Problems with hypothyroid and monthly cycle and also sinuses, anyone have any advice or experiencing similar?

[Melissa76]

Hello everyone, I am glad this site is working again, I've been feeling quite well for the last 10 days or so (weather related? maybe) but I think my menstrual cycle might be causing the worst of my thyroid symptoms during that time of the month. I feel absolutely terrible at this time, I did last month and I'm now dreading it as its coming round again and I've been feeling so good recently. I have blood tests on monday and back to see Dr (i'm actually seeing a nurse practitioner but its quicker to type Dr) the week after so I will tell her about it then!

I am mainly asking the question to find out if anyone else suffers greatly at this time of the month and if there is any advice I could get from anyone.

I have mentioned sinuses in my question too, which is also something that bothers me, one of my ears is blocked with it too, this started 5 years ago when i stopped smoking and i have never really recovered, also wondered if anyone could advise me about any kind of relief for this?

Thank you for reading, this site helped me so much a few weeks ago when i was feeling really low, i hope you are all feeling ok

Melissa x

[Moggie]

First you might want to get your iron checked as this can be low anyway with thyroid problems and when you are still having your monthly's AND you have thyroid problems you will feel really awful.

Secondly, a lot of thyroid suffers have sinus troubles. My only relief from this was when I was on a T3/T4 combo but had to stop this due to other issues and my sinus troubles are now back again which leads me to believe that you need optimum levels of T3 in your cells to find any permanent relief. I tend to buy Tesco's or Asda's own brand sinus relief capsules as they are a lot less expensive than the named brands but I take them well away from my thyroid meds as decongestants and thyroid meds don't mix and anti-histamine's are definitely not good taken anywhere near your thyroid meds.

Moggie x

[Melissa76 in reply to Moggie]

Thanks Moggie,

I will definitely mention to my NP about iron, I went through the mill last month with it, i thought that was me for the rest of my life lol

Yes i used to have steroid sprays for my sinuses, beconase i think it was called? i remember it well... someone on my facebook has been recommending a natural sinus remedy which is 100% sea water as far as i can gather from the brief glance of it I had. I may try this first as i would rather keep away from decongestants if possible, especially with being newly diagnosed and wanting to get my levels right.

Thanks again, I've done a brief search about menstrual problems, this disease isn't the best for concentrating so maybe I've been a bit lazy just posting first! Honestly, I stopped watching tv and reading books etc because i can't concentrate for more than 5 mins lol

Melissa x

[Melissa76 in reply to Melissa76]

Also, brain fog strikes and I feel like none of that made any sense! Apologies in advance :S

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Melissa76]

Hi

I started a reply to you ages ago and managed to lose it before I posted it. I keep doing that.

Anyway what I said was that I used to have so many bouts of sinusitis. I had loads of courses of antibiotics, had to be strong ones too, I used to go from the doctor to the dentist because it felt like toothache , my cheeks and eyes felt like someone had smacked me in the face. I also had earaches, and frequently had my ears syringed.

In the end I bought a cheap facial sauna from Argos and steamed my face regularly, you can do it with a bowl of water and a towel but this was cheap and much safer. I bought a NeilMed sinus kit - salt water sachets and a very squeezy bottle - from Amazon but you can get them anywhere now and I noticed the pharmacy in the hospital giving one out when I was collecting my last prescription so someone there was obviously prescribing them. It looks grim when you watch the youtube video but it works and it isn't nearly as bad as it looks! I think the steam was what made the most difference. I also had a weird sensation on the left side of my face, between my eye and ear, a kind of throbbing, can't remember what I was tested for but I was given steroids while I waited for the results which were ok and I stopped the steroids.

then in November last year I was diagnosed and treated for Graves and I haven't had sinus problems since.

I used to use one of those little Vicks things that you put into your nose and sniff, and at night I also used to rub on Vicks mentholated stuff and go under the bedclothes. I have high-ish blood pressure so I avoided the commercial decongestants you can buy. Oh and I used eye drops for dry eyes to keep them more comfortable which seemed to help too - and hot compresses.

Good luck - sinusitis is just absolutely horrible.

Liz

[Hidden in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Its astounding how the thyroid can effect functions. I was given a diagnosis in March. My numbers swung wildly for about a month and I took several blood tests first. Nausea, vomiting, extreme vertigo to the point that I could not stand up and thought I was having a stroke, exhaustion, weakness ( had to pull myself up with both hands if getting something off the floor) Brain fog, etc. Oh yeah, and sometimes insomnia. So I never knew how I was going to feel when I got up each day. Now that I am on meds AND retired my symptoms have almost subsided, with the exception of hoarse voice.

Dr. thinks that the frequent uris and sinus and ear infections could also have been symptomatic. All I know is that when there was a lot of stress every symptom got worse!So yes, I believe sinus can be affected,

[Clarebear]

I wonder if this is thyroid/adrenal related? When I first went onto Armour and was on too low a dose, I noticed that my symptoms were much worse at that time of the month. The symptoms that I had were anxiety, vertigo and a feeling as though there was something blocking my sinuses - in fact I'm sure that the vertigo/sinus thing was linked. I am now on a much better dose of Armour and all of these symptoms are gone (well except the anxiety which does creep back from time to time).

Do you think that you are on an adequate dose of thyroxine? and do you have any recent blood tests that you could post on here? I also wonder if it would be worth you doing the adrenal saliva test? xx

[Moggie in reply to Clarebear]

I can certainly relate to this - I had been vertigo free for the last year or so (especially when I was on T3 - which I had to stop) but had to drop my T4 a few weeks ago to stop yet more heart palps. I dropped from 125mcg's down to 100mcg's and within two days the palps stopped. I have stayed on that dose for about a month but, although I don't seem to have any other hypo symptoms, my vertigo and sinus trouble has come back so I have increase to 112.5mcg's and its slowly getting better. I had almost forgot the awful feeling vertigo can give you but this recent bout was a sharp reminder.

Moggie x

Moggie x

[Hidden in reply to Moggie]

wow, that is great news on the vertigo. Did anyone else have it to the degree that you couldn't stand up and had to have support (wall, back of chair) just to get out of bed?

[PinkNinja]

I found taking magnesium at night helps with the pain. I put olbas oil on a tissue inside my pillow case for my sinuses. It does seem to help. You have to do it as soon as you notice the beginnings of sinus problems and then you might find that you can prevent it getting too bad.

It would be a good idea to get checked out by the doctor for the things mentioned by the others. Iron particularly and you thyroid hormone levels. Your sinus trouble could be aggravated by inadequate thyroxine levels.

Hope you find some relief soon!

Carolyn x

[Clarebear in reply to PinkNinja]

Yes your olbas oil tip helped me Carolyn I also invested in the pastilles which seemed to help too. Xx

[PinkNinja in reply to Clarebear]

The pastilles are great if you're bunged up. I have a packet in my handbag all the time

[Clarebear in reply to PinkNinja]

I did too but they all ended up in the bottom of my handbag xx

[PinkNinja in reply to Clarebear]

Mine did the first time. I put them in a tiny tupperware container now. All that sugar in the bottom was a nightmare! Lol.

[MacG]

Hi Melissa,

Really sorry to hear you are struggling like this. Your question caught my eye, because I thought me too!!

I am particularly interested, however, in what you say about feeling dreadful around that time of the month. Do you mind me asking what your symptoms are? Is it PMT related?? For reference, it was actually what I thought were dreadful "hormonal" symptoms that were flooring me for at least a couple of days every month- headache that painkillers just wouldn't touch, and weak and confused and feeling really hypoglycaemic - that were, I think, among the most distressing symptoms of my hypothyroidism immediately prior to diagnosis.

Re. the PMT problems - as the thyroxine has started to kick in I have noticed that these have started to reduce (diagnosed in Jan as hypo). But have also been taking iron, as by the time I was diagnosed I was also very anaemic. Others have advised you get this checked. Don't know how old you are, but I also found "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about the Premenopause" by John Lee helpful. Others have mentioned having adrenals checked - I did, and yes it did turn out that I had problems with those too.

This is a very non-tech observation, but I think you do suffer badly from hormonal ups-and-downs when your system (thyroid/adrenals etc....) are out of kilter.

Also watching my diet really closely - really have to eat carefully as my period approaches - lots of low GI, slow release energy. Had a good diet before, but then I made it better and keep having to step it up another gear. Find that I just have to take REALLY REALLY good care of myself. Not always easy when you are working.

Do have other thoughts/ideas, but a bit short of time this evening...would be interested to discuss further....

[Happy-go-lucky]

Hi Melissa I feel your pain hunny. I have had bad sinus problems since being diagnosed, get headaches with it and feel dizzy. It's awful and I am a 100 times worse around and during my periods. I get really anxious too. I starting taking evening primrose a month ago and I take it in the night along with steriod nose spray for sinus relief. I am going to start taking vitamin b and c. As this helps with adrenal glands and energy. I hope you feel better soon. Erica xx

[Amber12345]

Hiya since as long as I can remember since being hypo my sinus was bad terrible post nasal drip daily. I have cut out gluten and wheat and make sure my levels are as good as possible which has helped but still a daily issue although not as bad.