High androgens and hair loss?

[yubel]

Hello, lurker here, sorry for intruding.
I'm a 25 year old young woman from Europe. I have been always very fond of long hair and I was known for my thick and healthy dark reddish brown mane. I started going grey when I was 14 ("inheritance" from my grandmother) so I had to have it dyed first with semi-permanent, then during the last year, permanent hair dye. 2 weeks ago I switched to henna because I was not satisfied with the color results and fading.
I noticed my hair getting thinner in autumn 2014 and high shedding in december-january. I visited a dermatologist and he said I had seborrheic dermatitis (my scalp is very oily, itchy and painful if I don't wash every day with Nizoral). I also had a blood test which revealed very low ferritin and mildly high TSH levels.
I take levothyroxine for my thyroid after getting diagnosed with Hashimoto (autoimmune) thyroiditis, but my TSH won't go down anymore to the optimal levels (around 1). No matter how I increase my dose it remains above 2, and I don't really feel good at all.
In spring last year I had my sex hormones tested as well because I have suffered from excess body hair since my early teens. Turned out I have very high levels of androstenedione (twice the upper limit), elevated DHEA-S and testosterone. According to 4 independent doctors I have problems with my adrenals (no PCOS, normal cycles and low body weight). One of them prescribed dexamethasone which suppresses adrenal androgen production - I took a very low dose of it for 2.5 months. However I started feeling ill last week (dizziness, headaches, weakness) so I stopped taking it. My shedding decreased when I corrected my ferritin/iron last year and after a tonsillectomy this winter (I had chronic tonsillitis), but it never seemed to stop completely. I mostly lose shorter and mid-length hairs (a lot of them thinner) so I'm really worried :( I have regrowth but some of them are also very thin and fall out early; these are all over, not just the top of head.
When you look at it, it's not classic androgen induced hair loss, I just have much less hair all over (I lost around half of it). My hair's still growing at the same rate and is currently near waist length. I try to eat as healthy as possible and take supplements, though not excessively. I have to take iron because my levels drop due to rather heavy periods when I'm not supplementing. I live a moderately stressful life but I had much much worse times in the past and I never noticed my hair falling out, I used to be a very light shedder.
I don't want to take hormones but I'm on the verge of starting a BC pill because I'm just so distressed experiencing this hair loss for such a long time...
If there is someone going through the same thing, could you please help me how to lower my androgen levels and/or stop this shedding? I wrote to a women's hair loss forum but all I got was negative replies saying I was going bald and nothing could stop it (no balding in my family)...
Sorry to sound so desperate but I really need some support right now as I think this is a great community.

Have a nice day
Yubel

[ChloeDharma]

There are certain herbal anti androgens but despite being a fan of herbs myself sometimes we do need to use the prescribed stuff from doctors. I don't think anybody here can really give you actual medical advice and playing around with this stuff could be dangerous.
I'm sorry you are going through this, it really does sound horrible but I would advise you talk it over with your doctor and certainly go back to talk about the side effects of your medication.

There are things you can use to encourage growth, the forum is full of ideas about herbs, essential oils, massage etc but as good as some of these things are, if the medical issues are not resolved then they are unlikely to be that useful.

I do hope you manage to get this situation under control soon :flower:

[lapushka]

I would go back to your doctor. This site does not give out medical advice. This is not a good place for that. And I would doubt anyone to give you advice on here - your doctor knows best.

I would also not just stop taking medication. If you feel bad because you think it is caused by a medication, the right thing to do then is to go back to your doctor and talk about it, so s/he can tell you what to do next.

So, please...

If that all isn't fixed, there is little you can do about your hair!

[Stepo_NiNha]

Hi Yubel

I'm sorry you're going through this. I know the feeling because I have a little less hair on top of my crown near the forehead and when I go through high pressure, I get nervous and my hair on top tends to become thinner (YEAH, it's weird but it's true). I took Minoxidil 5% and it improved the situation, my crown is much better now even when I'm more nervous.

Have you already tried it? It might help you BUT you should first talk to your doctor to know if it's safe for you or not.

A more natural tip:

I'm not an oil fan (such as coconut oil, olive oil, etc) but castor oil is known to help in hair loss and greasy scalp. You put a little bit on your scalp and massage. Wait half an hour and then wash your hair to remove the oil. I already did it and I noticed my hair less greasy but I was lazy to continue and now my hair is not as oily as before so I stopped.


Hope to help you,
best,

[lapushka]

A more natural tip:

I'm not an oil fan (such as coconut oil, olive oil, etc) but castor oil is known to help in hair loss and greasy scalp. You put a little bit on your scalp and massage. Wait half an hour and then wash your hair to remove the oil. I already did it and I noticed my hair less greasy but I was lazy to continue and now my hair is not as oily as before so I stopped.

Oils on the scalp are not recommended if you have seborrheic dermatitis. It feeds the fungal growth that you are trying to combat with Nizoral shampoo. Don't do it! :)

[Stepo_NiNha]

Oils on the scalp are not recommended if you have seborrheic dermatitis. It feeds the fungal growth that you are trying to combat with Nizoral shampoo. Don't do it! :)

Hmm, good to know :)

so a doctor will be for sure the best person to help in these cases :)

[lapushka]

Hmm, good to know :)

so a doctor will be for sure the best person to help in these cases :)

Not everybody knows, and I have seborrheic dermatitis (SD) as well, so I know about oils and why it's best not to go there. :)

[Stepo_NiNha]

Not everybody knows, and I have seborrheic dermatitis (SD) as well, so I know about oils and why it's best not to go there. :)

But it definitely makes sense - the natural oils have nutrients so they will feed the fungus.

I never thought about that!

I think I still have a lot to learn with LHC!! :)

[yubel]

First of all,thanks for the kind responses :) Yes, I have tried oils in the past and they unfortunately made my problem worse. I don't know about minoxidil... I don't think it can be easily found in my country but I would be afraid to try it anyway. I wish to address the root cause but it's really not easy :( I stopped my meds because my doctor said I can stop them anytime if I feel something's not right. Otherwise I would have not done it.
I'm not thinning on top, it's everywhere, so it's not a classic case.
I will go back to my doctor for further testing but I feel like they cannot do anything in cases like mine :(

[Stepo_NiNha]

First of all,thanks for the kind responses :) Yes, I have tried oils in the past and they unfortunately made my problem worse. I don't know about minoxidil... I don't think it can be easily found in my country but I would be afraid to try it anyway. I wish to address the root cause but it's really not easy :( I stopped my meds because my doctor said I can stop them anytime if I feel something's not right. Otherwise I would have not done it.
I'm not thinning on top, it's everywhere, so it's not a classic case.
I will go back to my doctor for further testing but I feel like they cannot do anything in cases like mine :(


Yep or try another doctor to hear a second opinion :)

Good luck!

[yubel]

Thank you :) Unfortunately she's my 3rd or 4th doctor... I hope something good will come out of this.

[lapushka]

Thank you :) Unfortunately she's my 3rd or 4th doctor... I hope something good will come out of this.

Definitely been there with plenty doctor's visits (for something totally different). But still. You need to persevere. It's your health at stake, and the best person to fight for that, is you! Good luck!

What country are you from? :)

[lapushka]

But it definitely makes sense - the natural oils have nutrients so they will feed the fungus.

I never thought about that!

I think I still have a lot to learn with LHC!! :)

We've all had to start from the beginning, at LHC. We were all newbies once. :D

[Stepo_NiNha]

Yubel,

Don't give up!

Lapushka

Yes, its true :) And I've learned a lot already with you guys

[yubel]

Thanks for the support, I really appreciate it! I'm from Hungary :)

[Beborani]

Are you female? (Eta: checked your post again and yes you are, sorry about that). Then diffuse thinning is 'classic' for women. I also would second or third relying on your doctors rather than this discussion site for medical advice. Minoxidil is not 'evil' and may help but again check with your doctors and availability--I think it is readily available everywhere these days.

[Anje]

Are you seeing an endocrinologist? It sounds like you've got a lot of problems from different hormonal systems in your body, and I can't help but wonder whether they're related. I suspect you need an expert, instead of treating the symptoms. Something higher up the endocrine chain (pituitary perhaps?) might be causing issues.

ETA: I haven't seen her around in a long time, but a member here, Emichiee went through a number of issues with hormone-related hair thinning. Her hair recovered well, as I recall.

[Qz]

See if you can find a doc who specializes in hormone imbalances. Hormones control everything about our bodies it seems, and being out of balance wreaks havoc. I had a bad imbalance and although I had been using bio-identical hormone creams on my own, they did nothing for my condition. Once the doc got me on the actual hormone tabs things improved for me dramatically. Good luck with this, there is help out there even though sometimes it is hard to find.

[Obsidian]

How often are you seeing your doctor and how many meds have you tried? Doc's aren't miracle workers, it can take a bit of trial and error to find a medicine that is agreeable with and works. I agree that you need to see a expert but you should also have your primary doctor involved so you are all on the same page.

[lapushka]

How often are you seeing your doctor and how many meds have you tried? Doc's aren't miracle workers, it can take a bit of trial and error to find a medicine that is agreeable with and works. I agree that you need to see a expert but you should also have your primary doctor involved so you are all on the same page.

This. ^^ Sometimes however hard it is, you just have to hang in there. I know it was a big pain in the butt until my meds for Menière's were on point. I lived with dizziness and imbalance and throwing up on the regular and avoided the things that triggered it (like washing the hair for some reason, which is why they thought it was positional at first - totally different beast). It can take a while and what you have to live through to get to a stage where you can be comfortable in your own skin again can be tough, but just hang in there. :flower:

[Obsidian]

It can be really hard. I had some medical issues about three years ago, I was going to the doctor 1-2 times a week and went through at least 8 different meds. They treated my illness but gave me horrible side effects, ones that could have been fatal. I stuck with my doctor though and in the end, I got better and am fine today. I still have this particular issue and always will but at least its under control and if it does act up, it's manageable.

Hang in there, it does get better:)

[lapushka]

It can be really hard. I had some medical issues about three years ago, I was going to the doctor 1-2 times a week and went through at least 8 different meds. They treated my illness but gave me horrible side effects, ones that could have been fatal. I stuck with my doctor though and in the end, I got better and am fine today. I still have this particular issue and always will but at least its under control and if it does act up, it's manageable.

Hang in there, it does get better:)

I'm glad to hear that. :flower:

[yubel]

Thank you very much for all of your replies and sorry for checking back so late (I have had a difficult week at university). I'm seeing a professional endocrinologist at the moment. She prescribed me the Dexamethasone because she thinks I have a condition called Late Onset Adrenal Hyperplasia, a genetic condition (so my hormone imbalance is constant). It started showing during puberty with a lot of body hair (My parents remained unconcerned even when I wanted to see a doctor. I never did until now). So it seems like a losing battle for me right now. I have only tried Dexamethasone but it is the most efficient treatment for this disorder. I am afraid of taking other hormonal medicine because I always seem to get all the bad side effects. When I was 18 I tried birth control pills because of my ex- boyfriend but I felt very ill. It's really scary because here in Hungary doctors often prescribe a birth control with anti androgenic effects for these kinds of problems. I don't know if there is any medicine I can take that will not make me feel like I cannot even get up from bed. :/
I have also contacted a doctor who does mesotherapy with Dutasteride, some kind of androgen blocker. I plan to visit him for consultation but it is rather pricey. His results are amazing.
The thyroid problems are definitely related and they are also hereditary (my mother & grandmother both have it)
I just don't understand this, I don't feel or look like a 'hormonal disaster' otherwise. I hope at least part of my hair volume can be restored. It looks pretty and shiny but there is so little left of it.
Sorry for ranting; you really helped me get more assertive about this and to try to persevere a bit longer.
I wish the best for you all :)
Yubel

[lapushka]

Hang in there. I hope the meds you've been prescribed help somewhat. Best of luck! And, keep us posted on your progress.

[yubel]

Thanks :) I'm not on any meds now as I had to stop Dexamethasone because of the side effects. I hope I can visit my doctor soon again.

[lapushka]

Thanks :) I'm not on any meds now as I had to stop Dexamethasone because of the side effects. I hope I can visit my doctor soon again.

Were they that bad that you had to stop the medication? I would not just stop it without having been to the doctor first, unless the side-effects are pretty much intolerable. Make an appointment sooner rather than later! :)

[yubel]

I stopped it with the doctor's agreement. She did not recommend it in the first place, I insisted to try it. My condition is not severe enough to take steroids for it. The side effects were intolerable, I had a panic attack practically every 30 minutes. I could barely function, suffered from constant headaches and vertigo. I actually failed one of my university tests because of it. It was very scary :( Also, it did not even lower my androgen levels that much to be worth continuing to take it.
I would make an appointment but it is really difficult here, you often have to wait a long long time (months). (Or you could pay for a private appointment, but it is expensive).
I don't want to give up easily (I never do) but honestly, I feel like my situation is hopeless and I should just chop off my once wonderful hair and be done with it :(

[mindwiped]

There's a med that I use, for the reasons you speak about, however I do have PCOS. The medication is Spironolactone (US generic name), and technically it's a diuretic, but one of its side effects is that it's anti-androgenic. It does nothing for PCOS other than lowering testosterone via lowering androgens.

Here's a web site with some basic info, I hope you can get to it, and it's helpful- http://www.drugs.com/spironolactone.http