11th August 2007
Hi Birchtree
First, let's see what meds you are taking. You mentioned that you're taking Levoxyl. I don't mean to scare you but I read lots of posts in various discussion boards where women started losing their hair by the handfuls. I looked at the inactive ingredients for Levoxyl and I didn't see anything that would make somebody allergic such as lactose, etc. Whatever it is, I wouldn't touch Levoxyl until it is my last synthetic T4 choice. I think most do very well on Unithroid and Levothroid. I hear that Armour also makes people lose hair but I think it's better b/c it has some T3 in it. We ALL know that being hypo makes you lose your hair but most people don't lose their hair unless they're really hypo or some other hormonal problem. Synthroid, I read that people lose hair for 3-6 months as soon as they start treatment. How long were you taking Levoxyl and are your labs getting better? If they're getting better but you still lose hair, why don't you switch to something else. Lots of people find that switching makes a difference in how they feel and keeping or growing their hair.
Second, you might need that FT3 to keep that hair on your head. I've read a lot of posts involving thyroid med users growing hair after not only after they are optimized but when they add a T3 hormone or switch to dessicated thyroid. I know you have a hard time with the current FT3 dosage now and maybe you should stay with T4 and build that up before adding in T3.
Third, I don't know if you're taking Evening Primrose Oil. If you are, please discontinue because EPO has phytoestrogens did you know that estrogen can bind to your thyroid hormones? Why do you think that many hypos that take estrogen have to increase dosage? Or on the other side, why do you think hypos taking progesterone have to decrease dosage, because the progesterone negates the estrogen leaving the thyroid meds to do its job. A good substitute for EPO is Black Currant Oil. It has double the amount of GLA than EPO. I found that my hair is so much better using Black Currant Oil.
Fourth, regarding low progesterone. If you are low, your hair will suffer. According to Dr. Lam, "When progesterone level drops due to ovarian follicle failure (lack of ovulation), the body responds by increasing the synthesis of androstenedione, an adrenal cortical steroid. This has some androgenic properties, resulting in male pattern hair loss. Natural progesterone supplementation for 6 months may be helpful to reduce the androstenedione level, at which time normal hair growth will resume."
Fifth, do not take anti-depressants or even psychotrophics. Many of them will make you gain weight and lose hair so I wouldn't even want to add them to my regimen. I am pretty sure that once you fix your hypo then everything will be better. Those depressing thoughts will go away.
Here's a quote to make you feel better just to show that you can get out of this rut. Got it from another forum here:
"Sniffy,
I just wanted to share with you, that in Dec. I was hospitalized for severe depression. When they did all the blood tests while I was in there they found that my thyroid was off the charts! Way too high! My hair was falling out, and I too thought that it might be the anit depressants that I was on. But since I have been on the thyroid meds, my hair is coming back, my depression is practically gone and I have nice fingernails! Just thought that you should know that thyroid can cause a lot of things. Hope you find out what is up with your hair loss...
Elizabeth"
Sixth (sorry for all the numbering), take a good multivitamin. I like the Country Life Daily Total One because it has similar vitamins to the prenatals except it doesn't have Iron or Kelp/Iodine. As a hashi's patient, I don't need kelp/iodine. Also, as a low iron patient, I use the iron I like. If your ferritin is low, you need to work on increasing it so your hair will grow. You need at least 70-80 on serum ferritin to not only keep the hair on your head but also to grow new hair.
Lastly, please, pretty please, DO NOT stress. Stress does all kinds of crazy things to you biologically and you do not want that affecting you. I read that stress is really a death hormone (that's what I learned from Dr. Perricone even though he is kind of a quack, I do believe this one though). I used to stress 15 years ago when my hair started falling out. My husband told me I had a bald spot that I never knew I had. I ended up working at a job that allowed me to stay busy and not stress about my hair. Eventually my hair grew back.
Some things I found that really helped my hair: iron, optimized thyroid levels (not too high, not too low), black currant oil, flax seeds, fish oil, green vegetables, Nizoral shampoo left in hair for 5 minutes while in the shower 2x a week, an Indian hair oil called "Brahmi Oil" with a close up picture of a beautiful woman with thick black hair that I put on my hair 2x a week before bed, the belief that you have lots of thick hair, the belief that you are beautiful, and lots of water. Oh almost forgot, definitely a positive and happy attitude towards life. I know it's stupid but you'd be amazed how powerful psychosomatism really is. If I think that I'm going to get a sore throat, I will. Same with hair. If you think that your hair keeps falling, it will. With this philosophy and everything I mentioned in the top part of this paragraph, my husband tells me I have more hair now.
Ok, off my soapbox. My 15 minutes are definitely up!
Take care!
First, let's see what meds you are taking. You mentioned that you're taking Levoxyl. I don't mean to scare you but I read lots of posts in various discussion boards where women started losing their hair by the handfuls. I looked at the inactive ingredients for Levoxyl and I didn't see anything that would make somebody allergic such as lactose, etc. Whatever it is, I wouldn't touch Levoxyl until it is my last synthetic T4 choice. I think most do very well on Unithroid and Levothroid. I hear that Armour also makes people lose hair but I think it's better b/c it has some T3 in it. We ALL know that being hypo makes you lose your hair but most people don't lose their hair unless they're really hypo or some other hormonal problem. Synthroid, I read that people lose hair for 3-6 months as soon as they start treatment. How long were you taking Levoxyl and are your labs getting better? If they're getting better but you still lose hair, why don't you switch to something else. Lots of people find that switching makes a difference in how they feel and keeping or growing their hair.
Second, you might need that FT3 to keep that hair on your head. I've read a lot of posts involving thyroid med users growing hair after not only after they are optimized but when they add a T3 hormone or switch to dessicated thyroid. I know you have a hard time with the current FT3 dosage now and maybe you should stay with T4 and build that up before adding in T3.
Third, I don't know if you're taking Evening Primrose Oil. If you are, please discontinue because EPO has phytoestrogens did you know that estrogen can bind to your thyroid hormones? Why do you think that many hypos that take estrogen have to increase dosage? Or on the other side, why do you think hypos taking progesterone have to decrease dosage, because the progesterone negates the estrogen leaving the thyroid meds to do its job. A good substitute for EPO is Black Currant Oil. It has double the amount of GLA than EPO. I found that my hair is so much better using Black Currant Oil.
Fourth, regarding low progesterone. If you are low, your hair will suffer. According to Dr. Lam, "When progesterone level drops due to ovarian follicle failure (lack of ovulation), the body responds by increasing the synthesis of androstenedione, an adrenal cortical steroid. This has some androgenic properties, resulting in male pattern hair loss. Natural progesterone supplementation for 6 months may be helpful to reduce the androstenedione level, at which time normal hair growth will resume."
Fifth, do not take anti-depressants or even psychotrophics. Many of them will make you gain weight and lose hair so I wouldn't even want to add them to my regimen. I am pretty sure that once you fix your hypo then everything will be better. Those depressing thoughts will go away.
Here's a quote to make you feel better just to show that you can get out of this rut. Got it from another forum here:
"Sniffy,
I just wanted to share with you, that in Dec. I was hospitalized for severe depression. When they did all the blood tests while I was in there they found that my thyroid was off the charts! Way too high! My hair was falling out, and I too thought that it might be the anit depressants that I was on. But since I have been on the thyroid meds, my hair is coming back, my depression is practically gone and I have nice fingernails! Just thought that you should know that thyroid can cause a lot of things. Hope you find out what is up with your hair loss...
Elizabeth"
Sixth (sorry for all the numbering), take a good multivitamin. I like the Country Life Daily Total One because it has similar vitamins to the prenatals except it doesn't have Iron or Kelp/Iodine. As a hashi's patient, I don't need kelp/iodine. Also, as a low iron patient, I use the iron I like. If your ferritin is low, you need to work on increasing it so your hair will grow. You need at least 70-80 on serum ferritin to not only keep the hair on your head but also to grow new hair.
Lastly, please, pretty please, DO NOT stress. Stress does all kinds of crazy things to you biologically and you do not want that affecting you. I read that stress is really a death hormone (that's what I learned from Dr. Perricone even though he is kind of a quack, I do believe this one though). I used to stress 15 years ago when my hair started falling out. My husband told me I had a bald spot that I never knew I had. I ended up working at a job that allowed me to stay busy and not stress about my hair. Eventually my hair grew back.
Some things I found that really helped my hair: iron, optimized thyroid levels (not too high, not too low), black currant oil, flax seeds, fish oil, green vegetables, Nizoral shampoo left in hair for 5 minutes while in the shower 2x a week, an Indian hair oil called "Brahmi Oil" with a close up picture of a beautiful woman with thick black hair that I put on my hair 2x a week before bed, the belief that you have lots of thick hair, the belief that you are beautiful, and lots of water. Oh almost forgot, definitely a positive and happy attitude towards life. I know it's stupid but you'd be amazed how powerful psychosomatism really is. If I think that I'm going to get a sore throat, I will. Same with hair. If you think that your hair keeps falling, it will. With this philosophy and everything I mentioned in the top part of this paragraph, my husband tells me I have more hair now.
Ok, off my soapbox. My 15 minutes are definitely up!
Take care!