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Thanks for all of the suggestions! To answer your questions... I do have PCOS- diagnosed about 10 years ago. I have had other symptoms of PCOS (weight gain, cysts rupture, body hair, etc.). I was put on birth control and haven't had any trouble for 10+ years. I did ask my doctor if I needed to switch birth control types... she offered two other low androgen brands to switch to, however they both have the side effect of hair loss (which doesn't make sense to me). Is it normal for people with PCOS to all of a sudden have hair loss? That wasn't one of the symptoms I had ever had before.
The bloodwork I had done did include a thyroid panel... everything came back in the normal range. My family does have a history of thyroid issues.
I am currently taking 6000 IU of Biotin and 4000 IU of vitamin D. Sounds like I should take more? Nov3, I sometimes get breakouts on my face when I up the dosage of Biotin, but that's about it.
I don't have a family history of hair loss/balding. Not even the males in my family have this. We all have extremely thick hair and a lot of it. Unfortunately, it makes the areas that my hair is thinning really stand out.
I do have a lot of stress in my life. I started taking anti-anxiety meds a few weeks ago to try and help with the increased stress hormones.
I'm not really really sure what to do next. Would a dermatologist be able to help? I know they specialize in skin... does scalp/hair loss fall into their realm? Or is there another type of doctor?
I would try a dermatologist. Since everything else has been ruled out it would be good to get another medical opinion. Stress is nasty and can do horrible things to your body.
Try Nioxin first...available at some salons. There are other products for women as well.
You follow a daily schedule for a few months....greatly helped me after a divorce.
If loss is not from stress, not sure what the results would be...
QUOTE=negativenancy;50035822]Thanks for all of the suggestions! To answer your questions... I do have PCOS- diagnosed about 10 years ago. I have had other symptoms of PCOS (weight gain, cysts rupture, body hair, etc.). I was put on birth control and haven't had any trouble for 10+ years. I did ask my doctor if I needed to switch birth control types... she offered two other low androgen brands to switch to, however they both have the side effect of hair loss (which doesn't make sense to me). Is it normal for people with PCOS to all of a sudden have hair loss? That wasn't one of the symptoms I had ever had before.
The bloodwork I had done did include a thyroid panel... everything came back in the normal range. My family does have a history of thyroid issues.
I am currently taking 6000 IU of Biotin and 4000 IU of vitamin D. Sounds like I should take more? Nov3, I sometimes get breakouts on my face when I up the dosage of Biotin, but that's about it.
I don't have a family history of hair loss/balding. Not even the males in my family have this. We all have extremely thick hair and a lot of it. Unfortunately, it makes the areas that my hair is thinning really stand out.
I do have a lot of stress in my life. I started taking anti-anxiety meds a few weeks ago to try and help with the increased stress hormones.
I'm not really really sure what to do next. Would a dermatologist be able to help? I know they specialize in skin... does scalp/hair loss fall into their realm? Or is there another type of doctor?[/quote]
OP: Hair loss is just ONE of the symptoms of sluggish thyroid. Even thou you have that "normal" range mantra, one could still be helped with a theraputic dose of desiccated thyroid .. I know I went thru Hail and back with that "normal" mantra for 10 long years. My major issue was depression for all those years and it was thyroid. And just because range was "normal" MD's dismissed thyroid.
OP: Hair loss is just ONE of the symptoms of sluggish thyroid. Even thou you have that "normal" range mantra, one could still be helped with a theraputic dose of desiccated thyroid .. I know I went thru Hail and back with that "normal" mantra for 10 long years. My major issue was depression for all those years and it was thyroid. And just because range was "normal" MD's dismissed thyroid.
Wow! I will definitely have to talk to my doctor about it. If your thyroid was in the normal range and still took thyroid medicine, did it do anything to your thyroid?
Well, I don't know what it did, but thyroid supports are needed too often and not given. A friend resisted the meds and she's 90 now and she did many yrs of acupuncture which cost her some $1000's...
My story is that for 10 yrs GP docs and Endo docs kept giving me that normal BS and writing more and more anti depressant drugs. A D.O. I saw for years for back support called in for Armour after I told him my symptoms etc etc....he knew and didn't even do any labwork. Before labs doctors prescribed by symptoms...started with theraputic dosing and went from there. There is a major history on all this that MOST do not know. Today's modern med docs are prescribing mostly by numbers. Didn't you know, we are all numbers. Most docs won't listen unless one sees an integrative MD. Good Luck.
Have you tried Minoxodil topical solution (Rogaine or store brands with the same formula)? It's a bit costly, but a femaile cousin of mine had excellent results from it - her dermatologist advised her to get the men's version, which is stronger than that labeled for women. Is your hair loss occurring at an even rate, all over, or it is spotty?
I had the same thinning hair problem that you are describing when in my 30’s. At the time, I was under tremendous stress, professionally & personally & also had major surgery requiring general anesthesia...the dermatologist I went to at the time told me that my hair was going through an extreme telogen effluvium stage, which is when the follicle is resting & the hair falls out naturally, only usually not as many at the same time. Everyone loses some hair every day, normally replaced by new growth, only my new growth wasn’t keeping up with the loss, due to the shocks to my overall health. He recommended Rogaine (minoxidil), applied topically on the effected areas, which were all around my hairline, the sides of my head, etc., to slow the hair loss and help hair regrowth. I did this & it worked. I used the generic Minoxidil, much cheaper. I found it at Costco.
On my own, I began taking Biotin, 10,000 mcg daily.
Within a year, my hair was back to normal. I stopped the minoxidil but have take Biotin ever since & can’t recommend it enough. That initial episode was over 20 years ago. My hair is full & down to my backside...nails are strong, too. I’ve had no side effects from taking it. You don’t need to go to an expensive health food store to buy it, or some kind of combo mixture...get the stuff they sell at Target, Walmart, Walgreen, etc.
In my case, when I am ill or something terrible happens, or I have surgery (general anesthesia is the issue), it effects my hair, & I experience the hair loss 3-4 months after the “event”. Then, I may use topical minoxidil for awhile, but I ALWAYS take Biotin.
Regarding Vitamin D, that is not related to hair loss, but if you live in a climate with long, overcast winters, as I do, or just are inside a lot & don’t get much exposure to natural light, you may be Vitamin D deficient, but that doesn’t effect hair loss.
Also...Nioxin is an expensive brand of shampoo & conditioner promoted to stop hair loss. My son-in law, bless him, had a full head of thick, curly hair when he met my daughter, & 11
years is balding...Nioxin hasn’t helped at all, so I have my doubts about spending $ on that.
Good luck to you! I know how you feel...but in my experience, Biotin has been the answer.
Do you have a brand of 10,000mg biotin which you like?
I have Nature's Bounty, I think - but it has not helped nails nor hair.
I have had good results from Viviscal though.
I want to take biotin along with Viviscal - so I need to change brands of biotin.
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