So my eyebrows have fallen out......

[WonkyCatonkey]

I've always had good, strong, eyebrows. Think Micheal Foot Julianna Margulies. About 3 years ago they started to fall out, from the outside inwards. My GP was sure it was my thyroid but my tests came back normal. Life was quite stressful at the time so I just thought perhaps it was stress related... But 3 years on and life is much more relaxed but I've got barely any eyebrows what so ever. I literally have about 10 hairs on each. My thyroid is still normal. Anyone else experienced this? Any advice anyone could offer would be fantastic. My GP just doesn't seem worried so I don't like to push it. Thanks! :)

This is a classic sign of thryoid problems, so are you 100% sure your thyroid results were OK? Doctors can be very good at telling you they are normal, just because they are within range. It's not the same thing at all.

You really need a full thyroid screen, TSH, FT4, FT3 and antibodies before you can rule out a thyroid problem. If all those levels are optimal and you have no antibodies, then you'd have to look elsewhere, but I would put money on there being an anomoly somewhere along the line.

Your doc can't withhold the actual results from you, so it would be worth asking the surgery exactly what thyroid tests were done and for a print out of the results and the reference ranges. TSH should be around 1 to be optimal and FT4 should be in the top third of the reference range if you are not taking thyroid meds.

Let us know how you get on.

D

Thanks for that Rockin, I do have a copy of my latest results somewhere, I'm going to go dig them out and see what they say.

I would second going back for further thyroid tests... my mum suffered from weight gain for years, lack of energy, always feeling cold and no body hair, classic thyroid problems. She kept on pushing and pushing and it turns out one reading was massively down (can't remember which one sorry) and she's on thyroxine now. I have similar things too, weight gain, always cold, almost no hair on my legs etc, but still trying to persuade GP to look further. It's not a massive issue for me now though...

I've just looked at my results and I've only had my TSH done, which was 3.4, so I think maybe another visit to my GP might be worthwhile. Thanks Rockin, I wouldn't have reconsidered my thyroid again without your advice :)

Just testing the TSH is useless. TSH is made by the piturity gland not your thyroid. It is released to make your thyroid release the thyroid hormones. It goes up if it doen't detect enough hormones in your body and goes down when it detects more than your body needs.
You need to have at least a free T4 reading done alongside the TSH to get a proper look at what is going on.
I'd go back to your GP and tell them your symptoms and how they have got worse and see what they say.

Thanks Fairy and Cat the more I think about the more it must be my thyroid, I have a very slow pulse, low BP, Raynaulds, weight gain (other than the Christmas chocolate related kind ..... Definately time to revisit the doc me thinks!

3.4! 3.4? A lot of people would be bedridden with a TSH like that! I was unable to function at 2.25. You are probably within the NHS's fatuous range, but you need to challenge your GP on this.

I'll try and dig out the link to the info you need for that.

Do you have any other symptoms?

D

Rockin I do have other symptoms, slow pulse, low BP, dry skin, Raynaulds, weight gain and I do get very tired. I mentioned the tiredness when I went about my eyebrows and when the TSH came back ok the GP suggested I had CFS which I really don't think I have, he just didn't know what to do next but I just thought it was the stress I was under at the time..... Lennie After speaking to you lovely people on here I'm going to make an appointment and ask demand for them, thanks.

I'd be seeing a different GP, quite honestly. Hope you get it sorted out soon.

hi op, my eyebrows fell out as well due to ongoing thyroid problems. Sadly they never grew back in and after 5 years of drawing them in and always feeling self conscious I got permanent tattoos done which are great.

Thanks everyone, I'm going persue some more thyroid tests :)