Effective yet not madly £ collagen supplement?

[tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz]

So HRT patches have made my symptoms much better (not gone all together but on the whole, more than manageable) however the new kid on the block is hair turning coarse and noticeably shedding 😳

I've read lots about collagen supplements helping massively and a few ladies i know are using it with great results.

But good lord it's not cheap is it?!!! I've this weekend started using Plantur shampoo and conditioner and after washing I've noticed less coming out however huge caveat - I've started lathering them in really, really gently, I'm not combing my hair wet at all either. I'm sure both of these actions are a benefit.

But I'm still interested to hear your experience of using collagen for the cost. Also when you read the info there is so much disparity between the actual active ingredient per dose meaning what seems a cheaper option often isn't by the time you've had 4 sachets!

I also probably need to check with my gp they won't clash with either HRT or thyroxine.

Thanks for reading!

I know what you mean ... I had a cod liver oil capsule repeat on me once. Grim.

So called docs and turns out my thyroid bloods are almost three months overdue. So booked in for next week. Which is fab as I'm crap with blood tests! Going to treat myself to cake after if I don't faint 😁

But at least I can eliminate thyroid issues from equation.

Just re read thread and I meant lutein not lectin if anyone reads this later

Fingers crossed it's a thyroid meds problem and easily sorted

feelingenious.com/

I use this. It’s not cheap (but there’s a decent Black Friday discount just now). It is specially formulated to withstand stomach acid and has multiple proper peer-reviewed double-blind trials so at least you know it’s effective. (I don’t work for them, I promise!)

OP, if you're still here, worth knowing that one of the effects of oestrogen is to inhibit thyroid hormones. So the patches may be depressing your levels. Not at all uncommon for starting HRT to mean a dose change is in order (and it really should be checked automatically but the combined medical underdiagnosis of thyroid and ignorance of menopause means this rarely happens 😑 😒). Great that you're getting your levels checked.

Holland & Barrett have great Black Friday sales in Viviscal at the moment. It was recommended by my dermatologist for hair loss, based on medical research. I've not been taking it long enough to see an effect yet but 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

Always worth Being checked - transdermal hasn't affected mine and generally doesn't (pills do) but a few women do report this. My Gp has been testing mine a lot.

Utrogestan is supposed to help conversion of t4-t3.

Interim update - blood results in next week but I actually managed a get a telephone consultation to discuss whether collagen might interfere with either HRT, my pill or thyroxine (made clear I wasn't planning on anything until after results) to be told "sorry we're not qualified in supplements to advise so can't tell you ".

I get it but when all products say to check wtb your GP it's a bit tricky!

So continue as planned ... if bloods come back ok and no change to thyroid meds I'm going to try to speak to them about the hair loss as a separate issue to see what other reasons there might be (such as patches inhibiting things, thanks to poster up thread for that possibility).

I noticed I've got jowels forming last night feel like I've aged massively in the last few years!

Thanks everyone for coming in with advice/experience it's very helpful.

It's really unlikely that collagen will interact with your meds. I've just ordered the marine collagen - Vital Protein (my hair's shedding a lot- perhaps stress in my case.) The ingredients are food products- marine is fish skin, and bovine is animal skin etc. Nothing else in it.

It's hard to unravel hair loss in menopause as hair loss is a common experience in peri and post menopause. So HRT can't be blamed as most women are losing hair anyway during this time.

You might find it helpful t o listen to the Radio 4 prog that @WarriorN linked to.
The jury is still out on it. Obviously the manufacturers tried to sound convincing but the research trials were observational, not blind/placebo. They had a dermo on the programme and she said it's not clear yet if collagen can help, but it might (or might not.)

Holland & Barrett have great Black Friday sales in Viviscal at the moment.

THis is another option @tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz

I bought some years ago then my shedding stopped (coincidence) so I stopped using it.

It's mainly marine collagen and other minerals.

I've been meaning to listen to that radio programme so thanks for reminding me.

Agree I feel quite sure from research I've done I'm probably going to be fine.

Just don't take it within 4 hrs of thyroxine. Good luck

Programme was worth listening to - did say hair and nails a different protein.

My nails are better when thyroxine is good and I'm sure other things like vit d. Hair in me is hormonal as long as thyroixine is good and ferritin levels.

I think I also got more growth after bumping my b12 up last summer

Thanks Warrior, I think I'll time collagen with lunchtime ish after thyroxine first thing.

So my thyroid level is fine. Spoke to doc yesterday and they want to test for ferretin and Vit D levels (think that's what she said?!) so will get booked in for that asap. Lady I spoke to was very lovely and says she has similar issues, didn't make me feel I was wasting time at all.

Thanks again all it's been very helpful hearing your replies x

Advanced Nurse Practioner I spoke to uses this so think I'll look into it, thanks

So blood test shows I'm low in ferritin (47) so looking into iron supplements now (something which won't interfere with thyroxine).

So thanks everyone again for woods of advice. I'm hoping when iron levels get better hair may get better plus I've heard low iron can sometimes trigger eyelid dry skin which is also getting me down at mo

God it's shit getting old!

I'm on thyroxine. After prescribed pills really messed my gut I used spatone x2 with vit c (both the vit c versions and adding to water soluble vit c tablet when I was at home) and did better than I had on the massive pills.

But, I followed the guidelines on the box exactly. Took over an hour after food or tea/ milk / anything with calcium or magnesium in. And then an hour before any food again. I was amazed at how well it worked. Aim for over 80.

There is now research that taking one of the prescribed pills every other day is more effective (rather than x3 per day); there's a hormone that is released to try to suppress over absorption of iron which means you just don't absorb.

I took spatone mid afternoon; if you take thyroxine at night I'd to first thing an hour before breakfast.

My diet has too much tea/ milky drinks 😬

Hey Warrior

Thanks, that's really helpful. Funnily enormous I was pondering the timing of everything while drinking my morning cuppa earlier!

Currently take thyroxine upon waking and have a tea about 45 mins later.

Hopefully chatting with GP this am but I may return to quiz you later!

I too love several teas and a few proper coffees daily

Oooh I'm dying to know what was controversial about the above post