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[jaycee]

Hello, not been here for a while, but i m suffering sudden hair loss, no idea why,i was shocked when i looked at my hair a couple of months ago, looking in a mirror at the beck of my hair,i have 3 almost bald patches
Wondering if anyone else has found their hair has suddenly gone like this,
I can understand that it has probably been happening more gradually than it seems, but i just have not noticed any hair in the plughole or when coming it
It has thinned a bit since menopause, but nothing as drastic and seemingly sudden
I have had a thyroid test, as this seemed to coincide with weight gain and tiredness. but it came back normal
I am taking livial, [Tibilone] for the last 18 monthsor maybe longer,i did wonder if they were the reason, but i would have thought it would have shown up before now
Would a different HRT make any difference, i am so self conscious about it now
Any help or advice greatly appreciated

[Shadyglade]

Are you under any stress at the moment.  That can cause hair loss.

Other than that maybe you are low on some nutrients.

[Tc]

Jaycee. Sorry to hear this. Have you had your b12 and vit d levels checked? Xx

[jaycee]

Thank you for your replies, yes i had thyroid test done 2 weeks ago, been taking vit D but a new Dr i saw then has stopped it, she told me to go and buy it, but i dont think i can buy that strength, i am very annoyed about it, as my own Dr gave it to me for a reason,
I am supposed to have high iron as i have Haemochromatosis, but sometimes my iron drops too low as they insist i need venesections, a pint of blood at a time taken, but i have been refusing as when my iron drops i feel terrible and it drops a lot at once
I was tested for B12 apparently,
RE; the livial, i did wonder about that as it is kind of testosterone based, but i have been on it for the second time for about 2 years so if it was that i would have expected the hair loss before now
I had quite a lot of stress for the last 2 years, so could be connected i guess, but this has happened in the last 4-5 months
I am going back to the Drs next week, again not my own as he is off ill, but this Dr i know,the other was a locum or trainee,who i took an instant dislike to as she wanted to take me off others and i said i wanted to see my own Dr when he was back, as i dont think a Dr who doesnt know my history should just decide i dont need this or that
MY MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER DID HAVE VERY THIN HAIR AT THE CROWN, BUT THEY WERE A LOT YOUNGER THAN I AM NOW, AND I THINK IF HRT HAD BEEN AVAILABLE THEN [SORRY CAPS ON BY ACCIDENT] they might not have suffered as it was at the menopause it happened. and it was thin all over, i am going to see about oestrogen patches with this Dr i am seeing next week, but i think i will probably stop the livial anyway, only taking it because of night sweats
It is very depressing, i have been taking biotin which has helped my nails and hair otherwise,it is growing very fast , and looks very thick  at the front and sides

[jaycee]

Thank you for all replies,i am post menopausal but still getting some flushes but mainly night sweats, so did my mother even in her 80s, also sister the same,so asked my Dr if i could go back on HRT, as nice guidelines say its ok now even at an older age,
He gave me livial as that was what i was on before and suited me, although i am sleeping better, i still [only recently ] feel tired and no energy
I have read that low oestrogen can cause hair loss, and my ferritin gets much lower than it should. i believe its below 70 it can cause hair loss, ,i will see this Dr, because she does know me better than the others who all seem to be new
My own Dr is off for 12 weeks due to having an operation, so might not be back for a while yet
I suppose the thinning has been going on longer than i thought.although one side seemed a bit thinner than the other, but overall not very thin, i know of course that hair does tend to thin as we get older,
RE; the vit D,yes i know i can buy it, but to buy the higher strength, would probably cost more than a low dose, but i feel if my Dr gave it to me for a reason, another one shouldnt take it off me[or anything else]
I hadnt noticed any particular loss of hair, and so was so shocked when i saw the almost bald patches i was shaking, i know that sounds dramatic, but that was how it affected me, my hair has always been the one thing i really liked about myself and always looked nice, i have to wear a hat now when i go out as so self conscious about it
I have bought various non sulphate shampoos, and recently bought some minoxidil, off Amazon, just a sample size to make sure i am not allergic or sensitive to it
PS; dont mind the questions at all]

[jaycee]

Thanks Birdy i will , i have seen fine strands in the plughole but very little, and none in the comb,
Another thing i did wonder about but forgot to mention is i had used heated rollers, not very often ,but they did get very hot, wondered if that had done any harm, my mother blamed the old fashioned way of doing perms for her hair loss, as they used heated things,that hung down from the ceiling, [no idea what they were] i remember seeing them when i went to the hairdressers with her,she said the burnt her scalp

[jaycee]

Hi Stella,20 + years is a long time to suffer with hair loss, i have read about the type of hair loss you have, but mine is definitely not that, like i said, my hair looks very thick and luxurious from the front
I have a feeling the Dr will say its hereditary, but i dont think it is, partly because it has happened to me so late compared to my mum and grandmother,
I do think it could be stress related, because i also lost quite a bit of weight while going through the stress, so it could have been thinning all this time and i only just noticed , i rarely look at the back of my hair so yes i was shocked, in fact couldnt believe it i had to look again and check, i have some hair that has grown over from the front so only noticed when it was wet, just washed, but i ony noticed after i put the weight back on, which is why i thought thyroid, and felt so tired,   
I have read about progesterone not being good for hair, and i will try to remember when i see the Dr
My hair is a mixture of dark and light blonde, [coloured] but i am sure it is nothing to do with that
I am not particularly light skinned, but i do use sunscreen
My daughter said my scalp looked pink, not sure what it should be, but the Dr i saw who did the tests never said anything about that
I was reading on gransnet a coule of weeks ago, that a few of them were given steroid cram to apply to the scalp, and the hair regrew, i do know that steroid cream can cause har growth on hands etc, so will ask about that too,
I will update when i have seen the Dr, or any other developments before then

[jaycee]

I know your were;nt Stella, i wasnt meaning that, i will look up alopecia areata, thank you, and  update, when i find out more, but my appointment isnt until the 20th, never known having to waiot this long for an appointment,have often got in the same day or day after, i could have done really but with Dr unknown
I would be very pleased if my own Dr was back by then, i was told i could keep checking ,

[jaycee]

Thank you *Birdy* thats good to know, so i can discuss this with the Dr when i go, hopefully because she is a woman Dr of menopausal age she will sort me out, i cant really understand my Dr giving me tablets, that go through the liver, as i have Haemochromatosis and have to be careful what goes through my liver
Is there a facebook page where i can find this information, so i can print it off, to take with me to show her

[jaycee]

Thank you *Stella* i have looked up  alopecia areata, some very intersting theories on the article i looked at,
I am having to wear a hat when i go out as although some of my front hair covers it a bit because of its length,it shows when my hair parts and i have a double crown
I will see what this Dr suggests but would like to try oestrogen patches

[Shadyglade]

Just want to ask what your diet is, on a day to day basis.  Do you exclude any particular foods groups etc.,

Some times important nutrients can be lacking in what you think is a healthy diet. We can get away with it when young but not us older ones.

[jaycee]

Maybe other people dont care but i do and i remember my poor mother when hers went thin,she ended up buying a wig, but couldnt afford a real hair one and hated going out

[Annie0710]

Jaycee I totally understand how you feel .  Have you looked into Nanogen Hair Fibres? They are fantastic at hiding a widening part.  They are 100% undetectable x

[jaycee]

*Annie* yes i have thought about it, but dont really want to use them if i can do anything else about it,i might have to rethink, but if i use them the Dr might say thats all i need to do, so will wait and see
I have some of the spray on for colouring just roots, and it helps a bit

[Shadyglade]

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ringworm/

I found this.  Your saying that the patch looked pink rang a bell.

If it is this it is very easily treated.