severe hair breakage on cytomel

Hi Dr Lupo,

I was on cytomel for two years, during the first six I notice my hair texture was changing but I kept on the cytomel because I was trying to clear my rt3 problem and my doctor said the is the only way to rid myself of reverse t3.  during those years my Ft3 became high and I notice that my hair got very dry and brittle and starting to break off.  By the next year I did n't have much lenght left.  This year in January my hair got  so brittle and dry it broke off int he back  it looked like my head was shaved.  I stopped the cytomel in February and added snythroid(which I was on for 16 yrs) and my hair started to grow, but I got reverse t3 again and the doctor put me back on cytomel lower dose of only 25mg, prior to that I was on 81.75 for almost the two years.  Once I was on cytomel again my hair statred to break off again.  Now I am taking naturethroid but my hair is not growing and still breaking off I don't have much hair left   it's so short I have to get a wig.  I can't seem to get better again after being on cytomel for so long.  I can't gain weigh, my skin is also dry.  Prior to cytomel my hair and scalp were oily and my skin.  My oil gland are not producing any oil.  scalp dry    I don't know what to do about the hair breakage.  I know it has to be the cytomel because when I stopped it got better the first time, but this time around I can't seem to get things to work.  I am on 2grain of naturethid and I don't feel better.  I was so much better when I was on synthroid for those 16 yrs.  I don't know why I ruined my life this way.  What can I do?  

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

I would see an endocrinologist and get back on synthroid, stopping the naturethroid and lowering or stopping the cytomel.  Reverse T3 has no role in management of thyroid replacement hormone.

[remi888]

Does taking cortef for serveral years cause hair to fall out or break?