I'm suffering from hashi's and taking 50mcg of levothyroxine. I'm gluten free and I'm about to quit dairy too as I think it's also a problem for me! I am almost certain that my adrenals are struggling! I can't sleep before 4am I can't wake in mornings, my moods are all over the place and I'm unable to cope with stress. I stopped taking my medication a few months back due to feeling like this and I felt okay for a while until I gradually felt symptoms of hypo! So I went back to taking the same dose and it's happening again! My gp took a blood test and says my cortisol was fine. But I have been researching and realise the test they took is insufficient. I've lost faith again in GP's I thought I had found one who actually knew what they were talking about but I have been fooled once more! I have bought izabella wentz' book and it has been my saviour! I wish I could afford private healthcare! Can anyone advise me on what to do next with regards to adrenals! I am in process of diet change but wondered if levothyroxine just doesn't work for me! Thanks in advance 
Adrenals: I'm suffering from hashi's and taking... - Thyroid UK
Adrenals
You could get a saliva adrenal test done for about £70... If the results dont look right you can either take cortisone or adrenal glandulars, or maybe vitamin c and b vits....
All just guesswork without any tests though.
A cheaper but effective way to test is by filling in a temperature chart with your daily average..... I wrote about it a while ago......
healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...
Fixing adrenals made a much bigger difference to me than ever sorting out thyroid has.
G xx
What you would take would depend on whether your results are high or low on the saliva test.
I felt exactly the same. My results came back looking within range so I dismissed it as an issue, but it's only when I posted the results did I realise that it was an issue and although in range, they were quite a way off optimal, so def post your results here.
I take 3x nutri adrenal extra a day. It was advised that I support my adrenals first, then track my Bp & temps each day.
Good luck
Just picking up on the not sleeping before 4am and can't wake in the morning, have you been tested for sleep apnoea? There's a list of questions the doc can ask and they can score you on your answers then refer you if you fit the criteria. My husband has sleep apnoea and when he was being tested I thought, I feel like that, I get those symptoms but didn't want to sound like I was copying so left it. Eventually I had to see about it and I too have sleep apnoea. I am now awaiting an appointment to get a mandibular device to help me breathe when I sleep as I didn't want the mask/machine.
I know its a cliché but a good nights sleep does help.
As for not trusting the doc tell them of your concerns and feelings and how things are affecting you. It might help. Just remember they aren't mind readers and if you don't tell them everything they can't correctly diagnose. Plus there's lots of different medications and they all come with side affects you just need to keep trying until you get the right ones for you. I have a lovely doc and he does listen but hasn't got my meds right for me yet. He's a GP, restricted and human and I know he will keep trying to help if I keep telling him the truth and how I feel. Hope that makes sense.
Good luck x
Cannylass.
in the past four years no GP I have seen has been of any help. I've gone to them with a list of symptoms and they dismiss them each and every time! It's stresses me out going to the GP and it takes me a while to get over it hence me visiting infrequently. I'm taking matters into my own hands slowly but it's can be scary at times! Knowledge is definitely power! Just bought an adrenal test so will have an answer soon enough!
Danyell, if you want to respond to a post, click on the 'Reply' button Under the post, and that way, the person will be notified that you have replied to them. Otherwise, they will probably never get to read what you've written.
How long have you been on 50 mcg? Have you had your thyroid bloods done since you started it? If so, what were the results?
50 is only a starting dose, and rarely high enough to make people well. Sleep apnea is a symptom of low thyroid, as is sleeplessness. And, it's not surprising you can't get up in the morning if you Don't go to sleep before 4.0 am! You are lacking sleep. With adrenal fatigue, people usually can't stay awake after midnight.
Most of what you describe are Hashi's symptoms, and just mean that you need an increase in dose - and it won't have helped that you stopped your hormone for a while. It is perfectly normal to feel great on stopping thyroid hormone replacement, only to crash a little while later - could be days, could be months later - but, eventually, you crash. It is also normal to feel well on a new dose for a while, and then have the symptoms come back. That just means you need an increase in dose. All these things are normal. But doctors have no idea!
You should have been tested 6 weeks after you started 50 Levo, and been given an increase of 25 mcg - no more than that - and then go back after 6 weeks for more tests. And so on, until your symptoms are all gone. You are just at the beginning of your journey, and you haven't been on enough levo, nor for long enough, to know if it suits you or not. Everything goes very very slowly with hypo, and trying to cut corners just puts you back to square one.
So, wait the full six weeks, then go back to your doctor and ask for tests. Then see how you go. BUT also ask him to test :
vit D
vit B12
folate
iron
ferritin
zinc
Because all these need to be optimal for your body to be able to use the hormone you're giving it. Otherwise, it doesn't work for anyone.
Yeah, all of my others levels are low in ranges so I've started taking vitamins and supplements. I strongly feel it's my adrenals tbh, surely if I wasn't medicated enough I would be feeling symptoms of hypo eg, tiredness. Last night I lay in bed With heart palpitations and feeling hot. I currently feel wired and once I've gotten out of the groggy mess in mornings I feel like I could stay awake forever!! Have just bought a saliva test so all will be revealed soon enough. thanks
OK Just make sure you're taking enough of the supplements, according to your levels.
I wake up wired early in the morning (3-4 am). My 8am morning cortisol is high and my 8pm cortisol is low. My morning DHEA (another adrenal hormone) is too low. I discovered this when I had a saliva test. The test result recommended that I take 15mg DHEA daily or supplement with Pregnenolone (the precursor for Adrenal hormones). Unfortunately, like most doctors, my GP is ignorant about such things. However he did up my NDT which helped a little. In New Zealand, hormones such as DHEA and Pregnenolone are only available on prescription, but it is possible to buy '7 Keto DHEA' which is a metabolite of DHEA. That seemed to help too. It can be difficult getting banned items through NZ customs, but recently I managed to have Pregnenolone delivered from a British site (Biovea), probably because I ordered it during the busy Christmas period. I have just started to take it mornings (fingers crossed). One hormone I found particularly beneficial for sleep is Melatonin (5mg before going to bed). In NZ a prescription is needed for Melatonin, but maybe not in the UK. The effect is cumulative so don't expect a result straight away. I still wake up early morning but now usually get back to sleep without too much difficult. Sometimes I take another 3 mg melatonin tablet. Sleep is important to lower morning cortisol.
Hi Danyel, I too suffered with poor adrenal function. I had a saliva cortisol test through a practitioner in London who has helped me massively. I only attended once, the rest has been over the phone or via e mail. He adviced I take 400mg magnesium citrate before bed ( not with food or milky drink) and 1000mg of vit C morning and night. Both of these are vital to support the adrenals so even without testing you could only help your adrenals by adding these to your diet. I also took Epsom salt baths, whereby I immerged in a bath with about 500g of Epsom salt(which contain magnesium) and pat dry, three times a week before bed. The magnesium has a huge calming effect on all bodily cells and prepares you for sleep. After a short while I was sleeping much better than before. He also advised I reduce my sugary food intake and eat a small amount if protein 3/4 hourly to help balance blood sugar levels. This helps by resting the adrenals as the adrenals are called upon by the body to assist with stabilising blood sugar. Trying to eradicate stress from my life has been the hardest thing to do. It seems near impossible. But I have taught myself strategies to deal with stressful situations so I'm not calling on my adrenals at every turn. Yoga, meditation, deep breathing and just simply not allowing yourself to react to stressful times have also played a big part in my recovery. He also advices other things but all of the above are basic steps which can only strengthen the adrenals even without testing to see exactly what going on with them.
Hope this helps. It did for me.
Hi Family, read your post with great interest. Could you tell me what symptoms you were having which prompted you to get tested for adrenals?
As a short term but helpful solution, try taking phosphatidylserine at night to bring your cortisol levels down. Ashwaghanda also does this, and Valerian can help as well. Some sleep formulas are made combining the two. Sometimes your epinephrine and norepinephrine levels are raised/out of balance, which I think they both help with. I am taking Vital liquorice riot in the mornings to bring my cortisol levels UP and normalise them, which miraculously seems to be helping me sleep, although it took a couple of weeks to kick in. I have not found other brands strong enough or helpful, even Solgar. I believe you also have to have ENOUGH cortisol in your system to sleep, simetimes even having levels thar are too low at night can be a problem. Unfortunately I only seem to be able to buy this Vital brand through my functional doctor, Dr. Michael Culp (in London)? But I can recommend him if you are looking for someone.
You must address your adrenal health first. This can take a while. It's taken me a year so far and I'm still not out of the woods fully (and we've just had Christmas!). New year, new habits for me.
Increasing thyroid activity will drain your adrenals. Your system has slowed down for a reason - your adrenals. If you feel it necessary to take thyroid medication, don't try too much too soon. You will need to ease into it.
A number of food intolerance issues arise from low functioning adrenals, which is why you're feeling the need to remove dairy from your diet. The effects of food intolerances are, again, a constant strain on the adrenals. So, if you have Hashi's it's probably a good idea to remove this strain. Take a look at your overall diet and see if there any other foodstuffs (including refined sugar and vegetable oils) that you could remove to improve your chances of better adrenal, physical and mental health.
Hope this is of help.
T
PS - adrenals and gut health is all I will add. You're looking in the right direction I feel. B vitamins and vitamin C for adrenals. Can take a little while to start working, but energy levels should start to increase after a week or so, depending on the severity of your adrenal poor health. Take these in the morning. No later. Consider plenty of vitamin D as well for adrenal hormone production. At the same time improve your diet to be gut-friendly and improve the flow through of waste (don't take laxatives though) and get plenty of fresh air and exercise (I know - the latter can be difficult. Just a regular half-hour walk can help).
Good luck!
3 websites may be worth a look.: breakingmuscle.com/health-m... and adrenalfatiguesolution.com/... and draxe.com/3-steps-to-heal-a... (there may be better ones)
Heading this direction helped me a lot. I too went GF, but don't buy much GF packaged food because much of it is poor quality or sweet (cakes etc).
I have 2 organic eggs for breakfast now. I don't go too long between meals and have small amounts of good quality protein at most meals. I have added more good fats like organic butter, coconut oil, olive oil and avocados, I have cut down on sugar . I take good quality and powerful supplements, and magnesium citrate was a recent addition after hearing Dr Carolyn Dean's talk on Mercola.com, and learning how severely stress depletes magnesium and it is needed for so many processes. It seems to be very helpful.
I also cut out as many toxins as I can by using safe personal care/household products which means the aggressive chemicals like SLS don't get in my bloodstream to stress my system.
I haven't wanted to go the drug route so I cant advise. Hope you feel better whichever route you decide on.
Conventional naturopathic suggestions (vitamin C, adrenal glandulars, herbal adaptogens) did nothing for my adrenal issues. I did use low-dose hydrocortisone for about a year, but the benefit was not clear. Two things definitely helped: (1) nighttime T3, as documented on STTM as the T3CM (T3 Circadian Method). (2) Recognizing that the adrenals also need amino acids, and that my celiac had left me with low blood protein, so I needed to use free essential amino acids.
Thanks so much Eddie- so helpful! I will try adding some T3 at night. I too have low serum albumin, Coeliac and poor adrenal function. Could you kindly advice which free essential amino acids you take? Many thanks in advance (please feel free to PM me if you prefer).
I use the NOW Amino-9 preparation.
nowfoods.com/Amino-9-Essent...
I find I can purchase it for about 7 cents/gram, usually from netrition.com. But if you are in the UK, that probably won't work for you. There are other essential blends, but NOW Amino-9 is one I can afford. I am eventually going to take the following test, to find out if I can supplement fewer amino acids for the same result.
If you have taken penicillin your adrenals will not be working very well the penicillin works on the basis of supercharging them and in the end they just give up, a very good book to read is Adelle Davis Lets Get Well. the majority of the things she talks about are still very relevant although she recommends soy which is one of the worst foods ever and terrible for your thyroid also avoid peaches these have about 24 hormone disruptors in them.
seaweed is extremely useful when your thyroids are not working.
you need to cut out all grains not just gluten.
all dairy apart from whey is useless. although if you can get human breast milk this would benefit you.
If you can get it try Scizandra and Acantho root the Russians have done extensive testing on these two and found they work even better when combined, they are adaptogens also rosemary is beneficial for the thyroid and other parts of the body rhodiola is meant to reset the thyroid most thyroid deficiencies are due to a lack of tyrosine.
there are 2 things to start with when you use foods and minerals to let your body heal itself the first is absorption without B2 B6 and Magnesium your villi in your stomach will not be working properly then you clean your liver out for this you take slippery elm bark and silymarin.
research all these and you will get your health back.
I can relate, I've been told I may have an adrenal problem & to have a saliva test (not by a doctor of course, they haven't even mentioned adrenals.) I get temperature fluctuations, freezing when it's cool & am boiling when I eat or drink. I'm on Levothyroxine & NDT now but not feeling any better. Still feel sedated a lot of the time, wake up with something like sleep paralysis, aching muscles, breathing difficulties, heart palpitations & the rest.
Saliva tests. Have you considered T3 only treatment? Taking a CMT3 dose can help adrenal function. recoveringwitht3.com There is an amazing FB support group too. Admins are brilliant. I've had virtually a full recovery!
Also read Hashimoto's thyroiditis - Root Cause. Izabella Wenz.
An incredible read if you have Hashis x
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