THYROID DISEASE

Read and learn more about hair loss thyroid problem. For more, visit the Thyroid Disease website ThyroidDiseaseWiki.com.

Q: Can thyroid problem hair loss be diagnosed as male pattern baldness?
I’m 23 years old (male) and have been losing a significant amount of hair for about a year now. Recently, its just been getting worse. I also notice I have flaky, dry scalp, with really small pieces of skin falling off occasionally (not sure if its dandruff). I’ve gotten my TSH levels checked and they appeared to be normal according to my doctor. He referred me to a dermatologist that simply ran his finger through the top of my head and concluded I have male pattern baldness (prescribed me propecia). I’m not sure if thats a good enough evaluation from my dermatologist. I also noticed I have dry skin and I suffer from some serious food coma. In fact, I find myself tiring quite easily. Now I’m kind of confused as to what my problem really is…if I continue to lose hair at this rate, I’d be bald in no time!!! Is it really male pattern baldness and I’m just thinking too much, or could it be an unseen/undiagnosed thyroid problem?

A: It’s possible. Do you know what your TSH number was? Also, was the TSH done first thing in the morning? TSH is highest while we sleep, so you want to test asap in the morning while its near this high point. By 2PM, its at its lowest point and could stop a diagnosis.

A TSH over 2.0 is not normal, but most doctors won’t treat you until the TSH is over 3.0 and some 5.5.

My advice is to find out the TSH. If it was done in the afternon, retest it. Also, get a free t4 and free t3. Then you’ll know if the hairloss is thyroid related or not. I had hairloss, even the outer part of my eyebrows disappeared. Once I got on Armour thyroid my eyebrows grew back and the thinning of my hair stopped.

Q: Thyroid problem, malnutrition, or the innevitable hair loss in men?
I guess a bit in the middle of this Fall semester, I’ve been feeling sluggish, tired, and have had several problems with constipation. In the last few months, my hair has been thinning and I’m loosing lots of hair. Before I noticed it, my scalp was itchy at times and now the hair is extremely thin and at times it just breaks off; I can see my scalp from some angles; the thinning is working itself from top of the head to the bottom. Now, my scalp itches or mildly stings at times.
I just started taking vitamins, changed my diet (more tuna, greens, chicken, soy protein), and am about to get an appointment at the doctor. I’m not seeking a diagnosing from you, just your ideas on the possibility of thyroid problems, male hair loss, or malnutrition.

P.S. I started noticing the hair thinning and fall after using a shampoo with gelatin and Vitamin B12 if that means anything.

A: Thyroid problems are possibly the most overlooked thing in medicine. I had noticed a decrease in my energy level, was having wild mood swings, my fingernails were starting to come loose from the nail beds, my hair was falling out and was dead looking. I kept looking in the mirror thinking I didn’t look like myself, but you can talk yourself out of anything if you try hard enough. My hands were starting to tremble all the time and I couldn’t walk across the street without feeling like I was going to pass out. It wasn’t until I developed a goiter that anyone finally addressed the thyroid issue. Upon intense testing it was determined that I had both diseases of the gland, both the hyperactive and hypoactive disease. I had been tested several times for T levels and everything looked fine, that was because it usually happened during the period of time that my levels had evened out between being too low and too high. About once in a 6 week period, I felt great, then I was either riding the euphoria train or drowning in a pool of despair. Find someone who will check thyroid function and be diligent about ruling out the thyroid as a reason for your problems. I wish you luck, and I hope that you can rule out the glandular problem quickly. If you do find out it is your thyroid, let me assure you there is light at the end of the tunnel and you will feel much better once it is dealt with properly.

Q: What are the symptoms of a thyroid problem. Is it just hair loss only or other signs?

A: I am one of these sufferers of a thyroid disorder, called; Hypothyroidism. The doctor took four years to correctly diagnose me!

Here are the symptoms for an over-active thyroid;

1: Putting on weight without eating any more, whilst having a healthy diet.

2: Feeling lethargic, no matter how much sleep you have had.

3: Mood swings.

4: Feeling cold.

5: Hair loss!

Untreated, a multi-nodular goitre can form in the thyroid, but the eyes do not become prominent as with the over-active thyroid condition.

The patient will feel more lethargic as the time goes by, and might be unable to have the strength to get out of bed.

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If it is Hyperthyroidism, over-active thyroid;

1: Feeling hot even when the weather is cold.

2; Rushing about, not able to relax, tense.

3: Palpitations.

4: Feeling irritable all the time.

5: Unable to sleep.

If this condition is left untreated, the thyroid could swell, and so can the eyeballs, which is called; Goitre

A blood test can easily ascertain, which thyroid condition the patient has. Treatment is difficult to get the correct level of thyroid hormone needed in to regulate the body, but if you have a good specialist, called an; Endocrinologist it may take only 6 months to a year, depending on the severity of the case.

But, you will have to go back for regular three monthly blood tests to keep an eye on it. I found that if I had a weight gain, or managed to lose some weight, it affected the dosage I was on. So keep an eye on that too.

Donni-Jay

Q: I have hair loss because of my new thyroid problem. What can i do to stop the shedding ?

A: You state “new thyroid problem”. I’ve had thyroid problem for over 20 years and it can wreak havoc on your system until you get things balanced. Thyroid is one of those hormones that controls lots of things – from weight to to heart rate to temperature regulation – a whole lot of important stuff. Your hair, skin and nails will be affected too.

So…. while hair loss is worrisome, getting your thyroid under control is most important. Hair can grow back.

Check with your physician – and best of luck.

Q: What kind of hair loss is associated with a thyroid problem? Are there other symptoms?

A: Hair loss associated with thyroid problems most commonly are:
eyebrows – the outer corner of eyebrows tends to fall away leaving appearance of half an eye brow.
Hair breakage – hair falling out in clumps or breaking easily when brushed.

Taking good supplements as well as the thyroid meds can get your hair back strong again though.

Q: Hair Loss problem – please help!?
So I’ve always been known for my giant thick hair and now i’m losing it all! I’ve done the japanese hair straightening treatement 2 years ago and have been using a ceramic hair straightner ever since (1-2x a week). I’m healthy, eat right, no thyroid problems. How do i fix this sudden hair loss problem?? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

A: Are you stressed out, by any chance? I’ve heard that stress can cause that to happen. So can hormones. I hope it comes back to you but it doesn’t sound like you’re really doing anything wrong. I doubt it’s your ceramic iron or anything. You didn’t give too much other information but the first thing I’d change would be diet (take vitamins?), then think about your stress level. If you’re having a big crisis right now, I’m sure it will grow back once the dust settles. If you take birth control pills, you may want to ask your gyn about the possibility of that being a side-effect. Good luck with everything!

Q: Hair loss problem – need help ?
I am 24 year old girl and I am having this problem since I had malaria 5yers ago. After that I had beauty treatment for my hair which included hair oil massage and some kind of hair pack. that time I had nice hair groth, but as I stoped that treatment again my hair fall started. though I got good result from that treatment I don’t want to go for it as it was costly.

My hair’s texture is much much better than before. But the only problem is thining of my hair and slow but continuous hair loss. If you have any home remedy or any tips regarding this then please help me.

Do I have to do any test for this problem? (I have no thyroid problem.)

What should I do to stop my hair fall?

While massaging your hair you should move your finger tips or the skin of head?

How often you should do hair massage (in days/weeks/months)? If you are doing it daily will it cause in baldness?

Does low calcium can cause your hair to suffer?

Thanks to all those who will answer my questions.

A: Nutrition is very important. Protein and B vitamins especially. Biotin is supposed to be good to support hair growth. I take that and and Omega 3/6/9 from GNC. I’m also currently trying hair supplements (Hairtopia) but I don’t know if it works yet, I bought a Nioxin starter set at the recommendation of the receptionist at the salon. I don’t know if that works yet either but all of these things have been recommended so I figure it can’t hurt. (Although I think the Hairtopia may be making me break out.) A lot of people recommend prenatal vitamins but I think any vitamin is good and that its the pregnancy, not the vitamins that makes hair grow.

Q: hair loss problem…?
i just ask a question the other day about this.
i think i might have thyroid problems because my hair is falling out really bad and i am only 18 years old. also i have dry skin and i feel tired all the time which lead me to believe that it is a thyroid problem but i went to the doctor and had a blood test and it was normal. i looked it up online and it says this has happened to other people before but i don’t know what to do or if it really is what i think it is. also i had a baby about 4 months ago so that might be part of it but i was losing hair bad even before that but since then its got worse.

A: I’ve had hair loss problems too and i am around your age. I’ve had that problem for a few years now, it very well could be a thyroid problem and it might be something minor like the shampoo or water you are using. Our water here is salty so when people from other countries visit, their hair falls out like crazy. For me, i know why it falls out and it’s because it gets too long, when it gets to the certain length i start to shed like crazy! my mom does too so I guess that’s normal.

Just get your thyroid checked again and again in a few months. Hopefully its minor.

Q: can thyroid problems cause hair loss?

A: Definitely! Hair loss is one of the classic symptoms of hypothyroidism, (underactive thyroid).

Q: Can anthing be done for female hair loss due to ungeractive thyroid? I take thyroxine but am still losing.?
I’ve tried several products but none seem to work. I;ve noticed that although the subject of thyroid problems is sometimes mentioned, they all seem to shy away from saying whether the product works for this condition or not. Am I doomed to be bald? Please help.

A: You may to have your dose adjusted. I lost almost all of my hair when I was first diagnosed….so embarrassing. It took a little while to get the dosage right but now I have my very thick hair back.

Tell your doc about it and he/she should do another T4 to see how your levels are looking.

Good luck, I feel your pain, honey!!

Q: hair loss due to thyroid irreversible? doc says yes…true?
I have had thyroid problems for a long time I take medicine for it..I have the kind that makes you gain weight…I take synthroid for it or levothroid…well anyways, I have never lost hair while I had thyroid in the past or that I noticed..but a few months ago I was loosing hair like crazy it was all over my pillow on my clothes the floor everywhere…it has calmed down a bit now but it’s still falling…I can see places were this is no hair not like bald patches but if I put my hair back I can see my head skin ha ha…I tried to not think about it much so I don’t get depressed but I am depressed, worried, sad. I survived cancer, grew beautiful hair only to have it taken by thyroid. My doctor said it would grow back once we get my thyroid back in order but I don’t know if he was just trying to calm me down or if he was serious. I went in crying one day cause I was feeling really bad crying, hair loss, headaches, dizzyness, weight loss. Is it possible for this thyroid nightmare to end?

A: Your doctor is telling you the truth, but it may take a few weeks for you to feel better, and longer than that for your hair to all come back in its normal glory. Both hypo- (low) and hyper- (high) thyroidism can cause hair loss (weird but true).

If your doctor only checked your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level, which many do when following up patients who are on Synthroid, then you might ask him to run the full thyroid function panel, which includes T3 and T4. The timing between taking the dose and the blood being drawn is important for the full panels.

Since you’ve been taking Synthroid, you must be hypothyroid. If you’re suddenly losing hair, you’re either not getting enough medication now (needs can change), or are getting too much and have become temporarily hyperthyroid. Check the websites below for more information.

Good luck!

Q: Hair loss on cat’s tail?
I have a 1 year old spayed female cat that has a hair loss problem. She is loosing hair in patches on her tail. No hair loss on the rest of her body. We have seen the vet, and she is not excessivly grooming. We switched her diet from Natural Balance dry, to Innova Evo wet with no improvements, so an allergy is unlikely. She is feline leukemia negative, and does not have a thyroid problem. Before we bring her back for a second vet visit, does any one have any ideas about what could be causing this? She is an only pet, indoors only.

A: It could be due to a skin allergy to something that the cat comes into contact on a constant basis such as bedding or carpet. It could be from a carpet cleaner or detergent or simply from an allergy developed to a certain food or food ingredient.

Check the cat’s tail to see if there is any fleas or ticks.

Start by trying to narrow down where your cat spends the most time and see if eliminating access to this area or object relieves the hair loss. If this does not help, you can try to gradually switch back to a premium brand cat food. Sometimes, even the ingredients in the cats food, when transferred through licking, can cause skin irritations, flakiness and result in hair loss.

If it persists, I would advise to take the cat to the vet for further examination.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Q: Women’s hair loss problem………….?
I have been through thyroid cancer three times. I am doing fine right now. But, my hair has become thin. I am taking the proper medicine everyday. I haven’t even gone through menapause yet. ( I know some women go through it early.)

Is there any vitamin or anything I can do to try to get at least some of my hair back? I know my hair loss must be a hormonal thing.

A: I use Nioxin hair products. Use the complete line for the full benefit. I lost alot of hair in June 07 b/c of taking Nexium for acid reflux. Good Luck!

Q: Thyroid problem…will my hair grow back?
I’m only 16 years old and I’ve loss A LOT of hair. My hair line goes all the way to the back of my head, I think it’s because of a thyroid problem. If I start getting treatment, is there a possibility that my hair will grow back?

A: I don’t see why not… If you’re losing hair because your body’s suffering and treatment should “normalize” things somewhat… wouldn’t it make sense that your hair could grow back afterwards?

I’m no expert on this stuff, but I know you can lose your hair from trauma and it will grow back after the body recovers, so I really don’t see why it would be any different for other conditions from which you can recover.

Q: Help..thyroid hair loss..tired and weak..?
I have hypothyroid but recently instead of gaining weight I have been loosing (isn’t that hyper) that’s not the only thing I have lost….half of my hair is falling out. Even worse, my head is itchy and sometimes feels like it burns. I have been to the doctor hundreds of times and he keeps checking the thyroid levels and adjusting meds to fit my needs but I still feel tired, weak, like I just can’t go on anymore (not like dying but really tired and the my head just feels cloudy and pain or pressure to the sides and in the back of my neck. I am saving money to see a specialist but has anyone else experianced this? I think there may be something really wrong with me and I don’t know if it is my thyroid or if they are not looking past the thyroid and looking at other possible problems. I don’t know what else to do.

A: I can totally relate to your problems. I have been hypo for 12 years now. It will get better. You have to get regulated first and that takes awhile. Check out the below website, you need to find a good Dr. that understands hypothyroidism. Check out one in your area. Unfortunately this disease does not allow for passivity, you need to learn as much as you can and take control of your own destiny. A lot of Dr.’s will not listen to you, if they don’t then dump them. There are a lot of different types of thyroid hormone replacement, don’t let the Dr’s tell you that you HAVE to take Synthroid. You need to find out what is best for YOUR body. I take Unithroid after many trials and errors. Please check out Mary Shomon’s wesite on about.com below and take hold of your disease. Good luck.