Help - Need analysis or advice on current situation

Guys been reading lots on this forum but I am new to posting. I have a serious shed that has started to subside but my hair is freaked out. Please HELP!!!
A quick rundown, 39 y.o male with norwood 1.5-2 loss since about the age of 28. Very gradual loss without any movement for at least six or seven years. Have had a few stress events in the last few years and in June 09 i got really depressed. Been fighting the stress naturally but did take Lexapro for about 5 months. I got off as soon as I could becasue I didnt want to go the pharma route.

I have been stressed from hair loss and since about June 09 and am seeing an overall crappy apperance in the hair quality on my head. I have also lost some width in the frontal forelock of my hairline which was very strong in the years leading up to this timeframe. I am having great stress from the hair loss. It has rocked my boat and I am on a mission to stabalize things. I cannot find a connection but the hairloss was so gradul it seems like it nosedived recently and that has freaked me out. I am not sleeping well at all for the better part of a year.

I just had some bloodwork done and the results are kinda off and I dont what the best approach would be so I am looking for advice. I started the Candida diet about two months ago and I have a glucse level of 101. bilirubin is 1.3. The T4 free is.79 The T3 free is 1.5 and total is 3.3 The reverse T is 34 so out of normal range. DHT level is 6 -very low. Total T is 247 also very low. Had a cortisol level taken 8am and 4pm first number was 21.8 and second number is 9.3. I also tested for Candida and those reuslts are very low so I dont think that is an issue which I initially thought could be the cause of the problem.

So right now I am looking for direction, started using super zix II about three weeks ago. Used minox for about a month back in October. The problem is I dont think I have a huge problem with DHT and that the stress is causing most of this but the imbalance from the blood work has me confused as to what is really going on. I have no idea where to turn and most of the information on this site impresses me with the level of depth and understanding many posters have. So I am here begging for some analysis. I know I need to reduce the stress and I am hopeful I can with some insight into how to get a grip on this situation.

Family history paternal grandfather was a norwood 4 in his forties and a5 by age 68. Maternal grandfather had a frontal lock most of his life but was a NW5-6 by the time he died at age 88.

Any ideas- want to start the natural route but I need the best approach someone can offer.

thanks in advance.

Anyone have a suggestion for topical or Ih regime? The new loss heading to NW 2.5 or so is less than the 30 month window, I am not looking for a miracle but would like to stabilize and maintain and hopefully regain some of the lost ground. It just seems to be extreme in such a short peroid of time based on the past loss rate. Is that something that happens with MPB? I assumed that since I was older the rate would slow down some and have had new loss at a rate that is faster than before. Is it realistic to think I can preserve the sleeping follicles as that cant be completely lost yet. Is that realistic? Could the minox be causing a shed after only using for a month? If so can I expect those hairs to rebound once the hormonal balance is restored? What is the best approach, any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Could anyone offer anything in the way of advice on this matter. I dont understand the changes and it seems like there is something out of whack that contributes to the overall health profile and casuing the shift to take place. Hair quailty has drastically changed in the past year, very thin all over in diameter not density. Went from curly/wavy to straw straight.

Firstly, give us more of a chance to reply to you, not having a go but we all have lives and especially during the Christmas period it might take a day or so to get a reply.

Do you have any amalgam fillings put in recently? That would fit in with your start of hair loss?

What's your diet like?

I'm not the most knowledgeable here so someone else might have better ideas and suggestions, so wait for their replies before committing to anything.

Marshmouth, season's greetings.

First, do not be overly stressed about hair.
Second, I have heard Minox does cause a shed initially, in quite a few, but not in all. Third, realize that stopping loss is the first goal, regrowth much more challenging. Fourth, do head massages... take your pick... castor oil, olive oil, coconut oil, emu oil, etc.; mix them with essential oils like rosemary oil or tea tree oil (for infections) if you wish. This should help improve circulation as well help you destress a bit This is really easy to do, too, no major investments.
Fifth, see supplements and topicals other forum members recommend, and start with a couple.

Remember, no one has a magic bullet yet, else the forums would have been deserted. And those who love you, will do so anyway.

I'm sure other helpful and knowledgeable guys (& girls?) here will chime in soon.
-9r5-

tooyoung-

I did have a filling put in in late 2008. Actually a porcelain crown with a metal base in the upper back tooth. The metal can be seen from the inside of the mouth at the gum line only. Short of that I had a small filling repaired from childhood with the newer amalgam material. Is there a way to remove the metal poisoning without removing the crown? Chelation or supplements? Or is the crown replacement the best bet? I wonder if I should disturb the area. I have several other fillings from younger life and I dont suspect them to be the culprit, but the damaged one or the new crown may in fact coincide with the increased recession timeframe and the anxiety increase. Could it be removed safely or can I combat it while it stays in place?

If stress is a factor in your hairloss a combination of curcumin and resveratrol may help, this or ashwaghanda. Meditation and exercise are also great for stress. Have to try a few things. Also minox can cause a shed after a month, if you go this route watch for sides but if none are seen it can help if you stick with it

marshmouth,

Turmeric, Japanese knotweed, and vitamin C should help to reduce the scalp inflammation that stress can cause.

TN

marshmouth - Your Reverse T3 can be indicative of elevated heavy metals. But this is quite common anyway in MPB.

That said, would recommend humifulvate a period of 3 to 6 months to help eliminate a heavy metal burden.

Also depression has been found to be correlated with a high cytokine release, so if you're considering the IH regimen, it would not be a bad idea.

Further, vitamin D3 is not only helpful in mood, it is also helpful in hair.

J Cell Physiol. 2010 Mar;222(3):729-37.
Upregulation of MMP-9 production by TNFalpha in keratinocytes and its attenuation by vitamin D.

MMP-9, a member of the matrix metalloproteinase family that degrades collagen IV and processes chemokines and cytokines, participates in epidermal remodeling in response to stress and injury. Limited activity of MMP-9 is essential while excessive activity is deleterious to the healing process. Tumor necrosis factor (TNFalpha), a key mediator of cutaneous inflammation, is a powerful inducer of MMP-9. Calcitriol, the hormonally active vitamin D metabolite, and its analogs are known to attenuate epidermal inflammation. We aimed to examine the modulation of MMP-9 by calcitriol in TNFalpha-treated keratinocytes. The immortalized HaCaT keratinocytes were treated with TNFalpha in the absence of exogenous growth factors or active ingredients. MMP-9 production was quantified by gelatin zymography and real-time RT-PCR. Activation of signaling cascades was assessed by western blot analysis and DNA-binding activity of transcription factors was determined by EMSA. Exposure to TNFalpha markedly increased the protein and mRNA levels of MMP-9, while pretreatment with calcitriol dose dependently reduced this effect. Employing specific inhibitors we established that the induction of MMP-9 by TNFalpha was dependent on the activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor, c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK), NFkappaB and extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2. The effect of calcitriol was associated with inhibition of JNK activation and reduction of DNA-binding activities of the transcription factors activator protein-1 (AP-1) and NFkappaB following treatment with TNFalpha. By down-regulating MMP-9 levels active vitamin D derivatives may attenuate deleterious effects due to excessive TNFalpha-induced proteolytic activity associated with cutaneous inflammation.

Also, vitamin D has been found to raise Testosterone levels, something would also benefit the mood and is something that is going to help with hair. In MPB, testosterone is typically lower than normal.

Minoxidil is for drug users, honestly would drop the stuff right away. As mentioned before, it is associated with shedding and it isn't good to take.

Curcumin/resveratrol is included within the IH regimen so that will help with the stress factor.

Take note that Vitamin C, such as Pure-Way C (Metabolic C) is not only helpful in depression it can balance redox status. It's an excellent adjunct in any hair regimen.

Melatonin is required to keep the growth phases in hair going. A lack of sleep will only hurt this. Melatonin is very cheap and it would be a good idea to try it out at 3 to 6 mg per night for a while.

C/S thanks for the response and information.

I didn't mention that I am trying to treat Canddida in the first round of posts. I am seeing a ND and he is convinced I have Candida even though my blood test and PCP says negative. That is why I am on the Candida diet. So i need to wrok that out first and growing impatient because I would like to improve my life and reduce my stress and that is taking some real time to get accomplished.

Another item I am considering is the thyroid numbers. I have taken my resting body temperature now for the last few days and under arm temp is around 96.4 to 96.9 on most occasions. It hasn't been above that at any time except right after a workout, of course. So I know that the thyroid is off somewhere just cannot figure it out yet but I think that is working on my hair loss the most. Just a hunch of course. I have daily eye fatigue and brain fog as well and cannot determine if that is from lack of sleep or hypothyroid. The recent crown work is making me suspect of metal issues.

I am off the minox already and only using super zix II at the moment as a emergency effort to thwart the current loss. If thyroid is off and not functioning well the new loss is probably reversible, no? I am not looking for a miracle I just want to restore some of the fullness and body to the hair. Am I wrong in thinking that the slow and stable recession [stayed at NW1.5-2 for last eight years or so]shouldn't all of a sudden nose dive as I approach 40?

I am not sleeping more than about 6 hours with the anxiety so I am also hurting myself in that arena. I was considering taking MACA and/or tribulus to conteract the cortisol. Does that seem logical? Is the DHT in the blood a good indicator that DHT is not a big problem for me? Coupled with the low T I assumed that DHT is not the major cause for me.

I do have some inflammation lately and use Nizoral once a week but still see some dry scalp. I dont wash my hair everyday espceially now that I have dryness becuase I am natrually a more oily person and the hair is too dry the first day after washing to repeat it the next day so I usually go two days or sometimes more before shampooing. I dont know about contiuning with Nizoral as I am thinking it could be causing some changes as well.


Thanks

marshmouth - Brain fog, etc is a probable indication of mercury or other heavy metals.

Candida is only a problem with overgrowth, but it is necessary as part of our gut ecology.

Chelating metals would be a good idea and if you were to start on iodine along with selenium this will also help (thyroid and heavy metals).

Wouldn't focus too much on DHT, but testosterone levels are typically low on MPB.

"MACA and/or tribulus to conteract the cortisol. Does that seem logical?" Neither one of these are used for that purpose.

Instead, you might try Ashwagandha, which improves a Testosterone to cortisol ratio.

If you happen to also experience dizziness along with anxiety, consider taking this test tor rule out vertical heterophoria.

http://www.anxietyandtreatment.com/verticalheterophoria/initialquest.aspx

C/S Great information - thank you

My mistake, the canddia treatment was for an overgrowth. I was asking if you think the blood screen is an accurate method of detection because I have two different opinions from two different doctors. I have dropped some weight and getting in better shape so the diet has that added benefit.

How should one proceed with the iodine/selenium if there is a candida overgrowth possibility? Should I test for heavy metals, do you have a recommendation for testing?

I am currently taking liquid Vitamin D 5000iu daily as I had a low level last year, that has resolved itself I am at the range of 70 now. Glad to hear that it is helpful with hair as well

As for the MACA, i was thinking of raising the Testosterone levels which should reduce the cortisol levels in theory, no? It seems like Ashwagandha is the best route as the ND menitoned that as well. I am taking CatecholaCalm which contains some but perhaps there is a better potentcy Ashwagandha product available. The timing is aweful as my wife and I are trying to have another child so I need the testosterone to be working in my favor, thus the maca suggestion.

Any thoughts on the Nizoral and super zix? Also anything you can reccomend for the inflammation.

As for that link, I filled out the questionaire. I have had one fainting episode several months back but it was just that once and after some exertion and quick movement. I dont really feel dizzy often just fatigued and tired and the eyes feel worn out. I am having the brain fog and basic concentration issues.

marshmouth - Maca does not raise testosterone levels (only GH). So Ashwaganda or Sensoril would help.

It would be hard to imagine that you don't have elevated heavy metals. If you decide to test for them, you could use it as a baseline.

Nizoral and super zix? Perhaps one or the other, with super Zix being favored. If sebum is any problem, then instead of Nizoral, the Lithium/DMSO added to shampoo is more effective.

For inflammation (removal of heavy metals), Ecklonia Cava, Curcumin, Krill Oil & Resveratrol.

C/S

Can I take the humiulfivate with the EC, I have read opposing ideas on that topic?
Another recent observation is increased dryness on the forhead and face. I am usually an oily person olive complexion but I feel that is off and the oil prduction is way down. Also use to think I was hyperhytosis but since the anxiety started i don't have nervous sweating at all. Do these things have a common link to you or anyone else? It seems to coincidental to me that many systems are off and in some cases have reversed thier presence.

Lastly, I have a yeasty/sweet smell from the places I sweat or excrete oil like behind the ears, underams etc. this is proboably most disturbing becasue the ND is saying it is Candida trying to get out but the blood tests showed no overgrowth. I am still mostly on a Candida diest but haven't started the proposed supplements yet as resources have to be adjusted at the moment.

I dont know who to beleive on this issue, I just know that my eyes seem to work overtime and my brain does as well. My memory is sh#t and it is hard to remember or concentrate. I just want to find some relief. I must admit I am a bit leary about metal chelation based on some posts I have read here but I bought a test kit to determine if metals are a problem.

Is there a milder option to start with the chelation like green clay or MCP vs. the humilfivate?

Any suggestions?