eyebrow hair loss!!!

[reena]

Hi All,

My eyebrows are fast disappearing! I first noticed them looking patchy about 3 months ago so went to my GP for my thyroid to be checked. Results were normal and I guess I just got used to them looking the way they did (but would pencil in patchy bits). Now the last couple of weeks I've noticed them getting worse!

Needless to say I've booked another appointment with the GP for next week. Apart from the thryoid is there anything else related to Sjogrens which could cause this? I've checked online and can't find anything specific.

Have any of you experienced this?? I really hate the thought of having no eyebrows!

Thanks

[camj]

Isn't there something about your adrenal glands and losing the lower 1/3 of eybrows as a symptom of adrenal exhaustion

[Scottietottie]

Hi Reena 

Are you SURE your thyroid readings are normal. Docs sometimes say "Well - they are within range" but the high end of the normal range for TSH, for instance, is often an indication that people do indeed have thyroid disease and would benefit with medication to reduce tsH to mid range or below. I'm not a medic but I am hypothyroid and I know from bitter experence that if my TSH is above mid range for 'normal' I feel really ill.

Outer eyebrow loss is often an indication of hypothyroidism.

Take care - Scottie 

[Patze]

Hi Reena,

I'll second Scottie, as that is how I knew that my thyroid was not working well (I lost a lot of hair on my head/body, and the eyebrows started to disappear as well).  The GP I was seeing decided that I was "within normal limits" (she was using the old standard .05-5.50), and that was that.  

When I finally saw an endo, he did his own tests and determined that the scale the GP was using was an old one, and by the "new one" (.03-3.00), I was hypo (that along with the goiter and multiple nodules seemed to cinch the deal for him).  I'm not in the medical field either, but I feel better right around 1.00, maybe a tad under.

Have you seen this website by chance?  http://thyroid.about.com/blnwslnk.htm  There is a wealth of information here, and you hopefully you'll find an answer or two as well.

Take care of yourself -

Patze

[louise]

Now that you mention it mine have gotten a lot thinner in the last two years.I just thought it was my age and I have been waxing and plucking.Both of those over time will thin brows and make hair grow in finer. Let us know what you find out.

[tuckerdog]

I am with the others on thyroid problems.  My thyroid lab results were in the "normal range" but I was still experiencing hypothyroid symptoms (many of which are the same as sjs symptoms).  I was taking only levoxyl (T4).  Finally went to an endocrinologist  who said - for some people we need to add T3 to the treatment because some people can't convert enough T4 to T3.  (T3 is the active form for some tissues - especially brain).  He ran all of my thyroid tests and prescribed T3 in addition to my T4.  He reduced the T4 just a little.  Within a week I was feeling much better.  Within a month I felt better than I had in 3 years.  The before and after lab tests were the same except for the T3 which had increased but was still in the normal range.  He said that you can't rely on the normal ranges for thyroid - you have to go by how the patient feels.  Now that we know where MY thyroid values should be he is going to adjust my dosages as needed to keep the levels on target for me.

Once again the right Dr makes all the difference.

Tuckerdog

[reena]

Thank you so much for all your replies. I don't know what my results were last time apart from being told levels were fine. When I go on Tuesday I will ask for figures, not sure if my GP will print these off for me. Interestingly when I was pregnant I was almost diagnosed with a thyroid problem but levels were ok on a repeat test.

Patze - did you see a private endocrinologist? I had a brief look at the website - very informative.

Camj - thanks for pointer to adrenal exhaustion - again I had a quick at this and will definitely mention at my appointment.

Why does life have to be so complicated for us Sjogrens people! I've lost half my teeth, can't keep my eyes open some times, can't talk for 5 minutes without my mouth feeling like paper, tired and now look like I've been shaving my eyebrows off!

Sorry for the moan, I know some of you have more serious problems so I should be grateful for what I have (and I am).

Will keep you posted on how it goes for me on Tuesday .

Thanks

[Patze]

Hey Tuckerdog, I'm so jealous that you have an endo that will add a bit of T3 to the T4, wow!  I went through four endo's looking for one that would at least try to help (always got "the T4 is enough for you" routine; it was just too bad that I still felt miserable five years after starting T4 only protocol).  The doctor I currently see for the thyroid is not an endo, but has a lot of hypo patients because she's willing to work with you.

Hi Reena, yes I do see a private doctor for the thyroid, and I pay out of pocket as she does not take my insurance (she's expensive, but oh so worth it).  And like Tuckerdog, I feel better than I have in five years (still not great, but a noticeable difference just the same).  I do realize that a lot of members are on T4 only (they are doing well on it), but I guess my old body just needed a bit more than the T4 only (I take a combo pill daily).

Take care of yourselves -

Patze

[reena]

I've had the results of my blood tests and my TSH is normal, GP thinks is probably to do with the Sjogren's and is going to refer me back to the Rheumatologist. I'm non the wiser! Will let everyone know if I ever find out what's causing it.

[Scottietottie]

Hi Reena,

I will be interested because my eyebrows are behaving a bit oddly as well just now. Am going to ask GP for another thyroid test. I believe that Plaquenil can sometimes cause hair loss but I've been on it nearly 6 years now and it hasn't caused anything yet.

Take care - Scottie 

[Dolly Dimples]

 Glad someone brought this subject up.

                                           Ive been having to pencil my eyebrows in of late. Thought it must be age related!

                                     Funny because my hair is so thick and not losing that..

                          I'll take on board what has been advised here, and me thinks another visit to the Docs is needed..
                               Hope Reena gets some answers soon, Dolly

[eyeamdry]

LOL.  My eyebrows have been sparse as long as I can remember.  Now it's the hair on my head that has me upset.  Wahhhhhhhhhhh.

[tuckerdog]

I just realized that I did not mention this in my earlier post.  A classic sign of hypothyroid is the loss of the outer 1/3 of the eyebrows.

Tuckerdog

[kellyptyler]

I thought I was going crazy or crazier But, I've noticed my eyebrows getting very thin...but hair is much thinner too. hmm

[eyeamdry]

The doc has me on thyroid med and i test ok.