[jlw]

#1075562

Anna,
I have lost hair as well, not clumps, but I am definitely thinner. It is strange for me because I have always had that thick and coarse head of hair. Now, my hairdresser is so happy because my hair is thinner and much softer. Little does she know why. It’s hard to get used to though.
I also have bouts of terrible muscle and joint pain. I just had two other tests done to check for other issues – the sed rate and anca blood tests. Thankfully, they both came back normal and negative. It must just be the Graves.
I feel your frustration.
Jeanette

[Bobbi]

#1075563

When we are ill, for whatever reason, our hair and nails can suffer. Nutrition resources are allocated first to essential systems in the body; hair and nails get nutrition last. So they are the first signs of ill health, typically, and the last parts of the body to recover.

If your hair is falling out in droves, it could well be that you have some type of imbalance going on, or some other illness. With Graves, our hair tends to fall out in chunks if we are hypothyroid. But there could be other reasons for the problem. Your doctor is your best resource for this information.

If you have not had your thyroid levels checked in a while, now would be a good time to see your doctor about that. (As long as you have a thyroid, the amount of methimazole you need can change from time to time, and if you are getting too much, or too little, your thyroid levels will be out of whack.)

Bobbi — NGDF Online Facilitator

[annabalfe]

#1019999

Hi there

I am new to this website but very relieved to see all the information. I am 43 years old and was diagnosed with graves/hyper three years ago after the birth of my one and only child. I have been on methimazole since then. Right now I take 10ml per day (one pill), I reduced the dose because of the side effects. My question is this. At first when I started the meds my hair started falling out a lot, and my muscles and bones hurt. But after three years I the hair loss had pretty much stopped. However, in the last three months my hair is literally coming out in handfulls. My hair is now half the thickness it used to be and continues to fall out – it’s so bad that big thick strands of hair actually fall onto my face all the time. I was wondering is it possible that this might be something else other than graves, like the manapause. I am concerned because not only is my hair hitting the ground at an alarming rate but I also suffer with the eye disease in my left eye, so it’s quite depressing and I don’t even want to go out anymore. Any help or avise is highly appreciated. By the way I find that an ice pack at night on my affected eye helps with the swelling – I leave it on for about twenty minutes before I go to sleep. Many thanks in advance for anyhelp you can give me.

Regards
Anna

[Orlando12]

#1075564

Bobbi,

Hope you are well. Typically how long does it take for the hair and nails to return to normal after the thyroid levels are stabilized?

Thanks for your time..

[Bobbi]

#1075565

Hi, Orlando12:

I don’t know if there is any set time for normalization of the hair and nails. A good part of our recovery, in all ways, depends upon how long our bodies suffered from excess levels of thyroid hormone. Some folks are caught early, even before they start feeling weak and lousy. Others are hyperthyroid until they are weak and emaciated. So, recovery times do vary.

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