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I've known for a couple years that I have a growth on my thyroid that is not cancerous. A specialist doctor did a biopsy and now does ultrasound to monitor growth every 4 months. She also keeps asking all these questions eveytime I see her but never askes about my thinning hair. I just read on the internet that there is a connection between the thyroid and hair health.
Has anybody here heard of this?
Marty
Years ago Poppa Bill recommended hair supplements for people like me and hopefully would approve of my purchase last night of Hair, skin, and Nails by Nature's Bounty. I linked his hair wisdom again but on page 2 where he talks about hair supplements under diet.
Marty
Bill's hair wisdom-page 2Thyroid problems can cause hair thinning - in fact, hair thinning and diffuse hair that allows the scalp to be visible are classic signs of a thyroid issue. I'm assuming you have had thyroid tests done? It's possible your levels are off, in which case you might need thyroid hormone(s). At least T4. I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, had a lot of hair loss & thinning, but once diagnosed and put on thyroid hormone, the loss reversed itself. I take both T4 & T3.
Since the doctor didn't initiate it, perhaps next time you see her you could ask if your thyroid might be a factor in your hair loss. Other signs (which I had), are dry, sallow, skin - brittle nails prone to breakage - thinning of eyebrows, especially outer third - constipation, and fatigue. These indicate hypothyroidism. Hyperthyroidism has some of the same symptoms, plus others. Ask the doctor about your thyroid hormones and hair loss.
I'm pretty sure the only thyroid test I've had besides ultrasounds to measure the size (it isn't growing much every 6 months) and 2 needle in the throat biopsies is an annual blood test by my primary doctor where he measures TSH which was 0.74 back in February of this year and the range is 0.40-4.50 (mIU/L) so that is good. Unfortunately the thyroid doctor doesn't have a patient portal and the only way to communicate with her is by phone and she calls during rush hour when I'm driving (I don't answer the phone when I drive) so I rarely talk with her outside the office. My next appointment isn't till October 29th.
I am making a list of questions for her now. I always have my hair tied up when I see her so she probably didn't see too clearly that my hair is thinning in the back.
Oh, I have very brittle nails that I have to keep short so they don't catch on things but my eyebrows and skin are fine.
I'm also gonna start taking hair vitamins next week that hopefully will work, but I'll know by October.
Your TSH is in the low end of normal, so it's possible you need some medication. TSH tells the doctor one thing, symptoms tell more. Plus, in addition to TSH, your T3 & T4 levels should probably be checked. I'd bring up the diffuse hair loss & brittle nails & ask if she can do a blood draw for T3 & T4 levels. It's possible at least your T4 is low, a blood test will tell you for sure. She can have it done along with the TSH, or you can ask your primary care about it, and have results sent to her.
That's good advice. I never heard of T3/4 levels in blood till u mentioned it. I just emailed my primary doctor and asked him to write this scr ipt for me to send to thyroid specialist.
Marty
If you take thyroid medication one of the side effects .
is thinning hair (or hair loss). My wife of 31 years is experiencing that.
Now that's interesting because I've had the opposite result. My hair was was thin with diffuse loss in the scalp, prior to diagnosis. Once I went on the hormone medication, the hair grew back in. The texture is fine, but I no longer have the sparse hair on the crown/vortex. I do have difficulty turning T4 into T3, so I take both T3 & T4. Most are prescribed T4, and their bodies convert some of T4 into T3. But there is a subset if people who for some reason don't make enough T3, or none at all. I don't make enough.
Thanks for letting me know. It seems like it's not all that uncommon for women-when hair falls out of a guy's head, the first thing a guy is gonna think is male pattern baldness but that's not always the case. Glad this can be fixed with supplements!
Marty
