Hair loss and anxiety is it thyroid related
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hello everyone! Newbie here. I would be very grateful if I received some advice!!
I’m a 22 year old male and since I was around 18 I have suffered both Hair loss and anxiety.
Regarding my hair, although not completely bald my crown has thinned quite significantly and I have what is referred to as a “Mature hairline”. For the past, few years I believed male baldness was the problem and have been on various medications such as Finasteride and Minoxidil which has made it neither better or worse.
In addition, I have been diagnosed with “General anxiety disorder”. I have been on various SSRI’s for years now with little sign of improvement…If anything my anxiety is getting worse. I have had periods of depression which is a common symptom with it.
Although it may be completely coincidental…My hair loss and anxiety began at the same time (18). I thought nothing of it at the time until It seemed suspicious that they both began at the same time.
The past few weeks I have been researching for any other medical/health reasons that Hair loss and anxiety are affected by and I have some interesting findings that may be the culprit.
I went to the doctors to have a Full blood count (Complete blood count) and I have been prescribed Folic Acid tablets as my levels were low.
Additionally, they tested my TSH which apparently came back normal (My GP never gave me the figures). But having browsed the symptoms of thyroid problems, many symptoms I have experienced especially with my hair and anxiety. But others include
Quick weight gain and loss
Sweating
Thin outer eyebrows
Constantly thirsty
Rapid heartbeat when anxious
Tiredness (Trouble sleeping and sleeping too much)!!
Frequent urination
Also, I have noticed that one of my eyes Is slightly bigger than the other? Not sure if its related or not
I have booked another appointment with my GP to enquire about a full blood test since I have read TSH tests alone are next to useless!!!.
Would Hyperthyroidism be a likely condition or am I clutching at straws here?
These conditions really are destroying my life! Constantly anxious and self-conscious about my hair. I feel worthless
and my life is not worth living with these conditions
Thank you!!
Tom
1 like, 10 replies
alasdair80006 tom777
Posted
Tom,
?sounds like me at your age. I was diagnosed at 38.
?In hindsight I wouldn't want to start taking the drugs etc at your age, i.e. carbnizorol.
Instead I would look and see if I could control and manage it with diet and excerise.
?Make sure you avoid diet drinks, you might find gluten is a problem, so perhaps drop bread, pasta and beer unless its gluten free.
?There is something called the Auto-immune protocol. I have never read it but I know diet and excercise make me feel much better.
Best wishes
Alasdair
madge1979 tom777
Posted
Tom I just sent you a very long message only to find that as I pressed send
It disappeared !!!!!
So I will try once more .. but want you to know this ...
You are not alone and you will become well again given the correct route ..
so please don't despair .. we've all been in your position to some degree or other
And know how bad you feel 💙
Mx🌹
tom777
Posted
Thank you very much everyone! When I posted yesterday I was feeling very low about my symptoms and now I don't feel as alone now with all the advice!
I have a GP appointment scheduled for next Wednesday and I'll ask him for a copy of my results along with requesting a full thyroid test.
Thanks
madge1979 tom777
Posted
Hi Tom,
you sound very worried and anxious and probably afraid .. and that's exactly what you would feel like with HYPERthyroidism or GRAVES' disease ... or maybe you have had an attack or Thyroiditis.
But well done for finding this site. as you are now on your way now .. to better health.
lets start with your symptoms .. they certainly point to HYPERthyroidism , as i had all of those symptoms and more ...
including
overactive bowels and bladder
head hair falling out and breaking off...
loss of body hair
no eyebrows or eyelashes
dry itchy skin
hot sweats every hour of every day ... and night
awful insomnia
toenails falling out
internal shaking especially chest and neck
severe pain in large muscles in arms and shoulders
also of legs, thighs , lower back
i think maybe the worst was ...brain fog... the ability to think straight or even finish a sentence as i could not remember very simple words .....like cat or dog !
and the awful , terrible feeling of being anxious and terrified ...
of absolutely Nothing !
i believe it is all because your body ' is going at a hundred miles an hour '
and because it is ..l it leaves your body short of many of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are absolutely crucial to make your body work in a balanced and controlled way.
first you must find out what exactly you have ...is it THYROIDitis
HYPERthyroid disease or GRAVES' disease ... these are a few of the thyroid
problems a lot of us have on this site.
GRAVES disease is HYPERTHYROIDISM with Antibodies attacking your Thyroid Gland.
Like you .. I did not know anything about these things when i developed GRAVES
but when my doctor , who had ignored my pleas for help for a long time telling me
it was anxiety , told me eventually that I had Graves' disease he actually laughed and said .. I can hardly believe it !
He offered me RAI ... radio active Iodine, which destroys the Thyroid Gland and if that doesn't work... Surgery to remove the Thyroid Gland
I told him i did NOT want to destroy my Thyroid Thanks... i would rather treat my Immune system and again he scoffed and said that was far too complicated.
So ... I paid to see an endocrinologist privately. He only seemed to be interested in getting the numbers right and had no interest in my symptoms and so i felt i had to treat my symptoms myself .. i.e. .., self medicate .. and i thank God that i did
as I now feel very well indeed.
...and you can too Tom !
Firstly .. if you haven't already done so ... Go back to your GP and ask him to do your Blood tests again ... as you are pretty sure having joined a respected website for Thyroid sufferers , that you may well have a Thyroid Condition which affecting you badly .
This time ask for the specific tests for Thyroid disease and for ANTIBODY test
also for Vitamin B12 Magnesium and D3 ... at least .. as many of us are low or deficient in these vital vitamins and minerals ... and if we have used them all up being Hyper ... we simply must replace them.
My Graves' disease seems to run in my family ... as my Maternal gRandmother had all my symptoms , as did my Mother, sisters cousins and nieces.. so i should have been expecting it .. but i wasn't .... now i know what they all suffered .
its better not to overwhelm you at the moment Tom .., but there's more that you will learn once you have your blood tests done.
Remember that these blood tests are your property and you should ask for a printed copy of them... they may charge a very small fee for paper and ink but usually don't.
I have all my blood test results from first test.. and it's important to look back and see your progress.
next thing to do would be to come back to this thread you've started and type them out in their entirety including the figures in ( brackets
as those are the lab ranges used to see just where you are on the scale.
once you come back you will be astonished at the response you get .. people will be only too happy to explain the results and assure you .
Please don't , whatever you do , be in despair , I remember only too well what that felt like ... ie ... how can i possibly live and thrive .. feeling the way I do ?
depending on what your results say , you will start on meds and supplements that will re establish your Thyroid health once more
So best of luck luvvie ... get those Bloods done and talk to you soon.
luv mx🌹
tom777 madge1979
Posted
Wow...Your reply is incredible. Firstly well done for doing something about your condition as the symptoms are brutal! I wish you all the best in treating the illness.
You really hit the nail on the head when you say it feels like your body "is going at a hundred miles an hour '. I can be in the least threatening environment but internally it feels like I'm about to combust! Mentally I'm all over the place with my brain feeling like there's a billion things happening inside and occasionally I can physically feel the pressure inside of my head
Additionally I have slight hand shakes and my chest and neck tightens. It's scary.
It confuses me that my GP mentioned my TSH level was normal when I got the results last week as I was convinced something was up thyroid related. They did a full blood count so only did the standard TSH test alongside it.
This time I've booked in with a GP who I have more confidence in. He's quite understanding and I feel he'll take me seriously and do the necessary tests.
I'll keep everyone posted on any developments
Thank you!!
Tom
Guest tom777
Posted
Hi Tom, when I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism my TSH was normal and my T4 was only just above the normal level but I had some very unpleasant symptoms. So yes your TSH can be normal but mine plummeted on my 2nd blood test just 2 weeks later. Glad you are going back to ask for a more thorough investigation and hope you get some answers. Take care and goog luck 🤗
tom777 Guest
Posted
madge1979 tom777
Posted
Tom,
It would be a very good idea ,,, if you make an appointment with a respected Optometrist ..........as if you have Graves' disease ... and you may not at all.... there is a condition called Graves Eye disease which can sometimes accompany it and should be addressed quickly . It can be dealt with very successfully, so don't worry too much about that..but it is imperative that you get an appt. as soon as possible , as you have noticed a change in your eye.
please Google Graves eye disease to find out more .
luv mx🌹
JayValle tom777
Posted
tom777
Posted
Hello everyone!
I have come back from my GP appointment and had a print out of my blood test. My TSH level was 3.9. Maybe I have hypo???
The range was 0.4 - 5.0
He said that it was nothing to worry about but he agreed following on from my concern to have a thyroid test (with T3+T4 this time) so we'll see what happens.