Diary of a mad of mad hair loss!

I am 56 years old. I am a claims adjuster with a lot of stress. Went into menopause suddenly at 41. I have always had thin hair but lot of it. Always got coloring with blond highlights to pump it up. Never used inexpensive products. I did have back surgery 3 years ago where I get lower back epidurals (3 times a yr)and am taking a pain med (2yrs).

I was having trouble sleeping and my Dr did not want me back of HRT due to age, smoking and high Cholesterol I turned to ambien to put me to sleep, now the ambien puts me to sleep, but thru the nite the hot flashes come on mainly in my face and scalp and I wake up thru the nite, only to cool down and go back to sleep.

About 3 months ago I had constant headaches for 3 weeks straight and had a root canal done thinking the headaches from the fact that I need to get the root canal done, the headaches went away but the hot flashes continued. I used a product from Lush "Big Hair" that contains sea salt in November, I used it for 3 days straight and saw where my hair was falling out in the tub, not by the hand fulls but alot (approx 20-50 hairs) it is a lot when you don't alot to begin with.

I stopped the product and it has been diffused falling out ever since for over 2 months now, everyday. I've been to a dermatologist who didn't even really look at my scalp and gave me a shampoo called clopex (steroid) it was burning my scalp. I then went to my PC and he gave me Keteconazole 2%. Still the continuous fallout now from the sides and burning scalp. He told me to stop and only to use baby shampoo and a wide tooth comb.

All bloodwork (2x's) came back okay, thyroid & Hormones okay I found out that I was low in Vit D, gave me supplememts and my Cholesterol was high 325 on lipitor, happy to say I got my Cholesterol down to 172. He put me on Prempro (the lowest dose) on them now for 5 days, don't see much of a difference in the hot flashes yet. I take everyday. Lipitor, zoloft, norco, ambien, drisdol-vit D (once a wk) vit B complex, biotin and fishoil.


My hair is horrible, it is like straw, for the past 2 months everyday especially when its wet, no hairs every on my pillow or anywhere else, the hair seems to have a tapered end and feels like there is a bulb at the end. I have been so depressed, I till go to work as where I sit is in a dark corner, I don't want to social. I'm depressed and so fortunate to have a loving, caring, supportive husband. I look everyday for growth, it looks like there are some there.

I try to stay strong and positive, I put my makeup on and try so very hard, there are days like today that I just don't want to do anything but sit around, I constantly look in the mirror or when at the store I constantly look in any reflections. I'm now feeling like there is hair constantly falling on my face.

I have a f/u appt with the derm next week and am praying that this fallout at least stops. I'm planning to go buy the Avalon products today. I'm wondering if the start of all this was due to using the "Big Hair" sea salt product that triggered it? Now there is a humming sound in my left ear, could that have anything to do with it? and...what's up with the burning scalp, not so bad today..it comes and goes.