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Major Hair shedding

by del5del

During routine bloodwork at age 45 I was diagnosed hypothyroid and low Vit D. Taking T3 for last two years. I noticed hair thinning the last few years, so I started Rogaine a year ago, last May, with great results. Shedding stopped and over the course of 6 months hair thickened some. Because of results of a saliva test, I started a low dose of progesterone cream last October. I used progesterone for about 4-5 months. Good results...less anxiety, slept better, got compliments on my hair and skin (a first). For some reason I decided I was "cured" and quit the progesterone cream about 3 or so months ago. Within a month I suddenly had horrible anxiety and sleep problems. My OB gave me low dose Xanax to take at bedtime, which helped. THEN...a couple months ago, about 2-3 months after I stopped the progesterone cream. my hair got dry, skin seems oilier, and hair has started shedding like crazy! I have never experienced anything like this in my life. It's been awful! It took me until last week to realize that there was possibly a connection between stopping the prog cream and the anxiety onset and hair loss. So last week I started back on the progesterone cream, but I'm still shedding. Now I am in a total panic that the shedding won't ever stop and that I've damaged something with my thyroid or started some autoimmune issue. Is this shedding probably from stopping progesterone cream somewhat abruptly? What do I do? Will getting back on the progesterone cream help? Can't stop crying! Suggestions?

Comments for Major Hair shedding

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Jun 25, 2016
 follow along
by: letitia

want to follow other comments
Jun 26, 2016
 Hair shedding
by: Anonymous

I am so sorry you are going through this. Your vitamin D level is extremely important, and if the blood level isn't well above 50ng/ml, take more vitamin D. Also, I suggest you read about iodine and desiccated thyroid replacement from either Dr. David Brownstein or Dr. Lowe. It sounds like you need a better boost for the thyroid. Selenium, manganese and riboflavin, (vitamin B 2) are co factors for the thyroid. Also, adrenals need to be supported. A good supplement to support you adrenals would be advised.
Inositol is considered to be the anti alopecia vitamin. It is a member of the B complex. It will, hopefully, halt your hair shedding.
Why, if I may ask, did you stop progesterone? At this age progesterone levels are falling, with estrogen dominance possibly taking over. Wray Whyte, who advised people of this site for 20 years, recommends between 100 - 200mg of progesterone. Bear in mind that when you increase progesterone, initially you may experience increased symptoms because the progesterone stimulates the estrogen. It is a matter of getting the balance right over time so that the progesterone is the dominant hormone. Everything takes time. It is about balance. That doesn't happen over night! Also for the hair, a good B complex, good amount of protein, fatty acids from fish oil, evening primrose, coconut oil, avocados , etc., is important. And Magnesium is crucial to help keep you calm and support your heart health - the list of it's importance goes on and on!! So, just to recap: Vitamin D3, magnesium, iodine/dessicated thyroid supplements, B complex, Inositol, adrenal supplements and progesterone.
I hope this helps a little! wishing you the best. You are not alone!
Jun 26, 2016
 Hair shedding
by: Anonymous

One other thing: please read the questions/answers from Wray, on this site. Put in the search box your concern, be it hair, or whatever. There are many discussions there that may be helpful.
Jun 27, 2016
 Hair Loss (and anxiety)
by: Karin

Hi, I am 53, in menopause and I don't have any thyroid problems. From 2011 to early 2016 I had major hair loss. Mine was caused by my gynaecologist putting me on the birth control pill at the age of 48, telling me it would help many things (eg. loss of libido). When the hair loss started after being on the pill for 4 months, I put it down to the antidepressant my psychiatrist had prescribed for chronic insomnia. To cut a very long story short, the hair loss was actually caused by the birth control pill. I came off the pill in February this year and have been using natural progesterone cream since March 2016, gradually increasing my dose. I am now on quite a high daily dose, 150mg twice a day and it helps! The hair loss stopped very quickly once I stopped the pill and started the cream. I lost about half of my hair. I was beside myself, to put it mildly. My other problem, insomnia, has also improved greatly using the progesterone cream. If you use enough progesterone cream, your hair loss will stop and you will find you are more relaxed and will not need the Xanax anymore. I had to quit absolutely every medication I was on until I realised that it was the pill all along causing estrogen dominance and hair loss. Needless to say I am furious with my gynaecologist and will never go back to her. She has stolen 4 years of my life. Sorry about the rant. Just letting off some steam :)
In addition, I took the advice on this website and started using Magnesium Glycinate to help me sleep as well. I use the Metagenics brand. It is very calming as well. I also started taking Biotin and Inositol to help my hair (also advised by this wonderful website). It will take many years to get the long, beautiful hair I had in 2011 and possibly by that time, I will be too old for long hair, but at least I won't worry that bald spots are showing.
I don't want to be the prophet of doom, but I had a dreadful experience on Xanax in 2008. If and when you stop it, please be very careful and reduce your dose extremely gradually with the help of a doctor you trust. I quit Xanax cold turkey, because I didn't know what I was doing and, again, my doctor was no help. I have had chronic insomnia since 2008 as a result of acute benzodiazepine withdrawal. I was sicker than you can imagine, but that's another story. On the positive side, I know many people that take Xanax without a problem.
I am very grateful for all the information on this website. It has changed my life. I hope that helps.
Jul 03, 2016
 hair shedding
by: Anonymous

Why did you stop using progesterone? If it was helping, you must continue with it. You say you went back on it, but for how long? It takes time to balance. Don't expect instant results. Progesterone is a hard working hormone and as one gets older the levels begin to drop considerably, however the estrogens are still produced, hence estrogen dominance. We are also exposed to many forms of estrogens in the environment, all the more reason you need progesterone to protect. Progesterone also affect thyroid function as does Vitamin D3. You may need some iodine. Iodine is extremely deficient in most people! It is in your breast tissues, ovaries, thyroid, in every cell in the body! I strongly urge you to read Dr. David Brownstein on the subject of iodine! You may need desiccated thyroid supplementation too. You may want to look into taking Iodoral for iodine, and perhaps something like ThyroGold which is a desiccated thyroid supplement you can get without prescription. But you should test first to see if thyroid is low, although most tests are not trustworthy. Some come back "normal" when in fact the thyroid is low. The best test is your body temperature. Do you generally feel cold even in warm temperatures? Test you basal temperature when you wake up. Take the temperature orally, although some take it under the arm pit, but you need a mercury thermometer for that. A digital you can use orally. Take it first thing without moving or getting out of bed. Then take it in the late afternoon. It should be above 98 degrees. Progesterone also warms the body. Everything may be down to low levels of progesterone alone. By staying with progesterone, see how you get on. Also, make sure your vitamin D level is above 60mg/nl. - even higher around 70mg/nl. Both progesterone and Vitamin D 3 are anti inflammatory and affect thyroid function, as well as a million other things! Magnesium is essential too!! Please don't be without that - for nerves, heart!
Inositol, around 4,000mg. and biotin for hair shedding, and NAC cysteine.
I hope this helps. Please don't give up. There was balance before, and there can be balance again! All takes time. This is not an over night issue. It took time to get there, and it takes time to sort it out. The body can heal! Take care.
Jul 03, 2016
 Hair shedding
by: Wray

Hi Karin Bless you for your kind words about the site! Take care Wray
Jul 03, 2016
 Major hair shedding
by: del5del

Thanks for all the advice. To answer yall's questions....I stopped the progesterone about 4 months ago basically because I thought my progesterone was now dominant and I was "fixed" and also because I wasn't even sure if I was using it correctly and couldn't find an exact dosage suggestion. 2 months later the shedding started. After much research, I feel that what I am suffering with is acute TE hair shedding from progesterone withdrawal or a case of the flu (both happened the first couple days in March). It's diffuse shedding and each hair has the club/bulb, both tell-tale signs of TE. My understanding is that I now have to wait it out, as all of these hairs went into the resting stage after the "trigger" in March and are basically in the "queue" to fall out. I had bloodwork last week. My thyroid was basically unchanged from how it's been, no sign of auto immune issue, and serum hormone levels are fine. Pretty sure I have high androgens too, which has made my hair thin over the years. BUT what I'm experiencing now is a major shed! Not my normal thinning. So I'm still on my T3 for slight hypothyroid. My vitamins D is a little low, so I supplement 5000 daily and try to get sunshine. A week ago I started the NAC and Inositol and biotin and B complex. Been on omega 3 for years. I take selenium and low dose iodoral, which is a new regime.

As far as dosage and where my confusion lies....I'm 48. I still have a regular cycle. Do I ovulate? Not sure, but I probably don't some months, although my serum progesterone levels say that I do. I've tried using the cream on days 14-28 only. The problem is that when I stop the progesterone cream on days1-13 the anxiety is awful! But I don't know if it's okay to use it during my entire cycle with no breaks since I am still menstruating every month like clockwork. And if I do use progesterone cream all month without a break, do I use a lower dosage for days 1-13 and then increase it for days 14-28?

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