I think you aren't yet on an optimum. When we have a day when we feel we're getting back to normal it's a great sensation only to feel bad next day. What I think happens is that we're not yet on an optimum and doing 'extra' might deplete our T3 which is needed in our receptor cells, thus don't feel so good and many members talk about 'pacing themselves'.
T4 converts to T3 and is the only thyroid hormone actually used by the body's cells.
Optimum means when you feel well with no symptoms. It doesn't mean a particular dose or a particular TSH as we all differ in what dose makes us feel well. We do need a good FT3 towards the upper part of the range as it's T3 that enables us to function normally.
Pp, just keep going..... rest up today, get out tomorrow..... eventually you'll get into better shape. A couple of months ago when I started back to walking, I thought I was going to disappear into the sidewalk. Much much better now. I even ran for the bus yesterday except my legs are not strong like they were a long time ago. I'll just keep going because I've seen a lot of improvement already.
Shopping is a real energy sucker though. Stop, start, walk slowly, stop, stand.......Last Friday I had no choice but to 'kill time' and spent over an hour at a new supermarket looking at all sorts of things........ next day my back was killing me and I was exhausted. But I can go out and walk briskly for an hour and next day I'm fine.
Have you had your cortisol level tested? Scroll down to "a humorous lesson..." This (slightly bizarre!) videos explain the interaction between cortisol and thyroid hormones:
My daughter has "normal" thyroid hormones but low cortisol. This means that the thyroid hormones cannot be used by her cells so she has all the symptoms of hypothyroidism.
So many fellow sufferers seem to have the same problem
I have a collection of health issues, including Hashimoto’s. Most of my medication and treatment is still a work in progress, although my doctors would probably disagree, so I live in hope that getting it all sorted might help sort out the bad days.
I really do have to pace myself. I know that if I do something “major” one day – which might just be visiting a friend or shopping – I make sure that I take it easy the next day.
If I know that I am going to have a busy day (I use the word “busy” very loosely, most people wouldn’t regard sitting in a teashop with a friend for an hour as “busy”) – I try to plan an easy day the previous day.
I guess I have got used to organising my life in this way now, and actually cope with it OK.
Any sort of activity will use up all available T3 thats probably why you are so tired. Personally I don't do more than one thing a day because I get so tired I fall about.
Yesterday I was literally on top of the world. I felt amazing, has loads of energy, wanted to learn new things (neighbour teaching me how to knit). Things that have previously been worrying me seemed so trivial and my attitude was - what will be will be.
Today I was up just after 7, then back for a two hour sleep on the couch by 9.30. Doing the dishes was a real effort and I never had my shower till after 3. And the other thing, my tummy was really upset all day.
Just hold on to that feeling of being good and rest when your body tells you it needs healing.
I am sorry that you are feeling so down. Do you have something that you can use as a distraction? A wise man once told me that negative thinking was like changing your cups from one cupboard to another. For a while you will still go to the original cupboard for your cup. Once you stop and realise that the cups have been moved, then you will find your cup. I'm not that great at explaining things, but I hope you get the gist?
I'm the same with my weight. I can't seem to put any on and have lost weight since being on levo.
I think Lisa is giving some good advice. I was up yesterday morning at half three with an empty tummy (happens frequently). I had a packet of crisps and a snicker. The rest of yesterday I couldn't get enough fizzy drinks and I was eating loads of tablet, I also take sugar in my tea!
Just yesterday morning I was at the nurse having my urine tested for diabetes, but it's not that.
Is my body craving sugar for energy, then it can't cope with the amount consumed?
I have an optician friend who spends most of her day in a darkened room . Twice per week she will spend less than 10 minutes on/in a sun bed/sun room.
Xx
Hi pinkpeony, I'm new here, I've been really sick & won't be around much, but I saw your post. My thought is to keep a food diary (this goes for everyone). I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's 20 years ago, took too long because I'm thin. Much damage done by waiting. Fast forward, had cancer, chemo finished a year ago. Eyes swollen, integrative doc put me on "anticancer" diet, hi protein/fat, no sugar/carbs, etc. Three months later, my eyes were permantently swollen, my thyroid was fluctuting from as hypo as 39, down to hyper. Turned out it was the food. I had already had leaky gut (in hindsight), the swollen eyes started as histamine intolerance (taxol is a histamine), the became permanent eating high histamine protein. I was in anaphylactic shock for over a year.
Final comprehension came when I stopped cymbalta because they blamed it for my always being thirsty. Turns out antidepressants act as antihistamine, covering other problems. My body systems started failing, docs telling me nothing's wrong. I'm only able to tolerate some steamed vegies now. Fish oil has fish protein, cinnamon, curcumen, most probiotics cause reaction + constipation. Thyroid still messed up but all I care about is healing my gut/brain (damage from the withdrawal, manifesting as only sleeping an hour a night - though now up to almost five -, lack of digestion, anxiety, etc.).
Long story short. Google leaky gut. Also google histamine intolerance. Go to an allergist to test, turns out I'm allergic to eggs (also in bread/cake), pineapple (bromain in enzymes), grapes, etc. Be aware that soda has toxins, aspartame causes cancer/brain fog, etc. The thyroid is managed by the brain, same (or close) to where histmine receptors are, hot/cold, digestion, etc. I have brain damage to begin with (trauma), more so after the chemo/cymbalta withdrawal (see beyondmeds.com). My digestion was almost non-existent, I'm figureing it out slowly. Docs want me back on drugs, antidepressants so Ill "feel better." Hah.
Bottom line, check out leaky gut. Heal your gut, find out your food sensitivities, stay away from soda, white sugar, etc. I know most people aren't willing to do this, but then they can't ever expect to feel OK. At least you can figure out the worst offenders & get rid of them. For example, I was told to eat as many eggs as I want, turns out I'm allergic. I ate organic almonds, constipated me, learned to roast them to stop the constipation. Then, after the psych med withdrawal, I couldn't tolerate them at all until I learned to soak them for 7 hours in salt water, then roast them at 150 F for 24 hours to remove much of the phytic acid that I couldn't tolerate, & to make them easier to digest. Raw vegies constipate me, now I steam them. If your favorite pastry upsets you, maybe you have an egg allergy & can find a vegan alternative. POint it, a journal will help you figure it out so you can make changes. If you heal your gut, you will eventually be ablet to try reintroducing the foods that once bothered you.
I've gone from sleeping one hour a night three months ago to sleeping almost five now. The chronic swelling in my eyes (angioedema) the doctors pretended were my imagination, is almost gone though I have major skin folds/drooping now. Eventually my sight will be restored. Eventually I'll be able to have a bite of chicken or steak without going crazy (histamine intolerance can be mistaken for bipolar, schizophrenia, etc.).
Anyway, sorry for the rambling post. I've been so sick, barely coming back to life. It's been a nightmare. I can't have suffered for nothing, so I have to let people know to check their diets/allergies/gut health. Also, stay away from all meds if possible, find an alternative, the medical industry will walk over our bodies for money, to keep giving one drug to cover up the damage of another, ad infinitum, keep the money coming. Also, a personal pet peeve, NEVER let anyone you love do chemo. I wish I had known, almost killed me, a year later my life still isn't worth living from te damage. There are alternative, google them. Chemo doesn't cure cancer, causes worse cancer, another part of big pharma giving us poison to keep us in their snares (chemo originated from mustard gas, btw). I escaped, wouldn't have survived the radiation/tamoxifan (carcinogenic).
I'm off-topic, probably won't be back, just saw your post. I'm so sick, & the bain damage makes it difficult to rule my emotions. I don't even care. Just need to let everyone know to check their food (also poisoned unless you eat organic. All to keep you buying drugs of big pharma. POIsoned by Monsanto who was in league with Bayer as per poisoning/keeping alive/Nazis, etc. Google IB Farben), allergies, etc. Even your supplements. I bought enzymes purposely without bromain (from pineapple, I'm allergic), only to have a reaction & then discover that bromain is part of the amylase "blend."
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