DHEA medication /Hashi flare?

[Joant24]

My DHEA was less than 10 (106 - 300) so my thyroid Dr gave me a prescription for DHEA. Has anyone had headaches after taking them? I’ve been four weeks in and too early to tell if they are working. Be grateful for any feedback.

I also think I’m having a Hashimoto flare, my own fault if it is. Two days of manic cleaning, four visitors Christmas Eve staying til the 28th, waited on them the whole time. 17 people on Boxing Day! By the 29th I was beaten. Feel completely exhausted and headachy, not quite with it type feeling. Not forgetting a UTI thrown in

To add to this four weeks ago my thyroid Dr helped sort me out with meds. I had stopped my T3 as it was making me so poorly and was just taking 100 levothyroxine. The DHEA should help with the low daytime adrenals and she started me back on 2.5 T3 at midday and 75 levothyroxine at bedtime. Then four weeks later adding another 2.5 at 4pm. I started this second one yesterday. So I’m thinking my levels are also on the low side.

I’ve got a blood test in 4 weeks and DHEA test to see where I am. I have learned a big lesson on messing with medication and rushing to change things.

Thanks for reading, I just wanted to share really as it’s difficult to explain to people who are healthy.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Two days of manic cleaning, four visitors Christmas Eve staying til the 28th, waited on them the whole time. 17 people on Boxing Day! By the 29th I was beaten. Feel completely exhausted and headachy, not quite with it type feeling. Not forgetting a UTI thrown in

So having over done it …..thyroid levels probably now rock bottom and going to have to rest and recuperate while levels recover

UTI more common when hypo

Are you on antibiotics

[Joant24 in reply to SlowDragon]

I am indeed.

[greygoose]

A Hashi's 'flare' - aka a Hashi's 'hyper' swing - is when you have symptoms and hormone levels resembling hyperthyroidism, not excessive hypo symptoms. So, whilst you did bring it on yourself by over-doing things, it's not a Hashi's flare. But, don't beat yourself up about it. We all do it at some point. I just hope you enjoyed your Christmas and it was all worth it.

[Joant24 in reply to greygoose]

Not too bad a Christmas, more visitors coming for new year but they are ones that muck in and take aways on the menu so not worried. Next year we are definitely going to one of the children! 😂

[Charlie-Farley]

Hi Joant

I'm feeling exhausted just reading your post! Self care now. I have suffered UTIs it all stopped when I came off contraception, AND stopped taking my ABs. I had so many UTIs they wanted me to have an AB a day to stave off kidney damage - can you imagine? So doctor and I reached a compromised of when I could feel it coming on, but this meant still regularly napalming my gut.

I used to have UTI and thrush doing a tag team on me and it was a vicious circle. I found out about D-Mannose, watched loads of testimonials on Youtube from other women and decided to give it a go. There are pill, capsule and loose powder preparations. Pills were too big and hard to swallow, didn't fancy powder because I wanted to carry with me so plumped for capsules - easy to swallow and portable. There are fancy brands with 'added cranberry' bla bla. The basic capsule works brilliantly. First tingle I took them for about three to four days. No napalming my gut with ABs, thrush rarely appears now and I have not had full blown UTI for over four years.

Share whenever I can.

[Joant24 in reply to Charlie-Farley]

You are so lucky that something has worked. I tried DMannose but didn’t make much difference. Hiprex gave relief for a while but I started getting abdominal pain in my nether regions along with nausea so have had to stop. I think it’s because my levels are low, in fact too high or low seems to be a definite trigger. I might give D-Mannose another go, no harm and so much better than antibiotics that’s for sure.

I am sticking religiously to slowly building up my T3 and hopefully the DHEA will help 🤞

[Charlie-Farley in reply to Joant24]

Gosh you poor thing 😔 I remember how debilitating it used to be. Like I say I did find the thrush and cystitis facilitated one another and significantly things improved once I was no longer on contraception. I was very careful to take if I literally felt a tingle below and not wait any longer to ‘see’ if I was right. Intimacy was one of the triggers, honeymoon cystitis as they euphemistically call it. I was always on my honeymoon 🙄. I would actually start taking straight after hanky panky. I do think this helped and before when prescribed ABs it was my habit to do this also.

I truly hope you get resolution on this, knowing what it’s like. …..

[Joant24]

Thanks all for your comments and once my visitors have gone I shall be having an extremely lazy day curled up in bed with my new book! Happy New Year to everyone. 🥰🥰🥰

[Serendipitious]

Joant24,

I hope you’re feeling a bit better now. However, how much DHEA were you given? When are you taking it? I’ve just started 12.5mg slow release. I take it in the morning.

[Joant24 in reply to Serendipitious]

Today once everyone had gone I took decorations down and when I popped hoover over started crying, I was so emotional but it did me good to get it all out. 😂😂. I take 25mg DHEA in the morning. Hoping it will kick in soon. Good luck with yours. X

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to Joant24]

Sounds like you have done a remarkable job at holding all that together!! 🏅

I tend to go to ground for December.... feel so much perkier watching this mornings sun rise

Hoovering is cathartic isn't it 😁

I've been taking DHEA for a few months 15mg.. just switched to 10mg micronized, was going to splurge on a blood test but think I shall leave it till the Spring

[Joant24 in reply to TiggerMe]

Thank you, love a medal 😂. Next year we are off to our daughters, so wont be remotely tempted to do the same.

Has your DHEA kicked in yet? I read it takes a few months. I suppose mine being so low is why I’m on 25mg.

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to Joant24]

When I started within a month I reduced my oestrogen and testosterone doses so I'm guessing it kicked in but then I read about micronized being better absorbed and less likely to be converted to hormones so having used up 3 months of 15mg I've been taking the 10mg micronized for the last 2 weeks and have found that I've needed to up my oestrogen again 🤷‍♀️

I was taking it low and slow, so thought I'd give it 6 months and check my levels, I started around 70

Has your Endo suggested where he would like to get your level up too?

[Joant24]

No, just that they were far too low. Not on any other hormone medication just my thyroid ones and vitamins. Having messed up taking my T3, 5 weeks ago I went back to 75 mcg of levothyroxine from 100mcg and 2.5mcg T3for four weeks and last week 2.5 twice a day. I had stopped the T3 as I was struggling to tolerate it. So now being slow and steady. She asked for blood test 8 weeks in to see where all my levels were which I thought was fair.

[Joant24]

I had an extremely quiet day, did absolutely nothing and I feel better, I shall take it slow for the rest of the week and not repeat the insanity of these two weeks again. Onwards and upwards. 😂