hair loss

[Peg350]

My thyroid levels are normal taking armour and still having hair loss. Could it be the medications?  I was on all the different thyroid meds. and still had hair loss. Would anyone be able to help?

Peg

[reen19]

hi
i don't have a regular GP as he left, i saw some random doctor and spoke to him about how i was feeling and i suggested taking a higher dose of meds which he didn't think was a good idear, he told me that taking to much could be harmful, but to be honest he didn't realy know much about thyroid and he told me to ring my specialist which i'm due to see in october, i rang him and told him how i was feeling he also had a copy of my bloods, he said the way i was feeling had nothing to do with meds as the levels where ok, 3 days ago i upped my dose to 250 i know your not supposed to do this without the doctors say so but i feel that they just don't listen to me, i'm gonna see if this makes any difference.

[gimel]

FreeT t3 is the most active thyroid hormone.  It is four times as potent as free T4, and yours is in the lower third of its range.  In my opinion this is too low.  The most effective treatment is to get the doctor to listen to your symptoms, and test and adjust FT3 and FT4 with meds as required to alleviate those symptoms.  You are not there yet.  I think you need more meds to get your FT3 above the midpoint of its range (maybe into the upper third of its range) and allow some time for your symptoms to be fully affected by this higher level  for the "Frees". Here's some good reading along this line.

http://www.hormonerestoration.com/Thyroid.html

[reen19]

the reference ranges for the free T4 10 - 20 and free T3 3.5 - 6.5,

[gimel]

What were the reference ranges that the lab used for the free T4 and free T3?

[reen19]

hi
i had thyroid cancer September 2007, the whole thyroid was removed, 5months later i had radiotherapy, since the op my meds have gone from 150 to 200, in march this year i had to have more radiotherapy, in the last 5months i have gained 5kg i feel hungry all the time, i have hair loss, tired & moody ,constipation which i've suffered with for at least10 years, these symptoms have never got any better even though i'm on 200 & have been for about 1 year i also have tingling and numbness in my hands, when i tell my specialist this he say my levels are normal so its not my thyroid, he gave me lots of blood test liver, iron, glucose etc all came back normal, my last bloods taken about 1 month ago,TSH <0.03 which is ok it has to be surpressed at this level,FT4 17,   FT3  4.2  so if this is normal why do i feel like this?

[gimel]

When you press the doctor to test for free T3 and free T4, you might mention that the reason for this is that you are aware of a scientific study that concluded that the best correlation to hypo symptoms was with free T3 levels, with free T4 being a distant second and TSH showing almost no correlation at all.    

[Peg350]

Thanks for all your help.  Twenty years ago my thyroid TSH was in the low normal range,and I had all the hypothyroid symtoms.  I went from doctor to doctor and suffered so many years and knew I had thyroid problems. One doctor listen and started me on synthroid,he just did the TSH at first I felt great!!  After about a year I felt terrible and they kept giving me more thyroid and it made me worse. I finally started to research T3 and found a doctor that would work with me and felt so much better. The only problem is my hair falling out and I believe the doctor should check all Frees but does not. I am on 90mgs one day 75 the next. I also can't sleep at night feel depressed at times and have fibromyagia.  I am on armour so much better than just T4.  I was on just cytomel and very hyper and the doctor said just to stay on it. Doctor did not really want to work with me to get me where I felt better.  I stopped taking it and went back on armour.  When I see this doctor again I hope she will do all the right tests. My doctor is a endocrinoligist and you would think she would know what tests to run,but I have to ask her to do the frees If there is anything I might ask let me know.  Thanks again and I will let you know what happens.
God bless,
Peg

[gimel]

Ongoing hair loss is most often associated with still being hypothyroid, although some people have problems with specific meds.   What was the original reason for going on meds and how much are you taking?  Free T3 is the most important test, followed by free T4.  Free (unbound) T3 is the thyroid hormone that correlates best with hypo symptoms.  Suggest that you make sure they continue to test for the "Frees".   Are you also experiencing other symptoms?

The best you can hope for is a doctor that will listen to your symptoms, and test and adjust your free T3 and free T4 levels as required to keep you in the euthyroid state, which basically means free of either hypo or hyper symptoms.  Depending on the underlying cause for being hypo, some people require more free T3 and free T4 than others.  Hope this helps.  Let us know how things go.  Finding out what works helps in trying to provide info to others.

[Peg350]

I don't have my levels,I will have blood work done and will see the docto june 15th and I will write back than.  What should I ask the doctor for?  I have blood work for free T3 and Free T4 should I have more tests done? If so I will ask.  Thanks so much for any help.


Peg,

[gimel]

We've learned from painful experience that "normal" is not always adequate.  Please post your lab test numbers and reference ranges.