I have been loosing my hair since taking levothyroxine, what will make my hair grow back?
- Asked
- 5 Jan 2013 by crissywsm
- Updated
- 1 Apr 2018
- Topics
- levothyroxine
Responses (16)
Hi Crissy,
I think you have it backwards. Hypothyroidism causes hair loss and also thinning eyebrows!
The med should be helping to stabilize your thyroid and decrease the hair loss. I had huge hair loss before the med. and yes, it does grow back :))
Please let me know if I can help further.
4N Substances
The medication is not the cause, as was mentioned. The hair loss is no different than when one has a baby and months later there is a large hair loss for a period. This temporary condition is simply your hair follicles resting due to hormonal changes from the thyroid. Once you are stable they will all startup again. It may seem like a lot but it really isn't. It is just more than normal. (By the way, this happens a every seven or so years for everybody as part of the normal growth cycles of hair. You can do the math with your age just in case that is also part of it.)
I got a short hair cut and felt better about it. Remember that it is nothing to worry about. In the unlikely possibility of a bald spot, then talk to your doctor. That would be something else. Ok? Be well and give your body time to adjust. Write back as questions come up regarding thyroid. Karen
Hair loss is a documented side affect of Levothyroxin. I had no hair loss prior to taking this med and my thyroid level wasn't low enough to warrant the med. But I'm afraid to stop taking it altho it's a really low dose. It's been 3 months and if it doesn't level out soon, I won't have any hair left!
So what does your doctor say about it?
I never had any hair loss ever like I do now. My thyroid level was slightly lower. The doctor started me on Armour. I have always had very thick dense hair. After starting on Armour my hair is diminishing by falling out and thinning rapidly. I don't know if it will stop. I'm going off of it. I'm not up for taking something that could make me bald. The medication makes me Itch all over and break out in blisters. The doctor acts like it's no big deal. I'm not going to subject myself to something I didn't experience prior to Armour.
Where did your blisters form at?
Are they multi vitamins and was she on Armour thyroid medication and loosing her hair?
I agree with you i am going through the same thing now!!! He raised my dose to 75 and my hair is dropping off it seems i cant brush it everytime i wash it its all over the tub. When my dose was 50 2 months ago this was not happening i thought i was going crazy!! Im happy to know i am not paranoid this is really happening.
Perhaps 75mgs is too much. Go back to 50mgs and see how you feel. Do you know your last tsh and t4 and t3 results? If not ask for them.
I've been on levothyroxine about 5 years now. At first I lost a lot of hair to a scary level when I took this drug but now I still lose more than I did pre drug (when I wash my hair tons falls out) but it has settled down a bit. I used to think I would go bald but so far I still have enough hair. But it is dry now. Not the big hair I had before Levo. A bit sad but at least I got my brain back ( forgetting my own phone number) and the painful leg cramps and all the other horrible hypothyroid symptoms like crying nearly every day, regurgitating undigested food I'd just eaten, strange little sparkly pains in my chest at night, not being able to hold a social conversation as I could not think what to say fast enough, anxiety..my tongue seemed to be fat I couldn't pronounce some words properly like "Elizabeth". I take thin hair over all those symptoms any day
I was sad to read this as ongoing Hairloss is so upsetting for my and my levels on levothyroxine are ok now on 125, since Nov. Did you Hairloss improve quite a bit or is it ongoing and does your Hair keep getting thinner? Sorry to ask but I've been looking for ideas and possible future predictions since it all stated 18 mtgs ago
My hair is certainly drier 5 years on. However I have less hair loss than I did. So with time the hair loss has slowed down a lot. But definitely it only started falling out when I started the Levo. What it did do a year or so before I started Levo was dry out and go wavy. So I think in time hair settles down. ! At least in my case. Now I have a full head of hair. But it is less thick. I have no bald patches. I take Vit D and magnesium. Keep an eye on ferritin/iron levels and b12. It all comes together I suppose. GP's try to play it all down
Please keep taking the medicine of your doctor prescribed it with valid reasons. I know how soul destroying it is when hairdressers look concerned at hair loss and hair thinning. But the issues the drug addresses must be addressed. Hair being crappy is a price I had to pay. In time it will never be perfect again probably but it will probably calm down. I am not bald. My hair is not that bad a few years on. Yes it is dry but I don’t have bald patches. But I know it is very upsetting so send you strength and courage to keep on with the medicine. X
Nicsriver gave a very accurate answer. Lack of thyroid hormone can affect your entire metabolism very dramatically and although the hair loss issue may be traumatic to some it is a cosmetic rather than health issue. Be sure your doctor is aware of your concerns (this is a rare enough side effect that many doctors AREN'T aware of it) because you may need blood tests to determine if you're over or undermedicated or whether a different type of thyroid supplementation should be used.
I've been taking levothyroxine 50mg for over five years and my long, straight blonde hair is now shoulder length and curly ~ borderline frizzy. I can live with hat.
Best regards and good luck! Wildcat
Hi Crissywsm: Being a long time hypothyroid patient myself, I have two suggestions to offer. Just my two cents:
You could talk to your doctor about switching to a natural desiccated thyroid medication called Nature-Throid. I have taken it for years and had much better results with it than I had with levothyroxine. Just switching to Nature-Throid made a tremendous difference in how I felt and my hair and scalp problems lessened greatly.
Many medications can cause our hair to thin out, such as antidepressants, antibiotics, blood pressure meds, etc., for some people. Please let your doctor adjust your dose. Sometimes it takes several trips to the doctor and several times of checking your TSH levels to get the correct dosage for you personally.
Oops! That comment was meant to be directed at Nicsriver and Renni. Sorry...
Thanks I will try evening primrose oil. I remember years ago at a breast clinic they recommended that. I tend to buy it then leave it in drawer until it expires :) better try actually taking the stuff ! I recently started vitamin d ( you take one pill every two weeks).
I'm posting this response in hope to help someone else with the same problem. I had initial hair loss on this medication. It lasted for 3 months. During that time i learned that low Ferritin is very common in hypothyroid patients. Ferritin is sort of like iron storage in our body. Iron on another hand is #1 reason for hair loss in women. So about 2-3 weeks ago I started taking ferritin supplement. Not sure if supplement worked or i got adjusted to the medication, but that abnormal hair loss stopped in last week or so. I hope it stays this way.
Further Information
- Levothyroxine Information for Consumers
- Levothyroxine Information for Healthcare Professionals (includes dosage details)
- Side Effects of Levothyroxine (detailed)
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HI 4substances, It does sound backwards,Ihad a full head of hair untill i was put on that.Itold the doc she said when my thyroid is regulated it will grow back. She raised my dosage and now even more hair loss.ive taken the higher dosage for 2yrs.The weird thing is i wasnt loosing my hair befor. do you know of anything that will help make it grow? i have bald spots now.thank you for getting back to me.
Wish I did! Let me know if you find something. I expected my Dr to have a suggestion, but no luck!
Nice visiting with you.
4N Substances
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.
It is well known that levothyroxine causes hair loss. I had hair thinning from my thyroid disease and was put on armour... thinning continued for a while when my endo changed it and put me on levothyroxine. then my hair started coming out in hands full... shetold me to be patient and increased my levo... then my hair was found on my pillow in the morning... all over myclothing... and when I pulled out a small rodent that was clogging my sink to only discover it was MY HAIR... I begged her to give me back my armour... she would not do it, so I went back to my naturalist and she placed me back on armour. WITHIN A WEEK MY HAIR STOPPED FALLING OUT IN LARGE AMOUNTS. I cannot answer whether or not the hair will grow back because it has not even been a month since returning to my armour... but I am happy... and hoping my bald spots might fill in. levothyroxine DOES, DOES CAUSE HAIR LOSS.
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in researching the medicine, I have found dozens of women who are suffering great amounts of baldness since using that med. I am happy I went back to the natural dissected thyroid. levothyroxine is MAN MADE.
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 recently started losing my hair also Crissy. I haven't figured out exactly why, I am researching my medications now, but I was in the hospital this past September, so I'm guessing because I was so sick, now I'm suffering with hair loss because of all the stress I've gone through. However, since then, I was put on birth control pills to regulate my abnormal periods & I have found out that taking those causes hair loss.
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Anyway, I wanted to respond to you because I went to a local beauty supply store here and the lady there recommended I use "Placenta" which is a leave in conditioner spray. I spray it on every time I get outta the shower and it seems to be helping me. Also, she recommended Castor Oil for hair growth and you can order that on Amazon. She said you apply it twice a week, it will turn your hair black, and then you wash it out. She told me that her Mother suffers with hair loss and both of these products has helped her Mother's hair to start growing back in. You should give these products a try, really.
I know what you're going through, and it really can bring you down. At least it has gotten me down because I used to have a head full of thick, naturally curly hair.
Good luck to you & God bless!