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Hair Loss

taffymorgan

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taffymorgan Newbie
taffymorgan
Posted

Hi,

I am new to this post and am currently undergoing tests to see if I have this disease. I was quite surprised to have my Doctor suggest it and had never heard of it before but I am a petite female who in the past 6 months has lost alot of weight and am now losing my hair. Its quite freaky and due to my intestinal problems, he is suggesting it could be Celiac disease. Has anyone else experienced similar symptoms?

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LKelly8 Rookie
LKelly8
Posted

Yup. :rolleyes: <--- looking up at my receded hairline.

It's the malabsorption. The damaged small intestine can't absorb vitamins and the following vitamin deficiencies cause all sorts of havoc.

My hair is in the process of growing back (after 1+ yr gluten-free), now instead of balding I look like I had a really bad perm. (we need a "bad hair day" smiley :lol: )

jennyj Collaborator
jennyj
Posted

Me too. I am also anemic. :huh:

taffymorgan Newbie
taffymorgan
Posted
  • Author
Yup. :rolleyes: <--- looking up at my receded hairline.

It's the malabsorption. The damaged small intestine can't absorb vitamins and the following vitamin deficiencies cause all sorts of havoc.

My hair is in the process of growing back (after 1+ yr gluten-free), now instead of balding I look like I had a really bad perm. (we need a "bad hair day" smiley :lol: )

Really?? So, I'm not going insane? But, It will grow back!? Is there anything I can do now to counteract the process? I don't mean to sound so superficial but its scaring me so bad and I dread washing my hair every morning.

jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted

Hi Taffy,

My hair was falling out in the year and a half before I was diagnosed. I actually had spots where you could see my scalp.

I was also severly anemic, which is common in people with Celiac. I took suppliments, but because I wasn't absorbing correctly, they didn't do much good.

When I had been gluten-free for about 4 months, my hair stopped falling out--and blood testing after 6 months showed that the anemia was gone! It's been 16 months now, and all of the hair that I lost has grown back.

Good luck with your tests :)

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

My thin hair is still falling out. What types of suppliments would you suggest?

LKelly8 Rookie
LKelly8
Posted

Taffy - I can't promise you you don't have something else, with or without celiac, like female pattern baldness or alopecia areata. Open Original Shared Link But if it is celiac, then yes it will grow back.

Once on the gluten-free diet it'll take time for your intestine to heal and start absorbing the normal amount of nutrients again. The small intestine takes in alot of your vitamins, all the b-vits, vit A, calcium, vit D and vit K - I never even knew there was a vit K! Vitamin k helps your blood clot, not enough causes easy bleeding and bruising. Deficiencies in these (and iron, and other minerals), are common with celiac - so a multivitamin with minerals is a good start.

I've heard zinc is good for hair, but the only supplement I've taken that seemed to effect my hair was folic acid. I had to take a large dose to counteract a rheumatoid arthritis medication I was taking. (methotrexate) MTX binds to folic acid and drains it from your body. Not surprisingly one of it's side effects is hair loss. :rolleyes: The mega dose took care of the MTX but also seemed to boost new hair growth and the hair I had seemed thicker and stronger.

I currently take a Stress B Complex with C and Zinc, an extra 400mcg folic acid, and I eat my veggies like mom always told me too. :D

I use Nature Made vitamins because they label "gluten-free" right on the package.

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Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Very informative, thanks

Lisa

Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

Hair loss could also be caused by thyroid problems. I am just throwing that in, so it won't be overlooked.

elye Community Regular
elye
Posted

Hair loss was my only symptom of celiac disease. My very with-it family doctor tested my iron, found it very low, then ran the celiac panel. Voila! So I went off gluten and almost all of my hair has grown back. :)

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Hey Emily:

taffymorgan began this thread, but much interest for me.

I take additional folic acid, but my multi-V I used to take is no longer available here. Can you suggest a good gluten-free multi-V.?

Thanks, Lisa

e&j0304 Enthusiast
e&j0304
Posted

My little 3 year old also suffered horribly from hair loss. She was actually almost bald on spots of her head and I couldn't put her hair up in a pony tail because you could see all the bald patches and also because I was afraid more would fall out.

She is doing much better now and since being gluten-free for a year her hair looks pretty normal. She takes a multi vitamin and we just make sure she eats really well.

Good luck to you!

  • 2 weeks later...
Robina Contributor
Robina
Posted
Really?? So, I'm not going insane? But, It will grow back!? Is there anything I can do now to counteract the process? I don't mean to sound so superficial but its scaring me so bad and I dread washing my hair every morning.

Girl... trust me I know how you feel... the shed I experienced came on so suddenly and rapidly but then just continued and continued and continued... I would literally cry every morning during and after my shower... my hair fall has slowed down since I went gluten free... and is slowly tapering off... and I can see a fine new fringe of hair along my hairline... so there's hope... just relax (stress can worsen it)... follow the diet and get plenty of rest...

kevsmom Contributor
kevsmom
Posted

One of the symptoms that I had prior to diagnoses was bruising. I ended up having a 4 hour nosebleed that could not be stopped (because I was not retaining vitamin K), and was admitted to the hospital to get blood and plasma. I was also extremely anemic.

May hair loss started before this was all going on. I would get out of the shower in the morning and be covered in hair! My doctor suggested that I try Zinc and Selinium. I find that if I take the 100% daily reqirement of Selinium, that it isn't enough. I take 285%.

I also take the Nature Made vitamins. They say gluten free right on the bottle!

Fiddle-Faddle Community Regular
Fiddle-Faddle
Posted

I take children's Little Critter Gummy vitamins--says gluten-free on the label. I take at least one a day, and when I can remember, 2 (one with lunch, one with dinner).

harriedlate Newbie
harriedlate
Posted
My thin hair is still falling out. What types of suppliments would you suggest?

It doesnt make sense for me to feel better after hearing about some one else having thinning hair but it gives me comfort to know it might get better. I have actually thought of transplants because it is so hard to style.

Matilda Enthusiast
Matilda
Posted

...

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    • Jane02
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      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

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      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
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      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

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      Contact them.
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