Do I have to face hair loss, skin pigmentation, sleep disorder, and increased weight because of my thyroid issues?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 37-year-old female of weight 143 lbs and height 5 feet 1 inch. I took Thyrox 50 mg for one year, and I am currently taking Thyrox 25 mg. Now, I face extreme hair loss and hair dryness, skin pigmentation near eyebrows, and sleep disorder. My weight is also increasing. One week back, I took a new thyroid report, which showed T3: 0.92 ng/dL, T4: 9.33 ng/dL, TSH: 5:43 uIU/mL.

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern. Thyroid dysfunction can lead to hair thinning. The dose you are taking is relatively low, but your thyroid function tests are fine. I would like to know the following:

1) Do you have any other symptoms like constipation, feeling low mood, tiredness?

2) Have you previously done thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO)?

I will suggest you do TPO antibodies if not done before, and if it is positive, we may need to increase the dose to 50 mcg three days a week and 25 mcg four days a week if you have other symptoms well. Usually, our target is to keep thyroid-stimulating hormone from 0.5 to 4 mIU/mL, but if symptoms are there, we can lower it down to 2.5 mIU/mL. Hair issues can be there because of local or systemic problems other than thyroid, so if you still have the same issue, you may need to see a dermatologist or hair specialist to find out the different causes of hair loss.

Kindly revert in case of further queries.

Answer 2

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern. I suggest the following:

1) Do a TPO antibodies test and let me know.

2) Repeat thyroid-stimulating hormone test after six weeks. The target of thyroid-stimulating hormone would be 2.5 mIU/mL.

3) Increase the doses of medications and lower thyroid-stimulating hormone, and bring free T4 (thyroxine) a little more. It will help in weight, skin, and hair issues.

Kindly revert in case of further queries.