Hello
I have come to terms with the fact that if my thyroid is not in the range it should then I get just larger than 50p bald spots over my scalp.
For those suffering hair loss do you have any tips? i.e. products, multivitamins, herbal remedies, etc.
Thanks
Leanne
Certainly not multi-vits! They are a terrible thing to take because all these vitamins and minerals just shouldn't all be taken together like that. But, what you should do is get the mains nutrients tested - vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin - and see if you need to optimise any of them. You probably will. Then, you need to work out a proper dosing schedule - we can help you with that.
I'm not a great one for so-called 'herbal remedies' because you have to be so careful with herbs. They can do more harm that good, and it's difficult to find anyone who really knows what they're doing. So, it's a road I've never gone down.
What you do need to do is look after your scalp. It needs to be kept clean, airated and massaged. I know a lot of hypos, when they start losing their hair, are afraid to brush or wash it, because they're afraid of losing more. But, the dead hair has to come out before the new hair can grow. So, continue to wash it regularly, and when you do, give your scalp a good massage to keep the skin supple. If the scalp isn't supple, new hair can't grow. And give your hair a good brush every day to let the air get at the roots and stimulate blood flow. 
Thanks for the advice! I see folate mentioned a lot… I’ll look into this more too.
And keeping the hair clean and brushing. More so that clumps of hair fall out whilst brushing while randomly sat at my desk!
Yes, I do know the problem. In the shower one day, ALL my hair fell out in one fell swoop! For me, it's an iron problem, more than a thyroid problem, I can't keep my iron levels up. But everything needs to be optimal for good hair.
That sounds brutal, Greygoose. All at once!
Well, I still had a sort of out-lying fringe, like Riff Raff, in Rocky Horror Picture Show. But it certainly was a huge shock!
😄😄 Well at least you can laugh about it, I guess!
I can now! But I couldn't at the time. It was really traumatic.
I can well imagine! In fact I know it all too well. As distressing as my hair loss was I can't imagine it just falling out all at the exact same time though, must of been truly horrific at the time, so sorry.
I lost most of mine over 3 months and what replaced it was thin, wispy, gappy and almost entirely grey. I cried a lot. I've been wearing wigs since my 20s. But at least I didn't have it shed all at once!!
You know I always experience a disconnect between official medical descriptions of symptoms associated with hypothyroidism and the quite brutal reality of how bad it can be. There's a real gap.
Mention profound heavy hair loss in association with thyroid illness and you get blank expressions from lay people and even doctors. Sometimes disbelief that it can possibly be that bad as the only severe hair loss they've heard of is associated with cancer/alopecia!
I was washing my hair under the shower, and it just all came away in my hands.
I didn't go to the doctor's specifically for that, but when I did, wearing my woolly hat, I mentioned it. He said, 'well, what do you expect at your age!' I was in my sixties, but still! So, I sweetly pointed out to him that his waiting room was full of little old ladies, my age, and not one of them was wearing a woolly hat! He just shrugged. He didn't have a clue! In my profile is a link to my 'appreciation' of that doctor. lol
But, worse than that, when it started growing back, I went to the hairdresser's to get it trimmed and evened up. She said, 'oh, it's very thin'. I said 'never mind, this time last year there wasn't any!' 'Awww,' she said, 'chemotherapy?'. 'No,' I said, 'thyroid disease'. 'Oh!' she said, and looked at me as if I wasn't quite all there, and making it up. She just didn't believe me! You would expect a hairdresser to know that thyroid disease can play havoc with your hair.
I'm chuckling at your response to the doctor!! 😀 He couldn't get past that logic easily. Still shocking. Was this in France? I hear so many people say doctors are better there and use integrative holistic medicine. I met a lady who travelled to France twice a year for eye treatment for that reason.
The hairdressers ignorance is awful but fairly typical. Awful isn't it? You imagine the friendly ease and understanding of hair problems ..nope! Many have never heard that thyroid illness can cause major hair loss or thinning. I'm sure they're out there, but I haven't met one myself.
I honestly believe that this is because many women with hypothyroidism don't think their hair loss is connected. Unless they go digging for themselves, whose going to tell them? I no longer subject myself to having to give lengthy explanations (as well as exposure to other nosy customers) and avoid hairdressers.
I was asked by a rather bolshy person in the ladies once, outright 'if my hair was real' I said no and she said 'why do you wear a wig?' and I said 'I have hypothyroidism' and she asked what it was, but after all the explanation, she too just looked incredulous. An air that I just ruined my hair or never ever had much to begin with! If I had said cancer she would have probably apologised for her rudeness and expressed sympathy.
Yes, it was in France. And, no, doctors are not better here! Not where thyroid is concerned, anyway. And I've never met one that even knew what holistic medicine was! They all just see the human body as a collection of spare parts. And, if you try and join up the dots for them, they get all irate and say 'there's no connection!'. The doctor mentioned above assured me that there was absolutely no connection between thyroid and adrenals! I've never had any eye treatment - touch wood! - so I've no idea if eye doctors are any better than average. But, I have seen two neurologists - one old and the other just out of med school, I think - looked and behaved like a twelve-year-old, picked his nose all through the appointment and wouldn't let me get a word in edgeways. Anyway, my point is that the older lady was brilliant and very thorough. Thorough physical examination. The young boy wouldn't have dreamt of coming out from behind his desk and touching me! Not that I would have wanted him to, after what he'd been doing with his hands! But, seems that there's good and there's bad in every discipline - yer pays yer money and you takes yer choice! But the younger ones tend to be worse - lord knows what is happening to medical education!
You're possibly right about many women not connecting hair loss to hypo. Nobody tells you what the symptoms are, you have to find out for yourself. But isn't it appalling the way people feel they have the right to comment you your appearance down to the most intimate details! I bet she would have been horrified if you'd done the same to her - 'is your hair real?' 'No. Is yours?' lol
Oh yes, no I don't bother trying anymore to make 'helpful suggestions' to any doctors, and as regards the role of adrenals, I have never heard a standard GP mention anything at all. It's not a collaboration. Its a top down service.
Eww to the picked nose!! Yuck. Is that about age or basic manners? Gross!! What a shame about the French doctors, I had a really romantic vision of them in my head. But yes, you get more if you pay more. Which as a working principle, seems wrong when it comes to health. But that's the world we live in I guess. Boards like this fill the gap.
Re teaching: yes, I was fortunate enough to receive immunotherapy for a while at a leading London hospital and the Chief consultant was very old and did very little anymore. I would sometimes pause in his office after an evaluation for a chat, he was quite scathing about modern GP training. I dare not repeat some of the things he said here it's controversial - but I had a fibro diagnosis which he found quite disturbing and was very rude about. He insisted that these 'new diseases' were the very manifestation of inadequate training and 'getting the patient out of the way' I didn't agree with him until recently. He is retired now.
I certainly should have asked if her hair was real and it certainly wouldn't have gone down well!
But I'm from a ethnic culture where direct busy-bodying is quite normal and at that time, I'd have very well meaning old ladies from the same background I was, deliberately stop me in the street, point at my grey patchy hair and very tenderly say 'Daaaaaarling! A young girl like you shouldn't be so stressed!! Go to the supermarket and buy yourself some molasses!! Drink two teaspoons in a cup with some ginger - the fresh ginger, now, from the stalls, not the market. Grate it up or better still boil it. You have any root beer? Or Guinness? Drink a can a day. My god, you're too young to suffer so much! Is your husband stressing you out?! (no husband) Listen to your (newly assumed) mother, he's not worth it'.😄
After quite a few occasions of this, I decided it was easier to just try wigs!
Well, I asked about the adrenals, just for the heck of it. Just to test his knowledge, because he was claiming that he knew 'more about thyroid than any damned endo!' Well, I would have said it was 50/50 - kif-kif, as the French say.
I think that neurologist was just a looney! He wanted me to take my shoes off, and walk the length of the room with my eyes closed! Of course, I couldn't do it. So, he said, 'yes, your neuropathy is pretty bad - but not bad enough to treat' (where have I heard that before?!?) Totally ignoring that no-one could probably do it if they didn't know the room! Whereas the older lady instantly tested B vits - all of them! - and prescribed. Just unfortunately, she didn't follow it up, and didn't tell me I would probably need to take them for life. I took what she had prescribed and then stopped, and she retired. End of.
He insisted that these 'new diseases' were the very manifestation of inadequate training and 'getting the patient out of the way'
I totally agree with him! I like his style.
I also like the sound or your ethnic old ladies. When I was at my worst, people were always rushing up and offering to call an amulance - or security, no idea why. But the last thing I wanted was a trip to A&E, because I knew how that would end! Ho hum. Nice to get back to anonymity! lol
Well, I asked about the adrenals, just for the heck of it. Just to test his knowledge, because he was claiming that he knew 'more about thyroid than any damned endo!' Well, I would have said it was 50/50 - kif-kif, as the French say. 😂😂. Any damned endo!!
The neurologist....of course you couldn't walk the length of a room you've never been in before!😄
You've met some spectacularly bad doctors, but on the plus side it really is funny, you ought to write your experiences down in a book!
Whereas the older lady instantly tested B vits - all of them! - and prescribed. Just unfortunately, she didn't follow it up, and didn't tell me I would probably need to take them for life.
It's quite amazing that she tested you for all of them but what a shame she didn't follow up!
You must have been pretty ill and people noticed and picked up on it to ring ambulances. Or else giving out sick vibes. It's a frequency sensitive people can sometimes pick up on. Yes it is nice to have people care, strangers can be lovely even if their advice isn't always wanted!
Trouble is, they didn't do it in a lovely way. It was more like they were giving orders: I'm going to call an ambulance and you have no say in the matter! Shut up and do as you're told!!! No, I wouldn't have called them lovely, at all.
Yes, I have seen some spectacularly bad doctors. But, given the number of doctors I've seen - it's so easy to change your doctor and see a specialist in France - I can't help but think it's the general rule rather than the exception. I've noted in my profile all the doctors I've seen for just my thyroid. But, there were loads of others, if you include all the doctors I've seen for my children, etc. Even if they appear to be nice and competent on the surface, scratch that surface and you'll find a buffoon!
I'm going to call an ambulance and you have no say in the matter! Shut up and do as you're told!!! No, I wouldn't have called them lovely, at all.
😂I take it people are very direct and forthright in France!
But, given the number of doctors I've seen - it's so easy to change your doctor and see a specialist in France - I can't help but think it's the general rule rather than the exception.
It is rather grim that it seems to be a non-regional phenomenon. Although I hear good things about doctors in Belgium and Slovakia.
Oh, some French people are very blunt. lol But, not all of them. Takes all sorts.
I don't know anything about Slovakia. But from what I've heard about Belgium, doctors are much as they are anywhere else. There's some very good ones, and some very bad, and a lot in between. That's people for you! lol
What are your most recent thyroid results
Essential to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once a year
Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose change or brand change in levothyroxine
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested.
Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s or Ord’s thyroiditis)
Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s
Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis. Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.
In U.K. medics never call it Hashimoto’s, just autoimmune thyroid disease (and they usually ignore the autoimmune aspect)
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins
List of private testing options
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins
medichecks.com/products/adv...
Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test
bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...
If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3
£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off down to £26.10 if go on thyroid uk for code
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £29 via
If TPO or TG thyroid antibodies are high this is usually due to Hashimoto’s (commonly known in UK as autoimmune thyroid disease). Ord’s is autoimmune without goitre.
About 90% of all primary hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto’s. Low vitamin levels are particularly common with Hashimoto’s.
Gluten intolerance is often a hidden issue too. Request coeliac blood test BEFORE considering trial on strictly gluten free diet
Link about thyroid blood tests
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Link about Hashimoto’s
thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...
List of hypothyroid symptoms
thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-un...
Please add most recent results and ranges
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