Feeling like I'll die

[jillann]

Hi Everyone, has anyone out there ever felt like they were going to faint because of their thyroid condition? I had a terrible experience while riding the bus to work this morning. I thought for sure I would pass right out. I know a lot of negative things have been building up in my mind. I thought I was going to die. This happened a few weeks ago. My body temp in the morning is 96.5 which I know is a low thyroid. I have hypothyroidism. By the evening my body temp is 98.5. Does this make any sense? Your advise is very much appreciated.

[Heloise]

jillann, I definitely believe your body gives you signals letting you know if something is wrong. Are you taking hormone now and do you feel you have reached your optimal dose? I also think your body is always trying to heal and it's quite normal that you may feel normal at some times and other times quite sick. I hope you are getting some treatment.

You mentioned foods to eat and coconut oil would be good to incorporate if you can. Stay away from soy and cruciferous vegetables like raw cabbage, etc.

[jillann in reply to Heloise]

Thanks. I've read a lot about coconut oil. I bought a jar of it and thought it would look like oil but it looks more like Crisco. A long while ago they said it was bad for you. Now it's getting a lot of good words. I'm confused. I want to take it but haven't yet. How much do you take? Thanks for your reply.

[Heloise in reply to jillann]

Coconut oil is a good fat. Your body prefers fat as a fuel. Your brain needs fat. They are changing all those "low fat" recommendations. Carbs are now the fattening good. Fatty acids are important because your body can't make it and you need a balance of 3, 6 and 9's to use them effectively.

I love coconut but not on vegetables or eggs so the only way I take it is in a warm drink. It will also rev up your metabolism so first thing in the morning would be helpful.

[jillann in reply to Heloise]

Heloise, thanks very much for all the good info on coconut oil!

[faith63]

Do you have Autoimmune Thyroid..Hashimoto's?

[jillann in reply to faith63]

Yes I do.

[silverfox7]

My temperature is all over the place but there is a natural variation throughout the day so don't be confused by that. At one time I varied my dose of what my basal temperature was but it's not stable enough to do that now. My new Endo said temperature is a different normal for individuals but not convinced in that one. I have taken my temperature morning and night niw for well over a year and some weeks I never reach 36!

[jillann in reply to silverfox7]

36??!! I am confused. A body temp of 36? Wouldn't you be dead or did I misunderstand?

[silverfox7 in reply to jillann]

Sorry should have said 36 Celcius!

[danceforever]

I often feel like this, especially in the hot weather.

In the summer I find I don't need as much thyroxine, and then in the winter I need more.

I think the fainting feeling is your blood pressure dropping, which seems to be a frustrating part of hypothyroidism...(for me). Maybe get your bp checked next time you go to the doctor, and it would be very good to increase your water intake. I know the faint feeling gets worse for me if I forget to keep drinking water.

[jillann in reply to danceforever]

You're so right about the water. I didn't drink much of it when I felt so ill yesterday morning. I will definitely drink much more from now on. Thanks.

[jillann in reply to danceforever]

Can I buy thyroxine in tablets?

[Lily_Munster]

Have you had your adrenals tested with a 24 hour saliva test? How is your iron?

[jillann in reply to Lily_Munster]

Love your name! You must be in my age group to remember that show. Never heard of the saliva test. I am tired of doctors who don't seem to care and they don't really know how to treat what I have. I need a good Endo doctor. Also, I've read a lot about the benefits of coconut oil. I bought some but it's still sitting in my cabinet. I should take it. Have you ever tried it?

[Lily_Munster in reply to jillann]

Thanks. Love my name too I love coconut oil. Took me a while to get used to but now I don't want to be without it lol I use it for cooking, as a spread, hand cream. It's quite expensive but worth it. Mine is organic extra virgin and I buy it from amazon. I'd say give it a try

I did see an endo but tbh, it was a very disappointing experience. From what I've heard, it's really difficult to find a good doctor who thinks outside the box.

The 24 hour adrenal stress profile (saliva) helps determine your cortisol and DHEA levels throughout the day. Google adrenal fatigue.

[jillann in reply to Lily_Munster]

Thanks very much, Lily! (don't think my last response went through). I also bought Extra Virgin coconut oil from Amazon! Just haven't tried it yet. How much should I take a day??

[Lily_Munster in reply to jillann]

Good question lol I am not sure but I have read that a couple of spoons a day is recommended. Some ppl even put some in their tea. Try it first and see how you like it.

[jillann in reply to Lily_Munster]

I just went to the cabinet and tried a little. Thought it would taste like coconut which I like but it doesn't seem to have much flavor. How about yours?

[Lily_Munster in reply to jillann]

Mine tastes and smells like coconut. There are coconut oils that have been 'refined/processed' and the coconut flavour/smell has been removed as a result. I personally wouldn't use it. Mine says organic extra virgin coconut oil. Check the label.

[Barrister]

I had a couple of fainting episodes in October, preceded by my heart beating fast. After one particularly nasty faint I saw my GP who took bloods and my TSH had dropped from 0.37 to 0.19 and he said that was the reason. I had been absolutely fine on 75 mcg thyroxine and had even started to lose weight and then that happened. I was in the middle of a flare of colitis so was also on steroids and I reckon that was what caused it to drop. Anyway, I then was told to drop thyroxine to 25/50 on alternate days. After 3 weeks TSH was up to 8! Then told to take 50mcg. After 6 weeks of that TSH is now 9.8! So now I'm taking 75 daily, still getting the odd palpitation ( but reckon that is from other medication) and wondering when I am going to feel better because at the moment I am shattered! Clemmie

[lisabax in reply to Barrister]

sounds like you need more thyroxine Clemmie. When hypothyroid, thyroid function slowly decreases which means that our doses need to slowly increase. 75 is little more than a starter dose. There is nothing wrong with a TSH of 0.19 when on thyroxine. LB

[danceforever in reply to Barrister]

I would be interested in what your T4 is....some doctors panic too much over the TSH levels, when really, you need to give the thyroxine time to work....(up to 3 months). If the T4 is in the normal range, then the tsh will eventually stabilize, and remember out levels fo up and down through out the day, so the bloods are only a guide for that day.

I have had a test done in the morning with TSH of 50, and then a test done in the afternoon, with tsh of 20, so please give it time to settle. Getting T4 levels sorted is a slow process for everyone and you can slip into overactive very quickly, and you don't want that.

turtle....not the rabbit!

[lisabax]

I used to feel faint when I was undermedicated. Now on optimal medication i no longer feel faint. I think your dose may need to be increased. LB

[Rudegirl]

Yeh.. I actually fainted at work last year.. The heat was horrendous, I had 2 fans on me trying to cool down.. Next thing I knew I had fainted & fallen into a full pallet, had to sit in the canteen with air con for the rest of my shift..

[jillann in reply to Rudegirl]

It is a scary feeling. Hope you're doing much better.

[Hidden]

I've had a lot of problems with fainting. It happened every time I washed my hair in the shower. I have had two adrenal stress profiles done now and I believe my fainting is linked to low cortisol.

My temperatures too are all over the place, they were 35.4 before I started treatment. In the late afternoon when I have a bad energy crash I can still often get to 35.9 even on a shed load of T3.

Taking prescribed iron and folate has improved the fainting, although I still get light headed and weak, I haven't actually fainted since being on T3 for the last few months. I've been injecting B12 for over a year too.

[jillann in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your reply. Does the B12 shot help you? I don't think I could give myself a needle. Would rather have someone else do it. I get depressed sometime over this thyroid condition, but of course there are much worse things that could happen. And did you read on the web about Low Thyroid and Longevity? Sounds like people with low thyroids live longer. Interesting. But I'm not sure I want to live that long if I'm not going to feel that great.

[Hidden in reply to jillann]

Hi jillan, the B12 shots came too late for me, I was diagnosed with low B12 12 years ago and didn't get the correct treatment. I haven't had any miracles, but do notice the nerve pain in my feet gets really bad before I'm due a shot, I also get a lot more breathless and weak. I can't get below two shots a week. I buy my own needles, syringes from Medisave, and I buy my own methylcobalamin. I know for a fact I wouldn't get this amount of shots if left to my doctor. I got the nurse to show me how to do it, and now I just do them myself. I am such a big baby and was terrified of injecting myself, but I knew I had to do it. It's been fine and not half as bad as you think it's going to be!

No I haven't seen that article, I find it hard to believe to be honest because being hypo can really damage your heart, especially if you didn't get diagnosed for a long time.

[jillann]

Thanks for the info. I think I'm a big baby about thyroid meds. I worry they will make me turn hyperthyroid, and the symptoms of this from what I've read sound like a terrible panic attack! I already get those attacks once in a while and I guess that's why I'm so afraid of having my medicine increased. I take 50 mg of Synthroid and haven't been checked in a good while. I know I should be. I'm afraid if I tell the doctor I've been tired that he'll increase the mgs. This scares me. I fear my heart will race too fast and I'll get all nervous. Yes, I know I need this med and I DO take it every day. But to be honest, whenever I get a panic attack I will blame it on the medicine and then stop taking it for a few days. Several months ago the nurse at my doctor's office actually said to me "Don't take it if it's not making you feel good". I'm sure the doctor would not have been happy over her saying that. (usually the med assistants or nurses would never make a remark like that. They know only the doctor is suppose to tell you what to do). I feat getting a higher dose. Yes, I know they would lower it if I had bad side affects. The thing is, I don't want to find out if it gives me bad side affects! I fear getting such a racing heart that I have to go to the ER. And yet I know 50 mgs can't be doing me much good because I am tired and in bed with a bad cold right now. Some people have told me that you get more colds with a low thyroid, is this true? I guess it could be. I am eating chicken soup and taking Vitamin C but I just read that hypothyroid people don't absorb vitamins so well. Maybe it's a waste of time to take them. How depressing! I was hoping that vitamins might help some. Any suggestions?