Tired crash

[Pastlives]

Hi,

I haven't posted for a while. I have Graves (since Oct last year) and was on 10 mg/20 mg Carbimazole alternate days. My levels connected to this dose, in February, were:

FT4 23.1 pmol/L High 10.5 pmol/L - 22 pmol/L 13/02/24

FT3 7.7 pmol/L High 3.1 pmol/L - 6.8 pmol/L 13/02/24

TSH <0.01 mIU/L Low 0.27 mIU/L - 4.2 mIU/L 13/02/24

However over the last few months I started to feel overwhelmingly tired - like the thermostat of Graves turned on and caused a huge fatigue crash - that would pass after about 10 mins. I would have these crashes frequently, I was taking Magnesium, and p5p and HRT. Mornings would start off ok. Then the crashes would happen. I tried Vit D and that helped a bit. I also started to see the crash coming on strong after sugar and tea so began to avoid these a bit. It helped to focus on protein - started eating a boiled egg after a few hours from breakfast - and loading lunch with protein. I was having micro gains with the tiredness. Finally contacted the Endo clinic and took a blood test:

FT4 11.5 pmol/L 10.5 pmol/L - 24.5 pmol/L 24/07/24

TSH 6.17 mU/L High 0.27 mU/L - 4.2 mU/L 24/07/24

Dr left a message on phone saying I needed to lower my dose, saying the dose I was on was too high and I was going towards hypo. Then a letter following call saying to take 10 mg in week and 20 mg at weekend. I had already reduced the dose to 10 mg and had begun to feel better - so wrote to them and said I wanted to only take 10 mg.

I wanted to share this as I feel I respond very quickly to Carbimazole - I had only been taking it a few weeks in December when I went from:

FT4 58.3pmol/L 18.12.23

FT3 27pmol/L 18.12.23

TSH <0.01miu/L 18.12.23

to

FT4 18.8pmol/L 8.1.24

FT3 7pmol/L 8.1.24

thyroid receptor antibody 6.34u/L (0-0.4) 8.1.24

A massive drop.

I feel the Dr doesn't really register this shift - also that they are happy to leave it long stretches between blood tests. My sister is a GP and she said you should test after 6 weeks on a new dose - so I will request a blood test.

Its hard to know if it is menopause or Graves - or how I eat - or work or life - but I started to think I had something else. However the adjustment in dose has reduced these crashes.

I can really feel when my thyroid is doing something - either trying to release hormone or being attacked by the antibodies - its normally in these moments - where I can feel a sensation in my throat and jaw and cheeks that the crash happens.

Other symptoms are a completely slowed metabolism - headaches - achy on waking.

Sharing this here in case helpful, but also to see if anyone has similar experience.

xx