Can Low Ferritin Levels Cause Hair Loss?

[kprince]

My hair is totally falling out and the whole texture has changed ( become very thin). I have gotten all these tests done and the doctors all say things are normal...are they? I have seen the top endocronolgist and have gotten all the tests done and they were all normal ( expect my T3...which they said had to do with my excersize and food...told me to eat more calories).

After doing my own research, I think it might be my ferritian levels. Please advice on if these numbers are OK and if not, what I should do. I have way more test results, so if you need more results, I have them...I just thought these numbers seemed questionable and/or of importance. My symptoms are hair loss (which is making me cry everyday) and the hair that is left, is totally thin. Also, I am so tired:

1. Ferritan - 40 (range - 8-252)

2. Hemoglobin - 12.6 (11.5 - 15.5)

3. Hemotocrit 36.2 (36-47)

4. Free T3 - 1.9 (2.2 - 4)

5. Vit D 57 (10-52)

6. Total Protein 7.6 (6 - 8.3)

If this is a ferritin level, please tell me what to do and what vitamins to get. It is very confusing on-line as to what is best and what helps the absorbtion. I am so desperate!!!

Thanks-

Kathy

[nora-n]

Ferritin is the bindig protein for iron.

Yes, hair loss can be due to low ferritin.

the endocrinologist is wrong, your ft3 DOES matter. It is actually the active thyroid hormone. t4 is the inactive prohormone.

Please post your ft4 and TSH and thyroid antibodies.

Your D ranges are weird, 10 is not the lower end of the 25-hydroxy D vitamin range. It is more like 30-something, and it has been known for a long time that about 42 is theh lowest acceptable range, and translated into mols it is 80 nanomol per liter (some labs report levels in grams, others i mols)maybe your lab has some very old ranges.

if you are hypothyroid, this typically causes anemia, and low ferritin. Ferritin rises after supplementing with the right dose of thyroid hromones. Additionally, one can take iron for some months. It is best to have ferrtin at least at 50-70.

Go over to some thyroid forums, they seem the right place for some of your questions. Like Open Original Shared Link and look for the tiny red link forums under the image of the forum host

[Roda]

Your free T3 is on the low side. If you haven't allready get your free t4, tsh and thyroid antibodies checked. Hair loss can be from hypothroid also. My endocrinologist and I found that I do best with a very low tsh and slightly elevated free t3 and free t4.

[kprince]

Ferritin is the bindig protein for iron.

Yes, hair loss can be due to low ferritin.

the endocrinologist is wrong, your ft3 DOES matter. It is actually the active thyroid hormone. t4 is the inactive prohormone.

Please post your ft4 and TSH and thyroid antibodies.

Your D ranges are weird, 10 is not the lower end of the 25-hydroxy D vitamin range. It is more like 30-something, and it has been known for a long time that about 42 is theh lowest acceptable range, and translated into mols it is 80 nanomol per liter (some labs report levels in grams, others i mols)maybe your lab has some very old ranges.

if you are hypothyroid, this typically causes anemia, and low ferritin. Ferritin rises after supplementing with the right dose of thyroid hromones. Additionally, one can take iron for some months. It is best to have ferrtin at least at 50-70.

Go over to some thyroid forums, they seem the right place for some of your questions. Like Open Original Shared Link and look for the tiny red link forums under the image of the forum host

Thank you so much...I will definately look into the web page. Although, I saw the leading endocronologist at U of Chicago and was told he was THE BEST. Oh well, I am so sick of doctors right now. OK, here are some numbers:

WIth regards to vit D...This is exactly how it appears: 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D Range: 10-52 ng/mL and I am at 57.

FSH- 4.9

T4 - 5.5

Thyroglobulin 1.8

Thyroglobulin AB - 4.8

TSH - 2.32

I have so much more so if you are curious about anything else, let me know...I keep asking my self why I didn't go to medical school because at least I could get paid for all the work/research I have had to do. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!!!

[nora-n]

Hi, those ranges for vitamin D are a bit old. Just google vitamin D ranges and there should be some interesting webpages and discussions.

Endocrinologists just look at numbers, and usually only at TSH.

Now they have lowered the upper end of the reference range in many german labs down to 2,5 some years ago, and in some american labs. And some other german labs have gone down to 2,12.

In ny opinion you are hypothyroid, but it really depends on which doctor you are seeing to be able to decipher it, or in which corner of the earth you are living.

There are two different camps out there in the endocrinologist world, those that wait until TSH is above 10, and those that treat when TSH has gone over 3 and there are symptoms.

Now often patients srite on the forums that they got hypo symptoms as soon as their TSH went above 2.

The time of day also matters in testing.

If the blood was drawn at 2pm, the number in the morning would have been 4.

I always had my blood drawn at 3pm, and ny TSH always ended up at 2 or 2,5 and I was lying on the couch all afternoon, I got cold hands and feet, and brain fog. Ft4 was scratching the bottom of the range. doctor said no way you are hypo.

i later found out that TSH labs behind symptoms like about 6 weeks, and that blood should be drawn in the morning first thing. later I had to go off thyroid meds to get a diagnosis (I had started thyroid meds then, I forced the doctor to start prescribing) and TSH went up to 4,5. That is what it would ahve been first thing in teh morning)

But go over to the thyroid forum I posted about.