Hair Loss and DIM

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  • Facetedjewel
    Facetedjewel Member Posts: 11
    edited February 2010

    I have been using Natures Way DIM-plus after being unable to tolerate the Tamoxifen side effects.  I read about it on this site and then researched it as well.  I have been noticing that my hair is coming out (it did this on Tamoxifen as well) and I am getting concerned about it.  My oncologist tested my hormone levels and I am now post-menopausal.  I know that hair loss can can be related to menopause, yet I was wondering if anyone taking DIM has noticed this as well.  I hate to stop it if it is helping me, as I do not want to go on Arimidex due to the potential side effects.  My scalp itches and has a tingly, burning sensation.  I have always had a lot of hair and now I notice it coming out in wads and it feels very thin to me.  I actually hate to wash and comb my hair because of this.

    The bottle says to take 2 capsules with food.  It said that for more intense treatment to increase it to four pills, which I recently did, after reading that it can help with libido.  I am going to go back to just two pills and see if it slows the rate of hair loss down.  I know there is more in my system because my urine has changed color since upping the dosage.  

    Help!  Frown
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2010

    It sounds like the DIM is suppressing your thyroid. Hair loss has been reported. There have also reports of dizziness, memory loss, etc.

    Below is from: http://www.power-surge.com/php/forums/index.php?showtopic=10627

    >>>>>>I would be VERY VERY careful with this product. If you do a search on this board you will find I began to lose my hair with this.

    It seems like a miracle as it helps with weight loss, possibly breast cancer, even promoted for menopause in some sites. I decided to try it and I lost some weight - very encouraging.

    But after a while my hair began to fall out in large quantities. Do a search with DIM "hair loss" and you will see others have experienced this and that side effect was not even mentioned in any of the pages where it was promoted and I read several.

    I began taking 1000mg of biotin and stopped the DIM and my hair finally stopped falling out.

    I know they say it converts the bad estrogen to good estrogen but I think it also reduces the total estrogen as hair loss is a side effect of decreasing estrogen.>>>>>>>

  • Facetedjewel
    Facetedjewel Member Posts: 11
    edited February 2010

    Thank you Lucy 88. 

    I was hoping that DIM would protect me, as I am afraid of a recurrence and could not tolerate tomoxifen's side effects.  I think I had every possible one. 

    I am in a quandary now, as to what to do.  I can totally stop the DIM and hope for the best.  There is certainly no guarantee that it will actually act like hormonal therapy anyway. I just read such positive things about it and thought it would be better then nothing.  I did not even know about the weight loss part.  

    I have 1000mg. of biotin in my multivitamin so I have been taking it all along, yet it did not stop the hair loss.  I think I will probably stop the DIM and see what happens.

    I almost feel foolish about writing about this because so many women suffered through chemo and lost all of their hair.  My daughter was diagnosed with lupus when she was 15 and in the past nine years she has been on chemo twice and each time lost all of her hair and here I am complaining about some thinning!  

    Time will tell.  

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2010

    Faceted, no I think you should be concerned. Your hair shouldn't fall out unless something toxic is happening. DIM is not supposed to be toxic but it clearly is to some people. Have you looked into natural progesterone? Many on this group take it.

  • rreynolds1
    rreynolds1 Member Posts: 450
    edited February 2010

    I never used DIM but am postmenapausal and take Arimidex.  My hair was thinning, too.  When I finally started with the progesterone creme, it stopped and is actually growing thicker again.  My scalp is not itchy and my skin is not as dry.  I'm a believer since reading the book, "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer".

    Roseann

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