Muscle fatigue

[Murphysmum]

I’m still finding this a problem.

Even though I’m fairly sure my levels are good now (they’ve been steady and dose constant for a few months now, even with increased exercise etc) and I’m managing to be very active again - walking, cycling, just being a mum!, and I completed the couch to 5k this week, I’m still finding muscle fatigue an issue.

Exercising isn’t really a problem, I don’t get any pain or particular tiredness but repeated small movements - wow! I still can’t whip something up in the kitchen, do repeated movements when styling my hair, use a screwdriver without getting real pain and needing to stop.

Does anyone else have this? Does it get better? Am I not at my optimal dose yet? Or should I investigate other things?

On a side note I’m fairly sure my testosterone low (I’m female for avoidance of doubt!) and I wonder if this could be symptom.

As always, TIA 😊

[Hidden]

If this is the only symptom left, I would not change the dose. Low testosterone affects muscle mass and you can experience muscle weakness, yes.

Edit: do you know your SHBG? The thing is, that when we are hypo, we can have also low Testosterone, but should normalise after a while. This can take months and months though, I suspect

[Murphysmum in reply to Hidden]

No, I’m not changing any doses, I pretty much know it isn’t that now. Interestingly, I had reintroduced some levo (as I said in another post) but the muscle weakness in my shoulders became so bad after a week I stopped it again. It’s now improved. I’m done with levo!

However, this fatigue is different. It’s taken me a while to work this out. I don’t know my SHBG and see trying to find a test that does hormones and that... impossible! So I opted for a hormone test that I’ll need to wait almost a full cycle to do but I suspect my testosterone is off. I certainly had estrogen dominance and slightly low progesterone which I was treating but it seems to have rectified itself over the last few months.

Hopefully whatever is causing the muscle issues will resolve too but I thought it was worth a post. It’s very annoying, especially when my I’m managing to improve my fitness levels now.

Hey ho, I’ll keep trying!

[Hidden in reply to Murphysmum]

Yeah levo definitely doesn't suit you. And myself neither well maybe in smaller doses,.I am yet to find out!

I see, so all female hormones can be low when hypo with estrogen dominance (estrogen can be also low, but even it being lownit can still dominate over prog). When you take a good dose of thyroid meds, this should balance itself (unless the root cause is different), same with testosterone.

What dose of t3 did you settle on? I am now on 100 and 27.5, but after endo app today he wants me to move to 88 t4 and then replenish t3.

[Murphysmum in reply to Hidden]

What do you mean by replenish T3?

No, I have now fully decided levo doesn’t work for me. I suspect maybe a teeny dose makes things more even for me but it’s such a tiny amount I’m not going to bother. The balancing act is too difficult.

I suspect (and hope) too that if I can manage one large dose of T3, that might do what i want, and I won’t feel the dips.

I’m on 55mcg now, split 35/20 at the moment but I’ll certainly try a single dose in the coming weeks

Good luck with your changes 😉

[Hidden in reply to Murphysmum]

I mean increase it, once I lower it and see how I am.

I will keep my fingers crossed for you! Thanks and best of luck

[SilverAvocado in reply to Murphysmum]

I can't remember the full details, but I managed to find SHBG a few years ago on either medichecks or blue horizon as part of a men's health bundle.

[endomad in reply to SilverAvocado]

My GP and endo both tested my SHBG endo did it twice a year to make sure i wasnt taking too much T3 you should also be able to get it tested on NHS

[Murphysmum in reply to endomad]

Hmmm, not sure I want them to know anything about my T3!

Thanks anyway tho 😉

[LynLyn]

Hi Murphysmum

I experience muscle fatigue and also sore muscles on T4. I’ve recently tried adding t4 back in however gave up about a month ago due to a deterioration in symptoms. I’ve manage to improve my exercise stamina recently too. I’d be really interested in how you get on trying one dose of T3. This is something I’ve been thinking about doing. Many thanks.

[Hashihouseman]

As a man the effect of being hypothyroid and the treatment for that on testosterone can be as devastating as being hypothyroid. And very confusing as to what is causing what symptoms. Anyway the point of my reply to you is the disruption to the thyroid system is strongly interrelated with disruption of other hormone pathways, particularly sex hormone and glucose metabolism and adrenal balance. Regarding testosterone, taking thyroid hormone replacement is known to increase SHBG which in turn hovers up testosterone (and oestrogen) so free hormone levels can plummet and despite total testosterone levels appearing normal! But as with thyroid it’s the free hormone levels that matter, despite what some idiot endocrinologists may say. And while our TSH remains high we are also liable to hyperprolactinemia! The over stimulated pituitary caused by low thyroid hormones will be frantically trying to stimulate the thyroid with TSH and this activity also raises prolactin levels which for females wouldn’t be so bad (for men it’s terrible) except that too much prolactin will also affect the balance of testosterone and oestrogen which may also be causing or aggravating the symptoms you describe.

[Murphysmum in reply to Hashihouseman]

Thank you Hashihouseman

This is what I suspected, thanks for the detailed explanation. And thank goodness I’m not a man... whist I’m not quite ready to accept you guys have life harder 😜, that doesn’t sound great.

My whole hormone system definitely took a hammering when my thyroid problems started. Whilst I didn’t ever have serious problems with regards to adrenals and female sex hormones, things were definitely all out of sorts and it’s taken over a year after the introduction of T3 to feel as if these might be getting back on track. I am still suspicious about the testosterone (and therefore SHBG) though.

I have a hormone test to do in a few weeks so we’ll see what that shows. It doesn’t however check SHBG so it looks like I might have to then do that too.

I’ll report my findings!

[Hashihouseman in reply to Murphysmum]

A mans life is obviously harder duh! Although I grant you a woman’s isnt easier 😜 But yes do get your SHBG checked which will then allow or even include an assessment of free hormone levels which are otherwise expensive to test directly. Then you can compare your levels with the normal, most common, healthy values for your peer group.... my free testosterone was in the range of a man 30 years older, until I started taking boron to reduce SHBG!

[Murphysmum in reply to Hashihouseman]

😂

Thank you. I’ll see how I get on, watch this space!

[Hidden]

I can offer no help, sorry! but thank you for posting this! I find I really struggle with this in my arms. Cleaning the shower screen feels impossible because of the repetitive motion. Nice to know its connected to my thyroid and not just weak arms! 😂