Hair loss - Hypothyroid?

[Anastasia17]

Hi all. I am new here to this group. I have endometriosis associated with IBS, anaemia, 1 kidney, going through perimenopause.

Due to this constant hair loss and feeling really tired over many months, I requested in March a thyroid blood test. The results were:

TSH: 1.14 mU/L

TS3: 5.1 pmol/L

TS4: 13.6 pmol/L

Are these results normal?

My Vitamins B12 were very high, Folate were >24.00 ug/L, in January they were 4.42 ug/L but I was prescribed to take folic acid tablets which I still do.

The GP told me that my thyroid results were within range.

Because I have been tired for quite a few months now and, above all, I am still losing a lot of hair, I am wondering whether my thyroids are playing up or if I should look elsewhere.

I take iron tablets, magnesium, vitamin D.

I have put myself on an exclusion anti inflammatory to reduce and control the IBS/endo symptoms and pain that excludes: gluten, dairy, soya, chocolate, caffeine, apples, brown rice, tomato puree. Instead, I have gluten free food, plant milk, vegan chocolate, decaff coffee, a normal diet otherwise. I am not vegetarian, nor vegan. Gps never offered any help, advice.

I am taking Biotin to try and save the situation and also caffeine shampoo, but it doesn't seem to solve the hair loss. For a while now, I have increased the number of days without washing my hair, luckily I have dry hair, but I shouldn't be feeling like this.

Any advice would be gratefully received. Thank you.

[greygoose]

I'm afraid we need the ranges to be able to interpret your labs.

I take it that you don't have a hypo diagnosis, and are not taking any form of thyroid hormone replacement?

What exactly was your B12 result? Are you taking a B12 supplement? Or just folic acid?

No result for ferritin? Low iron/ferritin will cause hair loss. So, you really want those tested.

Welcome to the forum.

[Anastasia17 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you Greygoose.

No hypo diagnosis and I don't take any hypo meds/supplements.

I have always been anaemic (without knowing it until I took charge of the situation as no follow up organised by GPs and I started losing my nails). Hair loss was not as important

The ranges are as follows :

TSH: 1.14 mU/L (0.35 - 5.5)

TS3: 5.1 pmol/L (3.5 - 6.5)

TS4: 13.6 pmol/L (10.5 - 21.0)

Vitamin D: 59.6 nmol/l range above 50 should be sufficient for majority of the population, but still prescribed vitamin D, possibly due to my diet? Range of 75 is beneficial for frail elderly, which I am not, but endo damages the immune system, so its good to support the immune system.?

Ferritin: 25.9ug/l, range (10.1- 291.0) was at 30 in January but had a sudden and important rectal bleeding in March that brought the results down by 6 units. I have been on 2 iron tablets every day so would think results are higher by now. I was at 7 in 2013.

Vitamin B12:1313 ng/l range : (211 - 911) well above range. I was taking a sublingual spray. I stopped when I saw these results.

Folate: 24 range: (sup 24.0ug/l (sup 5.38)

Hope these results make sense.

Best regards

A

[greygoose in reply to Anastasia17]

Yes, they make sense.

So, that ferritin is very low. I think that's probably your culprit! Good that you're taking iron, but are you taking vit C with it to help with absorption and protect your stomach? About 1000 mcg would be good.

Vit D does need to be higher than that - that's a very conservative estimate of what is 'normal'! So, your taking vit D, with is good. But, are you taking magnesium with it? The two work together, so need to be taken together.

You also need to take vit K2-MK7 with Vit D, because vit D increases the absorption of calcium from food, and the K2 makes sure it goes into the bones and teeth, and doesn't build up in the soft tissues.

Your thyroid labs are pretty good for someone not on thyroid hormone replacement. But, have you had your antibodies tested?

[Anastasia17 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you so much Greygoose, I was concerned about the Thyroid results, its a weight off my mind to know that they are good.

I requested the Thyroid testing because I felt so drained. I had a virus first week of January and I felt so drained the following weeks that I was wondering what was going on. Looking back, I may well have caught possibly a mild form of the coronavirus, but I don't know for sure.

I take 2 iron sulfate 200mg every day. Up to how much can I go to? Although I have been anaemic all my life, I also need to keep an eye on the levels as my brother has haemato chromatosis (hope this is the correct spelling 🙄), ie his liver produces /doesn't evacuate iron, consequence of Northern Europe ancestry.

In terms of vitamin D, I take the Ultra Vitamin D 1000iu, D3 25ug.

I have been taking magnesium glycenate 150mg since last year due to stress, tiredness caused by IBS-D and endo.

The vitamin B12 was 1200ug methylcobalamin.

I understand what you say about calcium, however, my mum suffered with calcification under her hill that was painful when walking. Do I need to be careful? Above all as very little dairy in my diet.

By antibodies, do you mean : total white blood count? Neutrophils? Lymphocyts? Basophil count?

Thank you again. x

A

[greygoose in reply to Anastasia17]

Whether or not your mother suffered from calcification, you do need to take vit K2-MK7 if you're taking vit D. It's absolutely essential. Build up of calcium in the arteries can cause a heart attack.

I'm not an expert on iron, so can't tell you how much you can take, but the fact that your brother has heamochomatosis (I don't know how to spell it either!) has nothing to do with your taking iron tablets. You can't catch it from taking iron tablets. You either have it or you don't, and you have the opposite.

By antibodies I mean Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies (TPOab) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAB), which indicate whether you have Autoimmune Thyroiditis.

[Anastasia17 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you Greygoose for these precious information. It's such a shame that we don't get this level of information from the GPs.

I have now bought a calcium (400mg carbonate) supplement with vitamins D (2.5 ug) and K (37.5ug), but I will carry on taking alongside my normal vitamin D supplement.

I'm also going to try lactose free milk to see if my digestive system can handle it, which would then provide me with the calcium that my body needs.

The antibodies were not tested. I already had to return to the GP to explain that it was the T3 and T4 that needed to be tested... 🙄

The lady in the health shop was very impressed by the level of information you provided me with. 😊

I am currently at home following excision surgery and I am doing well, so my levels of stress are kept to a minimum.

Thank you again for all your kindness. x

A

[Anastasia17 in reply to greygoose]

I will get a vitamin C supplement, I didn't know it protects the stomach.

Thank you x

[greygoose in reply to Anastasia17]

I have now bought a calcium (400mg carbonate) supplement with vitamins D (2.5 ug) and K (37.5ug), but I will carry on taking alongside my normal vitamin D supplement.

I'm sorry, why have you done that? Do you have low levels of calcium? Calcium supplements are not a good thing to take.

[Anastasia17 in reply to greygoose]

I have been dairy free since May 2019 due to tummy pains/endometriosis. Alongside with being free from : gluten, soya, dry beans, lentilles, chocolate (contains both soya and milk), coffee, brown rice, apples, tomato purée. I use plant milk, vegan chocolate, decaff coffee, normal food otherwise.

Hence my slight concern about calcium, I can't fall back on milk, yoghurts, etc.

Dairy products increase and feed the oestrogen that makes endometriosis grow inside.

These foods groups give me IBS-D.

I can't rely on GPs who have ignored all symptoms and done nothing for the past 10 years. So, I look into things... 🤔

[greygoose in reply to Anastasia17]

You don't actually need dairy to get enough calcium. You can get plenty from veggies. Calcium supplements are very difficult to absorb, and tend to build up in the arteries. And, as I said, taking vit D increases absorption of calcium from food. You really should get your calcium tested before attempting to take any form of calcium supplement. It might not be low, even though you don't eat dairy.

[Anastasia17 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you Greygoose, I will follow on your advice x

Take care.

A

[greygoose in reply to Anastasia17]

You're welcome.

[Anastasia17]

Thank you Lora7again. I have been taking iron tablets for months and it doesn't seem to have any effect on hairloss. I eat meat, but I have had to reduce it due to endo diet.

[Anastasia17]

Nope. I wasn't judged worthy of any treatment by the consultant 2 years ago. Left to my own device, no explanation, I knew nothing about this condition. His surgery notes are uneligible, diagnosis incomplete, GPs dismissive. Very confused, anxiety, depression, completely abandoned by the medical system, GPs blocked my medical care.

I took charge of the situation in May 2019, emerging from my foggy brain, took my hubby with me to GP appointments, got all the referrals put in place that consultant should have done and also GP years ago. I am now recovering from my 2nd lap with excision where endo was found on the ureter, silent and painless killer to kidney. Im so glad that I pushed! 😊

[HLAB35]

Just a few thoughts to add to GreyGoose's great advice. For me, I did ok on iron tablets, then followed by a maintenance dose of Spatone, taken with diluted ascorbic acid (you can buy 1kg packs of it which is economical). (Occasionally must check my levels as I don't hold onto iron too well.) Liver has the added advantage of containing vitamin A which aids iron absorption. Iron in tablet or vegetarian form is non-heme and that's where vitamin C comes into play to help it get absorbed. (Heme / animal iron is already in the best form for absorption. ) You don't mention taking any b complex vitamins or zinc. I strongly believe that these would help you with your endometriosis, improving iron levels AND your hair loss problems (especially b6 as p5p). I recommend Igennus for the B complex. My nails and hair are much better for taking zinc. Have a look at Flo Living website for diet and supplement advice with endo.