Depression and weight gain kicking in

[Zizzy1591]

Hi just 7 weeks in after diagnosis of hypothyroidism, on 50 mcg of Levo daily, last blood test results showed TSH normal but after putting readings on here was told I needed to up Levo as my results too high. I am now suffering really bad depression, crying, feeling distant towards others and not wanting to socialise at all, to make things worse have put on half stone in that time. Feel as though my life is out of control and the professionals giving me nothing in the way of dealing with these symptoms. What should I do go back to see doctor or keep taking tabs and wait to see if I start feeling better?

[Marz]

I assume when you say normal for the TSH you mean it is in range. It needs to be around 1 or below for you to feel - I have read. Mine is below 1. Last time you were advised to increase the T4/Levo - did you do that ? - as 50 mcg is a small dose.

Also have you had the Ferritin - B12 - Folate and VitD tested ? If they are low it could be why you are feeling so low.

Hope you soon feel better.

PS - I see from an earlier post you mentioned a B12 test that was normal - you need to know the actual result. It needs to be around a 1000 and anything under 500 can be the cause of neurological symptoms including depression. Normal is an opinion and not a result. Also get into the habit of obtaining copies of all your results - with ranges - so you can monitor your own progress, It helps you to post with more information so people can support

I am not a medic - just someone with Hashimotos and a B12 issue. What your GP does not know about B12 can harm you .....

[LeVern]

My daughter agreed to RAI because she was hyper and miserable. Now she's hypo with runny eyes fatigue and water retention in her face and constipation. I immediately got her on fresh vegetable/fruit juices b12 and cascara sagrada. I advised her after researching to insist on Armour thyroid meds and they agreed after trying to get her to use the synthetic drug. Her swelling went away in 2 days and so did her fatigue and constipation. She cut out dairy and meat also and is focusing on a plant based diet. She's doing a lot better thank God but she HAD to make these lifestyle changes. The juice fast was the best treatment of all.

[Zizzy1591 in reply to LeVern]

Many thanks I'm so glad your daughter is feeling better. I am at an all time low at present going back to see Dr tomorrow but not up for a fight, because I wouldn't be feeling this bad if the meds were starting to work. Interesting about diet though may give this a go when my thinking is straight 😊

[Katepots]

I'm afraid it won't go away and you won't feel better, only worse if you are under medicated.

If people on here read your results and said you were under medicated then believe them.

Items go back to your GP nsist on upping your meds. If they don't listen try a different DR. Do t be fobbed off. Don't be offered anti depressants either, a usual default for Drs!

Have you had your thyroid antibodies tested to check for Hashimotos? Very important.

Also all the tests that Marz recommends.

Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can wreak havoc as can diet.

I'm gluten and dairy free and feel much better.

Look into Natural Dessicated thyroid. You get all the T's rather than just T4 with Levothyroxine.

Good luck, stand strong!

[Zizzy1591 in reply to Katepots]

Thanks so much for your reply, at an all time low at present going to see dr tomorrow but not up for a fight, when I mentioned other testing and advice from forum he just smiled which was very irritating not great response when asking for copy of test results either😡The Drs seem the same at the surgery as though this illness is no big deal. Would anyone in their right mind want to feel like this?

[Katepots in reply to Zizzy1591]

They are your test results they cannot deny you. If you ask the receptionist at the desk they should just print one out for you then you don't even have to ask the Dr, that's what I do.

Most Drs are not trained well in thyroid conditions, they are in the dark ages. You can insist of upping your foes or buy on the Internet and medicate yourself like the vast majority of us. We mostly have to become our own Drs to feel well I'm afraid.

You'll get there, the first step was finding this site!

[Lesley09]

Hi @Zizzy1591 I can totally empathise with your situation. I was diagnosed 9 weeks ago with underactive thyroid and put on 50 mcg of Levothyroxine. Almost immediately I felt great but this soon began to wear off and I became so exhausted that I had to take the odd day of work sick. 6 weeks after starting on Levo I was not functioning, in that I was so exhausted I could not get dressed, could not find my words to speak due to horrendous brain fog and I was an emotional wreck, lying on my sofa crying most of the time but over what, I did not know - needless to say I could not work.

I saw my GP who increased my meds to 75 mcg of Levo and I started to function again and managed to get back to work. 2 weeks after that I was off sick again and back at the doctors with my 3 main nemeses; exhaustion, brain fog and anxiety. GP said he couldn't increase my meds because it had only been 2 weeks since they had been increased and may still need time to properly kick in but he did sign me off sick for 2 weeks which was a relief - I am currently in the second week of this. I am having days without brain fog and anxiety but I still feel tired even though I am not doing much physically. I have gained weight steadily for the last 3 years. I thought that once I was on Levo I would start to lose weight but this has not been the case.

I too have felt powerless with this illness and so in the meantime I am following advice that I have found on this forum and have ordered a Vitamin D home testing kit (the GP wouldn't test for this) and a food sensitivity test to see if going gluten and/or dairy free will help me. At least I can then either rule these things in or out and will hopefully put to bed some of the questions I have whirling around in my head.

I am booked in for a blood test at the beginning of Sept but if I do not feel well enough to return to work before then I will go back to the doctors for an extension to my sick note. I have finally accepted that I have a long term condition (to be honest this has been hard to accept) and as such I need to manage it accordingly. If this means being a regular at the GP surgery and taking time off work then so be it.

Sorry for long post but as you will see from this forum, you are not alone. I hope you start to feel better soon.

[Zizzy1591 in reply to Lesley09]

Thank you so much for your reply I was beginning to think I was going mad, like you it has been hard accepting this illness and that it is long term, the depression is crippling but it's really strange how I can feel different from one day to next, I need to keep in touch with people like yourself as when I have low mood it is hard to see a way forward, I realise now that sorting my health out is going to be down to me, thanks again 🙂

[Lesley09]

I'm glad my post has helped a little. We are not going mad - we have an illness. I have also come to realise and accept that when I am feeling anxious and down it is not me - it is the illness. It also affects my ability to make a decision e.g. whether I need to go to the doctors or not. I know this because on my good days I can make decisions and can see a way forward. In order to manage the difficult days, I have told my nearest and dearest (and work colleagues) that I will tell them when I feel like this. I have found that they are more than willing to help e.g. when I couldn't decide whether I needed to go home from work (even though I clearly needed to) my colleagues would tell me to go home. Please feel free to keep in touch and we can help each other.

[Zizzy1591 in reply to Lesley09]

Thank you so much it has been an awful couple of days and like you said it impacts on making decisions I feel like my head is about to explode and I feel very irritable which is unlike me. Have decided to go to see Dr tomorrow as I made the mistake of seeing practice nurse which receptionist talked me into. I feel anxious about seeing him as last time he was fairly flippant about condition and I am not up to having a fight at this moment in time, if I have to wait another 6 months like this I will go crazy. It would be great to keep in touch as we are on the same road 😊

[Calends]

Hi Zizzy, this is exactly how I feel today. I am on 50 dose also and get my blood test on the first of August. If it has gone whacky again, I am thinking of just walking off. I have been transformed by this: the weight gain, the mood swings, the freaking crying everyday. Just exhausting. Stay in touch and let me hear if something good happens.

[Zizzy1591]

Hi Calends thanks for your post. Up until a month ago I was still feeling hypothyroid on Levo even though my bloods were normal. I was thinking of paying to see an endocrinologist because

I was getting nothing from GP. Since then by chance I was recommended to see an Ayervedic Practitioner who asked me what was wrong and I told him I was feeling under the weather all the time. Basically he told me to try a different life style ie getting up at 7am and going to bed around 10pm, having three meals a day the main one at Midday and a light meal around 6pm to help my digestion and never become over full, I have followed this for around 3 weeks and feeling amazingly better. He wants me to do this for 3 months and then see him again in November to help me through the darker months. At present it seems to work for me as I was feeling a wreck so you might want to look into this. Good Luck 😉