Trying to Figure Out Whats Wrong

Same with me. Went to dr. and had a low thyroid. Got on a low dose thyroid and I feel better than I have in years. Good luck.

After both of my kids were born I lost gobs of hair. I've been told by several people that it was due to the pain drugs and it eventually goes away. Sometimes it takes months. My son is almost 9 mths and I'm still losing hair by the handful!!

I guess my first question would be did you have a c-section or any type of anesthesia? If so then that could be part of the hair loss. If not then my second guess would be thyroid problems.

Well, I can say that about five months after I gave birth my hair began to fall out... seriously, I was in competition with my golden retriever in the dead of summer... it was GROSS! I think maybe the weight gain could be simply explained too... maybe you are just getting your body back... especially if you are not breastfeeding, or cutting back b/c of baby eating solids. ??? Just a thought...
Good Luck... keep us informed!!

After I had my daughter I ended up having an over active tyroid and I dropped a LOT of weight. I had to have my thyroid oblated and now I have very low thyroid function and I easily gain weight and I lose a lot of hair... not bald... but when in the shower or combing I have an excessive amount of hair come out. My suggestion is have your thyroid checked to see if you have a low thyroid function. It is more common than people think to have low thyroid function. I take a pill everyday now to supplement the hormones that the thyroid produce. Just my thoughts on the matter..

G.

Make an appt to see your DR and mention to them to check for thyroid, when I was 1month pregnant they did all kinds of test, blood work, they found that I had hypothyroidism, they said it may go away after birth or it may not, it hasnt and I have to take Levoxyl everyday, and one symptom is weight gain and hair falling out. Actually by being pregnant your hair grows in fully so after having the baby it tends to fall out, due to hormones

Just a thought, good luck

G.

I would be concerned about your thyroid. You can go to about.com and look up thyroid and get loads of information there. Hair loss and weight gain are two of many symptoms that can indicate an underactive thyroid. If it were me I'd ask my dr. to start checking there. I'd also consider seeing an endochronologist if your doctor can't seem to help.

Hormones, possibly. Some people thought maybe thyroid. Either way, if your doctor doesn't know what's wrong or isn't an expert, ask to be referred to an endocrynologist. As an aside, what kind of doctor brushes you off when you are worried about something? If they reach the limit of their expertise, they should refer you to some sort of specialist. I'd consider a new doctor.

Go in and ask to have your thyroid tested. These are symptoms of your thyroid being out of whack.

THYROID THYROID THYROID! Weight gain and losing hair are CLASSIC symptoms! Insist that your doctor do a complete thyroid workup on you, including TSH, Free T-3 and Free T-4 as well as thyroid antibodies. There are several amazing books out there that will help explain this out - just go to amazon.com and search for "hypoglycemia." Also, having 5 kids would zap anyone's energy. You might consider taking a great vitamin - I work with a health and wellness company from home and I'd love to tell you about the amazing health benefits I've had since taking them - and I too, suffer with thyroid issues! Feel free to visit my website - my phone number is on the bottom of the home page and you're welcome to give me a call sometime and I can tell you all about it. It's soooo worth it when it comes to your health and making yourself feel BETTER! www.healthyhome4family.com

I had the same problem and I found out that it was my thyroid... my hair began to come out in hand fulls when i showered and brushed it, serious weight gain, very tired all of the time, and also was lways cold. But when i got diagnosed and began levoxyl it all stopped ..my weight came off pretty quick and my hair does not come out as easy and most of all i am no where as tired( i would sleep about 12+ hours a day).

I agree with the other ladies...you should get your thyroid tested. I suffer from a low thyroid..symptoms like weight gain, fatigue, and hair loss...If you do have a thyroid problem you will have to meds for the rest of your life but believe me it is worth it!! Funny thing is i didn't have a problem until after my third baby was born..it is actually really common in women who have had babies.

Sounds like your thyroid is getting lazy.

Do you have dry skin?

WebMD says this
Women may develop hypothyroidism during or after pregnancy. Hypothyroidism that developed before pregnancy may become worse during pregnancy.
Here are the symptoms"
Coarse and thinning hair.
Brittle nails.
Dry skin.
A yellowish tint to the skin.
Slow body movements and speech.
Inability to tolerate cold.
Feeling tired, sluggish, or weak.
Memory problems, depression, or difficulty concentrating.
Constipation.
Heavy or irregular menstrual periods that may last longer than 5 to 7 days.

While weight gain is not listed my doctor says that's the biggest red flag in his book and there are 3 symptoms that can lead to reduced activity and fewer calories being burned.

Did your doctor run blood tests? This is problem is indicated by low TSH

As far as your hair falling our that could even be an allergic reaction to a chemical change in your home, food, and beauty product. Watch for "new or improved" on the label of your favorite products and foods. They can sneak something new in on you and you never notice. Allergies can develop at any time in your life.

feel better soon,

The hair falling out is commmon after having a baby but the weight lost sounds strange.

Hi A.

I'm M...just moved here to Manhattan from Ft. Leonard Wood, MO and I just had a baby 5 mos ago and loss weight and also started gaining it back and I've noticed how my hair is shedding alot..some say it can be stress and others don't know so when u find out, please let me know what the result is..

It sounds to me that your hormone levels are off kilter. After I had my second child, I started having a lot of trouble with pain, moodiness, and health problems. I found out I had to have a hysterectomy. After that I started to lose my hair and gained weight easily. I would try to see a gynecologist.

Are you still breastfeeding? When my daughter was about 6 months old I had a lot of hair fall out. It didn't with my son though. Breastfeeding also supposedly speeds up your metabolism so maybe if thats the case, it's slowing down. The thyroid problem sounded like a good therory too. Don't know what to tell you. Hope you find out what's going on!

After having children, I had the same problem and I'm still struggling with my hair thinning. Have you had your thyroid tested?

Has your doctor checked your thyroid levels? Or any hormone levels? If not, I would have these checked, it could be a problem there. K. R.

Hi A.,

I agree with everyone on the thyroid. You need to get it checked asap. It can cause may other health problems IF it is your thyroid. It sounds like classic symptoms. Also I would have all your hormone levels checked. If your breast feeding are you able too? The hormones that are secreated during breast feeding come into play with the thyroid gland and all the other hormones. Better to be safe than sorry. I would have a full workup done. Good luck hope it gets better.

H.

Hi A. D,

Have your doctor check your thyroid!!! You may have become hypothyroid during or after your pregnancy, this is not uncommon because of the hormone surges that accompany this major body change. Weight gain, hair loss, and lethargy are key characteristics of this problem. The great news is that there is a synthetic hormone you can take daily to manage the symptoms, but you need to have the necessary blood work done to make sure your thyroid is brought under control as soon as possible. Make sure they give you a full thyroid panel including an antibody check. An endocrinologist would be the best option if you have a PPO, but a primary care doctor can order these tests if you have an HMO.

I highly suggest you do some research on hypothyroidism, and the necessary tests, to take back to your doctor. Thyroid disease is very common, and can be easily managed, but not treated can cause much misery. I have a friend who was not diagnosed until two years after her symptoms started, and she had gained 70 pounds and lost most of her hair. Luckily, I was diagnosed early and have managed to control both my weight and hair loss.

Good luck, and please read up on this soon. You will be glad you did!

Hi A.
I'd talk with my primary caregiver and let him get you some test scheduled with the right dspecialist. You don't gain weight and lose your hair and nothig is wrong

Hey A.,
Shortly after having my daughter I had similar problems. Are you or were you breast feeding? My doctor said that it was due to a combination of things. 1)Hormonal changes (leveling out or going back to pre-preganacy). When you are pregnant often your hair becomes thicker and after pregnancy women seem to shed it out. Also, due to stopping pre-natal vitamins. 2)Breast feeding (decrease in milk production). At about 5-6 mo.s of age babies are eating more of other foods so you are burning off less and weight gain is common. This also affected my hormones. I breast fed until my daughter was 11 mo.s and my hormones didn't completely level out until she was about 16 mo.s old.
I also agree with the other mothers about checking you thyroid. If your doctor resists I would switch. You know your body best and a good doctor will always take that into consideration, especially if you feel something could be very wrong. And, (because you never know) early detection is always in YOUR best interest.

I don't have very much advice for this but I went through the same thing with the hair loss. I know after I had my baby 6 months ago I started losing hair....a lot of it, and I have very thin blonde hair. I don't have a whole lot to spare to begin with! I started taking the prenatal vitamins again and it helped. I don't take them anymore but it has slowed down a lot in comparison to what it was. I also gained weight but it's not a significant amount. Just a few pounds here and there I guess, LOL! Maybe you should go to a different doctor....or you might want to call one of the hospital's "ask a nurse" lines. Those have always been helpful. I also go to WebMD whenever I have health concerns. Hope it helps!