How long hair loss?

[Craniac3]

What is making my hair fall out--the thyroid itself or the Synthroid? Will it ever stop, or should I start wig shopping now?

[shaerich]

It's hard to say without knowing more info.

How long have you been on Synthroid?  
Do you still have your thyroid?
Are you hypo?
How long has your hair been falling out?  When did it start?

[DLA]

Wow!!!  Don't have much to tell you on the hair subject, just wanted to let you know how nice it is having a 'famous dr' on the board! ;) roflol
Dac

[Craniac3]

I've always had a few hairs in the drain, but it has accelerated since I started Synthroid. I was on .75 for 6 weeks, now I've upped to 100 for exactly one week. Yes, I still have my thyroid, and yes I'm hypo--Hashi's to be exact.

And on a related topic, is there any significance to being labeled "Hashi's" as opposed to straight hypo? I mean, do you do anything differently?

[shaerich]

It is normal to have some hair loss every day.  Depending on where you get your info, up to 100 hairs a day is not considered abnormal.  I have always been a BIG shedder.  The bathroom floor must be wiped EVERY time I brush my hair, but since starting Levoxyl, it is significantly worse.  The hair shedding I had before never bothered me b/c it was just the norm for me and my hair was so thick it didn't matter.  Now, I actually dread washing my hair and have been doing so less frequently b/c it's so alarming to see how much hair comes out in my hands as I wash.  

Now, given what you've said about your condition (and others will probably have more input for you) I would think it coule be related to the medicine since your loss did start right after taking the Synthroid.  Hair loss can be a symptom of Hypothyroid, but if your loss started after the meds, then I would have a tough time dismissing the possibility that it's related.  I have not looked up the drug sheet on Synthroid, but Levoxyl's drug sheet states that some people experience hairloss the first few months of therapy and that it is "usually temporary."  On top of that, I have asked this question on the Yahoo! question boards and got a few responses from women who did have excessive hairloss on Levoxyl and they said it DID eventually stop and for one woman it took almost a year, but it stopped and her hair is almost back to normal.  

I have also read about different supplements people have tried to slow down the loss or promote new growth and so I am trying a combo of a few of them: Omega 3, B-complex, Biotin, Evening Primrose Oil.  It's too soon to tell if it's working, but I figure it can't hurt.  You should check with your dr. before adding any of these to your regimen.

I don't know the answer to your question about doing anything differently for Hashi's vs. just plain Hypo.  I am sure others will know and pipe in.  

[helen1207]

i found this thread while searching for past posts on hair loss. I wonder if your condition improved and what do you think the reasons are? thanks

[web_diva]

SYNTHROID CAN ABSOLUTELY MAKE YOUR HAIR FALL OUT! Many people use Armour as a safe (and often more effective as it contains T3 AND T4) thyroid med.

[Malana500]

Absolutely!  Hair falls out from taking the Synthroid meds because of the change in the thyroid not exactly from Synthroid.  The change of your numbers and hormones effected by the Synthroid supposedly causes the hair to fall out.  Diabetes will also cause hair loss.  My numbers were OK but I had a weight gain and a slow metabolism, also Hashimoto disease.  This is why I was given Synthroid.  Within weeks my hair began to fall out - I lost over 1/2 my head of hair in strands, not clumps.  I retested by metabolism and it remains extremely slow so I am now trying to get off Synthroid.  WHO NEEDS IT!  If I was taking it for metabolism and it did not work (I slept all the time) why continue.  I only pray I don't get hair loss when I get off>