I have been struggling with hair loss for 3 years. It is now falling at an alarming rate and I fear being forced into wigs or hair replacement surgery. It's been a long journey, so I don't know that I'll remember everything, but I'll try to hit the important points:
1. I have no thyroid
2. I am on 60 mg Armour (NDT) once per day and 25 mcg Liothyrnone 3 times per day (But hair loss began when I was on NP Thyroid 90 mg twice per day and 25 mcg Liothyronine)
3. I am over 50 and post menopausal
4. I have a wonderful naturopathic doctor who runs tests for everything, so I'm not fighting an endo who only looks for TSH. I do get Free T3, T4 and RT3 levels checked every time.
** Last thyroid labs were:
T3: 4.4 (Range 2.0-4.4)
RT3: <5.0
T4: .4 (Range 0.82-1.77)
Keep in mind that RT3 and T4 are low because my dose of T3 is higher
I originally upped the T3 to try to "cure" a continually high RT3 result and also because I didn't want to take too much Armour, having had a bad experience with it in the past. Prior to this low Armour / high T3 combo, I had been on NP Thyroid 90 mg twice per day and T3 25 mcg. I was concerned that maybe the NP Thyroid was causing the hair loss (just another rabbit trail I went down) and so switched to Armour but with high T3. I have felt fine on the high dose, but the hair loss persists.
Last ferritin check was in August 2021 and it was at 87. I was actively losing hair at that time.
5. Hair loss began in late 2019 and has escalated ever since. No major recent stress or health events that I knew of - until this past year.
6. After trying a lonnnngggg line of remedies, in January 2022 I took a comprehensive gut health test which shockingly revealed leaky gut and toxicity. My naturopath put me on a series of protocols over the spring and summer of 2022 to heal the leaky gut and rid the toxicity. Now, all that remains of the protocol is taking a mega supplement for mitochondrial function (which was extremely low on test result).
I can tell the mitochondrial supplement is working because my energy level is back after being completely drained by August. I can now do shopping, etc. without fatigue.
7. As another last ditch effort to help, I've also been on estrogen cream for 3 months.
8. Prior to the gut health test, I had done everything under the sun- essential oils, Biotin, B vitamins, collagen, changed shampoos and hair color products, changed thyroid meds, changed to drinking only spring water, and even an expensive treatment that was supposed to supply human growth factors to my scalp but did nothing.
9. Last test for iron was Iron binding capacity of 332 (range 250-450)
Iron ug/dL was 90 (range 27-159)
B12 was 967 (range 232-1245)
10. Ever since cancer, I have had to color my hair every 2-3 weeks because my hair doesn't absorb the color. It just sits on top of the strands, so it washes right out. I fear this has contributed to the hair loss, but not sure what to do about this right now. I don't have nice, evenly distributed gray hairs but rather bright white hair at the roots. I don't wish to look like I have a skunk stripe, so I keep coloring... but I also keep losing hair.
At this point, I don't know if I'm just being impatient and I need to keep taking the mitochondrial support and "hope" it eventually helps my hair, and keep taking the estrogen cream for the same reason, or if there's something else I can do. I am using Rosemary oil (along with Thyme, Cedarwood, Peppermint oils) on my scalp twice per week, but otherwise, just taking supplements. After 3 years and seeing the hair getting thinner and thinner, my distress level is so high that I really don't have any patience left in me. If I knew for certain just waiting would work, I would do my best to do so, but I fear I am taking things and "hoping" but I will end up just losing so much hair that I don't want to leave the house.
This is affecting every area of my life. I have to wear barrettes, which is uncomfortable and I can NEVER lie down during the day or lay my head back against a couch or car seat for fear of pulling the barrettes loose. It has taken me up to an hour to get the hair pinned, so pulling them loose is a nightmare. Any bit of wind or precipitation outside is terrible. I have to sleep with my hair twisted a certain direction to avoid a giant part the next day. When loved ones hug me, I pull away because if they accidentally tug at my hair, it will be a nightmare. I am not myself with my family and have lost confidence when going out. I think about this almost 24/7. I need to see some hair sprouting.... just anything to give me some hope that it IS coming back. But so far, all I see is more falling out.
I need to feel like I'm going in the right direction, but I don't even know the root cause of the hair loss for certain.
What am I missing? There has to be something I haven't thought of yet. Help!
Written by
Gal69
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galathea, thanks for the response. My ferritin was last checked in August 2021 and at that time it was 87. I was actively losing hair at that time, despite the ferritin looking good.
Welcome to our forum, This all sounds like a terrible nightmare for you.
I tend to think shedding is due to changes in T3 levels or too little/excess, (mine shedded unbelievably when I first introduced T3 and then to a lesser degree with any dose change), and changes in hair texture or balding is due to inadequate ferritin levels.
Your daily dose of thyroid hormone meds is roughly equivalent to 85mcg T3 + 50mcg T4. I take Armour also and this combo would be too much T3 for myself. You haven’t supplied results for either thyroid hormone or ferritin. If you post these results complete with ranges (numbers in brackets), members will comment.
You are post menopausal and have added a little bit of oestrogen cream which I think is good to prevent DHT becoming elevated but have you actually had sex hormones tested? DHT is a derivative of testosterone and if elevated can lead to male balding patterns in some women.
I have also read that having COVID or even the vacs has left some with substantial hair loss or instigated Alopecia.
Great you have investigated and are treating leaky gut and toxicity. The ongoing benefits should be felt for many months yet as gut absorption and your usage of nutrients just keep improving. Have you enough gastric acid? What mitochondrial supports are you taking?
radd, thanks so much. I didn't supply thyroid levels because to most people, they seem confusing. Most people are used to the T4/T3 combo of meds, so looking at a T3 only or mostly T3 result can seem alarming. Since I am on so much T3, my T3 result was in range, but of course, my T4 and RT3 were pushed way down under the range.
I will clarify though, that all of this began long before I was taking so much T3. Prior to January 2021, I had been on NP Thyroid 90 mg twice per day and only 25 mcg of T3 and was still shedding hair. I had been on that dosage for 2.5 years and before that, an equivalent dose of the wonderful WP Thyroid that so many people loved but lost when they went into long-term back order issues.
I originally switched my dosage because I was concerned that perhaps the NP Thyroid was causing the hair loss. But, the only other option at that time was Armour and I had not had a good experience with it in the past. Since I didn't want to take a lot of Amour, I upped the T3 instead. This kept me from being on too much Armour, but also served another purpose: trying to lower my continually high RT3.
Prior to this high T3 dose, my RT3 was always high. Even when I was low on meds and only taking a partial dose for a few months, I still tested with high RT3! I could never figure it out. Switching to a high T3 dose was yet another attempt to cover all my bases and make sure the high RT3 wasn't causing the hair loss. But now, after so many years, I've gone in circles and have just gotten myself confused.
Last check of ferritin was August 2021 and the result was 87. I was actively losing hair at that time, despite the decent level.
Yes, sex hormones have been tested. Estrogen has fallen in the last few years. I am aware of DHT and had even taken Saw Palmetto for a while. Actually, I believe a hair vitamin I still take has SP included.
Never had the Covid vax. Was sick for a bit at the end of 2020, but that was well into the hair loss problem, so even if it had been Covid, it wasn't the culprit.
Is gastric acid the same or related to glutathione? I was low on glutathione. That is one of the first things my doctor addressed in her gut health protocol. I don't know if it's cured, but I did finish all the supplements she had given me.
The product I'm taking for mitochondrial support is Mitocore by Ortho Molecular.
This forums understanding of TFT’s is high. We have members taking all different combos and doses, and it is usual to post TFT’s to invite members comments on either own experiences or knowledge.
High RT3 is a sign of meds not working effectively (for whatever reason be it: inflammation, a calorie deficit, excess meds, the list is endless). But taking excess T3 to eliminate the risk of further RT3 will still have the body metabolising inactivating forms (such as inactive T2) as a self protection measure. It’s just we don’t measure these metabolites so tend to forget of their existence.
I loved WP Thyroid too. :-(( and switching to Armour have found it too T3 potent for myself, even having to add a little Levo to the mix. We all have individual T4:T3 ratio needs.
Have you had SHBG measured?
Maybe sex hormones are too low. Have you considered HRT?
Also you don’t mention folate?
Glutathione is an antioxidant that protects against oxidative damage to cells caused by free radicals. I had to supplement that too at one stage. Gastric acid are stomach juices required for good digestion/absorption and to kill pathogens, etc, which is notoriously low in many people with hypothyroidism. Mitocore looks great. No wonder it’s making you feel better 😊
Hi radd, This thread is 3 months old, so I apologize for trying to jog your memory this late in the game. I'm re-reading this fabulous thread in relation to my hair loss and am picking up on things I didn't the first time around because there was so much info being tossed my way.
Anyway, you don't have to re-read everything. Just wanted to know if you could explain this comment that you made: "I loved WP Thyroid too. :-(( and switching to Armour have found it too T3 potent for myself, even having to add a little Levo to the mix. We all have individual T4:T3 ratio needs. "
I had been very stable on WPThyroid both in how I felt and my labs for several years. After the enforced switch to Armour on same dose I instantly felt over medicated; too hot inside, couldn’t sleep, ongoing headache until I reduced dose after about a week. Armour seemed to have a higher ratio of T3 to T4 than WPThyroid but when I dropped the dose I then felt I wasn’t getting enough thyroid hormone.
Our thyroid hormones are controlled not only by factors such as sleep, nutrition, stress/inflammation, etc but enzymes called deiodinases that activate or deactivate on many levels, and are influenced by the amount of each thyroid hormone we have. In an intact thyroid gland these deiodinase keep the right individual amount of T4 and T3 to keep us euthyroid at brain and peripheral tissue level. When we medicate we have to ensure we are taking the right amount of T4 and T3 individualised to ourselves.
All hormones work together and so having an elevation in one will causes deficiencies elsewhere. We are not just medicating thyroid hormone, using what we need and then peeing the rest out. First it needs to be produced/medicated, then transported around the body (most is bound), then a tiny weeny bit freed to enter cells on different transporters. Then if allowed with appropriate supports it is activated within the nucleus but much free T3 won’t make it that far as the body will only perform this final stage in certain conditions.
If levels are fairly right for that person, a tiny bit is lost in urine but most will be recycled but if levels have been too high, then the unused will be turned into inactive metabolites which although essential to keep balance, can become destructive if levels are allowed to go too high.
When I reduced my Armour dose, I reintroduced some Levo, which had the effect of reducing T3 levels and raising T4. Although T4 levels usually drop when medicating T3 containing meds, we still need a certain individualised proportion. There is only a tiny amount of T3 in 1 grain of NDT which wouldn’t be sufficient for total replacement, so I had to assess T4 levels also. Some people successfully medicate higher amounts of T3 but for others more T3 is not always better ( a bit like 1 or 6 aspirins).
It took a lot for me to go back on Levo because like many I had suffered such an awful time medicating it alone. I’d also lost my prescription, as in stupid doctor said I didn’t need it any more as hadn’t requested a prescription for so long and refused to believe I was self medicating! Luckily an endo had previously written I was self medicating and a scan evidenced my atrophied thyroid gland. I bought Levo until prescription was eventually reinstated. (Lesson to be learnt there! 🙄).
Going back to hair loss, I have never suffered exact hair loss but a high amount of shedding every time T3 levels have increased. And with the shedding, new hair has immediately sprouted (new growth) and I think the shedding is to make room 🤷♀️. From what I read on the forum I believe hair loss is usually down to low iron issues and shedding associated with T3, but I have noticed also when T3 is taken high some members have complained of hair loss.
We touched on the testosterone effects. If you are post menopausal then replacing oestrogen is great but I still don’t understand why you aren’t replacing progesterone too, as they oppose each other (work best together).
radd, you're going to have to help me out here. TFT? (I' assuming that is something with levels? I did update my post with the info) and SHBG? I don't know what those mean.
And I've done exactly ZERO reading on T2. I don't even know if I could've told you it was a thing. I probably saw it once in all my reading over 15 years, but didn't even remember it. You said " taking excess T3 to eliminate the risk of further RT3 will still have the body metabolising inactivating forms (such as inactive T2) as a self protection measure." I'm not sure I understand what this means.
Also, I don't know how HRT is different from the estrogen I'm taking. This is new to me, so to me, the estrogen is hormone replacement.
Did you mean folate as in a test result? If I'm reading my January 2022 lab result correctly, it seems to be saying 400 mcg DRI (whatever that is) and suggested recommendations of 1200 mcg. The Mitocore product I'm taking contains 1360 mcg of Folate.
And ah, yes, I mixed up glutathione with digestive enzymes. I was supplemented with digestive enzymes after that gut health lab result that revealed low glutathione. So, then, are digestive enzymes and gastric acid the same?
I'm trying to figure out if I need to change my meds again, but honestly don't know which direction to go. On all brands, I was taking around 90 mg twice per day and the T3 at 25 mcg. For a long time I was fine, but then in these last 4 years, I was losing hair, so it seems that if this is thyroid related at all, that long-time dose was not working properly anymore.
WP was best, NP was fine, Armour seems to be ok on 60 mg dose, but I don't know if staying on the high T3 along with it is best. I do feel fine, but I don't know if it contributes at all to the hair loss.
The sad thing is, right after cancer, when my original doctor put me on Synthroid, I gained 50 lbs and had brain fog and was miserable for 4 1/2 years, but at least I still had hair and eyebrows! I've been desperate enough to consider going back to Synthroid - after years of bad mouthing it - but adding some T3 this time. But then, I second guess myself again because I consider that I was also 15 years younger and not dealing with all the hormonal shifts yet.
SHBG - Sex hormone binding globulin - A protein carrier for sex hormones but raises in the presence of elevated T3 and will bind thyroid hormone making it inactive (as in unfree). Adding more T3 often just encourages even higher SHBG levels.
The oestrogen you are taking is a cream. Is it bought over the counter or a measured prescribed amount of body identical? Also oestrogen usually requires balancing with progesterone (even after hysterectomy). There is also plentiful research coming through that we need a little testosterone and many women are getting private prescriptions.
When we’ve had long term mismanaged hypothyroidism our adrenal reserve becomes low and can not offer the small amount of sex hormones after ovarian failure that we require to keep healthy and strong.
Louise Newman is a pioneer in promoting the necessity of body identical HRT in many/most women. balance-menopause.com/
You don’t need to know about T2. It was just an example to evidence there are other inactive metabolites apart from the well known RT3 that can impair future conversion of FT4 to FT3.
Regarding last thyroid labs - When were these done? and what was duration between last med dose and having blood drawn?
ps - For another member to actually be notified of your response you need to reply directly to them by means of the blue ‘reply’ button 😊.
I am hitting the blue reply button every time. Are you not getting notifications?
Also, thanks for the clarification. Regarding SHBG: Does this mean that sex hormones would, in essence, take precedence over T3? In other words, would my body utilize the sex hormones and keep the thyroid hormones inactive? If so, I'm trying to correlate this to the dose I'm taking (Again 60 mg Armour once, plus 25 mcg of T3 three times per day) and to the way I'm feeling.
I keep wondering if I should reduce the T3 dose. However, I feel better than I have in a long time. The only real issues I'm having right now are the hair loss, some weight gain, and occasionally, I'll be hit with some depression or lack of motivation. But overall, I'm not living in the brain fog, no energy zone I have in the past. I do believe the mitochondrial support supplement is probably helping with some of this. I think my body was in such bad shape that it's hard to tell what is thyroid related anymore.
Regarding the estrogen cream: It is bio-identical from a compounding pharmacy.
The last labs I had done were in August 2022. I had not taken thyroid meds that morning, so the last dose would've been sometime in the evening before.
And I just want to say that I've appreciated your replies so much. Thank you
I'm Sorry to butt in I've always wondered about high SHBG and low free testerone I'm postmenopausal many years now I didn't realise either high T3 can affect SHBG I've only really noticed my main ongoing hair loss since covid times 2020 vaccines n having covid didn't help I was diagnosed temporarily hair loss it will grow back once thyroid meds settle protein diet n high stress I had the hormone tests in 2021 Medichecks so many reasons for hair loss it hasn't grown back yet especially temples area I've only just got my head around thyroid Hashimoto's vitimans so much info on here
Yes, hormones like insulin or glycogen just dissolve in plasma but thyroid and steroids have to travel on proteins with the ’total’ hormone amount and protein carrier correlating to leave a bit free for use. But when hormones become unbalanced (ie too little/too much) the body in its efforts to rectify might create high protein that binds too much, including the other hormones it binds/carries.
High oestrogen is well known for increasing bound thyroid hormones, but the reverse can be true also as high T3 is influential on SHBG. Both free & total testosterone need testing as even high levels won’t guarantee enough free for use.
This is exactly why more is not always better regarding thyroid and steroid hormones.
So being post menopausal many years and age hormones would be unbalanced I don't understand these hormones at all my daughter 52 asked me to try read hers dr said she isn't in menopause yet very complicated hormones are
Well she isn't unwell she just had her hormones tested see where she is with menopause my Granddaughter her daughter who is 30 seems to be the one suffering time of the month n tiredness in general n hair thinning but they didn't test t3 or vit d folate ferritin or b12 so I couldn't really help
Yes, zinc daily 50 mg plus more in the Mitochondrial support supplement. Wasn't too concerned about re-checking ferritin because it was at a good level during the hair loss. Iron seems to be fine.
Haven't read all the reply's (soz, small brain day 🙄) but has anyone mentioned protein? I was losing loads of hair started to address the low ferritin but it was when I added in an amino acids complex that it stopped... stomach was really bad at the time so I wasn't eating meat or dairy
I know about protein's role in hair loss, but I'm not sure how to know if I'm getting enough. I eat 3 eggs for breakfast every day, have a small "slider" size hamburger at lunch, eat either chicken or turkey for dinner. Those are my mainstays every day. In addition, in the evening for a "snack," I'll sometimes have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or some peanut butter granola. I also eat a protein bar (8g) every night. I took a collagen powder which included 18 amino acids every day for over a year, but saw no change in hair or skin, so quit taking it.
Sounds unlikely then.... I did look up the Mitocore which has 37mcg of iodine per 4 capsules which added to all the iodine in your T3 and NDT is maybe an issue?
I just googled...
The Relationship Between Iodine And Hair Loss
The relationship between hair loss and iodine actually has little to do with iodine deficiency, but excess iodine in fact may have a tertiary association with causing hair loss.4 Nov 2021
Iodine and Hair Loss: What's the Connection? - Himsforhims.com › blog › iodine-and-hair-loss
Interesting. Thank you. I did skim through the article, but it sounds like they are saying too much iodine would cause hyperthyroidism. I have no symptoms of "hyper" other than the hair loss, so I'm not sure if this is an issue for me. I've only been taking the Mitocore for 3 months. I've had the hair loss for over 3 years and have been on the mostly T3 regimen for two years. If I can find a definite connection between the high T3 and hair loss, I would be open to changing meds, but since the hair loss began before the higher dosing, I'm not yet convinced. I spent hours looking online last night for a connection between high T3 and hair loss, but I wasn't able to find anything. That's not to say it's not out there. Maybe I didn't land on the right keywords yet. I just know that I'm fed up with being held captive to my thinning hair and I want to get to the root cause (no pun intended) so I can know that I'm treating it properly and have hope that the hair will grow again.
Last check of ferritin was August 2021 and the result was 87. I was actively losing hair at that time, despite the decent level.
Do you have any results from before this? Because although it looked good, that doesn't mean it wasn't dropping. Just because it was a decent level on paper doesn't mean its high enough to maintain your hair.
I'd recommend retesting ASAP to either rule ferritin in or out.
Excellent point. Thank you! I was so fixated on having read that 70 or above was good to maintain hair, that I didn't think about mine falling. However, I just went back and looked through test results. The 87 in August 2021 was actually up from 71 in March of 2020. Prior to that results further back (and before menopause) were 47 in October 2017, 55 in January 2016, and only 28 in June of 2015. So, if anything, it looks like my ferritin is better!
Hi Gal69. I'm not as knowledgeable as many on here but I really identify with your hair problem and the upset it causes. My severe hair loss was due to undiagnosed hypo but I cried each morning trying to fix my hair over bald spots and didn't dare colour it in case it made it worse. It looked dreadful. I was working in a client based face to face job and struggling with the embarrassment it was causing me. I was also very ill. Once diagnosed and treated my hair improved over several months to be better than ever. I know your problem isn't due to entirely the same issue but I also know any issues with my hair since then have been due to mineral and vitamin problems since the thyroid issue began and doctors rarely concern themselves with those so I really hope you get this sorted. Drs think we're fussing when we mention hair problems but for many (most) people it's a hugely emotive issue, affecting self esteem.
Lulu, thank you so much for your kind words. Yes, it is a highly emotive issue. I never want to leave the house because my confidence is shot, but also because I have to get up so doggone early to have enough time to fuss with my hair and get it "just right" before going out - only to go out and have to face wind, rain, people trying to hug me and accidentally pulling on my barrettes, etc. It's truly a nightmare. I don't know how you ever survived doing a face-to-face job. Right now, I teach in a homeschool co-op once per week and even just that one day brings dread. It's a shame because I really enjoy teaching, but this hair thing is detracting from my otherwise enjoyable experience. I'm so glad to hear you got help and that your hair is back. It gives me hope!
Sorry to hear about this. Aside from the physical I can tell that the hair loss and how you’re responding has a strong psycho emotional element for you. This will no doubt affect your physical body too. Plus I hear you’ve also experienced cancer and gone through menopause, none of which can be easy. The latter is also a huge shift for the body physically and mentally. I’m also experiencing a lot of hair loss at the moment. So I can completely understand how distressing this can be. I used to have lots of thick glossy hair but now I can see my scalp all over. In fact my scalp burns in the sunlight. I think you would benefit from seeing somebody about this to help reframe your thoughts, fears and anxieties as this is putting your nervous system on high alert which over activates the adrenal system. In that environment the body sees hair growth and other many vital functions as secondary. I wish you all the best.
Serendipitious, thank you for your understanding. I am sorry you are going through hair loss too. It is so distressing! I so empathized with you saying you can see your scalp all over. When I tried to pull my hair up in barrettes (which I hate) the other day, suddenly, there was a new patch more toward the front, that looked bare. I just wanted to curl up and cry. And you are 100% correct on the adrenals. In addition to the hair loss, I'm dealing with some other situations that cause constant stress in my life. I'm sure all of this is taking its toll. I did speak to a friend tonight and have decided I'm going to go back to her doctor. I'd had a consultation with her last summer as a "second opinion" to my regular doctor. She has helped my friend tremendously over the last 5 years, so I am hoping she can help me get to the root cause of all of this and get on the road toward healing instead of groping around in the dark, wasting money on various treatments that may or may not work. I can't sit here guessing anymore. I'm going into my 4th year of this hair loss - and 15th overall since cancer. I feel like all I've done for over a decade is fight for my health. I want to get on with my life. I pray you get answers and help for your hair loss too.
Have you had your growth hormone levels checked? They need to be at the top of the range. I suffered with terrible hair loss for many years and found mine was a combination of problems with my thyroid and that my pituitary was failing. I wore wigs for many years but now I've got my thyroid sorted by taking T3 and my adrenals by taking Hydrocortisone and I've started on growth hormone treatment my hair is much improved and I no longer need the wigs. It's made so much difference to my energy levels too. I also take some Biotin which has strengthened my hair.Heather
heathermr, Interesting! I'm not even sure I know what you mean by "growth hormone." I have been on T3 for over 12 years and now am on almost entirely T3, so I do have plenty of that. Adrenals were checked once, but that was almost 8 years ago now. I just emailed a doctor with whom I started a conversation last summer, so I'm hoping she can help me get to the bottom of this.
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