Hair Loss? May not be what you think-

[lapbandtalker 0]

So next time you see your doc- ask for the test.

Yesterday while getting a sonogram of my thyroid the tech was talking to me about what she was seeing on the screen...not diagnosing anything like that but just saying what she is seeing.

She suffers from some type of thyroid problem herself and she asked me if I was loosing my hair (she doesn't know about me having the lapband or losing weight). YES! I told her that I had been losing my hair for over a year now. She said that's one of the symptoms of a thyroid problem.

I'm wondering if the Hair loss I'm having now (being on maintenance for almost a year) isn't due to weight loss but my thyroid.

Anyone know what thyroid problem she was talking about or is it 'any' thyroid problem?

And a simple lab test would show you if your levels were off, which mine did this past summer....but never before. Did weightloss have anything at all to do with my thyroid finally going off the deep end?

[Jodi_620 37]

I've had hairloss related to hypothyroidism in the past. It is a common symptom of a thyroid imbalance whether it be Hypo or Hyper.

If you were put on a medication when this problem was found last summer (which you should have been)then losing weight since could have caused your dosage to need to be adjusted (mine had to be lowered due to weight loss). If you were not put on medication then the hair loss could be due to ignoring the imbalance. Either way, proper treatment will resolve it.

I am surprised that this was not checked during your pre-op tests for surgery. It was for me. Most check this becaue if you have a thyroid imbalance, specifically if you are hypothyroid, and it is not being treated properly it could hinder your weight loss with the lap band.

You should see a good Endocrinologist to treat your thyroid problems.

Edited December 10, 2008 by Jodi_620

[jewels41 0]

Hi lapband talker, I have some friends who have a thryoid problem and they have lost some hair but they have whats called thyroid disease

Some people actually complain that rapid Hair loss is the worst symptom of their thyroid problem - the thinning hair, large amounts of hair falling out in the shower or sink, often accompanied by changes in the hair's texture, making it dry, coarse, or easily tangled. Interestingly, thyroid problem was initially "diagnosed" by a hairdresser, who noticed the change in their hair! While thyroid disease frequently causes general hair loss from the hair on the head, a unique and characteristic symptom of hypothyroidism is loss of the hair on the outer edge of the eyebrows. General loss of body hair from areas other than the head can also be seen in thyroid disease. And you should be evaluated by a dermatologist experienced in hair loss and they can evaluate and run tests that may detect other auto immune besides thyroid that can cause hair loss

For a hair loss specialist, visit the American Hair Loss Council website at http://www.ahlc.org/members.htm, or contact the American Academy of Dermatology, who can provide a referral to a dermatologist in your area.

American Academy of Dermatology

930 N. Meacham Road, P.O. Box 4014

Schaumburg, IL 60168-4014

Phone: 1-888-462-DERM (1-888-462-3376) for information on finding a dermatologist

Phone: (847) 330-0230

Web Address: http://www.aad.org

If you are taking levothyroxine (i.e., Synthroid, Levoxyl, Unithroid, Levothroid) as your thyroid hormone replacement, and still losing hair, you may need to take action. Prolonged or excessive hair loss IS a side effect of these drugs for some people. Note: Many doctors do NOT know this, even though it is a stated side effect in the Synthroid patient literature, for example, so don't be surprised if your doctor is not aware of this.

[lapbandtalker 0]

Thanks so much for all this information. I get labs done every year it seems and all my results have been within normal ranges-including my thyroid.

One year after being banded (plus a month) when I had my yearly labs- that's when the results were abnormal. So this is sort of new- and I haven't been diagnosed with anything, yet. I have socialized health care which means I won't be treated for quite some time...tick tock....tick tock....

[Jodi_620 37]

I hope they don't wait too long. Thyroid problems can really make life miserable. When I experienced the Hair loss problems (I guess it was around five years ago now) I also started having skin problems (dry cracked bleeding skin), dry eyes, eyebrows falling out and the most severe anxiety that I have ever had along with panic attacks. I also was unable to lose weight and I had zero energy. My ex-endocrinologist kept telling me that it was just something I had to learn to live with. As the symptoms stacked up over a few months, I finally found my current Endo and he upped my dosage and within about 4-5 weeks I felt like a totally new person.

[lfoss 0]

I am loosing hair, but I am only 4 months out.

[Jachut 487]

My hair has never thinned out, but I shed incredible amounts of it - it blocks our drains, its everywhere in both bathrooms and it fills the vacuum bags as its all over the house. Its awful. Eliza (my 5 year old is the same) and both our hair is dry and delicate too. I also have pretty brittle nails that wont grow and I tend towards dry skin.

My sister is hypothyroid. I've tested *normal* but I know that standard testing often doesnt show it up. I've often wondered if I'm not hypothyroid but definitely lower than normal levels.

I think there's enough people here that have lost plenty of hair whilst guzzling huge amounts of Protein to show definitively that Protein is NOT the answer to weight loss related Hair loss, its probably more general malnutrition. Go and read the "what did you eat today thread" and its no suprise in the least that people are losing hair - lots of people are eating very little in the way of fresh fruit and vegies for example.

But hair loss going on in maintenance, I'd check that out. I would assume it was some other problem not related at all to having lost weight. Your body should have adjusted to that.