T4 thyroid meds = alopecia

[JMB78]

Does anyone have alopecia that they think may have been initially caused by being prescribed the wrong thyroid medication?

I am convinced my problems all started 5 months after taking this drug and think it made me more hypothyroid/hashimotos. It was all quiet for a bit then just came out of nowhere with the main symptom of hair thinning/ophasis pattern and now I have zero hair.

Any feedback is welcome

Many thanks

[shaws Administrator]

Alopecia Areata is another autoimmune condition. If we have one we can get others unfortunately.

I have had Alopecia every summer for the past eleven years, just when you want hair. I had hypo diagnosed several years before.

We cannot prevent autoimmune conditions and I also have pernicious anaemia (diagnosed very early on by a good doctor). Years later hypothyroidism was confirmed (by myself) one day after GP phoned to say nothing had shown on all the tests he asked for.

As I was desperate by this time and just returned from holiday (where I phoned and asked for a blood test form for hypothyroidism - suggested to me by another person) I got a early a.m. test and 1 hour later another doctor phoned and she said 'who gave you the blood test form' I said, myself, she said come and get a prescription you have hypothyroidism. Quite frankly I couldn't get out of bed but did to get the blood test. The previous doctor didn't understand what a 99.5 TSH meant and had already phoned me to say all the tests were good and I had no problems.

It is a case of reading, learning from the other members and recovering our health. Also joining Thyroiduk who is the organisation behind this forum. There's only four people who do masses of work trying to change attitudes of the professionals. Meeting MPs etc. The more members the stronger we become and maybe eventually we will get the changes we, the patients, want and an option of thyroid hormones:-

thyroiduk.org/join-us/

We also need B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate checked. Everything to be optimal.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Low iron and or low ferritin can cause hair loss

When were ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D last tested

[JMB78 in reply to SlowDragon]

I'm in the process of getting them done so will feedback - thank you so much

[JMB78 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi again

I have some results from May this year:

Ferritin 28.5, Folate 11.66, B12 >150, Vitamin D 99

I have alopecia universalis in the last year just out of nowhere

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to JMB78]

So ferritin is far too low

Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first

Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption

List of iron rich foods

dailyiron.net

Links about iron and ferritin

irondisorders.org/Websites/...

drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...

This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones

Helpful post about iron supplements and testing

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

restartmed.com/hypothyroidi...

Obviously when on levothyroxine we need to be taking high enough dose. Levothyroxine doesn’t top up our failing thyroid, it completely replaces it. Guidelines on dose by weight is 1.6mcg levothyroxine per kilo of you4 weight .....some need more ....rare to need less

Unless very petite, at least 100mcg levothyroxine per day...always same brand of levothyroxine too

[greygoose]

If you feel that levo is making you more hypo, then there are two possible causes: a) you're under-medicated, b) you're not converting well. But we cannot know which it is without seeing lab results and ranges.

Taking levo can cause temporary baldness, it's true. But, I doubt it would actually cause alopecia, if that diagnosis is correct. And, levo is not a drug, it's the thyroid hormone T4.

I lost all my hair on T3 only - it all just dropped out one day, in the shower. No diagnosis of anything from idiot GP, though. He just said it was my age! So, anyway, it's not necessarily just about the levo. More about being hypo and/or low nutrients.