Hot sweats

[Buggalugs]

I am currently on 75mg of thyroxine for under active thyroid, I hardly eat and my weight is getting worse, I am not a big eater, I also suffer with terrible hot sweats both day and night, my self esteem is very low, please help my Doctors will not listen to me.

[Hidden]

Hello Buggalugs,

Welcome to our forum and sorry to hear you are not feeling well.

Hot sweats can be a sign of a hormone inbalance and weight gain can be a sign of low thyroid hormones.

Do you have any recent test results you can post complete with ranges (numbers in brackets) for members to comment?

Also any Vit D//iron test results as a doctors "normal" is not the same as a level that members have found most beneficial.

If you don't have the results, ask the receptionist at your surgery to print you off a copy.

My surgery are happy to do this, some are a little resistant and some even charge for paper & ink but you ARE entitled to these results.

You need to eat a healthy balanced diet to give your body all the nutrients it needs to Kerp well. Include carbs, fats & proteins and do not diet whilst you feel so unwell as this can have the opposite effect and make your body hang onto fat.

Below is a link for supplements recommended for people with thyroid issues.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatm...

(Edited by Flower)

Flower007

[honor1a in reply to Hidden]

Hi irenegrant,

I am like you, "ingnorant" to the TS3 TS4 etc I've been underactive thyroid sufferer for 22 years, I was for 8/10 years on levothyroxine 200mg daily with bloods always "NORMAL" but 5 years ago I was diagnosed as pernicious anaemic B12 deficient, a normal blood test does not show this, my body thermostat was all over the shop, because of my age range I thought it was Menopausal, but told no I was peri-menopausal stage befor the actual menopause, whivh I think I am now at the age of 55, sorry I digressed, as many of our friends on here do, poor memory thyroid to blame anyway you mentioned your nails, mine werebad all 22 years since thyroid diagnosis told back then nothing linked but I feel it is as my thyroid meds changed my nails have improved but the biggest improvement came witg the B12 nails were papery not now so investigate thate route I hooe ive not confused you & you can make sense of my rambling xx

[irenegrant in reply to honor1a]

thank you Honor

[Hidden in reply to honor1a]

People who are hypothyroid (hashimotos) should be checked for b12 deficiency, because according to some studies, the two often go together.

[irenegrant]

I am the very same as you Buggalugs - I am on 125mg - after begging doc to up it from 100 to see how I felt. The weight gain has been horrendous - 5 stone - this I feel has been halted - but I can't lose the weight already gained - and the sweats are excrutiatingly embarrasing as I am always covered in a sheen of sweat - and my hair is soaking - not just the ends, my whole head. I go to the hairdresser and it is a total waste of time - they blow dry my hair - and I come out with it dripping. Doc says this has nothing to do with my thyroid (which was destroyed with radioactive iodine by hospital) but sweats have only started since this was done.

I live on salads only - terrified I put on more weight. I was always very slim and this "new me" is one I hate. Also have dreadful problem with my fingernails - they do not grow - and I was always proud of my very strong nails.

All in all, totally miserable !

[Hidden in reply to irenegrant]

Hello irenegrant,

Your previous replies suggest you have felt like this for many years.

If you post any recent thyroid hormone test results complete with ranges (numbers in brackets), members will comment.

If your doctor is uncooperative there is a link below giving details of private testing, some with discounts for members of this forum.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

You could also email Louise Warvill for a copy of sympathetic doctors and endos (both private and national health) who members have had a positive experience with. Her email is [e-mail]

You should not have to feel this way for so long irenegrant.

Hope you feel better soon,

Flower

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

Flower - we were typing at the same time. My reference to your post - was to the first one....

[Marz in reply to irenegrant]

As Flower has said above - do you have any recent test results you can post and then people can comment and assist. Have you had the full thyroid profile tested - FT4 - FT3 - TSH and the thyroid anti-bodies - Anti-TPO and Anti-Tg. If your GP refuses - could you have them done privately ? As you do not have a thyroid I have read that it would help you to have some T3 added to the Levo. Perhaps you are not converting the T4 into the Active T3 - hence why it is important to have all the tests done so the picture becomes more clear.

Also have you had Ferritin - Folate - Iron - B12 - VitD tested ? If so do you have results you can post. Often when Docs say normal they mean in range. However where you are in range is what is important. One size does not fit all

[Gismo333 in reply to irenegrant]

As I have said in my other post T4 on it's own is not a good idea as you have no idea if it's being converted to T3 or not so a combination is better. Your adrenals are vitally important too and you can obtain a saliva test from Genova to check these. If the adrenals are low then you won't convert the T4 to T3 and this could be the cause of the sweats. I had RAI and I sympathise as it floored me as well. If you email me at < email address removed as per guideline no 25. Admin>

[Athena13 in reply to irenegrant]

I've yet to be diagnosed with a thyroid problem yet my symptoms are blaring out like a foghorn loud and clear and the doctor/hospital are not listening! This has been going on for 13 years now since my collapse where I started putting on weight rapidly after hitting my head on the bath and fitting, and since then all the symptoms have ensued....Like yourself, I too suffer with horrendous sweats. My hair is going dry and frizzy from my head sweating so much. My clothes are soaked every day from being in a constant shower. I'm just literally running with water most days! My padded bras are soaked through, (not that they need to be padded these days!). All my doctor can say is 'you're sweating because you're overweight'...

And as for me sleeping most of this year away....Another doctor assumed, (because he had me fill out a silly tick list form), that I was depressed, when in actual fact I was correct, that my bloods were not right. ~ My own doctor would not do a blood test, (as 'you had a blood test a couple of months ago and they were fine, so carry on with 3 iron tablets a day'...even though they were not doing a thing to pep me up, nor were my B12 tablets!).

My blood tests came back okay, but they would as I had filled my boots on extra iron tablets for about 3 weeks, taking 3 a day, then dropping to 2 a day because 3 were not doing anything and then I overdosed twice as I forgot I had taken them! Oops! The only thing that wasn't okay was my TSH levels which had shot up from my last reading of 1.4 to 4.3, and rather than give me anything, he decided to redo the test a few weeks later, where, typically, my body let me down again and my levels had dropped to 2.6 so I couldn't have any medication!

I'm now awaiting a fingerbob as I am calling it to check I don't have sleep apnoea, but for the past couple of weeks I have not been too bad in the sleep department.

However, I am sick to death of the sweating and being hot and frozen at the same time and of course being more than double the weight I was before my collapse without eating much, though of course, the doctors/hospital assume whilst I have been sleeping I've had a conveyor belt with all sorts of food heading into my stomach~'You know, it's what goes in that does it!' Not when I'm sleeping, and when I am never hungry! Ever! I wish they would listen.

[irenegrant in reply to Athena13]

I relate to all of the above Athena - I too collapsed at work - and it was only then when I was taken into hospital that I was diagnosed (overactive at the time) . They destroyed my gland with RAI - and now I just want to curl up in a corner ! I have been to a Sleep Clinic twice - and been diagnosed with Sleep Apnoea - but I firmly believe it is due to my thyroid that I do not sleep - mainly die to nightmare and horrific sweats. I too never feel hungry - I only eat because I have to to keep alive !

[Athena13 in reply to irenegrant]

Are you my twin!? The first 2 years after my collapse I couldn't taste anything and my sense of smell was heightened so what food or drink I could smell just made me feel sick, yet whatever I ate may as well have been cardboard.

I also developed post nasal drip, though I was treated for just over 2 years with asthma until they thought hang on, she's not got asthma! It was my detective work that got the right diagnosis for post nasal drip as they were insisting I was suffering with acid reflux, (and they still sometimes say I am to this day!), but that's because the liquid running down the throat causes me to cough so much makes me choke and thus results in me being sick sometimes.

After all this time, I rarely fancy food and as you have said, eating is a chore. I eat one meal a day as you have to eat to live. I don't live to eat which is how they view you when they look at your weight/BMI~Mine has gone up once more.

My legs are atrocious. I look permanently pregnant, though I have never had a child. I am fed up of people asking 'when's it due!?'

I'm now taking water tablets to help with my legs/feet/ankles that keep ballooning up every time I decide to have a walk around the shops!

In fact, I don't recognise me. At all. I used to be super slim. My face swells up too as does my throat. The doctors have seen and felt my throat at times when it is like that. I've pointed out about my face being swollen and my doctor has seen that too. It swells more on one side than the other, and I get a lot of neuralgia too.

The list just goes on.

There is one thing I am glad of and that is my migraines. I'm not thankful for having them as they are dreadful and once I get one I can have one for up to 3 weeks without medication, but I am on a daily medication which works up to a point, and helps to hold back some of the weight that keeps going on.

I just wish I could get them to listen as I said before. Perhaps if I said I want these awful legs removing they might do something....

[Hidden in reply to Athena13]

I so relate to everything you have said. High TSH 5.83 at last reading and yet Drs say it is normal. Continuing weight gain and get told it is what I eat even though I eat very sensibly and GP sent me to obesity clinic and all they can say is that I am a good candidate for bariatric surgery. They think I am lying with my diet sheets (I am not a liar and what would be the point) and I am never hungry in fact I get bored with food. I have ticked more and more symptoms off of the Thyroiduk list as the years have gone by and still drs dont want to listen. All they say is your TSH is "normal" and within range (under 10 in uk) when I know if I lived in USA I would have been treated for hypothyroid several years ago when my TSH went over 3. I have just talked my GP into giving me another blood test as the last one was a year ago and as I said was 5.83 so I hate to think what it is now as my symptoms are worse and I feel like death. I just want to feel well again.Sorry I am ranting but probably like you am at the end of my rope. Gentle hugs Joolz.xx

[Athena13 in reply to Hidden]

Well, I've seen one dietitian who said I was doing nothing wrong, but had me try to eat little and often, (6 times a day with tiny pieces of food), and my weight shot up. Some 'kind soul' at the hospital suggested I had a gastric band and I was mortified! As you say, they don't believe what you say or write down which brings me to a second dietitian I saw through a 'weight management' thing that was supposedly run by an endocrinologist.

My doctor had long been promising to send me to see one but then decided to send me to this weight management program. Of course, my hopes were dashed well and truly when I walked in and found no endocrinologist but two patronising women who thought the same as all the others we all seem to have seen. I just burst into tears!

They had little to offer~A pedometer, a walking route, weight loss classes, and a dietitian. The only option was the dietitian because that's all I could remember at the time, but she was so useless!

I took along my diet sheet that she didn't expect me to have already done, (I thought) she listened to me....However, a couple of weeks down the line she told me she thought I was overeating, and then the following week she thought I was undereating.

I told her straight that I was not a liar; that what I wrote down was what I had eaten; I didn't miss anything off the sheet and nor did I drink alcohol thanks to my daily migraine meds. Of course, she disagreed with me and decided to send me to a psychologist!

I shot off to my doctor to complain about my treatment, but my doctor basically blackmailed me into going....Well, I went, and I proved that I wasn't lying. I told the psychologist exactly what was in the cupboards and fridge/freezer and what I ate and chatted about my weight and health problems.

A few days later I received a call from the psychologist to say that my doctor had asked her if she would give me a course of cognitive behaviour therapy for my M.E. as I also suffer with that and have done so since just before leaving school, (I'm now 44).

I had to laugh that the psychologist put my doctor in her place and told her I needed no treatment whatsoever.

And as you can guess, I didn't go back to the dietitian either.

[Madvicky in reply to Athena13]

I sympathise with you. I have these symptoms & more but now I have been diagnosed with adrenal gland failure by Dr Pete-field, many NHS doctors dint even believe such a thing exists, & I've recently startedon cow thyroid & adrenal gland replacement product which he recommended, too early to say whether it's working for me but it has changed the life of a friend whose on pig thyroid. I recommend Dr Durrant Petefield in Surrey he is an expert & very sympathetic. & he has clinics in different parts of the UK. My friend has lost stones in weight I'm praying it's going to happen to me. Good luck with it all. X

[Buggalugs in reply to irenegrant]

Thank you so much for your email

The info you have given me is fantastic my Drs are rubbish they think I stuff my face every hour of every day, im scared if eating I have put on 6st once a healthy 14 to 16 now a 24/26 I HATE myself. Had enough of them not listening I am at the end of my tether. My hair, my sick is rank.

Im so glad there are people out there who listen and understand. Buggalugs x

[irenegrant]

Thank you so much guys for these replies - I have no idea what you are talking about re all these tests - nothing has ever been explained to me at all. All I know is I get a blood test "sometimes" - not regularly - it is up to me to call the doc when I feel I've not had it done for a year or so - they do not remind me - and the result always come back "normal" - I do not know what normal is supposed to be but I sure ain't !!! Problem started 6 years ago with an overactive thyroid - I lost a huge amount of weight - heart palpitations, itching, bowel problems etc - on carbimazole for 2 years - then the radio active treatment - levo ever since. My marriage has broken up over all this and I am now divorced - after 38 years. I feel no-one in the medical profession takes thyroid problems seriously and feel badly let down - particularly by my surgery. I would be willing to get private tests done - just don't know how to go about this.

Thank you all for "listening"

[Hidden in reply to irenegrant]

irenegrant,

I am sorry to hear of the way life has treated you. When we are not well it is sometimes hard to see a way out. I would guess you are now undermedicated but without test results it is hard to determine an accurate picture.

If you wish to read about thyroid hormones the links below explain

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

if your own GP is uncooperative and you wish to seek a sympathetic doctor//endo to help you , I have given you details above.

Otherwise if you wish to obtain private testing yourself the link below gives details

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Once you have your results, if you post on here complete with ranges (numbers in brackets) as a new question, members will advise.

Also for any vits//iron tests as optimal levels are vital for thyroid meds to work in the body.

Good luck irenegrant. If you have any more questions...just ask as a new post to avoid it being missed.

Flower

[Hidden]

irenegrant,

hi to you, the blood tests that you have had done would are listed when the doctor sees them mine look like this:

TSH 1 (0.8 - 5)

T4 10 (11-22)

The TSh or T4 is the test they did the next number is your result and the number in brackets is the range they consider to be normal.

If you visit the gp and when you get to reception ask for a copy of your last two or three blood tests printed out.

Then type what the give you on here. Someone can then take a look and give you some advice and ideas on what to do next. And what tests you may need privately.

I hope this is helpful, I did this when and I unwell and this site has helped me feel so much better. Appart from loosing any weight this has not happened but I am awake and nearly symptom free.

This is a very good starting point for your recovery.

Helen

[Gismo333]

Hi well I have no idea how old you are, menopausal? but I would say that T4 on it's own is not a good idea as you have no idea if you are converting or not and the general opinion of a lot of doctors now is that the introduction of T4 and T3 is the way to go. I have some information that may help you if you would like to email me at <email address removed as per posting guideline no 25. Admin>

[irenegrant in reply to Gismo333]

Well past menopause - I am 63 and went through that late 40's/early 50's. thought flushing was bad - that was nothing compared to this !! At least the flushings only happened occasionally - this is all the time.

[Gismo333 in reply to irenegrant]

It is an imbalance of hormones and taking just T4 isn't a good idea. I would need to see everything that you are taking so if you mail me I might be able to go into more detail

[honor1a in reply to Gismo333]

Gismo, think I will mail you too, are you medically trained?

[Gismo333 in reply to honor1a]

No I'm not medically trained at all and I wouldn't be, even if I could as the guidelines set out by the GMC would stop me helping people like I do no. I have to go to Belgium to get tested and treated.

I have a great deal of experience as I was born with a lingual thyroid, in the tongue, so was really ill from birth onwards only to have it removed at age 40, (perimenopause) then I nearly didn't make it.

I have gained a wealth of information from Dr Peatfield, my doctor in Belgium, Drs Lowe in the USA and another 2 private doctors. I have been running my helpline for 20 years but all I can do is tell you what I have been through and make suggestions, it is up to you whether you listen or not but there are a mountain of people really ill that are undiagnosed and also those that have a conversion problem of T4 to T3. In my opinion T4 should always be accompanied by T3, a saliva test for the adrenals, ferratin levels for iron and progesterone tested. Progestin is not natural progesterone as it does not have the same molecular structure. Oestrogen is also important to get tested also but I do not agree with giving Oestrodial only as they do in this country, I get mine made up by my doctor in Seattle as they have a compounding pharmacy out there and they give me a combination of oestrodial, oestrone and oestrial. It's really excellent as they balance to your own deficiency and it's totally natural.

It's not easy getting back on the main road, as I call it, but it can be done. Always listen to your body and if you take something that makes you feel ill then it's not right for you.

[vandewalle0]

Hi there, I'm sorry to read your email and feel your despair through your words. I didn't improve on t4 alone and luckily for me it was only a year that i went up and down the doses , still gaining weight and feeling like im not living a life. Recently was put on combo t3 and t4 and am feeling loads better. Have not lost any weight but am not gaining any more so that's a relief. If you read a few pots on this site you will be able to advocate for yourself as the members on here have been through it. Possibly if you're menopausal like me its probably the reason our hormones are all over the place and not stabilizing. Cant believe im wishing to be older so I can stop all the hot and cold highs and lows. T3 has for the first time in years warmed me up so that at least I can get out of bed without feeling 80. Im 53 and am positively hoping that even if the weight never goes at least I am now starting to feel more normal. Its a long journey but with the help on here you wont feel so alone. Good Luck.

[lyndaelizabeth]

Hi I do have hot sweats both day and night and l read that thyoxine tablets can do this so l cut my thyroxine down from 75mg to 50mg and my hot sweats came down to having only about two a day. The down side was being on 50mg l started to have problem with my thyroid symptoms so l talked to my doc and she told me to try 50mg one day and 75mg the next so l am just going to give it a try and hopefully get the best of both. l think it is worth trying. Lynda

[Sandybeach1964]

Hi there. I too was like that on T4 and it didn't change adding T3 either. About 9 months ago I was put on Natural Desicated Thyroid from pigs. I'm still not optimal (symptom free), however I'm not 'burning up' all the time.

Personally I would urge anyone who is not doing well on T4 or T3 to insist on being able to try NDT. First you need a referral to an Endocrinologist. If anyone tries to tell you it is not available on the NHS this is poppycock! It is and WE are entitled to it. WE are ENTITLED to feel well!!

[Madvicky in reply to Sandybeach1964]

I have been told that very few GP's in England will agree to sign for the prescriptions & a lot of Endocronologists are unsympathetic & refuse to prescribe it and or make excuses. In Wales I am told there isn't any hope but would be interested in hearing from anyone who has managed it. People need to get the recommended list of doctors from Thyroid Society. I have been put on cow thyroid by Dr Petefield he says I won't be to get NHS to pay for this but it is inexpensive & adrenal gland replacement tablets along with various vitamins. Not noticed any difference yet really but only been on them 3 weeks. However I have just lost 3 pounds which for me is an achievement so if this continues then it's working! I just prey it helps my hot flushes...

[Louisa]

Ditto Buggalugs - I empathise with you - I have been suffering with heat intolerance too since being diagnosed with under-active thyroid disease years ago - I hate summer now and cannot wait until the cooler months. This also had a direct impact on my working life and colleagues thought I was crazy - I had the windows open even in Winter. I was lucky enough to have my own office so I could control my working environment but I have recently been made redundant and dreading the prospect of working in a shared office that is too hot, so much so that I have had to my condition down on my job applications which I think is stopping me from getting work. My GP too is useless - just says I have to get on with it. I think the only way forward for me is to get a job in a chilled warehouse

[Hidden]

Sweating can be adrenal related too. I was on a Facebook page for Addison's disease and they all described profuse sweating. One chap had to change his clothes 4 times a day. I go into a sweat if I touch warm water, or have a hot drink. The sweat just runs down my back, it's horrible. I am extremely heat intolerant in anything over 15 degs. The weird thing is when I'm hot and sweaty, I've taken my temperature and it can be low!

I only lose weight on NDT too. My weight didn't move at all on Levo and I was on a good dose for two years.

[Hillwoman in reply to Hidden]

I often say my optimum temperature range is 5-12 degrees celsius - late spring or early autumn. People think I'm mad!

I too have tried taking my temperature when I'm having yet another sweat and been surprised to find it's very low.

Buggalugs, I agree that adrenal malfunction, esp. low cortisol, may be the root cause of frequent hot sweats. You could try the 24 hour saliva test from Genova. My latest test revealed a total daily cortisol of just 7.4, so I've restarted hydrocortisone at 20 mg daily divided into 3 doses. No improvement yet, but it's a long haul after many years of illness. Don't expect rapid results.

[BeansMummy]

I've nothing useful to add in the way of advice, but am interested in all the answers. I am sick and tired of being permanently sweaty, and the night sweats are just as bad. There is zero interest by my doctor or endocrinologist.

[Fedup5 in reply to BeansMummy]

I also have that from the GPs.

[Doodeet]

I feel your pain. This happened to me too. It's not your fault. Until you get your thyroid levels completely corrected your metabolism is basically shut down. Do you see your doctor soon for bloodwork?. Do you feel badly still? The hot flashes could also be menopause ifand thyroid problems bring menopause on early it seems.

[Eddie83]

Do you have labs to share? Chances are you are on too low a dose of T4 or aren't converting T4->T3 well, but readers here can't tell that without seeing labs. Also, you can use the Abbott Corp's T4 dosage estimate for full replacement of 1.7mcg/kg body weight, to see if your T4 dose might be too low for your current body weight. Have you been evaluated for the usual nutritional problems - selenium, B12, ferritin, etc.?

[motherelle]

I also suffer with this so can sympathise with you Buggerlugs . I also have other medical issues ,Cerebellar atrophy ,still no answers to why I have this . Next Wednesday I am seeing the Prof who is the specialist for this condition. I am going to ask him again if the atrophy is causing the sweats and heat intolerance if he says no then I am off to my GP to get him to refer me to another Endo ( last one I saw was rubbish ) I was given a test a few years ago ,I think to check my adrenals ( lay down for 15 mins then injected with something which makes your stomach feel warm ,wait 30 mins then blood is retaken ) This test came back negative ! If I get any answers I will post . My temp is also normal when I'm feeling extremely hot !

Have you ever been checked for Coeliac antibodies ? I know some people have these symptoms when they eat gluten . I stopped eating gluten 9 months ago but it hasn't made any difference to me .

Good luck .

[Fedup5]

I know you are not the only one,my husband too

[lolajone in reply to Fedup5]

I'd like to see them blame your husbands sweats on perimenopause, personally I think they heave a sigh of relief when you get your mid forties so they can start blaming everything on that

[johnnyxs]

yyyyyyyyyyou have my sympathies too.

I have suffered with sweats for many years too and usually have to wrap a wet tea towel around my head and neck both during the day and at night time.

It may look odd but I really recommend this as it cools the blood going through the neck and brain and makes a big difference to how well I feel .

Oddly enough the sweating stopped a couple of months ago for some inexplicable reason and only started again last week.? Its odd because it has happened at the hottest most humid part of the year.

I am beginning to suspect that this sweating may be due to the bodys hydration control processes as like you I often sweat when my body temperature is pretty normal?

Another possibly related symptom I have noticed is periodically my skin shrinks and goes very wrinkly and my fingers shrivel like they do if you soak in the bath for too long ! very strange.

I'm going to monitor this thread to see if others have similar experiences .

[Hidden]

When I was taking synthroid and then eltroxin, I had terrible night sweats. Furthermore I itched!. Since being on NDT I have not had these problems.