I was just wondering if anyone else had experienced a 'flare up' with an onslaught of symptoms after a flight, long haul ones being the worst, but still feeling the effects of a short two hour flight. If so, any suggestions on how to battle this? I use DVT socks and get up and walk around where possible, but I still come off the plane feeling very very ill. Usually like my body has been beaten all over, I get very very bloated all over, my digestion gets even more sluggish (almost to a stand still). Acid reflex, a strange rash and itching all over, it hurts to stand up, rapid hair loss on top of the pre existing hair loss, its like it magnifies everything.
Any one else experience anything like this?
R xx
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Rhsana
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Rhsana I have done a few long haul flights - Australia and New Zealand, so some over 24 hours, and I have never had any reactions other than normal jet lag. I was on Levo only when I made these flights, I've never been optimally medicated and never been fully well.
I really don't know if the flights could have made you so unwell. As we're all different I suppose it could be a possibility, just not something I've experienced.
Hey SeasideSusie , thanks for your reply! I do think there are of course other factors involved. I have recently lowered my medication as I was told I was at risk from Osteoporosis and heart issues for being two points over range and on NDT/T3. However, this has happened every flight I have taken in the last 12 months long and short and also while not being medicated at all, then on levo and now on ndt/t3 combo. Now, I do not think I have been optimal in that time so that could be a factor. I am hoping if I do manage to become 'optimal' this won't happen but I do know that there is a direct correlation between flights and flare up for me at this stage.
short flights over many years some of which were infested with germs in the air systems got me often enough particularly throat and chest infections. Heard from others experiencing same. Long haul often stomach tensions and hardly ever fly long now.
Thanks Hidden for getting back to me! Yes very bad stomach issues, did you ever find anything that helped?
R x
rhsana no alcohol or overeating few days prior to flight. Also plain food and clean liquid on flight. Walk every hour and do foot exercises in seat. On short haul make sure there is some vented air entering between you and the forward seat. My relative takes some medicine and that has helped her.
I haven't had all the sysmptoms you note, but I had a nasty expereince after my last flight from canada. The Canada flight was a night one but I did get some sleep. Next night I was happy to go to bed in my own home but was woken by a nasty adrenaline surge and bad palps. This isn't someting I get when correctly medicated, so I blamed it on tiredness and calmed myself down knowing it was my thyoid, nothing sinister. Woke up the enxt day feeling thyroid-well, my name for how I feel normally on Levo, which is never quite normal is it lol!! I've had no repeat but am avoiding long haul flights. I was OK on a short haul to Italy last month.
Thank you for your reply kyoto49 , That must have been scary! From your message I gather you are on Levo only? I've been told that the adrenaline surge and palps where due to overmedication on T3 but I have only every experienced them when under medicated. Thank you for sharing your experience. R xx
Yes, Levo only and I've only experienced the adrenaline & palps previouosly when over-medicated which I was for a while. Thanksfully it doesn;t happen if I'm on the correct does or slightly hypo, which seems to be my norms as the Docs can#t get my dose correct. 50 leaves me slightly hypo and 75 slightly hyper, so I'm currently trialling 75 one day and 50 the next, see if that can finally get me balanced! Rhsana
I'm a stewardess and fly regularly, don't really feel any difference after my flights, only the usual exhaustion of working my socks off and not getting any younger.
Thankyou Elh1965 , it is reassuring to hear that you do not experience any difference after a flight. It is very apparent that this condition can affect us all in different ways. Unfortunately, I think this may be one of the ways it affects me. I have also had a resurgence of dysbiosis from a recent surgery, so I think as the link above suggests this too could be a factor. R xx
I can only suggest you drink plenty of water during the flight, which helps with dehydration. And will flush through your digestive system. It's an extremely dry atmosphere up in the sky, also use a moisturizer on your skin, aveeno is excellent. This may help with the itching. My daughter, who suffers with eczema always used to have a flare up after a long haul flight.
I do get very bloated, but that's normal, all ladies get it on a flight, mainly the stomache and legs. It's the air pressure. Flying is not actually very healthy and I wonder why I have been doing the job for 28 years 😏
I've done lots of long haul flights and notice that I retain fluid like mad.
I'm not sure if this a thyroid or a weight thing as I've had this issue previously when being overweight (pre diagnosis With hypothyroidism) and it became less of an issue when I lost weight.
After my last 15 hour flight out of interest I tracked my weight after landing and it dropped 4lbs in 3 days just from losing the retained fluid. I also had thyroid tests done 2 days later and my TSH shot up to 16 when it had been below zero. This was whilst I was on Synthroyd (Levo). I've since switched to desiccated thyroid so it will be interesting to see if things are different next time I fly.
Flight socks help, I haven't found anything else that reduces it other than losing weight which can be a bit hard.
On a short flight to Luton in May 2014 whilst climbing some of the passengers were falling asleep and so I opened my overhead air vents. After levelling off I breathed in some hot air spots. That night I had fever and over the next 30 days I lost 30 lbs feeling weak. My B12 was normal but probably low for me. I have since considered it was some interference caused to the thyroid. The short flight a/c don't have much time to do anything.
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