Please help!Malnutrition & Hair loss
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@cafeaulait7 I did go in and get a copy of the blood work myself and it did show that I was anemic so I went out and bought an iron supplement and have actually started feeling slightly better since taking that along with a vitamin d supplement since I had a deficiency in that as well. I have other symptoms of anemia such as brittle nails, being extremely pale, and getting fatigued and out of breath without exerting much physical effort and I'm also always cold and suffer from night sweats at night. I'm doing my best to change doctors but having insurance through the state makes it very difficult! It was such a pain to even get into her. & I'm sorry to hear that! It's an awful feeling when you are reaching out for help and the people who are supposed to help you just won't. I do hope you were able to get treated properly in the end and did end up getting better < 3
I'm anemic and tried many forms of iron before finding one that worked well for me. I'm taking Iron Bisglycinate now.
The VA had given me two presumably cheap forms of iron that did not prevent hair loss and fatigue.0 -
I don't know if this will work for you financially, but you can get your own labs done. You can order and pay for tests with DirectLabs and then go to a local facility to have blood drawn.
https://directlabs.com/0 -
@VeryKatie I'm sorry! I didn't list all of the foods I eat, was just trying to give examples because I didn't want to ramble too much, but I do track my iron on MFP and make sure I hit it every day, in addition to taking an iron supplement. I do eat things like pork, pasta, greek yogurt, nut cereal, granola, protein bars, tuna, quinoa, potatoes, pierogies as well! But I've only been doing this for 3 weeks and I know it takes a while for things like this to correct themselves unfortunately! I just wish I knew how long. I'm so scared that I'm putting in all of this effort and that my hair isn't going to stop falling out or come back. Do you know how long hair loss typically lasts after you are able to start eating again?0
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@rileysowner I live in the United States and went to see a nutritionist but she said herself she wasn't familiar with people who suffer from eating disorders or this type of severe malnutrition and she didn't offer much help other than a few suggestions on ways to add calories here and there to meals. Do you know what I would need to do to be able to see a registered dietician or eating disorder specialist? Is this something that I would need a referral for or would I be able to make an appointment on my own?
Your best bet for getting this answered is to check with your insurance company.0 -
@mschybell
My hair shed for a good 6-7 months and then just shed less and less with each day after that. I'm really hoping the extra calories will help you, hormones can be a b*tch though and take a while to regulate sometimes.0 -
I know money is an issue but is there any possibility you could go to a hair stylist and ask for help? For the confidence to leave the house, at least. I lost a little hair a few years ago, went to a stylist and she helped me feel a lot better about it. It started growing back a good 8 months later.0
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@janjunie Thank you
I know it's going to take a while, but as long as I know it will get better eventually, I think I can push myself through it! 6-7 months is a very long time! How did you cope? I've always had low self esteem and hated my appearance but losing my hair is making it ten times harder. 0 -
@Need2Exerc1se I'm in the United States, but am not currently working so have no income of my own. I have insurance through the state. I'm only trying to do research through the internet because the doctors I have been to, in person, have been no help. I have gone to my gp several times, a dermatologist, nutritionist, and a hematologist. I'm doing the best that I can but the internet has been more help than they have.
You have state insurance? That might be a good thing right now. Many plans will allow to you pick your own specialist from their list now whereas before you could only go to the one they had picked .
Here's what you should do- request a booklet from your insurance company. Let's pretend its blue cross . call them and request a provider directory be mailed to you.
Tell them you are unhappy with the care you've received and would like to look into some new doctors.
They will mail you this huge book of doctors that participate within their program.
Then you can pick one and if they don't work out, now you have a huge book of listings so you can keep going to new ones until you find someone that you like.
Best of luck to you !0 -
@chandanista I've been considering getting it cut, even though I HATE my hair short. I was actually trying to grow it out when it began falling out. I haven't used any heat on it in a year. Kind of a slap in the face. But I thought maybe if I cut it short, when it does start growing back it could all grow back together thick and healthy. I wish I wasn't so scared its not going to come back. Everything I've researched and figured out says it should after I get to a healthy weight and am eating properly for several months but I can;t help but be scared!0
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@thorsmom01 Oh I didn't know that at all! Thank you very much! I'll go to as many doctors as I can until I find one that actually helps! I will definitely try that.0
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@janjunie Thank you I know it's going to take a while, but as long as I know it will get better eventually, I think I can push myself through it! 6-7 months is a very long time! How did you cope? I've always had low self esteem and hated my appearance but losing my hair is making it ten times harder.
Honestly I try not to think about it, I try to focus on other things and most of the time that works. However, thin hair runs in my family and hair loss on top of already thin hair sometimes gets me down especially in the summer when the sun seems to highlight it's thin and "patchiness" even more. Wearing your hair in a "messy" ponytail can make it appear fuller, but use elastics that are thicker, the thin ones seem to pull out hair more easily. I also wear baseball hats more often then I normally would...actually I went out and bought two yesterday.
We, in general are always our own worst critics. The good thing is when we notice 10 negative things about ourselves, a stranger might notice one, or none at all.0 -
@janjunie I know, I cry about it every day. If I do try to talk to people about it, most don't seem to understand because its 'just hair', but it's not that simple. I was trying so hard to improve myself esteem and get myself to a state where I could finally try and be happy with my appearance by gaining the weight and growing out my hair long and healthy, and then it just starts falling out and it has just crushed me. But it makes me feel better knowing I'm not alone in this & you're definitely right! I'm always hard on myself! 0
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@janjunie I know, I cry about it every day. If I do try to talk to people about it, most don't seem to understand because its 'just hair', but it's not that simple. I was trying so hard to improve myself esteem and get myself to a state where I could finally try and be happy with my appearance by gaining the weight and growing out my hair long and healthy, and then it just starts falling out and it has just crushed me. But it makes me feel better knowing I'm not alone in this & you're definitely right! I'm always hard on myself!
It's just hair when it isn't theirs coming out!0 -
@VeryKatie I'm sorry! I didn't list all of the foods I eat, was just trying to give examples because I didn't want to ramble too much, but I do track my iron on MFP and make sure I hit it every day, in addition to taking an iron supplement. I do eat things like pork, pasta, greek yogurt, nut cereal, granola, protein bars, tuna, quinoa, potatoes, pierogies as well! But I've only been doing this for 3 weeks and I know it takes a while for things like this to correct themselves unfortunately! I just wish I knew how long. I'm so scared that I'm putting in all of this effort and that my hair isn't going to stop falling out or come back. Do you know how long hair loss typically lasts after you are able to start eating again?
I am really no sure, sorry
Back when I was eating low fat, my period got messed up. Took about a year to get better. BUT I really don't know if it was the low fat, the low calories (for my height) or if it was the pill I was on for about a third of that time. Plus I was losing weight (which releases estrogen from fat cell) where as you are gaining. Could be any culprit. I have a friend who loses hair on low iron (her guess). But it might have been stress related too since she was planning her wedding in that time (and only a 4 month engagement). She put herself on iron pills and after a couple of months she was "still not sure" if they were helping.
It is really good for you I think that you haven't cut out any food groups/types.
I think at this point your guess is way better than mine.
Oh and I might suggest getting your hair trimmed (prevent tangles) and if you dye it or perm it, let it be natural. Maybe try Wen or something for a shampoo (a conditioning shampoo) and try washing it less frequently. To preserve what you can until it is figured out.
I think a big key for you here it to get to a doctor and reeeeaaaallllly stop trying to stress about it! Stress can cause hair loss so really try to control the factors that you do have some control on as much as possible! Sleep! Have fun! Don't procrastinate on work, etc.0 -
@cafeaulait7 I did go in and get a copy of the blood work myself and it did show that I was anemic so I went out and bought an iron supplement and have actually started feeling slightly better since taking that along with a vitamin d supplement since I had a deficiency in that as well. I have other symptoms of anemia such as brittle nails, being extremely pale, and getting fatigued and out of breath without exerting much physical effort and I'm also always cold and suffer from night sweats at night. I'm doing my best to change doctors but having insurance through the state makes it very difficult! It was such a pain to even get into her. & I'm sorry to hear that! It's an awful feeling when you are reaching out for help and the people who are supposed to help you just won't. I do hope you were able to get treated properly in the end and did end up getting better < 3
Thank you! Mine was a vitamin deficiency (auto-immune caused) that's crazy easy to treat with injections of the vitamin. Most everything came back totally, but I got a bit of permanent nerve damage because my very bad doctor never did diagnose what I had. I went to a new doctor and his guess on the first appointment was confirmed by tests the next day!
Mine included a kind of anemia that made my hair really fall out, and then I've also had iron anemia here and there that makes less hair fall out but it's still noticeable to me. In both cases, it stopped falling out very soon after getting good supplementation of the respective vitamins. Like within a few weeks soon, absolutely
My nails were also very strange with that vitamin-deficiency illness. I don't remember how long it took but they grew back a nice healthy color and texture. My skin looked better and I easily put back on the muscle I'd lost, too. It comes back faster if you lost it from being sick, so it really was astounding.
I even backpacked around Europe just a handful of months after having treatment start! I was terrified I wouldn't be able to go because there wasn't enough time, but I rocked it because things can get back to normal so fast (ETA: I had gotten down to 85lbs at 5'6" with the deficiency and my fit weight was 128, so I had lost a ton of muscle and was extremely weak. That's why I was worried about backpacking of all things 
I got so buff from that, too, lol. I weighed 134 when I got home!).
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@thorsmom01 Oh I didn't know that at all! Thank you very much! I'll go to as many doctors as I can until I find one that actually helps! I will definitely try that.
Yes its true. They will have a large directory with all participating providers in it. If you need help, start another thread and ask people to help you look into this. You may have to tell us what state your in but I guarantee someone will be able to figure it out. The list will seem overwhelming but take your time and call each doctor until you find someone that can see you. .
( be warned the book is ridiculously long and lists all types of doctors like gyn, dentists and so on so you'll have to sort through it to find what you need )0 -
mschybell, I'm sorry that I don't have any useful information or tips for you. But all I wanted to say is how much I admire you for fighting this fight and still standing strong. I wish you a lifetime of good health from here!0
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