synthroid alternatives?

[mtnmama70]

I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 1995.  I had a total thyroidectomy and have been on synthroid since then.  I find it hard to lose weight and I have lost almost all my scalp and body hair.  I was diagnosed with alopecia several years ago and have tried almost everything out there.  Over the past 8 years or so I have grown my scalp hair back only to lose it all again.  I have been reading that the synthroid alternatives might be a better choice.  I have my levels checked once a year and they always seem too low for me, but from what I understand, they need to stay low.  Is this right?  
What do you think of the Synthroid alternatives?  Thanks.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

The TSH should be a little low with the thyroid cancer history.  Hair loss can be seen in hypo or hyper - sometimes adding some T3 to the synthroid could be helpful, however stress is a more common cause of hair loss than thyroid problems (even in patients with thyroid problems).

If this is true alopecia and not just thinning of the hair, then work with a dermatologist to figure out the reason -- usually that is more than stress or thyroid.

[Lake Lover]

TSH should be kept low but your FT-4 and FT-3 should be more mid to mid high range.  Get hard copies of your lab's and see for yourself where you are.  

Hairloss is more of a hypo symptom.

[MaryluMo]

I am hypo and on 75mg of Synthroid a day.  I have lost almost all body hair and very very thin on my head.  No stress in my life except for losing my hair!  What else can we do?  We have to replace the lost thyroid.