Increased Hair Loss After Starting Gluten Free Diet

[jasmine75]

I was diagnosed as wheat/gluten sensitive and started the diet about a week ago. I have been fighting with excessive hairloss as I have been battling thyroid levels but for the past month my hair loss had leveled out. Then last week I started on a gluten free diet and started taking quite a few vitamins. I've noticed some of the typical detox symptoms: pain in lymph nodes, ravenous hunger, acne breakouts, fatigue. But I was wondering if ANYONE has experienced increased hair loss and if so is this a temporary thing? I take my thyroid sublingually so I wouldn't think the diet would affect my thyroid absorption much but maybe it has. Any ideas?

[ravenwoodglass]

Have you checked all those vitamins and your meds to be certain they are gluten free? Read all ingredients even if the say gluten free since some may still contain wheat and barley grass and you don't want those.

It can take some time for hair loss to resolve and stress can contribute to it. Starting the gluten-free diet with all we have to do and all the changes that need to be made in the home can make for a stressful time. It also takes some time to heal and start absorbing nutrients from our food and supplements. Hopefully the loss will level off soon.

[jasmine75]

Have you checked all those vitamins and your meds to be certain they are gluten free? Read all ingredients even if the say gluten free since some may still contain wheat and barley grass and you don't want those.

It can take some time for hair loss to resolve and stress can contribute to it. Starting the gluten-free diet with all we have to do and all the changes that need to be made in the home can make for a stressful time. It also takes some time to heal and start absorbing nutrients from our food and supplements. Hopefully the loss will level off soon.

Yes I am extremely gluten free at the moment and have been extremely cautious. About 5 months ago I had the same thing happen when I went on thyroid medication and started having drastic hairloss. It had leveled off for a couple months until this week. My best guess would be my body is going through some major changes and it's affecting how my body is processing the thyroid. Unfortunately any tiny change with that begins the hairloss battle again.

Does anyone know the reason we get so ravenously hungry coming off of wheat? I would think it would be the exact opposite as we should be taking in my nutrients now. I've even started on a good vitamin regimen so my body shouldn't be starving. Though if we've been malnourished for so long, maybe it's a rubber band effect or a feast or famine type thing. Who knows. I'd love a good explanation though.

[ravenwoodglass]

Does anyone know the reason we get so ravenously hungry coming off of wheat? I would think it would be the exact opposite as we should be taking in my nutrients now. I've even started on a good vitamin regimen so my body shouldn't be starving. Though if we've been malnourished for so long, maybe it's a rubber band effect or a feast or famine type thing. Who knows. I'd love a good explanation though.

It seems that many of us go through the extreme hunger when early in the diet. It will level off. It is almost like the body is saying 'hey this food isn't making me sick, nutrients yes!! give me more'. Is there a technical explination for it? That I don't know.

[GFshay]

I also experienced accelerated hair loss after going gluten free and no one has any ideas. It's worth it to feel so much better, but it's annoying and frustrating. I went from the occasional spot or two to shaving my head and wearing a wig. All my nutrients are good so no one knows what's up. I'm thinking about starting some sort of vitamins but I haven't found definitive info on what to take, exactly... B? Iron? Suggestions?

[Christine0125]

I also experienced accelerated hair loss after going gluten free and no one has any ideas. It's worth it to feel so much better, but it's annoying and frustrating. I went from the occasional spot or two to shaving my head and wearing a wig. All my nutrients are good so no one knows what's up. I'm thinking about starting some sort of vitamins but I haven't found definitive info on what to take, exactly... B? Iron? Suggestions?

I'm just a few weeks into the diet and am noticing the same thing - seemed especially bad in the shower this morning. The good news is the hunger has tapered off!

[mommida]

My hair has thinned a lot! If I get accidentally gluten it falls out.

What has helped is to take a multivitamin and extra Biotin and B12. (There is no evidence to say too much of these will cause an adverse affect.)

I usually walk around with new growth all over my head that makes me look like a molting bird.