Hypothyroidism and hair loss
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bobbietaylor733
Posts: 34
Hi Everyone,
I know this isn`t exactly regarding fitness or weight loss but is about health, so I didn`t think anyone would mind.
A few months ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and prescribed Synthroid 50 mcg . I felt better for a few weeks, then I starting having heart palpitations, my fatigue was coming back and noticed some hair loss. The doctor then upped my dose to 75 mcg and immediately felt better, but my hair loss seem to get worse. I am now very concerned with this side effect, it has gotten so bad that I stopped taking Sythinoid and asked my doctor to switch me to "Thyroid" (Canadian version of Armour). This is my first day and am wondering if anyone else has a hair loss problem with hypothyroidism, Synthroid and/or Armour(Thyroid). I am getting very scared and stressed, it is shedding at an alarming rate! Does anyone have some advice on what I should do or even a story of your own you can share?
I know this isn`t exactly regarding fitness or weight loss but is about health, so I didn`t think anyone would mind.
A few months ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and prescribed Synthroid 50 mcg . I felt better for a few weeks, then I starting having heart palpitations, my fatigue was coming back and noticed some hair loss. The doctor then upped my dose to 75 mcg and immediately felt better, but my hair loss seem to get worse. I am now very concerned with this side effect, it has gotten so bad that I stopped taking Sythinoid and asked my doctor to switch me to "Thyroid" (Canadian version of Armour). This is my first day and am wondering if anyone else has a hair loss problem with hypothyroidism, Synthroid and/or Armour(Thyroid). I am getting very scared and stressed, it is shedding at an alarming rate! Does anyone have some advice on what I should do or even a story of your own you can share?
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When I started with the dessicated thyroid meds my hair stopped falling for a while and I began growning new hair strands...to this day I still have the new hair strands in the front of my head...it makes me look like a mess because I have curly hair...so you can imagine those small hair strands sticking out lol...no complaints though...let it grow and keep it coming....
I will say though lately I notice more hair falling out. My labs are ok. Except my T3 is perhaps a bit on the low side. My iron is kinda low too....it's not off limits but it's not optimal either. Would iron have something to do with hair failling out? I hope someone here can shed more light on this.0 -
I am not sure if it is so much the medicine that causes the hair loss but the thyroid problem that causes it. When I first was Dx with Hashimoto's, one of the questions endo was asking was had I experienced hair thinning. It seemed it was a symptom of the problem not a side effect of the synthroid. I would express this concern to your endo & see if there are any supplements that can help with the hair loss. Good luck, I hope you can get some answers to solve this dilemma. Even though this is a weight loss site, this forum is for any thyroid questions/comments/concerns. Update with any info you find.0
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Hair loss, loss of hair condition, hair being coarse can be found on lists of low thyroid symptoms. If you "search" for low thyroid or look at your national thyroid support site, these will tell you so much more. I found the Stop the Thyroid Madness site very useful as well. These sites really help take the stress out of the situation. The thyroid is vital for so many systems in itself and links into others so it has the ability to expresses itself as malfunctioning is so many many ways.
There are as many reasons for being here as there are members.
Take care, all the very best0 -
Since diagnosis, 1994, I have never noticed hair loss. I may be thinner up there but I don’t have any falling out. Never have. I do have many other symptoms though, just not this one.
My docs won't give me Armour. They say they are not consistent in their dosing. Did try it on my own for a very short time and saw no difference.
I get heart palpitations horribly when I need more Synthroid, like every 5 seconds. They can drive me absolutely batty and they scare the heck out of me. I have gone to ER like 3 times since diagnosis for this reason alone. Each time, thye give me a few anxiety pills and tell me to see my Endo.
Been on same dose, 150 mcg, for many years and although I do get palpitations from time to time, I find it is when I am sick with some viral illness or I forget to take a pill a day or 2, or I run out, etc.0 -
My hair is getting thinner and thinner and the doctor says it's not my thyroid causing it since I'm on Levothyroxine and my TSH and T4 are in the normal range. He just shrugged his shoulders and said it sounds hormonal. Another 3 months has passed and I now have to wrap a regular elastic band 5 times to hold up my ponytail, except through exercise. (When this started, it took 2 for light hold, 3 for "exercise" hold.) He didn't comment on it at all this time. I haven't been able to find a new doctor yet since our insurance no longer covers the other big clinic where most family and friends have doctors.
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I agree that hair loss is a symptom of thyroid disease, not a side effect of thyroid meds.
Everybody's different, so it will take trial & error to find if you respond best to Synthroid, to Armour, or to Synthroid + Cytomel. My dosages have been increased every 3 months since I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's almost two years ago—and I've only recently succeeded in persuading my endocrinologist to add Cytomel to my Synthroid.0
