HOW DOES.....

Disease modifying drugs affect thyroid medication? Does it inhance there performance or decrease its perfomance? - the GPs and Endos give nothing away, just expect you going down hill again I expect, then say your paranoid when you start feeling fat,constipated and moody and aching and stiff too-

[LavendarLady]

Hasn't affected mine at all. But might be worth you getting a blood test done to check your levels. LavendarLady x

[Hidden in reply to LavendarLady]

My endo is suppose to be up on all this - when I last saw my Rheumy nurse she told me my level were not right but my endo reckons I am?I still feel odd, I felt great at Christmas and really enjoyed it,ate whatever I wanted and still lost weight- however now it bit me on the bum, Im gaining whilst dieting so I reckon my levels are misbehaving again

[Hidden]

Well Reikimaster - I went to the thyroid HU and got totally fazed by the thought of having to think about even more stuff re my underactive thyroid so I've decided that it's better to be an ostrich on this one and hope my GPs know what they are doing with me. I'm not a scientist and these GPs and rheumy consultants and endos (don't have one of those) and gynaes are trained and paid handsomely to work it all out and if they don't then I'll just have to live with the consequences or die with them - we all go one day anyhow.

When I have my blood test results I will go in and tell them that I'm suffering from total fatigue and a wave of depression hitherto never experienced as well as getting freezingly cold on and off despite wearing tons of clothes - and that I don't know whether it's due to RA, my Menopause or thyroid disease, Reynaud's - or just a seasonal affected thing (SAD/ Vit D deficiency) or a mixture of the lot. I will ask if they can please double check everything plus an anual test for diabetes just to rule out all the obvious candidates that would be easy to remedy if bloods show up badly.

I have decided, after mentioning joining the other HU to my hubby - that I can't cope with any more info re my health as I will turn into the world's biggest health obsessive. I eat like a saint - under 1000 calories a day - never touch booze or chocolate or anything fattening and yet I'm stil told I'm obese by my Nintendo Wii everyday. I exercise for about 3 hours a week and walk the dog briskly for an hour a day so really feel that I'm doing all I can do to remedy the decline in health. If doctors say I can take MTX and Levothyroxine and all the other bits and bobs in between then I guess I'll just have to trust them and stop worrying. How does that sound to you? Sometimes it's just a case of info overload when you have all these things going wrong you just need to trust the people who are paid to keep you healthy is what I feel?

Take care TTx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi TT, I think under 1000 calories a day is too little to eat. If you dont enough then your body goes into a 'starvation' mode and can in fact harbour fat to protect major organs. Cut out fat and lower cards a bit, but eat more than that to get the metabolism going. I am not surprised you feel so tired!

I am also menopausal, but incredibly hot rather than cold, so I do know how you feel. Good luck at your appointment and getting the answers you need.

Pet xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

here here! Join SW you can eat like a horse and lose weight

[Hidden]

Thanks Pet - I'm maybe exagerating the little amount of calories I'm consuming but not much. You could be right although I don't know how else to go about continuing weight loss? I'm still over 2 stone overweight and I haven't eaten a chocolate bar since last April or anything greasy or bad. I have lost 2 and half stone but it's just levelled off for ages now and only dropped when I got a really dodgy tummy for 3 weeks - now blocked up and weight back up. I am wondering whether it mightn't all be thyroid related having read a bit more about hypothyroidsm now. When the RA pain is bad I find I focus on distracting myself and am strangely upbeat and energised. When I am virtually pain free, as now, I feel ridiculously low and tired which makes no sense at all. I just know that I can't really think about all this health stuff too much more because it'll send me mad - just got to find a way of enjoying the present pain-free place and not worrying about what is round the corner re flares or pain - just hope that at last the MTX has maybe kicked in for me and give myself a break from dieting and exercising. Thanks!

TTx

[Charlie36]

I am in my 60's. I have had ra for 20 years. Underactive thyroid for 18. Allergies since my 20's which just went into more catagories like antibiotics etc as well as chemicals. I have been on enbrel (brilliant) now on Rituximab. Working quite well ("fingers crossed"). Cancer 20 months ago. Please please, stop driving your selves potty! The internet is like a diary, most people only mention the down or worst things, the unlikely things. Its like the medication you take, it lists side affects that can frighten the hell out of you but in reality the stats are you will be fine! The menophause will pass, hopefully your throxoid and ra will be treated successfully and if you are a little overweight.......well, if you are aware of it and its a real problem for you then you are intelligent enough to know what to do about it. If not then then accept you might just be meant to be just a cuddly woman! My advice to myself at 40 would be "get on an anti-tnf or DMARD asap with the ra. Get a decent GP to monitor the thryoid and to talk too and think where you want to go in the next 10 years". You must be your own "best friend", look after yourself . Life is for living not worrying yourself sick and adding to your stress levels. I really belive worrying makes you ill, grief, sadness, stress too. Superwoman aint home anymore!

Charlie x

[Hidden]

Yes Charlie that's music to my ears! I agree with every word and decided earlier to just put this in my GP's hands - he's good if a bit generalistic - and just ask for info re thyroid and tests re tiredness, depression and coldness because I am really sure they are all linked to RA or Thyroid - or possibly menopause or Vitamin D deficiency and sure if I give a small pointer he'll pick up the mantle. I just want to live my life and be an artist, parent and partner and the rest just has to fit in around things. I would never bother again with SW (or Scottish Slimmers) because once again that means focussing far too much on calorie counting and eating and I'm enjoying being very disciplined about food - it's something I can have control over at least.

I'm not starving myself as in dieting, but have really lost my interest in food - especially rich sugary or fatty stuff, since the RA kicked off. The way I see it losing weight is my lemonade to the lemons I've landed re autoimmune disorders. Like you Charlie I have spent a lot of my life dealing with allergies and now they've all gone away so thats pretty good. I look a whole lot better since I lost weight and got my act together re daily exercise so maybe RA was the wake up call I needed to take stock? I only mentioned the weight business to show how we have to take control over our own destinies to a degree and if other crap lands then we know we've done our best at least.

The thyroid problem is dealt with by my GP and I take the amount of thyroxine prescribed and he tests me every year and that's good enough for me. But if your GP isn't listening to you Reikimaster then I suggest you find another who will? TTx