Hypo/Hyperthyroidism compared to Menopause symptoms

[Citrine77]

I've just been reading an article in Saturdays Telegraph on someones story on the Menopause.

Having passed through the menopause many years ago, I was reminded of the affect it had on my life at that time. Having forgotten quite a few of the symptoms, I realise that having had a total thyroidectomy due to Hyperthyroidism, that there is very little difference between that and the menopause symptoms. anxiety, depression, tiredness, lack of sleep, weight gain - the list goes on. This obviously caused by the hormone imbalances.

My question is, are there any scientific papers, or research, that has or is being done in comparing the treatment with both of these. Would a dose of HRT or similar, be helpful alongside Levothyroxine.

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

not quite the answer you want but a study of one woman - me.

Diagnosed peri menopausal at 45, prescribed HRT combined tablets for 4 years.

Initially felt better then gradually worse, grew fibroids and had two periods a month. Had terrible depression and anxiety. Healthy Minds CBT counselling gave me the strength to call the GP. Spoke to a locum who said …. Let’s test all bloods I don’t think you were peri menopausal at all…. I wasn’t

Now 49 with a regular cycle, fibroids remain but optimising Thyroid hormone replacement was what I needed, despite being my hero my GP didn’t understand auto immune or titrating related to symptoms nor vitamin optimising, I have this forum to thank for that.

There are Danish studies on HRT that are interesting, they have access to whole population studies, I believe some of those are also hypothyroid related. 🌱

[Citrine77 in reply to Regenallotment]

Thanks for that, its quite informative, I did wonder whether GP's got confused over the 2. It also make you wonder, how many people are being treated for the wrong one given that Doctors have very little training for thyroid diseases.

[JagersMum]

I don't have knowledge of papers but like R below I hit a wall in 2021. My gp did a bunch of tests and started me on HRT patches and said my thyroid was low. After 3 months he tested again and I started on thyroxine. My symptoms were debilitating anxiety, exhaustion, weight gain, brain fog that felt like satellite delay, it affected my ability to speak so badly it destroyed my confidence in myself. I was 49. I don't know if I am in menopause or not as I had a hysterectomy that left my ovaries due to bleeding all the time in my 30s. I honestly can't contemplate trying stopping HRT because I'm terrified I'll go back to the mess I was before.

Sorry to wanny on your post, if the opportunity comes to be part of a study I'd give it a go.

[TiggerMe Ambassador]

Funny... I've just done a short impromptu experiment with estrogen withdrawal 🙄 I use the Lenzetto spray which holds 56 doses but will continue to fire blanks for probably another 10 doses 😕..... So I'd dropped from 3 to 1 dose probably for 3-4 days ( I have 2 squirts first thing and obviously don't always remember to cross them off, later squirt from another spray to spread out and hopefully stop a complete cold turkey period.... I've previous for this oversight) and I'm aware my twitch bladder returns, grappling for words, even greater disinterest in food etc...

All very similar to low thyroid but I can rectify swiftly, once I actually reintroduce the missing doses... I like to replace just the bare minimum to relieve symptoms so when I c@ck it up I very quickly feel the difference, though it might take a day or two for the penny to drop 🙃

I haven't found any amount of T3/T4 to relieve these symptoms completely

[Batty1]

I had a hysterectomy 20 years ago (cancer) been on HRT ever since and had thyroidectomy 7 years ago (cancer) and my hormones are a mess in my opinion but according to doctors Im fine …. Im finding that I can not take my HRT every day I have to do it every other day or I get breast pains real bad… no idea why that is other then too much estrogen in my body 🤷‍♀️….. last year my endo said your older now you can stop the HRT and I did get snarky and said to him well your older now too you don’t need your little blue pill …. My husband almost died at that moment but it is annoying for a man to tell a woman to deal with menopause while they can get testosterone meds when ever they need it and doctors don’t even blink… but women can deal with all the craziness of menopause.

[tattybogle]

i was diagnosed autoimmune hypo/Levo age 37.

menopause age... er i forgot... lol ... about 48 .

Didn't take HRT.

didn't have any problem with peri-menopause symptoms ,

However , about 3yrs following menopause when hot flushes were common and a very big annoyance , my previously stable thyroid hormone needs changed and my levo dose became a bit too much .. and i became overmedicated probably for many months, because it was hard to tell 'what was causing what' .. and it had been 11months since my previous annual blood test.

I can't really say whether what happened to my head at that time was an effect of overmedication or a post-menopause symptom ... but my self confidence was wrecked because all of a sudden i found i couldn't make a decision, about anything .. sitting an a lorry park holding up our convoy of 5 trucks, which were now blocking the one way system , because i simply couldn't decide where/ how to park mine... embarrassing .. very .