Hair Loss?

[havingsuccess]

I have a question, for the last year or so I have been having hair loss. It's not noticable. My hair is very thick and I can't notice a difference in the thickness but when i was it Big strings just come out when I run my hands thru it. I'm not taking elmiron, I am on Armour thyroid for hypothyroidism even though my thyroid tests were normal. Does anyone else shed hair like this? Any ideas why?

Thanks alot
Success

[ICNDonna]

Hair loss can be a symptom of over-active thyroid. Maybe you should be retested?

Donna

[ICNJess]

Hi Success,

Mine does that too. I don't have thyroid though. Maybe a hormone is off balance, like testosterone? My hair falls out (but it's thick like yours and the only time I can tell is in the sink when blow-drying or when I run my hands through it) and I have PCOS. Good luck!

Hugs and love,
Jess

[rnewman]

Hey Success....

My hair does that too. I too am on armour, but my hair loss started way before the armour. I have not been on Elmiron. And my hair is kinda thin to begin with, so I am very sensative about it. I have a few thoughts.

I think that some ICers experiance hair thinning/loss as a symptom of IC. This could possibly be from a hormone imbalance. If ICers have decreased cortisol levels, like the cat studies have shown, then the body struggles to compensate with the loss of cortisol by increasing the amount of the hormone that is most similar to cortisol......testosterone. And that can cause hair loss (as it does for Jess because of her PCOS). My endocrinologist did a free testosterone test and found my level to be high. My primary care MD and I are going to investigate that further and do some more cortisol tests.

The other reason my doc thinks that I am experiancing hair loss is mercury toxicity. After lots and lots of test with nonspecific symptoms (most of those symptoms being thyroid) my doctor did a heavy metal tox test and found my levels of mercury to be sky high (unexpectadly.) This, he said, can not only cause hair loss, but also is thyroid~toxic, and he said it would explain why I am having so many thyroid symptoms but my labs are boarderline. So he said that removing the mercury would probably improve my hair.....and my thyroid....and he is even betting it would improve my bladder. Im working on it, mercury is a tough element to remove with a very long half life.

ANyway, thats just my two cents. I just recieved my new insurance cards so my tests for the adrenal glands and cortisol should be soon as soon as I can get into the doctor. I will keep you updated. Let us know what you find. Hope this helped a bit!!
Hugs,
Rachel

[Silverfox]

Hi Success,

Hair loss is usually on the hypothyroid list of symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms of both hyper and hypo overlap. For example I developed bad tremors in my hands that went away within a few months after starting on 2 grains of Armour thyroid. Hand tremors are often of the list of hyperthyroid symptoms.

You could be undertreated as I was for nearly 20 years and I improved further with my increase to 3 1/2 grains.

Many years ago, after the birth of my third child, I suffered a big hair loss and my scalp was very sore. I was very hypothyroid then and did not realize what was wrong with me.

It was at this time that my bladder symptoms came on with a vengence. I was going to the urologists begging for help. I traveled accross the US and to England for help.

I was told after all kinds of bladder tests and all the bladder treatments of that time that I now had end stage bladder. I did not worry about the condition of my hair in that was rapidly losing color, I just kept putting hair dye on it.

The Drs. said that all they could offer was bladder removal. Some Drs told my family that I needed to be in a mental hospital for my symptoms!

Then I received a phone call from my Aunt in Maui Hawaii, who told me that she knew what was wrong that she and others in my family before me, were diagnosed years ago with Hypothyroidism. After we compared symptoms, my Dr. put me on 2 grains of Armour thyroid. He was so shocked at the change in my appearance. My thyroid tests were like yours, subclinical, not all Drs.believe in the exactness of the current thyroid blood tests for all.

Now my Dr. at a medical school has diagnosed me with Hypothyroid Neuropathies. I have been going to the pain clinic and they are trying different medications to help with the nerve pain that sometimes gets worse after thyroid treatment.
I like to believe that my nerves are healing and I want to cling to the hope that nerve damage is not permamnent.

My Drs. tell me that my nerve damage is throughout my body affect autonomic nerves and the distal sensory nerves. My fingers, soles of feet and bladder urethra now burn with equal intensity. I guess the urologists would have to say that I have IC also in my hands and feet. Some top IC Drs. have seen my entire medical records on this and responded looking shaken and telling me I was so rare. I told them "no" don't think so.

My pain Dr. said he recently had a good discussion with the veterinarian Dr. Buffington about this. I hope someone figures this out real soon so that more folks do not have to live with this pain. I have found some interesting information on the veterinary sites, sometimes its the best source for Hypothyroidism and nerve damage. My older daughter is a veterinarian, I am so proud of her and the good work she does for animal health care. She is a good surgeon too!

I went to a Barnes Foundation Dr. who told me I had hypoadrenalism, and at that time I didn't know if I believed him. Maybe he was right. I am still searching this all out, its a full time job! blah

I have read someplace that Hrt replacement would interfere with Thyroid hormone. Recently this past year I quit the HRT (Premarin)and I did notice some changes in my skin, nails and hair growth. My hair is now silver white and some think that I bleached it out. The color will never return and dyeing it is difficult. My hair seems to grow fast needing haircuts often.

Success, I think this is very individual. You and your Dr. will have to be detectives and only you in the end will know what is helping you.

This is what happened to me, I know that you and your Drs. will figure this out, sometimes it takes time and keep searching for answers. I will be looking forward to hearing about your success.

Hugs Siverfox

[ICNJess]

Rachel,

That is a very interesting theory! Thanks for sharing, it does make sense.

Hugs and love,
Jess