Help, med combo!

missmelanie23 · 12-23-2003, 10:36 AM

Heya..
I have been losing my hair a lot lately and have been reading up on saw palmetto.

I was wondering if i can make a combo of met and SP... with perhaps vitex and or flax seed oil.

can someone please help me? I'm getting really depressed over this hair loss. I have been on met for over a year so I really don't know if that could be causing it... meh, i'm confused and depressed.

help

nobimbo · 12-23-2003, 03:47 PM

Hi Melanie,

I am so sorry you are going through this. I know how frantic you must be feeling.

One thing you may want to consider is changing the type of BCP you are taking. If you do a google search you can find lots of posts on different boards from women who experienced hair loss while on Alesse. Here is a blurb about BCP's and hair loss:

Oral contraceptives either contain progestin, estrogen or a combination of the two hormones. While estrogens tend to be protective of hair, progestin, like testosterone, can cause hair loss. Women taking oral contraceptives who are experiencing hair loss may want to talk to their physicians, Dr. Proctor said. Such women can either switch to a pill with more estrogen and less progestin, or take spironolactone.

Also, there are some women who experience hair loss from taking Metformin. You can read some posts about that if you do a search on the Met forum.

I have also seen posts from women who have paradoxically experienced hair loss while taking either Spiro or Saw Palmetto.

Have you had a thorough thyroid screening? Not just the typical TSH and T4 tests, but Free T3, Free T4, and a TPO antibodies test? Hair loss is a common symptom of hypothyroidism, and you can't rule out thyroid problems from the typical tests that are given, so you may want to ask your doc to run more tests just so you can be sure.

In answer to your original question, I have seen many women on this board report that they are taking Met along with natural supplements like Vitex, Saw Palmetto, and flax seed. However, it may be best for you to try one thing at a time and give it a while before adding others. That way you can better monitor your body's response.

Good luck to you,
Linda

missmelanie23 · 12-23-2003, 05:00 PM

thanks for your posts ladies.. this is also confusing..
As mentioned in BCP group, I'm currently dating so getting off the BCP may not be a good idea but its my health though and if its going to fix things then so be it.

here's a bit of history... i was on the alesse for over 3 years with no problems at all. I started Spiro dec 2002, met jan 2003 and I decided to try diane 35 back in august. I lasted 2 weeks on diane, my depression was overwhelming. As soon as I stopped Diane 35, and went back to alesse as suggested by doctor, that's when the hair loss started.. and i've lost, i'd say more than a 1/3 or my hair. (really thick curly hair) its stresses me out.

I'm looking into alternatives because after being on the above mentioned meds for so long, i haven't seen really any results for any of the symptoms appart from my headaches and depression.

There's gotta be something out there for me right? so changing to natural stuff is not only better for me (so i think) but its also somewhat cheaper since i don't have insurance.

Oh well. Guess I'll have to wait another few weeks and speak to my doctor. I will deff see about those tests.. and I'm going to start researching about the levels everything should be at so that i am armed with questions. She's the type of doctor that says "hi, how are you, here you go *hands prescription paper* i want to see you in 3 months, bye" I figure if i am armed with a book, and many other things, i'll be prepared to question.

I'm glad to hear the combo is good. i'll be suggesting it to my doc.

What is the recommended dosage for the SP, vitex and Flaxseed oil?

thanks a bunch for your help
Mel

nobimbo · 12-23-2003, 10:18 PM

Melanie,

The changes in BCP's (going off Diane 35, in particular) are most likely what is causing your hair loss. Most likely this is a temporary thing (6 months or so) while your body straightens out. You have probably already read about Telogen Effluvium, but just in case here is a link with info about it:

http://www.follicle.com/section2/5.html

and here are some posts from another board discussing hair loss after Diane 35 (there's probably some on the hair board if you do a search as well):

http://www.keratin.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2028

Hang in there,
Linda