What should I ask my doctor to check for? - broken bones, hair loss, acne problems all at once.

Hi!

I'm a 45-year-old female. Last year I had iron deficiency anemia and was prescribed iron pills for six months. My iron has been normal for the last six months.

In January, I slipped and fell, breaking my (leg) fibula in 4 places and broke my kneecap into 3 pieces. I went through two surgeries (general anesth) to repair my kneecap. My hair is falling out like crazy. I always had very thick curly healthy hair and how it's very thin and lifeless. I find hair on my pillow, on my shirt constantly and if I gently run my fingers through my hair I pull out a handful. I mentioned all this to my primary care doc and she just blew me off. Is this hair change as a result of my injuries and surgeries? Will it ever return to the way it once was?

Thanks!
Kami

Hello Anon,
The reason you should ask your doctor to check your bones is because you have fractured your foot in three different places in short period of time. Your doctor should have checked you calicum and vitiman D levels to make sure you have the proper amount of each in your system. He also should have done a bone density test which would letyou know if you are losing bone mass which can be fixed with the proper vitimans and medication. Even though you area little young to be experienceing bone deteriation it is not uncommon for it to happen pre meanapause. When you add that in with the hair loss and the sudden onset of acne your body is tellingyou thereis somthing wrong. Either you are depleated of certian vitamins or you havea medical condition causing these problems, Have you doctor do blood tests across the board this mightgive you some idea of what is going on in your body. And have it done ASAP because if something is wrong you might be able to catch it early enough to reverse what is happening to you. There are also specific condition vitamins that canhelpyou out.If you would like a list of these vitamins just let me know.

Good Luck

Dear Anon, I am very sorry for what you are going through. Has your doctor run any blood tests. You might want to have a CBC to see if your blood count is normal. You could possibly be anemic that would account for the hair loss and low bone density. You also might have a vitamin D deficiency. The very first thing you need to do and I know it is easier said then done is stop stressing yourself out it will only make problems worse. If you need something to help relive your stress I would recommend light cardio but being in a cast you cant do that right now so you should try taking some valerian or melatonin to help you calm down they are safe vitamins with no side affects. Add a high dose of calcium with vitamin D twice a day that will aid in strengthening your bones.

Dear Anon, your symptoms are very consistent with Vitamin D defficiency. When you see the doctor make sure to ask him to check your levels of this essential vitamin. And like DianeP stated, I am also curious to find out what type of medication you are taking, if any. Loss of hair can be linked or aggravated by poor diet. You may need to increase your intake of whole grains, green veggies, and quality protein such as beans, nuts, fish, and even lean poultry.

One more question, Anon, have you ever been checked for possible thyroid problems?

Hi, Anon, and welcome to EmpowHer!

I am so sorry to hear about the things you're dealing with -- and all at once, too! It's possible they are related, and possible they aren't. Let's see what we can figure out.

First, can I ask if you are on any medications? Some medications have side effects that might be affecting you, especially with things like the hair loss and acne.

Anything new in your life recently? Big moves, big changes, especially in the last few weeks? Anything that has caused an increase in stress?

On the fractures, do you know specifically how each one happened? Were you doing something that caused an actual break, or were they stress fractures?

Do you have any history of weak bones in your family, like osteoporosis?

And since you are 41, it's possible you're in perimenopause, with hormones starting to change.... have you noticed any irregular cycles, or are you still consistent in your periods?

I'll post this to see if you can answer some of the questions while I do some research.