Is it the weather?

[beanyjeany]

I have had Hashimotos for the last four years. Mostly I feel well on 125mcg Thyroxine. This summer in particular I have felt really well!! However, over the last few days, temperatures have dropped here in the Midlands, and it's rained non stop. And I feel lousy, exhausted with joint and muscle pains. Been really miserable. Could it be the weather or am I having a 'relapse'????

[Hidden]

Well this is my theory.......and it's just a theory!

You possibly spend most of the time underdosed on your levothyroxine except when you get really great hot weather and your metabolism speeds up.......then you end up on the correct dose because meds +raised metabolism has improved symptoms.

The weather goes cooler ....... Metabolism slows....... Meds inadequate again.

When I go to a hot country I usually have to lower the dosage of my NDT because I feel over medicated. When I return home I put the dosage up again.

Xx

[gabkad in reply to Hidden]

joesmum, I think it's the sunshine or lack thereof. The sunshine stimulates the pineal gland which 'talks' to the hypothalamus which does it's own thing but also 'talks' to the pituitary. Lack of sunshine can really super affect how we feel. And cool, humid, rainy weather plus the barometric pressure changes on the body = PAIN if there's already something festering. The endorphins crash.

I know, even undertreated, when I spend a couple of weeks in the Caribbean with all that sunshine, my energy gets a major boost. Then I come back to the dark and a few weeks later it's crash time. I thought a few years ago that going south for 2 weeks in September would give me a boost for winter. I think by January/February I was actually worse off than if I hadn't gone south at all. It was really disappointing.

[Hidden in reply to gabkad]

Interestingly .....the Caribbean is the only place where I feel truly well!!!

That's the answer......let's emigrate!!

Xx

[Sue777]

Hi I am the same. Felt quite well during the really hot weather but my symptoms have been returning over the past couple of weeks since the temperature dropped. Finding it very hard to wake up in the mornings which was one of my first original symptoms. I don't hold out much hope of my GP increasing my Levo but as I have a supply of 25mcg tablets I have started adding them to my daily 100mcg and will give it 6 weeks to see if I feel any better. I will monitor for hyper symptoms. X

[beanyjeany]

Thanks folks, Its nice to know its not just me!! We need to move to somewhere that has constant sunshine then!

[TSH110]

I lived in Africa for 3 years just 2 degrees from the equator and my body ran like a well oiled clock! We evolved in that region and I presume still function optimally there. I understand the levels of thyroid disorder are low here. Look at the adaptations in the human race to survive in less ideal locations - white skin to allow enough sunshine to be absorbed to allow enough vitamin D to be made in Northern reaches. I love hot sunny weather and feel very glum in the winter. We weren't designed to be living in cold damp places but I must give credit to humanity's ingenuity at being adaptable enough to be able to do so, but I believe we have paid the price for it.

This blog broaching the matter on a molecular level is interesting:

evolutionarypsychiatry.blog...

[Hidden]

Your Vitamin D supply (sunshine) has been cut off. Perhaps that's got something to do with it?