Under active thyroid worried
Posted , 5 users are following.
hi I have recently been prescribed levothyroxin 50 and since having a surgical hysterectomy 2 years ago I have never felt so bad. Being forced into menopause caused hot sweats aches and pains, mood swings and weight gain. After having a life history of endeometriosis, I was advised to take estrogen due to adhesions. I took tablets patches creams and it never got through to my blood, just sat in my blood cells making me huge, I came off the estrigen after trying it for 6 months and getting nowhere. My symptoms got worse, after trying 4 diff anti depressants to help me with menopause none of those helped...... I am not crazy I,m not depressed I,m aching, tearful due to aches in my body and all they wanted to do was mask what was actually going on. Now after blood tests I have a deficiency in Vit D and my thyroid is borderline under active so hence me starting the thyroid drug. My head is full of fog my legs hurt me as though I have tuna marathon and my teeth that have always been taken care of have gone terrible with gum shrinkage ..... Please someone tell me it gets better. I am 49 feeling as though I am in my 80,s ....... Life has never felt this painful x
2 likes, 17 replies
dave64969 dawn_38361
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jean34329 dawn_38361
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I'm sorry to hear you are feelling like this but this happens quite often following a hysterectomy. Did they remove boh ovaries? OESTROGEN. Have to be careful with HRT. I was put on it but it was discontinued due to it causing blood clots. I am now on life long warfarin.
Have you tried the PAELO diet. I have heard it is good for the thyroid as it is an auto immune diet. i am going to go on it.
dawn_38361 jean34329
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dawn_38361
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barbara98940 dawn_38361
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barbara98940 dawn_38361
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An under active thyroid affects metabolism at the cellular level. What this means in practise is that people with an under active thyroid don't process the food they eat to get the nutrients (vitamins and minerals) they need and therefore are often deficient in other essential vitamins and minerals. The double whammy is that if you are low in these vitamins and minerals your thyroid doesn't perform very well. It is worth getting tested for the following and take supplements if low (or even if you are in range but towards the bottom of the range).
Iron, Ferritin, Selenium, Vitamin E, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Vitamin B (particularly B12). Copper, Zinc, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium. Ferritin is particularly important and needs to be 70-90 for your body to be able to absorb thyroxine properly. it is also worth taking Lutein (linked to eye health) and fish oil tablets. It will take time to get everything back witin normal levels and usually involves some trial and error with the thyroid tablets before the correct dose for you is found. If you are still having hypothyroid symptoms when everything is back within normal limits, then it is worth looking at whether your body is doing the next stage of the thyroid process properly: that of converting T4 (thyroxine) to T3 (liothyronine) - my body wasn't. So to summarise, yes it does get better; you need to get the levels of some vitamins and minerals checked; and taking vitamin and mineral supplements will help. Hang in there! Let us know how you get on. If you post the results of your blood tests, we'll be able to help you make sense of them. All the best.
barbara98940
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jean34329 dawn_38361
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No I have still not received it. Jean x
dawn_38361 barbara98940
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Wow what a fantastic reply thank you, your knowledge is impressive and I will take note of the advice, thank you so much. I really dont know much about the subject even though I suspect my body didn't really work too good with the surgical forced menooause. after trying estrogen for 6 months it wouldnt show in my blood, it really didn't do anything for me but collect in my fat cells and the middle of my belly. My appearance was affected which is important to me for my living as an entertainer, its been a very difficult journey.
However with people like yourself I am learning more about thyroidism and its effects so I Thank you so much.
Kind Regards
Dawn x
barbara98940 dawn_38361
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shellyC19 dawn_38361
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My name is Shelly and I am a nurse in the USA. I am sorry to hear about this.
No you are not crazy! Having the total Hysterectomy and I suppose they removed your ovaries also. When this happens, your body has no estrogen and progesterone either. The symptoms you state above all fit with menopause.
I am 54 and believe me I know what it feels like. HOT flashes, aches and pains and weight gain and mood problems all fit.
They do have estrogen in a cream you can place into your vagina and it comes in pill format and patches. You need to have some estrogen and having the hysterectomy is leaving you with a huge void in hormones.
So I suggest you take a low dose estrogen pill or vaginal cream. A small dose will restore that hormone to a level for your age group.
Now as to thyroid and Vit D, I suffer from Hashimoto's Thyroid and I have low D also. There is linkage to show people with thyroid problems have low Vit D.
Once you raise the Vit D, the muscle aches may calm down. One of the bad effects is muscle pain and it can be restored by VIt D supplements. You will need to buy a good multivitamin also. We need many vitamins to keep our body strong.
Please have your thyroid level checked again and ask the doctor to see if you may need more LEVO. Please take it 1 hour before meals as food will block absorption of the med.
It will improve, but you may need to try a low dose of estrogen to keep things even for a while and let the body adjust.
Stay well and keep us updated on how you do.
Shelly
dawn_38361 shellyC19
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Thank you so much for your advice, I actually went onto estrogen 4 months after the removal of the final ovary and whether it be tablet patch or cream it never entered my blood stream and they were then talking about a device under the skin, I refused that as the estrogen HRT was just sitting in my fat cells and changing my body shape as a pear with fat just storing around my middle. i am due to see the HRT doc in dec, I actually told him I would loose weight before I saw him again, thats how I knew something wasnt right as after dieting for 6 weeks and only loosing a few pounds.
I have honestly never felt so poorly, they started me on 50 veno last week and I have felt more awake but my legs are hurting from the knee down on both legs, feels like a bone pain and my feet are freezing. Its been a horrible time and I am finding it difficult coming to terms with all these pains and moans. I feel like I am 49 going on 79 !!! I also feel like I have swallowed iron as the feeling in my throat feels metallic !!!
Sorry for moaning but thank you so much for your advise xx
Dawn
jean34329 dawn_38361
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I am concerned about your legs. Have you got periipherala neuropathy?
Have you had a doppler scan of your calves or D dimer blood test?
HRT can case blood clots.
Jean
jean34329 dawn_38361
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Has a bone profile been done? Have you been taking iron tablets?
Jean
dawn_38361 jean34329
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My gp wasnt worried about my legs from knee down as she said there is no varicose veins but its a bad aching that feels like my bones.
How are you anyway? are you feeling better? x
barbara98940 dawn_38361
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shellyC19 dawn_38361
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The metallic taste or feel can come from a medication you may be on. Some meds to fight cancer also can have that taste.
Give the LEVO time to work and it can take 6 -8 weeks to build up a level. Also this is just a suggestion, they do make Estrogen in a injectable form but this would mean you having to take injections. I think your body will adjust, it is just a shock to you now.
Do you have any circulation problems ? Your legs sounds like a blood circulation problem with the cold or freezing symptom. So that should be checked. They can do a doppler ultrasound.
I know how you feel, and I do hope that you can tackle some of the issues. Keep us all updated on how you do, we care!
XO Shelly