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Hair Loss

puggirl

By puggirl
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

puggirl Apprentice
puggirl
Posted

Well, ever since I started being Gluten Free witch was about 3 months ago, I've noticed that I've been losing more hair when I brush it, wash it, blow dry it. I've always lost hair but it seems to be increasing. Just curious if anyone else had this issue. I talked to the Doctor a couple weeks ago and he said I could be missing vitamins, But I've been eating better and healthier then before I was gluten-free, Back in the beging a few months back I had blood drawn and he said My Thiroid was on the Higher side of OK. so I dont know. Also when I went to the Doc I had lost 13#'s YEAH! unbelievable! in 3 months!

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YoloGx Rookie
YoloGx
Posted

Increased hair loss at first happens a lot. However this will pass as you heal. It helps to take extra minerals, esp. calcium and magnesium and zinc as well as liquid trace minerals. I take E-zorb since I still don't absorb regular calcium very well even though I have been on diet for a while.

I used to think hair loss was normal, but now my hair is in better shape than ever. It even has a natural wave and even a curl if I go to the coast! Whereas in the past it was completely straight and wouldn't take a curl well at all even if I put it in curlers.

Taking the extra minerals will also help out your nails and teeth as well as bones.

Meanwhile I suggest you take marshmallow root caps and dandelion root capsules with meals to help your intestines speed up their healing and liver deal with the excess toxins from undigested proteins going into your blood stream due to your damaged villi from the past chronic celiac.

Bea

ShayFL Enthusiast
ShayFL
Posted

Did they test your antibodies to thyroid?

*lee-lee* Enthusiast
*lee-lee*
Posted

my hair seems to be falling out at alarming rates too, since i've gone gluten-free (about 4 months ago). interestingly enough, it's also grown very fast since then too so i'm not sure if it falls out easier because it's longer?

i'm planning on chopping quite a bit off but i just haven't gotten around to it yet. i'm curious to see what my hair will be like minus 8 or 10 inches...it's always been straight as a pin and quite thin.

puggirl Apprentice
puggirl
Posted
  • Author

hey thanks for your replies. I'll have to go look into some minerals that you mentioned. Probly wouldn't hurt. Also have any of you heard of taking BEE Pollon? just eatting it. Supposedly its supposed to help you immune system. Im just scared to eat it cuz of my stomach, I hate trying new things.

Shay I have no Idea if they tested the antibodies.... whats the difference of testing just the Thyroid and the Antibodies?

ShayFL Enthusiast
ShayFL
Posted

These are the tests you should have:

TSH

Free T4

Free T3

And there are 2 antibodies

The antibodies tell you if your thyroid is being attacked (autoimmune). The other tests show function. TSH is called thyroid stimulating hormone. It is the hormone that tells the thyroid to work harder or slow down (depending on the amount of T3 in the blood). T4 is inactive thyroid hormone and T3 is the active form. If your doctor only tested TSH that is misleading and it is likely he is not using the newest TSH range .3-3. Do you have copies of your labs?

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
hey thanks for your replies. I'll have to go look into some minerals that you mentioned. Probly wouldn't hurt. Also have any of you heard of taking BEE Pollon? just eatting it. Supposedly its supposed to help you immune system. Im just scared to eat it cuz of my stomach, I hate trying new things.

I don't take bee pollen but do use Royal Jelly. I find it helps me a lot especially in the energy dept. I have tried the caps but mostly I use the jarred variety and mix it on the little spoon with some wildflower honey. The only issue with the bee products are if you are sensitive to bee products in general.

There are also vitamins formulated to help the hair. I have used one by Country Life called just Hair Vitamins. It has a lot of good stuff including biotin.

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YoloGx Rookie
YoloGx
Posted
hey thanks for your replies. I'll have to go look into some minerals that you mentioned. Probly wouldn't hurt. Also have any of you heard of taking BEE Pollon? just eatting it. Supposedly its supposed to help you immune system. Im just scared to eat it cuz of my stomach, I hate trying new things.

Shay I have no Idea if they tested the antibodies.... whats the difference of testing just the Thyroid and the Antibodies?

Just make sure it doesn't stimulate your immune system. If you have celiac, its already overstimulated. A friend of mine who also has celiac and borderline thyroid problems has found 1/2 hour of vigorous exercise each day really helps.

There is also a Wilson's Thyroid Syndrome website you should also check out. Seems you can also take some herbal supplements (make sure they are gluten free!) that help too. My friend does all this but he still has to take 1/2 dose of thyroxin however, so it is a good idea to get your thyroid checked and stay on top of it. Sometimes too there is this whole deal about converting T-4 to T-3 that doesn't work, so that should be kept on top of as well. The WTS website will clue you in on that too.

Bea

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      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

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    • JudyLou
      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

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      Thank you so much @knitty kitty! My feet aren’t dry or ashy and I don’t have a rash that gets scaly. It’s like very itchy/burning vesicles that are symmetrical - on both arms, both legs, etc. They actually feel better in direct sunlight as long as it isn’t really hot or I’m not exercising outside, but gets worse if I sweat (especially if the area is covered up). It’s not usually on the outside of my elbows and knees which seems more typical of dermatitis herpetiformis (unless it spreads there). It tends to first hit the inside of those areas. Interestingly, twice the rash broke out soon after eating an unhealthy meal and having an alcoholic drink (I only drink a few times a year, no more alcohol content than a glass of wine).  So I wonder if there is a connection. I’m halfway considering doing a gluten challenge for a few months to see what happens, knowing I can stop if I have any symptoms, and asking for a full celiac disease panel at the end. I really appreciate your thoughts! 
    • knitty kitty
      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

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      Welcome, @JudyLou, Your rash sounds very similar to the one I experienced.  Mine was due to a deficiency in Niacin B3, although I had deficiencies in other nutrients as well.  Celiac disease causes malabsorption of all the essential nutrients, but eating a poor diet, taking certain medications, or drinking alcohol can result in deficiency diseases outside of Celiac, too.  Symptoms can wax and wane depending on dietary intake.  I knew an alcoholic who had the "boots" of Pellagra, which would get worse when he was drinking more heavily, and improve when he was drinking less.   Niacin deficiency is called Pellagra.  Symptoms consist of dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and death (the four D's).  A scaly rash on the feet and hands and arms are called the "boots" and "gloves" of Pellagra.  Darkened skin around the neck exposed to the sun is Casal's necklace.  Poor farmers with niacin deficient diets were called "red necks" because of this.    Does your rash get worse if you're in the sun?  Mine did.  Any skin exposed to the sun got blistered and scaly.  Arms, legs, neck, head.  Do you have dry, ashy skin on your feet?  The itchiness was not only from the rash, but neuropathy.   My doctors were clueless.  They didn't put all my symptoms together into the three D's.  But I did.  I'd learned about Pellagra at university.  But there weren't supposed to be deficiency diseases anymore in the developed world.  Doubtful it could be that simple, I started supplementing with Niacin and other essential nutrients.  I got better.   One of Niacinamide functions is to help stop mast cells from releasing histamine.  Your allergist gave you doxepin, an antihistamine which stops mast cells from releasing histamine.   Since you do have a Celiac gene, staying on the gluten free diet can prevent Celiac disease from being triggered again.   Interesting Reading: These case studies have pictures... Pellgra revisited.  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4228662/ Steroid-Resistant Rash With Neuropsychiatric Deterioration and Weight Loss: A Modern-Day Case of Pellagra https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12532421/#:~:text=Figure 2.,(right panel) upper limbs.&text=The distribution of the rash,patient's substantial response to treatment.   Cutaneous signs of nutritional disorders https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8721081/#:~:text=Additional causes of yellow skin,the clinical features of Kwashiorkor.   Hello, @Staticgypsy, I would not recommend cutting so many nutritious foods out of ones diet.  Oxalates can cause problems like kidney stones, but our bodies can process oxalates out of our systems with certain vitamins like Vitamins A and D and Pyridoxine B 6.   People with Celiac disease are often low in fat soluble vitamins A and D, as well as the water soluble B vitamins like Pyridoxine B 6.  Focus on serving your granddaughter nutrient dense meals to ensure she gets essential vitamins and minerals that will help her grow. Micronutrient inadequacy and urinary stone disease: an analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2018 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36976348/ Multivitamins co-intake can reduce the prevalence of kidney stones: a large-scale cross-sectional study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38564076/
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