Diagnosed with TE...

by Erica
(US)

Hi,
First of all, thanks for letting me share my story. I’m a 24 year old female who has never experienced hair loss before…this is my first time.
My story begins by going back to September 2010 when I started having stomach problems. I was going through a lot of stress as my dog was dying, a hectic school semester was starting, and I was working 40 hours a week. Eek! As I look back, I can't believe I tried to put myself through all that.

Anyways, I would wake up in the morning with this dull pain that always went away but started again the next morning with an increase in the pain. Finally, I went to the doctor and was told that I had a pretty serious H. Pylori infection that was more than likely kicked off by all the stress I was going through.

My doctor put me on a strong dose of 2 antibiotics and an acid reducer that I had never taken before. The medicine made me feel so much worse than the stomach pain itself, and made me lose my appetite. I remember crying every morning because I dreaded putting the pills in my mouth. The treatment lasted for 10 days and I dropped about 15 pounds in 2 weeks, going from 120 down to 102, all accompanied by a racing heartbeat, and frequent dizzy spells. Fortunately, the treatment worked and I overcame the infection. I’ve since began drinking Aloe Vera Juice and taking probiotics and my stomach is back to a healthy state as of today.

But then…in November I started to notice that my hair felt thinner than usual. In about a week’s time, I went from thinning hair to shedding lots and lots of hair! I naturally have thin hair so when I started losing handfuls of hair in the shower I freaked out thinking I would go bald in no time. I now have to style my hair in a loose ponytail for work and hope that it doesn’t part down the back, showing my scalp. I hate getting out of the shower and being able to see my scalp in the top back part of my head (that’s where my hair was always thinnest). My scalp is also very visible when I lift my hair up at the sides after showering, it’s really scary to see! I saw a dermatologist in early December who diagnosed me with TE and told me to just let it pass.


Since my stomach was back to normal, and my iron and thyroid levels tested normal, there was no need to conclude further. It’s been 2 months since I started massive shedding in November and while I do have some small regrowth I’m still shedding a lot of hair in the shower. Luckily, I think it’s slowly declining, either that, or I’m just getting used to seeing so much hair come out. I can’t imagine losing anymore hair and not being visibly bald. Does anyone else with TE see some regrowth with lots of shedding as well? It makes me feel confused because I don’t know if it’s coming or going most days.

Overall, this has been a very traumatic experience for me. I totally feel the shame and embarrassment of those who suffer from hair loss, especially those who suffer from worse. My self-esteem has dropped so much over the past 2 months. I’ve stopped going out with my friends and even stopped seeing this new guy that I had just started dating. I just want all this to be over with. I’ve cried and prayed many nights over my situation and I’m hoping it'll soon pass. My worst fear is that it’ll turn into CTE, which will be very bad for me since my hair is already so thin! The end of January 2011 will be 3 months and I’m hoping to see more regrowth/major decline in shedding hair. I remain optimistic and try to remember that those who truly care about me will see my beauty from the inside, not the outside.

-Once again, thanks for letting me share. My heart goes out to all the other sufferers.