low thyroxine or low Estrogen? How to balance these two hormones?

[Joesmum]

I haven’t posted for a very long time.

I have central hypothyroid, I have no TSH. The TSH can never be a guide for me.

For years I have been trying to balance my Estrogen replacement with my thyroxine replacement and I don’t feel that I have ever managed it.

I can get rid of the hot flushes but I have never been able to determine whether the remaining fatigue is lack of thyroxine or lack of Estrogen?

I know some women have indescribable fatigue with menopause…?

Does anyone share this issue or can anyone suggest a way forward.

I have had years of ‘trial and error’.

And this area is so rarely highlighted and discussed.

thanks

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Previous post shows low vitamin levels

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Optimal vitamin levels are

Vitamin D at least around 80nmol and around 100nmol maybe better

Serum B12 at least over 500

Folate and ferritin at least half way through range

Many thyroid patients need to supplement vitamin D, magnesium, vitamin K2 mk7 and vitamin B complex continuously to maintain optimal vitamin levels

[Joesmum in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you Slow Dragon.

I was hoping for some help in distinguishing the symptoms.

Unfortunately the symptoms are very similar. It seems never to be mentioned in this forum so I’m hoping to hear from someone in a similar situation?

There is very little help available for hypopituitary patients forum wise.

Thank you so much.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Joesmum]

Joesmum, 'There is very little help available for hypopituitary patients forum wise.'

As this is a patient to patient forum, any help and support here comes from fellow patients. This unfortunately means that most members are unable to help with unusual situations such as yours.

'this area is so rarely highlighted and discussed' [low thyroxine or low Estrogen?]

Again, any discussion can only happen if people with similar experience to yours are currently active on the forum.

If you can, please do keep continuing to post about your experiences and ask your questions. Even if your post isn't seen or satisfactorily answered this time, it might ring a bell for someone, somewhere, sometime. I know this doesn't seem very helpful right now, but if no-one ever asks the questions, no answers are ever likely to be forthcoming.

[PixieElv]

This might not help you at all but I’ll share my experiences just in case: I too have central hypothyroidism. HRT made me really, really ill, so I’m putting up with the hot flushes and some fatigue.

I found NDT did me the world of good though. Much better than levo or T3, but obviously a niche thing. And expensive…

[Joesmum in reply to PixieElv]

Hi pixieElv,I tried NDT many years ago and I liked it but endocrinologist was concerned about not being able to get a constant supply and I have to agree with him.

I was having to flip from refs to armour to naturethroid. I was laying import duty and it just became too worrying.

I take T4 and T3

Interesting that you’re managing without HRT. My symptoms are too extreme in Terms of hot flushes and …. Other issues.

Thank you it’s good to hear from.

[FancyPants54 in reply to Joesmum]

I have had a devil's job dealing with both. I am now happy that my HRT is nicely sorted on Bijuve capsule (oestrogen and Utrogestan together) and Lenzetto spray. My issues are mainly thyroid hormone not getting to the cells I think. The only way I can make any changes is to do my own tests, adjust, wait and test again. However, home test kits for oestrogen are very unreliable (from Dr Newson's own words) and so we need to get a proper blood draw to monitor it.

[PixieElv]

I’m sorry to hear your symptoms are too extreme. I’m glad it’s not that bad for me. Are you trying the Sandrina gel? That’s supposed to be good. There’s a constant and reliable supply of NDT now available. Springfield pharmacy in London does mail order and they are great!

[SarahJane1471]

I know this is controversial on here but I strongly believe that going into menopause and starting HRT gel ( which I desperately needed) triggered 2 yrs later hypothyroidism. Bear with me on this theory ( and it is only a theory) . If our HPT/HPA axis and feed back loops get disrupted then surely ALL hormones can be affected. I think it was strange that 2 yrs after starting estrogel, which stopped all my horrendous symptoms, I then started having hypo symptoms. My frees were all low in range so GP offered a trial of Levo. One year on my TSH is slightly under range and frees have not really risen much despite being on 125 mcgs of Levo. So I’m doing a little experiment ( because some symptoms like fatigue have not been resolved) and I’m slightly reducing my Estrogel by a third to see if lowering estrogen may help boost my frees . Now I am not a doctor but I know my own body and there’s something niggling me about the connection between menopause/thyroid. Why is it that the vast majority of people suffering from thyroid problems are women in their 50s 🤷‍♀️?

Is this just me being too simplistic?

[SarahJane1471]

Joesmum j tried the reduction in Estrogel…… It was bad 🤦‍♀️. Hot flushes were pretty horrendous so my theory didn’t work. It’s all a balancing act.