3 months post hysterectomy. Loosing hair & dry skin

Why? I'm sure it's hormonal because my iron and thyroid levels are fine.
Anyone else experience this? I take estrogen pills once a day. Should I be on something else? Ugh. Thought after my hysterectomy life would get better and it has in some ways but the hormone thing is annoying....

Surgery, hormones..Be sure checked all 3 tests for thyroid too.. Its tricky bc cant always go by the number w thyroid, its more treat symptoms bc whats normal & I feel good, someone else could feel out of balanced. (Ive complained of dry hair & hair fall out when wash it, fatigue & for years thyroid tests came back normal, until last year)..Hormones are a balancing act & it takes time too. Look into natural treatments, diet, supplements for menopausal symptoms.. Ask your Dr re estrogen if your dose is right for you. There are many oils that are good for skin & hair, coconut oil, castor oil, jojoba, etc. I hope you get to the bottom of this..

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Originally Posted by LailaStar Surgery, hormones..Be sure checked all 3 tests for thyroid too.. Its tricky bc cant always go by the number w thyroid, its more treat symptoms bc whats normal & I feel good, someone else could feel out of balanced. (Ive complained of dry hair & hair fall out when wash it, fatigue & for years thyroid tests came back normal, until last year)..Hormones are a balancing act & it takes time too. Look into natural treatments, diet, supplements for menopausal symptoms.. Ask your Dr re estrogen if your dose is right for you. There are many oils that are good for skin & hair, coconut oil, castor oil, jojoba, etc. I hope you get to the bottom of this..

Thank you for your reply I made an appt for the doctors. When I see her I'm going to ask yhe check all three test for thyroid and the other hormones also. I have Coconut oil I put in my hair daily (just a tiny bit). It helps smooth it out a little bit but it's falling out like crazy. Can't wait until I'm dialed in with the correct dosage of hormones. Thanks again!

Its definitely a balancing act w hormones & thyroid too. I hope you feel better!

I went to urgent care today because I'm overly emotional. Can't stop crying.
Basically was asked by the doctor, what did you want me to do today? Wth? I don't know. My hormones are off right? I mean I didn't feel this way before my hysterectomy.
She explained doctors don't check hormone levels because they fluctuate during the day. What?? They perscribed me Effector. And told me it will help with my menopause.
I'm so confused anymore. Wish I never had a hysterectomy

Hi Erin. I would make an appointment to see your family doc. Urgent care docs are of a mind set to treat an acute problem or an emergency and they really won't give you the kind of caring and satisfaction you are looking for. First of all know that what you are experiencing is totally normal in the wake of major surgery and the additional loss of your ovaries. Please do not take Effexor. While I often recommend an SSRI antidepressant for menopausal symptoms. Effexor is a newer generation drug and a little stronger than the SSRI's. I take Prozac for depression and it has helped with my menopause. Two years ago I got really bad and switched to Effexor. It did help bounce me out of the depression, but I hated the side effects and it is difficult to wean off of. Effexor has a very short half life and missing one dose will trigger a withdrawal syndrome. If you do want to try an antidepressant stick with one of the older SSRI's like Prozac or Celexa or Paxil.

That said, you are already on estrogen and perhaps it hasn't fully kicked in yet. Also know that there are many forms of HRT and some find one type works better than others. It takes a lot of patience and time experimenting to find the right one. If your doc is not willing to support you in finding what will work for you than you might need to shop around for another doctor.

Also concerning the thyroid. Some times the loss of ovarian function does trigger thyroid problems. And the previous lady was correct in saying that you could be in the normal range and still be experiencing hypo symptoms. Part of the problem is that the "normal ranges" in the US are higher than say in Europe, and a lot of docs are ignorant of this. Also a lot of docs only order TSH levels when they should be ordering TSH, Free T4 and Free T3 and thyroid antibodies to make a definitive diagnosis. If you do have the tests done make sure you get a copy of the results.

Even with a normal thyroid, sometimes the stress of surgery will cause hair loss for several months.

Bottom line: don't think you are going crazy or it's all in your head. It is hormonal and it takes a lot of perseverance to find what works for you. Unfortunately there are no cookie cutter solutions when dealing with the fine balance of hormones. The most important thing is to find a doc who is willing to work with you, they are out there. Also look at the forums on HRT as there are a lot of women struggling with the same things.

I am sorry to hear about you loosing your hair and have dry skin.

My hair start falling out more after surgery about 2 to 3 weeks later.

My moods swings and what ever was going on with me one day, I grab the scissors and cut it down. I got myself together and when to the salon and got it cut even

I am going nature now and wearing wigs.

Thank you MollyBear & wonderDee. I took the Effexor before I saw your reply warning against it. I hate taking it so only took half. Instantly made me sick to my stomach but did calm me down after a couple hours. Thank you for talking to me because I feel like everyone including doctors think I'm nuts. Thing is, I wasn't like this or felt like this before the surgery so I know that's the reason. These feeling make me feel insecure and afraid. Just can't wait to talk to the doctor (gyno) who can help me.
I will have my thyroid tested further. I wrote down the tests you mentioned. I totally feel like cutting my hair just like you did wonderdee! I've already did an awful trim job on it lol. I'll chime back in after I see the doctor on the 20th of June
I'm not taking these pills either. I'll ask for one that's not so hard core.
Thanks again I really needed your replies

There is some relation w hypothyroidism & menopause... I would suggest to follow a diet for menopause & hypothyroidism for now.. Its healthy eating, so you should feel good eating healthy foods & Supplements too.. Theres a book I like, Prescription for Nutritional Healing. B12, B complex, C, primrose oil. Hydrate & exercise is good for menopause symptoms. Exercise will also increase blood flow, so its helpful for your hair & scalp, especially if you can do some yoga.

See your Dr, not urgent care.. Theyre there for just quicky issues & something like hormones needs follow ups...If you are not getting results with your Drs, then get 2nd opinion.. I would suggest you see your Gyn over primary Dr. Feel better!

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Originally Posted by Erin1969 I went to urgent care today because I'm overly emotional. Can't stop crying. Basically was asked by the doctor, what did you want me to do today? Wth? I don't know. My hormones are off right? I mean I didn't feel this way before my hysterectomy. She explained doctors don't check hormone levels because they fluctuate during the day. What?? They perscribed me Effector. And told me it will help with my menopause. I'm so confused anymore. Wish I never had a hysterectomy

Take my word for it....stay away from effexor if you can. I was on it for over a year for depresion and it worked fabulously..... because of how potent it is. The withdrawals are comparable to a Meth withdrawal. You get brain zaps, sweats, etc. I would check with your doctor first before taking that. Its very addictive.