This is a somewhat embarrassing and sensitive subject, but as the title says, I could do with some help!
Over the past 18 months my libido has been very high. Throughout 6 years of being ill it had always been pretty much the same as it was prior to being ill, which I guess was just normal, but now it's gone through the roof. I've read that this can be a symptom of hyperthyroid, and that would go with a lot of my other symptoms (low weight, very thinning hair, racing thoughts, pounding heart etc.) but my TSH has always been between 1-2 and FT3 and FT4 constantly within the ranges too. Just wondering if anyone else has experience of a very high libido/sex drive and it's connection to the thyroid? Should I be looking at hyperthyroid as a serious cause of this or is likely to be coming from something else?
The other issue I'm getting is very, very weird, and I was just hoping to see if anyone else had ever suffered with anything like it. After having an orgasm, a few days later I feel much worse. I become more inflamed, my muscles are very tight, I get constipation, and just generally feel a lot worse. The funny thing is that I get all those exact same symptoms after anything that stresses me, be it mental or physical. So when I get really nervous about going to a medical appointment then I almost always get the same symptoms as after having an orgasm. Ditto for doing anything remotely physically straining or taxing. All of them are a few days later and very similar in their nature. The only connection I can come up with is adrenaline/cortisol, or some sort of stress hormone, as I think they are the only things that would be released during those 3 separate circumstances. Basically adrenaline or cortisol increase seem to cause me a whole host of problems. Assuming I'm right about it being those hormones of course.
Really hope I can figure this out as having a raging libido and getting even more ill when you do the only you can to stop or at least get some relief from it is horrible. It's either feel even worse (when you already feel terrible) or be ridiculously frustrated.
So has anyone else had any experience with this in regards to thyroid, or any illness? Or just any thoughts would be great! And apologies again if this is a case of too much information. I wouldn't be posting it unless I was in desperate need of some answers!
Thanks!
(not sure if it makes any difference, but if my username seems a bit ambiguous, I'm male!)
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omron
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Hmmm. Like some other people on here, I have hypo symptoms with low TSH and low weight (I think I don't convert T3 - my T4 is OK). That gives me the opposite to you - like Boy George, mostly I'd rather have a cup of tea. But since starting T3 only, once I get started I can get quite enthusiastic (have even woken up feeling - er - quite unnecessary...)
What's the point of telling you that?
Well, it seems ot be related to my T3 levels. So, Is your T3 very high in the range? Also what's your testosterone level like?
I found orgasm was the best cure for migraine, so probably the opposite reaction. I have cortisol at the bottom of the range, but in the right pattern and also can't do stress at all.
reallyfedup123 - Ha! If it wasn't really frustrating I'd be super chuffed about it. If I do ever get it sorted then I quite hope the libido sticks around.. not the worst symptom on it's own!
overnighthearingloss - unfortunately I've been ill for 6 and a half years now and am a total mystery to doctors. They just tend to want to get rid of me as I'm too confusing and, from what I can gather, a nuisance. So they're not much use to me.
Hypnoteq - I'd read that and it was one of the things that made me think it could be hyperthyroid. However I also have a lot of hypothyroid symptoms too - very low temp (36.0 C), low blood pressure, weakness, fatigue, lack of sweating, dry mouth, bloating and wind, very thinning hair and loads more. Can you have both hypo and hyper at the same time.. or at least a lot of symptoms from both? I've seen stuff about swinging back and forth but I have all the symptoms together at the same time. As I said, TSH has always been between 1-2, FT3 - 4.8 (Range 3.5-6.5) and FT4 - 19.4 (Range 12-22). They all on the face of it look ok.
And just in case anyone might know - is there any other illness known to increase libido?
If you google incresed libido the right diagnosis page comed up with 14 conditions some of which mention cortisol. Also have you changed medications as sometimes this can be a cause
Everything seems to be unreliable in my case then on the odd occasion I will get a great day and over do it which results in that 'off the planet for a few days' thing.
As you're male you may have a problem which means your tsh doesnt reflect your thyroid status. See... mcgill.ca/channels/news/new...
It s possible to have both hypo and hyper symptoms, which must be pretty rubbish... Its not as if they cancel each other out.
The stress thing sounds like adrenals.... Well worth getting a saliva test done. About £70 from Genova but if the adrenals are not working well nothing seems to go right.
Have you ever had your thyroid antibodies checked? I believe it is possible to have Graves antibodies (which send you hyper) and Hashimotos antibodies (which make you hypo) at the same time. (These are my names for the types of antibodies, not the medical ones - I can't remember the acronyms). Hope you find a cure to your problems soon!
I think you should have a couple of things checked; your thyroid antibodies. cortisol and DHEA. I have Hashimoto's and when my thyroid was completely shutting down, I would have these swings. I would wake up having vivid sexual dreams (I would think something similar to wet dreams). It was so strange because I couldn't see anything that prompted it. I am female, so my doctor thought it might be early menopause, but everything in that area came back normal. At first my husband was happy, but then he became confused when I was exhausted (almost to the point of being non-functional) for the next few days. Even though my drive was very high, I began dreading the after effects, which took most of the enjoyment out of it.
Have you had your testosterone checked? This is the hormone that makes you randy and men have a much higher concentration in their bodies than women. I think the hyperthalamus signals the pituatary which then sends a chemical signal to the testes to make testosterone. I think a small amount is made by the adrenal glands but your body also increases the production of testosterone in response to visual stimuli.
As regards your increased libido I'm stumped! In my case my libido has flat lined and I'd rather have a cuppa than get jiggy with my hubby, I'm so knackered afterwards and how you feel afterwards is similar to me.
I hope you get your answers soon as I can understand you feeling fed up with it all.
I'm going through the same precise problem but I've not had the TSHs tested so far.
I believe I'll also have to get my thyroid antibodies, cortisol, testosteron and DHEA tested.
So it will certainly help me if you can share the solution or the exact cause for the problem, if you've found.
As TT has mentioned, for me, the stimuli are even some thoughts and are much more pronounced. Other symptoms are also as mentioned, racing thoughts, pounding heart, panic attacks, dry mouth and so on.
Sorry for the delayed and late reply. Unfortunately I still haven't found a solution and am still looking, so if you find anything that might help I'd be really interested.
In my case TSH is very much in normal range. Vitamin B12 is in insufficient range and Vitamin D is very deficient. I'm a vegetarian. So lower Vitamin B12 is expected but I'm not sure about lower Vitamin D. I'm currently on B12 and D supplements. I believe my fatigue and irritability problems should be resolved with that.
However, I've been able to overcome excessive libido/orgasms problem to some extent by avoiding certain triggers and with the help of meditation.
I also face the problem of soreness in genitals-groin region immediately after ejaculation. I'm planning to get that test done as well.
I've also read that Candida yeast overgrowth also can result in similar symptoms.
I HAVE THE SAME THING GOING ON MY THYRIOD IS SO OVERACTIVE AMD CAUSING MY WHOLE BODY TO BE SUPER ACTIVE NO CURE MAN NO CURE MEDICATION DONT WORK AT ALL
Sounds like Hashimotos Thyroiditis to me. I have Hashi and am medicated on 125mg Levoythoxine. I have previously experienced real extremes in swings of energy, libido, and mental health levels, partuculaly after a lot of exertion.
My poor husband was either very happy or ignored and confused.
I have found a gluten free diet, optimum supps and pacing myself brings a more steady level of energy and positivity to my life. (Well....for the moment anyway.)
After suffering from atrial fibrillation for 7 years, I was diagnosed with a hyperthyroid due to Graves Disease about 2 months ago although the Graves hadn't shown on any tests done over all those years. After medication for 2 months, the FT4 had gone down from 48 to 5.6 and TSH up from <0.05 to 1.2 so they reduced my medication. I hadn't had any atrial fibrillation for about 2 weeks when my medication was reduced. My sex drive has been about the same during all this time. After my 2 weeks of regular heartbeats, I had an orgasm and the next day my heart went into atrial fibrillation which lasted about 4 hours. So we gave it a rest for a couple of weeks and tried again. It went back into atrial fibrillation a couple of hours after. My husband is scared to go near me now. Has anyone else had the same sort of problem?
I also have high libido . Have been masterbating 3-4 times per week usually, and constantly wanting sex. I feel good though after, don't get symptoms like yours. That being said, I am basically bedroom bound, really weak, cold, fatigued among other issues. Blood tests for thyroid seem ok. Similar to yours though TSH sometimes slightly over 2 and FT4 usually around 14-15. Ft3 4.2-4.8. Was wondering if I should trial thyroid hormones but not sure since most hypothyroid people seem to have low or no libido. A saliva test showed low morning cortisol.
This is exactly what happens to me but I judge my need to return for blood tests by my skin dryness and hair loss because after recovery I tend to stabilise within reason until I next exert myself.
I stumble on this site due to the same embarassing issue. Diagnosed wt hyperthyroid in June after severe fever and other prolonged symptoms. Anyway after reading this sharing I probably will speak to the doctor bout the meds as being a widow is really not helping me and I feel tensed and unable to sleep everytime the urges come on. Thanks for the group sharing.
Thank G-d, I am not going crazy. I am a sixty-seven year old female. Your symptoms as a male eerily mirror my own. I have had no sex drive for the last few years. About 3 weeks ago, I started taking Synthroid for an under-active thyroid. It was amazing that after a couple of weeks I had more energy than I had in years. Then I noticed, to my delight, that my libido was perking up again. Except it did more than that, I was in a state of constant arousal and started to feel "engorged" and uncomfortable with the continual sensation in my genital area. I did not quite understand what was happening and thought it would pass. But it is now 3 days and it has become painful enough that I had to take some Advil. I called my 2 doctors today and reported what was happening. They both said they had never heard about this side effect of the drug and I believe them and trust them. Needless to say, I am wondering if they think I am making this thing up and I feel pretty embarrassed.
I am lowering the dosage from 75 to 50mg as I loathe stopping altogether because it has given so much energy and has made me feel so alive.
I wonder if there are more women who have experienced the same thing.
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