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View Full Version : I have to go on Hormone Replacement Therapy. How will this effect my hair?



Dorothy
April 16th, 2013, 06:01 PM
I am menopausing, even though I am only 44, and I have so many of the negative sx it makes life not worth living, I'm not going into that because it would be so boring, and so I'm going to go on some kind of HRT. My hair is thinning in the female pattern baldness sort of way, my part is not widening yet but I can tell how the chips are falling, and they are falling the way Janet Stephens talks about hair loss in the ancient world, if you get my drift.

I'm 44 and I have just achieved waist length, red hair. I am not ready to say goodbye.

Will HRT help my hair? What have your experiences been? I plan to post on how this goes.

Wish I could find my camera. Maybe I can get other people to take pics of me.

leslissocool
April 16th, 2013, 06:10 PM
There are tables you can get for hormonal regulation that are natural, my mom got those and those helped her so much. She's 48 and going through it.

My grandmother did the patches and the hormones, her hair is at BSL (or longer) now, before it was a lot thinner.


:grouphug:

Crazycatlady
April 16th, 2013, 07:53 PM
I've heard that evening primrose can help. Have you tried it? Good luck!

Babyfine
April 16th, 2013, 08:00 PM
I've thought of doing the same thing, and I've been wondering the same thing.(How will it affect my hair?) Right now I take female balance by Symmetry(these are herbal supplements). My symptoms are quite minor, though.
I'll be following this with interest....I used to take BCPs years ago and I experienced some hair loss after I quit-so I would hope HRT wouldn't do the same for me.

chen bao jun
April 16th, 2013, 08:08 PM
Hope it helps you. Also try Jamaican black castor oil on your scalp. My mother has grown back so much hair in bald places after using this since last August. Also try burdock root oil.

Dorothy
April 17th, 2013, 05:56 AM
Thanks for the input. I'll check with my healthy store alternative medicine lady about evening primrose and see if they have any jamaican black castor oil - although I don't think I'm committed enough to do the castor oil daily, I try to wash every 3 days. But I could put it on my scalp when I do a coconut oil length treatment. I'm going to call my PA and get in to see her sometime this week, I'll keep you posted about what she prescribes and the results.

PeacenQuietGal
April 17th, 2013, 02:18 PM
Dorothy, I had a total hysterectomy at 43, pre menopausal for me, and have been on HRT ever since. In fact, I was on it when I founf LHC and started my hair journey. I think I have the same hair I had as a young woman, in terms of thicknesses and growth rate. If anything, I think the HRT has preserved my hair from the normal age related thinning that my mother and sister are experiencing. Wishing you well with your HRT!

DarleneH
April 18th, 2013, 06:52 PM
If your therapy includes increasing / improving estrogen, your hair will benefit.

Dorothy
April 19th, 2013, 06:10 AM
Moan. My doctor sent me to a compounding pharmacist - all the cool chicks are going there to get their hormones compounded - and he assessed in a 15 minute chat without looking at my hair that i needed progesterone, no estrogen, and wants me to get tested and treated for something called "Adrenal Fatique" which seemed all fine and dandy in his office but then I came home and googled it and half the world doesn't believe in it.... And, there seems to be no real treatment except obsessive healthy eating, and it's supposed to take years to get over. He thinks my hair loss is due to that situation, and thus doesn't want to give me estrogen. Frankly, I don't agree. I mean, if there's such a thing as "Adrenal Fatigue" I'm sure I have it, I work with suicidal people all the time and I'm extremely anxious, depressed, etc. However, in one week, I have to go right back to that same job, and for all kinds of reasons I'm not changing jobs. But of course since it's not a real diagnosis - which said pharmacist did not reveal to me, also did not reveal controversy about it - since it's not a real dx, insurance doesn't pay for treatment, and lord only knows how much that will cost, because although I can see that there are no suggested meds on the internet, I know he's planning on compounding me something. I'm thinking of just going to the other compounding pharmacist in town. I can't afford to wait years feeling like crap and losing my hair with a dx and treatment most doctors don't believe in.... Anybody have any experience with this?

Kherome
April 19th, 2013, 06:39 AM
It wasn't that long ago that Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue weren't "real." Please don't judge just because the condition isn't mainstreamed yet.

leslissocool
April 19th, 2013, 12:45 PM
Moan. My doctor sent me to a compounding pharmacist - all the cool chicks are going there to get their hormones compounded - and he assessed in a 15 minute chat without looking at my hair that i needed progesterone, no estrogen, and wants me to get tested and treated for something called "Adrenal Fatique" which seemed all fine and dandy in his office but then I came home and googled it and half the world doesn't believe in it.... And, there seems to be no real treatment except obsessive healthy eating, and it's supposed to take years to get over. He thinks my hair loss is due to that situation, and thus doesn't want to give me estrogen. Frankly, I don't agree. I mean, if there's such a thing as "Adrenal Fatigue" I'm sure I have it, I work with suicidal people all the time and I'm extremely anxious, depressed, etc. However, in one week, I have to go right back to that same job, and for all kinds of reasons I'm not changing jobs. But of course since it's not a real diagnosis - which said pharmacist did not reveal to me, also did not reveal controversy about it - since it's not a real dx, insurance doesn't pay for treatment, and lord only knows how much that will cost, because although I can see that there are no suggested meds on the internet, I know he's planning on compounding me something. I'm thinking of just going to the other compounding pharmacist in town. I can't afford to wait years feeling like crap and losing my hair with a dx and treatment most doctors don't believe in.... Anybody have any experience with this?


My friend got diagnosed with it. Her doctors put her on steroids and certain meds that can actually cause it years ago, so it wasn't much of a surprise for her. Stress release is really important, WAY more than healthy eating. One of the most popular ways to deal with it is actually physical exercise (which research shows exhaustion from physical activity can help regulate your hormones and actually help balance them). My friend got told that... But she doesn't eat very healthy nor she exercises, so she has it pretty bad (on top of taking steriods which most likely caused it).

My advice would be eat healthy, and just exercise. Start doing yoga, like every day to shed some stress. Stress overall can cause thinning and shedding on hair.

ETA: I wanted to add cardio exercise has been seen to be really successful when managing fibromyalgia. I knew someone who suffered from it, she was on a wheelchair for a very long time. It's very very real, eventually with physical therapy, medical marijuana and now TONS of physical exercise (she hikes) she's able to function.

I mean overall, those conditions might appear to be new but I really think they have been here all along. Back in the day it was just inexplicable.

OP, if I were you and thought you didn't have it I'd go to another doctor for another opinion.

Sophiatrist
April 20th, 2013, 05:30 AM
I have been on HRT for almost four years now and to paraphrase another quote, they will have to pry my little blue pills from my cold, dead hands. No progesterone, estradiol only. I also take spironolactone for my blood pressure (it acts as a water pill) but it has the side effect of reducing testosterone production in the ovaries and adrenal glands which means less DHT and less hair thinning.

I had always kept my hair on the short side for work, so now that I am growing it out it is a bit hard to see what, if any, changes have happened due to hormone replacement therapy, but it seems to be finer and a more platinum shade of gray than it was and the thinning has stopped. It definitely hasn't hurt my hair any.

Dorothy
April 20th, 2013, 07:42 AM
I'm not judging people with new or provisional diagnoses, but the hassle involved in having one. There's still not a lot of fabulous treatment for fibromyalgia or chronic fatique. I'm concerned about losing my hair.

Yes, Leslissocool, physical exercise is definately what I need. I've had so much body pain it's been really difficult. But while I've been on leave I've been increasing this, and I did join "introduction to gentle ageless yoga" which is the mildest yoga class at the studio, I've done yoga in the past. Right now I'm gardening and cleaning/rearranging house mostly for this, and also dancing in my dining room. Dancing has worked for exercise for me in the past. My feet are really a mess because of plantar fascitis, so today I'm going to haul out the tricycle and pump up the tires, this might work for me in the future.

Re the diagnosis, a pharmacist suggested that I had it, and the person I trust, my physician's assistant, told me it was ok and I should go ahead and take the test, so I'm doing that. I'm working on acceptance.... I've had so many clients with invisible disabilities I know how hard it is... thank you for your kind and helpful suggestions. I'll keep you posted, though I've drifted from my hair concern, I may follow up in the off topic board.

leslissocool
April 20th, 2013, 11:40 AM
I'm not judging people with new or provisional diagnoses, but the hassle involved in having one. There's still not a lot of fabulous treatment for fibromyalgia or chronic fatique. I'm concerned about losing my hair.

Yes, Leslissocool, physical exercise is definately what I need. I've had so much body pain it's been really difficult. But while I've been on leave I've been increasing this, and I did join "introduction to gentle ageless yoga" which is the mildest yoga class at the studio, I've done yoga in the past. Right now I'm gardening and cleaning/rearranging house mostly for this, and also dancing in my dining room. Dancing has worked for exercise for me in the past. My feet are really a mess because of plantar fascitis, so today I'm going to haul out the tricycle and pump up the tires, this might work for me in the future.

Re the diagnosis, a pharmacist suggested that I had it, and the person I trust, my physician's assistant, told me it was ok and I should go ahead and take the test, so I'm doing that. I'm working on acceptance.... I've had so many clients with invisible disabilities I know how hard it is... thank you for your kind and helpful suggestions. I'll keep you posted, though I've drifted from my hair concern, I may follow up in the off topic board.

That's great that you've been doing introduction to ageless yoga. Becuase of all the breathing and twisting poses it's a great form of stress relieve. Dancing is great, specially belly dancing (burn up to 500 calories in one hour). You can get DVD's at home.
My suggestion would be to do this sun salutation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QHyhLkbJoE) 3-5 times when you get up, and at night. It's very gentle, mostly breathing exercises. It should take you 5-10 minutes, but it can be easy to incorporate into your routine specially if you don't get any stress release or exercise during the day. I had great success with yoga and stress release (stress induced hypertension), I started with 2 5-10 minutes sun salutations and it did wonders (one morning, one at night).

Yes keep ups posted, I hope everything turns out good :blossom:.

Valorie
September 7th, 2013, 11:31 AM
I have a couple rare and serious diseases. First, I'm sorry you are going through this. You are completely right about the hassle involved about a dx about a chronic lifelong illness. It's very overwhelming in and of itself.
I'm late to the thread so I am unsure if you'll even receive this but I hope you do. Addison's disease is very real and though it is considered a rare disease, I have never heard of it being discredited. Adrenal crisis can be very serious and whomever in the medical community who would dismiss it is questionable at best as a physician.
Due to my own health problems and genetics, I have to take hormones now, too. I'm 38. I've needed it for a while but I was and am scared. I'm at the point of being more scared to go on without it though so I just started all of this 4 days ago. I am not looking forward to a roller coaster of another kind.
I have had major shedding of my hair in the last six months and I hope this helps. I'm not ready to part yet with long hair either. If you'd like to PM me feel free. I do not understand your specific situation, but I can empathize. I hope things are turning out well for you.

Silverbrumby
September 7th, 2013, 12:19 PM
I have normal (for me) pre menopause shedding. Biotin filled in the hair in my head. Didn't reduce shedding but definitely filled in hair on head.

rrs
September 7th, 2013, 01:37 PM
Did your doc check your thyroid?

ositarosita
September 12th, 2013, 11:18 AM
I'm 24 and currently menopausal (I have a decreased production of DHEA) as well as a adrenal fatigue, I went the natural route because of the increased risk of cancer of the experimental HRT the doc wanted to put me on. I take my Mexican wild yam daily, vitamin k, etc (if you'd like to know everything just pm me).. Everything has actually increased my hair, I found I have had a ton of new growth and very little shedding at this point. Don't fear HRT if it's something you want just really look into it, research thoroughly and listen to your body.