Exercise and exhaustion

[Auntbessy]

Hello I have just returned to proper exercise after 7 years when I was diagnosed with Hashimotos. I’m finding I’m so worn out all day afterwards. I feels like I can’t even concentrate. Never had this problem before. Anyone else experience this?

[hyggirl]

Yes!

I've read we are better doing gentle exercise like walking, yoga, swimming as our bodies can crash if workout is too intense.

I cycled coast to coast last year & on some training days I was fine on others it wiped me out for a few days after.

Same with parkrun, some weeks I feel amazing others I can't even speak when I finish! Slow jogs for me lol

I think the answer is just slow & steady & try not to push too hard

[Auntbessy in reply to hyggirl]

I’m only 38 and used to be very fit pre kids and Hashimotos. I feel and look like such a blob now! It sounds like you do pretty well despite the knackered days? I feel like I need to do less in the classes but feel embarrassed to stop or half do things.

[Hpbr in reply to Auntbessy]

I'm the queen of stopping.

Sometimes you have to.

I talk to my instructors and let them know that I'm recovering. Usually noone gives a monkey's what you're up to as they are concentrating on themselves. However at times I've felt self conscious.

I wear black and hide at the back!!!

Theres a lot of unspoken empathy.

Keep at it. For you x

[Batty1 in reply to Hpbr]

At least your doing...I'm jealous

[Hpbr in reply to Batty1]

It's taken a while. Around 6 months of being unable to do much, I'm just back to classes over past few weeks. I have to say it is great to have a little bit of normal.

[Hidden in reply to hyggirl]

Εγώetsonl trainer, I hve hypo 20yeats at least..I do every day weightlifting, I don't take t4 I have 5 tsh, I eat clean and antioxidant,begore 1 years I was at 7tsh. T

My t4 go up with gym and good nutrition, I try Levo before 3 years and my t3 go down!!!! T4 up tsh down and feel worst.

[Hpbr]

Me.

2 years ago I could manage HIIT and recover well and be energised afterwards.

Now I'm slowly getting back to formal exercise. I'm doing pilates, yoga and body balance.

I'm enjoying it but am pacing myself.

If I'm too fatigued, I cancel but try to go.

I'm still recovering from medication change.

It takes an age to achieve wellness but I'm on my way.

Pacing, for me, is key. Going hell for leather is not an option for me.... yet.

Good luck.

[Auntbessy in reply to Hpbr]

Thanks for the advice 🙂 btw are you just on levothyroxine?

[Hpbr in reply to Auntbessy]

Nope. Levothyroxine and me don't do well. I take t3 which works for me and a little bit of levo. I'm dio1 and 2 homozygous. It's taken a long while to understand what's going on with me. The contributors and administrators on this site have given me a wealth of information and support. I'm very grateful.

It's a long, long road to recover. I'm getting there. I couldn't exercise at all for 7 months due to overwhelming fatigue, pain etc etc. It's getting better. So .... there's hope.

[Auntbessy in reply to Hpbr]

Where did you get the dio 1 and 2 homozygous test done?

[Hpbr in reply to Auntbessy]

Dio2 through regenerus labs and dio1 through 23andme. If you use the search function on this site for dio2 you will get a raft of info.

Before you know it, the evening has turned into night but you will find a lot of valuable information and read many patient stories.

Its heartening to read that you're not alone or going mad ...

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Auntbessy]

You can get DIO1& 2 done here

bluehorizonmedicals.co.uk/t...

Or whole bundle of DNA tests here

bluehorizonmedicals.co.uk/d...

Just DIO2

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

[Hidden in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi Slowdragon,

Do you have any links for USA please? Thank you much,

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Hidden]

Sorry no idea if possible to get these in USA

[Hidden in reply to SlowDragon]

🙄

[SilverAvocado in reply to Hidden]

Stopthethyroidmadness is a US-based site that will have a lot of similar links!

[Hidden in reply to SilverAvocado]

Thank you

[greygoose]

You probably still have suboptimal T3. When did you last have a blood test? Over-doing exercise can slow down conversion of T4 to T3, so we need to be careful.

[Auntbessy in reply to greygoose]

I’ve been meaning to test my T3 actually. Had to go through the hospital to get a dose change. Took 5 months to resolve. My T4 is now very good (0.2) but obviously the NHS does not test T3 in conjunction!

[greygoose in reply to Auntbessy]

No idea what (0.2) means, need a range. But, having a good FT4 does not automatically mean that your FT3 is good. They both need testing at the same time.

[Auntbessy in reply to Auntbessy]

Sorry meant TSH 0.2 and the range is 0-5

[greygoose in reply to Auntbessy]

A TSH on it's own means nothing. It doesn't tell you what your FT3 level is. You need FT4 and FT3 tested, as well.

[Aurealis in reply to greygoose]

I agree, being worn out after exercise is a sign that the dose isn’t right yet. T3 is tricky to get right. If overtreated the exhaustion goes after a nap, but undertreatment it doesn’t. But hey, that’s only me !

[Annkapp in reply to Aurealis]

Do you mean it “goes away” after a nap?

[Aurealis in reply to Annkapp]

Yes!

[Hidden]

Εγώhome hypo 20 years, iam personal trainer. I do every day weightlifting and 15.000steps,I can't live without gym. I feel bad without it.For me exersise and antioxidant nutrition is the solution

[Wren99]

I am a keen hillwalker and have struggled to keep doing it, and got to the stage on Levothyroxine alone where I would be so exhausted and achy the next day that it was ruining my enjoyment. Things improved on T4 and T3 but I felt very up and down through the day. Since then I have changed to NDT and have just spent a fortnight in the Lakes walking up to 12 miles a day and apart from slightly aching thighs ( which I think is to be expected in an overweight 60 year old!) have felt fine.

I am also managing to diet and reduce my weight for the first time in years. It has been a very long and frustrating time to get to this point, but there is hope!

I agree with others who have replied - it is important to take things steadily, but if you were fit before hypothyroidism, your exhaustion perhaps indicates that your dose or type of medication isn’t quite right for you.

[Hidden]

I haven't Hashi's but have no thyroid. If I am going to do more exercise on a particular day I increase my NDT by just a 1/4 or a half it depends on what I am doing. It's never easy.

By the way, I have practiced Yoga for over 40 years it's not gentle when done well. Why not start with walking that's what I did when getting back to fitness.

[Thyroidrunner]

I feel your pain. It takes me a long time to recover from full on exercise like running. For me personally i try and keep my tsh as low as possible, take my vits (d and bs especially), have proper rest days and just try not to beat myself up that i don’t recover like i used to. it’s such a bummer tho! x

[barleyblue]

Hi, I have only just been diagnosed with an under active thyroid but had to give up running and the gym 12 months ago as I had the same problems. I tried a very small bike ride last bank hols and it completely wiped me out. I can manage small slow walks and that is about it.

I am going to try yoga again once my energy levels increase.

[Auntbessy in reply to barleyblue]

I’m very sorry to hear that. I hope things get easier for you. Have they got you on the right dose?

[barleyblue in reply to Auntbessy]

Thank you very much. It’s early days yet with my dosage as I’ve only been on medication for 8 weeks.....

I hope you manage to find a form of exercise that suits you.

[Clairewalker751]

I can walk and swim and be active but everyone I have tried to return to running which I used to love to do I crash it's very frustrating but I'm starting to come to terms with the idea that high intensity cardio is not for.me anymore?

[BrecklandRanger]

I have low levels of Ferritin, so it impacts my excercise (and moods), and of course the thyroid which needs iron.

I just take iron and vit c on an empty stomach (no food/drink 2 hrs either side). Btw, I take 200 - 400mg of Ferrous Gluconate daily.

Maybe get that checked.

[Sus64 in reply to BrecklandRanger]

I have low Ferritin too, but normal iron serum. I'm gonna try your suggestion of supplementing on an empty stomach.

[Hidden]

Just out of interest I have just returned now from an 1.5 hour steep uphill fairly fast walk with the dogs and now home and feeling fine.

I self medicate with NDT and took an extra 1/4 grain with my usual dose this does work for me.

It depends on the individual but I am 72 years old and used to run until my sixties but now just happy to walk and do my Yoga.

[birkie]

Hi

Snap I was a gym bunny I did gym ball,Pilates,aerobics,step,I was as fit as a butchers dog had energy and was a size 10/12 then suddenly I became very ill not the kind of illness that only lasts a few weeks..anyway after weeks my doc took bloods which showed overactive parathiyroid glands..4 months later I started back at my gym very slowly just doing a warm up I collapse my trainer told me to go home n rest to cut a long story short I never got bk to my gym days and was diagnosed with CFs/Fibro...I did try to firm up with the gym ball but aerobics were out,I went back and forth to my doctors as I was not happy and was sure something else was going on anyway after over I would say 5/6 years I begged my GP to do a blood test on my thiyroid he did but said its ok.....again I went bk by this time my hair was falling out,my nails were awfull,i had absolutely no energy ,I was always hot and sweaty had tremors...my GP said its the menupause 🙄 Anyway last year I had just about had enough another GP took bloods and hey presto I had an overactive thiyroid which was very overactive it was toxic so had to come out I'm now recovering and hoping I can return to some form of exercise..the only good thing about this awfull illness is I have lost 2 and a half stone and I'm now on levo and terrified I put all the weight bk on for now I'm still weak and have no energy 😫😫 I do hope you manage to get bk to some sort of exercise but I must agree with the others gentle exercise is prob all we can hope for..😢😢😢 good luck

[_maddog]

Do a 4 point saliva test to check your adrenals.

[Lilyrae215]

I have been on medication for 2 months now for Hashimotos. I find the days that I don’t exercise are the only days that I feel “ok”. My dr said it takes a few months to regulate to the medication and that should get better. Also, as we age, it takes longer to build up our endurance. However I am not used to feeling so worn out after exercising.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Lilyrae215]

Lilyrae215

It can take many months to slowly increase dose of Levothyroxine up

Presumably you were started on 50mcg Levothyroxine

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose increase

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Last Levothyroxine dose should be 24 hours prior to test, (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also extremely important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if Thyroid antibodies are raised

The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose slowly in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2 (many need TSH under one) and FT4 in top third of range and FT3 at least half way in range

All four vitamins need to be regularly tested and frequently need supplementing to maintain optimal levels

NHS guidelines on Levothyroxine including that most patients need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine. Also what foods to avoid (note recommended to avoid calcium rich foods at least four hours away from Levo)

nhs.uk/medicines/levothyrox...

[Lilyrae215 in reply to SlowDragon]

I did not know those vitamin levels needed to be tested let alone every time I go in. I was only told to take 2000iu of D3 and nothing else. I am curious if my gut health. My dr didn’t mention any diet plan but referred me out to a GI to talk about gut health. I will start requesting the vitamin levels along with my blood work. I’ll do research on the ft3, ft4 and the other ones you mentioned, I know nothing of them. At times, I feel overwhelmed with all of this new information. It’s a good thing I embrace learning!

Thank you!

[simon2003]

I have a job as a tree surgeon. When I was 30 I would climb up tall trees easily. I also had a fast metabolism. After age 33 I started feeling sluggish in the morning and noticed I didn't have that instant energy.

After age 37 my doctor said I had low thyroid. When I felt tired I would eat lots of red meat and cranberry juice. Trench digging is most exhausting for me I did like 3 mins of it and took a 20 minute rest. Age 38 Im on the levothyoxine now.

[emilylouise]

diagnosed with Hypothyroid after my daughter was born 37/38 yrs old - still kept forcing myself Than diagnosed with fibromyalgia - was advised to rest rest rest for a better recovery -- well bloody rubbish - gained weight & became vert unfit 5 yrs of rest !!!!

wished id never stopped