Overdosing B-vitamins and hair loss?

[Aragorn]

Hello all.
Can overdosing of methyl B12, Methyl folate or Niacinamide cause hair loss? For example, is there such a thing as deficiency of Biotin caused by overdosing of above mentioned B-vitamins?

Or, can overdosing on these cause Potassium deficiency which may cause hair loss and can such deficiency be severe enough to cause hair loss but not to cause other symptoms? I'm trying to find out possible causes of my sudden hair loss besides hormones.

 

[Gondwanaland]

can overdosing on these cause Potassium deficiency which may cause hair loss

Zinc & Copper deficiency is more likely

 

[Aragorn]

Zinc & Copper deficiency is more likely

No.. I take 110 of zinc Picolinate and 4mg copper.

 

[Gondwanaland]

No.. I take 110 of zinc Picolinate and 4mg copper.

I never heard of potassium causing hair loss... The 1st signs o potassium deficiency are muscle cramping and high blood pressure with headaches.

In this case you might be right about low Biotin or even low B6.

 

[Gondwanaland]

BTW 110 mg of Zinc would surely cause hair loss
Of all forms of Zinc I tried, picolinate would cause instant hair loss at much lower dosage...
Look into high DHT and/or zinc-induced iron deficiency

 

[Aragorn]

BTW 110 mg of Zinc would surely cause hair loss
Of all forms of Zinc I tried, picolinate would cause instant hair loss at much lower dosage...
Look into high DHT and/or zinc-induced iron deficiency

Really? This is first time I'm hearing about this. Isn't low Zinc linked to hair loss? All info I've encountered pointed to low zinc causing hair loss, not high. I only increased to 110mg of Zinc 2 weeks ago, most of the "sudden" hair loss happened when I was on 60mg of Zinc Picolinate and 4mg copper. Is that high enough dose to cause hair loss? I do take B6 and P5P also.

I'm not arguing but trying to figure things out. Please elaborate more on this!

 

[Gondwanaland]

Really? This is first time I'm hearing about this. Isn't low Zinc linked to hair loss? All info I've encountered pointed to low zinc causing hair loss, not high. I'm not arguing but trying to figure things out. Please elaborate more on this!

Well if you are getting high DHT or iron deficiency from excess zinc intake, that is the explanation.
Zinc deficiency DOES cause hair loss, as much as the excess can too by lowering iron. I know high dose zinc can block 5-α-reductase and thus lower DHT... I would check my DHT and iron levels in a blood test.

 

[Aragorn]

I was on TRT (Testosterone replacement) for 2.5 years which I stopped recently. This was supposed to be the main culprit, but still hair loss happened too fast, within like 3-4 months. Since I take lots of other supplements, I'm trying to rule out other causes besides DHT from TRT.

As far as iron, I take around 150mg elemental iron (plant source) from Now.

My hair has always been extremely thick and fast growing....

 

[Aragorn]

I know high dose zinc can block 5-α-reductase and thus lower DHT...

But isn't lower DHT supposed to be better for hair loss? So zinc lowers DHT, thus lower DHT is better for hair?

My iron is on the lower-ish side of normal with 168mg of elemental iron supplemented. Right now (when I'm off TRT) my DHT is low, but even on TRT we don't know the exact DHT numbers were because DHT varies within minutes.

The only reason I got on TRT after 7 years of hesitation, is extreme fatigue and clinically low testosterone.

 

[Gondwanaland]

But isn't lower DHT supposed to be better for hair loss? So zinc lowers DHT, thus lower DHT is better for hair?

Indeed, but your supplementation is causing disturbance in either/both mineral and hormone homeostasis. Probably inducing a B6 deficit.

Funny anedocte: I stopped my own hair loss with topical B6 on my scalp (I used about 0,5 mg diluted in about 1 ml and applied on my scalp with a dropper.

The loss came back with high molybdenum and choline foods, and then I could reduce it with supplemental copper in the ratio of 1:15 to zinc.

I found my scalp health by juggling B6, copper and sulfur intake.

 

[Aragorn]

Indeed, but your supplementation is causing disturbance in either/both mineral and hormone homeostasis. Probably inducing a B6 deficit.

I take B6 aprox 500-750mg and P5P 7150mg. So can't be a B6 deficit... I'm totally lost.

 

[Gondwanaland]

Now I am stumped too

 

[Gondwanaland]

I take B6 aprox 500-750mg and P5P 7150mg. So can't be a B6 deficit... I'm totally lost.

Why do you take such huge doses? And for how long have you been taking them?

 

[Aragorn]

I take B6 aprox 500-750mg and P5P 7150mg. So can't be a B6 deficit... I'm totally lost

I apologize, that was a typo. I take P5P 100mg, not 7150mg. So B6 500-750mg plus P5P 100mg.

Why do you take such huge doses? And for how long have you been taking them?

I was told by a practitioner to judge B6 intake by night dreams: no dreams - increase the dose, nightmares - lower the dose. So I've been doing that.

According to Dr Walsh's protocol, I'm an overmethylator and need Niacin, Methyl Folate, Methyl B12 and B6. I actually stopped having nights dreams several years ago when my fatigue kicked in, so looks like I did have low B6. Niacinamide helps a little too, so defiantly Walsh's approach makes some sense. Methyl B12 and Methyl Folate did help in the beginning.

It was also Dr Walsh's trained practitioner that believed that I have Pyroluria because my Kryptopyrroles urine test was borderline high, so that's why he told me to take Zinc. My zinc was lowish on the bloodwork as was the copper. When taking 110mg Zinc and 4mg copper my blood zinc was good. But now you made me think that zinc might have been responsible for my hair loss, so I've stopped all zinc and copper.

BTW 110 mg of Zinc would surely cause hair loss
Of all forms of Zinc I tried, picolinate would cause instant hair loss at much lower dosage...

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. Was your zinc blood level hight or normal when you had hair loss from zinc??? My blood look levels were fine on 110mg zinc and 4mg copper. Does that still mean that my hair loss was caused by Zinc?

 

[Gondwanaland]

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. Was your zinc blood level hight or normal when you had hair loss from zinc??? My blood look levels were fine on 110mg zinc and 4mg copper. Does that still mean that my hair loss was caused by Zinc?

It was lowish, but taking zinc picolinate worsened it dramatically, so I only took it for 2-3 days and then threw it away.

 

[Aragorn]

It was lowish, but taking zinc picolinate worsened it dramatically, so I only took it for 2-3 days and then threw it away.

Thanks for replying. Maybe zinc lowered your copper... Is copper needed for hair growth? I've heard that Yes. But so is Zinc.

People with Pyroluria supposedly have high copper and low zinc. I supposedly have mild case of Pyroluria. I wonder if that explains why my hair has always been thick and fast growing... I've just stopped Zinc completely to see if that would do anything for hair loss....

 

[Gondwanaland]

Thanks for replying. Maybe zinc lowered your copper... Is copper needed for hair growth? I've heard that Yes. But so is Zinc.

Probably yes. Foods high in choline and molybdenum also worsened my hair loss before supplementing with copper.