AIBU to panic. Losing 600+ hairs per day after weight loss

[Alvertan]

I’ve lost five stone over five months on a high protein diet, I stopped this diet three weeks ago and I’m now back to eating as I used to. Six weeks ago I ran out of levothyroxine (20mg) which I have been taking for just over a year. I have not been prescribed any more levothyroxine following a blood test.

I have been reassured that my weight loss has caused the hair loss and it will return to normal, but I have calculated that at my rate of hair loss I will have lost half my hair within a year. Stress is not helping the situation but it is self perpetuating the more hair loss the more stress. AIBU to panic?

It seems strange that they have stopped the Levothyroxine. Normally you are on this medication for life otherwise symptoms will return. If I was you I would query it with the surgery again. Was it the Doctor or nurse you spoke to?

It sucks but expected and a small price for that weight loss. Give your hair a rest, wear a realistuc wig with hats now its winter and with some tlc it will grow back in spring.

Hairloss is usually also a sign of being stressed....

I take meds for my thyroid too , I've been told I can't stop . Hair loss can happen with hypothyroid seek a second opinion

What are your T4 levels? You need to ask for the actual number from the test. Anything up to 5 is deemed “normal range” but many people find they do not feel right if it’s above around 2.5-3.

Thank you everyone. In January my t4 was 4.72 which is normal I think but the GP said that i should try Levo and see how it goes, there were no major issues. I had a blood test three weeks ago but I can’t see a gp for the results because it’s not an emergency. A receptionist read out my blood test results and said that one of them was high but gp note said ‘no cause for concern’, she couldn’t confirm if that it was my thyroid test.

Not sure where to go with it. I seem to have worked myself up about this and I know that’s not helping. I can’t balance out whether I should demand levothyroxine if my levels are slightly off or acknowledge that it’s probably the weight loss and it will grow back. At 600 hairs a day in about three months I will be bald and in need of that wig!

Ask for a copy of the results. They emailed one to me, and it made it much easier to understand what was what.

Can you tell me more about the diet?

@picklemewalnuts

A VLCD type diet. I think that’s the cause but the thyroid issue fits better with the timing. I’ve stopped the diet but it’s getting worse.

The thyroid issue could have caused the hair loss

How do you know you’re losing 600+ hairs per day? it’s oddly specific

The best hair loss treatment is minoxidil as there have been various studies which confirm its efficacy (unlike other treatments)

Thanks @banking. I counted 50 and used that as a reference point. When I run it falls out like hairy confetti!

I’ve purchase some regaine 5% for women but it’s early days. I’m going to keep with it but I think I might write to my GP over the weekend regarding the thyroid results.

Is it possible your thyroid levels were too high, hence you were advised to stop the thyroxine? That can cause hair loss, and should stop about a month after stopping the thyroxine.

This was me in January. Vlcd on and off for two years. Painfully slow metabolism, cold all the time, tired etc. But I felt better for the VLCD and ketosis.
My GP put me on the same medication. Pharmacy mixed it up and was giving me double the dose for 6 months. My hair loss had subsided however!

Then I noticed the wrong dosage, from a prescription slip, now I am on half the dose and I am losing hair again, no energy etc.

I stood call the GP but it's such a nightmare trying to get an appointment and see someone.

@Amber0685. That’s sort of good news. If i know it’s just for a month then I’m happy with that.

@Onpause. Same here. I don’t have the required high level negotiation skills to get an appointment. Do you think your hair loss was VLCD or thyroid?

I lost a lot of hair after weight loss from bariatric surgery, I started taking biotin. It took a while but my hair has grown back in over time, albeit curly when it was previously poker straight

@addler. How long did the hair loss go on for and how long did it take to grow back? If I know this is temporary it might stress me out a bit less!

I’ve experienced the same OP. I’ve lost 25kgs since March and in the summer I noticed my hair started falling out more than usual. Had my bloods taken and told all normal. Dermatologist disagreed and told me my iron levels weren’t high enough to sustain hair growth so I’ve been taking extra iron (I already took a multi vitamin) and after a month on that I’ve noticed my hair has stopped shedding as much. However, it’s really thin now, to the point where it looks like I’ve got a bald patch on my crown and my parting is super noticeably thin so I’ve taken to wearing a hat outside the house. My GP surgery couldn’t have given less of a toss when I went to them for help and it’s stressed me out which obviously doesn’t help either. I hope you get to the bottom of what’s causing it 💐

It slowed down as my weight loss slowed down, and then a few months for little baby hairs to start appearing around my hairline. I cut my long hair into a bob earlier this year as the underside of my hair was half the length and ringlets and the outer side was long and straight and I looked ridiculous.

Definitely get your iron checked, I've taken iron tablets and multivitamins since my op, if you were doing a VLCD it's possible you weren't getting all the nutrients you need. Congratulations on the hard work you put into your weight loss!