Libido issues

[username5]

hello

Does anyone else suffer with libido issues? and has anyone found anything to help. Ive only had this since having hypothyroidism!

[Lora7again]

Yes when I was underactive , however now it is the complete opposite and my old man can't keep up!

[username5 in reply to Lora7again]

Hi ! How did you get it back to normal?

[debsmitch60 in reply to Lora7again]

Yes what are you on to now be normal please?

[Mirbzy]

Hi. Yes, I am in the same position. No libido whatsoever since my diagnoses. I am so rushed when I try to talk to the GP, that the topic never gets brought up. I have not found anything to help unfortunately. I feel like mine is physical and psychological. I am at the point where I cant even produce discharge, and some sensations are gone down below. ..best of luck with any advice or answers

[HLAB35 in reply to Mirbzy]

If dryness is an issue then you may have another autoimmune issue called Sjogren's Syndrome, which is massively underdiagnosed and sits alongside Rheumatoid Arthritis and Hashi's (it's very common to have more than one autoimmune illness). Go to the Sjogren Syndrome UK website for support.

bssa.uk.net/live/news/news3...

[Batty1 in reply to HLAB35]

Your right Sjogrens disease is very ignored by the medical world I suffer with dry eyes,mouth and nose ...such a nightmare.

[HLAB35 in reply to Batty1]

My mum uses to chew gum all the time as she found a dry mouth so uncomfortable. On top of needing artificial tears, she also has glaucoma, so her eyes are a definite problem area and regularly sees an eye doctor. Her SS is secondary to RA, so treating the RA is seen by the rheumatologist as the priority. She takes Evening Primrose and has had Sea Buckthorn, but only when I buy them! My daughter started to develop symptoms, but since stopping dairy (she was already gluten free) and taking nutrients to block histamine they've stopped... I reckon there is a connection with histamine.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2...

[Batty1 in reply to HLAB35]

I have Psoriatic Arthritis and the dry everything...

[HLAB35 in reply to Batty1]

Must be frustrating for you Batty1... you may already have tried turmeric - some kinds have more 'active ingredient' than others (apparently - or it may just be marketing ploy ;-)). The brand my daughter has had is Theracurmin. Quercetin and Nettle also block histamine. Maybe worth a try.

[username5 in reply to Mirbzy]

I also have lost complete sensation . It’s just not me at all I was the completely opposite before ! It’s so depressing and effecting my relationship

[debsmitch60 in reply to username5]

Same here and also affecting my relationship. I feel like another person.

[debsmitch60 in reply to Mirbzy]

I also think you should ask for your female hormones to be tested if you are of that age as the dryness etc could be related to that. I never had the dryness but loss of sensation the same as you. Also going from my normal to absolutely nothing in sex drive. It's so stressful as well as all other symptoms. Write a list and don't leave your doctor until you have said all that you need to. Good luck x

[Starfish123]

Hi,

I’m not sure what age you are but if menopausal ask for hrt and testosterone. I must admit it took almost a year to get the testosterone added as I needed a letter from a gynaecologist to get it, but 6 weeks in it definitely worked, haven’t felt like it in years.

For dryness try it omega 7, buckthorn oil, I tried it for dry eyes but it’s made a big difference as well.

[HLAB35 in reply to Starfish123]

Yes, Seabuckthorn oil is recommended for Sjogren's (lack of secretions due to autoimmune attack on salivary glands, tear ducts, intestinal and vaginal mucosa). If you have Sjogren's Syndrome there is support from the BSSA. Although libido is probably more to do with serotonin levels which are low with low testosterone (same for men). I don't have HRT, but find that taking zinc helps.

[username5 in reply to Starfish123]

I’m 26, I have recently noticed I have dry eyes! I already have a dry mouth from a cancer I had which damaged my saliva glands ( and also caused my hypothyroidism) . How do you diagnsoe/ get tested for other autoimmune issues ?

[Starfish123 in reply to username5]

You could ask your dr for antibodies blood tests possibly? They are unlikely to be able to do them but could refer you on to someone that could, you may need to be more specific in your request, what are you looking for? Autoimmune hypothyroidism? Sjogrens? Or something else?

[debsmitch60 in reply to Starfish123]

I was started on estrogen and progesterone and after 4 months I have just started on testosterone. I'm only on on 3rd day. Did it take you 6 weeks or did you gradually get your libido back?

[Starfish123 in reply to debsmitch60]

Everyone is different I had nothing at all for 6 weeks then it suddenly was there. It then calmed down but continued on providing I used the gel. I did stop for an operation and recovery of, I restarted it and again 6 weeks later it was working. I’m currently off again as I’m awaiting biopsies results and was asked to stop the gel and estrogen until results are in,

[debsmitch60 in reply to Starfish123]

Thanks for that info, it has helped so fingers crossed I get back to normal too.

[debsmitch60]

Hi,

I am the same and that's also since being diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I'm in all good ranges according to bloods but I'm still symptomatic of lots of thyroid issues.

I also paid privately to see a menopause doctor as they were saying its probably that and although I needed estrogen I have had no change in symptoms. Still on top of other symptoms I have no libido. The only time I ever felt the start of relief of symptoms was when I was first put on T3. I even started to get my libido back, but didn't last long.

Got another appointment with menopause clinic later this month where she will probably introduce testosterone so we will see.

Still absolutely convinced it's because I need to be on T3 treatment alone though.

At the request of my professor endocrinologist I am going to have a private DIO2 gene test so we will see. Good luck but I would definitely look at what you are taking for your thyroid and as another member suggested, have a look at your female hormones xx

[username5 in reply to debsmitch60]

So you have found T3 got your libido back? It’s just hard to get any endo to prescribe me it !

[debsmitch60 in reply to username5]

The time I was started on a small dose of T3 has been the only time I started to feel like me again and yes started to get my libido back as well as feeling hungry and not the daytime tired and slept better etc. Even my hair loss got better.

My estrogen is good now and she has started me on testosterone as that's really low so fingers crossed. Just waiting for the DIO2 test results which could be a few weeks. Even if I don't have the faulty gene, I will then cut all ties with endocrinologists and start treating myself on T3 alone with help from this wonderful group. I would get help from this group to see what more experienced people can comment and help you. Good luck x

[sherrilynn007]

Beware of HRT or BHRT. It causes weight gain and hair loss in some women. Also the estrogen can cause a need to increase thyroid med. I really wanted it to work for me but the weight gain was a deal breaker.

[username5 in reply to sherrilynn007]

What is BHRT? What HRT meds do people take ?

[milkwoman]

Yep, libido went far far away (poor hubby).

For me, being optimally medicated on Levo and T3 didn’t bring it back BUT I recently had an increase in my HRT, specifically, my custom compounded Bi-est cream (estriol and estradiol) and I’m beginning to feel things starting to return (fingers crossed!). Hormones take some time to build black up so I’m hoping as time goes on, things will continue to improve.

My custom compounded cream also contains progesterone to balance things. (Hormones HAVE to be balanced in order to have good results). I make enough testosterone so do not require that to be supplemented. (I tried it early on and all it did was make me angry and irritable and when we tested my sex hormones, testosterone was high. Sigh.)

NOTE: Not all HRT is created equal.

When I was on the transdermal patch (which is just estradiol) along with oral micronized progesterone (200 mg/day), I had issues with breakthrough bleeding AND I started to see a change in my waistline (I’m fit and always had a small waist so this was distressing). I thought switching to name brand Prometrium (I was on generic formulations prior to switching) would resolve things but they got worse! I stopped immediately and my GYN then switched me to the custom compounded transdermal cream.

Took a bit to get to the correct dosing to alleviate my menopausal symptoms (night sweats, overheating, etc), but I’m in a good place now. Waist is back and better than ever!

I personally didn’t experience any hair loss/issues on HRT as one responder makes note above, however, it is true that on HRT I did find that I required an increase in my Levo.

Hope this helps.

[debsmitch60 in reply to milkwoman]

Can I ask did you get your custom compounded transdermal cream Nhs or private? I went private as the wait was 6 months on Nhs. I also have breakthrough bleeding and also really tender boobs. I also have to insert the progesterone every other night as it was knocking me out taking it orally. It sounds like you have finally got where you need to be which I'm pleased for you.

[milkwoman in reply to debsmitch60]

I’m in the USA.

It sounds like your hormones are not yet balanced. If you are still waiting to get estradiol/estriol, I’ve seen creams available on Amazon. Perhaps you can try one of those in the meantime?

[debsmitch60 in reply to milkwoman]

No I don't think they are and yes I'm on 3 pumps of estrogen and tablets of the progesterone. I also was started on testosterone a few days ago. Thanks very much for your reply.

[milkwoman in reply to debsmitch60]

What do three pumps of estrogen equate to? It may not be enough if you are still symptomatic. Also, if it is just the one kind (estradiol), there are creams that are “bi-est” and contain the two kinds. I have very much liked the balance with the two kinds.

Watch the intake of testosterone. If you find you are getting irritable or angry, stop the testosterone. I was taking a very small amount of testosterone initially and my values jumped quickly. I then stopped it and haven’t taken any since.

Have you had your sex hormones tested to see where the levels are now?

[Montheone]

Yes me too but don’t know anything that helps 😢

[Dolgan]

After my first pregnancy, my libido dropped drastically. My husband is a wise man; when I told him what was wrong with me, he said he would do everything to make me heal quickly. A few days later, he found the best sex pill for women nutrispec.net/best-female-l... ; I was shocked. Moreover, he bought them on the doctor's recommendation. My husband explained to him what the problem was, and the doctor prescribed the drugs. After 2 months, my libido came back to normal. Now every sex is more passionate than it was before. I think it was worth it.