Hi im a 50 year old working mum of four raising a second family.I used to have tons of energy.

[henn]

I have changed doctors at last and had my levethroxine increased which has improved things energy wise. This means I can get more things done if i pace myself and stay awake longer in the evening.Sadly it dosnt give me access to the amount of energy required for physical exercise like cycling and airobics.I heard we have to exercise twice as hard.I just overheat quickly and take 3 days to recover and this weekens my imunity so i get sick.Im over weight 5/6 and 13 stone does any of the diets work out there? .what kind of exercise is best? Does having a thyroid condition shorten your life?Im hypothyroid but i suspect ive been hyperthyroid in the past.

[Jackie]

Hi You should improve in time , it takes a long while to get the levo right but you may also need some T3. make sure you have had TSH T4 and Free T3 tested. you need a print out with ranges, T4 and FT3 should be in top third of range on treatment. A lot of us need FT3 to be closer to the top of range. This is often the problem with weight and if lowish could account for lots of things. T4 should convert to T3 but does not always do this. T3 ( script) can lower the TSH,so if too low doctors may not be keen.You should also have other tests, most important Vit D ,a hormone, which of course effects the thyroid. I hope this helps.

Jackie

[henn in reply to Jackie]

Hi Jackie im still having further blood tests with my new doctor. I will ask him about T3

FT3 and if i need vit D next time i see him. Thank you for your advice you sound like you know your stuff.

Henn

[Hidden]

My doctor told me that people with thyroid problems have only a finite amount of energy. He described it as having a bottle of water. Healthy people can start emptying the water out slowly and it will start refilling straight away while still emtying, and any shortage is made up over night. For thyroid people the water just continues to empty until its all gone and then takes days to fully refill. Thats why, if we do too much all at once, we're goosed for a few days while our bottle refills. He said whenever we do anything we have to pace ourselves and spread things out so that we don't deplete all our energy resources because we have no reserves- when its gone, its gone.... Cx

[starlight17 in reply to Hidden]

Hi I have never heard our energy levels described like this before but that is exactly how I feel I basically just run out of energy. Thanks for this post I really appreciate it sounds like you have got a good doctor!

[foreversummer in reply to Hidden]

Hi Craftingbird. Thank you so much for sharing this. This is exactly how it is for me. I feel absolutely fine most of the time (thankfully) but a couple of extra busy days/late nights knocks me for six even though my bloods look good!

[Jacs]

Hi Henn, you don't say how long you've been suffering or how much thyroxine you are taking, but you sound similar to how I used to feel. My thyroxine was increased steadily over time whevever I complained about the tiredness etc and I put on about a stone and a half so gradually that even I didnt really connect to thyroid. However when I got really low last year, couldn't exercise withough the exhaustion for a few days and generally felt worse than ever, I went to see Dr P (I really couldn't face the rest of my life feeling so bad without trying alternatives). Like you I am nearing 50, work full time and have been a single mum for many years, so was constantly stressed. Dr P recommended Nutri thyroid and many other vitamins, along with Adrenal support (once I'd had the test done to confirm I was at the exhaustion stage). Whilst I was very sceptical - and worried about the cost of taking around 20 tablets a day - I have to say that writing this a year later I have much more energy, stay up later and able to go out again and have a drink without getting really ill afterwards, my skin is better and the best result of all ..... I've lost that stone and a half and now back to the weight I was always stable at prior to the thyroid treatment I now only take 50mcg of thyroxine along with a reduced dosage of the tablets recommended by Dr P. Best £150 appointment I've ever spent and beleive so much that it was the protocol he suggested that my daughter is now starting the same treatment. Might be worth you looking at something else?

Good luck whatever you decide

[henn in reply to Jacs]

Hi Jacs it first came to light 6 and half years ago ,I spent two of them borderline and gave up begging the doctor to do something. I noticed my health really deteriate.I looked and felt much older than i was and couldnt understand it.I did feel like a zombie.

eventually I went back to the doctors and they put me on meds straight away.50 then a l00 micrograms.Still my energy wasnt enough to cope at times. I went to see one of the doctors in the group who said eat less cake and do more exercise.She didnt believe me when i told her i loved exercise but the energy wasnt there.I went to another practice expecting the same.fortunately he did more tests and put me on 125 micrograms and it made all the difference i feel this is what my body runs on.However the energy dosent stretch to keeping up with exercise and so i still have a weight problem.Eating used to give me the energy i needed.I know it dosent work that way anymore but my brain triggers off the eating pattern that used to work when stressed. My new doctor is still looking into my blood tests to see if there is anything else causing my symptoms. Hes looking at my colesterol and my liver ? I dont drink or do drugs however your thyroid effects your liver.I have hashimotos and my antibodies attacked my thyriod making me hypothyriod. Its good to see there are supplements you can take and that you are getting a better quality of health.I will ask my doctor about them if he draws a blank on the tests. Thank you for your post Jacs.

Henn