Aa
What's wrong with me?
I started taking synthroid ten years ago. At the time, I had BEAUTIFUL long hair. (As a matter of fact,I was voted "best hair" in high school, asked to be a "hair model" for a tv commercial, was asked for my hair for a wig so I did and cut two "pigtails" each one enough for a wig, hairdressers would tell me they'd never seen so much hair, everyone told me how lucky I was, people stopped me to ask what i used on my hair, etc., etc., ) I never thought a thing of my hair, never did anything but wash it daily. It was gorgeous. After tfe birth of my first child, I was severly depressed and my Dr. tested me for thyroid problems. He said I had a goiter. He put me on synthroid and THAT'S when my hair started changing texture and falling out.
I have seen SEVENTEEN doctors, from dermotologists to endos, and every one of them days "it's not the synthroid" and "your levels are normal".
My hair is now brittle, dull, and I have(I cry about this regularly) probably lost almost all my hair.
My once beautiful, shiny, long hair that would curl and stay curled is now dull, short (barely grows at all) lifeless, brittle and falls out so much I have to plunge my shower and sink regularly.
Also, my fingernails have developed ridges in the last few years that also curl down on my index and next finger. But it's "not the Synthroid". RIGHT. WHATS WRONG WITH ME??????
I have seen SEVENTEEN doctors, from dermotologists to endos, and every one of them days "it's not the synthroid" and "your levels are normal".
My hair is now brittle, dull, and I have(I cry about this regularly) probably lost almost all my hair.
My once beautiful, shiny, long hair that would curl and stay curled is now dull, short (barely grows at all) lifeless, brittle and falls out so much I have to plunge my shower and sink regularly.
Also, my fingernails have developed ridges in the last few years that also curl down on my index and next finger. But it's "not the Synthroid". RIGHT. WHATS WRONG WITH ME??????
I just wanted to say that I understand what you are going through because the same thing happened to me. I also had MASSES of curly hair and now have about half of it, with bald patches in the front and a distinct change in texture. You are the first person on the forum who has described a symptom that I also had when my hair first started falling out, before I was put on medication : burning and itching scalp. Sometimes I felt that even my hair lying against my neck was making my skin burn and itch. There was no dandruff or anything like that, but I got weird painful bumps like clogged follicles or something. I've had several episodes of this and no one has ever been able to tell me why. It almost felt like I was allergic to myself, but my Hashi's antibody tests are always fine.
Like you, I had trouble getting anyone to take this seriously. My first endo said that I was just having trouble "getting older" and that "anyone would kill for hair like yours." I once took a 1/2 full small ziploc bag full of golfball sized clumps of hair, which had all fallen out in the shower in the course of 10 days, to another endo ! He didn't seem concerned at all. And my hair was pitifully dry (as was my skin, painfully so, and still is) and if I was walking in the sun I could see through the shadow of my hair it was so thin.
Every time some idiot endo would lower my meds because of my low TSH (and I have nodules on both lobes, they finally discovered), I'd go through another episode of hair loss. And it's not just my head hair that fell out.....most of my eyebrows grew back after I was finally on both T3 and T4, but my eyelashes are very sparse and my body hair is practically non-existent.
The last dermatologist I saw said I have male pattern baldness and that I should just use Rogaine ! But like you there is no history of that in my family....even my Dad at 92 still has most of his hair and both my brothers' hair is intact. My Mom had a lovely full head of hair until she got Alzheimer's at 81...and I really think that what she had was undiagnosed hypothyroidism, the problem of conversion that I seem to have. Untreated, myxedema mimics psychosis and induces hallucinations, and we all know about brain fog and depression etc. She even had the typical thyroid rashes, as do I.
I am supposedly stable on my meds now, with the FREE T4 and FREE T3 in the proper range....but my hair just keeps getting thinner and patchier and I haven't lost the cottage cheese look from the myxedema and still have swollen extremities. I don't know, I'm just discouraged.
I can tell you that the ridging and spooning of your fingernails can be symptoms of hypothyroidism. There's plenty of literature about it online complete with pictures. Mine, which have always been strong, were peeling and cracking down the ridges into the quick , with dry callus-like skin around the edges, and the spooning in both of my thumbnails progressed to the point that the depressions could have held water. That has noticeably improved now that I am on more medication.
There are supplements for the hair and nails that I take that seem to help, at least I notice a decline if I don't take them for a while :
MSM......I would say this is the one that makes the most difference
Biotin
Silica
Evening Primrose Oil
I hope you are feeling better soon, and that both of us can get some semblance of our crowning glory back.
All the best, I look forward to reading about what you find out.
Like you, I had trouble getting anyone to take this seriously. My first endo said that I was just having trouble "getting older" and that "anyone would kill for hair like yours." I once took a 1/2 full small ziploc bag full of golfball sized clumps of hair, which had all fallen out in the shower in the course of 10 days, to another endo ! He didn't seem concerned at all. And my hair was pitifully dry (as was my skin, painfully so, and still is) and if I was walking in the sun I could see through the shadow of my hair it was so thin.
Every time some idiot endo would lower my meds because of my low TSH (and I have nodules on both lobes, they finally discovered), I'd go through another episode of hair loss. And it's not just my head hair that fell out.....most of my eyebrows grew back after I was finally on both T3 and T4, but my eyelashes are very sparse and my body hair is practically non-existent.
The last dermatologist I saw said I have male pattern baldness and that I should just use Rogaine ! But like you there is no history of that in my family....even my Dad at 92 still has most of his hair and both my brothers' hair is intact. My Mom had a lovely full head of hair until she got Alzheimer's at 81...and I really think that what she had was undiagnosed hypothyroidism, the problem of conversion that I seem to have. Untreated, myxedema mimics psychosis and induces hallucinations, and we all know about brain fog and depression etc. She even had the typical thyroid rashes, as do I.
I am supposedly stable on my meds now, with the FREE T4 and FREE T3 in the proper range....but my hair just keeps getting thinner and patchier and I haven't lost the cottage cheese look from the myxedema and still have swollen extremities. I don't know, I'm just discouraged.
I can tell you that the ridging and spooning of your fingernails can be symptoms of hypothyroidism. There's plenty of literature about it online complete with pictures. Mine, which have always been strong, were peeling and cracking down the ridges into the quick , with dry callus-like skin around the edges, and the spooning in both of my thumbnails progressed to the point that the depressions could have held water. That has noticeably improved now that I am on more medication.
There are supplements for the hair and nails that I take that seem to help, at least I notice a decline if I don't take them for a while :
MSM......I would say this is the one that makes the most difference
Biotin
Silica
Evening Primrose Oil
I hope you are feeling better soon, and that both of us can get some semblance of our crowning glory back.
All the best, I look forward to reading about what you find out.
Thank you so much for all your help. I cannot tell you how much better I mentally feel knowing someone doesn't think I'm insane, and has given me solid medical advice. I will begin taking the Armour 1/2 in the a.m., and the other half at noon.
My hair gas already begun to slow it's loss. I know this because I count the hairs in my comb. I know that sounds crazy, but I started to question my own sanity when Dr. after Dr. told me my fair was fine. Anyway, I only had 31 hairs this time, much less than the 50-60 plus I usually shed after washing/combing my hair.
I'll keep you updated if I see any regrowth.
Again, thank you so very, very much. You made a BIG difference in someones life!
My hair gas already begun to slow it's loss. I know this because I count the hairs in my comb. I know that sounds crazy, but I started to question my own sanity when Dr. after Dr. told me my fair was fine. Anyway, I only had 31 hairs this time, much less than the 50-60 plus I usually shed after washing/combing my hair.
I'll keep you updated if I see any regrowth.
Again, thank you so very, very much. You made a BIG difference in someones life!
T3 takes some getting used to, and the 18 mcg of it that's in the Armour is a pretty hefty dose to start on. I'm sure that's what's causing your tachycardia, heat intolerance, dizziness, etc...and relieving the gut issues.
Doctors never want to trust home devices, which is ridiculous. My BP monitor is spot on, and I'm sure yours is, too.
I think it would definitely help to split the Armour. T3 has a very short half life. If your cells don't use it, your body neutralizes it very quickly (in a matter of hours). So, most people take half their dose first thing in the morning and the other half late morning or early afternoon (depending on their schedules, especially wake/sleep schedule and when they find it best to time it to avoid the letdown after the morning dose). It takes a little personal experimentation to find the best time. I'd try soon after lunch as a starting point if I were you. You want to avoid late in the day since T3 can disturb sleep.
If you take the whole dose in one swell foop, you end up with a "rush" in the morning and a letdown by afternoon. Taking multiple doses evens out the peaks and valleys. Also, a good part is getting wasted because if your body doesn't use it, it gets flushed.
Try that...I bet it will help.
Doctors never want to trust home devices, which is ridiculous. My BP monitor is spot on, and I'm sure yours is, too.
I think it would definitely help to split the Armour. T3 has a very short half life. If your cells don't use it, your body neutralizes it very quickly (in a matter of hours). So, most people take half their dose first thing in the morning and the other half late morning or early afternoon (depending on their schedules, especially wake/sleep schedule and when they find it best to time it to avoid the letdown after the morning dose). It takes a little personal experimentation to find the best time. I'd try soon after lunch as a starting point if I were you. You want to avoid late in the day since T3 can disturb sleep.
If you take the whole dose in one swell foop, you end up with a "rush" in the morning and a letdown by afternoon. Taking multiple doses evens out the peaks and valleys. Also, a good part is getting wasted because if your body doesn't use it, it gets flushed.
Try that...I bet it will help.
How do I feel? My heart is racing, I can't sleep. I feel hot and dizzy all the time. I took my blood pressure (at home) and it's 147 over 84. July 12th, my last visit to my my doctor, it was (and usually is around) 128 over 70.
One good thing, I will say that particular "intestinal issues" (common to hypothyroid sufferers) have cleared up for the first time in 10 years. It's a bad pun, but, what a relief.
I called my doctor and she asked me
1.) how reliable my blood pressure device was, if I used it before, or often
2.)She told me if I they symptoms got worse, or if my blood pressure went over 160 or over 90, to come in right away, but she told me that my blood pressure issues should clear up, but that I should come in Monday morning, just in case.
I do not split the Armour. Would that help? I take both the Synthroid and Armour at the same time in the A.M., and boy, does it make my heart race.
One good thing, I will say that particular "intestinal issues" (common to hypothyroid sufferers) have cleared up for the first time in 10 years. It's a bad pun, but, what a relief.
I called my doctor and she asked me
1.) how reliable my blood pressure device was, if I used it before, or often
2.)She told me if I they symptoms got worse, or if my blood pressure went over 160 or over 90, to come in right away, but she told me that my blood pressure issues should clear up, but that I should come in Monday morning, just in case.
I do not split the Armour. Would that help? I take both the Synthroid and Armour at the same time in the A.M., and boy, does it make my heart race.
You switched from 100 mcg Synthroid to 120 mg Armour plus 25 mcg Synthroid. So, your T4 has been held steady at almost exactly 100 mcg , and you've added in approximately 18 mcg of T3. That should raise your FT3 considerably...hopefully not too much. It may be exactly what you need to get rid of the rest of your symptoms.
Do you split the Armour into two half doses?
How are you doing on it?
Do you split the Armour into two half doses?
How are you doing on it?
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