Guilt over work performance due to thyroid

[Cyclegirl]

Does anyone else feel guilty because you feel like your work performance isn't up to snuff due to your thyroid? Mine is low at the moment and I am having trouble working to my potential. Of course, no one knows at work. I doubt they want to hear about my thyroid!!

[shaws Administrator]

I'm sorry you feel you aren't working to your optimum but that's because of hypothyrodism. Once your dose is increased slowly you should begin to feel well and we cannot rush the increases.

You have to ensure you have a high Free T4 and Free T3 in order for your body to function.

Most doctors do not test these and are happy just to look at the TSH.

Do you always get the earliest blood test appointment? Fasting? Do you allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose and test and take afterwards?

This procedure keeps the TSH at its highest as doctors are apt to only look at the TSH and many think if it is in range that we're on sufficient.

The aim is a TSH of 1 or lower with the Frees towards the top part of the range.

If you haven't had B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate checked ask at the next blood test. These have to be at an optimum too or we can also have symptoms.

[Cyclegirl in reply to shaws]

Thanks. I will ask to have the other areas tested. They have been low in the past.

[Cooper27]

Yup!

How are your vitamin levels? B12 deficiency was having a major impact on my performance, it's better now my B12 has gone up.

[Hoxo]

Yes. For the last 25 years. Working with Chronic fatigue and thyroid disease is an ongoing constant struggle.

Sorry to hear you’re having problems in this area too. It’s hard living with a chronic condition.

[MissGrace]

I know exactly what you mean. It’s very hard, because you don’t look ill, so even people who know don’t really make allowances. My boss pays lip service to the letters from my private endo advising him I cannot run to capacity and piles it on anyway. I hate the thought of not pulling my weight so keep going through sheer determination when the energy is gone. If I don’t do my bit, I create more work and problems for others and I don’t want to do that. Prior to getting this rubbish disease I was proud of how good I was at my job. I don’t want to be pants at it. It certainly leaves you wiped out by the evening. But I know how things go in my job - and I don’t want to lose it. It’s very difficult.

[TSH110 in reply to MissGrace]

I’d try and think of other long term employment options where the pressure might not be so relentless and you are more self contained in your areas of responsibility. Your boss sounds truly vile, a real underhand bully. They don’t deserve you!

[SilverAvocado]

Feeling guilty about not being good enough is more or less a hypo symptom in itself. Being hypothyroid causes anxiety and feelings of low self worth, and these combined with being a bit slowed down and tired, and so not getting as much done as others, make lots of people feel guilty.

If possible I think you should let your boss know that you have an illness, and get access to occupational health if possible, or make yourself known to HR. Depending on how ill you are, or on the whim of your employer you may be categorised as disabled, which gives you extra protections and rights under employment law.

It's always tempting to soldier on and attempt to work as hard as if we weren't ill, but I think it's really important to be kind and gentle to ourselves. Particularly to be open to changing working hours or taking full advantage of sick days and other rights.

[Rhiansmama]

No my boss knew all my problems prior to taking me on so some days i do the bare minimum and then catch up when feeling ok and especially in the weeks leading up to my b12 jab, my dr only recently started testing my vit d aswell because i was just so worn out but thyroid function was normal (for me) it took a long time to feel normal (whatever normal is) unfortunately once we have one autoimmune disease we can get more, i bug my drs if i dont feel like things are right ( probably why they started testing everything)

[TSH110]

I am darn sure my work performance would have been much superior if I had not had this wretched disorder, despite being optimised and managing ok, I’d be fooling myself to think otherwise and it can be corrosive to one’s confidence. I had to change career to something I could cope with. It was a career I had always wanted to pursue, and that is a big plus. I really love my job. Any computer stuff I can forget it now it takes me forever where once I was so efficient. I have become increasingly disorganised since diagnosis and I don’t think it is a coincidence. My view is: I nearly pegged it from hypothyrodism so it is all a bonus now and I have to accept that it has had consequences and make the most of what I do have. Who wants to sit in front of a computer all day like a robot anyway? It might be better to be a tad wayward but happy in what you do and striving to improve. I don’t feel guilty about it workwise but occasionally feel a sense of loss for my strong administrative skills that are no more!