tend to loose more hair at the change of seasons, in spring time and also in autumn. This is normal, but obviously if you are not on the correct dose of medication, this can lead to excessive hair loss on top of that.
We're you on Teva Levothyroxine which caused the headaches? As @SeasideSusie says it could be the excipients in the Levothyroxine. Teva gives me headaches which is why I refuse it at the Chemist.
Both Actavis (Almus/Northstar) and Mercury Pharma gave me one continuous headache, bloating, stomach ache and constipation . I have settled on Wockhardt now as I am able to just about tolerate them. Why not try another brand
Hi there I suffer with this - one week no hair loss the other week quite a lot - I see you have tried the obvious causes Vit D and B vitamins can cause hair loss - but so can low Vitamin C which might be the case as it is used heavily in he adrenal glands and would leave you susceptible to being low for other uses in the body such as hair or skin.
I found hai rloss can take 3 months to occur after a trigger, plus once hair loss started it tends to go through a phase before it gets better. So I reckon the timing is spot on for hair loss due to a reduction in levo. Could take another 3 months since your increase to start improving. x
That’s exactly what I’m thinking Gilbo72. I know my folate and vitamin b12 are deficient but the timing I think is just to much of a coincidence! It’s got to be worth a try increasing back to 150mcg anyway hasn’t it?
My Endo reduced my dose in January last year too!. My hair started to fall out a couple of months or so later. Over the year he has gradually increased it back up to pretty much what it was, it has taken this long for it to stop falling. Now I have new short growth which makes my hair look awful (but at least its growing again, not falling!) I can't stand that they muck around with the dose, not realising it causes you a year of bad hair and other stuff, whilst they congratulate themselves for getting the dose right! If you look up 'hair phases', you will see that hair loss is a delayed reaction, and a process, so patience is needed as well as the correct dose.
yeah, I would say its all delayed. So even though your bloods are good now, your hair growth process has to catch up. Basically the hair follicle that has shed its hair has to produce a new hair shaft, after a phase of resting, and that takes time to grow before you see it. (If the hair shed phase has finished).
This is a brief description of the phases of hair growth. philipkingsley.com/hair-gui... , so you can see when the thyroid disrupts it, it is not as easy as turning it on or off, it takes time. Bah!
Those bloods were taken 6 weeks after I reduced down from 150 to 125mcg at the end of January. So they would have been taken middle of March. Hair started falling middle of April and hasn’t stopped since! The doctor tried reducing Levothyroxine further and hairloss got worse! I do need to get b12 & folate up but I just think the timing is too much of a coincidence! Or am I mad!
so I also was on 150mcg in January (Great hair, no hairloss). My GP dropped it to 125 in Jan, (massive hairloss, and symptoms for the next 8 months). Then in Aug/Sept my Endo increased it to 125/150mcg alternate and it is only now that I have noticed my hair is not falling out anymore (these last few weeks), and now (like this week) have noticed new growth.
I find trying to work out what thyroid levels equates with good hair is too tricky! I knew I felt great on 150cmg (and my hair liked it), my GP didn't like it as my T4 was well over the range and my TSH was suppressed, hence the reduction. How are you feeling? I know that I feel best on a suppressed TSH and an over range T4, (and my hair concurs!) But i think we all have different optimal levels, so comparing your bloods to mine won't be too helpful.
Never heard of that range for T4. That reading here would mean undermedication. Thyroxine levels should not promote headaches and should be investigated separately. I have 2 doctors in my practice with different opinions ..one says to go by how I feel and any symptoms (such as hair loss, weight gain, feeling cold none if which I had) while the other thinks I should reduce my medication based purely on TSH results but the reduction he suggested made me cold , losing hair etc! I have upped my dose to midway!
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