thyroid medication reaction

[rubyn]

i am 25. had the thyroid problem since i was a kid. but the doctor said i can leave the medication when i started having my periods. but it came back in 5 years. so my doc. had me started on Levothyroxine 150 mcg. i take it once a day.  but soon after i started taking this pills i had hair growing allover my chin and neck. ( everywhere where a man woul grow beard )and its really embarasing, i cant go out or any thing.  PLEASE HELP ME

[DLA]

Don't know if that's a reaction to the levo, I've been on it for a while now, but I already had hair all over my face.  Can't remember the clinical name for it, but it is a rare symptom of thyroid (okay, now everyone tell me it's not rare).  That's what one dr down the line somewhere told me anyway.  

Have you tried dipilitories(sp?)?  I can't use them myself, but I know a lot of women who do.  You can also get a med from a dermatologist that will make it shorter, finer, and less noticable.  Don't know what that's called, either.  I'm a real wealth of info tonight, aren't I?  If thyroid's not bad enough aunt flo comes around to do me in.

Anyway a dermatologist ought to be able to help you if your dr can't.

Good luck.

[GravesLady]

I have not read anywhere where it states that thyroid medication causes facial hair in the upper lip or chin area.

Unwanted facial hair affects women of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds,
and can start as early as the early twenties.

Hereditary factors are usually the cause of unwanted facial hair in women.

However a small number of cases are caused by medical conditions such as androgen excess, hair follicles  being over-stimulated by testosterone or polycystic ovary  syndrom..

Extra androgen comes from medications such as certain progestins used in some brands of birth control pills or bodybuilding steroids that contain androgens or have some effects similar to androgens.
Other medicines may indirectly cause the body to manufacture extra androgen hormones. These include some medicines to treat nausea, schizophrenia, agitation, epileptic seizures, migraine headaches, bipolar disorder, aggression and high blood pressure, as well as estrogens and opiate medications.

Occasionally, the overproduction of androgen hormones is caused by an abnormality in the ovaries, the adrenal glands or the pituitary gland of the brain.

Some excessive hair growth does not fit the pattern of growth triggered by androgen hormones, for example, hair between the eyes, on the forehead, on the temples or high on the cheeks of the face. This hair growth, called hypertrichosis, can be caused by THYROID problems or by anorexia nervosa. It also can result from long-term use of certain medications, including the following steroid hormones: cyclosporin (Neoral, Sandimmune, SangCya), phenytoin (Dilantin), minoxidil (Rogaine), penicillamine (Cuprimine, Depen), as well as some dermatology medications that commonly are combined with ultraviolet light treatments.



GL