Panorama program

[Dizzy444]

Wow, just watched Panorama program about long covid. The symptoms of long covid seem to mirror those of thyroid problems. It was the last statement that resonated with me “ waking in the morning feeling like you have a hangover”

[Anthea55]

Yes, I watched it too. Nobody mentioned checking for low levels of vitamins and minerals, but then they wouldn't if they stick to conventional medicine - doctors have so little training in nutrition.

After my son had glandular fever he was unwell for some time. Eventually I managed to get him to a complementary doctor who checked his levels and found various deficiencies (can't remember what, it's a long time ago). This is what can happen after an illness and glandular fever can take a long time to get over.

[userotc in reply to Anthea55]

Big Pharma will see long covid as another honey pot and authorities are now conditioned to only thinking of drugs to "cure" all problems. The 1st 9 months of the pandemic illustrated that with no natural options seriously considered eg despite significant positive study data eg vit D, and no vaccines.

The fact that supplement availability was very limited a year or so ago may be an indication that people are slowly "getting it". If that continues, Governments will have to listen otherwise they will lose votes. But it will take time.

[Jazzw]

I saw that too, Dizzy444, and recognised the description only too well as well.

While it does seem that Long Covid is an illness in its own right, I remember having something akin to glandular fever in my early 20s (the doctors said it wasn’t because the blood tests said “no”—but they only tested once. And my Dad did have glandular fever just before I got ill. All a bit strange. Anyway, I felt dreadful for weeks and then only slightly less dreadful for several months after that—I eventually got better but it took ages. And I remember the breathlessness, feeling like stairs were a mountain, and—something I’d forgotten until watching the programme—frequently running a temperature, weeks after I would have expected that to still be happening.

I think there’s almost certainly a thyroid function component but that might possibly be by the miracle of human design—your body needs you to rest so that it can fix the damage a virus has wreaked and one way of forcing you to do so is to temporarily down-regulate thyroid hormone production.

One thing’s for sure—it’s an awful feeling.

I was a student at the time, so I probably did have nutritional deficiencies galore too… No one ever thought to check such things then!

[DippyDame]

Agree, been thinking that for a while....Doubt they will do full thyroid tests though.

I wish someone could explain why thyroid disease is so badly diagnosed, sidelined, poorly medicated....basically, misunderstood by medics.

Right now I'm feeling very angry about the whole miserable issue.

The, "this little white pill (levo) is all you need to feel well again" mantra has prevailed for far too long.

We know that is nonsense because we live with the consequences daily....for decades in my case!

And now to vent...

Just had a "relapse" following a spell of what was possibly mental and physical exhaustion. I've concluded that was the result of the death, funeral and on going estate arrangements of a close relative which became my responsibility - all 200 miles away and under lockdown. Thank goodness for a good lawyer! Meanwhile, our sons and families are at the other end of the country!

Three weeks ago I ended up in A&E (twice) with crippling back and abdominal pain, followed by usual "vital" tests and scans.....all fine they said, so back home with a bag of painkillers!

Felt a wreck but GP said "I don't know what is wrong so I'm sending you to a "gut prof"....been there before, all tested fine. Huh!

Another medic said.....muscularskeletal problem....6/8 weeks recovery.

Me....what the hell do I do now? .....swallow painkillers and hide away in the house because I haven't got the energy to get dressed.

Without my ever supportive husband I would have been up a creek without a paddle.

Light bulb moment this morning....why didn't it immediately dawn on me!! I called to my husband, " It's my T3 level....I bet my cellular level has hit the floor". "The dramas have drained my T3." Hope returned!

Tonight I will start to adjust/ increase my dose....and use what I've learned over recent years, hopefully to get my health back.

I daren't mention T3 to my medics...I can guess the reaction!! Must be all in my imagination!

Right now I feel almost back to square one, but back then I hadn't met the real experts here who helped pull me out of that mess when I could barely function

So yes... high time medics understood the huge importance to the entire body of correctly diagnosed and medicated thyroid disease. And considered it as perhaps one possibility when investigating Long Covid.

Tomorrow, I must start to pick the pieces up and try to start another thyroid journey...

Someday I hope the powers that be understand what a monumental mess they have created for so many people.

Keep fighting thyroid warriors!

Apologies for the pathetic rant!

Take care

DD

[HowNowWhatNow in reply to DippyDame]

You’ve had a super stressful time. Hope the T3 works to ease your symptoms.

[DippyDame in reply to HowNowWhatNow]

Thank you...I'm fairly confident it will but it takes time!

Stay safe.

[Mugs19 in reply to DippyDame]

I am so sad to hear of your ill fortune. You offered me some hope and I was touched by your kindness. Interestingly there was a good article about micro biomes in Sunday’s Observer. It gives hope that knowledge is growing about what goes on in our guts. My husband also keeps everything going because of my incapacity. Something else occurred to me about long COVID some time ago. The way the sufferers describe their lack of sensory integration and body dyspraxia. I often feel like that now, tottering about and losing balance. I first had it when I was on hydroxychloroquine and had to stop taking it. For months I could not swim without feelinglike I was gong to plummet head down in the water. I also got my praxis back when I stopped taking Levo And my body started to fell like my own again, not operated by remote control. Please keep us posted on your progress.Big hug from me.

[DippyDame in reply to Mugs19]

Thank you for your very kind words Mugs19 ... My troubles are no more or less than most but sometimes, whatever they are they simply overwhelm for a time.

I had so much to take on board that I didn't realise I had been running myself into the ground for months until after we took a window of opportunity during covid to visit the lawyer involved and investigate what else still needed to be done. That was a relief and I think I relaxed...and the wheels fell off the wagon.

I should have known better, I've had the best thyroid education here but forgot to join up the dots darting before my eyes.

I'm annoyed at wasting the time of everyone around me, and for once again leaving my husband to pick up the pieces but this time I'm sure it's my cellular T3 level that has done a jig and hopefully....

Yes I read the article in the Observer, a lot to process but worth following up.

They say the gut is the second brain....makes sense to me!

Take good care

DD

[greygoose in reply to DippyDame]

I wish someone could explain why thyroid disease is so badly diagnosed, sidelined, poorly medicated....basically, misunderstood by medics.

Cherchez la filthy lucre! Who stands to gain if we stay ill? Big Pharma! They are making a lot of money off our backs, with their drugs to 'treat' out symptoms as if they were all individual diseases: statins for high cholesterol; antidepressants for depression and anxiety; blood pressure pills for high blood pressure; PPIs for stomach/digestion problems; etc. etc. etc. And, BP controls what doctors learn in med schools because BP finances med schools.

So, doctors learn that thyroid problems are no big deal, and all you need to do is treat with levo, test the TSH - because that tells you all you need to know! - and get it back to somewhere within the range. They also learn that patients are all idiots, incapable of understanding their own disease, especially women who are hysterical, neurotic and exaggerate the way they feel. They are all attention-seeking hypochondriacs and should be treated with the contempt they deserve.

Doctors spend a very short time on the entire endochrinological system, so learn very little about the thyroid itself, and next to nothing about what happens when things go wrong, nor how to treat them. They know next to nothing about symptoms or how lack of thyroid hormone affects the body. And they come into contact with very few hypos whilst training because people don't tend to go to A&E complaining about an attack of Hashi's.

And, that's just the way BP likes it. If hypos actually got well, they would lose an awful lot of money! So, they aim to keep us alive, but sick. So they can keep on milking that money cow. Thyroid: the gift that keeps on giving!

[DippyDame in reply to greygoose]

In a nutshell!

I just keep hoping that cracks will begin to develop in the wall capturing the money cow named Thyroid!

After this A&E visit one of the medics has referred me to a colorectal surgeon, can't criticise the prompt service...just had a phone call.

Explaining my low cellular T3 theory to him? Another can of worms.

Plus ça change...

[Jazzw in reply to DippyDame]

I’m sorry—couldn’t help a very childish snigger at the words “colorectal surgeon” and “can of worms” in close proximity there.

[greygoose in reply to Jazzw]

lol

[DippyDame in reply to Jazzw]

Happy to oblige!!

[Middleagedandtired]

was going to watch it ..but definitely will on catch up

[Sleepyachy]

I've been saying long covid sounds like under active thyroid for ages, I'm currently isolating due to been near someone who is positive. I feel like crap most days so I don't think I'd know .

[Sleepyachy]

Also way bk , first lockdown was March 2020. I was really ill in the December before covid became massive. laid up in bed with flu ... which looking bk could of been covid . I was laid up 3 weeks , then went back to work for a week and ended up needing a month off as I had not completely recovered.

[Sleepyachy]

Also the waking like hangover.... I say I feel like that .... hangover without having any booze .....

[Looloobelles in reply to Sleepyachy]

I have been feeling like that for years before I was diagnosed and thought it was just me ..Early in my journey with UAT and I’m on the lowest strength to begin with and next blood test is not until 13/8 so I’m hoping my dosage is upped next time as still not feeling 100% but at least I know the reasons why now instead of thinking I was going insane

[McPammy]

I’ve thought for some time that when a news story tells of long covid symptoms it sounded very similar to my own symptoms in 2018. No Dr could help me back then in the NHS they just kept saying they had no idea how to help. That in itself sounds familiar to long covid sufferers. They just seem to be left out in the cold. I read an article recently that they now think from a study that it could be autoimmune related. And that the persons own immune system attacks healthy organs or cells etc similar to Hashimotos. It’s interesting that the swab is taken at the throat area near ones thyroid gland too, could there be a link here to the virus and the thyroid. I haven’t watched the program yet but intend to watch it tonight as I recorded it. It could be adrenal related too as adrenals produce cortisol which is our own natural steroid which is used in abundance when we are ill, possibly adrenal fatigue too. I’m no Dr I just have had a bad experience with my thyroid condition which now is under control as I finally got T3 medication and oh boy what a huge difference that made to my recovery and my life. It definitely will be interesting to see if long covid is autoimmune related and if T3 medication would help them or not.

[HashiFedUp]

Yes I agree. They’re saying its an ‘auto immune attack’ and my first thought was “welcome to my world, I’ve had long covid for 15 years”!!

[Hypopotamus]

Long Covid or ME? Can't they just tell these people that it is all in the mind?

[Jazzw in reply to Hypopotamus]

I’m sure they’ll get around to it soon enough.

I noticed in the documentary last night that the Long Covid specialist seemed quite confident that most Long Covid sufferers would eventually get over their illness. Not quite sure where that confidence is coming from… Bit early to say, surely?

[Mistydeb01 in reply to Jazzw]

They said that to me when they diagnosed ME, 10+ years ago. It’s another way of fobbing you off to leave you out on your own. I feel for the LC patients, they’ve a lot to learn about the injustice in our healthcare system. It’s great if you have something that fits nicely in their box, but if you don’t then you are screwed.

[Jazzw in reply to Mistydeb01]

Sadly very true.