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219522 tn?1251760629

How long hair loss?

What is making my hair fall out--the thyroid itself or the Synthroid? Will it ever stop, or should I start wig shopping now?
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Avatar universal
Recently Synthroid has caused my hair to start falling out.  Panic was setting it was afraid to shampoo my hair because there it was right in my hand so it was not my imagination.  I helped myself by  researching  and will share my experience with you. I found that lack of biotin and B complex helps a great deal. I  am now taking B-50 mgs. 2x's a day (am & pm) and Hair & skin & nails fomula 2x's a day as well. Hair etc.contains 3,000 mcg. of biotin and since I increased my dosage to those  amounts my hair  has stopped failing out. Saw my beautician and she said after my coloring and cut there was just a minuscule amount of hair which is  a normal amount.  I buy my products from Puritan Pride , Life extension but any vitamin  shop,  or  Whole foods are good choices.. My advice would be perhaps stick with vitamin shop  that sells pure vitamins.  I also remembered many years ago this is the treatment that stopped my little girl from hair loss from repeated bouts of strep throat hence antibiotics caused the hair loss. Dr. said of don't worry it happens but it will stop. That was not an answer! I researched and found cause and two days later no more hair loss. At first I thought it luck, but then again another bout of strep throat &  5 days on  anti biotic hair loss again started, so I went  back with vit b's and hair stopped next day!  I stopped stopped the  repeated strep throats with doses of cod liver oil, which because she needed it she 'strangely 'loved it my other daughter who never got the strep throat would gag and spit it out. Seems  the body knows what it needs.  I hope this helps you all with this problem with hair loss. It worked for me so hopefully, it will help you.
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Avatar universal
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>
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Avatar universal
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.
Helpful - 0
410801 tn?1220119445
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
Helpful - 0
211563 tn?1189994510
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.  
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219522 tn?1251760629
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?
Helpful - 0
209384 tn?1231168306
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
Helpful - 0
211563 tn?1189994510
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?
Helpful - 0
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