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Shedding hair dramatically

by Margo
(California)

I am 51 female. Absolutely no medical problems throughout life. Then about 3 years ago, out of the blue, I started shedding hair dramatically.

After 3 years I have lost about 1/2 of my thick hair. Not long after the initial start of losing hair, my menses became very heavy. My gyno put me on YAZ to lighten the periods, as I had a fibroid. Did that for a year. Hair shed no less or more while on YAZ. During this year, I went to see a hemotologist because I had read that anemia could make you lose hair. I was low but after a year and extra iron, I got to the right level, but my hair still was shedding. My periods were extremely light after a year on YAZ, so I got off. Hair still shed. Had a thyroid test 9 months ago, came back normal. Iron and ferritin good, thyroid normal, stopped having periods, fibroid is shrinking - but hair is still shedding.

I also have weak finger nails, they used to peel, but thats better, but they still are weak. Just recently tested hormones: FSH is 28.1 ng/ml putting me in postmenopausal range. Progesterone is 0.6 miu/ml putting me in postmenopausal range. My estradiol is 221.0 pg/ml putting me in follicular and mid cycle phase. Postmenopausal range for estradiol is 20 - 93. I am way high.

What does this mean to you? Could my hormones be causing my hair loss? I am desperate. I have been using progesterone cream 1/2 tsp per day for one month. Using Source Progesterone - usp progesterone from soy, 1/4 tsp = 22 mg. After reading your site, I upped the dosage the second month. I am 2 weeks into the second month using 1 1/4 tsp per day = 100 mg, split into twice a day, 50mg twice a day. But at this point my hair sheds as much as usual. What do you recommend? How long will it take?

Comments for Shedding hair dramatically

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Nov 13, 2010
 Hair loss
by: Wray

Hi Margo 3 years ago, and you were in the last years of Peri-menopause. Bleeding can become very heavy, cycles become erratic too. Progesterone helps immensely, with none of the adverse side effects of the Contraceptives. Other symptoms of P-M are hair loss, peeling, thin, weak nails, hot flushes and more. Fibroids are an indication oestrogen is too high, oestrogen stimulates their growth. All these symptoms you have point to too low a level of progesterone, and your oestrogen is very high too. But more critical is the ratio of progesterone to oestrogen, yours is 2.7:1. I've found from saliva tests we run that to feel well it's best if it's over 600:1. During P-M our progesterone level is dropping, but oestrogen is not. Plus in many P-M women, testosterone increases, but if progesterone is low, there's nothing to suppress the oestrogen or testosterone. It's this excess testosterone causing the hair loss, it's called male pattern baldness, or androgenic alopecia. My finger nails used to peel too, now they are so strong I can use them as screw drivers! It's a good indicator of low progesterone, as recently my nails became weak (extra stress!), so I've been using 2tsp of cream a day or 330mg/day progesterone. They very quickly became strong again. I normally recommend 100-200mg/day progesterone, dependant on symptoms. I know that increasing to a high amount solves the problem very quickly, but many are reluctant to do this. It can take time, especially if you have high oestrogen levels, which you do. So please be patient, 2 weeks on 100mg/day is too soon to see any improvement. Please be aware of Oestrogen Dominance, which can occur when increasing the progesterone. Also consider taking 2000mg/day N-acetyl cysteine, about 14% of skin, hair and nails are made of this, it makes all these strong and healthy. Also take 2000mg/day inositol, often called the anti-alopecia vitamin and 2-3mg biotin. I think you'll find these nutrients also help, but again please be patient. Natural substances take some time to reverse a condition, we are only aware of changes in the problems which worry us, and not of the internal workings of the body. Take care Wray

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