My hair keeps getting thinner and thinner. Does anyone know which bug causes hair thinning? Is it Borrelia or Erhlica or what? I've been taking a little Silicia and Biotin and have had some improvement and maybe I need to take a higher dose of Biotin but I also want to treat for the part of Lyme disease that is causing it.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
You could also try taking 100 mg of Vitamin B2 daily.
My hair stopped growing at all and was falling out. I was put on B2 by a neurologist for continual daily migraine and I can see improvements in my hair now. I am very happy about it.
The B2 has also helped my nails. I had a few fingernails that developed defects a few years ago, and also a toenail. The B2 has turned that around also. It is good for hair, nails and skin. I would say my skin is not as dry now.
I think I must have had a B2 deficiency for the last few years and never knew why my nails and hair had changed. Then, I am told to go on B2 for a different problem and am noticing good results with hair and nails.
I found the B2 at the Vitamine Shoppe.
I never heard of lyme or any of the coinfections causing hair thinning. However, hormones will do this big time. So, if you go into menopause or if your estrogen level drops, your hair will let you know.
I have been on hormone replacement for a number of years now (post-menopause). I recently read that the estrogen replacement can deplete vitamin B2. So, that is likely why I became deficient and saw the hair and nails problems.
Any time I have had thinning hair in my life, it was from hormone problems. Lyme and cos never affected my hair.
My hairdresser says that taking steroids can affect hair growth. She thought that that was why my hair stopped growing a few years back. Trouble was it never started growing again.
I have a sister-in-law who says her hair hasn't grown in years. She had a hysterectomy at a young age. So, no estrogen, no hair.
Posted by tulips (Member # 44773) on :
Thanks TF.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Is B2 the same as Biotin?
Also make sure your thyroid is optimal.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
No. Vitamin B2 is also known as riboflavin.
And, a low thyroid hormone (hypothyroid) will certainly cause hair loss as Lymetoo mentioned above. So, if you have not had thyroid hormones checked lately, do that.
Get ALL of your hormones checked--thyroid, estrogen, etc.
Hopefully, this will get to the root of your problem.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Then add B2 AND biotin.... and get a smart doctor to check you with ALL the thyroid tests.. not just the TSH.
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
my bug is 6 feet and 200 pounds.....
hahaha...oh I kill me...
Posted by tulips (Member # 44773) on :
Great info.. Thanks everybody.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
You're welcome, tulips!
heehee, randi!
Posted by ukcarry (Member # 18147) on :
It certainly seems common to have some hair thinning when you have Lyme, though it doesn't necessarily follow that one of the infections is directly responsible.
Apart from thyroid issues, menopausal symptoms, depleted B vitamins, malabsorption problems, check for demodex overgrowth, especially if you also have rosacea or blepharitis. Demodex tend to overgrow in people whose immune systems are out of kilter, making us prime candidates.
One other thing that might help is Biosil, which may also have a role in detox. Both Dr K and Stephen B have recommended it at various times and it gets good reviews for its effect on hair.
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
Randi, you made me laugh!
I do think it's lyme messing with the endocrine system, depleting B vitamins in us. Biotin helped me along with B complex.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Lyme attacked my gynecological system and made my ovaries shut down completely. In other words, it put me in a false menopause.
So, since I had no estrogen, the gyn put me on hormone replacement therapy.
Once I got good lyme treatment, all of this reversed and my tiny ovaries became normal and functional again and I no longer needed the estrogen replacement.
So, in that way, lyme affected my hormones and could have caused hair loss.
Posted by bluelyme (Member # 47170) on :
I got no hormones tulips ..i know my thyroid is messed up ...i blame bartonella for everything ..as it is immunosuppressive and ukcarry might be right with demodex..do youbhave dandruff?
Posted by tulips (Member # 44773) on :
Bluelyme, DHEA might help hormones and kelp might help thyroid issues. I'm trying both of those now.
Thanks everyone.
Posted by WPinVA (Member # 33581) on :
pretty sure I've read that either adrenals or thyroid can cause this. Sorry I can't remember which one specifically - have been doing a lot of reading on both lately.
Posted by Phoiph (Member # 41238) on :
tulips...
Careful with the DHEA supplementation...it is a precursor to testosterone and can cause hair loss.
Posted by tulips (Member # 44773) on :
Phoiph, thanks! E-gad, it seems like you can't win! I guess it's important to try things in moderation.
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
It can be thyroid. It can also be gut problems if you're not absorbing nutrition.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
The thyroid is the most likely cause, in my opinion. Finding a doctor who will do the right tests is the hard part.
Posted by SLH516 (Member # 48060) on :
I'm really hoping that my apparent perimenopause (a period every 6 weeks to 6 months -- I'm age 47) is indeed perimenopause and that I won't start my period again after I start Lyme treatment!
Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
On top of all this, check any meds that you're on. Some of them have a side-effect of hair loss. This happened to me with Topamax for migraine prevention (it's an anti-convulsant, like gabapentin). It was horrible! I went off it, and it grew back.
But likely it's the hormones, and yes, esp thyroid.
You can take pregnenelone instead of DHEA, and you will be less likely to develop too much testosterone. Men are less likely to have that problem, although it could happen, I suppose.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
True... I lost hair from taking Diflucan.
Posted by Robin123 (Member # 9197) on :
The doctor can do a TSH, T3 and T3 test to see the state of your thyroid hormones. If low, it really helps to supplement. My doc puts people on either Armour or Naturethroid.
Posted by tulips (Member # 44773) on :
- don't have dandruff but is there a shampoo for DEMODEX. Have a physical coming up - will talk to my doc about TSH and T3.