Saw Palmetto Making Hairloss WORSE??

blazinghussy · 01-07-2003, 01:21 PM

I thought I remembered seeing a post on this some time ago, but I'm not sure.

I started taking saw palmetto (along with flax oil and primrose oil) about a week ago and now my hair is falling out faster than ever - about twice as much hair is falling out of my head now!! WTH???

I'm dying inside. I can't deal with this and I feel like I'm about to shatter.

Please, someone tell me SOMETHING, ANYTHING!

scarletakb · 01-07-2003, 01:29 PM

hi... first of all... the supplements you are taking are very good for your hair. particularily flax and primrose oils... very good!

And, the saw palmetto will NOT make your hair fall out faster. it is a testosterone blocker and should be somewhat effective at maintaining your hair.

So, I don't think that these are causing you problems. (I am assuming that you are taking the recommended amount, and not overdosing on these.. right???)

So... there are other factors that you must consider... 1. this could be a normal shed... sometimes we shed more than other times... 2. are you stressed?? this can cause MAJOR hairloss... so, try to stay calm... 3. have you changed your diet significantly?? 4. have you changed shampoos? conditioners?? have you recently permed or colored your hair (major cause of hairloss. 5. is your hair comeing out at the root (you would know because you would see a little clear/white bulb on the end of your individual hair).. or, is it breaking off?? this could be due to the drier winter air, brushing or combing to hard.. or just poor hair condition...

Anyway.. these are just a few thoughts for you...

blazinghussy · 01-07-2003, 01:37 PM

Thanks, scarlet. Nothing in my life has changed. My life is fairly unstressful, my diet hasn't changed since early December when I started the IR diet (and my shedding slowed down when I did), I'm using the same stuff on my hair I always have. The only change in my life have been the supplements and yes, I'm taking the recommended dosage only.

I just had a good, long sob-fest over the whole f***in' ordeal. I hate this disorder. It sucks.

etuc · 01-07-2003, 06:07 PM

Another cause of hairloss can be from having a fever, if you had a fever several months ago, that could be a reason for hairloss now, that happened to me a couple years ago.

emma42 · 01-07-2003, 10:10 PM

Hi,

There's been some discussion about temporary hair loss due to low carbing. Is the hair loss coming from all over or mostly from the top and sides like male pattern baldness? Also w/ any new diet change, hair loss could be from a vitamin deficiency. It would probably take some time before the effects of a vitamin deficiency would show.

I started the supplements a month and a week ago. At first it was only vitamins, Evening Primrose, flax and chromium picolinate. I added saw palmetto almost three weeks later after reading the boards and have not noticed any bad effects or new shedding. But my point is that my hair was improving slowly just w/ the primrose and flax, so you should be ok is you want to stop taking the saw or lessen the dosage to maybe one pill a day. Maybe then you can see if you are having an adverse effect to it.

However a week is not a long time and it took me a couple weeks before I saw any improvement and a month before anyone else commented on my hair (now the hair I have looks and feels thicker, but no new regrowth unfortunately). If you are worried about the saw, I would do whatever would gives you less stress, since stress can make things worse.

I'm thinking of trying inositol since is supposedly help hair grow. Two days ago I added natural lecithin and a super B vitamin to my list of things to take. What I've learned from reading the boards is that some things work and some things don't depending on the person. But it's always worth trying new things to find what works for you.

blazinghussy · 01-08-2003, 01:04 PM

Thanks, everyone. I'm feeling a little more sane today

I vowed when I stared taking these supplements that I was going to give them one month, or till the end of the bottle, whichever came first, and I am.

The low-carbing explanation makes the most sense here since I'm on the IR diet and have been eating fewer carbs than I'm allowed, ironically to slow the hair shedding.

I know it'll all be ok. I just get a little panicky when I start to see scalp where I know I shouldn't.

I'm going to swing by GNC today and buy some Ultra NourishHair (isn't that what it's called?) and see if that helps as well as a B-complex.

Maureen77 · 01-08-2003, 06:00 PM

I just responded to your success post in the acne thread before seeing this! I was going to recommend a b-complex too, that is an excellent idea.

also saw palm. helps with testosterone, have you been tested to make sure it's not other adrenal hormones that is causing hair loss?

Although my gut says that if your acne is improving, your hair loss eventually will since they are both hormonal.

Ugh · 01-09-2003, 05:51 PM

I know how you feel Cyster. I'd take anything over the loss. I also take Saw Palmetto, but the supplement that really seems to help a bit is Brewer's Yeast. I take six tablets in the morning with a tiny bit of orange juice....the juice is supposed to activate something in the supplements or something (?). When I stop the Brewer's Yeast or eat a lot of carbs...it seems to get worse. My scalp shows on top so I use Toppik hair fibers to cover the loss....the stuff is magic...I love it! I also use Rogaine for women...storebrand which is much cheaper, but I only use it about four times a week after I wash my hair....2 times a day just doesn't work with my busy schedule or budget. You are not alone

Ugh · 01-09-2003, 05:53 PM

I took that a while ago and stopped because the loss seemed much worse.

courtrn · 01-14-2003, 12:56 AM

Maureen77--is is me again!! You kindly responded to one of my posts last week regarding my sudden hair loss!!! I had told you I was diagnosed in May and put on Glucophage XR 1500mg even though I am non-IR and pretty thin. My only symptoms were ammenorrhea and mild hirtusim. My testosterone was fine!!! Anyways, my OLD RE and my ob/gyn told me not to worry about the hair loss--no problems!!!! I did not believe them, so went to my primary care and told her to take it. Turns out it is 79!!! A huge increase in 3 months from 30's!!! If I am on the glucophage already, how in the world can it increase???????? Any ideas? i also was in the ER yesterday to rule out an appendicts--turned out to be another ovarian cyst!!! I had one removed in october!!! i see my re in the am, just wanted some info from "real" people!!! Thank you so much--you are so thoughtful to everyone, and I really appreciate your time and expertise!!!! Per your help, I am still on the saw palmetto--though no improvements yet!!!

guineapig · 01-14-2003, 03:12 PM

Although I was not technically (as far as lab results) IR, nor did I have high testosterone (I think was 42?) my old quack endo prescribed glucXR for my symptoms. My testosterone dropped to 21 the first week of gluc but then started to climb up back into 30s after taking it for a month. So, my testosterone did increase while taking the gluc. Also my DHEA went from original 160-something to like 202, still lab-normal, but gluc was the culprit. I haven't tried saw palmetto yet, ND is investigating other weird things first.

Maureen77 · 01-14-2003, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by courtrn
...I did not believe them, so went to my primary care and told her to take it. Turns out it is 79!!! A huge increase in 3 months from 30's!!! If I am on the glucophage already, how in the world can it increase???????? Any ideas

This is my theory - that ovarian cysts stimulate ovaries to produce more testosterone. If you have an ovarian cyst, your testoterone rises. This is from brainstorming with my endo after we ruled out an adrenal problem. I have always been very sensitive to this because my aunt died in 2001 from ovarian cancer (and this is probably what spurred me on the most to take charge of my own health).

Now the issue there is what is causing the production of the cysts then? My endo was a pituitary specialist, she thought it was a defect in the LH/FSH surge from the pit. gland, but -- I always got regular AF! It was just that I was not ovulating every month and therefore producing cysts. Which doesn't rule out a defect in the communication or production process, but again, that's just an individual theory with no cause and effect solution or treatment program.

(Of course this is in addition to the fact that I do happen to genetically have skin and hair that is sensitive to active testosterone, hence my success in controlling it with saw palmetto)

So here's the kicker: I am ovulating regularly now. NO cysts. So maybe it was just enough of too much insulin in my body when I was not dieting/exercising alot to throw my ovaries off? don't know.

I think you CAN require your body to produce too much insulin (by eating a lot of foods that raise your blood sugar constantly throughout the day and by being overweight and inactive so you are not burning off the sugar) without necessarily being insulin resistant. Does that make sense to you? that someone whose body REQUIRES a lot of insulin to keep their blood sugar down just by diet and lifestyle choices they make is essentially making themselves produce a lot of insulin and that effects their hormones.

I'm not sure how much this will ever be studied. I do know that thin cysters are the most resistant to treatment, so they would seem to be the key to what is really going on or would at least provide a more complete picture. That's all I can think of right now. I hope others will chime in.

P.S. were you on saw palmetto when you got your reading of 79? Because that raised my inactive testosterone by blocking the conversion to active testosterone, I posted elsewhere about this sometime last week.

Maureen77 · 01-14-2003, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by guineapig
I haven't tried saw palmetto yet, ND is investigating other weird things first.

Please do report back on your "weird things", I find them fascinating

courtrn · 01-15-2003, 01:33 PM

Thank you to everyone who has responded to me!!! Every little bit helps and I truly appreciate your support and love!! Well, I went to my RE's office on Monday AM just to get an ultrasound----NO CYSTS!!!! It was gone, and the tech said it looked great and i had a few "follicles" or tiny cysts in my ovaries--she wasnt' sure!!! I am meeting with my RE on Monday to discuss this weird stuff. Also, the pain is gone!!! I wonder if it popped?
In reading your thoughts Maureen, I wonder if my cyst was growing, at the same time I got my blood test back which caused the high tesosterone!!! I will let you know what she says. The nurse told me not to worry as cysts are pretty normal around day 25 after you ovulate. I told her to look at my labs from day 21---my progesterone was only 1.1!!! I didn't ovulate!! Anyways, I am just glad I do not have to have surgery again!!
I still do not understand the whole glucophage thing. I am non-IR. MY insulin is 70 and I eat really healthy and exercise daily!! Who knows!! I think the cysts are caused because my body is trying to ovulate, but does not quite make it. That is why my RE thinks I will be a good candidate for clomid!!!????? Who knows!! I really need to learn more to take charge!! Thank you to everyone who has helped!! You are lifesavers!!! Oh---I was told that my ammenorrhea was caused from my PCOS!! I took provera last cycle and got it, so I am hoping this friday it comes on my own, if not I will take provera as my lining looked think on the ultrasound.!! Thanks and much love!!!

Maureen77 · 01-15-2003, 07:16 PM

Quote:

MY insulin is 70

When was this taken? Fasting or during a glucose load? this is extremely high if you are fasting. According to the PCOS fact sheet at INCIID, anything over 10 signals IR, but double check what the measurement was, if it's the same (mIU/ml):

http://www.inciid.org/faq/pcos2.html#2.10

I'm going to be obnoxious and mention my distrust of Provera, the synthetic form of progesterone. I would encourage you do some of your own research about this before taking it further.