Synthroid medication causing hair loss

[vj1142]

Taking the medication Synthroid has caused me to suffer a severe hair loss.  What would be the result if I stopped taking Synthroid?

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

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

[GravesLady]

Don't stop your medication without your doctors knowledge and approval.  This can cause a big set back among other possible problems.

It is not the Synthroid but rather the disease process.  A lot of thyroid patients have suffered hair loss or thinning. Hair loss or thinning is just one of the many thyroid symptoms.

Once you are on the right level for you to feel your best hair loss will subside and grow back.

Some have found certain shampoos help but I never had this problem so never paid attention to the brands.  Perhaps others will come along with that info.  

Good Luck.

[vj1142]

I was on 200 mcg and that's when the hair loss became severe.  Reported it to my doctor.  He did another blood test 8 weeks ago and reduced my Synthroid to 150 mcg.

[lhowell]

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.

[charley1986]

Hey, I am having the same thing happen right now.  I am scheduled for thyroid scan on the 21st.  Found two nodules on my thyroid.  Been taking meds for several years - just started having these problems.  I went to the pharmacy to get some rogaine but my pharmacist said that I should just stick it out until we get my thyroid problems taken care of.  I have always had really thick healthy looking hair - so I am really upset about my hair loss.  I get handfuls of it out of the shower drain!  I wish you lots of luck - just wanted you to know that I sympathize.

[ZoeRay]

I've read on several sites that there can be initial hair loss with Synthroid.

Zoe

[NURSELPN]

I also had extreme hair loss with hyperthyroidism. And doesn't seem to be improving that much with treatment. It was so bad I* had to wear a wig. :-(

[rusalka]

Hey guys it happened to me too but after 2 months on euthyrox-levothyroxine my hair grew back thicker than I have had for 24 years. I switched to pantene hair products too as I heard that cancer patients use it after radiation treatments and it helps .  It works for me. Always remember you are beautiful even without hair.

[glb25]

Due to insurance issues I haven't been on my synthroid for about 6 years. (I have hypo. by the way) My thyroid corrected itself during pregnancy so it wasn't an issue for a while. Now I have found that if I use pantene conditioner and take prenatal vitamins my hair, nails and skin issues are better. Good luck to you!

[Aylin]

Hi friends,

I have hypothyroid as well and have been taking synthroid for 17yrs now.  I also experienced some thinning of the hair and also quite some hair loss in the past few years....it was getting pretty bad at onepoint but then slowly recovered.  I defintely do NOT have my same hair but at least some grew back although it is still very thin.  Thansk for the Pantene shampoo advice!  I will give it a try.

[hawkfan]

My hair loss is so bad that I've considered just shaving all my hair off.  Because I'm female it would be a little wierd.  I don't know what else to do.  I'm 28 and have longer hair, but have to put it back every day so I don't get hair all over.  Every day seems to be worse than the day before.  Today I pulled out a HUGE chunk of hair when I was washing my hair.  I already use pantene, so I don't know what else to do.  I've been on Synthroid since my cancer treatment in April and still no luck on getting it regulated.  HELP!!!!

[cathy57]

Please tell me about this med you're taking.  I'm very curious.  How can your hair stop falling so quickly?  Mine has been falling for 7 years and I'm fed up.  Also.  What is your dosage and how much do you wiegh? cb

[mtggal]

For Hair Loss use Nioxin. It has been approved to help cancer patients with the regrowth of hair an I use it because I have fine, skinny hair. Now that I have been diagnosed with Hypothryoidism, and have been taking Synthroid, my hair is thinning even more...I'll continue to use the nioxin and and use primrose oil too.
Thought this info might help someone else!

[Pie Face]

Looks like we are all in the same boat.  Does the Nicoxin and Primrose oil have any side effects??

[LAURIEL]

my hair was thinning alot when my thyroid was hyper now that my thyroid is damaged and i have really low thyroid the hair loss is less , but I justed started 25 mg of synthroid I hope the hair loss dont get worse. I am also using nixion and it seems to help bring some volume to my thinning hair. I hate this hair problem but I like the serinity prayer. Help me to accept the things I cant change. I am doing all I can do to keep what I got but if it dont stay what can i do. I know one thing i need is the medicine our i wont be able to work or get out of bed.Everything will be ok dont get discouraged.

[cathy57]

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.

[Layde]

Hi!

It's very comforting to know that their are other women going through the same thing. I have had thyroid issues ever since i completed radiation from Hodgkins Lymphoma. My hairloss wasn't an issue until i stopped taking Synthroid. My doctor up my dosage to 200mcg and everything was going good.  My hair started coming in everywhere. Well lately my hairloss is worse than ever.  I just got blood work done and I am on too much synthroid. I do know from previous experience (chemo and hypothyroidism) that nioxin does work!! The scalp therapy treatment is very import. I read that primrose oil does help so i will keep you updated as to if that works also. Also vitamins and B12 does help.

[Mom of 4 good kids]

I have been using Synthroid for about 9 months. Things were going great! Then I had to switch doctors. She lowerd my dose from 75 to 50. She also told me to take it in the morning and I had been taking it at night. Right away my hair started to fall out. It has been two months and the hair loss has gotten worse. I am upping my dose back to 75 by cutting my pills in half untill I find another doctor. I am also going back to taking them at night. If this doesn't work I will try Armour Thyroid or Thyrolar. Don't stop taking your meds! It it better to be bald then fat and in a brain fog all the time. And find a good endocrinology(gland) doctor.

[Mom of 4 good kids]

I have been using Synthroid for about 9 months. Things were going great! Then I had to switch doctors. She lowerd my dose from 75 to 50. She also told me to take it in the morning and I had been taking it at night. Right away my hair started to fall out. It has been two months and the hair loss has gotten worse. I am upping my dose back to 75 by cutting my pills in half untill I find another doctor. I am also going back to taking them at night. If this doesn't work I will try Armour Thyroid or Thyrolar. Don't stop taking your meds! It it better to be bald then fat and in a brain fog all the time. And find a good endocrinology(gland) doctor.

[Mom of 4 good kids]

khnkuj

[jutebrown]

So, I am not along. But the wt gain and hair loss is so hard to live with. I have not had the hair growth to start but the hair loss has stopped with progesterone, lysine & evening primrose. My nails are gorgeous(I use to hide them under nail polish). Been on Armour Thyroid since July. So many symptoms are gone. Last month Dr. added Cytomel to my treatment to bring my FT3 up. I am hoping this will help with wt loss. I've seen puffiness gone from my face. I'm on a lot of supplements that I believe have helped as well. I'm so sad about not losing wt by now. I lift weights 3-4 times a week and run an ave of 10-20 miles per wk. It so encouraging when I can read that people say they have grown their hair back and have lost weight. Keep talking, it is my life line until my healing is manisfested in my body.

[dec72rene]

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.

[jutebrown]

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.

[jutebrown]

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.

[MRM6]

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!

[Bearlady]

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.

[two42]

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.

[SEEJ2003]

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

[Pixley]

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?

[Pie Face]

I would check back with the Endo Dr.  I am now hyp for over a year and my hair still comes out.

[poodlethree]

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.

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