Feeling really down about hair loss - thyroid/Vit D/inflammation/antibody issues. Anything that will help?

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As the title says I am feeling really down about the hair loss I am experiencing, I've never had very thick hair to begin with, always been fine but a lot of it but over the last few months it's really been thinning out and I am constantly losing it. I have just dyed my hair and could cry at the amount of hair left in the plug hole.

I've had some health issues over the past 2 years and I've struggled to get a diagnosis. Initially I had constantly raised lymph nodes and persistent coughs and colds. Blood tests over the course of a year found raising and always very high esr levels but no real cause.

Finally a scan at the end of last year of the lymph nodes found nodules on my thyroid.

I then had some blood tests at the hospital. It was found that my thyroid was functioning within the normal range but i was seriously deficient in vit D and my antibodies were very very high (normal range under 6 mine was just under 2000)

Consultant suggested possible Hashimotos but as my thryroid was functioning within normal range I could maybe manage it without medication if I wanted to try other things and be tested again in 6 months. (July)

So after some research of my own I have been on vit d supplement (these were prescribed), magnesium, a probiotic and biotin (for hair). I also take a berocca multivit and evening primrose.

I have also tried to cut out gluten and dairy to an extent and overall tried to improve my diet and increase exercise.

I don't really feel like I have a huge amount of symptoms, I have weight gain, I bruise so easily, my immune system is rubbish and I catch everything going. But apart from that I don't feel I am displaying too many symptoms. The hair loss, however, is one thing that is really really getting me down.

Does anyone have any experience or advice or anything that is worth trying? I am not sure if it would be worth getting thyroid medication to see if that helped, as I have read that the side effects of this can also be bad. So not sure if it's worthwhile.

I just feel really down tonight, so any advice welcome.

No advice but sympathy.
I have alopecia-lovely large bald patch that's hard to hide so I get it.

Low iron can also cause hair loss, so it might be worthwhile seeing you have plenty in your diet.

An elderly relative of mine who was very sensitive to the thin hair issue with thyroid problems used to use olive oil. She used to massage it into her scalp for a few minutes so that her scalp was nicely relaxed and moved around, then put a polythene bag on and secured it with a clothes peg - ( I would suggest a disposable shower cap, personally ) - and leave it overnight before washing it. She reckoned that was as good as anything she had ever tried. Not sure if it was weekly or monthly.

Thank you, I know, sorry to hear you are having problems too.

I have recently started taking spatone iron supplement. But when I go back for my repeat blood tests I'll ask for iron too. Nothing to lose with giving the oil hair mask a go, so I'll give that a bash too. Thanks!

deciem.com/product/rdn-multi-peptide-serum-for-hair-density-60ml?ccm=6afb414ca0a748bd85ed7ead6c4e6729f133993f2fd49d2697d9aa1f3700dc05f70102cb1d00da802a8fe86a4f7a904b2cc58b019d79610ab89b7e00b33f328bc753a4096d6833cfdfd104393f7b6d2ea781405c6f80ecf8f3cdc93745133a62e7c4c6ff28d6ec847de94c7a90b90b41f8c70ca8a5f9332e93ac10a2215ceed3bddd843100b37dda817d0d0d11378f77&ccvis=1

Maybe that would help. One of their face things containing peptides definitely increased hair growth on my face, eyelashes and eyebrows. I stopped using it because of that!

And I think my friend was very low in vitamin B at some stage and her hair started to fall out. Maybe you could get that checked. I don't know what B it was.

Ds(14) has thinning hair, blood tests showed all the usual culprits were in normal ranges, a private appointment, with a dermatologist specialising in hair loss in children, said he is just unlucky and it is really early androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness). She said rare for his age but not unknown.

They've prescribed minoxidil foam (Regaine) twice daily and ketoconazole shampoo (nizarol) twice a week which he needs to try for 6 months. I also give him a hair multivitamin to try to help (one with the usual stuff for hair and without Vit A). He's 3 months in and no significant change yet, but she did say it would take 6 months to see new hair growth. The alternative is hormone surpressents but neither of us like the sound of that!

Thank you apileof the reviews for that look really good, I have ordered a bottle so fingers crossed.

Brokenwing that must be really tough for your ds, I hope he gets some improvement soon. I have read that hair regrowth is on a cycle and it can often take a few months for any results to be seen. Fingers crossed for him.

Come back and let us know if it's any good!

I will do!

I also bought plantur39 shampoo and conditioner today too to give that a try. Read some mixed reviews, but thought it would be worth a try!

A few days in of using the Plantur shampoo and all it's really done is make my hair greasy!

The Ordinary drops arrived today, so will start them before bed tonight and hope for the best!!

How old are you? I have all the same symptoms and quite severe thyroid issues - hair’s been thick since I started taking Pregnacare Max (even before pregnancy) on top of my Vit D / thyroxine. Obviously unsuitable post-menopause because of the folic acid, but Vitabiotics do a a bunch of Menopace versions.

I'm 40, I'm taking a few vitamins, but I'll definitely take a look at that range. Thanks!

You have my sympathy. I've suffered hair loss for about 12 years now. It started coming out after surgery on one of my ovaries. I also have Hashimotos. I've spent a few thousand pounds over the last decade trying every treatment I could but nothing worked (topical treatments, expensive hair supplements and shampoos, vitamins). Thyroid medication hasn't helped either. My hair is very thin now, my scalp is really visible so I use camouflage products. It's very depressing at times but I just remind myself things could be worse.
I hope you manage to find a solution for yours

No experience OP but there’s a podcast I listen to called The Broken Brain and they did one about hashimoto’s recently. Might be worth a listen?

Definitely recommend getting your ferritin levels tested. My hair was falling out and was really thin and brittle. I was told my iron levels were fine but my GP could see the problem with my hair and referred me to s dermatologist. She said while ferritin of 30 meant I wasn’t anaemic that for good hair health it needs to be a minimum of 70 and as near to 100 as possible. She prescribed Ferrous Fumerate tablets twice a day and very gradually my hair stopped falling out. It’s always been fine and thin but at least it’s staying put and my scalp isn’t visible. She also put me on Vit D tablets as that was low. I still get the ferrous fumerate prescribed as it’s stronger than over the counter supplements. I had tried OTC supplements before I started the prescription ones but they didn’t make any difference. It did take about 7-9 months on the FF tabs to see any improvement.

6 months is a long time. I struggled quite a lot before diagnosed with Hashimoto. Try to push for test in three months. Every time my hair falls is due to hormonal imbalance, once they are in norm all grows back. Have you had TSH or FT3 and FT4 as well.

I was also going to suggest getting your ferritin checked.

Incidentally you can buy prescription strength iron tablets from the chemist for much less than the cost of a prescription. They’re also quite cheap online.