Significant Sudden Hair Loss

M

MelanieL

Active Member
Messages
32
Over the past 5 weeks, my hair has started to fall out by the handful. I thought I'd ask if anyone else had suffered anything similar? I am taking 4 x 500 mg Glucophage SR, and trying to keep my food intake relatively low, which has definitely helped with BG control.

I am concerned about the massive amount of hair I'm losing, has anyone else experienced anything similar?
 
totsy

totsy

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,041
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
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liars, animal cruelty
hya,
i think you need to see your gp as this may not be diabetic related, there are many causes of sudden hair loss,
let us know how u get on :)
 
O

Orchid

Well-Known Member
Messages
93
Hi MelanieL

This is something that has been happening to me lately, handfuls and clumps of hair everytime I wash my hair. I have made an appointment to see my GP on monday about it.

I had it once before - this was after the birth of my son. It was quite a traumatic time and I had been under severe stress, both before the birth and afterwards.

The things I am suspecting are hormone levels, stress, possibly thyroid problem, maybe diabetes related??? I did have a highish HBA1C at my last visit and I'm currently working really hard to get that back in order.

Could it be diet related... I'm now beginning to wonder. Since August 2008 I was attending Scottish Slimmers (low calorie diet) and I did lose a stone. I have only found this forum in the past couple of weeks, but the things I am reading regarding low carb diets, are really making me think differently!!

Anyway, thinking of you, I hope we get to the root of the problem (excuse the pun) :D

Orchid x
 
C

chocoholic

Well-Known Member
Messages
831
About a year or two prior to diagnosis my hair started to fall out and in one place I actually now have a completely smooth, bald patch.(Fortunately it's hidden as my hair isquite long). I went to the docs. He ran blood tests and told me one of my hormone levels was over double what it should be, so he put it down to me going through the menopause. Well 6 years later, I still haven't done so, so not convinced he was right about the menopause.
I did read that the sort of hair loss I had (I believe it to be alopecia areata) could be an auto-immune disease, as is Type 1 diabetes. It's why I queried my diagnosis of being Type 2 over five years ago. I was told I was wrong but proved right last September!! I am now treated as a Type 1.
My advice, is to go to the docs. Hopefully, yours will be more helpful than mine.
 
S

sedge

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hair Loss is a very common effect of untreated Thyroid trouble and many many peeps with Diabetes also have thyroid problems - both 'auto-immune' conditions. Treated relatively simply with tablets in most cases, although may take a little while to get exact dose sorted out.

I strongly suspect this might be at the bottom of it = and am almost positive your GP will be writing out the thingy for the blood test almost before you've finished speaking!

Do you have your TFT monitored along with HbA1c and all the rest of em? Has it been changing? Have you also got balder legs (or other areas LOL) than you used to have? (One of the main positive points whilst undertaking chemotherapy according to my friends! LOL)

Now ring the docs!
 
T

Trinkwasser

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,468
totsy said:
hya,
i think you need to see your gp as this may not be diabetic related, there are many causes of sudden hair loss,
let us know how u get on :)
Click to expand...

Agreed, could be thyroid, hormones or some other endocrine related problem: when one part of the system fails other parts can fall over.

OTOH it may be completely unrelated, I seem to "shed" periodically, then the hair regrows in a batch (could be hormonal/seasonal) best to get a medical opinion though.
 
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