I’m currently going through a big hair shed. I have two labs from early February and was wondering if it looks my thyroid fluctuations or iron could be the culprit. My free t3 dropped from 4.0 in December to 2.8 in February and is now back up to 3.9. I have my labs drawn the first week of the month at 8am.My thyroid antibodies are negative but my thyroid function is not stable,
Serum iron: 55 to 70% of the range, higher end for men - yours is below range
Saturation: optimal is 35 to 45%, higher end for men - yours is below the range given in your results.
Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) or Transferrin: Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron, High in range indicates body's need for supplemental iron - yours is 85% through range so it's high
These results clearly suggest iron deficiency, did your GP not act upon these dire results? Iron deficiency is one cause of hair loss.
What thyroid medication do you take?
Did you do your thyroid test as we advise, i.e
* No later than 9am
* Nothing to eat or drink except water before the test
* Last dose of Levo 24 hours before test or last dose of NDT or T3 8-12 hours before the test
When antibodies were tested, what were the results?
HiThanks for your reply. My GP doesn’t know why my iron is low and he has me taking multiple iron supplements a day. My ANA came back negative and my inflammatory markers CRP and ESR were normal. I’m not on thyroid medication but my thyroid is unstable and my GP is watching my labs since hypothyroidism runs in my family. My labs are drawn after fasting at 8 am on the first Tuesday of each month.
So your GP is treating you with the correct amount of iron tablets for iron deficiency, you should be regularly monitored so hopefully retesting will be scheduled.
Are you taking your iron tablets with Vit C, this aids absorption and can help prevent constipation.
Take iron tablets 2 hours away from any medication or supplements as it affects their absorption.
When testing iron you should be off your tablets for 7 days beforehand and iron tests should be done after a 12 hour fast (water allowed) so early morning before breakfast is a good time so you don't have to go hungry during the day.
It could be either but I tend to think hair shedding is due to changing T3 levels, & thin hair or changes to texture is due to insufficient iron.
I've always had a big hair shed when FT3 levels change but iron is a big contributor to hair as ferritin is actually stored in the follicles.
With no apparent inflammation, iron levels so extremely deficient & the tiniest amount you do have is all bound up in ferritin. If supplementing iron isn't raising iron levels you should ask your GP for a referral to a hemo.
The next stage into iron storage after ferritin is hepcidin that controls iron entering/leaving the cells, and elevated levels can block oral iron from working, even after it's converted to ferrous iron.
Just realised you aren't medicating thyroid hormone meds, so deficient iron levels will be playing a huge part in destabilising thyroid hormone levels as key enzyme TPO used in the synthesis is iron dependant.
Agree you should ask for Haematologist referral if the iron supps are not working.
One thing I would say is even with taking supps, it can take 3-6 months for the hair loss to stop.
It is indeed strange for your ferritin to be so high (unless you’ve had a recent illness or infection) whilst serum iron so low. If your doctor doesn’t have an answer then you need the Haematologist to help. I know a brilliant one in London if you need a recommendation - she’s NHS and private.
Also Google Thallesemia in case you fit the pattern of this condition, but I think it’s unlikely.
I would also have a think about diet. As for everything change to a diet of more fresh foods and less processed stuff.
My ferritin is ridiculously low and my eyebrows are shedding. The GP (who had insisted my iron levels were good and refused me ferrous fumarate when I asked for prescript in January) said I should take folic acid along with the iron for added follicle stimulation so I decided to add some feroglobin in as I can't easily tolerate the FF anyway. He said I should not just take vit c with the iron supplement, but alongside every meal as juice or fruit as it seems I'm not absorbing iron well full stop even from food (I eat liver pate and red meat every week)
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Update on Labs - What is Going On? :-)
TSH dropping but T4 / T3 not changing.
Thoughts on my labs?
Update on thyroid results and advice on hair loss
Is my "high" TSH a problem? 
