Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I hope I can get in to see an endocrinologist soon about the thyroid. I walked out of my primary care doctor's waiting room this morning after almost an hour of listening to a screaming, shrieking, pounding, cartwheeling, chair standing, armchair standing child whose mother did absolutely nothing to alter his behavior or at least remove him from the room.
I'm still very steamed up about it because I was called "a sick person," asked if I "have dementia" and told that she is "sorry for my children having such a terrible human being for a mother." I had simply mentioned nicely that I would appreciate it if she would take her child outside. I wrote a rant but instead of posting it here, which does nothing to effectively address the situation I printed it out and sent it as a personal and confidential letter to the doctor (he owns the place). I had some things to say about the way the receptionists (mis)handled the situation. I wanted to make sure he actually gets the letter. I kept telling myself "revenge is a dish best served cold." And it isn't really about revenge. It's about righting the situation, describing what actually happened and making sure that the doctor knows what went on in his waiting room and perhaps provides some training to his staff for handling such a situation correctly instead of ignoring it.
Your doctor should include a note with every appointment reminder that goes out, to the effect that the office policy is that out of consideration for ill patients in the waiting room, parents with disruptive children will be asked to wait in their car with their child/ren, and staff will contact them by phone when the doctor or nurse is ready to receive them.
It's too much to ask, that people of all ages and struggling with various health challenges put up with highly disruptive kids in the waiting room. It's not reasonable to require patients to endure that. I'm glad you sent a letter to the doc.
At least go back to taking biotin. I’m a true believer in it, have taken it for years.
Also, I used topical minoxidil years ago when I had sudden hair loss, which was telogen effluvium, the after effects of a severe trauma, illness & surgery. I used the stronger type recommended for men & had no bad side effects. It stopped the hair loss & my hair grew back.
At least go back to taking biotin. I’m a true believer in it, have taken it for years.
Also, I used topical minoxidil years ago when I had sudden hair loss, which was telogen effluvium, the after effects of a severe trauma, illness & surgery. I used the stronger type recommended for men & had no bad side effects. It stopped the hair loss & my hair grew back.
Yes, biotin is good assuming that one takes the right dose.
And remember about interaction with other drugs:
The following 8 drugs have moderate interactions: azithromycin. ciprofloxacin. clarithromycin. erythromycin base. erythromycin ethylsuccinate. erythromycin lactobionate. erythromycin stearate. roxithromycin.
Biotin has mild interactions with at least 77 different drugs.
I don't know if you're male or female or your age, but if you're a middle-aged/older woman, it could be menopause, in which case there's not much you can do about it.
I've been losing a lot of hair lately, too. I assumed it was stress, thyroid (my last couple of tests have been weird), Crohn's, or low iron, didn't even know antibiotics could contribute. Since I was on antibiotics for about three months after a recent surgery, that could be the cause. So many possibilities!
I have rosemary oil here, maybe I'll try that. I like the smell, and didn't have a negative reaction when using it on my skin.
Between that (the rosemary oil), the DHT blocking serum and starting up the Biotin again, I'm pretty confident that it's a phase. I also stopped using the clarifying shampoo and conditioner (it's a really good one). I think I was using it too much. The reason I was using it is resolved now (seborrhea). I think the seborrhea was caused by dust mites which is resolved now as well.
I was looking at some old photos. About 13 years ago I had all my colored hair cut off. The style was cute, but my hair looked rather thin. I let it grow out and it was pretty thick after that. I do think stress is a major factor in hair loss, but everything combined is probably the real story.
I've been losing hair like crazy in the past month. It could be from 2 heavy antibiotics I was taking due to a chronic lung condition. It could be due to stress (major lately). It could be due to the fact that I stopped taking my extensive vitamins for the past 4-6 weeks. I take quite a few vitamins that are high quality and not cheap, including Biotin and a whole host of other things. I feel better when I take them but I wanted to see how I felt without taking them. It could be due to the clarifying shampoo and conditioner I've been using. Tired, stressed, and now losing hair like crazy. It's actually scary compared to a few months ago.
It could be due to all of the above.
Stopped the antibiotics, taking all the vitamins again, and attempting to manage stress better. I also stopped using the clarifying shampoo and conditioner that I've used for the past 2 months. I think I used it too frequently. Average of 2 times per week. The seborhhea problem I had earlier this year is gone but I think I overdid it with the clarifying stuff.
At any rate, we'll see what happens. I'm not averse to taking minoxidil if things don't improve, but I'm going to wait 6 months to see if that would be unnecessary. Not interested in being a wispy-haired old lady. I blunt cut my hair every couple months so it does look thicker after I do that.
13 years post-menopausal. It's likely thyroid-related since my mother took thyroid hormones from ago 40 to when she passed at age 85.
I've been using a really mild shampoo and no conditioner. No combing hair while wet. A while back I purchsed John Frieda's Volume Lift. I started using it again today, after a fairly long hiatus. I like it. It's light, watery and doesn't leave residue. I do that hope my hair regrows. In the meantime it's looking ok enough.
The first time I ever lost hair was after my first child was born. It grew back within a year. After my 2nd child, I didn't have any hair loss though I was concerned I would.
The use of biotin supplements will throw off your thyroid test giving you misleading results. To get accurate measurements you will need to stop biotin for a period of time before testing. (People disagree about how long.) Make sure you are tested for thyroid antibodies, not just TSH, T3, T4.
Minoxidil (both oral form and topical applied to scalp) causes facial hair in women.
I'm sure you already know this but the way your hair loss presents can provide clues as to cause. Diffuse hair loss (all-over thinning) could be telogen effluvium for example, diffuse thinning with the most pronounced balding at the central part but retaining the frontal hairline is likely androgenetic / female pattern alopecia, bald patches could be areata, a receding front hairline with loss of vellus hairs could be frontal fibrosing alopecia, and I personally am seeing a lot of cases with overall loss of density combined with areas of balding / recession at the front hairline, especially central and temple areas - this presentation does not fit neatly into any of the accepted forms of alopecia but it is affecting so many women.
Treatment depends on underlying cause. What works for one form of hair loss will not help and could actually be contraindicated for another type of hair loss. A lot of people are doing laser treatments at home with caps and combs. PRP is another big trend for hair loss treatment. But again, the most important thing is to determine the cause.
This doctor's blog is extremely informative if you are interested in researching about different kinds of hair loss: https://donovanmedical.com/hair-blog
Balding / losing hair seriously seems like an epidemic lately among women of all ages. Very concerning.
Thank you for this info. My hair loss is all over. Thankfully not pattern balding. But wait - the section discussing hydroxychloroquine has me confused. I read that it can cause hair loss in some patients. I was prescribed that drug by a rheumatologist this past week for inflammation even though I do not have RA. I will not be taking it. But in reading that section, it seems that H is similar to finasteride when dealing with "frontal fibrosing" alopecia. At any rate, I'm glad that those kinds of patients can seemingly get results from H but I don't have alopecia and don't have RA so why should I take it?
A friend told me about Thyrostim by Biotics Research. I ordered it and will be taking it: BIOTICS Research Thyrostim™ – Endocrine Support, Balance Thyroid Hormones, T3, T4. Support Thyroid Gland, Boost Metabolism, Aid in Digestion. Support Nervous System. 90 Tablets.
I didn't intend to make this thread about thyroid, but it does appear that I have thyroid issues after seeing my doctor today. I do think stress and thyroid issues affect hair loss for many women. It's reassuring that something can be done about both.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Between that (the rosemary oil), the DHT blocking serum and starting up the Biotin again, I'm pretty confident that it's a phase. I also stopped using the clarifying shampoo and conditioner (it's a really good one). I think I was using it too much. The reason I was using it is resolved now (seborrhea). I think the seborrhea was caused by dust mites which is resolved now as well.
