How many of you recognise this ?

[ThyroidHell]

Thyroid patiens , especially hypothyroid patients , are on the lookout for silence and peace. They do not thrive in an active and a noisy environment, and they usually have a very low tolerance for loud noises. They tend to go to places or situations where they can calmly sink into our own thoughts and solitude. People who suffer hypothyroidism can easily distance themselves from friends, and they are reluctant to speak much, or the source away from his home. They can lose all motivation to interact with their partners. Generally speaking, the hypothyroid sufferers just want to be alone. They want to sleep all the time and don't usually plan any activities because of this.

[greenginger]

To be fair this also cover hyper sufferers too.

[helvella Administrator]

The trouble with peace and silence is the tinnitus.

Rod

[lisabax in reply to helvella]

Hear hear (or perhaps not!)

[helvella Administrator in reply to lisabax]

I'll put up with the puns if it silences the big T!

[nightingale-56 in reply to helvella]

But, at least I don't have to answer the tinnitus! Janet.

[Margo in reply to helvella]

Agreed, helvella.

[cookiecole]

This sounds so like me, gill

[Zephyrbear]

I must be quite unusual and very lucky because I cannot tolerate silence at all (unless I'm trying to fall asleep), I interact with my grandchildren all the time as well as my hubby. I am quite happy in my own company and I can usually be found working away in my studio (I'm a self-employed artist) but I have to have either rock or classical music on quite loudly (thankfully I live up the side of a Welsh hillside sans neighbours) and my dog is always by my side. I have been studying a BA (Hons) degree in History & Creative Writing for the last two years. I'm about to start my final year and I've had an absolute blast, as well as making some very good friends along the way too. I will freely admit that without my star of an endo who put me on a T3/T4 combo therapy nearly three years ago, I would probably still be quite lethargic and beset by brainfog, but even then I was never one for silence...

[bantam12]

I'm with you Zephyrbear, we have a very busy noisy home, lots of animals, telly on in at least 2 rooms and teenagers playing various tuneless CDs. I also work from home and always have some noise on . I love going to visit friends and can talk for England ! I don't like silence and hate coming back to a quiet empty house, first thing I do is switch on the telly.

I suppose as with most things we are all different but I have 5 immediate family members with thyroid disease and I can honestly say we are all busy busy sociable fairly noisy people.

[marram]

I cannot bear constant noise, I never play music except to listen to it. I hate going into the garden if our neighbours are out too, because they never stop making noise!

Yet when I was younger before my TT when I was pretty hyper, I loved noise.

[Hidden in reply to marram]

I'm with you Marram, loud noise is my biggest bugbear, can't tolerate people with loud voices, hate supermarkets, can't stand hubby asking me questions in the morning, just want silence first thing. Don't particularly want to sleep all day though, but even the doctors surgery, if it is busy, really gets on my nerves and I just want to get away.

[Maqh in reply to Hidden]

This made me smile because I can't stand my hubby asking me questions in the morning and just want quiet. I don't like loud noises and busy places and quite often when I make the effort to shop or such like I give up and just want to get home.

[Hidden in reply to Maqh]

I must have quiet in the mornings too , never been a morning person

[France1]

Since all this started and through the hyper and hypo I have found I need calm and quiet. At some points I would not be able to cope with TV. I am terrible with bangs and crashes and I think this is partly to do with increased anxiety. If my husband offers to cook - I almost need therapy as he makes so much noise and it sounds like a war zone (and ends up looking like one). I avoid large groups where it is noisy partly because of the noise itself but also as my voice is so much weaker since a TT that I cannot be heard and I don't like concentrating on so many conversations and fear I may appear stupid.

[ThyroidHell in reply to France1]

I actually don't want to go anywhere :o(

[ThyroidHell in reply to ThyroidHell]

and I know about the voice , can't call the cat anymore after my TT

[glo42]

I most definitely can recognize myself as I love nothing better than the sound of silence (bliss!) Doesn't happen very often but like most thyroid sufferers I forever live in hope lol.

[ThyroidHell in reply to glo42]

If I receive a party invitation it fills me with dread, I don't drink at all and can't think anything more boring than watch people get pissed and then talk to me in their drunken stupor

[sarahstevenson]

Oh yes especially when I am under- medicated or at least noise of my own choosing to block out rubbish noise.

Like thyroid hell I don't drink as any wine at all leaves me asleep in a corner - Guiness at a half pint seems OK thank goodness.

My son is the same, aged 29, finding it impossible to find employment which suits i.e. not in a city and with quiet affordable accommodation - so frustrating for a very able friendly but isolated young man. His current noisy office is in an even noisier city centre and the travel is a real pain too. His solution was to be a writer and he has a few technical books to his name but then in creeps social isolation- a difficult balance indeed.

[Polaris in reply to sarahstevenson]

All these posts put me in mind of Susan Cain's excellent book and TED lecture 'Quiet - The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking' (Amazon and UTube). Guaranteed to make you feel better about being hypothyroid, an introvert or both !

Amongst other things, she talks about the nightmare of open plan offices and how the brain chemistry differs in introverts.

''An extraordinary book that will change for ever the way society views introverts".

[Hidden in reply to Polaris]

I thought why id become quieter was that I had finally grown up Polaris perhaps its a combo - Studied much psychology since 10 years ago, so made changes to my personality which did need sorting

[Polaris in reply to Hidden]

Yes, cgh, it's never that simple is it....we have to look at our own shadow but introverts tend to do that more, I think... maybe too much. Having learned a lot and yes, finally grown up after various mid life crises, marital breakdown, etc. I wondered how I could have been so blind before !

Delved into psychology in the process too...fascinating.

Wishing you a v. happy life too.

[nicolajane]

My personality has definitely changed since having thyroid disease. I have become much more introverted and I find any noise extremely irritating. I live alone (with my dog!), have been single for over 5 years and although I do have lonely times I can honestly say I've never felt desperate to find a partner. I'm sure other people must think this is very strange.......I actively avoid going out anywhere on Saturdays and school holidays because i have no patience for crowds and noise......I regularly fantasise about living on a remote Scottish island!

[Joyia in reply to nicolajane]

Me too nicolajane, I have been glued to the tv programme on wildlife in the Hebrides.....

[CamillaB]

I used to be a lot more sociable but I try and avoid situations where I have to make conversation because it's such a struggle with the brain fog! My mind just won't work quickly enough. I know my boyfriend gets frustrated with this as it affects our level of conversation. Doing my job is hard too because I need to retain a lot of info about building construction methods, detailing, planning laws etc and my mental capacity is shocking compared to what it used to be. I hope I get fixed soon!

[Hidden in reply to CamillaB]

I am more sociable since my ex left - My partner left me when I was just in the process of recovery, I had found a solution I was on NDT and I was making massive progress from what I believe I have, a thyroid hormone conversion problem of T4 to T3 - It was a very unkind thing he did to leave me whilst I was ill. He had a horrid addiction so I guess I am better off without him , the addiction being the same as Michael Douglass I am happier on my own, than the copious stress he caused me, and in turn made my health far worse - Since being on the NDT I have lost heaps of weight, which Im so glad about , last year I was the biggest Id ever been in my entire life , Im normally a small 12 before I got ill- I truly believe I allowed my ex to make me so ill , my metabolism wasn't working properly hence I piled on the pounds , now my ex has left , I have lost the weight - Happy days, its OK being alone, and better to have people in ones life who are kind and sincere

[ThyroidHell in reply to Hidden]

What is NDT ?

[tegz in reply to ThyroidHell]

Natural dessicated Thyroid [Prepared animal glands] It can have all the thyroid hormones in it, unlike synthetics.

[ThyroidHell in reply to tegz]

I understand that this was used years ago as the only medication? Why don't they use it now except under special licence?

[Hidden in reply to ThyroidHell]

Its not licensed ,but pretty good stuff

[tegz in reply to ThyroidHell]

Levothyroxin was supposed to replace it - but it only suits so many users [I think ~50% are 'OK' on it - but I dion;t think it's evaluated overmuch for some strange reason....]

The rest have 'to whistle' in the NHS -unless they get a friendly Endo or private source who will handle anything with T3 in it.

It's much more active; but NHS neglected to do studies on why people don't do well on T4.

As it's the only cleared drug for thyroid replacement [T4] - you can see why!

[ThyroidHell in reply to tegz]

As I am a finnish in england I also follow the Finnish sites for thyroid. There is an uproar at the moment and thyroid treatments are strongly in the news there. Armour is on special licence, only handful of doctors are allowed to give it to the patients. People travel hundreds of miles for specialists appointments and pay hundreds of euros for privat Endos , all the blood tests you have to pay yourself and of course the medication ( normal thyroxine ) cost too. Patients there have to pay for all even for hospital stays in a general hospitals.They get back some from national health insurance but its pittance. Just bloody awful. Finland always boasts that their health service is one of the best in the world but looking at other european countries I would say it got lot to be desired! They might be good at research and discovering but at the patient level is total rubbish.

[Polaris in reply to Hidden]

So agree with you. I've been on my own for a long time now but have found peace and am so grateful for the wonderful, supportive friends made along the way. I was lonelier in the marriage than now.

I wonder how many of us feel the long term stress of being with the wrong partner has made them ill?

[Hidden in reply to Polaris]

We can relate , I wish you well Polaris and much happiness

[katherine107]

I have definitely changed since having under active thyroid 15 years ago. Has gradually got worse. Can't stand noise. I crave for piece and quiet. Have 7 grandchildren and find it so difficult if they come and visit. Hate supermarkets' any social events. Husband does not understand, so there are problems there. I do feel isolated and lonely but get irritable and depressed if loud noises

[tegz]

When energy is low, high maintenance people do tend to become hard work!

Otherwise, I'm still the same lovable rogue and find people good company.. :~/

[Hidden in reply to tegz]

My ex was high maintenance Co dependant and Sex addict , cant get much more high maintenance than that

[Margo]

Yep, that's me too.

I just crave the company of animals, because people and their noise irritate me. Even the television, and the certain way people speak, makes me so irritable. Oh dear!

[ThyroidHell]

Oh Me too , I just love my home and 3 cats :o)

[Rosa50 in reply to ThyroidHell]

Oh Thyroid hell you have just written words that tell my story completely. I think at times I am losing my mind.

[honeybea22]

This sounds just like me, plus the noise in my ears drives me mad x