Debbie
19.08.2007, 21:21 |
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA (Anemia & Hair Loss) |
Hi,
I'm new to the site. I'm a 39 y.o. mother of two, competitive athlete recently diagnosed with AGA (biopsy). Seem to have a genetic predisposition to hair thinning/loss; Mom has thin hair (can barely see her scalp, but thin) and dad is bald on top. Noticed thinning 2-3 yrs ago after I stopped breast-feeding. Seemed to grow back but within 6 mos. the shedding resumed at high level. Lost quite a bit of weight (esp. breast tissue and inner thigh girth) after nursing, so I presumed my hair loss was estrogen-related (which it prob. was in part) until I got the results of the biopsy last Jan. 2007. I've always been thin, but never had issues with my hormones. Went to see Dr. Redmond last Feb. and he put me on triple therapy (yasmin, spiro, finasteride). My hair loss subsided for the first 2 mos. of therapy, but the shedding started to increase after that. Even though Yasmin is supposed to have a "neutral" form of progestin in it (with spiro-like effect), I still questioned whether it was the cause of my increase in shed. I also had slightly oily skin with an occasional blemish or two (esp. pre-menstual), and some dark chin hairs (which I managed with diligent plucking). I understand the biochemistry of AGA - genetic predisposition of hair-follicle sensitivity to testosterone. When I first went on the OC, I got 3-4 very painful cyst-like blemishes that left noticable scar tissue after they cleared up. Now my face is clear, no oil (due in part to Spiro I suspect), no blemishes, and the texture & body of my hair has improved, but no change in hair loss. I have also experienced some pretty significant mood changes since starting Yasmin and while I have not "gained" that much weight, I have acquired quite a bit of unsightly dimpling on my hams and outer things (despite consistent healthy diet and daily hour of running???) I know OCs encourage lipogenesis and decrease lipolysis (via enzymatic changes in liver). Anyway, I am writing b/c I wanted to share some research I discovered while trying to figure out why my hair loss resumed after 3 mos. on therapy and continues even after 6 mos. of therapy. My best guess was that the estrogen was the culprit and my discovery was that it my intuition was accurate: albeit indirectly, the pill could be antagonizing my hair loss. I am in final year of graduate school for nutrition with a strong background in the sciences, so I consider myself to be fairly knowlegable when it comes to nutritional biochemistry. What most physicians don't tell you (as few actually know unless they have had add'l training in nutrition)is that OCs decrease serum zinc levels, increase serum copper levels (zinc & copper compete for the same transport protein in the intestine, so an imbalance in one will prompt and imbalance in the other), increase in Calcium, and a decrease in most B vitamins. Well, the research I did prompted me to get my blood levels checked and sure enough my Cu was high, zinc was below normal range, Ca++ ok, and most of my B vitamins were deficient. I also had my serum ferritin checked just out of curiosity b/c Dr. Redmond suggested that I stop supplementing with Ferrous Gluconate (my ferritin was at 63 when I began therapy; up from 23 6 mos earlier when my hair loss became very noticable). To my surprise, my ferritin had taken a nose dive, it went from 63 in May down to 30 in just 3 mos. time. So, I started supplementing again b/c after being on the Ferrous Gluconate for 6 mos. and prior to starting Dr. Redmond's therapy, I noticed a tremendous amount of new/re-growth. Here are 2 peer-reviewed studies I found on PubMed re: the relationship between serum ferritin levels and women pre-disposed or diagnosed with AGAecreased Serum Ferritin is Associated with Alopecia in Women. Jonathon Kantor et al., Dept. of Derm; Dept. of Biostats & Epidemiology; and Division of Medical Genetics, UPENN School of Med. The second study: The importance of adequate serum ferritin levels during oral cyproterone acetate and ethinyl estradiol treatment of diffuse androgen-dependent alopecia in women. Rushton DH, Ramsay ID. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1992 Apr;36(4):421-7. I sent both studies to Dr. Redmond, but he questions the relationship btwn ferritin levels and AGA. While I do not question my diagnosis, and the genetic component to my hair loss, I believe the changes in my vitamin & mineral subsequent to going on an OC, are also contributing factors. Both high Cu and low zinc DO contribute to hair loss just as one's B vitamin status impacts the quality (and in some cases quantity) of hair growth. What I suspect is that some women who experience hair loss while taking a progesterone-neutral OC are in fact losing more hair b/c over time, the OC has negatively impacted their nutrient status. Maybe not just a theory? So.....I've decided to go off the Yasmin despite my intense fear of the post-shed predictions and the fact taht I have so very little hair left (no bald spots, just diffuse thinning esp. in front and on top). I would love to hear form other women & moms who are currently facing similar challenges, including the daunting depression and assault on my self-esteem. I know there are worse "things" I/we could be facing (and I never imagined hair loss would hurt so much emotionally), but this is my reality (and other's), and it's become quite a struggle. Oh yeah....when I got my hormones tested, my DHEA-S was 159, Progesterone was 12.75 (day 20 of my cycle), Androstenedione 117 ng/dL, normetanephrines, free <0.20, metanephrine <0.20 nmo/L, FSH 3.2 (low!). TSH, T4 & T3 all normal.
Debbie is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
nomoresheds
20.08.2007, 07:28
@ Debbie
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
Hi Debbie - I'm one of the few women on the board who believes there is a connection between low ferritin and hair loss. I have seen the Rushton study as well. I'm convinced that for whatever reason, hair loss is very much connected to the fluctuation of hormones. Whether it be a combination of things that act as a trigger, age, or just a sensitivity to DHT, some are hit hard and some seem to escape altogether, depending on what factors are occuring. I was on a no red meat, low calorie diet 6 months before the current shed took place. I don't think that helped me and perhaps if I had not been on that diet the hormone fluctuations would not have had such a deleterious effect on my hair. I just don't know. What I have observed after years of watching my cycles and symptoms, is that I have perfect skin at this point whereas a few years ago I would get one monthly pimple, coinciding with my cycles. I no longer get this hormonal acne so it's clear that levels have changed significantly. I seem to have an incredibly difficult time keeping ferritin levels up, despite a supplement. Keep in mind high ferritin levels are not always good, they can indicate cancer so low ferritin is not all bad but when it comes to hair....mine have not hit 70 in two years despite doing everything possible short of injections.
I think it's entirely possible that women in their early 40s can experience a perimenopausal fluctuation of hormones...I think that is what happened to me. However that was transient and I remedied it with iron supplements for a year and chalked it up to iron deficiency at the time (think I was at 11). I'm not sure how much value you get from the labs if normal results don't detect a hypersensitivity to DHT. All results can look normal (and this is also based on your age..i.e. I have almost zero progesterone, yet that is "normal" for my stage of life according to the doctor. What the impact of that is on other hormones was not discussed with me, probably because medicine does not really know. I saw numerous doctors and one finally offered yasmin. Of course, that is temporary and I'm not on it at this point. Since I see my body making it's own adjustments without HRT I am waiting it out but I am leaning toward the vivelle dot if it comes to that. It seems Redmond uses a very similar therapy for his patients....some have difficulty with it. Have you come across anyone who followed his regimen and had total success?
nomoresheds is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Debbie
20.08.2007, 09:37
@ nomoresheds
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
» Hi Debbie - I'm one of the few women on the board who believes there is a
» connection between low ferritin and hair loss. I have seen the Rushton
» study as well. I'm convinced that for whatever reason, hair loss is very
» much connected to the fluctuation of hormones. Whether it be a
» combination of things that act as a trigger, age, or just a sensitivity to
» DHT, some are hit hard and some seem to escape altogether, depending on
» what factors are occuring. I was on a no red meat, low calorie diet 6
» months before the current shed took place. I don't think that helped me
» and perhaps if I had not been on that diet the hormone fluctuations would
» not have had such a deleterious effect on my hair. I just don't know.
» What I have observed after years of watching my cycles and symptoms, is
» that I have perfect skin at this point whereas a few years ago I would get
» one monthly pimple, coinciding with my cycles. I no longer get this
» hormonal acne so it's clear that levels have changed significantly. I
» seem to have an incredibly difficult time keeping ferritin levels up,
» despite a supplement. Keep in mind high ferritin levels are not always
» good, they can indicate cancer so low ferritin is not all bad but when it
» comes to hair....mine have not hit 70 in two years despite doing
» everything possible short of injections.
»
» I think it's entirely possible that women in their early 40s can
» experience a perimenopausal fluctuation of hormones...I think that is what
» happened to me. However that was transient and I remedied it with iron
» supplements for a year and chalked it up to iron deficiency at the time
» (think I was at 11). I'm not sure how much value you get from the labs if
» normal results don't detect a hypersensitivity to DHT. All results can
» look normal (and this is also based on your age..i.e. I have almost zero
» progesterone, yet that is "normal" for my stage of life according to the
» doctor. What the impact of that is on other hormones was not discussed
» with me, probably because medicine does not really know. I saw numerous
» doctors and one finally offered yasmin. Of course, that is temporary and
» I'm not on it at this point. Since I see my body making it's own
» adjustments without HRT I am waiting it out but I am leaning toward the
» vivelle dot if it comes to that. It seems Redmond uses a very similar
» therapy for his patients....some have difficulty with it. Have you come
» across anyone who followed his regimen and had total success?
Hi! Thanks for the reply. It seems we have had parallel experiences with the onset of our hair loss. First, to answer your question, No...I have do not know of anyone who has had complete or even close to complete success with Redmond's therapy. While I have experienced some positive effects from his therapy (no longer have oily face, hair, few blemishes at the base of my scalp/hairline), I have also experienced an increase in my shedding since starting the yasmin 6 mos. ago. Yes, the OC lowered my zinc 7 my B vitamins and increased my copper, all of which do in some way contribute. And yes, my ferritin took a nose dive when I stopped supplementing. Like you, I think my hair loss (the genetic component anyway) is directly related to hormone fluctations. However, I believe strongly it was confluence of hormones, diet (wasn't eating enough to support my level of training), excessive exercise (was training for a marathon!!!), and an unbelievable amount of stress (grad school full-time, 2 kids - 3 & 8 y.o., a husband who travels 90% of the week, and nursing my 2 dogs through cancer & eventual death over a period of 2 years; oh yeah, I almost forgot, and at the time I had just finished nursing my son....so my hormones were a mess and probably never got a chance to "regulate" properly. So, now I sincerely trying to "balance" my life, decrease my stress level (hair loss doesn't help), and be more mindful about my exercise level & eating habits. I've always had an excellent diet (not a vegetarian), but I've also battled low iron &/or ferritin throughout my life. Ferrous Gluconate (2 tabs 325 mg) at night before I got to be with water & lemon have been fairly effective; my levels went from 23 in June 06 to 63 in Feb. 07. I truly believe that all the stress/diet/exericse stuff taxed my adrenals, increasing my testosterone, cortisol, etc. and eventually they started to shut down (I had an adrenal stress test done that came back positive), which also contributed to my hormonal fluctuations.
Finally, and sorry for such a long reply, I tried the vivelle dot in conjunction with Yasmin and I felt AWFUL!! The mood swings with Yasmin alone have been an on-going battle (moods I never had before going on the OC), and when I added the vivelle dot per Dr. Redmond's suggestion, I could barely function. I recognize that I have a hereditary predisposition to hormonal sensitivity (my mom & 3 sisters have all had extremely negative experiences with HRT & OCs; all of them having been on the meds for at least a year....and all eventually went off them). One of my younger sisters was on a non-androgen OC for 2 years when she noticed her hair texture changing and a significant increase in hair loss. She's been off the OC for a year now and said it took about 6 mos. for the shedding to stop and another 6 mos. to get her hair back to a healthy state. Not sure anything I've said has been helpful?? I'm sorry for rambling. IV Iron therapy could be a viable option for you if you have a history of low iron/ferrition; it could be an absorption issue or you may lack an enzyme(s) that either activate or inhibit iron absorption?? Perhaps it's worth investigating. Have you ever had your copper & cerulplasmin (copper oxidase) levels checked? Both are necessary for the transport & function of iron. I would find a good endo & make him/her order more blood work. My GP is great, she knows my background and respects my input; she also admits outright that she (a Brown Med School grad)and most Drs., have virtually no knowledge of nutrition; particularly medical nutrition. She works with me and Dr. Redmond and orders whatever blood work I request. Best of luck and please let me know what you decide/find out.
Debbie is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Marjie
20.08.2007, 11:39
@ Debbie
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
Wow.
Food for thought.
I am contemplating going on OC for my hair loss. Dr. Redmond started me on Spiro and proscar.
My ferritin level is 23. Now i am thinking i should bring it up!!! Nobody else thought it was an issue.
But I guess it can't hurt!!
I am rushing out the door to teach a spin class . Sorry this is such a rushed post. Thanks for the info!
marjie
Marjie is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
delilah
20.08.2007, 12:27
@ Debbie
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
I've had complete success with Dr Redmond but I was on a different therapy. I do think there are some cases of HL from low ferritin but if you think that's your problem it probably isn't. Read what you wrote both of your parents have thinning hair you no doubt have a genetic predisposition. I would consider some type of therapy to fend off your AGA rather than hoping it's your low iron stores.
You had some success with your treatment initially perhaps your dosages need to be adjusted or you need to be on different cocktail of medications. Good luck with your HL treatment but I wouldn't waste too much time on the ferritin issue especially with your genetic makeup.
delilah is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Debbie
20.08.2007, 13:31
@ delilah
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
» I've had complete success with Dr Redmond but I was on a different therapy.
» I do think there are some cases of HL from low ferritin but if you think
» that's your problem it probably isn't. Read what you wrote both of your
» parents have thinning hair you no doubt have a genetic predisposition. I
» would consider some type of therapy to fend off your AGA rather than
» hoping it's your low iron stores.
»
» You had some success with your treatment initially perhaps your dosages
» need to be adjusted or you need to be on different cocktail of
» medications. Good luck with your HL treatment but I wouldn't waste too
» much time on the ferritin issue especially with your genetic makeup.
Thanks Delilah. I have no illusions about my AGA or my genetics. I don't believe the low ferritin is the cause, but I do believe it can play a role in the expression/progression of the condition.
Debbie is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Debbie
20.08.2007, 13:33
@ Marjie
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
» Wow.
» Food for thought.
» I am contemplating going on OC for my hair loss. Dr. Redmond started me
» on Spiro and proscar.
» My ferritin level is 23. Now i am thinking i should bring it up!!!
» Nobody else thought it was an issue.
» But I guess it can't hurt!!
» I am rushing out the door to teach a spin class . Sorry this is such a
» rushed post. Thanks for the info!
» marjie
Marjie,
How long have you been on the spiro & proscar? Have you noticed a difference or any improvement? I'm wondering if I'll still have success w/o the Yasmin.
Deb
Debbie is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
delilah
20.08.2007, 13:49
@ Debbie
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
Anything can effect the condition and certainly having a good diet can only help. I just feel that being agressive in your treatment at this point in your life is probably a good thing. I just see too many women loose too much hair and then try to put their finger in the dyke. I think that you're doing the right thing and exploring all options which can't hurt.
delilah is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Fashiongal
20.08.2007, 15:10
@ Debbie
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
Hi Debbie...Thank you so much for your nutritional information and background. I'll post more later but I have a situation very similar to yours. You need to take some time going through old posts; a LOT of women have found Yasmin to exacerbate their hair loss, while many have been helped; it obviously depends on their individual etiology. You said you are hormonally vulnerable as am I; I too am an athlete and have been my whole life; sometimes I think that state of being renders our bodies really in a delicate balance and we can't always tolerate a lot of medication-assault on our systems. I am a little surprised Dr. Redmond put you on all three all at once knowing your hormonal sensitivity and considering it's subsequently impossible to determine which treatment is helping and which hurting; how long have you been on all three? BTW, I had also discovered a while ago the Rushton article(s) re. Ferritin and AGA; there's another documenting help with L-Lysine/iron supplementation being beneficial for hair loss rx's, just Google it. I'll post more when I have time....take care....FG 
Fashiongal is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Fashiongal
20.08.2007, 15:14
@ Fashiongal
|
Addendum to FG's post |
Debbie...forgot to say that when the BCP is out of your system completely, you need to test your estradiol, total estrogens, progesterone to determine where you are in peri; several of my friends were kind of thrust into peri after having babies later in life (post-37) and this may have happened to you. You said you were experiencing improvement prior to your aggressive treatments; did you not think your system was adjusting postnatally? How long ago did you have your baby? And how long have you been on these treatments? Take care....FG
Fashiongal is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
nomoresheds
20.08.2007, 16:30
@ Debbie
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
My suspicions are very strong that a combination of factors exacerbated my hair loss but the primary one is the hormone connection. Right now my shed is picking up so I am thinking about asking for the vivelle dot in a few months if things don't slow down. I am already having such hideous mood swings right now...like I have never seen the likes of. I am in a perpetually bad mood and never had pms that did this to me. Just another weird peri symptom to deal with. I too had more than the usual amount of stress just like you but the initial shed took place almost a year before I had other serious issues to deal with. Dealing with hair loss and adding all the other significant stress on top of it may have just prolonged the shed. I know it didn't help me. I think I may have AGA but have no family history. I have asked for some bloodwork to test some minerals and vitamins, only got the doctor to agree to a few, her excuse was she didn't know what the results would mean if she tested anything unfamiliar to her! I am thinking of getting a hair analysis done though. Vitamins tested look good so far. No one sees anything suspect but one endo did say use yasmin, it is due to hormone imbalance. She is probably right. Problem is, yasmin is a short term fix if you are going to hit meno. You can't just go on it forever. Also, there is a serious risk of blood clots and I think that is something to really weigh carefully, esp. if you are older. Of course HRT is going to mean that cancer and estrogen link will always have me worried. There is no good answer. I am curious why my ferritin level won't budge much. I know one person who didn't see results from Redmond until about a year later I believe. It may just take an incredibly long time when it comes to hair loss.
nomoresheds is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
nomoresheds
20.08.2007, 16:32
@ delilah
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
» I've had complete success with Dr Redmond but I was on a different therapy.
» I do think there are some cases of HL from low ferritin but if you think
» that's your problem it probably isn't. Read what you wrote both of your
» parents have thinning hair you no doubt have a genetic predisposition. I
» would consider some type of therapy to fend off your AGA rather than
» hoping it's your low iron stores.
»
» You had some success with your treatment initially perhaps your dosages
» need to be adjusted or you need to be on different cocktail of
» medications. Good luck with your HL treatment but I wouldn't waste too
» much time on the ferritin issue especially with your genetic makeup.
So, you have a total recovery, totally normal hair now? Can you post what you are doing from Redmond? I think you have said vivelle dot but is there more as well? No problems with the vivelle patch? Do you know the lowest dose Redmond uses for vivelle? I have a gyn that deals only with meno issues so I want to run this by her...she is the one I'd see for the vivelle.
nomoresheds is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Marjie
20.08.2007, 16:45
@ Debbie
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
»»
» Marjie,
»
» How long have you been on the spiro & proscar? Have you noticed a
» difference or any improvement? I'm wondering if I'll still have success
» w/o the Yasmin.
» Deb
Deb,
I have just started with spiro and proscar 2weeks ago. I have no words of wisdom. It is all so disheartening.
Marjie
Marjie is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Debbie
20.08.2007, 16:49
@ nomoresheds
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
» » I've had complete success with Dr Redmond but I was on a different
» therapy.
» » I do think there are some cases of HL from low ferritin but if you
» think
» » that's your problem it probably isn't. Read what you wrote both of
» your
» » parents have thinning hair you no doubt have a genetic predisposition.
» I
» » would consider some type of therapy to fend off your AGA rather than
» » hoping it's your low iron stores.
» »
» » You had some success with your treatment initially perhaps your dosages
» » need to be adjusted or you need to be on different cocktail of
» » medications. Good luck with your HL treatment but I wouldn't waste too
» » much time on the ferritin issue especially with your genetic makeup.
»
» So, you have a total recovery, totally normal hair now? Can you post what
» you are doing from Redmond? I think you have said vivelle dot but is there
» more as well? No problems with the vivelle patch? Do you know the lowest
» dose Redmond uses for vivelle? I have a gyn that deals only with meno
» issues so I want to run this by her...she is the one I'd see for the
» vivelle.
I tried the vivelle dot patch in conjunction with the Yasmin; it was TOO much estrogen so I stopped. Still on the Yasmin. No I have not had a total recovery; still shedding 100-200+ hairs a day, losing most when blow drying. What I was considering was stopping the Yasmin, but staying on the Spiro & finasteride. I've never done well on OCs despite my estrogen status; and according to Dr. Redmond, there was no blood work done that demonstrated I had low estrogen. I want to better understand why I had a drastic reduction in hair during the first 2-3 mos. of therapy (200mg Spiro & 1/2 5mg tab of finasteride daily), then the shedding resumed at its previously high rate. I want to see how I do on the spiro & finasteride alone.
Debbie is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Debbie
20.08.2007, 16:58
@ nomoresheds
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
» My suspicions are very strong that a combination of factors exacerbated my
» hair loss but the primary one is the hormone connection. Right now my
» shed is picking up so I am thinking about asking for the vivelle dot in a
» few months if things don't slow down. I am already having such hideous
» mood swings right now...like I have never seen the likes of. I am in a
» perpetually bad mood and never had pms that did this to me. Just another
» weird peri symptom to deal with. I too had more than the usual amount of
» stress just like you but the initial shed took place almost a year before
» I had other serious issues to deal with. Dealing with hair loss and
» adding all the other significant stress on top of it may have just
» prolonged the shed. I know it didn't help me. I think I may have AGA but
» have no family history. I have asked for some bloodwork to test some
» minerals and vitamins, only got the doctor to agree to a few, her excuse
» was she didn't know what the results would mean if she tested anything
» unfamiliar to her! I am thinking of getting a hair analysis done though.
» Vitamins tested look good so far. No one sees anything suspect but one
» endo did say use yasmin, it is due to hormone imbalance. She is probably
» right. Problem is, yasmin is a short term fix if you are going to hit
» meno. You can't just go on it forever. Also, there is a serious risk of
» blood clots and I think that is something to really weigh carefully, esp.
» if you are older. Of course HRT is going to mean that cancer and estrogen
» link will always have me worried. There is no good answer. I am curious
» why my ferritin level won't budge much. I know one person who didn't see
» results from Redmond until about a year later I believe. It may just take
» an incredibly long time when it comes to hair loss.
I agree with you and everyone else who has so kindly responded to my postings; that I should wait a year and see. I may just stick to the yasmin for the next 5 mos. and see what happens. Did I mention that the increase in my hair loss and horrible mood swings started after I began taking Yamin?? Dr. Redmond does mention in his book that there are women who simply cannot take OCs and I think I might fall sqaure into that category. I get to week 7 of taking the pill straight and I become overwhelmed with depression and hopelessness; constantly isolating myself and snapping at my husband & kids. So, Dr. Redmond said to try staying on the Yasmin, but allow myself to have a monthly period....while it will help some, it will not afford the same results if I were to stay on it continuously (having a period just 3x annually). This may very well be why my shedding hasn't stabilized?? Based on what I learned in my Nutr. Biochem. class, HRT for the first 2-5 yrs does not have the same risk profile. Have you read Dr. Redmond's book??
Debbie is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Debbie
20.08.2007, 17:16
@ Fashiongal
|
Addendum to FG's post |
» Debbie...forgot to say that when the BCP is out of your system completely,
» you need to test your estradiol, total estrogens, progesterone to
» determine where you are in peri; several of my friends were kind of thrust
» into peri after having babies later in life (post-37) and this may have
» happened to you. You said you were experiencing improvement prior to your
» aggressive treatments; did you not think your system was adjusting
» postnatally? How long ago did you have your baby? And how long have you
» been on these treatments? Take care....FG
I had my son Eoin 4 years ago in November. I nursed him for a year and 8 mos. and had to stop when I returned to grad school full time. Moreover, like an idiot, I started running only 3 weeks after I had him. I know...stupid. So, I essentially preempted my body's attempt to regain hormonal balance. I can hear everyone verbally spanking me as they read this. Believe, I have done an about face with my poor judgement. I think I may have thrown myself into peri at the early age of 36 based simply on the fact that I had very little body fat; never lost my period, it got a little erratic (every 2 weeks) for about 3 mos. but then went back to my regular 28-day cycle w/o fail. One of my professors in the grad program worked for Nike and trained their athletes (nutritionally) as well Joan Benoit. He is the one who said to me last year, Deb are crying a lot, out of breath walking up stairs, tired a lot?? All of which I replied YES!! He's the one who told me to get my iron checked and that in his experience female athletes, particularly distance runners like myself, have been known to enter early menopause for all the aforementioned reasons (level of training, lack of body fat, etc.). My iron was low (for me) and once I started supplementing I was less weapy, never out of breath walking upstairs, more energetic, NEW HAIR GROWTH (TONS OF IT ON TOP), and no longer cold all the time. While my ferritin was not below 12 (the baseline), as my prof said, it was low for me. I will get my estradiol levels et al tested once the Yasmin clears my system. I've been on Dr. Redmond's therapy since Feb 2007. As far as my system goes post-natally, I had months where my hair's texture changed, it became limp, hard to style and these are what led me to believe it was getting thinning. I never paid attention to how much I was losing in the shower, styling, etc. Never cared. Knew I had fine hair just like my mom and that I too would experience thinning; but not this soon. She said (and I never thought my mom's hair was thin or sparse until just a few years ago)she didn't experience hair loss until after menopause (and she did have mild shedding after each of her 5 children). My biggest fear is that b/c my dad is balding on top, that I inherited the gene from both parents and my phenotype is going to mirror my father instead of my mother's.
Debbie is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Fashiongal
20.08.2007, 17:23
@ Debbie
|
Response to Debbie and Nomoresheds |
Hi gals...Debbie...How do you know that your mood swings, etc. were related only to the Yasmin; I thought you said that you started all three treatments simultaneously? Although, if you had been on OCs prior and had similar intolerances, then you're probably right; I can't handle OC's either and get completely typical responses of estrogen-dominance: the weight gain, water retention, moodiness/weepiness, large breasts, etc. So that is not an option for me. Fortunately for me, however, I did have all my hormones tested prior to any meds and was found to be not in peri as all my hormones were smack dab in the middle of "normal". Plus, my periods are still completely synchronized. Debbie, like you, I was put on Spiro/Finasteride combo right off the bat but my system couldn't handle swinging so far away from its middle with both types of anti-androgens (100 mg Spiro and 1.25 mg Proscar daily). My periods were 21 days apart and I had NO energy and gained 6 pounds almost immediately (within a month and a half.) When I reported this back to one of my derms, he said to go off the Spiro and just let the Proscar (finasteride) do its business. He said that sometimes if you assault your system too much, it "upregulates" which means that your body desires homeostasis and if it's thrown too suddenly or extremely into an opposite state, your body may attempt to "upregulate" the hormones that are being suppressed and you can really mess up the endocrine system. I had been on Rogaine alone for a year-and-a-quarter and I can honestly say that it exacerbated the matter by truncating my growth cycles. But that's just my experience and although I've seen many others who had the same experience with Rogaine, I know there are gals out there who it's helped. The frustrating thing is that if you decide to try it, and it makes matters worse, there you are. I know Dr. Redmond does not recommend the Rogaine. Honestly, Debbie, after you allow your body to recover from going off the Yasmin, I really urge you to test all your female hormones because if you are in peri or even perhaps early meno, you will need a treatment VERY different from what you are on; like Bea and Delilah, you will need to treat your hormone deficiency. Although it does sound like you have AGA regardless. However, I've seen it reported that other types of hair loss can mimic and even jumpstart AGA symptoms before they would normally have presented.
Nomoresheds, how old are you if you don't mind me asking? Do you know what blood type you are? I am Type A and I know (and I believe someone else pointed this out as well) that Type A's have low stomach acid (hydrochloric acid)and therefore tend towards low ferritin and low nutrient absorption in general. I've been borderline anemic my whole life and I believe this is one of the reasons why. My naturopath wanted to give me extra hydrochloric acid to help this but thus far I've held off. Have either of you, especially Debbie with your nutrition/physiological area of study, heard of this?
Take care, gals, and sorry for long post....FG
Fashiongal is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Fashiongal
20.08.2007, 17:43
@ Debbie
|
Addendum to FG's post - response to Debbie |
» » Debbie...forgot to say that when the BCP is out of your system
» completely,
» » you need to test your estradiol, total estrogens, progesterone to
» » determine where you are in peri; several of my friends were kind of
» thrust
» » into peri after having babies later in life (post-37) and this may have
» » happened to you. You said you were experiencing improvement prior to
» your
» » aggressive treatments; did you not think your system was adjusting
» » postnatally? How long ago did you have your baby? And how long have
» you
» » been on these treatments? Take care....FG
»
» I had my son Eoin 4 years ago in November. I nursed him for a year and 8
» mos. and had to stop when I returned to grad school full time. Moreover,
» like an idiot, I started running only 3 weeks after I had him. I
» know...stupid. So, I essentially preempted my body's attempt to regain
» hormonal balance. I can hear everyone verbally spanking me as they read
» this. Believe, I have done an about face with my poor judgement. I think
» I may have thrown myself into peri at the early age of 36 based simply on
» the fact that I had very little body fat; never lost my period, it got a
» little erratic (every 2 weeks) for about 3 mos. but then went back to my
» regular 28-day cycle w/o fail. One of my professors in the grad program
» worked for Nike and trained their athletes (nutritionally) as well Joan
» Benoit. He is the one who said to me last year, Deb are crying a lot, out
» of breath walking up stairs, tired a lot?? All of which I replied YES!!
» He's the one who told me to get my iron checked and that in his experience
» female athletes, particularly distance runners like myself, have been known
» to enter early menopause for all the aforementioned reasons (level of
» training, lack of body fat, etc.). My iron was low (for me) and once I
» started supplementing I was less weapy, never out of breath walking
» upstairs, more energetic, NEW HAIR GROWTH (TONS OF IT ON TOP), and no
» longer cold all the time. While my ferritin was not below 12 (the
» baseline), as my prof said, it was low for me. I will get my estradiol
» levels et al tested once the Yasmin clears my system. I've been on Dr.
» Redmond's therapy since Feb 2007. As far as my system goes post-natally, I
» had months where my hair's texture changed, it became limp, hard to style
» and these are what led me to believe it was getting thinning. I never
» paid attention to how much I was losing in the shower, styling, etc.
» Never cared. Knew I had fine hair just like my mom and that I too would
» experience thinning; but not this soon. She said (and I never thought my
» mom's hair was thin or sparse until just a few years ago)she didn't
» experience hair loss until after menopause (and she did have mild shedding
» after each of her 5 children). My biggest fear is that b/c my dad is
» balding on top, that I inherited the gene from both parents and my
» phenotype is going to mirror my father instead of my mother's.
Wow...I'm freaking out a little bit because you sound so similar to me!! LOL on your running three weeks after having your little one  ...I am CERTAINLY not going to be the one verbally or even mentally spanking you because girlfriend, I have you beat: with both my babies, I sure did have to start up my running work-outs a mere two weeks after delivery!! I couldn't wait  !! I too am a long-distance runner (albeit not a marathoner like you) and yes, my research also pointed out we female athletes usually have low iron due to low body fat (mine was usually 12-14%; not anymore, I think it's up to 18% now because I've gained now 7 pounds being on the Proscar due to its anti-androgenic effects). My mom as well started thinning diffusely well AFTER menopause, at about 62, and she's on Propecia, and it hasn't progressed. She's also on HRT and has been for around 20 years and has loved the effects of that for her. My dad, on the other hand, is purely bald and so I am sure I'm experiencing the beginning stages of AGA but I also have other inciting factors of low ferritin (it was 20) and slight hypothyroidism which was probably caused by the taxed adrenals, according to my chiropractor-friends and my naturopath (taxed adrenals from low iron and life-long habit of working out a lot and low body fat, although this is beneficial for keeping estrogen from getting too high.)
I'm sure you may have discovered this through research as well as personal experience, but with any type of hair loss med, there is a COMMON, almost expected occurrence about 2-6 months into treatment called the "dread shed" which is basically a medication-induced TE in which all the different-phased hairs that were in catagen (waiting phase prior to telogen and exogen) are simultaneously thrust into telogen and then exogen and therefore all the hairs that would have fallen out at different times and less noticeably are all coming out at once. Plus, there is some documentation that some of the anagen hairs are shocked into prematurely entering the telogen phase, which basically is a truncation of that growth cycle. So the fact that you've been on these rx's for six months and you're seeing increased shedding is somewhat par for the course. How are you feeling? I'm surprised that with your low body fat and lithe physical structure and reported hormonal vulnerability (I read parts of Redmond's book - very informative)that you can handle the 200 mg Spiro in addition to the 2.5 finasteride. What does your prof friend say? Take care...FG P.S. Although you mentioned the baseline of ferritin being 12, and anything below that is considered bona fide anemic, anything below 40 is considered iron deficient (as compared to iron depleted) and I've heard that for healthy hair it should hover above 70. I've gotten mine to 52 and hopefully still climbing.
Fashiongal is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Debbie
20.08.2007, 18:16
@ Fashiongal
|
Addendum to FG's post - response to Debbie |
» » » Debbie...forgot to say that when the BCP is out of your system
» » completely,
» » » you need to test your estradiol, total estrogens, progesterone to
» » » determine where you are in peri; several of my friends were kind of
» » thrust
» » » into peri after having babies later in life (post-37) and this may
» have
» » » happened to you. You said you were experiencing improvement prior to
» » your
» » » aggressive treatments; did you not think your system was adjusting
» » » postnatally? How long ago did you have your baby? And how long have
» » you
» » » been on these treatments? Take care....FG
» »
» » I had my son Eoin 4 years ago in November. I nursed him for a year and
» 8
» » mos. and had to stop when I returned to grad school full time.
» Moreover,
» » like an idiot, I started running only 3 weeks after I had him. I
» » know...stupid. So, I essentially preempted my body's attempt to regain
» » hormonal balance. I can hear everyone verbally spanking me as they
» read
» » this. Believe, I have done an about face with my poor judgement. I
» think
» » I may have thrown myself into peri at the early age of 36 based simply
» on
» » the fact that I had very little body fat; never lost my period, it got
» a
» » little erratic (every 2 weeks) for about 3 mos. but then went back to
» my
» » regular 28-day cycle w/o fail. One of my professors in the grad program
» » worked for Nike and trained their athletes (nutritionally) as well Joan
» » Benoit. He is the one who said to me last year, Deb are crying a lot,
» out
» » of breath walking up stairs, tired a lot?? All of which I replied
» YES!!
» » He's the one who told me to get my iron checked and that in his
» experience
» » female athletes, particularly distance runners like myself, have been
» known
» » to enter early menopause for all the aforementioned reasons (level of
» » training, lack of body fat, etc.). My iron was low (for me) and once I
» » started supplementing I was less weapy, never out of breath walking
» » upstairs, more energetic, NEW HAIR GROWTH (TONS OF IT ON TOP), and no
» » longer cold all the time. While my ferritin was not below 12 (the
» » baseline), as my prof said, it was low for me. I will get my estradiol
» » levels et al tested once the Yasmin clears my system. I've been on Dr.
» » Redmond's therapy since Feb 2007. As far as my system goes post-natally,
» I
» » had months where my hair's texture changed, it became limp, hard to
» style
» » and these are what led me to believe it was getting thinning. I never
» » paid attention to how much I was losing in the shower, styling, etc.
» » Never cared. Knew I had fine hair just like my mom and that I too
» would
» » experience thinning; but not this soon. She said (and I never thought
» my
» » mom's hair was thin or sparse until just a few years ago)she didn't
» » experience hair loss until after menopause (and she did have mild
» shedding
» » after each of her 5 children). My biggest fear is that b/c my dad is
» » balding on top, that I inherited the gene from both parents and my
» » phenotype is going to mirror my father instead of my mother's.
»
» Wow...I'm freaking out a little bit because you sound so similar to me!!
» LOL on your running three weeks after having your little one ...I
» am CERTAINLY not going to be the one verbally or even mentally spanking
» you because girlfriend, I have you beat: with both my babies, I sure did
» have to start up my running work-outs a mere two weeks after delivery!! I
» couldn't wait !! I too am a long-distance runner (albeit not a
» marathoner like you) and yes, my research also pointed out we female
» athletes usually have low iron due to low body fat (mine was usually
» 12-14%; not anymore, I think it's up to 18% now because I've gained now 7
» pounds being on the Proscar due to its anti-androgenic effects). My mom
» as well started thinning diffusely well AFTER menopause, at about 62, and
» she's on Propecia, and it hasn't progressed. She's also on HRT and has
» been for around 20 years and has loved the effects of that for her. My
» dad, on the other hand, is purely bald and so I am sure I'm experiencing
» the beginning stages of AGA but I also have other inciting factors of low
» ferritin (it was 20) and slight hypothyroidism which was probably caused
» by the taxed adrenals, according to my chiropractor-friends and my
» naturopath (taxed adrenals from low iron and life-long habit of working
» out a lot and low body fat, although this is beneficial for keeping
» estrogen from getting too high.)
»
» I'm sure you may have discovered this through research as well as personal
» experience, but with any type of hair loss med, there is a COMMON, almost
» expected occurrence about 2-6 months into treatment called the "dread
» shed" which is basically a medication-induced TE in which all the
» different-phased hairs that were in catagen (waiting phase prior to
» telogen and exogen) are simultaneously thrust into telogen and then exogen
» and therefore all the hairs that would have fallen out at different times
» and less noticeably are all coming out at once. Plus, there is some
» documentation that some of the anagen hairs are shocked into prematurely
» entering the telogen phase, which basically is a truncation of that growth
» cycle. So the fact that you've been on these rx's for six months and
» you're seeing increased shedding is somewhat par for the course. How are
» you feeling? I'm surprised that with your low body fat and lithe physical
» structure and reported hormonal vulnerability (I read parts of Redmond's
» book - very informative)that you can handle the 200 mg Spiro in addition
» to the 2.5 finasteride. What does your prof friend say? Take care...FG
» P.S. Although you mentioned the baseline of ferritin being 12, and
» anything below that is considered bona fide anemic, anything below 40 is
» considered iron deficient (as compared to iron depleted) and I've heard
» that for healthy hair it should hover above 70. I've gotten mine to 52
» and hopefully still climbing.
Dear god...you mean weight gain is side effect of finasteride? I know that by lowering our testosterone, we lose muscle mass (or at least the ability to gain/maintain it...which I guess in turn would naturally lower your BMR), but weight gain too? I have only gained 3-4 pounds since starting my therapy; I assumed it was due to the Yasmin. Forgot about the anti-andro effects of Spiro & finasteride. What I've found most disturbing is not the weight gain, b/c I needed to gain some weight back, but the dimpling I have amassed on my butt and inner & outer thighs. Very unsightly and unexpected given my physical stature, exercise level and extremely healthy & adequate diet. Please tell me it's not going to get worse? It's like exchange on cross only to bear another (granted I am fully aware that there are much worse afflictions in life, and I am extremely blessed in so many ways.). Don't mean to sound shallow.
Debbie is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
delilah
20.08.2007, 18:39
@ nomoresheds
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
Knock wood it did the trick. I have a friend who is still getting her period but definitely in peri and he started her on 0.50mg Vivelle Dot and 100 mg of Prometrium first 12 days of the month. I believe the lowest dose is 0.325 and the highest is 1 mg.
I do have some breast tenderness, PMS back ache from the Prometrium before I get my period. The dot is very little and easy to hide it's the size of a quarter and it's clear. Are you having any peri symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats etc? If you do get a patch prescribed make sure it's not a combi patch or Climar bc they have progestin in them which is bad for your hair. Get the Vivelle and Prometrium (which is in pill form but natural..plant based). Stay away from any synthetic progesterone.
delilah is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
delilah
20.08.2007, 18:45
@ Debbie
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
Yes I've read the book. It helped to answer a lot of my questions especially about HRT. It also cleared up the difference in types of HL. I thought that all HL was the same and it was about too much testosterone and DHT sensitivity but I never knew you could simply lose your hair from low estrogen with no androgen issues at all.
delilah is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
delilah
20.08.2007, 18:55
@ Debbie
|
Addendum to FG's post - response to Debbie |
Debbie interesting that you bring up the dimpling. I'm a competitive athlete and have been my whole life. I've always had fabulously toned legs, arms and abdomen but coincentally at the same time as I noticed my HL I noticed skin changes. I noticed more cellulite and loss of collagen which had to go hand in hand with the loss of estrogen. I know it's part of aging but how could someone who has been such an athlete and works out as much as me have cellulite? I never had it in my life. The skin and hair are very closely linked.
delilah is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Debbie
20.08.2007, 19:05
@ delilah
|
Addendum to FG's post - response to Debbie |
» Debbie interesting that you bring up the dimpling. I'm a competitive
» athlete and have been my whole life. I've always had fabulously toned
» legs, arms and abdomen but coincentally at the same time as I noticed my
» HL I noticed skin changes. I noticed more cellulite and loss of collagen
» which had to go hand in hand with the loss of estrogen. I know it's part
» of aging but how could someone who has been such an athlete and works out
» as much as me have cellulite? I never had it in my life. The skin and
» hair are very closely linked.
Delilah,
I didn't have the dimpling before I started estrogen; well, very little anyway. It all started showing up 6 mos. ago when I started the Yasmin. Did some research and sure enough synthetic estradiol does promote the synthesis of cellulite. I understand it's also hereditary, but neither my mom (68 y.o.) nor my sisters all in their mid to late 30s have any visible cellulite; and all have had their hormonal ups and downs, none with AGA though. I feel like I have to pay very close attn to whatever I eat (never did before b/c of my level of exercise) and maintain a consistent level aerobic exercise to keep it at bay.
Debbie is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
LisaS
20.08.2007, 19:10
@ Debbie
|
? to Debbie |
Sorry for my ignorance, but what is an "OC" and what is ferrous gluconate? I have had low ferratin for the past 2 1/2 years that I have been losing hair and I have also been taking iron supplements during this time with no impact on my ferratin levels. While my iron levels have increased to 93 based upon my last labs, my ferratin actually dropped to 13. He said to support healthy hair you need at least 40. Any help on this issue is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
LisaS is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
nomoresheds
20.08.2007, 19:31
@ delilah
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
» Knock wood it did the trick. I have a friend who is still getting her
» period but definitely in peri and he started her on 0.50mg Vivelle Dot and
» 100 mg of Prometrium first 12 days of the month. I believe the lowest dose
» is 0.325 and the highest is 1 mg.
»
» I do have some breast tenderness, PMS back ache from the Prometrium before
» I get my period. The dot is very little and easy to hide it's the size of
» a quarter and it's clear. Are you having any peri symptoms like hot
» flashes, night sweats etc? If you do get a patch prescribed make sure
» it's not a combi patch or Climar bc they have progestin in them which is
» bad for your hair. Get the Vivelle and Prometrium (which is in pill form
» but natural..plant based). Stay away from any synthetic progesterone.
Delilah- what does the breast tenderness mean? I am getting that as one of my symptoms all of a sudden and living with it almost constantly for a while now. My hot flashes are mostly gone. I have insomnia once in a while - it comes and goes. I've had much worse symptoms. Sad to say, my main complaint from peri is hair loss.
nomoresheds is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Debbie
20.08.2007, 19:45
@ LisaS
|
? to Debbie |
» Sorry for my ignorance, but what is an "OC" and what is ferrous gluconate?
» I have had low ferratin for the past 2 1/2 years that I have been losing
» hair and I have also been taking iron supplements during this time with no
» impact on my ferratin levels. While my iron levels have increased to 93
» based upon my last labs, my ferratin actually dropped to 13. He said to
» support healthy hair you need at least 40. Any help on this issue is
» greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Lisa, sorry for the acronym...OC is short for oral contraceptive. Ferrous gluconate is one of the more absorbable forms of iron supplements. Ferrous sulfate and ferrous fumarate are other forms, each with diff. amts of elemental iron. Taking vitamin C with iron supplements increases absorption. I take 2 325 mg of ferrous gluconate at night with either oj or lemon water on an empty stomach. The liquid form of ferrous sulfate (Feosol) tends to be better/more quickly absorbed.
Iron absorption can be inhibited by up to 50% when taken with foods, and should be taken 1 hr before or 2 hrs after foods high phytate foods like bran, fiber supplements, tea, coffee, dairy products or eggs. 200 mg of Vit C/30 mg Fe will increase absorption. Meat also increases absorption. Take Ca++, Zn (zinc), or Cu (copper) supplements separately by more than 2 hrs. High doses of Fe (iron) decrease zinc absorption, therefore zinc suppl. may be necessary.
Debbie is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Debbie
20.08.2007, 19:52
@ Fashiongal
|
Response to Debbie and Nomoresheds |
» Hi gals...Debbie...How do you know that your mood swings, etc. were related
» only to the Yasmin; I thought you said that you started all three
» treatments simultaneously? Although, if you had been on OCs prior and had
» similar intolerances, then you're probably right; I can't handle OC's
» either and get completely typical responses of estrogen-dominance: the
» weight gain, water retention, moodiness/weepiness, large breasts, etc. So
» that is not an option for me. Fortunately for me, however, I did have all
» my hormones tested prior to any meds and was found to be not in peri as
» all my hormones were smack dab in the middle of "normal". Plus, my
» periods are still completely synchronized. Debbie, like you, I was put on
» Spiro/Finasteride combo right off the bat but my system couldn't handle
» swinging so far away from its middle with both types of anti-androgens
» (100 mg Spiro and 1.25 mg Proscar daily). My periods were 21 days apart
» and I had NO energy and gained 6 pounds almost immediately (within a month
» and a half.) When I reported this back to one of my derms, he said to go
» off the Spiro and just let the Proscar (finasteride) do its business. He
» said that sometimes if you assault your system too much, it "upregulates"
» which means that your body desires homeostasis and if it's thrown too
» suddenly or extremely into an opposite state, your body may attempt to
» "upregulate" the hormones that are being suppressed and you can really
» mess up the endocrine system. I had been on Rogaine alone for a
» year-and-a-quarter and I can honestly say that it exacerbated the matter
» by truncating my growth cycles. But that's just my experience and
» although I've seen many others who had the same experience with Rogaine, I
» know there are gals out there who it's helped. The frustrating thing is
» that if you decide to try it, and it makes matters worse, there you are.
» I know Dr. Redmond does not recommend the Rogaine. Honestly, Debbie,
» after you allow your body to recover from going off the Yasmin, I really
» urge you to test all your female hormones because if you are in peri or
» even perhaps early meno, you will need a treatment VERY different from
» what you are on; like Bea and Delilah, you will need to treat your hormone
» deficiency. Although it does sound like you have AGA regardless. However,
» I've seen it reported that other types of hair loss can mimic and even
» jumpstart AGA symptoms before they would normally have presented.
»
» Nomoresheds, how old are you if you don't mind me asking? Do you know
» what blood type you are? I am Type A and I know (and I believe someone
» else pointed this out as well) that Type A's have low stomach acid
» (hydrochloric acid)and therefore tend towards low ferritin and low
» nutrient absorption in general. I've been borderline anemic my whole life
» and I believe this is one of the reasons why. My naturopath wanted to give
» me extra hydrochloric acid to help this but thus far I've held off. Have
» either of you, especially Debbie with your nutrition/physiological area of
» study, heard of this?
»
» Take care, gals, and sorry for long post....FG
FG-
HCL (hydrochloric acid) will help with your digestion and absorption. My sister takes for the same reason and she has had great success.
Debbie is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
ginawat
20.08.2007, 20:16
@ Debbie
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
Debbie,
I will be 38 in November and I feel we have a lot in common w/regards to our health, lifestyle and hairloss. I also have low serum ferritin and am in the process of trying to raise it. It started at a 12 and is now at a 31 (hopefully higher) since changing my diet and supplementing. I also think I am either estrogen deficient OR dominant (I wish I knew!) I get a period every 28 days like clockwork and had no issue conceiving - - which would lead me to believe if I am either it would be dominant - yet LOW ESTROGEN has more to do with hairloss than low progesterone. I just don't know. I have had a lot of lab work done over the last year and still am at a loss as to what my "issue" is and why I am losing so much hair...the doctors don't seem to know either.
My issue started years ago (8!) and seemed to get better and worse at different times. I had my son almost three years ago and while pregnant I had good hair (who doesn't?) I didn't lose it immdeiately after but 2 years after the TE was triggered again. Then came the dicsovery of my iron levels. It was assumed that my low iron was due to my heavy periods every 28 days so YAZ was suggested. I took that for 2.5 months and hated it so I just recently stopped. I DO think my hormones are out of balance and where it seems Dr. Redmond prefers to try to balance them with OC I think I am going to go the bio-identical route.
Have you thought about using bio-identicals?
I'll write more late - after I determine if you are still on-line
Thanks so much for the imformative post!
Gina
ginawat is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
Debbie
20.08.2007, 20:28
@ ginawat
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
» Debbie,
»
» I will be 38 in November and I feel we have a lot in common w/regards to
» our health, lifestyle and hairloss. I also have low serum ferritin and am
» in the process of trying to raise it. It started at a 12 and is now at a
» 31 (hopefully higher) since changing my diet and supplementing. I also
» think I am either estrogen deficient OR dominant (I wish I knew!) I get a
» period every 28 days like clockwork and had no issue conceiving - - which
» would lead me to believe if I am either it would be dominant - yet LOW
» ESTROGEN has more to do with hairloss than low progesterone. I just don't
» know. I have had a lot of lab work done over the last year and still am
» at a loss as to what my "issue" is and why I am losing so much hair...the
» doctors don't seem to know either.
»
» My issue started years ago (8!) and seemed to get better and worse at
» different times. I had my son almost three years ago and while pregnant I
» had good hair (who doesn't?) I didn't lose it immdeiately after but 2
» years after the TE was triggered again. Then came the dicsovery of my
» iron levels. It was assumed that my low iron was due to my heavy periods
» every 28 days so YAZ was suggested. I took that for 2.5 months and hated
» it so I just recently stopped. I DO think my hormones are out of balance
» and where it seems Dr. Redmond prefers to try to balance them with OC I
» think I am going to go the bio-identical route.
»
» Have you thought about using bio-identicals?
»
» I'll write more late - after I determine if you are still on-line
»
» Thanks so much for the imformative post!
» Gina
Hi Gina,
going back and forth between getting the kids fed (late night dinner - soccer practice - ugh!!)and unloading the dishwasher. I'm on line though. I so desperately want to go off the Yasmin, but I'm so terrified of the post-oc shed. Dr. Redmond told my GP (who has been emailing him to get as much info as she can to contribute to my care) that the hair loss I would experience would be slightly lighter than the post-partum shed (which for me was never a real noticeable problem). Still, my GP thinks I should stay on the Yasmin at least until Sept. 8 when I meet with Dr. Redmond again. I am having my period now; I usu. go off the pill for 4 days, allow myself to have a monthly period, then go back on it. Prior to getting my diagnosis of AGA confirmed with a biopsy (which I recommend if you want to be certain), I underwent hormone testing that indicated I too was "estrogen dominant" (like my mom). So, that is why I question how much of contribution Yasmin is making, good or bad, to my hair situation.
Debbie is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
ginawat
20.08.2007, 22:01
@ Debbie
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
Hi Debbie! I totally understand the rat-race of dinner, clean-up, etc...no wonder I have no sleep issues~thank goodness!
Was Dr. Redmond aware that you were estrogen dominant? If so I wonder why he would suggest a combination pill like Yasmine? It would seem to me that you (and possibly me, too) would only need a progesterone boost(natural) from day 14 until our period starts on/near day 28. I personally think that is what I am missing - but I am not 100% sure. I do know that I felt terrible on Yaz (same as Yasmine) I cried a lot - which is not in my character. I am depressed about my hairloss, yes...but crying hysterically is not the norm for me. I lost more hair on Yaz it seemed...but then again maybe I would have anyway. I sure hope the 2.5 months worth of Yaz won't make my matters worse. I also hated taking it because it made accurate testing for hormone levels impossible. The synthetic hormones don't register and therefore made labwork cloudy and inaccurate and basically useless. I wanted to work from a clean slate and be able to see my hormones for ehat they were - even if they were low or considered normal.
I currenlty have a RX (via a compounding pharmasict and my gyn) coming of natural progesterone cream. I am anxious to start and then get some blood-work after a few cycles. I figure going this route can't hurt seeing that it is exactly identical to the progesterone our bodies should be making during the second half our our cycles. This cream is natural and therefore you can even become pregnant using it w/no ill effects to the fetus. This seems a more desirable approach. I know progesterone cream isn't going to be the magic pill but its a start I hope. I am hoping and praying that this along with the iron supplementation will give me some results.
Do you have any other symtoms other than hair loss? I for sure have seborrheic derm that comes and goes. When my scalp is inflammed a lose more hair - but the shedding is always there. I am approx. 128lbs and CAN'T gain a pound if I try. I eat a lot but have always had a very strong metabolism. This makes me question estrogen dominance since typically that goes hand in hand with weight gain. I have occassional hot flashes - most often upon rising (makes me think thyroid) My nails grow FAST but split easy (iron def) My hair is graying faster than ususal (zinc/copper/melanyctes)so basically I have a bunch of symtoms from the following categories: low iron, hypo/hyper thyroid, low or high estrogen, low or high progesterone, adrenal fatigue, vit deficiency.
Yikes - reading that makes me depressed!
Thanks for listening!
Gina
I was debating taking a trip to see Dr. Redmond since I have read he is open to bio-identicals but all the peopel I read about on this site and thers have been prescibed OCs and androgen suppressors. I haven't read of anyone going the bio-identical route and I wonder why.
ginawat is located in [NA] and he is available to meet: NO |
ginawat
20.08.2007, 22:01
@ Debbie
|
scientific basis for low serum ferritin and onset of AGA |
» » Debbie,
» »
» » I will be 38 in November and I feel we have a lot in common w/regards
» to
» » our health, lifestyle and hairloss. I also have low serum ferritin and
» am
» » in the process of trying to raise it. It started at a 12 and is now at
» a
» » 31 (hopefully higher) since changing my diet and supplementing. I also
» » think I am either estrogen deficient OR dominant (I wish I knew!) I get
» a
» » period every 28 days like clockwork and had no issue conceiving - -
» which
» » would lead me to believe if I am either it would be dominant - yet LOW
» » ESTROGEN has more to do with hairloss than low progesterone. I just
» don't
» » know. I have had a lot of lab work done over the last year and still
» am
» » at a loss as to what my "issue" is and why I am losing so much
» hair...the
» » doctors don't seem to know either.
» »
» » My issue started years ago (8!) and seemed to get better and worse at
» » different times. I had my son almost three years ago and while pregnant
» I
» » had good hair (who doesn't?) I didn't lose it immdeiately after but 2
» » years after the TE was triggered again. Then came the dicsovery of my
» » iron levels. It was assumed that my low iron was due to my heavy
» periods
» » every 28 days so YAZ was suggested. I took that for 2.5 months and
» hated
» » it so I just recently stopped. I DO think my hormones are out of
» balance
» » and where it seems Dr. Redmond prefers to try to balance them with OC I
» » think I am going to go the bio-identical route.
» »
» » Have you thought about using bio-identicals?
» »
» » I'll write more late - after I determine if you are still on-line
» »
» » Thanks so much for the imformative post!
» » Gina
»
» Hi Gina,
»
» going back and forth between getting the kids fed (late night dinner -
» soccer practice - ugh!!)and unloading the dishwasher. I'm on line though.
» I so desperately want to go off the Yasmin, but I'm so terrified of the
» post-oc shed. Dr. Redmond told my GP (who has been emailing him to get as
» much info as she can to contribute |
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