I posted this a week or so ago but I think it went unoticed so wanted to to re post in hope someone can relate as I'm concerned hypothyroidism can't cause how i feel health wise.
Throughout this last year I have had big 'crashes' as I call them. Every day I'm tired and have weakness in my legs at the end of the day, also feel off balance on my more tired days which either feels like the ground bounces or head woozy. Painful knees or feet some times, losing my outer eyebrows... just a general blurgh tired feeling daily. Also on top my anxiety disorder I've had for 4 years since my brother attacked me, returned in full force along with my ill health as I've been terrified being ill. Aswell I've developed agoraphobia again which I had 3 years ago for a while but overcame it.
Anyway, daily I can still manage to cook, maybe hoover and polish. I take care of my family but I do have to pace myself, if I don't I have horrible energy crashes which land me in bed for a day. Or if I get forced to see my family, like last week I had my mum here for a visit which was very anxiety provoking for me and she was here 9 hours. She's not been there for me since my brother attacked me and our relationship for me is very painful. The next day I was ill and in bed feeling terrible weak. My therapist I've started seeing has said my family are toxic and been a huge cause of my anxiety and I'll health so I need to avoid any stress seeing them and shes right.
(The following was last week but perfect example of a crash feeling i get )Yesterday I did some exposure work with my anxiety. I'm nervous about the school run again next week as I've developed panic attacks driving. So I went out 3 times yesterday doing the run over and over to help me face it before Monday. I also cooked; baked, took care of my kids and did some housework. I've woken today feeling woozy in my head, very weak legs and my thighs burn which is something I always get on a crash day, sickly, achy and absolutely exhausted. I've been upset all morning worrying if hypothyroidism can really cause crashes like this from over doing things? I'm worried something else is very wrong with me.
2 weeks ago I had a crash like this and for the first time in 8 months I called my gp out to check me. He blamed a bloody virus and was no use. Left me a blood form full of more tests I can't face right now as I have agoraphobia I'm trying to work on. He wants to rule out anaemia which I do not have, I've always had very high hb. Also wanted to test lupus, glandular fever, diabetes, liver and kidney function tests.... so he's worried me I need all these yet when he was here he just tried to blame a virus or anaemia. Didn't even mention my thyroid could make me unwell. I had fbc and liver tests etc in December and all ok. My b12 is fine 1070. My ferritin is now up to 49. Vitamin d is 70. Folate also fine.
I'm on a thyroxine trial which he reluctantly gave me in may after 8 months battling with my gp to see my thyroid was failing when my tsh was 5.35 and then 6.5. By May it was 9.28. Thyroxine helped bring it down to 6.8 and t4 was 17 but after another 7 weeks of thyroxine it's crept back up and tsh is now 7.9 and ft4 16. I am now on 50mg for the last 8 days.
Can anyone relate to my experience? I've been told how I crash is like I have cfs but can an underactive thyroid do it? My gp has always said my tsh is not that high and was borderline at 9.28 despite being well over the 0.27-4.2 range. I'm sick of feeling so afraid on my crash days, if is knew for sure hypothyroidism can cause this from exertion similar to how cfs does I'd relax but when my gp came to visit 2 weeks ago he just worried me more blaming a virus, anaemia oh and dared to say it could just be my mood and anxiety. Absolutely no mention that my thyroid could make me unwell. I've been fatigued and drained for a year now and he's just blamed anxiety and left me to it. I had to battle for thyroxine when my tsh hit 9. He always says mood yet I don't have depression. All last year he blamed depression and anxiety when I was so fatigued and weak. This is nothing like anxiety. I wake poorly and weak all overror if I do too much and daily I'm tired even if not in a 'crash state.
Can anyone reassure me? Can a tsh between 6-9 make you so drained and feel weak? My tsh climbed all year. I felt terribly ill when it was 6 and even worse by the time it was 9.
I hope it's ok I've posted this again and tweaked it slightly.
Hi Julie, I can relate to bad fatigue with hypothyroid, that is how I was diagnosed. I was finding that simple things like a short walk were causing fatigue (to the point of having to stop briefly) in the thigh muscles. This was very unlike me as I am very fit. I had also been struggling with my weight loss program - I suddenly stopped losing any. GP tests showed 'borderline' hypo - TSH of 9, but GP agreed to try levo. I then had a bout of some form of gastro virus and, in its aftermath, totally crashed with fatigue. Even on days when I didn't do much I couldn't move after about 6pm, I just had to crash on the sofa with a major heavily drained feeling. I have subsequently - through BH tests - found that I am Hashis - and suspect that I was having a flare up.
I feel at times now that if you shook me I would rattle due to multiple supplements, but I feel so much better now. I have also gone gluten and dairy free and, whilst it is early days yet, I feel this is also giving me more energy.
So yes that level of TSh can cause such fatigue, particularly if Hashis is involved. Stick at the levo and try to keep getting the dose upped till your TSH is down and T3 is up to levels normally recommended here - it may well help the anxiety a bit as well. Hang on in there. Good luck.
That's exactly how I felt. My thighs would burn they'd be so very weak. I've had weka thighs tonight and all I've done today is drive a little, went to the park with my daughter, a small shop and some cooking. After my shower I had the awful weakness all over and my legs had the weakness in the thighs. It's horrible. I have had to rest all evening.
My gp thinks I sound like I have hashis but I've been tested 3 times and my antibodies have been normal.
I'm due another test for my thyroid next month then maybe I will have my dose increased again.
Thanks again for reassuring me I'm not alone in this.
I am really sorry your previous post was not responded to and your dose of 50mcg is so very small. It is a starting dose.
Your TSH when it was 9.28 and your doctor said you were 'borderline' - change your doctor you are hypothyroid and your 'crashes' are fatigue due to not having sufficient thyroid hormones to enable your metabolism to work normally.
Unfortunately we have to read and learn and you will be helped by members.
In other countries people are prescribed when TSH is around 3 but the UK for some unbelievable reason they make patients wait till it is 10, with ignorance of clinical symptoms.
Before the blood tests were introduced along with levothyroxine in the 50's we were diagnosed upon clinical symptoms alone and given a trial of Natural Dessicated Thyroid Hormones.
Make an appointment for another blood test - it should be the very earliest possible, and fasting although you can drink water. Allow 24hours from the last dose of levo and the test and take it afterwards. Ask GP to test your thyroid antibodies if not already done and B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate as we can be deficient.
Always get a print-out of your results with the ranges and post for comments. You can tell your GP you have got information/advice from Healthlocked Thyroiduk who are the NHS Choices for information on thyroid gland dysfunctions.
We cannot depend upon doctors as they haven't been trained properly in assisting patients with thyroid gland dysfunctions as they have no knowledge of clinical symptoms and TSH is such a poor way to diagnose patients so they end up not knowing why they are feeling so unwell.
Levothyroxine is also T4 (inactive hormone) which should be at a level to convert to T3 (the Active hormone required in all of our receptor cells). We cannot function if our T3 is low, so at the same time as requesting the above tests add on a Free T4 and Free T3 but lab may not do it if TSH is in the 'normal' range. You can get a private test from one of our recommended labs. I wonder if any GP knows the function of T3 in our bodies???
(I am not medically qualified - just had undiagnosed/underteated hypothyroidism with a TSH of 100 when eventually diagnosed)
I'm due another blood test in 5 weeks for my thyroid. I've only just had a test which is why my dose was increased. I always do it fasted and with blue horizon or medicheck.
I had my b12, ferritin, d, folate etc... tested in July and all doing well. My gp just wants to test for lupus, glandular fever and nuclear antibodies. He's running fbc and liver tests too as standard but they were dien 9 months ago. I will get them done soon it's just tricky with my agoraphobia and no support to have them done as my husband can't get time off at the moment.
I had my thyroid results t3 tested July and it was about 5.8 in a range of around 3-6.8. I've not tested it since but will next months along with antibodies. I've had my thyroid antibodies tested 3 times and all fine. My gp finds that strange as he thinks I have symptoms of hashis.
Thank you for your support it means alot to me as I've felt so very alone in this.
Where can my daughter get a private blood test?? She has hashimoto thyroiditis and has stopped taking her leveothyroxine as it was making her feel a lot worse.
You should really not stop thyroid hormones but I understand her not feeling so good on levo. Sometimes we have to get to a higher dose before we feel better. It isn't a quick fix unfortunately. I will give you a link and if you quote the code you will get a small discount. If daughter has hashi's it can be helped by going gluten-free as it calms the antibodies, so I believe.
The blood test should be the earliest possible and fasting although you can drink. If taking thyroid hormones you allow 24 hours gap between the last dose and the test.
Hidden so sorry to read that you are having such a difficult time. You have lots going on for sure. Sounds like you have post traumatic stress syndrome and are having therapy to deal with aspects of that.
I can relate to lots of what you are going through. In short, I had a series of traumatic events over several years and have ptsd which still lurks in the background. I believe the prolonged chronic stress is the cause of my autoimmune conditions.
In answer to your question can hypothyroidism cause crashes ..... A great big yes. So too can ptsd and anaemia. They will all compound each other.
Please do try to go for those blood tests your doctor has ordered as they will help identify any issues with anaemia, nutrition and will hopefully lead to an increase in your thyroid meds
Yes I've been told finally I have ptsd and it's why I've had anxiety issues since the attack. Plus the way my family have hurt me it's been a constant trauma. My therapist has told me ptsd caused chronic fatigue syndrome and she suspects it's why I have hypothyroidism now too.
Yes the bloods he wants tp just do a full blood count which was normal in December so I'm not worried about that. All my vitamin levels were tested 2 months ago so again I'm it concernEd..thyroid has just been tested and increased dose to 50mg. I'm having that re tested in 5 weeks time. The only other test he put on the form was the nuclear antibodies to rule out lupus etc.. but he said I've no symptoms of it at all. It's just to confirm cfs diagnosis.
I really appreciate your reply. I've been so worried why I crash this last year.
jingy, a TSH of 2 can make you feel like that. People have told you this over and over again. You are very hypo and your dose is too low. As your dose increases, you well feel better.
CFS is not a disease. It is a syndrome. A syndrome is caused by something. And, looking at your TSH, we don't get any brownie points for guessing what is causing yours - or should I say, your CFS-like symptoms. Don't go running after a made-up illness with no blood tests to prove you have it, no treatment and no cure. You are hypothyroid. Concentrate on becoming euthyroid. Accept that low thyroid hormone causes terrible, horrible symptoms, and that doctors know nothing about it, and don't want their patients to have it because they don't know how to treat it. Which sums up your doctor rather well! lol
Be kind to yourself, and don't force yourself to over-do it. You are not being lazy or useless, you are ill. Accept that, and look after your poor body until it is healed.
Thank you I know I have to be patient. I think because I've had very little support and been left feeling so unwell for a year I've had anxiety running wild worried I've some awful terminal illness or something. I've found it hard to believe I could feel so unwell with a thyroid problem and I guess that's mostly due to my useless gp surgery and all 3 doctors saying it wouldn't make me this unwell.
Thank you for your help. I will try to pace myself and stop beating myself up for being unwell.
Yes, your gp surgery has a lot to answer for! They know nothing but think they know it all. I guess that's pretty common, but your lot are exceptionally dim. It's difficult to believe they aren't doing it deliberately.
So, yes, pace yourself. And stop blaming yourself for everything. None of it is your fault.
Jimgyd am so sorry to hear what has been happening to you. I completely agree with greygoose. You are ill due to hypothrodism. The big crashes are what happens when you are under treated. The pains and pain in thighs are classic symptoms. An under treated thyroid casues a whole myriad of horrible physical and mental symptoms.
50mcg is a very low dose and too low for you. Your doc needs to be increasing your levo every 6 weeks so that your Ft4 is in the top third of the range and your TSH is around one or below. To be honest your GP sounds incompetent and extremely ignorant of hypothyroidism and NHS treatment protocol. You can go on NICE and print it to give to him/her!!!!
Unfortunately one of the many symptoms of an underactive thyroid is anxiety or depression symptoms on top. Once the thyroid hormomes are optimised then these go away. There have been many case of people being sectioned who have turned out to have thyroid dysfunction that once treated optimally their mental health issues abate. In your case your lack of thyroid hormones is triggering and exacerbating your mental health issues. Your therapist should know this.
Get the blood tests done early before you take your thyroid meds. It looks like you are going to have to take charge of your thyroid treatment as leaving it in your GPs hands will leave you ill as they seem determined through their ignorance and incompetance to leave you under treated. If your GP does not respond to the info from NICE or any you print off from Thyroid uk then you may have to find another surgery. But lets hope with a bit of education they improve.
I agree. My surgery have been a nightare but there's only 2 more in the area and I'd never join them as they've an awful reputation. Plus this gp will so home visits due to my agoraphobia right now. The thing that annoys me he's always blaming mood. He will say 'well mood effects how tired we feel' he has no clue. I'm not depressed, I've scored very low on a depression test. I'm low yes but due to how anxious all this has made me and I feel I've been left to rot. I'm also made to feel like I'm just anxious and hypo can't make you ill.
Last summer my tsh was 5.35 and the nhs range was up to 5.5. No gp would help and I tried 3. I was exhausted and having everything crashes often. By January I was so ill and I saw a gp who suspected hypothyroidism and had done the test in the summer. By January my tsh was 6.5 in a range 0.2-4.2. The gp said my antibodies were normal therefore I couldn't have hypothyroidism. I felt I was being made to feel silly for trying to know more than him. I said to him that hashis was just one cause of hypothyroidism and he shot me down. I asked why my tsh was rising and now out of range and he said 'you aren't hypothyroid. 6.5 isn't high. I'd not bother testing you again.' I felt that was it, I'd just gave to feel ill forever. So I tried the other gp again and wrote him a letter. He came to my hoise ang admitted I was subclinical and we would monitor every 8 weeks. By March it was 7.5 and may 9.28. Finally he agreed I was right and he reluctantly treated.
Yet if he's seen me ill since staring treatment he will blame mood??? Or order more tests to rule things out, never suggesting my thyroid so I still feel he doesn't believe I have it.
I have a re test in 5 weeks to see how I'm doing on 50. I shall have a look at the NICE guidelines, thank you. My worry is once I go into the nhs range which here is 0.35-5.5 he will tell me I'm fine but I know tsh has to be near 1. He won't know that lol.
'Plus this gp will do home visits due to my agoraphobia right now.' Unfortunately, all the home visits in the world are not going to make the slightest difference if his treatment is no better than using a chocolate teapot! If you can be persuaded to see an endo, I would strongly suggest you ask to be referred. There are no guarantees, but he may be a little more clued up than your GP and you could even get the raise in your levo dose that you obviously need.
Unfortunately right now I can't get out to a hospital for appointments so GP home calls are the best I can manage. I am battling agoraphobia on top of everything else so it's really tough.
Oh Julie I am sorry -you are spot on!! Am afraid he might treat by the TSH range and not the optimal which is what you need. However lets get an increase or two going on. Post Louise Warvill and aks her for the list of good thyroid docs. Some are private some in NHS. You have the right to request a referral for a second opinion. Just pick wisely who it is you see! This might well make your GP sit up and take note. Am hoping that with an increase or two your agrophobia will improve and you will feel more able to attend an outpatient appointment to see a thyroid specialist.
You have all my sympathy. Clearly your thyroid is failing hence the TSH going up and up -yiur body knows it shame your GP doesnt. If the other surgeries are even worse in the area then seeing a specialist is the way to go. Otherwise you are left with self treating and paying. Frankly I really dont know why you should have to do that!! Did he give you an excemption certificate to send off so you can get your NHSMeds free? Hypothyroid patients qualify for free meds.
I am in Wales so I get medication free here, thankfully.
At the moment I am battling agoraphobia again so my GP comes to my house if I have to see him. I was attacked 4 years ago and developed PTSD and severe anxiety which led to agoraphobia. I overcame the agoraphobia then last winter when I became ill it all came flooding back. So now I have agoraphobia again all due to losing my confidence being so ill and afraid.
I am in a bad crash today. Weak legs, dizzy woozy head and a general all over weakness fatigue. Horrible and on top I add adreanline as I am afraid what is wrong with me to cause these crashes I wish I could believe the thyroid could cause these energy crashes after over doing things a little.
Day to day I feel tired and like a general heavy fatigued body but I can function and even go out. Now in a crash I feel weak, woozy, dizzy, light headed and feel my legs can't hold me. It's scary and I add worry and panic. I had a bad 3 day crash a few weeks ago and called my GP out to see me, he just blamed mood, anxiety and wanted to run tests for lupus etc... which has only worried me more. I am sat crying today as I feel so alone on crash days, I have no family only my husband and children so life can be quiet lonely at times during this illness. I got my children to school safely so I am taking it easy today resting.
So sorry to hear what your going through. I would push for a referral to an endocrinologist. They are specialists in this field and will also look at other factors like adrenal fatigue. You've had a very stressful time of it and need to get some more support. I was in the same situation - been having major crashes and my GP blamed mood. I also understand T3 levels are a big factor with hashimoto - you can take all the thyroxine you want but if you aren't converting to T3 you'll feel terrible still. It's an unfortunately long road but push for specialist referral so you can get the help you need. Or get a private consultation initially so it's quicker / you can always go back into the NHS system for ongoing care. Good luck.
At the moment I am battling agoraphoia too on top so referrals are very hard for me as I couldn't go into a hospital for an appointment The PTSD I have led to agoraphobia which I did overcome until my health suffered this last year.
I have asked my GP about adrenal fatigue but no tests were done.
My T3 has always been pretty good and well within range at around 5.6 I think, the range was 3-6.8 if I remember correctly.
I went to see an acupuncturist when I was first diagnosed. I ran through my whole life health history and they (and the specialist) both went to adrenal issues. They are connected to thyroid and one affects the other. However adrenal fatigue is hard to diagnose and not often recognised by medical community. I wonder if you could find an acupuncturist to see you at home they would be able to treat your adrenals and actually all of your issues. That's the beauty of Chinese medicine - they treat more than one issue at once! Wish you luck in getting healthy soon.
I had an energy crash at 4pm every afternoon, before I started taking NDT. Now it only happens on occasion, if I've undermedicated, or taken something that affects absorption.
I am in a bad crash today. Weak legs, dizzy woozy head and a general all over weakness fatigue. Horrible and on top I add adreanline as I am afraid what is wrong with me to cause these crashes I wish I could believe the thyroid could cause these energy crashes after over doing things a little.
Day to day I feel tired and like a general heavy fatigued body but I can function and even go out. Now in a crash I feel weak, woozy, dizzy, light headed and feel my legs can't hold me. It's scary and I add worry and panic. I had a bad 3 day crash a few weeks ago and called my GP out to see me, he just blamed mood, anxiety and wanted to run tests for lupus etc... which has only worried me more.
It seems your GP is doing the right thing, in testing you for lupus, & may run further tests is that's negative.
How are your diet, supplements, medication, etc? There's lots of advice on here as to what to take, change, & do, to make you feel better. It's hard to help yourself when you feek so bad, but take as much care of yourself as you can!
I just need to pluck up the courage to get them done, right now battling agoraphobia too it's difficult for me to have tests done.
Diet is ok, I cook from scratch almost every day and eat very little junk. My worst food is probably dark chocolate lol! I was vegetarian and avoided dairy but decided it was making me feel much more fatigued so I eat dairy and chicken again, some fish too. I take vitamin d, b12 1000mg, a multivitamin that has iron in it it too. I am also on 50mg thyroxine, I also take the combined pill Loestrin (small dose one) and a medication for my anxiety which I dont think helps my fatigue as it is a sedating one.
I am just sick of having tests. My GP ran so many tests back in December and all were fine, other than the thyroid. Now 9 months on he wants to do more tests which doesn't help me believe this is all my thyroid. It's why my anxiety runs wild.
Dark chocolate is good for you, I have a piece every day, sometimes two, occasionally half a bar.
Make sure you take you supplements at the right time & without clashing with something that can prevent absorption. I was predominantly Vegan for 10 years, after 20 years Vegetarian, I made myself worse by eating lots & lots of goitrogenic foods. Now I'm back on organic dairy, & feel better.
I take D3, not useless D2. I take mine with brazils (for selenium) & a handful of walnuts & almonds, to improve absorption.
You may be better taking a separate iron tablet, & eat this with fruit alone, for the vitamin C.
I get my B12 from kefir, & take magnesium & zinc with water at bedtime. An epsom salt bath at bedtime is good for magnesium absorption, & helps relaxation, stress, & improves sleep.
I take NDT & T3 early in the day, with nothing but water for 2~3 hours. I have the equivalent of 140~200mg of T4, which has stopped the energy crashes, reduced fatigue, & improved my sleep & mood. Perhaps you could persuade your GP to try you on T3 to see if that will help. My friend who has no thyroid function whatsoever, following RAI, is on a lower dose than me, & feels dreadful all the time. I self~medicate, so rely on how I feel rather than unreliable TSH tests. Doing the Barnes basal body temperature test might be a good way to tell if you're T4 is enough.
I also take D3. I take Jarrow 1000mg vitamin B12. The multi i take is good as it's got my fertitin up from 15 to 49. It's the only iron I have been able to take and not reacted to it.
My T3 was tested and it was within range, around 5.6 I think on a range of 3-6.8. My T4 was 14 at it's lowest on a range of 12-22. My T4 is now about 16, it had risen to 17 on 25mg thyroxine but now dropped back down. My TSH was 9.28, dropped to 6.9 ish on trial of thyroxine but now back up to 7.9, so maybe that is why i am having these energy crashes again. I am 9 days into 50 of levo now so I am hoping over the next few weeks things will improve.
I did find a vegan diet drained me, I felt much more tired. I don't like eating dairy as I worry about the health side of eating it but I am currently to try and help my energy. I was dieting doing Slimming World but i can't seem to lose any weight, I have gained 9lbs since being on thyroxine.
It's a common story unfortunately. I have been up and down for years, which i have put down to being borderline Hypo, but GP not with me on that theory. The "crashes" used to be for a couple of days every month or two, now there are more crash days than good days. The good days are not great days either. The fatigue/weakness, both physical and mental, is very debilitating often associated with palpitations and joint pains, slow pulse (45bpm yesterday), feeling very cold, staggering gate and "foggy" thinking. TSH always comes back "within range, no action needed". Last test was done privately 12 months ago when symptoms were less severe, TSH 1.82; FT3 4.2; FT4 14.4. But to look at the clinical symptoms they are all there, if not Hypo then what??? What could cause fluctuations rather than just a steady set of symptoms?
When this began for me over the winter I was in a constant crash state. I felt dreadful every day and I don't know how I managed to take care of three children every day feeling that bad. Now my crashes luckily are once every fortnight, sometimes once a week, but generally every day I am fatigued and heavy. On a crash though I feel incredibly weak in my legs, weak all over and dizzy woozy head and eyes, it's horrible. I never feel well but I cope day to day feeling a general fatigue now, but when I crash I cry and become so anxious. Like today. I am in a crash and feel very afraid of what is wrong with me.
I hope you get things taken seriously soon by your doctor.
Everything you mention can definitely be caused by hypothyroid, most of what you're saying is very familiar to me.
I don't know if you realise, but a TSH of 10, or even 5 is very high. People can get these really bad symptoms even with numbers more like 2.
Something I've found with crashes is that rest really helps. It sounds like you are doing many tasks in a day, and comparing yourself to a completely healthy person. But what I've found is, if doing 5 things in a day will result in a day or two in bed, cut it down to doing 2 or 3 things every day, and you may not get crashes. If you still get a crash, cut it down to 1 thing each day and make sure you nap all afternoon, etc. I only rarely get what I'd call a crash these days, even though I spend many days in bed each week. It means my level of activity is very low, but at least I am a lot more in control, and I can prepare for big events by resting even more beforehand.
I've put this in a separate post as it was all getting a bit long:
In your position I would seriously consider self medicating. Your TSH is very high, but your GP is an idiot who is treating 10 as the cut off. This will never get you well, as you will probably need a TSH close to 1, and to make sure your freeT3 is optimal.
It also sounds likeyou're being messed about. One of the great things about self-medicating, in my experience, is that you can just straightforwardly get your blood tests in a timely manner, and adjust your dose reasonably. Doctors were yanking me around all the time, making different dose changes each time, or blood testing at random intervals. I also get 6 months of medication delivered, so no more messing about with pharmacists every month hoping they'll full my prescription in time.
Maybe cost is an issue, but it's a lot cheaper than you think. I spend in the region of £50 a month, and when my dose is stable it will be far less.
Thank you, that's so reassuring but i am sorry you are also struggling.
I think because my GP hasn't thought I could have such awful symptoms with thyroid I have been worried something awful must be wrong with me. I daily feel fatigued and heavy body feeling. I will take the children to school, light housework, cook, and rest inbetween each chore and usually I don't crash but daily feel exhausted by 6pm and need to rest all evening once my husband is home. This weekend I did alot, I barely sat down and was cooking, baking, drives out (working on my agoraphobia), duck pond, 2 shops.... I really tried to just be like a 'normal' person. Last night after my shower i had weak legs and a general lethargy all over. I knew a crash was coming as that is my warning sign.
TOday I feel exhausted in my eyes and head, heavy woozy eyes and weak legs. I feel weak all over really. I have taken my children to school and am resting all day other than trips to the bathroom and kitchen. Even they cause my anxiety and I have cried alot today worrying why I have crashes like this.
I am finding it hard to accept thyroid can make you ill and that's because my GP although he has prescribed levothyroxine he still will blame mood or anxiety on how ill I feel, or run more and more tests which make me so very anxious.
Thank you for sharing your situation with me, I really hope things get easier for you. Are you being medicated? Have you had everything else ruled out? My GP now wants to check glandular fever and nuclear antibodies test to rule out lupus etc.. which is scaring me even more. When I was in a bad crash 3 weeks ago i asked him to come and see me and he just blamed a virus, which I did not have! or 'mood' basically calling me depressed which i am not, i am anxious but who wouldn't be a year into this hell.
I think it can be hard to accept that it's a serious illness, because there is no support at all, and our society just has no understanding of what illness is like! There is such a stigma I think people find it easier to believe that they are a lazy good-for-nothing than that they are ill! Doctors definitely don't help.
To me your list of activities sounds enormous!!! If I did even one day like that I would be knocked out for days or even months.
My day will be something more like: make breakfast after an hour or two in bed, eat in bed. Read or watch TV in bed for a few hours. Get dressed maybe at 4 or 5pm. Go down to make some 'lunch'. On a good day I will go out for an hour or two. Then definitely in bed by 6-ish. Go to sleep around 11pm. Things like showers, or v basic housework like washing dirty plates are all rationed. I will do them if I have a good day.
This is after about 10 months of self treating and improvement. I didn't used to be able to do the cooking or the going out! So this disease can definitely get you to that level.
I have had my thyroid removed, so I know that's the cause. I walked into the hospital perfectly fine the day of the op, worked full time and going to the gym weightlifting and all sorts!
I believe my problem may be a little more complicated, as I have not done well on synthetic meds. I'm now close to optimal on NDT but am not completely better. So although I've improved a lot, and I'm grateful for it , I may never get anywhere close to where I was before.
For interest, my last measured TSH is about 0.38. I've had a dose increase since, which actually gave me a noticeable increase in energy. From previous experience, I would probably improve my symptoms a bit if I stayed out on a dose longer than 6 weeks, which is what I do now. I think my body is probably a bit stressed out from changing my dose every 6 weeks for almost a year.
I do find it hard being a mum to 3 children, I have no help other than my husband and he has to work full time. I have to cook, clean, drive... it can be so very hard keeping on top of everything and back when this all started over the winter I was crawling around my house I felt so off balance and weak, it was horrible. My mother refused to help me and still does. Her attitude is 'you have the tablets now you will feel better soon' because she went on 50mg for her thyroid and it helped, and she has stayed on that dose the last 10 years. Where as I have been very ill, she wasn't other than tiredness and feeling cold so I swear she thinks I make this up. My step dad came to visit with my mum earlier this year, i was in bed ill and he said I was just lazy. It broke my heart so now I never let them visit me, I can't deal with anything toxic and negative, it's hard enough coping with this.
I do need to pace and slow things down but I struggle to do that with having children, school runs to do, meals to cook....
It sounds like things are tough for your also, I really do hope it gets easier for you in time.
Thank you for your replies, they have really helped.
Sometimes it can be a matter of figuring out new and inventive ways of making tasks easier. For example I now get all groceries delivered, which means I don't ever do a full supermarket shop. It took a while to initially set up and get my head round, but now it's great. There are many things that seem essential at first but can actually be shaved out of your week. And if you're in bed not able to move, there is just a hard line of things that can't be done. Be kind to yourself about just accepting that stuff.
Thank you. I really do need to be kinder to myself, I am very hard on myself and daily compare myself to other mothers and fear i am letting my children down.
Comparing yourself to well people is the worst thing you can do, I think. You're different, now, because you've got an illness. I think it can be really difficult, and even like a bereavement to accept this about yourself. But in the end I found it very freeing. For me it meant I could drop out of all those different rat races of wondering if I was doing well enough all the time, and matching up to others. Now I don't even try to match up, I know I'm brave and strong just for getting thru the day
I am so guilty of doing this every single day and more so on my crash days. Worrying I am letting my husband and children down and should be doing more. I think it's why I crash so much as I push myself to maybe try and imagine this isn't really happening because my GP always just blames mood and anxiety, yet as soon as I do normal day to day things I crash again.
I am glad you have come to terms with it, that's exactly the place I want to be in.
I cant help a lot because I'm new to this having had half my thyroid out in June but am going to ask my doctor about the crashed out feelings you describe in two days. I do wish you well.
I'm new to this board and don't live in the UK; I 'm a Yank from Pennsylvania. I too have Hashimoto's complicated by adrenal fatigue. My thyroid is doing better after Two years treatment by A Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, herself a thyroid sufferer, who takes a holistic approach. I just want to suggest that you ask for a test of your adrenal levels also. I have learned that when they are low, Cortisol (the stress hormone) we will also be low. This can cause extreme fatigue and disruption of normal sleep patterns so that even though you need to sleep, you can't get a good nights sleep, so you wake up feeling tired. Of course cortisol is also implicated in weight gain especially around the middle. My Own cortisol level totaled 8 (healthy=30h measured by saliva test conducted 4 times in a 24-hour period. A normal cortisol cycle will test high in the morning and fall gradually until bed time. Mine never got past 2 during any part of the day, so I had trouble functioning normally; than about 6-7 pm it would start to rise, peaking at 4 and causing me to be unable to fall asleep until 2-3 a.m.
My CRNP put me on a two-month course of Hydrocortisone tablets, and within a few days I felt as normal as I had in months. Her thinking is that the hydrocortisone substitutes for the body's natural cortisol, giving the adrenal glands from their job of making adrenaline. I tried getting off it after two months, but with in two weeks the fatigue was back. So now I am on half the previous dosage and that will and we will test again after another couple of months.
I hope this information is of assistance to someone even if it does not apply to your case. Best wishes for a full recovery.
PS. I take about 18 different nutritional supplements as well as porcine thyroid (Natur-Throid) as well as an adrenal support compound my CRNP has compounded for her by a commercial lab; it contains a porcine adrenal extract as well as some Ayurvedic herbs like Ashwaganda. I follow an organic diet that is gluten-, sugar-, dairy-, and soy-free. I do not use iodized salt, only sea salt without additives. Since the Hashimoto's has induced insulin-resistance, I was recently told I am now pre-diabetic, so I eat very few Grain-based carbohydrates (even if they are GF), no rice or potatoes, not even brown rice or sweet potatoes. My fasting blood glucose level came down from 109 to 96 --- not low enough but still further away from the official Diabetes threshhold of 126, so I'm happy.
Gosh Jingyd35, you have had a bad time. I also had terrible agoraphobia, lost all confidence meeting people, even family but picked up when medication kicked in. Eyebrows ditto! Yes, your TSH readings are in the underactive range. Don't forget, for every number eg. 5, there is 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 etc before it gets to 6 so the underactivity is creeping. It has to be managed now but GP's, Lord knows why, like to take a "see how it goes" approach as if it will miraculously cure itself. In reality it sky rockets because it has been ignored. My best wishes to you.
in reply to
Thank you.
MY TSH when it was 5.35 my GP said I was fine as it was within range, even at 6.5 he said it was normal and I was looking for problems. He only listened when in 6 short weeks it jumped to 9.28 then he realised something was very wrong and it wasn't going down itself and he treated me with thyroxine.
It's been a long road. I get tested again in 2 weeks to see how i am going on the 50mg. Fingers crossed.
I suffer these "energy crashes" Julie. I too am anxious and my gp tries to blame everything on the anxiety but it is usually overwork that causes them. Like you the crashes can be extremely debilitating very much like CFS and can take at least 3 days to get over. I try to pace myself but it isn't always possible and I'm finding it takes less and less "exertion" to trigger a crash. I don't know the answer to this problem and I really wonder whether my gp does.
Hi, Thank you for replying. Sorry you're also struggling. Has your GP been any help? are you on treatment for your thyroid?
It is awful, I crash if i overdo housework, I can't exercise or I feel ill for a week at least with weakness and dizziness. I get horrible dizzy woozy eyes, heavy eyes, foggy head and body weakness especially my thighs when I crash.
Thanks for your reply: Yes, I am hypothyroid, was diagnosed 12 yrs ago after suffering the symptoms for about 5 yrs prior to diagnosis. I NOW take 75 mcg levothyroxine which is half of my original starter dose (150mcg) . I have/had Vitamin D deficiency and I think that also affected my thyroid. I'm taking vit D3. My cholesterol levels are also "slightly" elevated at about 6.8. It's certainly not easy to regulate a dodgy thyroid in todays stressful 100 mph world, but it's about time gp's were more knowledgeable in the subject or...we're less reluctant to refer to an Endo. Endo ?? What's one of those...never seen one!!! Has anyone???
My GP knew nothing, he said as I had no antibodies then my TSH being raised meant I didn't have hypothyroidism at all as I'd have to have antibodies. Absolute crap. I knew more than them.
Please don't ask me to explain it, because I can't!
One of the obvious reasons for being low in thyroid hormones without any obvious biochemical reasons is that you might simply have a small thyroid! Insisting that you must have autoimmune issues to be hypothyroid is stupid.
(I don't have positive antibodies and never have done that I know of.)
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I wish I could believe the thyroid could cause these energy crashes after over doing things a little.
Hypothyroidism? Energy?
What causes subclinical hypothyroidism?
Hypo energy 'crashes' on a daily basis?
hypothyroid and flu-like symptoms
Latest thyroid results. I'm guessing it's increase of levo needed
