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when spiro, yasmin, finasteride stop working?? (Diet & 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
Complete thread:
- when spiro, yasmin, finasteride stop working?? - Debbie, 19.08.2007, 21:18