I was just wanting to know how everybody managed to stay positive and deal with the crippling symptoms they've experienced? This is the most down I've been with the condition I've ever felt and would love to hear some positive stories of how you all cope(d).
I feel I'm finding it exceptionally hard as the symptoms of hypothyroidism have taken away the ability to live how I once did. I was diagnosed almost one year ago to the day, a 19 year old athlete struck down right in their prime. The fatigue and mental clouding I'm facing is debilitating, more often than not I won't get out of bed in a day. I feel as though I was once a creative, extroverted student with the world ahead of them, not to mention a lion in the gym. I am now a tamed, lazy pussycat for lack of better words. This combined with my current living situation, completely alone in a big (usually social) student house all by myself for the last two months and some old sports injuries reoccurring have led to me questioning everyday what the point of being alive is.
I'd love to hear how you all managed to stay positive while your medication and levels were being figured out
Matt
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mattioso
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Hi Matt, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism about a year ago also, after being unwell for considerably longer. I did feel worse initially when Levothyroxine was started, but now I have added T3 to my Levo (thanks to all the support on here) and over the last few months I feel like I'm finally starting to get my life back.
I think you have to accept that you will feel rough for a while, but with adequate levels of thyroid hormones, vitamins, minerals etc. hopefully things will improve.
To deal with the low energy and depression, I just take one day at a time and focus on one thing that I want to achieve (maybe something like getting up before noon cooking a meal, a 5 or 10 minute walk or concentrating on a hobby (I have many!). I realize that what works for one person may not work for another. Best wishes, annie.
Hi Matt, taking charge of my own medication was crucial to me. Seeing my symptoms as something I could deal with without having to wait for permission from my GP, who only looked at blood test results rather than asking how I felt, was empowering. I still occasionally feel a little low, but I know that I can fix it with a tiny increase in my dose of Armour.
I now know that the answer to the question 'Is the glass half full?' is, 'It depends how much T3 there is in my brain.'
Even taking just a few steps with vitamin and mineral supplementation could be enough to help you feel more in control.
Sorry you're on your own. My son used to work at a university so I know there'll be someone around to talk to even during the holidays. Perhaps it's the cumulative effect of two months on your own that is getting you down too.
My suggestion would be to spend your time doing as much research as you can - Thyroid UK and this forum are good places to start - so that you can be an informed patient. That in itself will show you that there is more than route to feeling better and will get you in the frame of mind to try something else if your GP falls short.
Hope you feel brighter soon,
Katy
I reached the point where I wanted to end my life as a number of NHS GPs repeatedly misdiagnosed me. My passion was mountain biking and I became too ill to pedal. Became housebound with my body shutting down, I could not speak due to not remembering any words, could not even work out how to use the oven.
Once I realised that the NHS was not interested in helping me it was all down to me and taking control. That meant reading thyroid books and research papers and reading thyroid forums. Knowledge became power. Made an appointment with a private specialist who showed me a way forward.
What also helped was that I kept my favourite bike in the lounge, every day I looked at that bike and remembered happy times from the past 20 years.
You can make a start by ensuring that your vitamin and mineral levels are good. Also never believe the NHS when they say 'normal' as it doesn't mean it's normal for you. Remember that most GPs know nothing about thyroid disorders and think it's a numbers game.
Take control and look to your future. Remember we're here to help.
I'm Ex army so have always had a reasonable level of fitness, left in 93' diagnosed with under active thyroid about 5 years ago, did well for a couple of years, back in the gym and getting really fit (as fit as I've ever been) stuck on statins by my doc and it felt like they were killing me so I just ditched them, felt well for a couple of months then started getting aching muscles, painful joints (could not run) fatigue, constipation, headaches, memory loss, hard/scaly skin and dizzy spells. My GP was treating all my symptoms individually which was very frustrating, I was on 100mcg levo. Had a private blood test done and put the results on here, advised my T3 while in range was low. Ordered some Armour 60mg and eased myself into them. Headaches and dizzyspells have eased, skin returning to normal, did my first run the other day and was good. I'm only 5 weeks into this new routine and things are looking up. I know where your coming from and its hard not to be able to do what you want and know you can do.
Theres lots of advice and support on here, I hope you can get some positive help that will get you back on the road to recovery and the gym.
I can totally relate to your upset and frustration. I'm still in the process of getting well but I have found taking 5HTP and tyrosine eases the depression a bit. The 5HTP gets converted in the body into serotonin and the tyrosine into dopamine. Both these resulting neurotransmitters tend to be low in hypothyroidies like us. Hence the awful depression that can ensue until our thyroid hormone levels are balanced again.
Perhaps whilst your energy is low and you're waiting for an improvement, now is the time to make the most of this quiet time. I've got into reading all sorts of different books. Novels, health books and even found my faith which helps restore some peace in my mind at a time that can seem full of turmoil. So whatever floats your boat, as long as it helps you feel peaceful and that when you look back one day when you're feeling better, you can think 'those hard times weren't wasted, I've come away wiser than when I started with this illness and used that quiet time to do something positively different to what I may probably would never have done, if I'd been constantly well'.
The others here have spoken great words too, so no need for me to add anymore. Good luck and know you're not alone. I too have felt very alone with this illness but this great forum can help remind us we're not alone and there's always plenty of support when we need it.
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