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Synthroid medication causing hair loss

Taking the medication Synthroid has caused me to suffer a severe hair loss.  What would be the result if I stopped taking Synthroid?
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97953 tn?1440865392
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
if you are HYPO then you need some sort of thyroid replacement -- hair loss is a symptom of HYPO and it may be that you need mroe time with adequate replacement - may take 2-3 months at a target TSH of about 1.0 to see improvement in hair/nail changes
Helpful - 2
Avatar universal
Hello, I am a 47 year old female. I have been on synthyoid 300 for 5 years.  The last 3 years my hair has thinned by at least more that half.  Even on this high dose of synthyroid my doc says that my blood work comes back slightly off what the numbers should read....however she states not enough to make any changes in my dosage.  I have asked her if i might try another drug to treat my thyroid disorder.  This doctor looked at me and stated that I had enough problem with synthyroid absorbtion and any other drug would not work for me.  Well, I am so, so upset. I have always had thick curly hair. My hair is now fine, straight and i have to wear it so that the thinning areas are covered. I experience brain fog, sparse eyebrows, my eyelashes are even affected.  I have expressed to my doctor that the synthroid may be causing me to loss my hair.  She told me that she had never heard of this....well I have read and read about this being a side effect.  This doctor is supposed to be one of the best around.  Can a person be on too much synthroid even if it is not working as it should.  Help from anyone would be so helpful.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Why don't you try Armour thyroid?  Synthroid doesn't work for everyone.  I just switched and now I'm waiting to see if my hair will stop falling.  Will keep you posted.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I had really bad hair loss right before being diagnosed with Hashimoto's.  In fact, the hairloss is was drove me to see a dermatologist who did some blood work and checked my TSH levels.  It took about a month of using the Synthroid before the hair loss subsided.  Hang in there.
Helpful - 1
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A related discussion, Thyroid- Best help for shedding hair was started.
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I had a thyroidectomy in September 2010. I am a 22 year old female taking 125 mcg of synthroid. I have always had very thick hair, But now it is so thin I feel there is barely anything left. I am using very good organic hair product, which i used before my surgery, radiation, and synthroid... I know its not my hair product! I am losing 1-2 pounds a week and this has been ongoing for several months. I started out at 135lbs and am now barely 113lbs. I have zero appetite, but force myself to eat healthy snacks which sometimes cause severe nausea. My skin is very dry. I have racing thoughts 24/7. I am very tired early at night, but once I wake up in the morning (no matter how early it is) I can't get back to sleep. I went through a long depression which I am now slowly finding my way out of. My doctors have been monitoring my blood levels and have always said they are outstanding. So what gives? Why am I miserable? Is it the synthroid, or loss of thyroid?
Helpful - 0
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A related discussion, synthroid caused my permanent hair loss was started.
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I would check back with the Endo Dr.  I am now hyp for over a year and my hair still comes out.
Helpful - 0
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Help!  I am 37 and have been having severe hair loss since August.  I am tired, depressed, no sex drive to speak of, and have not been able to get pregnant for six years--despite two earlier successful pregnancies.  I have also been having frequent headaches every morning.  My thyroid tests come back "Normal", despite the fact that every memeber of my family is "hypo".  The doctor says she is at a loss about my symptoms, and simply prescribed me Prozac.  I am not a depressive person, but for the past few years I have been in a slump.  Are there any tests that can be done to test for thyroid other than the usual blood test?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
my son had a severe  thyroid storm last year.

spent 4 weeks in the hospital.did need 4 blood transfusions.  plus radioactive iodine.went from hyperthyrodisum,to hypothyrodisum ...he was doing drugs,dr told him no more drugs,but he is back on drugs and hardly taking his
levothyroxine medicine...WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY GO BACK TO DRUGS AND DONT TAKE THERE MEDICATION
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi,
I am 36 and in Aug '06 I noticed my hair rapidly falling out. At one point I was losing 300 hairs a day. I went to the dr in Sept and my TSH level was 4.19. He said all my blood work was normal. My hair continued to fall out(diffuse hair loss)at a rapid rate. I had also noticed other symptoms such as, blurred vision, neck pain, constipation, dry skin and poor memory. I had been on a very low calorie diet(1200 a day) and walking on my treadmill 4x a wk so the nurse practioner said it was nutritional and that I should start taking a multivitamin and incorporating fruits and veggies into my diet. Well, here it is 4 mons later and my hair is still falling out and w/ other symptoms such as my hair is starting to gray, throat hurts a lot, irratable, snoring,cold,ringing in ears, decreased libido, bp 100/65, heart rate 60-65 beats per min..etc. Go back to dr, he tests me for lupus, checks my thyroid, anemia,etc....TSH is down to 3.4 and blood work comes back negative...I know something is wrong...ive been to my dermatologist, GYN, PCP and they act like Ive got the plague or something...no one wants to help. I'm so frustrated. My hair is not the same head of hair that I had just 5/6 mons ago....It's so fine, lifeless and unmanageable..When it first started falling out, it started out being very dry, coarse and very easily tangled...now it's like baby hair...If anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate it...my sister has been hyper and my mom has been hypo...How do I get a dr to listen to me and diagnose my symptoms and not my test results??? Is this temp or permanent hair loss? Thanks so much.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
wow...I thought I was imagining things with my hair loss.  I was diagnosed hypo 6 weeks ago and have been on 50 mcg of synthroid a day, taking first thing in the morning.  I was told that is the lowest dose.  Blood work a few days ago shows the TH levels are where they are supposed to be.  But the hair thinning and loss is devastating.  Does it stop and regrow??  I am interested in the Nioxen that some have spoken of and how they apply it and anything else anyone may have successfully tried.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have been struggling with hair loss ever since hypothyroid diagnosis two years ago; was on cytomel and synthroid for about 9 months which took my TSH down to .02, way below what is supposed to be the "new" minimum of .2  Four months ago a new endo had me drop the cytomel but increased the synthroid so that my TSH hasn't gone up at all and in the last month my hair has begun coming out more rapidly than ever.  This seems to be the first question that was asked on this thread, can being overdosed on Synthroid cause hair loss -- but I didn't see any other comments on this exact issue.  Did the first person who asked this have any luck when the dose was reduced?  Feeling very discouraged; I'm in my early 50s and already feeling jowly and doggy looking and getting very thin suddenly makes it harder!  But you all understand that!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, everyone.
Great new since 11/15/065. I am great! Cytomel has done wonders for me. I have lost 9 lb since Thanksgiving. Insomnia, depression, sensitivity to cold, all symptoms are gone. I feel like I have been given 10 yr back to my life. My hair texture is like it was when I was in my 20's. I am trying to be patient for the regrowth. I believe it is only a matter of time and it will return. I have 14 lb to go and I will be done & on a maintenance program. My outlook on life is so positive now. I actually get on the scale to weigh myself every morning and it is exciting.
  Don't give up, the right medication, supplements, diet, exercise & faith in our creator is the key.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, everyone.
Great new since 11/15/065. I am great! Cytomel has done wonders for me. I have lost 9 lb since Thanksgiving. Insomnia, depression, sensitivity to cold, all symptoms are gone. I feel like I have been given 10 yr back to my life. My hair texture is like it was when I was in my 20's. I am trying to be patient for the regrowth. I believe it is only a matter of time and it will return. I have 14 lb to go and I will be done & on a maintenance program. My outlook on life is so positive now. I actually get on the scale to weigh myself every morning and it is exciting.
  Don't give up, the right medication, supplements, diet, exercise & faith in our creator is the key.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am not sure what caused my hair loss, it started about a year ago and my doc told me to try Rogaine, but it was very expensive and I thought I would check with my hair dresser and viola! She told me about Nioxen. It works well. No side effects for me. I still use it about 3 times a week. I still have hair loss but I also have new growth now. I am sooo thankful. My hair dresser I will have to continue to use the Nioxen as long as I am still losing hair, so that the new growth will continue at a rapid pace and keep up with what I am losing. Hope this helps. Someone ask about side effects...I have none, it just tingles and my scalp does seem to br tender but I don't think its from the Niioxen.
Helpful - 0
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