Thyroid and Libido: Mine has mostly flatlined... - Thyroid UK

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Thyroid and Libido

HealthStarDust profile image
23 Replies

Mine has mostly flatlined since starting Levothyroxine, although not immediately. Will it come back? If so, how long will it take?

FYI Diagnosed Hypothyroidism, Hashimoto and still optimising dose. Vitamins all but Ferritin needs improving.

With you in spirit and solidarity.

HSD

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23 Replies
HealthStarDust profile image
HealthStarDust

Oh oh! I can only conclude no one has a libido left, or are we all being a little tight over the lip?.

arTistapple profile image
arTistapple in reply to HealthStarDust

Yes there are some issues even here we do not necessarily want to tread. For my part I know on the odd occasion I feel better, ALL THINGS FEEL BETTER.

HealthStarDust profile image
HealthStarDust in reply to arTistapple

Are you shouting?

Thank you for sharing. That’s reassuring.

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply to HealthStarDust

The topic gets mentioned frequently! It's a well known issue healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

HealthStarDust profile image
HealthStarDust in reply to RedApple

Thank you.

nadchaoli profile image
nadchaoli

Do you think it could be related to (peri)menopause? My libido is now non-existent despite HRT - I’m now waiting for appointment with menopause specialist to see about adding testosterone

HealthStarDust profile image
HealthStarDust in reply to nadchaoli

I am afraidI have no very little knowledge on all things menopause. Also, I didn’t even know that there are such people as menopause specialists.

What I do know, it’s blooming horrible to not have a libido.

SarahJane1471 profile image
SarahJane1471

No libido here. Too tired all the time

HealthStarDust profile image
HealthStarDust in reply to SarahJane1471

Bless. I’m sorry you are experiencing this and hope it improves. Being tired all the time is certainly not going to help.

Thank you for sharing.

buddy99 profile image
buddy99

My marriage went to the pot over this. LAL! (Lost all libido).

HealthStarDust profile image
HealthStarDust in reply to buddy99

Oh dear! I am so sorry this happened to you. Life really does s@ck without one for sure.

Gingernut44 profile image
Gingernut44

Tagging radd and TiggerMe for you, hope they’ll be able to give you more info.

TiggerMe profile image
TiggerMe in reply to Gingernut44

I would suggest getting your sex hormones tested to see where you are with them 🤗 need to get the timing right if still cycling as going to be going up and down like a fiddlers elbow, need to balance them up with everything else

HealthStarDust profile image
HealthStarDust in reply to TiggerMe

Thanks for this. It has been something that’s in my mind.

radd profile image
radd in reply to HealthStarDust

HSD,

Sadly a low libido is a symptom of low thyroid hormones, as long term un/misdiagnosis eventually compromises adrenal and ovarian hormones.

I agree with Eeyore regarding having sex hormones looked at. I don’t know where you are at with optimising thyroid meds because it’s early days but optimising iron and nutrients will encourage meds to work better and hopefully libido to return. Does your doctor know you are ttc as you may very well require a Levo dose raise?

You are recently diagnosed with Hashimotos so it’s not just about replacing the missing thyroid hormones but managing the autoimmune side also. Your bio says you recently miscarried and I would recommend reading ‘Your Healthy Pregnancy With Thyroid Disease" by Dana Trentini and Mary Shomon.

This book explains the conditions required that best allow conception. Also the huge transformations that take place during pregnancy and the intricate connections with the immune system. There is thought that thyroid antibodies accompanying chronic inflammation can induce miscarriage and studies show thyroid antibodies being found in babies born to Hashi mums.

The book also explains how to reduce chronic inflammation (thyroid antibodies) and things like how mismanaged hypothyroidisms tendency to encourage an exaggerated insulin response puts hypos at higher risk of gestational diabetes.

Also looking at sites such as hypothyroidmom … hypothyroidmom.com/hypothyr... and Isabella Wentz who had troubles conceiving/retaining pregnancies that she managed to overcome.

I’ve expanded on your post question because one thing leads to the other 😁

HealthStarDust profile image
HealthStarDust in reply to radd

No, thank you. It’s most appreciated.

As always, through the considered advise of others and through them sharing their experiences there’s lots for me to go on.

TTC is on hold until Levothyroxine and vitamins optimised, and ultimately some semblance of good or functional at least wellbeing.

And, frankly, I’ll want my libido back first! The worry is it is the some sort of side effect from the treatment rather than than the disease.

Gingernut44 profile image
Gingernut44 in reply to TiggerMe

Thanks Eeyore, I was tagging you in the hope that you could help HealthStarDust 😊

HealthStarDust profile image
HealthStarDust in reply to Gingernut44

And, thank you too.

WhyAmISoTired profile image
WhyAmISoTired

I'm still working on this. After levo plus supplementing with B12 and ferritin, I do feel much better, and it shows. Sex is easier overall: not just getting in the mood but also lubrication and sufficient energy levels. There are still a lot of ups and downs.

HealthStarDust profile image
HealthStarDust in reply to WhyAmISoTired

Thank you for sharing. It sure is neglected part of treatment it would seem. I am glad it gets better.

I'd consider getting your female hormones tested. My libido has been slowly dying a death since my eldest was born 8 years ago. It was always put down to being tired with small children. Then I was diagnosed as hypo. Libido carried on nosediving. Turns out I'm in perimenopause at 36 and waiting to start HRT.

The hormonal system is just one big system - introducing levo, to my mind, is bound to upset the apple cart and impact all other hormones.

I don't believe it is a side-effect of the levo but an impact.

Best of luck - it's miserable.

HealthStarDust profile image
HealthStarDust in reply to WitchingHour2point0

An impact and what you describe is definitely one way of thinking of it.

I think for now, I have to give the treatment a chance before considering if something else is so wrong that it needs addressing. There have already been signs it’s getting better, just as others have mentioned theirs improved. I would of course want mine to return the same as prediagnosis a mere few months ago.

Thank you for you sharing and I hope things work out for you.

HealthStarDust profile image
HealthStarDust

Just want to say thank you to everyone for sharing their insights and experiences.

I am hoping my libido is on the way up again, even if ever so very painfully slowly, and feeling so tired all the time is not exactly a recipe for a decent libido.

🤞🏽 once treatment is optimised and I hope I only need levothyroxine, things will improve. If not, then I have plenty to go on from everyone’s responses.

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