Something I’ve noticed increasing over the past few months is a feeling of extreme weakness and exhaustion after eating and drinking. When I wake I feel relatively ok, after breakfast I’d be happy to return to bed or just stare at the wall for the rest of the day. I’ve discovered I have low cortisol and odd thyroid readings - is this part of either problems?
Feel weak after eating and drinking: Something I... - Thyroid UK
Feel weak after eating and drinking
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Jamima
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When I was very undermedicated I used to feel ill after a meal. I guessed that this was because the gut is one of the biggest users of thyroid hormones and after a meal it gets busy digesting and needs to draw on hormones. Its just an idea.
I didn’t know that and it certainly makes sense. It’s almost got to the point where I don’t want to eat.
I know - it is awful. You need to try to eat a little though as you need calories to convert the T4 into the T3 that the cells use. I used to eat a little often and have little snacks like nuts or bananas or porridge. Drinking fizzy water helped me too.
It could be to do with blood pressure. BP drops when we have eaten. Have a word with your GP
I feel very similar. I’m totally exhausted after a shower and I have to sit down after every meal and I always blame it on the cooking. I follow the advice of Isabella Wentz the thyroid pharmacist and she said just one reason people feel tired after eating is because they don’t have enough stomach acid in the body is using it’s energy to break down the food. So I take digestive enzymes with HCL at every meal that contains protein. She says it was the number one thing that changed her life and gave her more energy. All I can say about me as I have a good days and bad days and I really can’t pinpoint exactly one thing that makes everything better except for my monthly cycle hormones. I would consider taking enzymes and if they don’t hurt your stomach then work your way up to having some stomach acid in there as well. I’ve heard people say if you have fatigue after eating it’s your adrenals that are the problem. But everything I read on adrenals says you have X symptoms and I only have 2 or 3 of those symptoms and not nearly all of them. It’s so tricky! Good luck 👍
Digestive enzymes changed my world for the better! Proteolytic enzymes too! I don’t take them every day just when there’s a problem. I have Hashimoto’s and low stomach acid. With the added enzymes I feel better within the hour - many times in just minutes.
Proteolytic enzyme‘s taken on an empty stomach will give you energy like you will not believe!
I’ve bought some of the solar digestive enzymes as I’m having terrible gut problems. Are Solgar any good?
My guess is that they are weaker.
Dr's Best is a good brand as is Phi-Zymes (proprietary blend / name for proteolytic enzymes), and "Recovery Zymes" by MNP (another proteolytic enzyme). I am in the US, so not sure how readily available these are in the UK.
I recently learned that drinking a warm (not scalding hot) lemon juice mixed with water on an empty stomach does much of the same thing. It has to do with the liver - all of this. (the thyroid disfunction, the enzymes, the "low stomach acid") - all related. Apparently, when the liver is functioning optimally it makes its own digestive enzymes, thyroid hormone "pathways" are opened, etc.
I can't seem to find the healthy place with my liver / thyroid / stomack - so it's enzymes on occasion for me. (and levo, and lemon water, etc.)
My next experiment is with progesterone. Ray Peat says it will help the thyroid.
I’d love to know how you do with progesterone. Another thing I take is p5p50
Which is activated B6. I started taking it for PMS but look what I just found it helps with: stomach acid !!!
Pyridoxal 5′ phosphate (P5P) is the active metabolite of pyridoxine and is the predominant form of plasma B6. P5P is required for proper absorption of B12 and magnesium, and for the production of gastric HCl. It is an important coenzyme in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and the elongation of essential fatty acids.
It is required for the production of antibodies and red blood cells. P5P facilitates the release of glycogen (used in energy production) from the liver and muscles. In addition, P5P helps maintain the balance of sodium and potassium, which regulates body fluids and promotes the healthy functioning of the nervous and musculoskeletal systems.*
I’m going to look into the P5P50. Thanks for sharing.
This happens to me , i get really cold after eating a meal and have to get under duvet for 45mins. I know what you mean about the 'putting off eating' thing. It makes you not want to stop for lunch. But i try and eat small and often rather than big meals in the day.
I have become a 'grazer' eating a handful of watercress on way past fridge , and then a lump of cheese next pass , followed by a tomato or a sardine sometime later.
I have always explained it to myself by the body sending blood to aid in digestion, so the rest of you gets cold. But to be honest i can't remember if that's biologically correct.
Currently it's not happening anymore,,, but i now start to sweat instantly if i have a warm drink, even if it's Rooibos which has no caffeine, but i always have one sugar.
whenever i try to cut out all sugar i pretty much fall over.
I've always suspected something blood sugar or adrenal related.
Thank you for all replies. There’s definitely something wrong today, I can’t stay awake and have a sort of internal vibration sensation. I’ve not eaten today as I don’t want to make it worse. I’m so exhausted I just can’t stay awake. Has anyone ever had this? I’m a bit frightened now.
I don't think not eating is a good idea...you need a healthy diet for conversion of thyroid hormones. Maybe just eat and have a lie down? I got to the point where I would fall asleep whilst eating with my face in the food! I believe low cortisol can cause this, but if you've got internal tremours it could be low B vitamins, particularly B12. Do you have any blood results for thyroid and vitamins? Sorry, I can't check your profile as I've got tech problems and I'm useless! But I have had all you describe to a quite severe level, and I do sympathise. I'm afraid my GP and assorted specialists were no help to me, and just put everything down to ME/CFS, which I didn't have, but I'm fine now, thanks to this forum.
No one will notice your last reply as you as you forgot to press the blue reply button under a reply, so they won't be notified. Perhaps SlowDragon may be able to help? Don't worry.
Thank you Mamapea - I’m not use to this forum and posting. I’ll try to post my cortisol and thyroid tests.
I’m afraid I can’t find the camera icon to post my results but I have previously posted them somewhere on here!
That's frustrating...if I didn't have these tech problems I would be able to find them, but I'm unable to view profiles to search through your previous posts and replies at the moment. If you click on your name, you can go through what you've previously posted, and may be able to find the results. If SlowDragon isn't around/doesn't appear, I'll try and summon someone else, but if you have the energy, it may be better to start a new post, and then more people will see it and respond😊
Gosh! I'm no expert, but all those levels look really low to me! You also have a low TSH. What is your Dr doing about these levels? How much thyroid hormone are you taking? What advice were you given before on here when you posted these results? It's annoying that I can't see your previous replies. They look pretty dire to me...no wonder you don't feel well😕
My gp said the thyroid was satisfactory and left it at that. I continued to feel worse so got the cortisol privately and sent it to GP last week, not heard anything. I’m not on any medications and feel weaker each day. I’ll call the gp on Monday.
'Satisfactory'? well I wouldn't be satisfied if they were my results...what did members advise when you posted these before? You must insist on treatment, and explain you can't go on like this. Your TSH should be higher with such low T4 and T3, and the cortisol and DHEA looks so low. Perhaps SeasideSusie could advise you on a course of action, if she hasn't already😬
Yes, I certainly do not feel satisfactory but the cortisol was not long before lockdown and, to be honest, I could manage more then. It seems to have got progressively worse to the point I’m just not functioning at all now. Yes, SS did reply and advised an adrenal product. I’ve ordered but not started it as I didn’t want to skew another medichecks thyroid test I did yesterday. I’ll start them tomorrow.
Annoying that you've had to do your own tests, but it seems to be the only way to go these days...I don't bother with NHS tests anymore. They never test anything useful, and they don't seem to interpret the tests properly anyway, but at this point you need a diagnosis and some treatment. Don't take no for an answer when you ring on Monday...tell them your thyroid, vitamin and adrenal levels are too low, and you can't function. The Dr will be going by the TSH, because it's low. It's so sad that you've gone through lockdown like this, getting worse. I hope you get some answers.
Thank you, you’ve reinvigorated me to push for help.
I'm glad, because you have to be very determined to get help for these things now. You have to fight for everything. They fob you off with all sorts of drivel. It happened to me for decades until I took control of my own health with help from here. You need to be investigated for a diagnosis, so if the GP tries it on, say you want to be referred to an endocrinologist urgently, as your situation has worsened over the lockdown. If you get an appointment, try and take someone with you if possible, preferably male, that seems to work for some unknown reason😕
Yes, when I was extremely hypo and thyroid meds were wrong proportion-wise, was jittery after food, feeling like passing out, swollen neck, was scared of food. Totally dissappeared when adjusted the dose.
Jamima in reply to
Thank-you. Scared of food sums it up, the gut problems after eating are horrendous too.
in reply to Jamima
I understand it too well and I am very sorry you need to go through it. I had to have gastroscopy done, but it was all clear, "just thyroid". You will get there, this will go away. What helped me at the time was to eat something sugary, my body was calm after a few fruit jellies.
Jamima in reply to
Thank you.
Hi Jamima
Sorry to hear you are doing through this. I go through the exact same thing. A few months ago I was scared to eat at all. I feel ok then I eat and after I feel tired but also recently as I have become more undermedicated I also get other symptoms - the worst is breakfast where I feel a horrible anxious fast heartbeat sensation in chest get palpitations sometimes and feel awful. My heart rate also increases most uncomfortably again usually after breakfast. I also have internal vibrations and they intensify after these periods. Most recently as I went longer under medicated I started getting hypoglycaemia like periods where about 30mins after eating I would get a very fast heart beat in 100s, I would get anxious, lightheaded, shaky and sweat. Absolutely horrible and it makes me afraid to eat breakfast too when it’s at its worst points.
I am undermedicated and recently found out I have quite low morning cortisol and mildly low noon - the periods my cortisol is lowest is when I feel worse eating and at breakfast obviously you have just woken up and cortisol starts to rise after you wake . Cortisol is involved with blood sugar regulation and if it’s low you can become more hypoglycaemic which causes these symptoms. I am in the process of raising my meds right now and currently feel really horrible after breakfast - 104 heart buzzy and therefore very uncomfortable! I’m raising t3 which unfortunately puts more pressure on cortisol at first but I need to raise it to up cortisol in the long run so I’m trying to hold on!
When I was much better medicated previously I had none of these symptoms and ate fine including a big breakfast with banana honey oats peanut butter yoghurt all perfectly fine! Might be worth getting your thyroid hormones tested and looking at cortisol with a saliva cortisol test.
Hope this helps! 😊
Sorry just seen you posted results above! Cortisol is definitely too low almost of the day which can absolutely be affecting your blood sugar and causing these issues same as with myself. Your t3 is also the same as mine - only 50% through range. I would absolutely look at getting that t3 raised and cortisol should follow!
Thank you. I have a private endo lined up too but the costs are staggering for 1st telephone appointment. I’m a little dubious about the endo as I sent the test results and the receptionist came back and said the endo asked why exactly I wanted to see the her. I said it should be clear that things are not quite right re. tests. They make you feel like a hypochondriac but I’m now so unwell that I’ll pay just to get an opinion.
I hope it goes well for you! I understand how frightening it is and I hope you find relief too!
Thank you.
Many thanks liaratsoni. Yes, those symptoms sound very familiar. I’ve had thyroid and cortisol tested (results above) and my gp says they are satisfactory. I feel really unwell now, so weak that I’m unable to do most daily tasks. I’m calling my GP tomorrow to demand further action on a diagnosis as I just can’t continue like this. I hope you continue to feel well.
I had many months like this. I was also constantly utterly exhausted, unable to stand unsupported, and unable to think clearly so I couldn't drive, with internal shaking. I often felt shaky, sometimes panicky, with a fast heartrate. I learnt more about thyroid disease (I'd been on thyroxine for over 25 years), and in the end I found I needed T3 as well as thyroxine (T4).
In the meantime, my endo did great number of tests and diagnosed reactive hypoglycaemia - where the blood sugar drops suddenly a little while after eating. It's NOT the same as a diabetic hypo.
I now eat small snacks throughout the day, mostly protein, with low GI food. Glucose works, but then I crash more, so that's a vicious circle, and not the way to go.
Now I take T3 as well as thyroxine, my RH is way better.
A couple of useful links:
diabetes.co.uk/reactive-hyp...
esht.nhs.uk/wp-content/uplo...
Jamima why don't you do a separate post about your thyroid levels, with your levels and reference ranges, and the vitamins and minerals too?
Many thanks Tara, I certainly empathise with some of those symptoms. I’ve already posted with my most recent thyroid results today but only had one reply. I’m trying to arrange an appointment with a private endo but it’s tricky just now. I’m really not feeling well and for the past 3 days not even able to walk my dog I’m so exhausted. It’s such a horrible feeling being so completely out of control when you know there’s something wrong.
Jamima , have you got the list of favourable endos from Thyroid UK? I've just replied on your other thread.
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