Help with hair loss

[Puddleperson]

Hi all. Does anyone else have experience of hair problems like mine, even better does anyone know how to treat it?

My Hashimotos went undiagnosed for a long time during which my hair thinned out quite a lot. No help from GP of course but I eventually got help via the wonderful Dr P. Fourteen years later I am now more or less fit and healthy. My hair, however, less so. It has grown back very well, but only on one side of my head. The area above my right ear seems to be continuing to get thinner to the extent I am starting to panic. I suppose I should also mention that armpits only need shaving 4 or 5 times a year and legs never which is very different to pre-Hashi.

We can only have telephone appointments with GP's now and I have one booked for tomorrow about something else altogether but am tempted to ask (beg, insist?) that she help with this. I expect that my request would be dismissed instantly but if it wasn't would I be opening a hornet's nest of questions about how I treat my Hashimotos ? It was, in fact diagnosed by my GP 14 years ago but despite the fact I had gone to see them because I felt so ill I could no longer function and had a huge raft of symptoms, they refused to treat me.

[shaws Administrator]

I think you should ask your doctor to be referred to someone who's knowledgeable about hair loss. They may diagnose you as having another autoimmune condition such as Alopecia or alopecia areata. I hope not as that's what I have.

I know we've lost faith in the majority of doctors who either don't diagnose us or don't know quite how best to treat hypo patients. They seem to think that a TSH reveals all (if it's within the range, they're happy but patient isn't) and never test FT4 and FT3 (both of which should be in the upper part of the ranges).

[Puddleperson in reply to shaws]

Thank you, Shaws for your reply. I dread the thought of it being any sort of alopecia as I know that there is no good treatment available. Am I being overly optimistic in hoping that as the hair thinning started with the onset of the Hashimotos that it is all due to that, albeit strange that it is not evenly thinning. Does having one autoimmune condition make you more likely to have a second, or third (I also get an occasional slightly weird sort eczema).

I have never had a full blood test with FT3 or 4 etc., perhaps now is the time for that. Can you, or someone, tell me which specific blood tests to have and where to get them?

[Redlester in reply to Puddleperson]

where are you on ferritin status??? you can get a full thyroid panel with vitamins and minerals inc ferritin at medichecks

I am also experiencing thinning - and like you it is worse on my right side - I sleep mainly on my right side so that might have something to do with it I think - is that the case for you? my ferritin is rock bottom so that possibly has something to do with it, but my mum has the same thinning and she has good ferritin levels, and thinks it is just genetic. Like you I am desperate to reverse it as it is beginning to get harder and harder to hide.

[Puddleperson in reply to Redlester]

Many thanks for your reply. My sympathies, I know only too well how hard it is to cope. Do you have a thyroid disease too? I don't have any family with similar issues. I have my Mum's flat, fine, limp hair but when she died at 83 she at least had a full head of it!

My GP first diagnosed Auto Immune thyroid disease in January 2009 some 17 years after it began. By that time my hair was fairly thin all over. Serum ferritin was measured at 39 which I was told by a trichologist was so far below the minimum level of 75 needed for hair to grow at all, that it wasn't surprising. After that I sorted out treatment for myself and by May it had reached 55. I have not had a blood test since. My hair, however, along with almost everything else, improved, all apart from the one area. I too wondered about sleeping predominantly on one side but as I always sleep on my left side it's hard to see it being that, especially given that you sleep on your right side. I'd been wondering daft things like maybe all the blood falls to the side you sleep on leaving the other side deprived! Your experience would seem to rule that out.

I had a very friendly telephone conversation with a GP this morning, so much so that I even confessed to the medications I was taking and she was still warm and sympathetic. She has arranged a full blood screen (although I'm doubtful it will include everything recommended on this site!). Given that the medication I take has improved my health so much she felt it possible that my hair condition could be due to something else - the dreaded word alopecia was mentioned. Hopefully I'm at least a tiny step forward - time will tell.

[Redlester in reply to Puddleperson]

Hello Puddleperson. I am self treating for a form of thyroid hormone resistance, in which it is likely I have had a thyroid problem all my life - used to have beautiful head of hair as teenager and early twenties and then in early thirties it began to thin at the temples - R worse than L - would love to go to trichologist to see if they could advise. My ferritin has always been low - last was 13 - before that 10 and GPs content to tick that result off as normal - in view of what you report trichologist told you about ferritin levels it is remarkable I have a hair on my head with my ferritin readings!!! How is your protein intake?? was reading an article yesterday which says that you need good quality collagen to make up the damage the thyroid has done to your skin/hair/nails. So my plan is to do iron deficiency medicheck test in next 10 days or so and depending on results of that begin to take ferritin supps and also source collagen powder and try that. Glad your GP was supportive - lucky you! - it could be something to do with androgens - I have a link somewhere I can't locate about that and will try to track it down. Let me know how you get on with your blood test results and what GP advises re next steps. Don't think about alopecia - you'll only worry yourself.

[Puddleperson in reply to Redlester]

Thanks for your reply. I've had so much help from people I am overwhelmed, what would we do without this site!! It's probably a good idea to see a trichologist. It helped me even if only to learn that she couldn't help until iron levels had improved. The GP had accepted my low ferretin level as 'normal' which was my first indication that GP 'normal' isn't real life 'normal'!!

Good point about protein - I don't know the answer. It should be OK as diet is good. Nails vary, either soft and tearing or brittle then tough and resilient. I haven't worked out why they change. I don't know the first thing about androgens, maybe I should look it up.? Skin is OK although it loves any excuse to get red and itchy or break out into excema.

I'm not overly confident about GP as it will be a different one when the blood test comes back. I'm hoping I can get an actual appointment but fear I'll be fobbed off with a telephone one especially if results are 'normal' again. I have decided to go for the full blood test recommended here, hopefully it will identify anything I need to change/explore. I have more trust in advice from here than my GP but will keep my mind open and maybe the information from my private test will be helpful talking to my GP??

[Redlester in reply to Puddleperson]

Hello Puddleperson

Couldn't agree with you more about this forum - I learn something new every day and when you learn you are then able to help yourself. i don't know what I would do without it either. Thank you for the advice re trichologist - would be good idea for me to supplement with ferritin first and see how that goes before wasting money on trichologist. So I will have to see what medichecks blood test shows up - am planning to do it Monday week as have to go off B vits for week first. Oddly enough while my eczema cleared up after getting the T3 up in terms of dose levels my skin is prone to horrible zitty outbreaks - which I think is hormonal/menopausal [always had clear skin but has got worse recently] and had very dry skin, but progesterone has helped with that greatly. So what blood test are you getting done? via GP? or privately?

[Lora7again]

I have suffered 2 lots of hair loss and both times my hair grew back. I think you need to see a dermatologist to see what is causing it because as shaws says it might be another autoimmune condition.

[Puddleperson in reply to Lora7again]

Thanks, it's some encouragement yours has grown back. I've started the process of getting a referral so fingers are crossed.