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Bingeing, muscle weakness and fatigue - Hypothyroidism

Posted , 10 users are following.

clairsb
clairsb

I'm feeling alone and not sure who to turn to ask and feeling like no one quite understands. My main concern is that sometimes when I get muscle weakness and feel tired, I start craving to eat and I can't stop myself even if I have already eaten well. Yesterday evening was the perfect example, Having eaten a full meal with vegetables, rice, noodles and chicken, I then followed it with a bowl of fruit with yoghurt. Very healthy, should have been enough. I then had a bowl of cereal with milk, handful after handful of cereal from the cupboard and other food I could lay my hands on. I managed to stop myself when the feeling of wanting to eat spoonfuls of sugar and golden syrup and sweets and chocolate out of the cupboard. I think felt overwhelming tiredness and ended up lying down unable to move all evening eventually falling asleep.

Today I am so shattered, I feel weak, tearful and tired and I have just been eating and eating all morning. I can't cope.

Please tell me other people get these hunger cravings ard tiredness and I am not alone. Please can you tell me what to do to make myself feel better?! Any advice welcome. Thanks in advance.

2 likes, 19 replies

19 Replies

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  • diane94845
    diane94845 clairsb

    Posted

    Hi Clairsb,  I havent been diagnosed with anything yet - blood tests are "ok" although I was told on Monday that my thyroid test was "at lowest end of normal" and I have to have it redone next month..  Anyway, I totally get where you are coming from, I have bursts of feeling extremely hungry, usually in the evening,  even though I know I have eaten well but its like an almost uncontrollable urge and very hard to stop.  LIke you, I find it worse when in pain and / or exhausted - Ive now realised when I feel that way Im better just heading up the stairs to read in bed when I get in from work as it is too much hassle to go back down to the kitchen to get food and normally I doze off into a restless sleep - I guess it is a part of the illness.  I hope you feel a bit better soon xx
  • jean34329
    jean34329 clairsb

    Posted

    Hi Clairsb

    I am the same. I have been told by a friend with hyper that craving sweet things is part of the condition of thyro disorder. 

    Everything you have described sounds very familiar to myself.  Hope this helps.

    Jean

  • christine1956
    christine1956 clairsb

    Posted

    Hi Clairsb

    I have had my thyroid removed and I am still trying to get help with all these symptoms, finding out you are not alone is the first step.  I have had muscle weakness and feelling so tired I want to lay down and sleep the day away, the eating is a little more than me but I feel I still want to eat after eating a meal - I had first typed I feel hungry after eating a meal - but I don't - I just want to eat, so maybe it is the Thyroxine.

    Have you been diagnosed with a thyroid problem?

    Christine

  • clairsb
    clairsb

    Posted

    Thank you everyone for your replies so far, it makes me feel slightly better. I've had hypothyroidism for a long time, about 11 years in fact. My need for thyroxine has crept up over the years, been adjusted back down and crept up again etc. Until last Friday I was on 125mg of levothyoxine every day. My latest blood test results (which I don't pretend to understand) have shown that my T4 levels are within range but almost at the upper level it possibly can be. The number that goes with that, which was a separate level (sorry I don't know what that was called) showed that my thyroid function is slightly suppressed suggesting over medication, so I have been reduced to 100mg of Levothyroxin every day.

    I had to virtually beg the gp for a blood test as I only had one in January which was fine. But since January 9th I have been dieting and lost a stone and have started exercising. I asked for the blood test as I had started feeling increasingly more awful, more fatigue, more muscle weakness, more brain fog, insomnia, this food bingeing, the list of little niggles just goes on and on.

    The doctor said that the blood test change was so minimal that I should not be feeling any symptoms. When I explained how I had been feeling he said that once that you have been diagnosed with a thyroid disfunction you will just randomly feel unexplainable symptoms from time to time.

    I know this is more than that. I'm struggling to function normally at times and I am so up and down. I just hope that the lower dose is going to make me feel better soon as I can't bear how I'm feeling. I've feel so bad today that I can't exercise, I'm over-eating and I keep sitting or lying down. My weight is starting to creep back up again, which is depressing on top of feeling rubbish any way.

    When you are mum of 4, this level of tiredness is just not practical! But it is helpful to know I am not alone and nice for me to voice how I feel!

     

    • mvwaugh
      mvwaugh clairsb

      Posted

      I thought I had just posted a reply but it appears not. Had similar problems to you 15 years ago. Blood test showing appropriate medication. Feeling like gorging on muesli, barley sugars etc in order to keep going. Eventually via web found a consultant Dr Toft an Endocrinologist in Scotland who believes in some cases patients feel much better on slightly reduced Thyroxine and an added small amount of Liothyronine. He has written a booklet available on Amazon, called understanding Throid disorders, under £10. It is very readable and he is a respected man in his profession as a past president of the British Thyroid Association. When I saw him a decade ago he lamented that GPs were reluctant to refer folk who didn't get better by just taking Thyroxine. My husband is also hypo but gets by with the level which is deemed appropriate to him.

      I hope this may prove helpful, you may have a battle ahead but unless you get better treatment you won't feel well. I am glad I persisted as without doing so I would still be bingeing and I have had 10 years of quality life. Maggie

    • clairsb
      clairsb mvwaugh

      Posted

      I will look into that book, thankyou for the suggestion. 
  • vivienne73186
    vivienne73186 clairsb

    Posted

    Hi

    It was intersesting to read your comment, as the symptons you describe are what I am experiencing. I've been on Thyroxine for 15 months, although I was only borderline under. Started on 50mg, increasing to 75mg, then to 100mg. Have been on 50 again for the last 3 months and feel awful. Can't stop eating sweet things, (unlike me). absolutely tired out, legs aching, can't get myself functioning. My latest blood tests have come back 'in range'. So something is wrong and I'm at a lost and in the meantime I'm not enjoying life. I've made an appointment to go back to GP next Wednesday to discuss. But I've been reading about taking medication in the evening rather than first thing on an empty stomach. Like you, I feel desperate and therefore will try anything to get rid of this awful feeling. I think it sometimes helps when you know you are not alone.

    • mvwaugh
      mvwaugh vivienne73186

      Posted

      I tinker about with timing of taking the thyroxine but really the only thing that has helped ling term has been taking the reduced T4 and having the little additional T4. One thing I also have done for many years is to regularly take my pulse. I know that when I am good my resting pulse is between 72-76beats per minute, when feeling bad it is below 70. Everyone's normalr resting pulse is different. My husbands is between 65-70 but below 65 he is not well.Maggie
    • clairsb
      clairsb vivienne73186

      Posted

      It will be interesting to hear what your GP says! I hope they can think of something helpful to suggest. I actually take my tablets last thing at night because it's the only time I can guarantee to remember! I hope you can get some answers.
  • Jill6969
    Jill6969 clairsb

    Posted

    Unfortunately the symptoms for under and over active thyroid can be very similar. Though much more likely after being on levothyroxine for a long time is that you are not converting the T4 (levo) to T3 very well. This is what would happen if your thyroid was functioning properly. T4 is just a carrier hormone - its actually T3 that does all the work going to every cell in your body. We also need a good level of certain vitamins and minerals for it to work well. Testing should really cover TSH, T4, T3 vit B12, D, folate and ferritin. If you have symptoms you are NOT...EVER correctly medicated.
    • clairsb
      clairsb Jill6969

      Posted

      This is what I would have thought. I don't like this fob you off, you will feel funny sometimes attitude. At the moment I am feeling rough several times a week. I would be interested to know how long a change in medication should take to make a difference to how you feel, it's only been 6 days since the Levothyoxine was lowered so I guess I shouldn't expect too much of a change. I've been told to go back for a blood test in July, I have the form already and I can see that they are only testing TSH & FT4, but perhaps they tested more last time.
    • jean34329
      jean34329 clairsb

      Posted

      I am unsure what tests should be done on a regular basis to monitor this condition.

      Today has been a very bad day and I feel I don't know what to do with myself. Everything is too much trouble.

      Jean

    • clairsb
      clairsb jean34329

      Posted

      I know what you mean, I have been useless today and feel like I have wasted and lost a will be a bettday. I just hope that tomorrow will be a better day for both of us!
    • jean34329
      jean34329 clairsb

      Posted

      Hi Clairsb

      Thanks. I hope so too.

      I just hope that my appt to see the endocrine surgeon comes through soon as i cannot stand feeling like this much longer. It is a horrible condition.

      I feel so tired.

      Sorry to be so miserable.

      Jeanx

    • jean34329
      jean34329 clairsb

      Posted

      Clairsb

      When did you find out that you had the thyroid condition?

       

    • jean34329
      jean34329 Jill6969

      Posted

      Hi Jill6969 and Clairsb

      Once again thanks for this info.

      Have you heard of Dr Izabella Wentz, Thyroid pharmacist?

      Jeanx

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