Hair loss. Help!

[daisydaisy11]

is really getting me down. My hair is constantly shedding. It is not breakage but coming out from the root as I can see the follicles.No bald patches that I can see but is all over thinning although the thinning is not yet so visible. It must only be a matter of time before it becomes visibly thin as the rate of shedding is alarming (way more than the normal 100 hairs a day).
It literally falls out every time I run my hand through it and even when I don't touch it. My clothes, desk, chair, pillows all have hairs on them constantly. I am afraid to comb it and dread washing it as frightening amounts collect in the plug hole.
I am 44. I noticed increased hair loss over the last 2 years but it has really ramped up over the last few months. My gynaecologist didn't think I had entered perimenopause as I lack any other symptoms. Nonetheless she put me on a low dose of progesterone oral tablets.
I then gathered all my courage and went to an endocrinologist (I haven't tested my blood for over a decade due to an insane fear of needles). The hair loss was getting me so down that I requested a full blood screening. I am vegetarian so suspected iron deficiency could be the cause despite taking supplements.
Everything was within the normal range apart from vitamin D (I had 15.1 Ng/ml). Which is low. I am sure I read on here this could be the cause but endocrinologist didn't seem to think so and said my blood results didn't point to a cause for hair loss.
Does anyone have any experience of this? I don't know how to fix it. Endocrinologist wants another blood test, this time 3-5 days after my period to get a better idea of my oestrogen. She said progesterone won't help with hair loss (but that is the only reason I am taking it so not sure why the gynaecologist otherwise prescribed it). In the meantime the endocrinologist has given me an ointment for my hair called ell-cranell (alfatradiol) but I think it is meant for bald patches. It is only a small bottle and does not go far on a full head application.i am supposed to apply it daily for a month before there is any visible difference but I am only applying it in stripes across my head as it is 69 euros a bottle!
I appreciate any responses from anyone who has come out the other side of this and if there was anything that helped.

I have used the Champo pita serum with success, although it does require continued use. I stopped for a few weeks as it is £££ and have noticed shredding again. But while using it I got loads of regrowth.

Thank you. I've looked it up. It gets great reviews. I see what you mean about the price.

I’m tried the Champo and didn’t find much difference so now I’m using the L’Occitane anti hair loss serum

Assuming the endocrinologist checked your Thyroid. Minoxidil tablets are good for hair loss, shown in a Simpsons episode many moons ago!

Have you had any stressful periods in your life lately? By that I mean mental/emotional stress as well as physical stress caused by illness.
Im a vegetarian too, make sure you’re getting all the B vitamins, zinc and magnesium as well as iron. I also drink one or two cups of nettle tea a day.
When oestrogen levels drop you can experience hair loss. Do you eat tofu or drink soya milk? They contain plant oestrogens.
Try a shampoo which contains rosemary oil and use a scalp massager to stimulate your hair follicles.
You could ask to be referred to a dermatologist too who can take a look at your scalp.

Yes, this was happening to me a few years back. Huge amounts coming out in the shower, pillows covered when I woke up in the morning. Lasted long enough to be quite scary.

I want sure what was causing it but after trying lots of different shampoos and treatments to no avail I decided to really focus on making sure I had all the nutrients my body might need to grow strong hair. Made sure I ate lots of unprocessed foods, took multi-vitamin and mineral supplements, vitamin D, protein and collagen. I also really focused on gut health.

Hair loss stopped. Wish I could tell you which of those things did it, but maybe it all contributed.

I take collagen, vit D, C, and B12. Also, eat a healthy diet as I have IBD. I'm also on HRT and have been for 4 years. My hair loss started about 7 years ago. I started using Nioxin System 4 at the beginning of June. I've noticed I'm not losing as much hair as I was, so there's hope.

Thank you so much for your answers. It is good to know others have come out the other side. My thyroid has been checked and was normal. I did a bit more research on vit D and I think the level I have could be responsible (endocrinologist didn't seem to think so but did put me on 2000 D3 daily). The odd thing is that that low level was measured in august and although I am careful in the sun, I was outside plenty and have fair skin. Not sure why it was that low... probably in winter it was even worse. B12 was more than enough and iron was good too. Work is always low level stressful but nothing really traumatic has happened to me that stands out (doctor asked that too).
So now I am taking a cocktail of hair vitamins and high dose d3 and the ointment for my hair. I am hoping that the low vit d is responsible as that is an easy fix. I have read about Minoxidil and endocrinologist said she would be willing to prescribe it but wanted to use it as a last resort as there is even more severe shedding initially which she described as disturbing.

I'm 47 and this was one of my peri menopause symptoms. Literally as you describe. I've been on HRT - gel and mirena coil - since March and it's now stopped. My peri symptoms creeped up on me and it's only now the HRT has settled I know that things o thought were just "normal" for me was actually peri.

Thanks for the replies. Just to update, the hair loss doesn't seem as bad the last few days (though still losing a lot in the shower). I am guessing it is the head ointment which is helping as the vit D and other hair supplements would, I suppose, take longer to have an effect. I might ask about taking full HRT (with oestrogen) as the hair ointment is expensive and so doesn't go very far when applying over a full head.