Thyroid Disorders :: Hair Loss With Levothyroxine

Hi everyone! I am totally new to this group and excited to get input from everyone! I'll try and give you a quick synopsis of the past year and a half for me when I gave birth to my first child....

Initially I felt fine, until about 4 months after I gave birth.  I had initially lost all the baby weight and then I started gaining again, had major brain fog, dry skin, cold, crazy water retention and bloated face, unmotivated, etc.  all the usual symptoms.  In February I was diagnosed with Hashimotos by my regular doctor and here are my levothyroxine dosages and blood results since...

Feb 2015    Tsh 269.    T4. <0.11.  T3. <20.      (No meds yet...initial blood work)
Apr 2015.    Tsh 156.    T4.   0.45.  T3.  42.       (25 mcg)
May 2015.   Tsh 6.69.   T4.  1.83.   T3.  96.       (75 mcg)
Sept 2015.   Tsh 2.89.   T4.  1.59.                      (100 mcg)
Oct 2015.     Tsh 8.61.                                         (75 mcg)
Nov 2015.    Tsh 1.21.                                         (100 mcg)
Feb 2016.     Tsh 2.36.                                         (100 mcg)

So my original Doctor began my levothyroxine regimen at 25 mcg for 6 weeks. I immediately felt much better even though my numbers were still going crazy.  He upped my dosage twice then sent me to an endocrinologist.  Both agreed that my numbers were so bad it could not be postpartum hypothyroidism and I had probably had this for a long time undiagnosed and the pregnancy made it officially just turn off.  In October we lowered the dosage to double check this theory and I felt terrible and my numbers changed right away so my endo put my meds right back up.

Now, hair loss was actually never one of my initial symptoms and I am convinced that it began when i started my medication, but both doctors insist that it's my body getting used to the meds and my levels getting better and better. My endo thought perhaps it's was especially bad because I was also experiencing postpartum hair loss.  But at this point it is now a full year since I have been diagnosed and on medication.  Coupled with the hair loss I also started getting serious joint pain, but again my endo said I was adjusting and this was a common symptom of hypothyroidism.  

So basically, I am wondering how after a year of medication I would still be experiencing symptoms with levels that are now perfectly fine? Unless it was related to the medication??....I feel very guilty bringing it up all the time to my doctor because I know I should be glad that the huge issues of brain fog, concentration and mood are generally good (I still say I am not exactly myself yet).  I feel silly bringing up something cosmetic but it is so depressing to look in the mirror.  I hate doing my hair, washing it, sometimes just running my fingers through my hair I get five more.  Even though now I can say it's less, it's definitely still happening and I don't see any new growth.  But, on the flip side, hair loss is associated with adjusting to armour and I am terrified to lose any more.

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Thyroid Disorders :: Hair Loss With Ferritin

I am hypothyroid/hashimotos.  I have been experiencing significant hair loss for over a year. I'm young and female so having sparse hair is NOT ok.  I've read one needs to have their ferritin at 70 or 80 to experience hair regrowth.  When I first met with my naturopath and got diagnosed this year I was put on 25mcg of Levothyroxine and I told her my main concern was my hair loss. My ferritn was at 32.  I was put on a daily elemental iron supplement.

A blood test a month later and I was already at 54! Two months after that i was at 68.3!  I was getting close to my goal but at that test she didn't like how my iron and iron saturation went too high/out of range.  So she told me to only take my iron pill ever OTHER day and lo and behold two months later my ferritin was down to 45.1.  Super frustrating. I am trying to bring my iron UP! So how does this work? How can my iron and iron saturation be so high and my ferritin so low? Is it actually dangerous for me to take the pill daily if my iron saturation and iron are above the limit? I'm not going to be able to fix my hair loss and bring my ferritin up if I am only taking it every other day! HELP!

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Thyroid :: Hashimoto's - Hair Loss, Depression, Anger, Memory Loss And Weight Gain

I am a 25 year old female and I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease probably around 2012 or so. I take 75MCG every morning and I do blood tests about once or twice a year to make sure my levels are stable. What I need help with are symptoms. My boyfriend has been very supportive, he was the reason I went to get the initial blood test because he said my symptoms reminded him of Graves Disease and it worried him. Well, I went to the doctor and got the tests done and he told me I had Hashimotos. Since then, my boyfriend has told me that he hasn't seen any improvement in my symptoms, in fact he thinks they've gotten worse. I have looked at a lot of different lists of symptoms that people with Hashimoto's Disease can experience and I experience a lot of them. I'll list the ones I experience the most and a little bit of a description to each so maybe someone can help me with what I need to do to feel better because honestly it makes me miserable.

-Hair Loss - Every time I brush or wash my hair there is always tons of hair in the brush or tub. It's everywhere all the time, I shed like the cats.

- Depression - I don't know if it is actually depression, but a lot of the time I feel like I'm just not good enough to be around anyone. I'll find myself crying at ridiculous moments with absolutely no reason for it. I also find myself thinking that people I know (and can acknowledge even when I'm feeling this way) love and care for me, and yet I still think they don't care about me and will abandon me at the drop of the hat, which breaks me down mentally.

- Stress - This is probably one of my worst symptoms. I am always stressed out about something, even ridiculous things that shouldn't be stressing me out. One of the biggest things I stress about is what I mentioned with the depression. I feel like my friends and loved ones are going to abandon me at any minute, which scares me and results in me lashing out at them in ways that if I can't control it soon enough may result in them actually leaving, which terrifies me and just puts me into a never ending loop of stress and depression.

- Anger - I can't seem to rationalize other people's behaviors. Completely normal behaviors that don't normally bother me result in me lashing out and screaming at people and saying things that I don't mean to say.

- Memory Loss - This is a really bad symptom. I forget things very quickly. If I don't actively keep it in my mind, I won't remember it. A perfect example, when I was still in college I was walking through town with some people and when we were going back to the dorms I made a comment about a truck I saw. I used to see it all the time and hadn't seen it in a while so I made the comment. The people I was with looked at me really confused and just flatly stated "You said the exact same thing when we walked by it on the way out" and I honestly don't remember seeing it at any point that day. In fact I didn't remember seeing it for around 5 months, and yet they claimed that I made the exact same comment I just had, earlier that day. It really messes with my head when people tell me that I did or said something and I can't remember doing it to save my life.

- Weight - Before I started taking synthroid I weighed 110 lbs, after I started taking it I gained like 30 lbs and I can't lose it. I'm stuck between 135 and 140 (I'm about 5'6" tall)

- Headaches - I get headaches on a daily basis. Sometimes they're really bad but generally they're just a slight discomfort in my frontal lobe area.

- Sleep - It takes me forever to fall asleep and even when I do I can't stay asleep and then I feel exhausted all day when I wake up, as if I never slept at all.

Another thing I've noticed and that is that sometimes I feel like I can't swallow properly, I always feel like I have to yawn to get a lung full of oxygen, and my nails curl downward along the curve of the tip of my fingers on like 3/5 fingers.

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Armour Thyroid And Hair Loss

I am currently on Armour Thyroid for about 2 years now and my hair is still falling out daily by the fistful! I always had such "good hair" as they call it that I never even thought of my hair but now.

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Thyroid PX Not Helping Hair Loss

My Naturopath prescribed a thyroid medication called Thyroid PX. It`s not helping my hair loss at all. Also, I have headaches. Don`t know if the medication is the cause.

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Thyroid :: Hashimoto's - Side Effects For Methimazole

I was diagnosed w/Graves disease 5 yrs ago after presenting with atrial fibrillation, bp 214/125,tremors;sweating & other symptoms- (I thought previous to this I was in menopause so I hadn't gone to the dr.)-Dr did bloodwork for thyroid and sd my tests were the highest he'd seen in his 50 years of practice- wanted me to go ER but I couldn't as I was the caregiver for my mom w/Parkinson's- To make a long story short, he gave me 20 mg methimazole, atenolol,paxil (I was a nervous wreck) 25 mg hctz and 1 aspirin.

After 1 yr methimazole was dropped to 15mg and now 10mg because I was doing so well my tests were indicating Hypothyroid rather than Hyper. So, up & down and up & down for 5 long years. Lately, I have been HOT & Cold on the same day, hair & skin very dry, cold feet and hands, joint pains in lower back and knees and some days can't walk well due to knees- has this happened to anyone? Computer suggested Hashimoto's symptoms and I cannot go to the Dr for 3 months due to finances- I am currently taking 0-10 mgs methimazole,10 mg paxil, 25 mg hctz and 1 aspirin- I tried cutting the methimazole for a month and everything SEEMED ok, but then got scared and went back on it- additionally, my weight has gone from 119 lbs to 165 in 5 yrs- Cannot lose weight no matter what I do; another indication of HYPO- Dr says weight gain is my body responding to disease and I was underweight when I was 119 lbs at 5'6"- HUH? I read that some of the side effects for methimazole are MY LIFE- Anyone have any suggestions?

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Autoimmune Disorders :: Hair Loss - Diagnosed With MTCD

I was diagnosed with MTCD 2 years ago. My case is lupus and they don't know what else. My case is mild. I really don't have much pain but I can feel something is there. Over this past year, 2013, I noticed my hairline is receding and now the whole top of my head is thinning. I always had a really beautiful thick head of hair and took great care of it. I keep it short but kind of spiky. Always looked good. But now as I stated my hair is thinning so much you can see my scalp. Just wanted to know if this is happening to anyone else. I am currently taking plaquenil, prednisone, cymbalta and imuran. Very low does. My doctor told me to cut down on the prednisone but after 4 days without it, I felt bad. I visited my dermatologist last year for a scalp biopsy but he said I didn't need it and I agreed. No thyroid problem yet but my numbers keep getting high. I'm thinking it's all of the above but don't know what to do about it. Any suggestions besides a wig?

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Thyroid Disorders :: Memory Loss / Distortion

My mother had her thyroid and a benign tumour removed about 6 months ago. She lives 3 hours away from me, so I have seen her a few times but only for short intervals and we regularly speak on the phone. Since her operation I have noticed she is always tired (also due to her heart medication) and that she has become more of a glass half empty type of person. Recently my father had a heart attack (serious but my Dad is a trooper and is now recovering after surgery). I have spent the last week with my mother, and with her thyroid and stress of my father I became her personal punching bag. Her erratic mood swings, outbursts and obsessing over trivial matters are well documented relating to the thyroid in all the googling I have done. What I can't find is any information on her memory loss/memory distortion of the facts. To give 2 examples (of many): 1. My parents had a lawyer at the hospital to update their will, so I went out and sat in the foyer. I was on my phone looking at Facebook to fill in time and one of Mum's friends sat beside me. I put my phone away and chatted to her friend. On the way home Mum had a go a me  because her friend told her that I spent the whole time looking at my phone whilst she was trying to talk to me. 2. After leaving my niece's 21st, my Mum tells me that one of my brothers was very cold to her all night and didn't talk to her. A couple of hours later as everyone is heading off to bed, my mother says "So (my brother) didn't talk to you either" with which I replied "Yes we did, I spent quite a lot of time talking to him". My mother than lost it completely and started yelling that I had told her that my brother didn't speak to me. Though I can't find any information about this type of memory loss, I am hoping someone might be able to give me a heads up. Also if someone has been told by a family member about their erratic emotions I would love to hear your advice on how to bring it up with my mother.

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Alcoholic :: Drunk - How To Prevent Future Memory Loss

So a couple nights ago I drank and can't remember part of the night. The funny thing is usually when I get drunk a trip n fall and that type of stuff and remember it fine. I wasn't drunk enough to be doing that but the whole night is hazy. And I guess I tried to have a conversation with a buddy's mom and I don't remember it. The bad thing is there are thoughts and feelings I have that I hope I didn't tell her about and I'm afraid I did. I'm to chicken to ask. I kept on telling them I wasn't drunk. I also remember thinking this is my last beer and I'm done but I'm pretty sure I drank more after that. All the people that I was drinking with say I was very drunk. And I just can't remember. I know my drink wasn't spiked or anything. But I'm also told my husband wanted me to go to bed and I didn't want to don't remember that either. I did start drinking on an empty stomach. But then I ate after about 2 beers.

My question how to prevent future memory loss cause sometimes it happens sometimes it does. And why. And does anyone think I would have said embarrassing things to the buddy's mom

Ps I'm not an alchohalic And I'm of legal drinking age and a responsible adult 90 percent of the time

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Hair Loss :: Anemia (low Iron Level) Losing A Ton Of Hair Each Day

I began seeing bald patches on my head: one rather large one and 2 smaller ones. I also am losing a ton of hair each day. I have been diagnosed with a ferritin level of 8 and an iron level of 28. I am taking 325 mg of iron 3 times a day along with other vitamins. Approximately how long before I see an improvement in hair fallout and regrowth. I am also seeing a dermatologist for corticosteriod injections to help with regrowth in the completely bald spots. I am strongly considering shaving my whole head?

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Hair Loss - Hair Has Become Small And Too Short

I suffer from the problem of hair loss before marriage at the age of 19, where he was my hair loss, which is a dense tuft and continues to now (24 years old) so my hair has become very small and too short

Use Pantene Shampoo

To know what to make .....

I want advice and guidance and your directions even know the main reason

What are the required medical tests ....

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Hair Loss :: 38 Female Eyebrow Loss In Patches

For the past year, I've been losing my eyebrows in patches.  Patches will grow back, but then fall out weeks/moths later.  I'm a 38-year-old female, healthy and fit.  Recent blood work all normal. Thyroids normal.  I'm not losing hair anywhere else, and my skin has no redness or dryness.  It is just my eyebrows that keep falling out.  The only thing I could think of was my birth control--I was on the Mirena IUD.  But I removed it and ceased all birth control several months ago and the problem persists.  All doctors I've visited have been stumped, thus my online question. 

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Neurological Disorders :: Choroidal Fissure Cyst Loss Of Taste, Hearing Loss

Last year(2014) I started having some health issues. In March I was diagnosed with Mastoiditis. After that I began to have vision issues with pain and was diagnosed with Optic Neuritis in my left eye. I did 3 days of Solumedrol at home and followed with oral steroids. Since then I have had on and off hearing loss on left side and have lost my sense of taste 3 times for a few weeks. I recently had a mri and they found a 12mm choroidal fissure cyst on my left side. I also have tingling and numbness in my left foot and leg. I still have blurry and double vision in my left eye at times. I had previous ct scans and mris and there was no cyst present. Could this newly found cyst be causing my issues?

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15 Only And Hereditary Hair Loss

I'm 15 years of age and I'm seeing the first signs of baldness, with some hairline recession and the sensitive sensation. My hair loss is hereditary. My mom also had the same issue and she did a hair transplant surgery with the help of an expert surgeon in the Seager medical group, Toronto. I wonder whether I'm able to do the same at this age.  I don't want to be bald at this age, it's affecting my confidence. Any thoughts?

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Hair Loss On Carbimazole?

Only been diagnosed for a few weeks now and sorry if this question has been asked before but my hair's falling out in clumps now and wondered if this is 'normal' on this drug it is completely heartbreaking for me also I am due to get my hair dyed next weekend worried this will cause more loss ...

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Hair Loss Due To Minoxidil

i am 18 years old and i am using minoxidil 5% for last 3 months it has worsen my situation. i used it to regrow hair in my temple. instead it made me loose hairs in my entire head. i have lost about 40% of my total. Hairs. is it normal.? i am thinking about hair replacement now.so if i stop minoxidil, will the hairs that i lost forr minoxidil will grow back? how months will it take to recover fully from hair shedding caused by minoxidil?

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Can Dandruff Cause Hair Loss?

I have had these little oily, greasy yellow bumps on my head for about 2 years now and they tend to fall off whenever I scratch them. I have had REALLY thick hair but since this dandruff crisis started on me I only have half of the original amount of my hair now. Please, help!! If you're experiencing this problem then please state below how you control/get rid of it and if you used to have this kind of dandruff and cured it, will my hair grow back and return to normal? I seriously want my old hair back.

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Hair Loss :: Following Depression

I went through about a week and a half of depressions (what I believe was). Lack of appetite, trouble sleeping and crying randomly. Immediately my hair began to shed. I understand that hair usually sheds 2-3 months after a stressful period,(telogen effluvium is what it's called) but mine started right when I became depressed. I don't have bald patches anywhere, it's just all over shedding. It's been going on for about a month now, my hair doesn't really feel thinner yet but I know it will if this continues. I can wear my hair down or else it'll be all over. I wear it in loose buns. Brushing it is emotionally difficult because my hair brush will be full in 2 strokes. I'm 19 and female. I feel like I'm slowly getting uglier and uglier. I'm not depressed anymore, I feel back to myself. But it's still shedding. It makes no sense to me. I eat healthy and exercise. How long should I expect this to occur, since it can't be telogen effluvium? What is happening?

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Hair Loss On Zocor

I’m female, 52 and due to my high cholesterol levels and family history of coronary disease, my physician had me start taking Zocor (simvastatin). I’ve been on this medication for almost six months now and from the last month I’ve been starting to lose more and more hair. When I asked my doctor is Zocor causing this, he completely denied that was possible and instead sent me to various hormonal tests. They all were in normal ranges.

After this I decided to take the matter into my own hands and continue with healthy diet, exercise and no Zocor (but I do use red rice supplement instead) and finally my hair is not falling off any more.

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