My Hair Is Falling Out!!!

[Staceyy]

I'm a type 2 diabetic on glipizide and glucophage. I've noticed thinning spots on the top of my head. On this forum, type 1's have said its most likely due to an underactive thyroid gland. On another forum, I read its due to the meds. Being a woman, I am of course very concerned. Has anyone else experienced this, and if so, what was the official cause, and were you able to correct it? Thanks for any all feedback.

[volleyball]

Being tall, seeing thinning hair on women is not unusual. The age that type 2 rears it's ugly head, so does the loss of follicles. There well be a connection with your diabetes but if balding men run in your family such as your brothers or your mother side, it may just be heredity kicking in.

[Penny]

I started getting thin on top about 10 years ago. My doctor said it was a combination of Menopause and the medications I was taking. Then I got cancer and really started losing it. It has come back somewhat, but never to it's former glory. The funny thing, it is still very thick in the back, just thin on top.

[partvalentine]

Before I was diagnosed my hair started falling out. It has since stopped and seems to be thickening up again. It took about 9 months before it stopped. The Dr. tested my thyroid, but that was ok, they are saying maybe stress. My father's side of the family is bald and the women have very thin hair, so that may be the cause. I had long hair when it was falling out, so I cut it short and my beautitian said my hair seems to be a lot healthier now and seems to be getting thicker. I also use Infusian shampoo once or twice a week, it is for damaged hair.

[princesslinda]

Before diagnosis, I noticed a little thinning on top that I attributed to stress. After diagnosis and meds, I have went back to normal. I have since learned that one of the signs of insulin-resistance can be thinning of hair.

We see many women with this problem at the dermatologist office I work for, and there are many possible underlying causes: stress, thyroid, insulin resistance, low iron, higher than normal testosterone levels (yes, we ladies can sometimes have this) and sometimes heredity. I would suggest that you see your doctor and have the appropriate blood tests done (ferritin level (iron), TSH, CBC and basic panel) to r/o some of the physiologic causes and go from there. There are treatments for this that your doctor can recommend.

[LancetChick]

It's uncommon, but I've heard of diabetics losing hair or developing skin conditions when their blood sugars were consistently high. I think in every case it stopped when blood sugar levels returned to normal.

[notme]

If you read the side effects of Metformin, one of the side effects is hair loss. Bleck.....

[Penny]

It's a wonder I have any hair at all, I have most of the reasons listed. :D
I have had very good control and it doesn't seem to help any.

[mg_2204]

At some point my hair started to thin so much... that my oldest noticed. :eek: I thought it was my imagination but if others could see it...

Doc said it was not diabetes related. I was at that age... where everything wears out... yep! those hair follicles too! I was 40. Not 80! And there is also a question of genes. In my family the men lose their hair quite young and the women don't have a lot. Anyway! I wasn't a happy bunny when I came out of there. It didn't seem to bother him but it really bothered ME.

The best advice I got was from a hairdresser. She told me use hair products that add volume to the hair and... take a supplement called lecithin. Took that for 6 months. Ran out one day but was fed up of trying to swallow them (they were huge!) so moved on to a multi vitamin. Well I don't know what did the trick really but it got really better. But my hair is not as thick as it used to be. And in my elderly clients a full head of hair in women if extremely rare.

[poper77]

I have been losing a lot of hair over the past month or so, so much that I cut my hair short to lighten the stress longer hair may of had on my scalp. About a week ago my blood work showed that my thyroid is underactive. Dr. wants to wait to treat it incase it bounces back over the next month. But since I cut my hair, less does fall out :D

[nneighbour]

It could be PCOS. If it is, there are things you can do, like taking an androgen blocker. Talk to your endo about it.

[jerryn]

Hi.. the gloucaphage/metformin is the cause for the hairloss.
If you google it you will find it. I've got the same problem.
My hair is starting to thin out a bit.

[Lorna]

This might be nonsence, cos I can't remember where I read it, but I trhought ketones could cause your hair to fall out if you got them often enough, cos of the dehydration. I agree that a hairdresser might be able to suggest styles/products to hide the effect.