I'm losing my hair! I'm scared!

[nerdybrunette]

I've been growing my hair out from a pixie cut that I had worn for many years. My last pixie cut was approx March/April of 2012. My hair used to be super full, tons of strands, fine hair that shined like nobody's business. I don't know what happened but in about June 2013 I noticed a big difference. My hair started coming out much more than usual. It is still falling out rapidly and it's October 6, 2013. I have lost at least 1/3 of my fullness. I am scared and shocked and have no idea what changed to cause this.

I did start taking a higher dose of my diabetes medication Victoza I think in May 2013. But both my GP and Dermatologist say it's probably not likely to be the cause of the hair loss. I still have a "normal" head of hair so it's not like I have bald patches or anything. It seems to be thinning a lot up at the crown of my head.

We did just move into our new house which we drove to which is a little over 2000 miles away from our old house. But I didn't feel stressed at all prior to the move. We didn't actually leave town until August 27, 2013. My hair was falling out well prior to that.

I even clogged my bathtub from my loose strands of hair while showering. I do have dandruff and it get's pretty bad sometimes. I've been using a sulfate-free shampoo which is Aubrey Organics Green Tea Clarifying Shampoo. I don't use any product on my hair or heat style it in any way. I let it air dry with a fan on my head.

The hair is coming out by the roots. I can see them, they are bulbous white blogs at the ends/beginnings of my hair on my hair brush.

I use an old Goody brand hairbrush that is plastic pins with purple bulbs on the tips. I have not noticed any unusual pulling or breakage from the hairbrush itself. If it did, I would certainly switch to a brush that did not have bulbs at the top of the pins and/or switch to a comb. And when I use a comb on the rare occasion I notice quite a bit of hair fall with it as well.

Would argan oil help? or Olive oil? Should I switch back to a shampoo that has sulfates in it? I know Head & Shoulders seemed to not do a darn thing for my dandruff. It may have made it worse actually.

I really don't know what to do. I'm desperate for answers and help.

Thank you for listening and possibly providing some insight or direction.

Brittany

[nerdybrunette]

I can't find away to edit my post, but I meant we didn't leave town until June 27, 2013. We arrived July 31, 2013.

[khan]

It could be a combination of these different factors/events all adding to hair loss. Do some research here. Lots of good information; you may stumble onto something you did not mention in your post because it seems insignificant to the hair loss. Age may be a factor. I lost 1/3 of my hair last November due to a combination of high stress and I'm thinking age. I've lost hair thickness before & it eventually returned to former thickness. Not this time.
Try this massage technique, it feels wonderful. I found it here. Bend at the waist & massage your scalp for a few minutes. Get into it and enjoy the process. You could also brush your hair out at this time. Increased blood flow to the scalp. You will also find here that a good diet and exercise are critical to hair health. Hope others will see your post & be able to help.
khan

[Firefox7275]

Welcome!

What tests have you had for nutrient deficiencies? There are various deficiencies linked to diabetes. Are you consistently eating an anti inflammatory nutrient dense wholefood diet?
http://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/14/3/133.full

I've only very limited familiarity with liraglutide, but I'm aware it can cause nausea and early fullness, might you simply not be eating enough or not a balanced diet since switching to that? The body can't always distinguish between a famine and a weight management diet. This might be more of an issue if you already had nutrient deficiencies.

Very sorry to be personal or delicate - and please do not feel the need to actually respond - but are you fairly close to being only in the overweight category for your height or are you in a higher category? Excess bodyfat can mess with your hormones and is pro inflammatory ... both of which can affect hair. I really do appreciate type 2 diabetes makes weight management challenging (am a lifestyle healthcare professional).

What is the medical diagnosis for your dandruff, seborrhoeic dermatitis or something else? What has your dermatologist prescribed or recommended for that condition? Absolutely DO NOT use oils or butters on your scalp if you may have SD, several fatty acids are implicated. Again some forms of dermatitis can cause or contribute to shedding, most common scalp complaints again are inflammatory in nature.

Hope something there helps.

[nerdybrunette]

I've only had a few specific tests for vitamin deficiencies, everything came back normal. My blood work is pretty normal all around except for higher cholesterol and triglycerides. I did have a very bad diet for a few months, lots of pizza and hot pockets. Now that the moving process is over and we are pretty much settled (and mom and dad are both retired) mom is cooking at home more. I am eating real meals now. I am taking a multivitamin now (just started about a week or so ago) and take Mega Red Omega 3 Krill Oil along with many medications.

Prescribed meds:
- Victoza (diabetes)
- Crestor (high cholesterol)
- Lexapro (depression and generalized anxiety disorder)
- Zyrtec (year-round allergies and seasonal allergies)
- Flonase nasal spray (allergies)
- Gabapentin (for neuropathy)
- Lisinopril (for high BP)
- Tricor (for high triglycerides)
- Unithroid (for slow thyroid which is at a healthy level now)

OTC meds:
- Mega Red Krill Oil
- Nature's Way Alive! MultiVitamin Ultra Potency
- Benedryl for breakthrough allergies (they are super bad here in Nevada for all of us)
- Tylenol or Ibuprofen on occasion for headaches or other pain

I do have Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome as well but can't be "treated" for it since I developed massive blood clots that went to my lungs in July 2011 due to taking low dose birth control. I am never to take any hormones for the rest of my life, including HRT for after menopause/hysterectomy.

I have many health problems including a rare form of psoriasis that affects only the palms of my hands and soles of my feet.

I do have dandruff but the doctor has never called it anything other than dandruff. And when I saw my new dermatologist about a week ago I had freshly showered and washed my hair that morning and I had absolutely no flakes at all. He said my scalp looked very healthy. I am going to make an appointment soon to see him again and make sure my hair is not freshly washed. He needs to see the amount of flaking that happens. Perhaps he could take a sample and anaylize it to see what exactly is going on...

My diet now is very good except I still don't eat fruit. I've never really liked fruit so I rarely eat it. I do eat lots of clementines in the winter though. Those rock! It's like healthy candy!! YUM!

I am super morbidly obese. My highest weight was 383 lbs (I'm 5 foot 2 inches) and I am slowly losing weight now. I am down to 364 lbs. I am 29 years old.

I really don't know what to do. I did read a thread or two here on LHC where someone mentioned significant hair loss after switching to sulfate-free shampoo and it started to regrow very quickly when they switched back to sulfate shampoo. So I'm trying to figure out which brand and type to buy. I don't want to use a cheapy brand but I can't afford to use a high end brand. I'm thinking of this one: Neutrogena T/Sal Therapeutic Shampoo.


Active Ingredient: 3% Salicylic Acid; Inactive Ingredients: Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Polyquaternium-22, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate.
I know that salicylic acid works great for psoriasis, so perhaps it will also be great for my dandruff issue as it's also an excessive flaky skin issue.

I think I'll go ahead and buy that tomorrow while we are out in the morning for our doc appointments. I have a chiropractor appt and mom has physical therapy.

Thank you for your input Firefox7275



Welcome!

What tests have you had for nutrient deficiencies? There are various deficiencies linked to diabetes. Are you consistently eating an anti inflammatory nutrient dense wholefood diet?
http://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/14/3/133.full

I've only very limited familiarity with liraglutide, but I'm aware it can cause nausea and early fullness, might you simply not be eating enough or not a balanced diet since switching to that? The body can't always distinguish between a famine and a weight management diet. This might be more of an issue if you already had nutrient deficiencies.

Very sorry to be personal or delicate - and please do not feel the need to actually respond - but are you fairly close to being only in the overweight category for your height or are you in a higher category? Excess bodyfat can mess with your hormones and is pro inflammatory ... both of which can affect hair. I really do appreciate type 2 diabetes makes weight management challenging (am a lifestyle healthcare professional).

What is the medical diagnosis for your dandruff, seborrhoeic dermatitis or something else? What has your dermatologist prescribed or recommended for that condition? Absolutely DO NOT use oils or butters on your scalp if you may have SD, several fatty acids are implicated. Again some forms of dermatitis can cause or contribute to shedding, most common scalp complaints again are inflammatory in nature.

Hope something there helps.

[Firefox7275]

I've only had a few specific tests for vitamin deficiencies, everything came back normal. My blood work is pretty normal all around except for higher cholesterol and triglycerides. I did have a very bad diet for a few months, lots of pizza and hot pockets. Now that the moving process is over and we are pretty much settled (and mom and dad are both retired) mom is cooking at home more. I am eating real meals now. I am taking a multivitamin now (just started about a week or so ago) and take Mega Red Omega 3 Krill Oil along with many medications.

Prescribed meds:
- Victoza (diabetes)
- Crestor (high cholesterol)
- Lexapro (depression and generalized anxiety disorder)
- Zyrtec (year-round allergies and seasonal allergies)
- Flonase nasal spray (allergies)
- Gabapentin (for neuropathy)
- Lisinopril (for high BP)
- Tricor (for high triglycerides)
- Unithroid (for slow thyroid which is at a healthy level now)

OTC meds:
- Mega Red Krill Oil
- Nature's Way Alive! MultiVitamin Ultra Potency
- Benedryl for breakthrough allergies (they are super bad here in Nevada for all of us)
- Tylenol or Ibuprofen on occasion for headaches or other pain

I do have Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome as well but can't be "treated" for it since I developed massive blood clots that went to my lungs in July 2011 due to taking low dose birth control. I am never to take any hormones for the rest of my life, including HRT for after menopause/hysterectomy.

I have many health problems including a rare form of psoriasis that affects only the palms of my hands and soles of my feet.

I do have dandruff but the doctor has never called it anything other than dandruff. And when I saw my new dermatologist about a week ago I had freshly showered and washed my hair that morning and I had absolutely no flakes at all. He said my scalp looked very healthy. I am going to make an appointment soon to see him again and make sure my hair is not freshly washed. He needs to see the amount of flaking that happens. Perhaps he could take a sample and anaylize it to see what exactly is going on...

My diet now is very good except I still don't eat fruit. I've never really liked fruit so I rarely eat it. I do eat lots of clementines in the winter though. Those rock! It's like healthy candy!! YUM!

I am super morbidly obese. My highest weight was 383 lbs (I'm 5 foot 2 inches) and I am slowly losing weight now. I am down to 364 lbs. I am 29 years old.

I really don't know what to do. I did read a thread or two here on LHC where someone mentioned significant hair loss after switching to sulfate-free shampoo and it started to regrow very quickly when they switched back to sulfate shampoo. So I'm trying to figure out which brand and type to buy. I don't want to use a cheapy brand but I can't afford to use a high end brand. I'm thinking of this one: Neutrogena T/Sal Therapeutic Shampoo.


I know that salicylic acid works great for psoriasis, so perhaps it will also be great for my dandruff issue as it's also an excessive flaky skin issue.

I think I'll go ahead and buy that tomorrow while we are out in the morning for our doc appointments. I have a chiropractor appt and mom has physical therapy.

Thank you for your input Firefox7275


No problem and well done on the weight loss to date! The thing that is screaming at me is systemic inflammation (and hormone disruption of course): diabetes is inflammatory, PCOS is, morbid obesity is, allergies are, psoriasis and your dandruff which is likely dermatitis, the diet you were eating for a few months was. Some of this won't change until your weight gets down into obese or overweight category but you can work on it.

I would really work on the anti inflammatory, very low glycaemic index angle. That means oily fish ideally every day (krill oil is good but you need all the other nutrients such as vitamin D), non starchy vegetables, low sugar fruits if you want them, full rainbow of colours (dark green, blue/ purple, red, yellow/ orange), seeds rather than nuts (more omega-3 less omega-6), only small servings of land animal muscle meat, for starches beans and lentils and pot barley, no processed anything if at all possible especially NOT wheat nor long grain rice. As many spices as you like especially cinnamon.

Most fruit is fairly sugary and high glycaemic index anyway so can mess with the blood sugar or contribute to inflammation: do have any berries, red or blackcurrants, pink or yellow grapefruits, rhubarb with sweetener, plain pumpkin if you like these, plums, kiwi fruit. If you don't want any purple fruits you will need to find some blue/ purple veggies to have each day since these are few and far between: aubergine/ eggplant, purple cabbage are the only really common ones unfortunately - and of course cabbage is not ideal in hypothyroid.

Anxiety and depression can respond well to much of the same dietary modifications as your other health issues: especially consider oily fish for omega-3 and bioavailable vitamin D, pumpkin seeds/ chia seeds/ ground flax/ reduced fat cocoa powder (really!! it's chock full of nutrients) for magnesium. Pills are fine if recommended by your doctor but they absolutely do not substitute for the balance and combination and useable form of nutrients in real food.

Do tell me if you know all this or I am speaking gobbledegook!!


Without knowing the definitive diagnosis for your scalp issue it's difficult to say, salicylic acid can certainly be used in seborrhoeic dermatitis (SD) which is the most common issue. The problem is it is very drying and olefin sulfonates are highly irritant so it could be a disaster if you turn out to have a different form of dermatitis. Would the dermatologist's office confirm if it is SD on your medical records?

[prettyinpink]

I wonder if this is some type of fungus on your scalp. You could try monistat. I think coconut oil and tea tree oil (diluted) also helps with fungus issues. You should go to the doctor anyways though. Are you getting enough protein? tjhat can cause hair loss

[nerdybrunette]

No problem and well done on the weight loss to date! The thing that is screaming at me is systemic inflammation (and hormone disruption of course): diabetes is inflammatory, PCOS is, morbid obesity is, allergies are, psoriasis and your dandruff which is likely dermatitis, the diet you were eating for a few months was. Some of this won't change until your weight gets down into obese or overweight category but you can work on it.

I would really work on the anti inflammatory, very low glycaemic index angle. That means oily fish ideally every day (krill oil is good but you need all the other nutrients such as vitamin D), non starchy vegetables, low sugar fruits if you want them, full rainbow of colours (dark green, blue/ purple, red, yellow/ orange), seeds rather than nuts (more omega-3 less omega-6), only small servings of land animal muscle meat, for starches beans and lentils and pot barley, no processed anything if at all possible especially NOT wheat nor long grain rice. As many spices as you like especially cinnamon.

Most fruit is fairly sugary and high glycaemic index anyway so can mess with the blood sugar or contribute to inflammation: do have any berries, red or blackcurrants, pink or yellow grapefruits, rhubarb with sweetener, plain pumpkin if you like these, plums, kiwi fruit. If you don't want any purple fruits you will need to find some blue/ purple veggies to have each day since these are few and far between: aubergine/ eggplant, purple cabbage are the only really common ones unfortunately - and of course cabbage is not ideal in hypothyroid.

Anxiety and depression can respond well to much of the same dietary modifications as your other health issues: especially consider oily fish for omega-3 and bioavailable vitamin D, pumpkin seeds/ chia seeds/ ground flax/ reduced fat cocoa powder (really!! it's chock full of nutrients) for magnesium. Pills are fine if recommended by your doctor but they absolutely do not substitute for the balance and combination and useable form of nutrients in real food.

Do tell me if you know all this or I am speaking gobbledegook!!


Without knowing the definitive diagnosis for your scalp issue it's difficult to say, salicylic acid can certainly be used in seborrhoeic dermatitis (SD) which is the most common issue. The problem is it is very drying and olefin sulfonates are highly irritant so it could be a disaster if you turn out to have a different form of dermatitis. Would the dermatologist's office confirm if it is SD on your medical records?

Thank you :) Yeah my CRP and ESD are generally always high. Lately my ESD has been in the normal range which is odd.

I'm glad you mentioned certain foods for me to emphasize in my diet. I am unfamiliar with the anti-inflammatory diet which I think is what you are talking about - along with low glycemic diet. I will research it and see what I can modify in my diet as it is now. I do love to eat red meat and really a not all that keen on fish but I do enjoy haddock, pollock, tilapia, etc. Are those oily fish? I think Salmon is but it's usually too fishy tasting to me to enjoy. I am very sensitive to "fishy" seafood. I'm the type of person that doesn't like change - in anything. Food, lifestyle, meeting new people (ack!), and I'm not comfortable in social situations (for example.) So including all of these foods that I've always avoided is going to be a challenge. I hope I do enjoy many of them.

Beans give me gas something awful unfortunately. About wheat… Would non-processed breads be ok - such as home-made bread? We've been thinking about baking our own bread for a while now and I would really enjoy eating it. I've never been a fan of berries but I do enjoy strawberries. I like blueberry yogurt but only if the blueberry is completely pureed. I could eat pink grapefruit. I'm not sure if I like rhubarb or pumpkin but I do love home-made pumpkin pie! Ooh and that time of year is coming up! hehe

I love plums and kiwi but I can't eat kiwi. Last time I ate kiwi I had a burning+itching sensation in my lips and tongue from it so I think I'm slightly allergic. But I do LOVE kiwi. I could try it again. I could eat eggplant if it was cooked/baked thoroughly. I am not much a fan of cabbage anyway, so I'd probably generally avoid it.

I've tried the Muffin in a Minute or something like that with ground flaxseed and it was nasty. Ick! I know many people love it but I just couldn't find anything to put on it that made it edible for me. I've never tried to eat pumpkin seeds or chia seeds.

What would I put reduced fat cocoa powder in or on?

Yes tomorrow morning I am calling my dermatologist for another appointment and I will make sure to not wash my hair for a few days prior to the appointment. Maybe he can tell me what exactly it is that plagues my scalp. I've never actually been to a derm specifically for my scalp problem, so there is no record that I know of about it. Oh I also have rosacea that we started treating with metronidazole cream but dang did it flare it up severely. I've never seen it anywhere near this bad. And tomorrow I have to go get my new Driver License from the DMV because I moved to a different state. :P So my picture is going to look awful with my bright red blotchy cheeks with pimples all over my face. :(

Thank you, Firefox7275, please PM me if you are willing to speak to me about my nutrition issues. I would love to talk to you more in depth about it. I don't know if I have access to PM's yet but I really hope I do.



I wonder if this is some type of fungus on your scalp. You could try monistat. I think coconut oil and tea tree oil (diluted) also helps with fungus issues. You should go to the doctor anyways though. Are you getting enough protein? tjhat can cause hair loss
It very well may be since I tend to have candida problems in skin folds. I've thought about coconut oil but I'm not quite sure it would be good for my scalp since I already have an oily scalp. Yes I get plenty of protein. I lack veggies and fruit in my diet. But since my mom has retired and we are settled in our new home she has been cooking a lot more. Usually breakfast and dinner. We usually have protein, veggie and a form of carb like potato, rice, or pasta.

It's so sad. My face is so broken out from an adverse reaction to the treatment for rosacea, my hair is falling out and my allergies are awful here. Not to mention my psoriasis has gotten much worse since being here, though I'm using a creme for that as well which is called Dovonex (I have the generic). It seems to mostly be working though it's making some areas much more sore but the scaling is much reduced! My health problems are numerous.

I had to take benedryl again after my shower tonight since my face was super irritated, itching, burning, stinging, red, hot, etc. I put Aveeno lotion on my red cheeks and nasal folds and it may have helped calm it down.

Ok sorry for the long monologue. Thank you for your help everyone!

OH I decided to order Garnier Fructis Fall Fight Shampoo and conditioner. Many people swear by it who have massive hair fall like I do. So we'll see.

[prettyinpink]

You having the same symptoms my mom has. red irritated face, shedding hair, allergies and psoriosis. i wonder if the symptoms are linked

[BlazingHeart]

I wonder, with this set of symptoms, if you have had an auto-immune workup? I know you said your CRP and your ESD are high, which can point towards an immune system issue. I ask because I have many of the same symptoms and have just recently been told that I have an auto-immune condition. The issue on my scalp turned out to be psoriasis (and is part of the auto-immune picture), and I have lost about 1/3 of my hair in the last...hmm, I guess 16 months? I'm trying to remember when the hair loss started. It's still thick enough that no one else notices, but you know how it is - when it's your own hair, you notice things.

Unfortunately, most of the oily fishes are relatively fishy tasting. The ones you're saying you like are whitefishes, which have less of the benefits of oily fishes. They're still nutritionally very valuable, they just don't pack quite the same punch is all. For someone with tastes like yours, I tend to suggest tuna steaks or trout as good options to try. I think they're on the milder side flavor-wise. Actually, a good piece of tuna is where I tend to start with someone who thinks they don't like fish - I think a nice piece of tuna is very different from the experiences that lead people to think they don't like fish at all. In particular, I like to mix up a little fresh crushed ginger, soy sauce, and just a touch of brown sugar for a sauce, and I tend to cook my tuna fairly well done instead of the typical seared version, because I don't care for the texture of uncooked/lightly cooked fish. Personal preference there, most people like their tuna seared instead of done through like mine, but if you try it one way and don't like it, try it the other.

As far as hair loss, the first step is definitely getting a more precise diagnosis on what's going on with your scalp. The same things that help one scalp/skin condition can make a different one worse, so I wouldn't want to start trying even OTC treatments without knowing what was going on, personally.

[Tail Feathers]

i wish you the best of luck in resolving all these problems. nobody deserves all that hassle.
best of luck to you.

[nerdybrunette]

I wonder, with this set of symptoms, if you have had an auto-immune workup? I know you said your CRP and your ESD are high, which can point towards an immune system issue. I ask because I have many of the same symptoms and have just recently been told that I have an auto-immune condition. The issue on my scalp turned out to be psoriasis (and is part of the auto-immune picture), and I have lost about 1/3 of my hair in the last...hmm, I guess 16 months? I'm trying to remember when the hair loss started. It's still thick enough that no one else notices, but you know how it is - when it's your own hair, you notice things.

Unfortunately, most of the oily fishes are relatively fishy tasting. The ones you're saying you like are whitefishes, which have less of the benefits of oily fishes. They're still nutritionally very valuable, they just don't pack quite the same punch is all. For someone with tastes like yours, I tend to suggest tuna steaks or trout as good options to try. I think they're on the milder side flavor-wise. Actually, a good piece of tuna is where I tend to start with someone who thinks they don't like fish - I think a nice piece of tuna is very different from the experiences that lead people to think they don't like fish at all. In particular, I like to mix up a little fresh crushed ginger, soy sauce, and just a touch of brown sugar for a sauce, and I tend to cook my tuna fairly well done instead of the typical seared version, because I don't care for the texture of uncooked/lightly cooked fish. Personal preference there, most people like their tuna seared instead of done through like mine, but if you try it one way and don't like it, try it the other.

As far as hair loss, the first step is definitely getting a more precise diagnosis on what's going on with your scalp. The same things that help one scalp/skin condition can make a different one worse, so I wouldn't want to start trying even OTC treatments without knowing what was going on, personally.
Yeah I do need to find out what exactly is going on. I don't have celiac (confirmed via blood tests and skin biopsy), my old GP said I do not have Lupus but I'm not sure I trust him on that. I plan on seeing a rheumatologist. I just need to find one and get an appointment. *sigh*
I do like tuna but have only had it from a can. I know I like my Tilapia fully cooked where it pretty much falls apart with slight pressure from the fork. YUM!


i wish you the best of luck in resolving all these problems. nobody deserves all that hassle.
best of luck to you.
Thank you, Tail Feathers.

[Firefox7275]

Thank you :) Yeah my CRP and ESD are generally always high. Lately my ESD has been in the normal range which is odd.

I'm glad you mentioned certain foods for me to emphasize in my diet. I am unfamiliar with the anti-inflammatory diet which I think is what you are talking about - along with low glycemic diet. I will research it and see what I can modify in my diet as it is now. I do love to eat red meat and really a not all that keen on fish but I do enjoy haddock, pollock, tilapia, etc. Are those oily fish? I think Salmon is but it's usually too fishy tasting to me to enjoy. I am very sensitive to "fishy" seafood. I'm the type of person that doesn't like change - in anything. Food, lifestyle, meeting new people (ack!), and I'm not comfortable in social situations (for example.) So including all of these foods that I've always avoided is going to be a challenge. I hope I do enjoy many of them.

Beans give me gas something awful unfortunately. About wheat… Would non-processed breads be ok - such as home-made bread? We've been thinking about baking our own bread for a while now and I would really enjoy eating it. I've never been a fan of berries but I do enjoy strawberries. I like blueberry yogurt but only if the blueberry is completely pureed. I could eat pink grapefruit. I'm not sure if I like rhubarb or pumpkin but I do love home-made pumpkin pie! Ooh and that time of year is coming up! hehe

I love plums and kiwi but I can't eat kiwi. Last time I ate kiwi I had a burning+itching sensation in my lips and tongue from it so I think I'm slightly allergic. But I do LOVE kiwi. I could try it again. I could eat eggplant if it was cooked/baked thoroughly. I am not much a fan of cabbage anyway, so I'd probably generally avoid it.

I've tried the Muffin in a Minute or something like that with ground flaxseed and it was nasty. Ick! I know many people love it but I just couldn't find anything to put on it that made it edible for me. I've never tried to eat pumpkin seeds or chia seeds.

What would I put reduced fat cocoa powder in or on?

Yes tomorrow morning I am calling my dermatologist for another appointment and I will make sure to not wash my hair for a few days prior to the appointment. Maybe he can tell me what exactly it is that plagues my scalp. I've never actually been to a derm specifically for my scalp problem, so there is no record that I know of about it. Oh I also have rosacea that we started treating with metronidazole cream but dang did it flare it up severely. I've never seen it anywhere near this bad. And tomorrow I have to go get my new Driver License from the DMV because I moved to a different state. :P So my picture is going to look awful with my bright red blotchy cheeks with pimples all over my face. :(

Thank you, Firefox7275, please PM me if you are willing to speak to me about my nutrition issues. I would love to talk to you more in depth about it. I don't know if I have access to PM's yet but I really hope I do.


CRP ... yep inflammation, well at least you have one common root you can address! And as you lose the weight that should improve - you are heading in the right direction which is great.

Wheat generally is high glycaemic index so spikes blood sugar, and virtually everything westerners have it is ground finely into flour ie. processed even if wholegrain: effectively digested for you so it's a disaster for those with blood sugar or abdominal obesity issues. Brown pitta is the best bread, white fluffy French bread is actually WORSE than table sugar which is shocking.

Red meat is pro inflammatory, but it's fine to have small servings for haem iron (~100g is recommended). Organ meats like liver are super nutritious but not everyone can enjoy them. If I am having chilli or bolognese I put mashed chicken liver in to stretch the beef as well as loads of veg, I swear I cannot tell and liver is a traditional Italian addition to bolognese.

Those fish are all white which are healthy but not a source of omega-3s, vitamin D and suchlike. I used to hate fish, actually most healthy foods until I got really sick and could not work (mental and physical health, including anxiety and depression). I literally was gagging the first time I opened a can of pink salmon but I promised myself I would eat one mouthful!! You CAN retrain yourself if you are clever about it: for me personally a breakthrough was realising I need some sort of sauce or gravy on new foods and preferably it all mixed up (eg. stew, curry, soup, stir fry) rather than being faced with a pile of veg or lump of fish. YMMV of course. I now love baked rainbow trout which is very delicate, otherwise I mostly have oily fish in recipes just little servings can do the trick. I like rich homemade tomato sauce which is great for hiding fish, I can handle fish pate (canned mackerel or sardines in tomato mashed with low fat soft cheese), I eat the pate with raw veggie sticks.

Beans and lentils do tend to give gas if either you overeat them or you have a gut flora (bacteria in your digestive sy stem) imbalance or both. Start with very small servings, chew properly, you might consider a supplement of freeze dried probiotic capsules like an acidophilus/ bifidobacteria blend (friendly bacteria) if your doctor agrees. Your gut bacteria manufacture and help absorb nutrients so they are super important; they are one reason real food is better than pills, the real food keeps them happy and growing.

I can't stand ground flax either: it tastes like cardboard to me and absolutely ruins gorgeous smoothies: I do like pumpkin seeds tho, especially in a lightly cooked dish to soften. A favourite dessert of mine is low fat soft cheese (Philadelphia type), reduced fat cocoa power, low cal sweetener, natural peanut butter and then served with frozen/ defrosted berries (puree if you wish). It's rich so I only eat little servings but packed with minerals, protein and fibre.

Anything you can manage to change is progress - congratulate yourself even on one mouthful - if you changed one small thing a week for a year you would have made fifty two changes which is huge. Since you are young imagine that in ten years time!! Would you prefer to go to PM than chat in public? That is fine.

[Panth]

I can see that you have a lot of great advice here. Well done for losing weight so far and also for having such a positive and willing attitude towards improving your health and diet - sometimes that is half the battle.

One thing I would say - I don't know if you know, but you've posted this to the Mane Forum which is fully visible to the entire internet, not just LHC members. If you would prefer to keep the posts with details of your medication, etc. more private you could request the mods either move this thread to one of the Off Topic threads e.g. Health and Body Beautiful (as all Off Topic threads are only visible to LHC members) or you could, once you've got the information you need, request the thread be closed. Unfortunately, if you edit/delete your own posts this will have no effect on the quotes of your posts that are present in other people's posts. :flower:

[summergreen]

I can't add anything to all the good advice but I really hope it gets sorted soon for you. This forum is great for talking about hair loss and other hair problems and can really give you hope when you feel down :)




Anything you can manage to change is progress - congratulate yourself even on one mouthful - if you changed one small thing a week for a year you would have made fifty two changes which is huge. Since you are young imagine that in ten years time!!

Firefox, I love this philosophy!

[BlazingHeart]

Yeah I do need to find out what exactly is going on. I don't have celiac (confirmed via blood tests and skin biopsy), my old GP said I do not have Lupus but I'm not sure I trust him on that. I plan on seeing a rheumatologist. I just need to find one and get an appointment. *sigh*
I do like tuna but have only had it from a can. I know I like my Tilapia fully cooked where it pretty much falls apart with slight pressure from the fork. YUM!


Canned tuna is fishier than tuna steaks, so if you like canned tuna, you should be good with eating less processed tuna. And trout is good stuff - very, very mild. Definitely worth tasting. I think my favorite trout dish is trout almondine, which lemony and almondy and altogether delicious.

As far as the auto-immune stuff, frankly with elevated inflammation markers, they SHOULD have done a more thorough work-up. Do you know if they have tested your ANA? That is the primary marker for auto-immune conditions. It stands for anti-nuclear antibodies, and basically means that your body is targeting the nucleuses of your own cells. If that popped negative, they may have decided that it wasn't auto-immune. It is possible (but rather uncommon) to have an auto-immune disorder with a negative ANA. I think seeing a rheumatologist is a good idea, given what you're experiencing.

[Firefox7275]

I can't add anything to all the good advice but I really hope it gets sorted soon for you. This forum is great for talking about hair loss and other hair problems and can really give you hope when you feel down :)

Firefox, I love this philosophy!

It really works, I use it a lot with physical activity clients: I often push them hard (within their own ability) then have them add just ten second or one repetition each week to the activity they find really tough. Within weeks or months I have clients seeking me out to tell me proudly they have increased the weight they could lift or done a full five minutes of walking/ cycling or otherwise hit a mini milestone. THEY achieved that through graft and perseverance - nobody did the work for them - the psychological boost for those who have mental health or other confidence issues can be amazing.

[Darkhorse1]

I haven't read the responses so I apologize if I''m repeating things that may have been said.
I have experienced massive shedding just last year, and prior to that, about 15 years ago. When I was 27, I went through a very, very stressful time, but the hair shedding hit about 8 months after the stressful stuff. I was losing hair daily--enough to fill my hands by the fist full of hair. I had severe dandruff boarding on psoriasis. It was painful, my scalp was covered with white, scales and crust that bled when I scraped it. My doctor said it was totally stress related and gave me some steroid drops for the itchyness of the psoriasis. I think I used the drops twice and the condition cleared. Hair shedding due to stress, the hair WILL grow back. The bigger issue is of course, long hair, the ends will look at bit weathered, so I chose to cut off the ends/go a bit shorter. New growth returned.

Last year, I was going through severe hormonal shifts, and unaware of this, I did notice I would fill my sink up with shed hairs almost every other day. My dandruff wasn't particularily bad, but my shedding was horrid. Piles of hair in the sink, and on the floor, everywhere. My ends suffered due to the loss of thickness, but again, you have to lose over half your head of hair to see visible thinning at the scalp. I am very lucky I have a lot of hair.

My mom's hair dresser suggested a wonderful shampoo line (salon only) called I.C.O.N. Detoxify shampoo and conditioner. It's paraban, sulphate and silicone free. It detoxifies the scalp and has peppermint oil in it that creates more blood flow to the scalp. It's truly an amazing product. I've noticed my shed reduced after my first use (keep in mind, this was for ME and MY issues), and I found it really eased my tender scalp.

However, my suggestion to you would be to go to your doctor to have them run blood work. Self diagnosis online is dangerous. Hair loss is a symptom of something bigger (anemia/low iron, auto immune issues) and shouldn't be ignored.

Best of luck!

[nerdybrunette]

Hi, everyone. I'm sorry I haven't responded sooner. I kept meaning to but have been busy here settling into our new home. Here is what I realized has happened to me just in the past 5 months:

May 9, 2013 - May 27, 2013 Very heavy clotty period (sorry - TMI)
June 17, 2013 “permanent” toenail removal surgery (both big toes)
- pain from numbing injections off the charts (shaking, screaming, saw stars, almost fainted)
June 19 - July 3(5), 2013 Mom and dad gone to Nevada to sign for house and buy furniture, etc. Dad arrived July 5.
August 1, 2013 best friend from school passed away due to terminal uncontrollable kidney cancer
August 4, 2013 her memorial
August 16, 2013 Gastroenteritis problems again (bloating, pain, gas, nausea, heart burn, etc)
August 20, 2013 awful experience with my upper endoscopy! The "twilight" anesthesia DID NOT WORK! Yet the doc kept up with the awful procedure. Gagging, gasping for air, coughing throughout the entire experience!
August 23, 2013 I stayed in hotel while parents worked in apartment for move.
August 27, 2013 Departure to Nevada!
August 31, 2013 Arrived in Nevada finally!

I noticed my hair start to come out in clumps in the shower about the same time as my toenail surgeries (July 17). May have started right after. I can't remember.

I've lost now about what seems like 1/3 of my hair volume. I know my pony tail is much thinner than it used to be, so much so that I'm having trouble using my medium flexi-8. It often seems too loose to wear. I can only wear my Large flexi-8 when I make a bun. My hair ranges from almost shoulder length in the front to probably almost bra strap-length in the back due to my old pixie-style cut.

My hair has significantly lost it's luster/shine. It used to be gorgeous and shiny and bouncy and full of life. It's not anymore.

So perhaps with that excessively stressful period of my life, plus the very poor nutrition I had for those 4-5 months (actually much longer than that but it significantly dipped down in quality/quanitity of nutrition around July I think that's why my hair is falling out. OH also I just looked in the mirror closely and noticed my eye brows (au natural) look like I did a poor job tweezing them (I haven't tweezed or waxed.) I'm also losing my eyebrow hair. But the mustache (due to PCOS) is still there. I'm trying to draw up the courage of using my new epilator. I used it once. Barely used it because it hurt so badly! But I noticed if you cut the hair short then use it it's less painful. But anyway...

I bought Garnier Fructis Fall Fight shampoo and matching conditioner. I used it yesterday and noticed later in the day that my hair brush didn't have a bunch of hair in it! What? So quickly?! Ok, so I'm going to shampoo/condition daily for a few weeks or so and see how that goes. Hopefully it'll break the cycle - if it hasn't already. That shampoo and conditioner make my hair so soft, has some shine now, fuller, and just awesome feeling and looking (considering how it has been looking!) I still have the dandruff. When I was looking closely in the mirror last evening (when I saw my eyebrows) I looked at my scalp as much as I could, as you know, hands get in the way when you are looking in a mirror. LOL It was probably about 6pm and I had showered at about noon. So in only 6 hours my dandruff came back full force. And it's itching some. But that always happens with shampoo that has sulfates in it. The itching sucks!

I see my dermatologist again tomorrow to discuss the horrible reaction I had with a rosacea cream, the results of just 2 days of using Prosacea (homeopathic rosacea gel - it's awesome!) and my scalp issues, the stress I've had lately, poor diet, and the hair falling out from my scalp and eyebrows.

Hopefully he can diagnose me properly for the scalp/hair issues and maybe prescribe a cream or gel that has sulphur in it (like Prosacea) that is a generic prescription so I could save money by using it. I hope to get a topical treatment for my scalp that is NOT a shampoo. Possibly like you, Darkhorse1, the steroid drops. Though I don't know if the scalp treatment could be systemically absorbed and cause me to have higher blood sugar levels (diabetic), but I'd do it anyway if it meant not continuing to lose my hair.

I don't mind my diagnoses, medical info on a public forum. I'm not in the closet about my medical problems, it's not a big deal to me. We all have skeletons in our closets. :) But thank you for letting me know, just in case I would have preferred to move my thread to the other forum. It's very kind of you, Panth.

I will look more into that diet/eating style. Is it the anti-inflammatory diet? Thank you for all of your suggestions and information, everyone. It means a lot to me that you all have been so willing to help me. I hope to continue with this drastically reduced hair-loss. Still today, not much excess has come out when brushing or gently pulling on sections of my hair. :D If I haven't answered any questions you have asked, feel free to remind me. :) I will let this thread continue to stay open in case anyone has any experiences, input, or other additions they want to post. Thank you!

[Henna Fan]

Just wanted to pop in and cheer you on too Nerdy brunette. Well done on your weight loss so far, and what a year you've had! There's so much great advice here already just wanted to send hugs and hope tomorrow goes well xx

[Silverbrumby]

One of the questions doctors ask with unexplained hair shedding is "Have you had a recent surgery?". It can really do a number on the hair of some women.

Hang in there. You're going in the right direction and one positive thing I did hear about hair shedding due to stress, health when you're younger is you have a better chance of a good recovery.

I'm going on four years of age related shedding. It sucks so I feel for you.

[BlazingHeart]

That is a LOT of stress, both physical and emotional. It's totally possible for that to be the cause of your hair loss, particularly when you include minor surgeries and being put into twilight (particularly as yours didn't work - that's very stressful, not to mention how it feels emotionally!)

The loss of sheen and bounce, however, wouldn't be affected by quite the same things. Once the hair has grown out of your head, your health doesn't affect it so much (well, beyond the possibility of losing it). Do you have hard water at your new place? A shower filter might make a difference for you if that's the case. If your scalp wasn't so unhappy, I'd suggest clarifying, but clarifying shampoos are pretty harsh, and it sounds like the last thing your scalp needs is more irritation. I suppose it's possible that the quality or quantity of your sebum has changed - do you feel more dry or more oily? If you're more dry, you may want to add light oiling to your routine to make up for the lack of sebum; if you feel more dry, maybe use a little bit of cornstarch to soak it up.

At least in some parts of Nevada, you should be able to get lovely local trout. When it comes to fish, I always say try to get it local first, because fresher is better. When you can't get it local, ask the fish counter if they have fish they haven't thawed yet. Most fresh fish is flash-frozen when it's caught and should be kept frozen until the day you're going to cook it for best flavor and texture. If you have a Trader Joe's locally, that's where I tend to get my tuna, in their frozen section, because it's cheap, well-packaged, and never thawed, so it's in about the best condition you can get if you aren't near a tuna port. (I have to say, getting fish caught that day is an altogether different and amazing experience - it's the least fishy, has the brightest flavor, and the best texture, but you pretty much have to live in a fishing port city for that. There's nothing like fresh ahi or halibut or mahi mahi or sea bass...I miss living on the coast for so many reasons, and that's one of them.)

[nerdybrunette]

That is a LOT of stress, both physical and emotional. It's totally possible for that to be the cause of your hair loss, particularly when you include minor surgeries and being put into twilight (particularly as yours didn't work - that's very stressful, not to mention how it feels emotionally!)

The loss of sheen and bounce, however, wouldn't be affected by quite the same things. Once the hair has grown out of your head, your health doesn't affect it so much (well, beyond the possibility of losing it). Do you have hard water at your new place? A shower filter might make a difference for you if that's the case. If your scalp wasn't so unhappy, I'd suggest clarifying, but clarifying shampoos are pretty harsh, and it sounds like the last thing your scalp needs is more irritation. I suppose it's possible that the quality or quantity of your sebum has changed - do you feel more dry or more oily? If you're more dry, you may want to add light oiling to your routine to make up for the lack of sebum; if you feel more dry, maybe use a little bit of cornstarch to soak it up.

At least in some parts of Nevada, you should be able to get lovely local trout. When it comes to fish, I always say try to get it local first, because fresher is better. When you can't get it local, ask the fish counter if they have fish they haven't thawed yet. Most fresh fish is flash-frozen when it's caught and should be kept frozen until the day you're going to cook it for best flavor and texture. If you have a Trader Joe's locally, that's where I tend to get my tuna, in their frozen section, because it's cheap, well-packaged, and never thawed, so it's in about the best condition you can get if you aren't near a tuna port. (I have to say, getting fish caught that day is an altogether different and amazing experience - it's the least fishy, has the brightest flavor, and the best texture, but you pretty much have to live in a fishing port city for that. There's nothing like fresh ahi or halibut or mahi mahi or sea bass...I miss living on the coast for so many reasons, and that's one of them.)

Hi, BlazingHeart. Thank you for your help. Yes I've been under a ton of stress. I don't remember if I updated this thread on Thursday but I went to see my dermatologist, he prescribed Nizoral 2% shampoo. I used it tonight and it seems my hair itself may be a little dry. I'll see how it goes though. My scalp still has the crusty scaly dandruff on it though, which bums me out.

I'll have to do some research on where to find local/fresher fish. I do want to start eating more fish. I'm in Pahrump which is about 45 minutes north west of the south of Las Vegas. On a main road off of THE main road (lol) we can drive like 5 minutes or so and be in California. We did it once and it was pretty cool.

I hope the Nizoral helps with the dandruff and possibly with the hair loss. We'll see.

My hair (and body) is less oily here in Nevada than it was in Ohio. The humidity is much lower here in Nevada which I think is helping in that regard. My scalp still seems oily but not nearly as bad. I don't know how long it'll take to fully acclimate to this climate, so I don't know if I'll end up with a dry scalp or "normal" or what will happen.

I hope this hair loss diminishes and I start to regrow my hair. It's really upsetting to me to lose so much of my hair. I love my hair.

[renia22]

So sorry to hear about your excessive shedding. It's disheartening, frustrating & downright scary to be losing your hair and not know why. I have been there myself, and it's a horrible feeling. One word if caution, if you do decide to increase your fish consumption, be very careful about mercury poisoning. The larger fish like salmon and tuna are more likely to be contaminated. (Also larger predatory freshwater fish like black bass, walleye and pike, and certain marine fish such as swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish). It actually happened to me when I was eating fish twice a week. You think you sre doing something healthy, and sure enough it can be making things worse. Your mercury level really should be at zero, so I had to do a detox to flush it out. My naturopath recommends eating the larger fish no more than once a month, but smaller ones like sardine & anchovies can be more often (yum! Salty little fish!) high quality, omega 3 fish oil from a reputable company & that's tested for purity is good too. As far as stress, there's a 24 hour cortisol saliva test you can do to see where your cortisol levels are really at. At any rate, best wishes to you & hope you figure it out!

[Firefox7275]

So sorry to hear about your excessive shedding. It's disheartening, frustrating & downright scary to be losing your hair and not know why. I have been there myself, and it's a horrible feeling. One word if caution, if you do decide to increase your fish consumption, be very careful about mercury poisoning. The larger fish like salmon and tuna are more likely to be contaminated. (Also larger predatory freshwater fish like black bass, walleye and pike, and certain marine fish such as swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish). It actually happened to me when I was eating fish twice a week. You think you sre doing something healthy, and sure enough it can be making things worse. Your mercury level really should be at zero, so I had to do a detox to flush it out. My naturopath recommends eating the larger fish no more than once a month, but smaller ones like sardine & anchovies can be more often (yum! Salty little fish!) high quality, omega 3 fish oil from a reputable company & that's tested for purity is good too. As far as stress, there's a 24 hour cortisol saliva test you can do to see where your cortisol levels are really at. At any rate, best wishes to you & hope you figure it out!

I don't know how it is in the US, but in the UK the mid sized oily fish like salmon and trout are often farmed anyway. As you say the smaller oiliest fish like sardines/ pilchards, regular mackerel and herring are not an issue and recommended serving sizes are small. Medical experts seem to agree there are far more risks from vitamin D and/ or omega-3 deficiencies than there are risks from metal poisoning. I'm not sure I know anyone who eats swordfish or shark even once a year, let alone once a month. Like any food group we should be eating a reasonable variety.

[nerdybrunette]

We haven't eaten fish very much in the past year due to the fish issues such as mercury, and toxins (from China, etc). We have no idea where to look for healthy, non-toxic, non-farmed fish. There are many contradictions and often the fish is not labeled either way for where it's actually caught or if it's farmed or not, where it was farmed, etc. We tend to only eat canned tuna on occasion (less than once every few months). I don't think I've had any canned tuna in probably a year. I would like to eat fish but it's just not acceptable to me to not know exactly what I am eating.

[Crumpet]

Nerdybrunette -- It sounds like you've been through an enormous amount the past few months. Firefox has given you amazing advice, and I think she's right on with how she's directing you. I'm just hopping in to say congrats on the weight you've already lost -- you're going in the right direction AND you did it during a stressful time. The more you work on a holistically good diet, exercise, etc routine the more your hair will fall in line. I've noticed this on myself so I think you'll see improvements as you keep going.

Keep up the good work!

[renia22]

I'm not sure I know anyone who eats swordfish or shark even once a year, let alone once a month. Like any food group we should be eating a reasonable variety.

The naturopath meant eating any large fish, especially salmon & tuna, only once a month. The list of other large fish was just to give a thorough list, but it's the salmon & tuna (including canned, unfortunately) most people are contaminating themselves with. The only way to really know, though, is to get a blood test if you eat it often.

It's true you can't really trust whether or not your fish is contaminate free unless it's tested, or better yet, you are mindful by getting bloodwork done to see if you have any mercury in your system:


We haven't eaten fish very much in the past year due to the fish issues such as mercury, and toxins (from China, etc). We have no idea where to look for healthy, non-toxic, non-farmed fish. There are many contradictions and often the fish is not labeled either way for where it's actually caught or if it's farmed or not, where it was farmed, etc.

[BlazingHeart]

Ah, okay, I know the area. That puts you solidly in the lowland desert, rather than the mountainous upstate. Unfortunately, the latter is where you can get most of the local fish - trout are generally coldwater, mountain-stream or lake type fish. I'm also reasonably sure the nearest Trader Joe's are in Vegas. If you choose to get frozen fish there, you need a hardside cooler and plenty of ice to keep it cold on the drive home. TJ's fish tends to be wild-caught (including their tuna, don't remember about their salmon), and good about their labeling on whether the fish was wild-caught. Their canned tuna is wild-caught, too. The Mayo Clinic says it's safe for even pregnant women (that is, the absolute most vulnerable people in terms of mercury) to eat 6 oz of tuna steaks a week (and up to 12 oz of canned tuna, which has less mercury because it comes from smaller fishes); the Environmental Protection Agency gives a pretty similar number, so renia22's naturopath is giving an extremely cautious recommendation. Salmon is actually known for being LOW in mercury, not high. (sardines, herring, and mackerel are also great choices that are oily fishes with low mercury) When you're worrying about mercury, what you really want to avoid is the 'top' predators: shark, swordfish, and barracuda are all known for being high mercury.

And to be frank, there's a balance to be weighed here. Eating 2 servings a week of oily fishes lowers your risk for heart attack. As someone who is heavier and who has systemic inflammation, your risk (and mine, for that matter) is higher than for the average person your age, especially if your health has been keeping you from regular cardiovascular exercise (I don't intend this as a criticism of you! Mine has certainly affected how often I get my muscles moving and heart pumping and how long I can do it for). Heart disease is one of the major killers of men and women both. Also, heavier people can tolerate more mercury without side effects (according to the World Health Organization). I worry more about my heart and brain needing the Omega-3s than the mercury, personally, and that's how I approach it. You have to choose which worries you more. The main reason I eat tuna steaks as infrequently as I do is because my budget is too tight!

[nerdybrunette]

Ah, okay, I know the area. That puts you solidly in the lowland desert, rather than the mountainous upstate. Unfortunately, the latter is where you can get most of the local fish - trout are generally coldwater, mountain-stream or lake type fish. I'm also reasonably sure the nearest Trader Joe's are in Vegas. If you choose to get frozen fish there, you need a hardside cooler and plenty of ice to keep it cold on the drive home. TJ's fish tends to be wild-caught (including their tuna, don't remember about their salmon), and good about their labeling on whether the fish was wild-caught. Their canned tuna is wild-caught, too. The Mayo Clinic says it's safe for even pregnant women (that is, the absolute most vulnerable people in terms of mercury) to eat 6 oz of tuna steaks a week (and up to 12 oz of canned tuna, which has less mercury because it comes from smaller fishes); the Environmental Protection Agency gives a pretty similar number, so renia22's naturopath is giving an extremely cautious recommendation. Salmon is actually known for being LOW in mercury, not high. (sardines, herring, and mackerel are also great choices that are oily fishes with low mercury) When you're worrying about mercury, what you really want to avoid is the 'top' predators: shark, swordfish, and barracuda are all known for being high mercury.

And to be frank, there's a balance to be weighed here. Eating 2 servings a week of oily fishes lowers your risk for heart attack. As someone who is heavier and who has systemic inflammation, your risk (and mine, for that matter) is higher than for the average person your age, especially if your health has been keeping you from regular cardiovascular exercise (I don't intend this as a criticism of you! Mine has certainly affected how often I get my muscles moving and heart pumping and how long I can do it for). Heart disease is one of the major killers of men and women both. Also, heavier people can tolerate more mercury without side effects (according to the World Health Organization). I worry more about my heart and brain needing the Omega-3s than the mercury, personally, and that's how I approach it. You have to choose which worries you more. The main reason I eat tuna steaks as infrequently as I do is because my budget is too tight!

You make a very good point about my my cardiovascular health versus possible mercury in fish. I'll have to see about Trader Joe's. I haven't yet gone into Vegas since I apparently have altitude sickness. I had a horrible last 2 days driving here (on the move) because of the mountains. We went the "southern route" from Ohio and wow was it bad. I can't imagine how bad it would have been had we gone through Colorado. EEK! I can take dramamine or Bonine but dramamine works so much better but it really makes me so very sleepy and loopy. I'm really nervous about driving to Vegas for shopping and/or doctor visits should I need to be seen by a doctor in Vegas. Just driving on the west side of Pahrump (near the California border) I had some an episode of altitude sickness. Yeah, not fun. Mom has it too and she had a reaction, too. We were all together in our minivan. So I know to avoid going more than like 2 minutes at about 45 miles per hour (whatever that would be in mileage) west of SR 160 in Pahrump.

I'll have a talk with mom and dad about shopping at Trader Joes for fish when they go into Vegas. They tend to stop at Sams Club (we already have a membership) and they pick up some bulk items there whenever they are in town.

I may make the leap and go with them on one of their trips. I would say "it can't hurt to try" but then again, yes, it can, very much. :puke:

Ooh I got a hair cut today. It had been far, too long. Had split ends, hair felt so dry and straw-like at the ends, it was so gross looking. Here are before and after pics:
http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/1962/qkln.jpg

close-up: http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/9538/7s9l.jpg

Hair cut (blown dry with a little hair spray): http://imageshack.us/a/img94/5681/rd0z.jpg

[nerdybrunette]

Well I had just posted what I had written last night. My hair cut was yesterday the 12th. :P I'm going to wash it today with my Garnier Fructis Fall Fight shampoo (and conditioner) and after it dries naturally I'll brush it and post pics to see how much of the wave is actually still there. :)

[renia22]

Cute haircut! It looks very nice on you.

[nerdybrunette]

Cute haircut! It looks very nice on you.

Thank you, renia22. :) I think it looks awesome! I really needed a cut. I wasn't to happy with his idea about the layers in the front/sides but he insisted and I do agree he did the right thing. I'm going to be wearing my hair parted slightly over like it is in the most recent picture. I love it! I do have to get used to the the way it feels but I'll adjust. hehe

I will always go to him as long as he is working here. He's very personable and has a great eye! I'm super pleased!

[vindo]

With all the medications and health issues you have there could be a million reasons why you lose hair :(.
It could be a combination of things, your health slowly declining. I would look into everything and have an all over health check up done complete with extensive blood and hormone panels.

I don't have much time right now, but a few things stood out to me:
- Anti Depressants can cause hair loss
- Diabetes can eventually cause hair loss
- Dandruff can cause hair loss since it is practically yeast overgrowth. Treatment would include anti fungal cream (also on the scalp) anti fungal pill possibly, anti fungal diet, anti fungal shampoo. Yeast is very stubborn and comes back since it is usually also triggered by diet (wheat and other high glycemic carbs)
- Adrenal fatigue can be a problem

I have a list with many more possible reasons of hair loss on my blog if you would like to take a look and see if it gives you any more ideas! You can find the link in my signature.

Emi

[nerdybrunette]

With all the medications and health issues you have there could be a million reasons why you lose hair :(.
It could be a combination of things, your health slowly declining. I would look into everything and have an all over health check up done complete with extensive blood and hormone panels.

I don't have much time right now, but a few things stood out to me:
- Anti Depressants can cause hair loss
- Diabetes can eventually cause hair loss
- Dandruff can cause hair loss since it is practically yeast overgrowth. Treatment would include anti fungal cream (also on the scalp) anti fungal pill possibly, anti fungal diet, anti fungal shampoo. Yeast is very stubborn and comes back since it is usually also triggered by diet (wheat and other high glycemic carbs)
- Adrenal fatigue can be a problem

I have a list with many more possible reasons of hair loss on my blog if you would like to take a look and see if it gives you any more ideas! You can find the link in my signature.

Emi

Thank you for the information. I've been on the same dose of SSRI for at least 5 years now. No changes in that regard. My a1c is lower than it was by a significant margin. It has been 5.7% for a little over 1/2 of a year now. Previously it was 6.1%. Yeah dandruff could be a cause. I am now using prescription Nizoral 2% twice weekly per my dermatologists recommendation. I'm not sure about the adrenal fatigue. I've had a metabolic bloodwork, and everything is normal. We'll see how the Nizoral affects my hair loss.

[renia22]

I will always go to him as long as he is working here. He's very personable and has a great eye! I'm super pleased!.

A good stylist and a small change can be a huge morale booster!

[nerdybrunette]

I fully agree, renia22. I'm so glad I went to him for my hair cut instead of Walmart or other similar place.

[nerdybrunette]

Ok I just counted the hairs that were caught in my hair catcher in my shower drain. 141 hairs were lost during my shower yesterday (Sunday). And I am very gentle with my hair! I don't scrub with my finger nails, I don't pull on the hair at all, I use slightly warm water in the shower, I don't comb or brush my hair in the shower either. *sigh*

[biogirl87]

Ok I just counted the hairs that were caught in my hair catcher in my shower drain. 141 hairs were lost during my shower yesterday (Sunday). And I am very gentle with my hair! I don't scrub with my finger nails, I don't pull on the hair at all, I use slightly warm water in the shower, I don't comb or brush my hair in the shower either. *sigh*nerdybrunette, if you don't mind me asking this, how many days do you usually go between washing my hair? I'm only asking this because when I would count the hairs that came out in the shower, I would typically get 70-80 after shampooing and condiitoning, which would seem like a lot, but then I would take into account that only wash about once a week and it doesn't seem as many. Are you trying to stretch your washes? I find that for me I tend to have more hairs come out in the shower if I wash my hair more often.

[Firefox7275]

The naturopath meant eating any large fish, especially salmon & tuna, only once a month. The list of other large fish was just to give a thorough list, but it's the salmon & tuna (including canned, unfortunately) most people are contaminating themselves with. The only way to really know, though, is to get a blood test if you eat it often.

It's true you can't really trust whether or not your fish is contaminate free unless it's tested, or better yet, you are mindful by getting bloodwork done to see if you have any mercury in your system:

What are your naturopath's medical/ healthcare qualifications, do they have an honours degree in nutrition or dietetics? Tuna is a can is not classed as an oily fish anyway due to the manner in which it is processed so I never recommend it to my nutrition clients, IIRC canned tuna contains lower levels of various nasties than fresh since it has lost the omega-rich oils. Again if people follow the official guidelines of eating a wide variety of different foods from each group the risks from salmon and tuna are very low.


"This most recent study has determined that levels of mercury and other trace metals measured in both farmed and wild salmon were significantly below Health Canada's consumption guidelines. Compared to wild salmon, the researchers found that farmed salmon did not have significantly higher concentrations of metals such as arsenic, cobalt, copper, or cadmium. The threefold higher mercury concentration observed in the flesh of wild salmon than in farmed salmon is potentially explained by farmed salmon's low gastrointestinal absorption efficiency, its negligible transfer of metals to muscle tissue, and its rapid growth cycles (growth dilution). In farmed fish, there were no differences in metal levels found between pre- and post-processing.

For comparison to other parts of the human diet, the researchers indicate that total mercury levels were slightly higher in wild or farmed salmon than in chicken, beef, or pork and about the same as in fruit, vegetables, honey, and eggs. Compared to other foods, salmon contains lower levels of other trace elements. The average dietary intake of mercury and trace metals from salmon still remains a paltry 0.05% to 32% compared to the 68% to 99% that is absorbed from meat, poultry, fruit, and vegetables. Salmon also contains its own protection against mercury in the form of the element selenium. The moderate surplus of this metal can counteract mercury's toxicity.

"Estimates of human dietary exposure indicate that human health risks associated with trace metal exposure via consumption of farmed and wild British Columbia salmon are negligible," conclude the authors. "The current scientific evidence therefore supports the weekly consumption of oily fish species (including all British Columbia salmon sources) as recommended by the American Heart Association."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/109789.php
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18211126

"WHO, in collaboration with FAO, has considered dioxins and dioxin-like compounds on several occasions. Most recently in June 2001, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) examined new evidence on the toxicity of these chemicals and established a Provisional Tolerable Monthly Intake (PTMI) of 70 picograms of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs. When evaluating standard diets in different parts of the world the results indicated that the estimated intakes of these chemicals approach or exceed this PTMI. Based on the mean contamination levels reported in above study, eating one or two portions per week of farmed salmon would result in a monthly intake below this level. However, an overall dietary risk assessment would require inclusion of other dietary sources of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs."
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/chem/pcbsalmon/en/

[renia22]

What are your naturopath's medical/ healthcare qualifications, do they have an honours degree in nutrition or dietetics?

She has a doctorate in naturopathic medicine. Her credentials are excellent. Yeah I had read all if the stats on salmon & tuna & thought eating them twice a week was fine. That's how I ended up with dangerously elevated mercury. I was not eating any of those other fish that are known to be higher in mercury. That's what the Naturopath has been seeing in her practice, is that people are contaminating themselves unknowingly with the supposedly "safe" fish. The bloodwork doesn't lie, like I said the only way to really know for sure if you consume a lot of fish is to get a blood test just to be on the safe side.

[Firefox7275]

She has a doctorate in naturopathic medicine. Her credentials are excellent. Yeah I had read all if the stats on salmon & tuna & thought eating them twice a week was fine. That's how I ended up with dangerously elevated mercury. I was not eating any of those other fish that are known to be higher in mercury. That's what the Naturopath has been seeing in her practice, is that people are contaminating themselves unknowingly with the supposedly "safe" fish. The bloodwork doesn't lie, like I said the only way to really know for sure if you consume a lot of fish is to get a blood test just to be on the safe side.

Again if people eat a variety of foods and stick to the recommended serving sizes they'd not be eating salmon and tuna a maximum of twice a week. Tuna is indeed high up the food chain, it's not widely considered to be safe to eat frequently and is not classed as an oily fish when canned anyway. I'm sorry for what happened to you, but that happening to a handful of people doesn't make it unsafe for everyone else to eat salmon or tuna in moderation.

Far far more people get negative effects from long chain omega-3 deficiencies or low vitamin D than from mercury poisoning. This sort of scaremongering, however well meaning, is what keep my client base eating an average of one third of a serving of oily fish a week (UK and US averages) and the lifestyle disease rates climbing fast.

[vindo]

Thank you for the information. I've been on the same dose of SSRI for at least 5 years now. No changes in that regard. My a1c is lower than it was by a significant margin. It has been 5.7% for a little over 1/2 of a year now. Previously it was 6.1%. Yeah dandruff could be a cause. I am now using prescription Nizoral 2% twice weekly per my dermatologists recommendation. I'm not sure about the adrenal fatigue. I've had a metabolic bloodwork, and everything is normal. We'll see how the Nizoral affects my hair loss.

Just a tip in case the Nizoral does not work - Anti Fungal Creams like Monistat do a better job at ridding your scalp of yeast and they are not as drying to your skin and hair. I apply the cream slightly diluted and it worked so much better than Nizoral which just irritated my scalp. (i did not have dandruff, but symptom free yeast that causes hair loss that was visible only under a UV Lamp).
Often problems return after using topical treatments though, that is why a candida diet to starbe the yeast is also a good idea. Or at least something that eliminates high glycemic carbs. I eat Paleo, have been on it for over two years and will be on it indefinitely because my health issues return on a normal diet.

Medical- I am not familiar with these levels as i used to have a thyroid issue and learned all about that, but it could be that something in your body changed and it is not as happy with the does or medication you are on (my friend with a thyroid issue had sudden, severe hair loss after having been on the same dose Synthroid for 4 years (thyroid). Her levels were fine but after switching to Armour it stopped and doctors never were able to tell her what changed for her to have hair loss from it.

But it is right to look at other culprits first and only temper with medication as a last resort.

[renia22]

Again if people eat a variety of foods and stick to the recommended serving sizes they'd not be eating salmon and tuna a maximum of twice a week. Tuna is indeed high up the food chain, it's not widely considered to be safe to eat frequently and is not classed as an oily fish when canned anyway. I'm sorry for what happened to you, but that happening to a handful of people doesn't make it unsafe for everyone else to eat salmon or tuna in moderation.

Far far more people get negative effects from long chain omega-3 deficiencies or low vitamin D than from mercury poisoning. This sort of scaremongering, however well meaning, is what keep my client base eating an average of one third of a serving of oily fish a week (UK and US averages) and the lifestyle disease rates climbing fast.


Take it easy, Firefox. I was only bringing up a possible caution when changing ones diet to consume more of a certain food. I'm sure the OP will take in everyone's two cents and make her own informed choice.

(Oh and ps, eating 2 serving of fish a week IS considered moderation, and the tuna I was eating was not canned. I also hear you bringing up precautions quite often in various threads & I don't recall anyone accusing you of fear mongering)

[nerdybrunette]

nerdybrunette, if you don't mind me asking this, how many days do you usually go between washing my hair? I'm only asking this because when I would count the hairs that came out in the shower, I would typically get 70-80 after shampooing and condiitoning, which would seem like a lot, but then I would take into account that only wash about once a week and it doesn't seem as many. Are you trying to stretch your washes? I find that for me I tend to have more hairs come out in the shower if I wash my hair more often.

I used to shampoo once per week. Now I shampoo daily. I started daily washings about a week or so ago since I switched to the Fall Fight shampoo and conditioner.

[nerdybrunette]

I do have a lot to research about diet and omega-3's, etc. I was taking MegaRed Krill Oil 300mg daily but I ran out. I'll just have to buy it online since we can't find it in stores. It's usually out of stock OR it just isn't there. But I've been researching which krill oil supplement to take since Mega Red doesn't have enough of one specific ingredient. Anathaxin or somehting like that. I don't know how to spell it unless I go searching for it again. :P

[nerdybrunette]

Quote Originally Posted by biogirl87 View Post
"nerdybrunette, if you don't mind me asking this, how many days do you usually go between washing my hair? I'm only asking this because when I would count the hairs that came out in the shower, I would typically get 70-80 after shampooing and condiitoning, which would seem like a lot, but then I would take into account that only wash about once a week and it doesn't seem as many. Are you trying to stretch your washes? I find that for me I tend to have more hairs come out in the shower if I wash my hair more often."
I used to shampoo once per week. Now I shampoo daily. I started daily washings about a week or so ago since I switched to the Fall Fight shampoo and conditioner.
But I've had this much hair loss per shower now for months, even before switching to daily washings. I don't know what to do. Oh I did take a picture of the top of my head and it definitely looks like it's thinning up top, maybe not so much on the rest of my head.

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7661/ikiv.jpg

[renia22]

But I've had this much hair loss per shower now for months, even before switching to daily washings. I don't know what to do. Oh I did take a picture of the top of my head and it definitely looks like it's thinning up top, maybe not so much on the rest of my head.

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7661/ikiv.jpg

The flash can make your scalp look more pronounced than it really is, but honestly that does not look bad at all. But only you can really know if there is a difference from how it was before. Are you saving your shed hairs or measuring your ponytail circumference? Saving the shed hairs every day ( you can roll them up into a ball in your hand & put in a baggie, then over time you can see if the balls are getting bigger or smaller) can at least give you a visual and the circumference can give you an actual measurement to work with and compare changes to.

[nerdybrunette]

The flash can make your scalp look more pronounced than it really is, but honestly that does not look bad at all. But only you can really know if there is a difference from how it was before. Are you saving your shed hairs or measuring your ponytail circumference? Saving the shed hairs every day ( you can roll them up into a ball in your hand & put in a baggie, then over time you can see if the balls are getting bigger or smaller) can at least give you a visual and the circumference can give you an actual measurement to work with and compare changes to.

That was the first time I actually counted. I'm going to start counting every day. 141 seems like an awful lot. And my pony tail is much thinner than it used to be. My medium Flexi-8 is a bit loose a lot of the time now. I can only wear my large Flexi-8 when I make a bun (albeit a crappy looking one) :P

That's a good idea about balling the hair up and comparing size over time. Thank you. :) I hadn't thought of that.

[renia22]

That's a good idea about balling the hair up and comparing size over time. Thank you. :) I hadn't thought of that.


Yes, saving the hair can not only help you to see what numbers you are really dealing with over time, but you then have it on hand if heaven forbid you run into any doctors who poo- poo your concerns or don't believe you (not that that ever happens http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc366/PlagueEleven/Smileys/dry.gif (http://media.photobucket.com/user/PlagueEleven/media/Smileys/dry.gif.html))

[nerdybrunette]

Yes, saving the hair can not only help you to see what numbers you are really dealing with over time, but you then have it on hand if heaven forbid you run into any doctors who poo- poo your concerns or don't believe you (not that that ever happens http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc366/PlagueEleven/Smileys/dry.gif (http://media.photobucket.com/user/PlagueEleven/media/Smileys/dry.gif.html))

Yep. Been there, done that. Good idea :D

[biogirl87]

Quote Originally Posted by biogirl87 View Post
"nerdybrunette, if you don't mind me asking this, how many days do you usually go between washing my hair? I'm only asking this because when I would count the hairs that came out in the shower, I would typically get 70-80 after shampooing and condiitoning, which would seem like a lot, but then I would take into account that only wash about once a week and it doesn't seem as many. Are you trying to stretch your washes? I find that for me I tend to have more hairs come out in the shower if I wash my hair more often."
I used to shampoo once per week. Now I shampoo daily. I started daily washings about a week or so ago since I switched to the Fall Fight shampoo and conditioner.
But I've had this much hair loss per shower now for months, even before switching to daily washings. I don't know what to do. Oh I did take a picture of the top of my head and it definitely looks like it's thinning up top, maybe not so much on the rest of my head.141 hairs coming out in the shower does sound like a lot if you are washing daily. Try going back to washing your hair once a week and see how many hairs you get coming out in the shower then (if you're still getting 141 hairs coming out in the shower then, then it's only 20 more hairs on average per day that would have came out). I know I have more hairs come out in the shower when I wash my hair if I wash it more frequently (this is my biggest reason for stretching my washes to one wash per week even though by about day four or five, the sebum has moved far enough that the entire top of my head looks greasy - I just start putting my hair up at that point and wait until day six, seven, or in some cases even eight to wash my hair to hopefully lessen the number of hairs that come out in the shower).

[HumanBean]

I just read this thread and I think counting your hairs daily is a good idea. I did this for months when I started shedding last year and it helped me get a sense of how bad it was and when it started to ease up. You can see my numbers in my blog. My worst day I lost over 600 hairs before I gave up counting that day.

Mine was due to losing weight; it started when I lost the first 15 lbs. You said you had lost a little weight also...might that be it? It's a fairly well documented side effect of losing weight, unfortunately.

[nerdybrunette]

I just read this thread and I think counting your hairs daily is a good idea. I did this for months when I started shedding last year and it helped me get a sense of how bad it was and when it started to ease up. You can see my numbers in my blog. My worst day I lost over 600 hairs before I gave up counting that day.

Mine was due to losing weight; it started when I lost the first 15 lbs. You said you had lost a little weight also...might that be it? It's a fairly well documented side effect of losing weight, unfortunately.

I didn't really start losing weight until mid July, but looking back on my calendar I've stayed in teh same 8 pounds since then (probably going up past 10 pounds higher a time or two.) My weight has always been very unstable. I tend to gain so easily. But I'm down 361.0 today. My highest was 381.6 I think. I am steadily losing weight with some water weight gain occasionally but that comes off quickly when I go back to eating normally (no Sun Chips or potato chips, no pizza, etc.)

I had an OGBYN exam about a week ago so I hope to hear back what my test results were (blood work and physical exam) because Uterine Cancer runs severely in my family. My menstrual cycle has been very wacky lately. I'm only 29 years old but who knows. So we'll see what's going on. My OBGYN will send me to a gynocology oncologist if he sees anything abnormal. He is being very proactive. I will call tomorrow to see how I will get the results.

[nerdybrunette]

I counted my hair loss in the shower from last night. 75 hair strands. Much, much better than the previous day... I notice that my dandruff comes back on about day three after using the Nizoral. So instead of only doing twice per week, I am going to do it every 3rd day. I was thinking of doing Tuesday and Saturday but I'll do a rolling 3rd day. Tonight will be a Nizoral day, so then I'll do Friday, Monday, Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, etc. I think that may be better for my scalp.

[nerdybrunette]

I didn't shower on Tuesday. I did shower on Wednesday and my hair count lost was 139. I wrote the date on the bag and the number of hairs lost and bagged them up in a ziplock. :( Perhaps I lost that many because I didn't shower on wednesday. I'll shower again tonight and tonight I'll use my GF Fall Fight shampoo and conditioner. Last night I used the Nizoral.

I am noticing today in the better lighting that I'm developing a very thin spot up front in my hairline on my forehead. I see my dermatologist in one week. I'll bring the shed hair baggies and show him the thin spot and have him look on my scalp since I really can't do that myself. I know I have a very thick head of hair normally with what I think is fine hair but dang... My hair is so thin compared to what it used to be. It's really making me sad and scared. I'll ask him about possible treatments for it since I really need this taken care of. The sooner it's treated the less likely it will get severe enough to be noticeable to random people walking down the street.

[nerdybrunette]

I thought I might log in and update you all as to why I was losing my hair. Food allergies! When I have days or a week or two where I have no food allergy symptoms my hair does not fall out so severely. The day after I have a food allergy symptom which tend to be quite severe for me, though not life threatening it seems, my hair falls out like it was before I severely adjusted my diet. Ha! Wow! Plus I quit using traditional shampoo, am now using pure liquid castile soap without any fragrance or other addives. My scalp is now doing great for the most part, as is my hair loss but definitely it's the food allergies (to all types of gluten, dairy and soy and probably a new one I haven't identified yet that is in my allergen-friendly bread). This has been one heck of a roller coaster since the beginning of this year. It appears my allergies are NOT the traditional type caused by IGE but actually likely by IGG antibodies. So the blood work has all shown up as negative for all foods tested as they were testing IGE antibodies. :P I have what is called "cerebral allergies" which sounds like a quack diagnosis but for me it certainly isn't. I don't want to post links here but feel free to PM me or reply back if you are interested more about it and I can share some links and studies mentioned.

So things are looking up for now. I just have to avoid gluten, dairy and soy in everything I ingest and I (so far) am doing really well! I'm actually losing weight like I never have before in my life! I am still considered severely morbidly obese, but I've lost over 50 pounds since the beginning of February when I quit drinking all diet soda and anything with aspartame in it. Then quit gluten, then dairy, then soy. Crazy...

I just measured my hair length and it is now 22.5 inches. I was trying to find when I last measured my hair (maybe end of February?) as I think I posted about it here somewhere but I haven't found it. I think then it was 18.5 inches then.

I ended up going to an allergist which my dermatologist referred me to, and he still hasn't figured out my allergy problems but yesterday I did a simple google search "what makes food change your mood" or something to that effect and BOOM the first link I chose explained it in detail and showed data from very old studies done in the 50's about children and foods that cause severe mood alteration as well as some of the symptoms I experience other than that.

I cried so hard yesterday, not sad tears but elated tears. It explains my whole life, how I have been my whole life, everything about me, down to a T. So I have printed off that one article and am taking it to my allergist when I go next week. I will also take a printed copy to my other doctors when I go to them. I need them to read this, to see how I am doing now, to understand what I have been going through is not something they can really test for directly. I finally have hope. Huge hope for my future! I don't even think I do have bipolar disorder, because these food allergies I have can and DO explain my "bipolar" symptoms. Ha! *MUAH!*

[nerdybrunette]

I thought I might log in and update you all as to why I was losing my hair. Food allergies! When I have days or a week or two where I have no food allergy symptoms my hair does not fall out so severely. The day after I have a food allergy symptom which tend to be quite severe for me, though not life threatening it seems, my hair falls out like it was before I severely adjusted my diet. Ha! Wow! Plus I quit using traditional shampoo, am now using pure liquid castile soap without any fragrance or other addives. My scalp is now doing great for the most part, as is my hair loss but definitely it's the food allergies (to all types of gluten, dairy and soy and probably a new one I haven't identified yet that is in my allergen-friendly bread). This has been one heck of a roller coaster since the beginning of this year. It appears my allergies are NOT the traditional type caused by IGE but actually likely by IGG antibodies. So the blood work has all shown up as negative for all foods tested as they were testing IGE antibodies. :P I have what is called "cerebral allergies" which sounds like a quack diagnosis but for me it certainly isn't. I don't want to post links here but feel free to PM me or reply back if you are interested more about it and I can share some links and studies mentioned.

So things are looking up for now. I just have to avoid gluten, dairy and soy in everything I ingest and I (so far) am doing really well! I'm actually losing weight like I never have before in my life! I am still considered severely morbidly obese, but I've lost over 50 pounds since the beginning of February when I quit drinking all diet soda and anything with aspartame in it. Then quit gluten, then dairy, then soy. Crazy...

I just measured my hair length and it is now 22.5 inches. I was trying to find when I last measured my hair (maybe end of February?) as I think I posted about it here somewhere but I haven't found it. I think then it was 18.5 inches then.

I ended up going to an allergist which my dermatologist referred me to, and he still hasn't figured out my allergy problems but yesterday I did a simple google search "what makes food change your mood" or something to that effect and BOOM the first link I chose explained it in detail and showed data from very old studies done in the 50's about children and foods that cause severe mood alteration as well as some of the symptoms I experience other than that.

I cried so hard yesterday, not sad tears but elated tears. It explains my whole life, how I have been my whole life, everything about me, down to a T. So I have printed off that one article and am taking it to my allergist when I go next week. I will also take a printed copy to my other doctors when I go to them. I need them to read this, to see how I am doing now, to understand what I have been going through is not something they can really test for directly. I finally have hope. Huge hope for my future! I don't even think I do have bipolar disorder, because these food allergies I have can and DO explain my "bipolar" symptoms. Ha! *MUAH!*

[nerdybrunette]

Oh and due to bad symptoms when taking my medications I quit all of them (including the OTC meds) other than gabapentin. I feel even better now!!! I am going through Lexapro withdrawal but it's now been 15 days and seem to be mostly over it. I feel great.

[two_wheels]

Congratulations on finding out the problem- how frustrating and what a relief in a way, I can understand the tears. Good luck with the new trigger-free diet :blossom:

[nerdybrunette]

Do you keep getting logged off of LHC?? I was typing this up and I tried to post it and it had logged me off. That is very annoying.

Thank you, two_wheels! This has been so amazing and frustrating of a journey. Now that I know what is causing the majority of my health problems I can continue to work on them. Not only have I lost 50+ pounds only since February but my blood pressure is down even after going off of Lisinopril. My pre-Diabetes seems to be GONE! I have eaten overly carby foods and my blood sugar never goes above 120! When back then if I had an 8oz glass of OJ my sugar would be easily 160 or higher! Ha, crazy... Weight is dropping off, I have energy, even more than mom and I thought that was impossible even though mom really doesn't have much energy due to her Rheumatoid and degenerative spine..

:) Feelin' good. *GRIN*


Congratulations on finding out the problem- how frustrating and what a relief in a way, I can understand the tears. Good luck with the new trigger-free diet :blossom:

[embee]

Getting logged off LHC... happens to me if I forget to click the "Remember Me" box when I log in.

Hope your allergy finding continues to be helpful.

[browneyedsusan]

I'm glad you found out the cause of your troubles! I hope treatment brings speedy relief.
FWIW: I have a bunch of allergies, but none of them to food. :)