Severe Hair Loss

Women's health
1

Hello,

I am new to these forums. I found this site today, really helpful.

It is extremely interesting to read about your experiences with peri/meno!

I confess that I thought I might just scrape through without too many problems.  I talked to one lady who had absolutely no symptoms and was fine, to others who all mention hair loss, quite a few.

I am nearing my 52nd birthday, and since turning 50 I have noticed that may hair has just thinned out so much and with it my confidence.  It is bad;  I just don't recognise myself anymore...

Sunken eyes, dark circles, thin greying hair I look awful and somedays I just feel so weak.

Lately  I felt such pain and tighness in front on neck with some swelling and I fear my thyroid may be going awol, if not gone.

My skin is dry and I am cold.

Can anyone relate to these symptoms? Sorry my brain is foggy today hence meadnering  post here.

I do feel desperate as hair loss is just something else, when I wash it out it comes in strands and when I try and dry it is eveyrwhere, I get so weary clearing up bathroom afterwards...strange thing is I can't cry about it or get too depressed about it, just seems pointless,but I feel helpless, particulary about tightness and pain around throat area it;s a misery!

I could scream!  Does anyone have any ideas?  What should I do, GP won't listen and I am fedup of visiting them.

PS. My white cell count is very low and I wonder about this?

Sorry heavy first post I know, but just curious about your similar experiences or any ideas...thank you for reading! (off day today and can't string a sentence together!)

2

hi there i had hair loss as well which was helped when i started taking omega 3. I also take vitamin c as the immune system takes a hit with the hormonal imbalances. Does sound like your thyroid is involved in this somehow. Have you read a book by gillian ford called listening to your hormones? it may help tho i haven't finished reading it all yet but it has been good to date. I think it does look at thyroid as well. are you sleeping ok?

3

hi there i had hair loss as well which was helped when i started taking omega 3. I also take vitamin c as the immune system takes a hit with the hormonal imbalances. Does sound like your thyroid is involved in this somehow. Have you read a book by gillian ford called listening to your hormones? it may help tho i haven't finished reading it all yet but it has been good to date. I think it does look at thyroid as well. are you sleeping ok?

4

Welcome.

I know it is difficult but you need to go back to the GP for blood tests for several things including thyroid, iron, folate and B12 plus FBC.  Have you asked for blood tests.  I know it is difficult, I am hopeless in the surgery and usually cry.

5

Go and get thyroid checked out ,feeling cold can be low thyroid ( don't know name it's given ) my cousins low ,and she feels the cold a lot .

  Hair thinning is down to menopause ,or even thyroid problem .Id go get dr check it out .Know what's going on .

6

I agree it sounds as though you have hypothyroidism. Don't panic that's the medical name for lack of the hormone thyroxine. It's more common in middle aged women. You need a blood test.

7

hi hun

i am 50 post meno and i have had this hair loss, first in peri when my hair use to block plug hole and brush or comb was covered..

i took Kelp 1000mg a day and it stopped, infact i forgot it even happened.

then i carried on taking the  kelp 1000mg for years... hair never came out ..

kelp is like friendly iron for thyroid health.. a doc once said to me take it it will help.

anyway.. i stopped taking it last year as i take loads of supplements and then noticed my hair coming out again, i have already mentioned it on other posts ..

its was quite bad, clumps in the bath when using the shower to head to wash hair, combing it would come out in clumps, and i could feel hairs tickling my back that were shedding out .. 

so i got some more Kelp 1000mg ( simply supplements) infact i have almost used the bottle so been on it a few weeks now again, the hair thinning is almost stopped..

also .. i use those pantene one minute treatments, three in a pack, wow they put the shine back and the gloss and my hair on the road to recovery again 

jay xx

8

Hi again,

Thank you for all your helpful suggestions!; The Gillian Ford book sounds excellent so thanks for recommending.  I don't sleep well either, continually waking up if I am honest.  Do you rate any particular omega supplement?

Thanks Middlemuddle for recommending B12, funnily enough I bought some the other day.  Actually like yourself the only place I become emotional is in GP surgery, so I can relate to you there, it is so difficult talking to some doctors! I hope you are not suffering as well?

Finally thanks for suggesting thyroid and testing, however I have to be honest and say last results were normal, and this is the thing, Gp's, most seem to go on blood tests.  They will not refer to endocrine specialist when TSH appears to be in normal range.  Thats' my frustration here.

I have read that certain menopausal/peri symptoms can mimic thyroid problems, and I am guessing this is to do with an oestrogen imbalance? Can anyone advise?

However I take on board your kind advice and will go an beg for more tests, I just pray that something appears.

Hairloss is so unpleasant, truthfully thinking of buying a wig.

However this is last resort, I am not that vain, but!

Thank you.

 

9

Forgot to say..

my doc told me to take kelp as he noticed my hands were cold ..

a thyroid blood test may be a good idea..

my thyroid was fine, but the kelp helped maintain thyroid health and helped my hair problem .. 

good luck hun

jay xx

10

Hi just 1000mg omega 3 is fine. Hope it helps. Kelp is a good multi mineral supplement anyway so it's always a good one. Hope helps you. I have sleep issues as well. They're quite complex. Sounds like hormones or low serotonin if you can't stay asleep. You could ask GP about mirtazapine. It is labelled as anti depressant but can help sleep. I take half min dose as better at lower amounts for sleep. Lowest tab is 15mg x

11

Thank you so much Jaynee, I have read a few of your posts and so helpful!

Your experience sounds so similar, especially hair down the plug hole, that is the worst.  I am so pleased for you that your hair has stopped shedding!! Well done!

Pantene treatements sound good too.

Can you recommend kelp supplements, any specific brand?

Did you recommend the magenesium bisglycinate, I think I saw you mentioned it.

Thank you!

12

yep

i had insomnia for about 12 years was in peri for 10 years..

nightmare not sleeping classic peri symptom 

solar chelated magnesium 400mg ( bisgylcinate )  30 mins before bed is known to aid sleep in meno ..

works for me ... i am much better now 

jay xx

13

yes

solgar chelated magnesium 400mg

i live in spain but get mine off amazon uk..

magnesium oxide and citrate has laxative properties, i made that mistake and was running to the loo ( like a penguin) every morning..

as soon as i changed to solgar chelated 400mg.. never had an upset tum since .. its also good for all peri symptoms

jay x

14

Thank you both !  Really helpful, so pleased I posted.

Interesting about mirtazapine, had no idea about this, pleased it's helped you!  

Ah sorry jaynee chelated magnesium of course, you did explain in other post, magnesium is crucial especially with thyroid all things related so.

I must make sure I get some,I have used solgar magnesium before, so I will go back to this.  Its is the better form.

Another thing on my shopping list!

Many thanks!

15

Kelp

i also get from UK

kelp 1000mg from simply supplements site 

also get my Vit E 400iu from them

and my menapol plus supplements 

jay x

16

hi 

B6 and B12 have been my saviour 

😃

jay x

17

Hi, reading your posts reminds me of the problems I have had. My hair was thinning so badly. I had weight gain, fatigue and loads of problems with irregular heavy periods. Was eventually diagnosed with a struggling thyroid, very low ferritin levels (iron) and start of memopause. 

Thankfully because my symptoms were so severe even though I was at lower end of normal range my gp put me on low dose of thyroxine which was also suggested by specialist.

Specialist said your ferritin level needs to be over 70 or 80 for hair growth. If your thyroid level is at the lower end of nornal this won't help your hair either. Basically everything will struggle. I also became very breathless when my ferritin iron level was low and also had terrible brain fog. 

I would suggest to gp that seeing a dermatologist re your hair would be a good idea and would help your gp too. Also ask for a print out of your blood results but you must have the ranges to be able to see yourself where you sit in the range either low, middle etc.

I have just started to take Vit B6 and feel a lot better. Today started B12 as well. 

I still am not 100% sure which of the two conditions has caused mine as both started at the same time. I personally think it's both of them if that makes sense. 

I really do understand your worry. I try not to worry but it's really hard.

I

18

I do feel for you Joy, are you getting any better?  I know exactly what you mean, it is so hard not to worry.  I have a feeling my ferritin levels are low too, could not say how bad.

I hate to say it, but I just think it possibly could be your oestrogen levels that are high, but I really don't know.  It is so much more than just 1 hormone;  I read and the more I read the less I think I really know if that makes sense.

Thank you for your suggestions, I will go back and request some blood tests, just see if I can be referred to a dematologist, good idea. 

yes it is helpful having blood tests printed out.

I hope B12 will help you and that they will monitor you well on thyroxine.

Thank you.

19

I think as you mention the problems are so often a combination of things, one thing low has a knock on effect on others.  There is a very good book, screaming to be heard, which I'll add to the book thread.  The author is quite pro HRT but there are lots of good explanations about how all the hormones interact etc.  It is heavy going in places if your chemistry skills are lacking like mine but aids understanding.

I think it is wonderful that we all have each other to bounce ideas off and give support, so much more than we are likely to get from the medical profession.

20

Totally agree with you middle muddle about one thing knocking another out. That's why I have just had bloods done to check my B12 and zinc and magnesium. I still feel that I have more deficiency somewhere that hasnt been uncovered  yet. The trouble is that GP"s can start to think that you r over thinking your whole situation, but they r not the ones that day after day can see and feel your hair shedding. I can feel mine when it's doing it. I get a tingling/ pinging sensation on my scalp. I would love to know which one has caused mine, but I am not very hopeful that this will happen. 

It's really nice like you say to support each other.