hi all, I have been away for a while as I have been ticking over relatively well for me.
Anyhow, I am once again experiencing hairloss. I have been susceptible to hair loss since becoming ill with Hashimotos over 10 years ago, I suffer from chronic TE. It got really bad following my first AZ jab, and then a year later after Covid. Over the years I have regularly had bouts of shedding. I thought it had finally settled down and was growing again, when it started again back at the beginning of May.
I went to the GP, and asked her to ignore the thyroid for now and leave that to the endo. She did have a quick look, and said she would test my B12, Ferritin and Folate plus a FBC. She admitted, the NHS don’t really care about Hairloss, it’s difficult to know exactly what causes it, and that I was obviously susceptible to it. We did have a conversation that my results would probably comeback ‘normal’ but I would like help with getting them all to optimum.
However, sadly, I now have my results back (which are ‘within range) but my GP is now ill, and they don’t know when she will be back, so I’m on my own again. I will add the rest of the test in comments below…
Regarding my thyroid, I am now on 72mcg of levo and 20mcg of lio. The last thyroid tests are included. My TSH is slightly suppressed and my T4 and T3 are quite low. However, the previous test, when my hair was growing well, was very similar but my TSH was just in range. I do feel a bit lethargic and tired, but I am so much better on this dose the when I was on mono and had a suppressed TSH, over range T4 and under range T3. I would like help with my vits before involving my thyroid again! The GP acknowledged the levels were low even though the TSH was suppressed, but I did say I would talk to the endo when I had a clearer picture about the other tests. Personally, I don’t think it is as simple as just the thyroid.
Vitamin D is alway around the 95/90 mark. I take supplements during the winter and tend to sit outside and work outside part-time.
Years ago (2012), when I was untreated for hashimotos, I was mis diagnosed with CFS. My B12 was around 250 and I was put on weekly injections until my reading was over a 1000. I do think I have a digestive/absorption issue. I have had problems for years and it is particularly bad right now. I recently heard about SIBO and wondered if I have it, and what on earth I do / go and see about it .
Any comments? Many thanks
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Gilbo72
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If test was done as recommended, you probably would benefit from increase in levothyroxine
SeasideSusie or humanbean may comment on iron test results
Looks like you probably have room to supplement iron
Certainly increase iron rich foods in your 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
Thank you SlowDragon for the links. I will have a read and probably come back with a 100 more questions! lol! Interesting, I can imagine my endo will want to reduce my does because of the TSH, so building up a ammo for when I see him again in August, but I am guessing my ferritin may not be anywhere near where it should by then, but potentially B12 could be. I am sure I read an article about the doctor who invented the TSH test who said it was only designed to be a diagnostic test for untreated hypothyroidism and would never work once T3 was added. I need to find that.
Do you think it’s worth me adding The Better You Iron spray to my regime at the moment, (including some weekly liver…. Urghh) or could I take liver tablets??
With serum B12 result below 500, (Or active B12 below 70) recommended to be taking a separate B12 supplement and add a separate vitamin B Complex after a week
Then once your serum B12 is over 500 (or Active B12 level has reached 70), you may be able to reduce then stop the B12 and just carry on with the B Complex.
If Vegetarian or vegan likely to need ongoing separate B12 few times a week
IMPORTANT......If you are taking vitamin B complex, or any supplements containing biotin, remember to stop these 7 days before ALL BLOOD TESTS , as biotin can falsely affect test results
In week before blood test, when you stop vitamin B complex, you might want to consider taking a separate folate supplement (eg Jarrow methyl folate 400mcg) and continue separate B12 until B12 is over 500
I now always follow the protocol for testing. So yes, about 8:30am, with the lio split, and the necessary time gaps between each. This last thyroid test, I had been taking Ingennus Super B-Complex, so I stopped that two weeks before the test.
At present I am taking daily: (started about a month ago)
Better You Vitamin B12 (1200μg per dose) first thing with lio
Florisene (contains C-48 mg, B12-6μg, Biotin-100mg, Iron as Ferrous Fumarate-40mg, Selenium-20μg, L-Lysine-1000mg - I take this mid morning with a Vit C 1000mg and 10mg zinc fizzy tab drink
In evening I take the levo and turmeric/curcmin and ginger.
Previous too this, I was taking Hairburst instead of the Forisene for a month, minus the Better You B12 spay and Vitamin C/Zn.
Previous to that I was taking Ingennus Super B-Complex for a month (contains Vit C- 160mg, B3- 48mg, B5-36mg, B6- 20mg, B1-20mg, B2-14mg, B12-900μg, Folate-400μg, Biotin-300μg) , minus the Better You B12 spay and Vitamin C/Zn.
For 3 months previously, I was taking half the above Florisene again, minus the Better You B12 and Vit C/Zn
I eat a lot of marmite and add B12 nutritional flakes to a lot of food. I did go vegan for a few months last year, but am eating fish and some good quality meat again, but not as much.
During October to May I take Vit D.
So do you think I should add the ingennus back again now?
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.
Hi SlowDragon , as said above, I did go vegan for a couple of months, but was very careful trying to eat iron rich foods and adding b12 where I could, I am back to eating fish, but not so much meat. Loads of spinach, lentils, chickpeas, apricots etc, and added the florisene. It does feel like this whole thyroid thing is such a merry go round, I never used to have vitamin problems and was brought up on a healthy diet with meat (hearts, livers urgh!), and have tried to remain non processed, good quality meat/fish whole grain food and veg, home-cooked food etc.
Serum iron: 55 to 70% of the range, higher end for men - yours is 18 (9-30) = 42.86% so not quite optimal but not too drastically low.
Saturation: optimal is 35 to 45%, higher end for men - yours is 28% so again a bit lower than optimal but not dire.
Transferrin: Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron, High in range indicates body's need for supplemental iron - yours is 34.16% through range so in the lower part of the range suggesting iron supplemets aren't necessary.
Ferritin: Some experts say the optimal level for thyroid function is 90-110ug/L so yours has a way to go.
Ferritin can be raised when inflammation is present so it's always useful to test CRP (an inflammation marker) at the same time. Yours may or may not be a true measure of your normal level, we wont know unless CRP is tested at the same time.
All in all I would say your iron is a little on the low side but not low enough to supplement with iron which is borne out by your transferrin level. Iron rich foods may be the answer to trying to raise your level but if you did decide to supplement then you need to do a full iron panel every couple of months to check your levels, if serum iron and saturation get too high this may lead to toxicity.
many thanks SeasideSusie . So if I kept on with the Florisene for another 3 months and continued to eat well? Probably not contributing to hair loss? What do you think of my B12 levels and Folate levels?
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