PCOS/Insulin Resistance/Thyroid Issues Support Thread (for Hair)

[luckiestdestiny]

BTW nothing really worked for me weight wise except restricting carbs to only eating "good" carbs (complex).. However it may be different for each person...who knows. Just a tip.

 

[ebaby]

I hate pcos AND I am praying that God will deliver me from this awful syndrome.

 

[tiffers]

Are any of the ladies losing hair elsewhere...Im noticing I dont need to shave my arms & legs nearly as much as I used to

Yep, I've noticed this too. Never really put much thought into it until you just mentioned it. Sigh.

 

[tiffers]

Well, I just had a huge setback. My hair was breaking and shedding horribly despite my dc'ing twice a week. My hair is soooo thin now. I was almost MBL, now I'm back to APL. I'm trying to stay optimistic, but it's so hard.

 

[tiffers]

Your post literally gave me goosebumps, I have never heard of Thyroid Storm before, but it certainly explains alot.

It explains a lot for me too! Off to google I go

 

[xosha1]

I hate pcos AND I am praying that God will deliver me from this awful syndrome.

I feel the same way. This illness robs you of your femininity and makes you feel horrible. I'm happy I was able to have babies, because it can also rob you of the ability to do that, too. I plan to start using herbs and vitamins again after I stop breastfeeding. I had success before with the herbs (that's how I got the babies). I hope I can again.

 

[trj1922]

I'm subscribing right now. I have no idea why my hair is falling out but its almost gone and no doctor has been able to help. LHCF generally have little to offer women losing their hair for medical reasons and not a perm gone wrong or something of that nature. It will be good to have one place to go where people are really dealing with what I am dealing with.

 

[ycj]

I am so happy that you started this post as well, I was diagnosed with diabetes back in August 01 for taking meds that raised my blood sugars and ever since then been stuck with this horrible illness. Also, since the oral meds were'nt working well for me I was forced to go on insulin. I have to take it 3 times a day! What a drag! But anyway I have been wondering the same thing about growth and diabetes. My hair normally does not grow this slow, but I do think the insulin and the disease itself has alot to do with the rate of growth! I know everyone's hair goes through certain cycles but d*** how long does a sister have to wait for the spurts to happen! I have read many articles regarding some of the illnesses you mentioned but am leary myself of taking them.

I just wanted to say to you that you are not alone in your struggle and fight to overcome the illnesses and that there are some good natural remedies for them. It's just about more research and commitment to find which ones work for ea individual! I know this because I have tried some of the natural remedies trying to over come my insulin dependency, and all I can say is everything out there does not work for everybody! But wanted to let you know that I am with you in the battle of healing oneself!

It just gets difficult sometimes because of the sometime adverse reaction the natural remedies may cause. I am with you all the way, although I have'nt had alot of shedding since I bc in Nov. it's just the rate of growth that has me inpatient! But you must continue to perservere in your quest! God Bless you with what you are faced with and just pray and continue to say to yourself and beleive that things will get better with time.

 

[ycj]

This is the same problem I am having. I have had blood work done on myself after not being able to lose weight, having extremely heavy cycles, experiecing shedding as well as a host of other thyroid symptoms. Turns out I Hashimoto's Thyroiditits, only I cannot find a doctor to treat me.

It has really broken my heart to have lost so much of my progress since my hair has been shedding i have had to keep trimming and trimming. I am taking more supplements now and hopefully I will get this shedding thing under control. I am taking Super B complex, drinking green smoothies, taking flaxseed oil, garlic oil, a multi vitamin, vitamin D and biotin. I am going to try some of the others posted in this thread as well.

But now I am focusing on weightloss as well and that in itself is an uphill battle.

Speaking of weight loss I have to comment on that! Being diabetic and insulin dependent, for the past two weeks I have not taken my insulin. I told my doctor months ago that I know insulin works diff. for ea person taking it. But taking it ups my appetite! Two weeks ago when I did not take it I was not craving as much food, and has resulted in me loosing weight! But whatever I eat brings my sugar levels up! To the point I felt really sick all the time, besides extremely thirsty! So I just started taking my insulin again yesterday and do you know I have been extremely hungry ever since. Sometimes it's hard for me to want to take the insulin because I know it causes me to eat more! It's like I am damned if I do and damned if I don't! And please don't get me started about the facial hair! I have to shave literally every single day!

 

[jujubelle]

I am starting to get concerned that I may have this, especially the weight gain, history of diabetes, and missed/irregular periods, and pelvic pain, hair breakage. anyone know of a good doc in L.I ny?

 

[worthy2b]

My doctor put me on Metformin because I'm Pre-diabetic but studies show that it also aids in weight loss.

Please take your meds for hypothyrodism, if left unchecked it can lead to heart disease. I also have hypothyrodism.

 

[qwnbee1]

i was diagnosed with hypothyroidism about 12 years ago...i started gaining weight really fast, about 15-20 pounds in 3 months, and someone suggested i get checked for slow thyroid...sure enough, i had thryoid disease...i had all the classic symptoms of hypothryoidism except the hair loss...in fact, my hair seemed to flourish...other than being a little brittle, it still grew like normal...a lot of women i have met just cut their hair completely off and wear boy cuts because of the hair loss...everyone is different...eventually, my thyroid had to be removed because i developed too many nodules in it and my endo feared it was cancerous...thank god, it wasn't and i now will have to take hormones for the rest of my life...if anyone experiences unexplained weight gain, lethargy, changes in hair, excessive dry skin, or any other symptoms associated with thyoid disease, talk to your doctor and ask for a thyroid screening...oprah winfrey has been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and she talks at length about her experiences...if you have noticed, she has put some of her weight back on.

 

[OhmyKimB]

I'll post the article when I get home.

But I have PCOS and lately I'm noticing more hair loss. The article I found suggests that taking magnese, zinc, and cooper is a solution to the problem.

 

[jujubelle]

I was just diagnosed with type II diabetes and was given metformin. I don't know if it is helping me lose weight...I'm not really seeing that. My appetite has however increased so I have to be careful and fill up on leafy stuff so I don't head for the bad stuff. My hair seems to be...I dunno how to describe it...more thicker or resistant. I just know it doesn't cooperate like it used too. I have shed a lil more, but I don't know if that's the diabetes or me not being careful. My ends do look terrible and my hair doesn't look as lush as it used to.

 

[anartist4u2001]

i have hypothyroism. i had hyperthyroidism first and then they gave me radioactive iodine and now i have to take synthriod all my life. i feel pretty good now, but my hair is just like wow, sooooooooooo dry and brittle. it's breaking like crazy now. i have had it hypo for about 6 years now. i'm natural. i've been natural for wow, about 9 years i think? my hair texture was so pretty and smooth. i had big curls (in some areas), now it's brittle and coarse. it's cool though. i till do my thang with it i am learning that i really have to keep it super moisturized. if i don't, it's gonna continue to break. oh and be really gentle with it.

 

[MyAngelEyez~C~U]

Subbing, although I haven't been diagnosed with hyper/hypothyroid (after being tested), I've had a goiter since I quit smoking 3 years ago. I supect that is the source of my weightgain and dry hair issues.

 

[mzsophisticated26]

yes I need this thread, I was diagnosed with Hypothroidism with a multinodular Goiter in July 2010 and I also was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. My hair has took a turn for the worst especially dealing with dryness and bald spots where my temples are. I am not on any meds yet because my endo wants to watch my tsh levels before ablating the goiter or removing nodules.

 

[madamdot]

i have hypothyroism. i had hyperthyroidism first and then they gave me radioactive iodine and now i have to take synthriod all my life. i feel pretty good now, but my hair is just like wow, sooooooooooo dry and brittle. it's breaking like crazy now. i have had it hypo for about 6 years now. i'm natural. i've been natural for wow, about 9 years i think? my hair texture was so pretty and smooth. i had big curls (in some areas), now it's brittle and coarse. it's cool though. i till do my thang with it i am learning that i really have to keep it super moisturized. if i don't, it's gonna continue to break. oh and be really gentle with it.

Yes. S-Curl is the only thing that stopped my brittleness. It took about 2 months of pure S-curling to get back to normal and now its not so bad.

My hair loss is under control now but I have learned that this is my body 1st signal when something is wrong with my medication level. When I am on enough meds its stops within a few days.

Untreated Hashi resulted in some seriously thin ends so for the past year or so I've been trimming and staying at the same length to thicken things up.

 

[maiabon]

For those of you with pcos, what has worked specifically with weightloss.
I am a vegetarian and have recently transitioned into a 50% raw diet to help with the weightloss and symptoms. NOTHING is working for me. I don't know how much more I can take of this. It is soooooo frustrating to exercise and eat like this, only to get on the scale and GAIN weight. smh...btw I have all the symptoms of pcos but the bloodwork doesn't agree. My hairloss was the first indicator which is why I joined lhcf in the first place. i am not on meds...and not really interested in taking any.

 

[L.Brown1114]

i LOVE this thread!! i def. get the hair everywhere thing and I dont mind it I can easily nair it but what gets me is the skin is darker there so i have to go to a dermie for that. My hair sheds a lot when it's wet but dry it sheds the normal amount if at all. silicone mix and the steamer saved my hair from britttle and dryness. Im transitioning back to natural because when i was natural my hair NEVER shedded. I just started getting pelvic pains so i'm going to start taking metformin again. my ADD pill adorall is helping supress my appeite so I'm going to use those two drugs to hopefully FINALLY lose weight. I want to do a detox first though....

 

[ebaby]

I deal with IR, diabetes, and PCOS. My dr. put me on met and byetta. Byetta is suppose to help with weight. I am currently doing ww and have lost about 10lbs since Feb...slow but I did not gain over the holidays and that is a plus for me. My hair is shedding like crazy and falling out in clumps. I just started the meds today so I know it is the diabetes and pcos destroying my hair. The devil is a lie!!!!!

 

[reeko43]

I was diagnosed with PCOS about 5 years ago. All my life I have had irregular periods. I lost 40 pounds by doing WW and exercising has kept it off. My cholesterol levels are ok now and I am not in the danger zone for diabetes. I am having thinning around my hairline. My doctor told me that I will probably experience male pattern baldness. I refuse to claim that one. As Ebaby states, the devil is a lie. I notice that a previous poster from last year mentions an article about PCOS sufferers taking supplements for hair loss. I am going on the hunt for the hunt for that article.

As for everyone with thyroid issues, my prayers are with you. One of my best friends has lost a lot of her thick full hair because of it. However, she is not giving up and we are encouraging each other in our hair/health battles.

 

[thecurlycamshow]

Wow I love this thread since I can totally relate. I have insulin resistance but it's a cycle I go through due to almost 20 years of insulin therapy. I've had type 1 diabetes since I was 14 and was diagnosed with hyothyroidism about 3 years. These each contribute in decreasing my metabolism amongst other health issues.

I've found doing 5 minutes of exercise in the morning greatly contribute in boosting my metabolism and which lead to less insulin dependency throughout the day. I'm actually journaling my weight loss journey and analyzing insulin requirements relative to metabolic increases.

 

[niqu92]

Wow I love this thread since I can totally relate. I have insulin resistance but it's a cycle I go through due to almost 20 years of insulin therapy. I've had type 1 diabetes since I was 14 and was diagnosed with hyothyroidism about 3 years. These each contribute in decreasing my metabolism amongst other health issues.

I've found doing 5 minutes of exercise in the morning greatly contribute in boosting my metabolism and which lead to less insulin dependency throughout the day. I'm actually journaling my weight loss journey and analyzing insulin requirements relative to metabolic increases.

so do you have to increase the amount of insulin you take for it to be effective???
im a Type I diabetic,i was diagnosed 7yrs ago. so far i havnt had any problems with my hair.....but this thread is kinda making me nervous

 

[theoneandonly]

Ladies I'm glad this post has been started. I am hypo and I take the lowest dosage of synthroid once a day. I was diagnosed about 2 years ago. I am still tired all of the time and when I get my blood levels checked they always say it is in the normal range. It is so frustrating. Any my libido is extremely low. The best thing I have done so far is go natural. My hair is still dry but not as dry as when I had a relaxer. I get my hair flat ironed once a week and I'm wearing it straight right now. How do you ladies cope with libido issues? I am 34 and I cant imagine how it's gonna be in a few more years if it is this low now.

 

[thecurlycamshow]

I have to increase it if I'm not active. So on days I don't workout, I have to take more insulin. In my earlier years, I had no issues like this. The last 7 years have been trying but I also had to be more active. I have found that if my sugars are not controlled, my hair shed like leaves from a tree.

 

[theoneandonly]

Ladies also what can we do to speed our metabolism up? It is so unmotivating to work out and left weights to know that you are not loosing weight, but in fact gaining. I keep telling myself I'm doing it for my heart to psyche myself out. Lol I am gonna try the small meals every 3-4 hours along with my exercise. It is a sad feeling for me to get clothes outta my closet every week and they get tighter and tighter.

 

[jamaicalovely]

I feel my symptoms are coming back. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism years ago, but endocrinologist took me off synthroid a couple years afterwards. I've been fine since, but now experiencing fatigue, shedding, mood swings, weight gain. Sigh, I hope not again.

 

[thecurlycamshow]

Ladies I'm glad this post has been started. I am hypo and I take the lowest dosage of synthroid once a day. I was diagnosed about 2 years ago. I am still tired all of the time and when I get my blood levels checked they always say it is in the normal range. It is so frustrating. Any my libido is extremely low. The best thing I have done so far is go natural. My hair is still dry but not as dry as when I had a relaxer. I get my hair flat ironed once a week and I'm wearing it straight right now. How do you ladies cope with libido issues? I am 34 and I cant imagine how it's gonna be in a few more years if it is this low now.

I haven't had libido issues (I'm overactive in that area). I'm in a womens diabetic support group and there are 2 lady's out of the 15 that have low libidos. Have you spoken to your doctor or researched yourself ways to address it?

 

[Lita]

I have thyroid issues..I notice power walking 3x's a week really helps drinking plenty of water,drinking green veggies & fruits..Its making a big difference for me...

*Keeping my hair moisturize,ends oiled/hair butter & no more perms is helping my hair!






Happy Hair Growing!