Hair loss and synthroid

[Keti_h]

I have been experiencing severe hair loss since I had my right side of thyroid removed last December. I have been on synthroid for more than 4 years but the dosage had been changed past few months because my TSH hasn't been within normal range. Before the surgery I was on 75mcg and after the surgery my dosage changed three times and recently is 125 mug. Last TSH was 4.7 so still not normal. I will go for blood test in two weeks. The top of my head is really bad. Hair is my weak point and I have been so depressed losing it...I am 42 years old and I hope to get my hair back when my TSH is back to normal range....used to be 1.8 before surgery. I have to go for a second surgery to remove the other half but I have been postponing due to abnormal TSH results....and now hair loss....I feel that will make it worse. I read all the comments here and I am having some hopes for the future....

[Keti_h]

Also I do not have any other symptoms. I haven't gain any weight and the energy level is fine...I do take multi vitamin, fish oil, biotin every day...and treat my hair with rosemary, lavender and jojoba oil....not sure what else to do....

[Keti_h]

I am female and have been hypo for quite sometime. I believe the doc had tested T3 and T4 as well but I have to ask for the results. He did the whole panel. I am going again in few weeks and will post the results here. It was my choice to remove the half of thyroid thinking that is not cancer. After the biopsy results came back it was cancer and so the doc said to remove the rest as well. I will definitely do but I have to be mentally ready for that as well....I have been in new dosage for three weeks now and it seems that anytime I change the dosage I lose more hair. The doc said that at beginning u have hair change when too little of synthroid or too much goes in your body....thanks

[gimel]

First, why was one side of your thyroid gland removed?  By chance have you been tested for Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?  Those tests are TPO ab and TG ab.  Have you noticed other symptoms besides hair loss?  Hair loss is frequently associated with being hypo, but there can also be other causes.  

It seems that the only test for you was TSH.  That is totally inadequate.  TSH is a pituitary hormone that is affected by so many variables that at best it is only an indicator, to be considered along with more important indicators such as symptoms, and also levels of the biologically active thyroid hormones, Free T3 and Free T4 (not the same as Total T3 and T4).  TSH is supposed to accurately reflect the levels of your actual thyroid hormones, but cannot be shown to do so with scientific study data.  TSH is even worse as a diagnostic when a patient is taking thyroid meds.

Unfortunately many doctors have the "Immaculate TSH Belief' and only want to test and treat by TSH levels.  If they test beyond TSH it is generally Free T4.  Seldom do they test for Free T3 because they (errone-ously) think that if they know Free T4, that they can be sure of the Free T3 level as well.  That is incorrect because many hypo patients taking large doses of T4 meds do now adequately convert the T4 to T3.  Free T3 is the most important because it largely regulates metabolism and many other body functions.  Scientific studies have shown that Free T3 correlated best with hypo symptoms, while Free T4 and TSH did not correlate.  

A good thyroid doctor will treat a hypo patient clinically by testing and adjusting free T3 and Free T4 as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels.  Symptom relief should be all important, not just test results, and especially not TSH.  

So you are going to have to discuss all this with your doctor and try to reach agreement on testing and clinical treatment.  I suggest that you should be tested for Free T3 and free T4 along with TSH.  Also, it would be good to test for Vitamin A, D, B12, ferritin, and a full iron test panel.  

If you can get those done, when results are available, please post results and their reference ranges shown on the lab report and members will be glad to help interpret and advise further.  

[Brucergoldberg]

are you male or female?    It sounds like you might be hypo.  I believe most of the folks with the hair loss are hypo.  How long have you been on the new dose?    I don't think that postponing the surgery due to the abnormal tsh is accomplishing anything.  If anything, you could be better off without the whole thing gone.  Once the whole thing is out, you will be only relying on the medicine itself and not the possibly sputtering thyroid that might continue to decline.