Losing Hair From Malnutrition (IC Diet)?

[futurehope]

Oh, yikes!!!!

I have way less hair on my head than even a few weeks ago. I have no idea what to think, except.........

maybe since the end of December, when I went on the IC Diet in earnest, and stopped eating many foods, I've become malnourished.

I probably should start looking at wigs before it's too late.

Nope. It's not Elmiron. I'm not on it.

Nope. It's not thyroid. I just had that checked.

And, nope, I'm too fearful to walk into my PCP's office to have this investigated since this is the height of flu season and I've learned my lesson about the risks of entering a doctor's office during flu season (except when absolutely necessary).

I'm seriously considering going either to my endocrinologist or my dermatologist.

I thought I was already given a paraneoplastic autoantibody panel which tests blood for various auto immune diseases. All on the above test was negative except for myasthenia gravis...but I'm not suffering symptoms.

Anyone out there have any ideas which doctor to consult or what to do?

As it is, I ask every different doctor I have at each appointment what they think about my hair loss. No answers yet.

I sure hope this didn't happen because of the IC Diet.

[ICNDonna]

My suggestion would be to order a copy of "Confident Choices" or "A Taste Of The Good Life" or both --- and get yourself on a healthy diet. It's very possible to do so and still avoid IC triggers.

Donna

[pingpong]

I'd start with the dermotologist.

[futurehope]

Update on My Hair Loss

I had my thyroid checked;I tested negative for a thyroid problem.

I went to a dermatologist who examined me and asked questions, took a biopsy, did some more bloodwork.

I'm negative for lupus or low iron.

I have chronic telogen effluvium and androgenic alopecia.

The first condition describes a situation where more than the "normal" amount if hair is in the resting phase of the hair growth cycle. Rogaine (minoxidil) would probably work for that. I still find it odd that that is the case with me and I suspect poor diet, but who knows?

The second condition is due to "normal" genetic hair thinning due to age. Yikes!

Together, I'm feeling that I have 1/3 the amount of hair that I used to in my twenties, thirties and forties.

So I'll probably try the rogaine (the Target brand is cheaper); and I'm taking 600 mg of biotin 2X/day 1200 mg total.

We'll see how it goes.

[tabasco32]

I also suffer from hair loss and I don't believe it's the diet. I am also not on elmiron right now and not for months so It has to do with the disease itself or malabsorbtion of the small intestine. Some diseases like leaky gut and celiac cause alopecia. low estrogen or peri menopausal also. I don't know I don't even have answers for myself. Since getting ic and ibs? I have had this same problem. I went to an endo and all hormones were fine. I went to gi and colon is fine. He says it's ibs and ibs can also affect the small intestine. I still stay off of wheat, gluten, corn, and sugar of all types except stevia because of yeast or some other strange thing happening to me. This all came together. It's just weird and makes no sense. Will we ever know?

[Sunnydawn]

I used to work at the Golden door spa at the boulders and they had products to boost hair growth. you can call them and they will ship orders. Also try fish oil capsules. Make sure you eat whatever vege. you can have and keep up a good varety.

[futurehope]

Second Update - I Tried the Rogaine

I tried the Target brand of Rogaine for women. It was supposed to help me (so my doctor said), but, unfortunately, it gave me heart palpitations so I stopped it.

[siriuspsyclist]

hair loss and protein malabsorption

hello! hair loss can be such an emotional head twister(smiles). Many naturopathic and nutritional textbooks talk about hair loss often being exacerbated by improper protein synthesis and absorption.

Unlike carbs protein does not get any predigestion in your mouth. It is broken apart by mastication but does not start to get broken into its component pieces until it hits the hydrochloric acid in your stomach. One of the things that happens to IC folks (it seems) is that we are so busy using tums and sodium bicarb to keep our bladders non-acidic that we increase the PH (reduce the acidity) of our stomach acids: which in turn reduces the amount that the protein gets reduced, which lowers the amount we can absorb from our small intestine wall. And then we have partially digested protein in our large intestine and colon which really breeds BAD troubles and probably makes all our IBS tons worse.

An easy solution for that is to take a good quality digestive enzyme or some betaine HCL. althought this will increase the acidity of your stomach juices it should not increase the acidity of your urnine. Try not to use sodium bicard or tums within three hours of eating and you should reduce those problems.

Another contributor to bad protein synthesis is low liver function ... which I think everyone who has IC has as a result of the constant stress on our immune and reconstructive systems. That is something that a doctor can test for ... but you won't see signs (chemically) until you are quite far down the line.

Another one for bad protein synthesis is DEHYDRATION> protein synthesis and redistribution does not occur (nor anything else really) at its max level unless your blood volume is good and high. When the bladder and the urethra are bad the best I ever feel is when it is totally empty. Once I get there it is really hard to make myself drink water knowing it will increase pain.

I hope that some of this may help and that you are having a better day. Follicle healing vibes going your way. siriuspsyclist

[futurehope]

Siriuspsyclist

FYI,

Everything you said makes sense logically, but, in my case, my GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) makes taking a potent antacid imperative. I take Nexium. On top of that, if I so much as inhale (LOL) betaine HCL, the heartburn is through the roof.

So, in my case, the only digestive enzymes I can take are the ones given by presciption for people with adrenal insufficiency. I took them for a while until they started causing a mild diarrhea.

Conclusion: Once diagnosed with GERD, and prescibed potent antacids, I suppose my digestion has been sub-par for years.

The alternative is to have a continually irritated esophagus, a precursor to esophageal cancer.

So, keep in mind, some of us have more than one physical ailment we're dealing with, and as soon as we take one thing to fix one problem, it exacerbates another.

So be it. That's life in my body.

[siriuspsyclist]

yipes! and yipes again!

Wow. Apologies. I should have read your profile before spouting off for sure! I guess all the digestive enzymes are out? proteolytic enzymes (plant based?) ox bile? pancreatin? tough for sure when one diagnosis and condition precludes the treatment of another.

[tabasco32]

these diseases are pretty much a double edged sword. I deal with constipation and undigested food and boryborymi and um I need milk of magnesia which I know kills the ph balance in my intestines which don't help with leaky gut. ooh hum.

[BrookeB]

Tabasco- It actually sounds to me like you might have a parasite. I had one and after getting rid of it and the eggs. I know really gross huh. I still had trouble with constipation a little but by taking the probiotics and turkey rhubarb stuff I have relief from it. But you sound like you are very into the natural route as am I. I took something called parasites and worms from theherbfinder.com and it got rid of it. It won't hurt you to try and it DID not bother my IC. Very important! Worth a try. That might be the CAUSE for all the syptoms. Parasites can cause you to loose or gain weight, loose hair be constipated or the other. Can cause gas, bad breath no matter what you do, indigestion, hair loss. Bad skin and leaky gut stuff!

PS- do you eat lots of raw veggies if so and organic that is even more reason you might have a parasite. I still eat all organic, but got to wash them really good!

brooke b