Too many conditions

Do you ever feel there's too much to fix? Too much wrong? Is there any way back to 'normal' when you have multiple conditions?

[shaws Administrator]

If the multiple 'conditions' stem from a dysfunctional thyroid gland, when/if the person gets an optimum of suitable hormone replacements for them, the 'conditions' willl be resolved (mine were). Not that I'm an expert nor medically trained in any way. Just have my own experience.

Mostly doctors only take notice of and concentrate in getting theTSH somewhere in range and ignore 'symptoms' believing they are apart from hypo and treat 'symptoms' with another prescription.

[Murray58]

I have too many conditions to.. It is my normal. I am not sure I would recognise old normal now.

[Kellyjam1]

I know how you feel 😳 I would love to feel normal again

[Beingamum]

My daughter is type 1 diabetic, coeliac and has MS. She is in the midst of a relapse (vertigo and associated vomitting) So yes know how you feel. Over and above this she has other 'unexplained' symptoms such as sudden weight gain,/fluid retention, puffy red face, hair loss, feels weak, fluctuating between too hot and too cold to name but a few. It's heartbreaking for her. She is 30. Once she is better she will be tested for hashimotos antibodies. I hope they find some. We need answers. But we never lose hope that things will improve. So let's all send positive thoughts to each other.

[Hidden in reply to Beingamum]

My heart goes out to you Beingamum , It's something else all together when it's one of our children suffering x I will send up a prayer for her and you. Love and best wishes to you x

[Melanie7 in reply to Beingamum]

You could look at researching POTS - Postural Tachycardia Syndrome. Vertigo and some other symptoms are similar. It can go hand in hand with thyroid issues.

[Beingamum in reply to Melanie7]

Thank you x

[Hidden in reply to Beingamum]

So sorry for your daughter, makes me feel bad for complaining, she deserves more

[Beingamum in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Jaccs 😘

[lola1956]

I know how you feel, i started out with thyroid problem and now i have fybromyalgia.chronic fatigue..polymyalgia..and lots of other things. My thyroid is under control thankfully after 2 years self medicating but still i am a long way off from feeling the "normal" me

[Hidden in reply to lola1956]

My sister has fibromyalia, my dad chronic fatigue, both have hypothyroidism, is there a genetic issue?

[lola1956 in reply to Hidden]

Hi not that i know of but lots of people with thyroid problems slip into fybromyalgia and chronic fatigue but not sure why

[MariLiz]

I feel like that! After fifteen years when my thyroid was the only problem, the last two years have brought diagnosis after diagnosis of additional problems. I am currently waiting for results from a skin biopsy, and worrying that it will mean yet another diagnosis to add to the growing list.

Sometimes I feel very defeated by it all, but usually I manage to put on a smile and keep going. What's the alternative? The folk on here are a huge support when we have down days, and some are fighting even bigger problems.

[Hidden in reply to MariLiz]

Let me know how you get on, you're not alone x

[MariLiz in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Jaccs, still waiting for biopsy results. Hope they will come this week. x

[mumbleslowly]

i have pan hypopituitarism ,fibromyalgia,hypothyroidism,severe short term memory loss,partially sighted and a brain aneurism so i would say what is "normal .

[Hidden in reply to mumbleslowly]

True, normal is as normal does, if you're happy it's all OK

[Anne-M]

Yes I do! Thyroid problems since my early teens and I am now 56 yrs old! I also have haemochromatosis and Hypoparathyroidism. I go on forums for all three chronic conditions but the symptoms all overlap so I get lost in which could be the problem! I am now taking ndt and treating my adrenals with holy basil, melatonin and ginseng. I often have teeth problems and recently had to have antibiotics for 5 weeks so this has set me back. I was seeing improvements- less joint pain, fuller eyebrows, being able to go out in the sun for a while, a bit more energy! I am hoping I will pick back up again in a couple of weeks! I hate the low energy and brain fog the most! I love the chats on here - so,informative and supportive! Xx

[silverfox7 in reply to Anne-M]

One phrase of yours has stood out for me-teeth problems! Are you taking Vit D and if so are you adding K2 as well? To back track a little! Often we are low in Vitamin D so worth having it checked if you haven't had it tested recently. Then it is suggested we take Vit K2 alongside it so the calcium is taken out of the blood and into the bone where we want it. My Calcium levels were high and a couple of months adding K2 and its back in range! But I read up about K2 and it has other virtues, helps the heart but also helps a lot with teeth! My teeth suffer, bleeding and receding gums etc. after two months on K2 I went to my hygienist appointment. It didn't feel as painful as she prodded poked and scraped. I was then asked to rinse my mouth but as I spat into the bowl I exclaimed-no blood! I then asked what she had found. Some bleeding but nothing like my usual amount so I told her what I had changed!

So may be worthwhile looking at the wider picture though not everyone can take K2 so check that out as well.

[Anne-M in reply to silverfox7]

Hi thank you silver fox, I take adcal d3 because of Hypoparathyroidism. I got my vit d tested in the last year and it was ok. Yes I have had a lot of teeth problems and like you it is very painful when getting my teeth cleaned. I have been told this is also linked to haemochromatosis. I will look into k2. Thank you v much xx

[SewingBee]

Hidden

I had a blip after the birth of my second child and I did recover but this is a special area!! I've now been permanently medicated and it fluctuates several times a year so I'm constantly under par and getting symptoms whether over or under. Very few good days but they a godsend.

Don't expect anything and occasionally you'll be pleasantly surprised.

[Sandra600]

I know what you mean. In addition to hypothyroidism I have fibromyalgia, chronic migraines, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, fatigue and ibs. Tomorrow I am going to hospital to be tested for diabetes insipidus. I would love to be my old self.

[Neldine]

Yes. I really wish I could see just one doctor who would look at the whole picture, instead of being shuffled from one specialist to another. Nothing like the gastroenterologist who completely ignores that you just lost the ability to walk while trying to make your appointment. Maddening.

[BeansMummy]

I have a new "normal" now, with a collection of auto-immune and other illnesses/problems, but I am actually a happy person at long last, but all the "fixing" took a long time and was definitely overwhelming. It is a never-ending journey really, with things still having to be tweaked and changed.

This site is what started me on my journey to better health - but I only changed things very slowly (not by choice, but because I was relying on the NHS for so long). It was learning about things to ask for from my GP (pushing for specific blood/other tests), slowly making changing to my diet/lifestyle, and eventually realising that I would have to self-medicate if I wanted to regain my health. It has taken a long time, was demoralising, frustrating and depressing beyond belief at times, but I have managed to get through it.

[Beingamum in reply to BeansMummy]

It's so encouraging to hear positive outcomes. My daughter has several autoimmune conditions too And we feel we are getting nowhere and as someone else mentioned it makes it all so frustrating when consultants only look at their own specialism. Not the whole picture 😏. We still need answers on mystery symptoms which mirror a few conditions ie Cushings, adrenal problems and hashi's. Each ' relapse' is worse than the last its so scary for her. The crushing fatigue and swollen red face is the worst. Endo says it's not Cushings GP says it's not thyroid but has agreed to further test, psych says she is a hypochondriac as she just won't accept their word and continues to pursue 🤔. It's a nightmare and I feel so guilty being healthy but will never take that for granted. Thank you for the great support on this website and if I can be any support to any of you please just ask. I am becoming quite the expert!!

Ps new symptoms arrived....greasy feeling mouth and food tasting 'off' any suggestions?? She has extreme vertigo and nausea just now (supposed MS relapse) it's maybe connected

[BeansMummy in reply to Beingamum]

I wish a had a decent answer - but I also suffered from awful nausea and a general "icky" taste in my mouth, and certain foods tasted off for well over a year. My GP and many "ologists" didn't address it, and didn't acknowledge any of it either.

However, I saw a private nutritionist, and had various (proper) tests. I had candida, SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) and goodness knows what else. I sorted it out by changing my diet completely, specifically giving up sugar, yeast and some dairy. I was already gluten/soya-free. I have been vegetarian since I was little (lifestyle choice). I also take a pile of supplements. It was quite a drastic change, and definitely not one I would have been confident doing without professional help.

I didn't have vertigo, but would get a "spaced out" feeling and had to sit down. I get that to a much lesser degree now, and it seemed to ease once I was given B12 injections.

What is so frustrating is that so many symptoms overlap each other. I so wish that one doctor could take control over all of it, and look at everything together. I had so many different specialists, and none of them talk to each other. I feel that the endocrinologist should have been the one to tie it all in together, but she said that none of my symptoms were thyroid-related. I was fighting a losing battle.

I admire you so much for supporting your daughter, it means so much to be believed and supported. I had so much support from my husband (and adult daughters), when my old GP just wanted me to accept everything as it was. My husband started coming to my appointments - doctors would listen to him, soooo frustrating, but at least it did get me referrals to other specialists (and then getting proper diagnoses of other health issues rather than the suggested anti-depressants, grrrr).

[LAHs]

I think the answer to this overload problem is that you have to become a little bit selfish (yes, I know that's a bit hard to hear). If you drive yourself into the ground trying to please/help everyone you end up not being able to please/help anyone. I think you have to sit quietly for a while and sort out what is important to you, choose the top three or however many you can cope with and just let the rest go. It's akin to putting your own oxygen mask on first in an airplane, then helping the children, awful to think about but it's the only way you will all survive. You then have to face the fact that you cannot do everything or have everything, if you try, you will burn out. Stop joining clubs which demand your attendance every weekend or whatever, that's a real stressor. Don't become the president of the PTA or any other club, strive for excellence in your own work but do not knock yourself out trying to get a management position, work to live, don't live to work. Sort out the things you truly love doing, try your best to work in that field, remember the saying, "If you are doing what you love you will never do a days work in your life" and that will relieve a lot of stress. Remember also what John Cleese said on a recent interview when he was asked about his outlook on life now that he is old, he pondered the question very seriously for a while then said, "Well, I use to be very active in a number of causes, but now I don't give a s**t!"

[Hidden in reply to LAHs]

Thank you

[loueldhen]

I think it doesn't matter what is wrong with your health - the best way to fix it is to be good to your body. Feed it a paleo-ish diet and you are doing the best you can for it.

[Hidden in reply to loueldhen]

Not helpful...some fixes are medical and so called diets do nothing...preach elsewhere

[loueldhen in reply to Hidden]

I apologise. I fully accept I am only saying what works for me - but the 'medical approach' killed my mother at 56 (from hypothyroidism) and my husband at 53 (from a 'necessary' heart operation). So forgive my cynicism. Best of luck to you and each to their own. By the way I loved your original post - I have definitely felt in the past 'there is too much to fix'. It really struck a chord.

[hellybaybee]

Yep, I also get fed up of people not believing that I have them, or not being able to eat the odd take away or biscuit because then people (usually family) think you're lying about the reasons for weight gain. Personally, I don't think I've ever felt 100% since I was diagnosed... different things get better or worse but nothing ever feels completely better. Your not alone, you just have to plough through and try and get well.