I have been experiencing hair loss over the last 12 months. I started to despair as have been taking Viviscal professional vitamins and was hoping that it will slow down, but actually is getting worse and worse. I am on 100mcg work days and 75mcg on weekend of levythroxin. Did blood tests recentlyand all in ranges apart tsh v low so dr reduced my weekend dose to 75mcg. Vitamin levels all good. I alos strated HRT therapy 6 months ago.
Any hope it will stop? Has anyone found sme good shampoos or anthingg that helped?
Thank you!
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lilymac73
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Did blood tests recentlyand all in ranges apart tsh v low so dr reduced my weekend dose to 75mcg. Vitamin levels all good.
What were the results (with reference ranges)? TSH is not an indication of thyroid status, it's not a thyroid hormone, it's a pituitary hormone. It's FT4 and FT3 which tell us what we need to know about our thyroid so where in range are those?
According to some experts, ferritin levels of at least 40 ng/ml are required to stop hair loss, while levels of at least 70 ng/ml are needed for hair regrowth. The optimal ferritin level for thyroid function is between 90-110 ng/ml.
You missed off the ranges but I know Medichecks ranges as I use them.
TSH 0.53 (0.27-4.2)
T3 4.1 (3.1-6.8)
FT3 20.9 (12-22) - This is actually FT4 not FT3, the above test you've put as T3 is the FT3 test
Why is your GP reducing your dose when this is a private test? Does GP not do own thyroid test?
Your TSH is not low, it is within range and does not warrant reducing your dose of Levo.
Your FT4 is 89% through range so it's not over range and does not warrant reducing your dose of Levo.
Your FT3 is only 27.03% through range. It is FT3 that's the most important test and this is what tells us whether or not we are overmedicated. FT3 would be over range if overmedicated. Your FT3 is very low in range, does not warrant reducing your dose of Levo and actually shows poor conversion of T4 to T3.
Ferritin 38 (13-150)
This is low in range and could be the cause of your hair loss - see my reply above.
Ask your GP to do an iron panel to see if you have iron deficiency and a full blood count to see if you have anaemia. These tests will tell you whether you need iron tablets, if all OK you will need to raise ferritin by eating iron rich foods such as liver, liver pate, black pudding, etc:
Thank you so much. It is actually an endocrinologist who is taking care of me. He said that I am overdosed so need to reduce. I changed several drs and for years my doses have been adjusted up and down, and I was also on T3 medication, but it has been removed year ago.
Vit D 67
B12 127
Folate >20
I also gained weight last few months and fatigue is back big time.
Please always include reference ranges so that those who wish to respond know exactly where your levels lie, ranges vary from lab to lab and we need to be accurate, not guess. However, as I said, I do know Medichecks ranges so I can comment.
Vit D 67nmol/L
The Vit D Society and Grassroots Health recommend a level of 100-150nmol/L. To reach the recommended level from your current level, it's suggested to supplement with approx 3,500iu D3 daily along with D3's important cofactors magnesium and Vit K2-MK7. Are you supplementing?
Active B12 127 (37.5-188)
This is a good level, are you supplementing?
Folate >20 (3.89-19.45)
Your level is higher than their machine measures. Are you supplementing?
I also gained weight last few months and fatigue is back big time.
Weight gain is a symptom of hypothyroidism, low FT3 makes losing weight difficult. Fatigue can be hypothyroidism and low ferritin/iron.
Do you always do your thyroid tests as advised here:
* Blood draw no later than 9am. This is because TSH is highest early morning and lowers throughout the day. If looking for a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, an increase in dose of Levo or to avoid a reduction then we need the highest possible TSH
* Nothing to eat or drink except water before the blood draw. This is because eating can lower TSH and coffee can affect TSH.
* If taking thyroid hormone replacement, last dose of Levo should be 24 hours before blood draw, if taking NDT or T3 then last dose should be 8-12 hours before blood draw. Adjust timing the day before if necessary. This avoids measuring hormone levels at their peak after ingestion of hormone replacement. Take your thyroid meds after the blood draw. Taking your dose too close to the blood draw will give false high results, leaving any longer gap will give false low results.
* If you take Biotin or a B Complex containing Biotin (B7), leave this off for 7 days before any blood test. This is because if Biotin is used in the testing procedure it can give false results (most labs use biotin).
These are patient to patient tips which we don't discuss with phlebotomists or doctors.
If you took your last dose of Levo before the test, or too close to the test, then you will have a false high FT4. Can you confirm when you took your last dose of Levo before the test so we can see how your conversion of T4 to T3 is.
Hi Susie, my latest results. Spoke to my dr and he said to stick to 100mcg working week and 75mcg weekend. No advise re hair apart from increase B12 and Folate...which is already at the top level?
Hi, my latest results. Spoke to my dr and he said to stick to 100mcg working week and 75mcg weekend. No advice re hair apart from increase B12 and Folate...which is already at the top level? I despair even more...have a call with GP this Thursday and hope she is better than my consultant!
Free Tyroxine 18.4 - you've missed off the reference range.
Vit D 61 (50-200) - lower than last time.
Ferritin
Previously -38 (13-150)
New result -61 (13-150)
How long between these tests and was it the same lab who did them. Ferritin takes a long time to rise and the new result looks suspicious if the old result was correct.
No advice re hair apart from increase B12 and Folate...which is already at the top level?
Folate 19.6 >2.9 - absolutely no need to increase
b12 150 (25.1-165) - absolutely no need to increase
OK, so as it's Medichecks I don't think you can rely on the ferritin result, it may be accurate, it may not. Perhaps have a read through this thread from yesterday and you'll see mention of "suspicious" ferritin results from their tests over recent months:
This is assuming that your tests were processed by County Pathology. I think they do most of Medichecks tests and the address is on the return envelope and the lab is shown on the "printable results report" which you can download.
As mentioned previously, you have a conversion problem and really need to get FT4 and FT3 balanced, or at least get FT3 much higher in range (top third to top quarter is usually a good place). It might be worth considering the addition of T3.
Vit D still needs work, aiming for the recommended level of 100-150nmol/L and 3,500-4,000iu D3 daily, along with D3's important cofactors, as mentioned above,
Thank you Susie. My endo said again my medication is ok and i am stuck now with the same prescription. I will repeat ferritin and also test for gluten sensitivity in one month but do feel stuck.
I bought vitamins for hair loss apparently very good to realise they have iodine so now have to make decision do I try to help my hair but potentially mess my thyroid even more! Kind of tired 😅
My endo said again my medication is ok and i am stuck now with the same prescription.
This is the point where we have to make up our minds, do we do what the endo says, knowing that most endos know little to nothing about treating thyroid as they're mainly diabetes specialists, and allow them to keep us ill, or do we do what we know will help us. Many members source their own T3, even Levo, and take responsibility for their own health rather than let some doctor blindly follow a number on a computer screen rather than listen to their patient.
You can indeed. If you want to do thay them make a new post asking for members to send you recommendations by private message for a reliable supplier. You can then send me a PM asking if I have any feedback on any recommendations that you have been sent as there are some unscrupulous suppliers.
I agree with SeasideSusie that you don't need to reduce your med. You do need to have higher Free T3. Your ferritin is much too low. I suggest supplementing with a good iron supplement along with Vitamin C for good absorption. Ferritin needs to be at least 100. It will help with conversion of the T4 to T3 as well as for hair growth. Also important to get Vitamin D above 50 ng/ml, since it affects cellular response to thyroid.
From you FT4 level I also wondered if you take your med in the morning before the blood draw for thyroid tests. If so it can cause short term spikes in FT4 level and give a false high result. It is recommended by the American Thyroid Assn. that thyroid med be delayed until after the blood draw.
I suggest supplementing with a good iron supplement along with Vitamin C for good absorption
Not a good idea unless an iron panel is done to see if iron deficient. If serum iron and saturation % are good then taking iron tablets will take those levels higher and too much iron is as bad as too little. We always advise checking before self supplementing with iron tablets, preferable to have these precribed so the GP can regularly monitor levels.
Ferritin is a precursor to serum iron levels so since ferritin was so low, unlikely to cause a problem by taking iron supplement; however, certainly nothing wrong with being really cautious and getting a full iron test panel.
I only know brands in the U.S. Best are VitronC where one pill contains 65 mg of iron which would be about the right amount daily. Others are ferrous bisglycinate, ferrous gluconate, or ferrous sulfate.
Don't forget Vitamin D also, as Seaside Susie suggested. Also very important for you.
Your results show you are poor converter of Ft4 to Ft3
As you have Hashimoto’s are you on absolutely strictly gluten free diet?
Essential to maintain optimal vitamin levels
Very common for vitamin levels to crash if T3 is removed
What vitamin supplements are you currently taking
Ferritin is too low and likely causing hair loss
What age are you approx?
Heavy periods?
Menopause
Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet
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
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.
Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones
Likely to need restarting small doses of T3 prescribed alongside levothyroxine. But vitamin levels need to be optimal first and trialing strictly gluten free diet
But get coeliac blood test done, BEFORE considering trial on strictly gluten free diet
The same endocrinologist who told me to reduce levo. I was on that German medicine (100 levo plus T3 - sorry brain freeze cannot remember name!) But he also thought that I am over medicated..
I take biotin, Viviscal for hair loss, and Berocca. I take Vit D in drops and Spatone for iron.
Gluten free diet only works if you are 100% absolutely strictly gluten free
It takes 4-6 months for gut to recover each time you eat gluten
When taking any supplements that contain biotin it’s absolutely essential to stop these a week before ALL blood tests as biotin can falsely affect test results
Suggest you read many of humanbean in depth replies on low ferritin
You need new endocrinologist
Email Thyroid UK for list of recommend thyroid specialist endocrinologists who will prescribe T3
I have several autoimmune conditions, one of which is Alopecia Areata which means my hair falls out completely and then very slowly grows again but it is a very slow procedure. It has a cycle of no hair- and being bald and then slowly growing back only to drop again.
Hi! I read that people with Hashimoto tend to have more problems with demodex, a microscopic mite everyone has. It can well be your cause for hair loss if vitamins are fine. I was losing a lot of hair and after a dressing the mites it is getting better. I also felt some weird itchy sensations from time to time that are starting to dissappear. You can shower and wash your head with hot water first thing in the morning (they live in follicles and only go out to mate at night, and if you shower during the day they are sheltered). Use tea tree oil and sulfur shampoo and soap and coconut oil as moisturiser. I also massage tea tree oil on my scalp. All these ingredients kill the mites. Good luck!
Is it general hairloss all over or specific patches ? Could also be a form of alopecia as this can develop at anytime and the risk of developing a 2nd autoimmune condition is more likely when you already have one. As someone who has alopecia I can tell you that the treatments dont work for everyone unfortuantely for most people it grows back when it wants I used to think it was connected to my thyroid levels but I have had a full head of hair when my levels were bad and big patches when my levels where better than before it can be very random and frustrating. Low ferritin as already mentioned can also affect hairgrowth and could be the cause too. You could go and see a tricologist and see what they say they are hairloss specialists I would definitely recommend that 😊 also worth having a look on the Alopecia UK forum here too
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