Hair falling out

[Thomasthetank456]

Hi know this isn't life threatening but is still concerning me. My hair is cong out in hamdfuls kinda like the hair loss after pregancy but worse. And I have noticed that my hair is thiner now. Was very ill with meningitis over Christmas had antibiotics via Iv and 4 days of steroids (not sure if relevant) I don' feel stressed so don't think it's that. People keeping saying to go to GP but after Xmas don't really want to go. Any ideas on what it may be thanks

It's likely to be telogen effluvium, a form of hair loss that can be caused by a number of factors, including illness and childbirth. The hair is normally lost from all over the head, and starts a few months after the illness/stressful event.

Hair loss can be very upsetting, but the good news is that TE is rarely permanent, and regrowth normally starts within 6 months. By a year, you should regain the hair that has been lost.

Having said all that, it may still be worth a trip to the GP to check that there are no underlying factors that are making your hair loss worth. It's especially worth checking your serum ferritin levels, a measure of your iron stores. Although normal levels start at around 12 ng/ml, it is widely believed that a level of 70+ is needed to support healthy hair growth.

Hope that helps

Thanks for that. My dc is 2 and I was anaemic after birth due to a fibrode which was removed this time last year (after iron levels came back up) I've also got to go for blood test soon as had some unusual results whilst ill (lupus protein?) may have been infection skewing the tests. Think I will start taking some iron tablets I had left over see how it goes & go to drs if not improved. X

It sounds like you've been through the wars a bit! You have certainly had a lot to deal with health-wise, and if your 2-year-old is anything like mine, you probably have your hands full at home.

Hopefully, as you continue to recover, your hair will recover too. I know it isn't life-threatening, but if it's important to you, or causing you upset, then it's worth mentioning to the GP.

If you're having blood tests anyway, perhaps they could add the extra tests on? As well as ferritin, they may want to check your thyroid function.

Whatever you decide to do, I hope you feel better soon, and that you start seeing lots of new hair growth within the next few months.

Antibiotics made my hair fall out. Could it be that?

Thanks for the replies I had wondered about the antibiotics FaFoutis. Am having my iron levels tested. Hopefully it will just sort itself out 😀

My hair grew back a while after I stopped taking antibiotics. I was almost entirely bald on top, then sprouted little hairs & looked like a coconut. It is all back now. I was in Chat magazine parading my bald top. Attractive and classy!
Hope you get sorted.

Thomas: I have been diagnosed with Telogen Effluvium and the trichologist said that with acute TE it normally starts around 3 months after the "event" - so it sounds as if it could be post meningitis shock in your case.

Unfortunately mine has been chronic, going on for four years now with no ill health reason, high serum ferritin levels, high vitamin D, no thyroid problems, no other vitamin deficiency and no medical explanation at all except ongoing stress. So don't know what I can do about it unless anyone here has any bright ideas.

I hope I'm right about you, in which case your hair should regrow in due course