Hello all. Looking to start off 2022 on the right foot and try to systematically tackle some health issues while including a log. I have been on these boards for some time now, and I think there is a lot of useful info and helpful people here. I struggle with making sense of certain things, and making practical implementations in my life. Some of the main issues Ive been focused on are as follows:
low body temps - I generally wake up with an underarm temp of 97.3 most mornings. I have cold hands and feet most days, and sometimes ill notice that my nose is cold as well. My pulse is around 72 upon awakening. During the last 2 years, my TSH has been between 0.86 and 2.36, with 0.86 being the most recent reading this past July. My energy levels and mood arent what they were for most of my 20s. Ive added calories since this past summer, and have gained 10 pounds in the last 6 months. I would think supplemental thyroid might not be a bad idea - except for whats next -
hypocholesterolemia - My total cholesterol over the past two years has been 134, 122, 135 and most recently 111. Disclaimer that the 111 was right after recovering from covid, not sure if being ill could drop this. The medical community at large doesnt seem to worry about low total cholesterol. Rays view, and the general consensus here is that low total cholesterol is associated with high morbidity from cancer and other diseases, and that we should aim for at least 160 (perhaps 200). My cholesterol has been 120s-130s for as long as I can remember, same is true for my father. I do wonder if this is a case of correlation vs. causation (does low cholesterol really cause issues by itself?) Since the summer, I have upped carbs in general, mostly in the form of fruits. I probably get at least 150g of carbs from fruit alone, and plenty of other carbs from sugar, lactose, and some, but not too many starches. Most of my fat intake is milk/cheese based. Ive also added a tablespoon of refined coconut oil per day. I wonder how important the focus on total cholesterol actually is, but as a precursor for steroid production, perhaps I do in fact need more. I know peat and others have said not to supplement thyroid if cholesterol is under 200.
Hair loss - Ive gradually lost hair since approx. age 17 - starting with the temples/temple points/hairline. The progression has been mostly slow and insidious. This year I feel like things have accelerated, and Im noticing loss in the crown for the first time. The loss at the temples and hairline has accelerated, taking a sharper V vs U shape. Overall, im lucky enough to have decent thickness where you might not notice the loss from certain angles if I keep my hair somewhat longer. Harsh lighting, however, will expose the loss. If I had to grade it, Id say I was between a norwood II and III. Scalp itch has been present in the temples and less so the crown. Hair seems to have decreased in overall quality. Grows oddly, kinky in certain areas, poorer texture, etc.
2021 was a rough year for me, and I get that it was for many others. Some things that happened that increased my overall stress burden included:
-finding out spouse was an alcoholic and her losing her job
-childs mother (not my spouse) going away to rehab during this same period
-losing my job as an RN due to vaxxx mandate
Some other health issues and tendencies that might provide some insight:
-Have been generally thin for most of my life - 6'1" - currently 175 - 165 earlier this year. graduated HS weighing 150ish - was as heavy as 196 when I focused heavily on bodybuilding and eating everything in sight
-mild depression
-moderate anxiety in social situations - much more so as a child compared to now
-questionable sleep - I probably average 6-7 hours, seldom remember dreams, have night terrors or panicked waking up with pounding heart probably once weekly (liver/serotonin/adrenaline issues?)
-left sided varicocele
-stomach aches/bloating - much more as a child - gradually decreased with aging. This happens 1-2x per month now. I could never pinpoint a specific food that was irritating
-rapidly increased graying in scalp/beard hair within the last several years
-hair loss in the lateral areas of the calves - I do find this somewhat puzzling as body hair in the upper arms and and shoulders is increasing
-acne vs. rosacea upper cheeks
-allergy symptoms - sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose upon awakening. This lessons as the day goes on.
-scalp psoriasis starting when I was 21.
Some labs over the past few years:
PTH - 19pg/ml (2/20)
prolactin - 8.3ng/ml,(2/20), 8.1(10/20), 7.4(7/21)
TSH - 2.36miU/L(2/20), 1.31(10/20), 0.86(7/21)
total cholesterol 134mg/dl(2/20), 122(10/20), 135(7/21), 111(12/21)
DHEAs - 337mcg/dl(7/21)
SHBG - 49nmol/L(7/21)
total testosterone - 713ng/dl(7/21)
progesterone - tested once only out of curiosity 12/21 - lab listed as <0.5ng/ml (did not give a more specific value)
vitamin d - 39ng/ml(2/20), 47(12/21) - has been low in past years in the 20s
Some general areas I'd like some feedback on: Is my focus on getting cholesterol levels up appropriate or misguided? Does it make sense to wait to get levels up before even considering supplementing thyroid? My calorie intake is somewhere between 2300-2800 most days. I usually eat for satiety. PUFA is between 3-8g. Principles are fairly peaty - fruits, sugars, milk, smaller amounts of starches, protein usually between 100 and 140g. Fats are primarily saturated. Am I under eating, or is eating to satiety appropriate? Should I be adding carbs/sat fats until my temps, and/or cholesterol come up? Supplements are pretty minimal at the moment - K2 mk7 200mcg/day(mk4 seem to give increased scalp itch??), D3 2000/day, taurine 1g/day, Casein protein post workout. I do fully body workouts 3x a week. I usually keep them at an hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes. I took cyproheptadine 0.5-1mg before bed for about 1.5 months. Felt pretty good, increased appetite, reduced acne, improved digestion. felt like tooth sensitivity may have increased so I stopped it for now. Given the increased graying, I wonder if an increased emphasis on copper intake, checking iron levels/etc. might be warranted. I also am a bit confused on temps. Ive been taking underarm with an electronic thermometer that gives a reading after about 10 seconds. I see some disagreement about this. I see others mentioning ear thermometers, oral, etc.
My goals for the year are:
Improve general mood, energy levels and body temps. Correct cholesterol levels if appropriate. Get more in tune with my body. I would really love to regrow some hair, or at least figure out how to stabilize further loss. I have decided to restart scalp massaging ala. Rob English, was actually toying with the idea of consulting with him. I did these massages inconsistently a few years ago, but I felt like the nature of my work prevented my from giving it my best effort. I am hopefully in the running for a less stressful job, so that might help. My plan so far is to continue to increase calories carefully. More coconut oil, more fructose, etc. Red light might be worth investigating, but Im not sure of the best place to start for red light.
Thank you to anyone who was willing to read through this. Any and all input is appreciated. I plan on posting 1-2x per month with updates to keep myself accountable. Overall, I feel like Im not in terrible shape. Some of my peers are much worse off, and I feel blessed for the health that I do have. Aside from hairloss, I dont fixate on most the problems Ive listed. I wanted to do my best to give context for feedback. I wish you all a great 2022! Thanks again
low body temps - I generally wake up with an underarm temp of 97.3 most mornings. I have cold hands and feet most days, and sometimes ill notice that my nose is cold as well. My pulse is around 72 upon awakening. During the last 2 years, my TSH has been between 0.86 and 2.36, with 0.86 being the most recent reading this past July. My energy levels and mood arent what they were for most of my 20s. Ive added calories since this past summer, and have gained 10 pounds in the last 6 months. I would think supplemental thyroid might not be a bad idea - except for whats next -
hypocholesterolemia - My total cholesterol over the past two years has been 134, 122, 135 and most recently 111. Disclaimer that the 111 was right after recovering from covid, not sure if being ill could drop this. The medical community at large doesnt seem to worry about low total cholesterol. Rays view, and the general consensus here is that low total cholesterol is associated with high morbidity from cancer and other diseases, and that we should aim for at least 160 (perhaps 200). My cholesterol has been 120s-130s for as long as I can remember, same is true for my father. I do wonder if this is a case of correlation vs. causation (does low cholesterol really cause issues by itself?) Since the summer, I have upped carbs in general, mostly in the form of fruits. I probably get at least 150g of carbs from fruit alone, and plenty of other carbs from sugar, lactose, and some, but not too many starches. Most of my fat intake is milk/cheese based. Ive also added a tablespoon of refined coconut oil per day. I wonder how important the focus on total cholesterol actually is, but as a precursor for steroid production, perhaps I do in fact need more. I know peat and others have said not to supplement thyroid if cholesterol is under 200.
Hair loss - Ive gradually lost hair since approx. age 17 - starting with the temples/temple points/hairline. The progression has been mostly slow and insidious. This year I feel like things have accelerated, and Im noticing loss in the crown for the first time. The loss at the temples and hairline has accelerated, taking a sharper V vs U shape. Overall, im lucky enough to have decent thickness where you might not notice the loss from certain angles if I keep my hair somewhat longer. Harsh lighting, however, will expose the loss. If I had to grade it, Id say I was between a norwood II and III. Scalp itch has been present in the temples and less so the crown. Hair seems to have decreased in overall quality. Grows oddly, kinky in certain areas, poorer texture, etc.
2021 was a rough year for me, and I get that it was for many others. Some things that happened that increased my overall stress burden included:
-finding out spouse was an alcoholic and her losing her job
-childs mother (not my spouse) going away to rehab during this same period
-losing my job as an RN due to vaxxx mandate
Some other health issues and tendencies that might provide some insight:
-Have been generally thin for most of my life - 6'1" - currently 175 - 165 earlier this year. graduated HS weighing 150ish - was as heavy as 196 when I focused heavily on bodybuilding and eating everything in sight
-mild depression
-moderate anxiety in social situations - much more so as a child compared to now
-questionable sleep - I probably average 6-7 hours, seldom remember dreams, have night terrors or panicked waking up with pounding heart probably once weekly (liver/serotonin/adrenaline issues?)
-left sided varicocele
-stomach aches/bloating - much more as a child - gradually decreased with aging. This happens 1-2x per month now. I could never pinpoint a specific food that was irritating
-rapidly increased graying in scalp/beard hair within the last several years
-hair loss in the lateral areas of the calves - I do find this somewhat puzzling as body hair in the upper arms and and shoulders is increasing
-acne vs. rosacea upper cheeks
-allergy symptoms - sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose upon awakening. This lessons as the day goes on.
-scalp psoriasis starting when I was 21.
Some labs over the past few years:
PTH - 19pg/ml (2/20)
prolactin - 8.3ng/ml,(2/20), 8.1(10/20), 7.4(7/21)
TSH - 2.36miU/L(2/20), 1.31(10/20), 0.86(7/21)
total cholesterol 134mg/dl(2/20), 122(10/20), 135(7/21), 111(12/21)
DHEAs - 337mcg/dl(7/21)
SHBG - 49nmol/L(7/21)
total testosterone - 713ng/dl(7/21)
progesterone - tested once only out of curiosity 12/21 - lab listed as <0.5ng/ml (did not give a more specific value)
vitamin d - 39ng/ml(2/20), 47(12/21) - has been low in past years in the 20s
Some general areas I'd like some feedback on: Is my focus on getting cholesterol levels up appropriate or misguided? Does it make sense to wait to get levels up before even considering supplementing thyroid? My calorie intake is somewhere between 2300-2800 most days. I usually eat for satiety. PUFA is between 3-8g. Principles are fairly peaty - fruits, sugars, milk, smaller amounts of starches, protein usually between 100 and 140g. Fats are primarily saturated. Am I under eating, or is eating to satiety appropriate? Should I be adding carbs/sat fats until my temps, and/or cholesterol come up? Supplements are pretty minimal at the moment - K2 mk7 200mcg/day(mk4 seem to give increased scalp itch??), D3 2000/day, taurine 1g/day, Casein protein post workout. I do fully body workouts 3x a week. I usually keep them at an hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes. I took cyproheptadine 0.5-1mg before bed for about 1.5 months. Felt pretty good, increased appetite, reduced acne, improved digestion. felt like tooth sensitivity may have increased so I stopped it for now. Given the increased graying, I wonder if an increased emphasis on copper intake, checking iron levels/etc. might be warranted. I also am a bit confused on temps. Ive been taking underarm with an electronic thermometer that gives a reading after about 10 seconds. I see some disagreement about this. I see others mentioning ear thermometers, oral, etc.
My goals for the year are:
Improve general mood, energy levels and body temps. Correct cholesterol levels if appropriate. Get more in tune with my body. I would really love to regrow some hair, or at least figure out how to stabilize further loss. I have decided to restart scalp massaging ala. Rob English, was actually toying with the idea of consulting with him. I did these massages inconsistently a few years ago, but I felt like the nature of my work prevented my from giving it my best effort. I am hopefully in the running for a less stressful job, so that might help. My plan so far is to continue to increase calories carefully. More coconut oil, more fructose, etc. Red light might be worth investigating, but Im not sure of the best place to start for red light.
Thank you to anyone who was willing to read through this. Any and all input is appreciated. I plan on posting 1-2x per month with updates to keep myself accountable. Overall, I feel like Im not in terrible shape. Some of my peers are much worse off, and I feel blessed for the health that I do have. Aside from hairloss, I dont fixate on most the problems Ive listed. I wanted to do my best to give context for feedback. I wish you all a great 2022! Thanks again