I have been loosing my hair since taking levothyroxine, what will make my hair grow back?

Respectfully, I have to disagree. I've been taking Levothyroxine for over 20 years. My hair has been falling out in clumps for the last year and getting progressively thinner over the last decade. I have NO eyebrows left.

A friend told me she stopped taking Levothyroxine, went to Armour and her hair started coming back. Sounded counterintuitive to me. BUT go to the side effects on Levothyroxine and hair loss is one of them, along with many other symptoms I have been experiencing and just thought I was going nuts. Needless to say, I'm ticked.

Respectfully, I have to disagree. I've been taking Levothyroxine for over 20 years. My hair has been falling out in clumps for the last year and getting progressively thinner over the last decade. I have NO eyebrows left.

A friend told me she stopped taking Levothyroxine, went to Armour and her hair started coming back. Sounded counterintuitive to me. BUT go to the side effects on Levothyroxine and hair loss is one of them, along with many other symptoms I have been experiencing and just thought I was going nuts. Needless to say, I'm ticked.

I have been "dealing" with hypothyroidism, for 3 yrs now. The doctor just put me on 150 mcg, over a month ago. My hair has been falling out in clumps since. I ALWAYS had thick long hair. I understand, it is not good to go off the medicine, but quite frankly, I see no difference in my "pep in my step", or any other positive qualities, therefore, I decided not to continue taking it... I think the medicine has not only made me put on weight, (20+ lbs) but Yes, I am losing hair ( & alot) daily...
Signed, Discouraged.

oh... p.s. What is Armour?

Hypothyroidism does cause hair loss, but do does levothyroxine... obviously in Some people. I'm one if them. It's important to remember, everyone is effected differently and doctors Should be advising their patients accordingly regarding this severe side effect.

Cat

I started to take Levo about 6 months ago. I did not go in complaining of symptoms, it was found on routine blood work. For the first month I was tired all the time and my muscles and joints were sore. Three months in,I started to loose my hair. It also got dry and brittle, started breaking off. 4 to 41/2 months in, I started get dark circles under my eyes and edema under my eyes and my eye lids. I stopped taking the drug, with another doctor's OK.
I was fine until I started to take this drug. My TSH was 6.8. If your TSH is under ten and you are not experiencing symptoms, don't start taking it. I am waiting to see if I will get back to normal now that I have stopped taking it.

Hi 4N! I began leva about six weeks ago. I believe I just got my dosage correct at 50 mcg. When will my hair loss, itchy scalp, and hair dryness stop? How long does it take to grow back?

I would like to say that my hair never fell out my whole life but as soon as I took thyroid medication my hair stated getting thin and falling out. Not before thyroid medication, not before thyroid medication, not before thyroid medication but after taking thyroid drugs. My thyroid was a little low the doctor said. I have stopped taking it altogether and my doctor knows. I just want to know when my hair is coming back.

So hard to know what to do. I hate it so much and it really has got to me this lady 18mths. Levels supposedly ok Since Nov but hairloss still continues, I've been 'waiting ' for so long now but im obviously one of the unlucky few that thyroxine makes it worse. Any positive stories so greatfully received but with hairloss if it continues long into treatment there seems v few and God I've searched. Even a top endo seemed to not have much experience if it and us sure there should be no side effects!!!

So hard to know what to do. I hate it so much and it really has got to me this lady 18mths. Levels supposedly ok Since Nov but hairloss still continues, I've been 'waiting ' for so long now but im obviously one of the unlucky few that thyroxine makes it worse. Any positive stories so greatfully received but with hairloss if it continues long into treatment there seems v few and God I've searched. Even a top endo seemed to not have much experience if it and us sure there should be no side effects!!!

yes i had the same problem after taking the medication. However, I am using Viviscal, Hair vitamin, and a lot of biotin. My hair is getting better.

I have been taking levothyroxine for two months. I have lost a significant amount of hair. I know for a fact it's from the medicine. From what I just read about it, hair does not grow back. Very upsetting. I will research everything I take now and not trust the doctors

The meds made my hair fall out... she is right

I don’t have an under active or over active thyroid. I was put on Levothyroxine to see if it would decrease my goiter. My thyroid levels are normal. I have no new hair growth at all and the hair I do have is falling out. I’m being told it’s not the medicine but if my thyroid is normal and all my blood work shows everything is normal and I’m not stressed or have low iron. What else could it be aside from the Levothyroxine?

I was having hair falling out before the meds and losing eyebrows. After 3 months getting better but now I getting tints of green in my hair. And no not a swimmer. Now my water softener company say I need a new $800+unit for better water. Lived here for 20+yrs and never a problem. Just was wondering about the meds since that is the only new thing I have added.

He said to give it time. I had a serious Lyme flare up and he thought the stress it placed on my body might have been the reason for the start of hair loss and doesn't think the Levo caused it. He prescribed the Levo as a gentle thyroid treatment to help my energy which flatlined with the flare up. It's so expensive to see this dr that I am going to wait till I am desperate to re-visit the hair loss.

I believe this medication is the cause..I went off of it for six months and had a full head of hair again... Unfortunately my thyroid level was dangerously low which can also increase your cholesterol and increase your sugar level so I am back on it... and losing my hair again... it is NOT normal to lose a handful of hair every time you shower!!! The normal person who loses hair does not have bald areas... Sorry, but I had a short haircut also and that doesn't help hide the bald areas on the top of your head..I don't know the answer and would never tell anyone to stop their thyroid medicine because it is dangerous to do so... but there has to be an answer out there to stop the this side effect.

The answer is the Lymes disease. That is an important fact, there is also hereditary hair loss in women. Stress causes hair loss. Almost killing oneself by stopping a life saving hormone for the sake of vanity is mighty extreme, I usually don't judge but no head of hair is worth being dead. And finally there is the psychological condition that causes hair loss by the very sake of continuously worrying about it. Get the hormones straight. See a good endocrinologist and have all of your hormones checked. Male and female levels. There are also rare diseases that this is a symptom. Shock to the psyche or the body extremely I'll takes many months to recover. Hair is part of that.

I was in my 3rd month of Levothyroxine when I lost almost half of my hair. I'm off in now, my first week and I'm hoping my hair will grow back. I've also been doing research on ways to balance my thyroid and other hormones naturally. Exercise, diet and stress management are very important in doing this. I'm excited about seeing how this lifestyle change will effect my thyroid. .

Cat

I am on the med have been for a year now I am balding badly, haven't lost any of the Eight I had gained please y'all help is there a different med I can use or get it removed

I too have noticed a massive amount of hair loss since taking the medication.

It is such a huge concern. My thyroid level has stabilized so my doctor has suggested I stopped taking the meds. Ive been off it a week now.

Im hoping to see a decrease in hairloss

I agree. My hypothyroidism was found on routine blood work. I did not have symptoms until i started taking the drug. Now my skin is really dry and my hair is falling out.my TSH was 6. I've the endocrinological (SP?) society does not recommend meds until it hits 10?

actually the medication can cause hair loss, weight gain and puffy eyes. i was on methimazole and atenolol and had . puffy eyes ,weight gain, hair loss [extreme] when my thyroid levels went down too far i was removed from the medications. my hair stopped falling out. my dark circles lightenend and the puffy eyes went away. when i started taking the meds again all the symptoms came back worse than before. actually a lot of studies show now that these medications can cause those side effects. so ya it can be the meds. i know first hand

I've was given 25mg of Levothyroxine once a day. In the four months I've been taking it I now have bald patches and very thinning hair my bath tub gets blocked with the clumps of hair I loose! I have gained weight and now I'm panicking. I googled "can Levothyroxine cause hair loss" and it bought me to this site and I'm so glad it did because reading all the comments from other people with hair loss and weight gain and it's all leading back to these pills !!
I'm coming off these pills straight away !
Thank you to everyone who has posted their experiences - hair loss can be very embarrassing and knocks our confidence considerably. Xx

I know for a fact thyroid medication will cause hair loss with many people. If you are not one of the people it causes hair loss with then you're lucky. My ear nose and throat specialist saw me for something and he told me that he could put me on thyroid medication. He said i didnt really need it but it would make me feel better. So he put me on it and in a matter of months i started losing my hair and itching all over constantly. I went back to him... he said he never heard of that. I have a few bald spots on top of my head. I don't know if it will grow back. I stopped taking the medication months ago. I had no hair loss problems prior to taking thyroid medication. I don't take any medications and I stay far away from doctors.

yes, it is true that thyroid disease will cause hair loss, but it is also true that levothyroxine and some other drugs DO cause hair loss. I lost some hair due to thyroid disease... thinning... but when I went OFF the armour (natural thyroid from pigs) and went ON the levothyroxine, my hair started coming off in GOBS. My hand would be filled with huge amounts of long strands of my hair. washing my hair was a nightmare ... when I had to use a rooter to get the sink unclogged, at first I thought I had discovered a small animal... but that hair was a huge ball that had once lived on MY head! After bald spots and lots of grief, I went back to the armour two years later, and after a week, my hair STOPPED coming out in huge amounts. I am still hoping the bald spots will grow back... but at least I am no longer losing my hair in large amounts. so levo DOES cause hair loss. also, when I went online and did research,I DID find that it is fact...

I'm sorry to say but I've been on TV thyroid meds since 2000 a mb d will be for t by e reset if my life. The hair loss from thyroid meds is not temporary.

I'm sorry to say but I've been on thyroid meds since 2000 and I will be for the rest of my life. The hair loss from thyroid meds is not temporary. Also I have hyperthyroidism not hupothyroidism. I'm at a loss because I don't know what to do. Tried vitamins, liquid iron, nothing works.

Thank you so much for answering it sounds positive and I really appreciate it. So pleased for you xx

Hi Renni, you're the first person I've seen that has had wavy hair growing. I had naturally straight, thick hair, lots of it. I don't know when I actually got hypo but Dec 2016 my TSH was 6.2. I also have perimenopause but I'm on HRT plus Synthryoid. My hair doesn't stop falling and my TSH is down to 1.7. I'm devasted about the hair loss and it's wavy hair that I have. I see that you said it stopped and that you've grown back your hair. After countless # of docs, I'm getting mixed messages. Will my hair grow back? What did you end up taking? Synthyroid or Armour?

About Levo, my hair is dryer, breaking off and thinner and I've been on it for about 2.5 years. I think my Doc has me on a dosage that's too strong. Going for more blood tests to find out. But I will say I lost the 30 lbs I gained within a year after taking Levo, so that is the Good part. Can always buy a wig but you can't really hide 30 pounds...

I’m on levothyroxine 100mcg nightly . My hair is thinner but I stopped crying and got my mind back once I had been on it for a few weeks so it is worth having thinner hair for. Now I don’t forget my own phone number :)

Totally agree. I did shed some hair but not loads but hair before treatment was thick and wiry and unmanageable and a bit of balding on the top. Now it is softer shinier and more manageable and bald spot on top has gone. This is three years down the line. So stick with it. Things will get better. I used headbands a lot in transitional period as never seemed to be able to do anything with my hair.

... I can live with *THAT* , not a hat! :-)

Hat

Geez! What am I... asleep? I should have given credit to RENNI for her answer!

Hat made me laugh thank you !

Although I did not have obvious symptoms for hypo and my doctor disclosed this to me during my annual physical. He put me on Levothyroxine 25 MCG. I did not notice any side effect on my hair for the first 3 months, however after using it for 5-6 months, not only I have bald spots my full set of hair reduced to almost bald from the middle (very odd bald). I got panicked and stop taking Levothyroxine without talking to my doctor. Actually I was initially upset with my doctor that he did not tell me the side effects. I thought if this is temporary side effect of the medication than if I stop taking the medication, my hair will grow back. It has been 2 months, I have stopped taking the medication, yet to see my hair to grow back. BTW I have not noticed any -ve impact on my health so far due to stopping the Levothyroxine. Not sure what should I do now to grow hair, start the medication back, change the dosage, any advise, suggestions ? Best regards

Hi, I Started levothyroxine in June 2017 my hair was long and thick. It's now falling out rapidly and thinning, I take vitamin D and iron daily, Please let me know if I can do anything else to stop this process from continuing. It controls my daily life stressed out, Etc,

Hi char:
Here is a tip to help your hair to grow back in and to make your scalp healthy and strong - Evening Primrose Oil...
I got this information from the Mary Shomon website. She gives lots of information to people who have hypothyroidism, which is one main cause of hair loss, amongst many others. I started taking EPO after reading her blog, and my hair all grew back in thicker and my scalp feels much healthier. She recommended the Source Naturals brand, 1350 mg softgel capsules. It really has helped me with this problem.