Shrimp's Peat Log- Thyroid, Anxiety And Acne Issues, Oh My!

[honeybee]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

Shrimp -how do you know it's not cortisol instead of adrenalin? Have you ever had a saliva test done for stress hormones?

 

[Shrimp]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

Shrimp -how do you know it's not cortisol instead of adrenalin? Have you ever had a saliva test done for stress hormones?

Hi honeybee,
I had my 24 hour saliva cortisol done a while ago and the results were unremarkable as far as I can remember, though I will check with my doctor during my next visit in a few weeks. I did have a 24 hour urine cortisol test that was normal and not high in the range, so it might not be my issue. I think it is adrenaline because I feel hypothyroid yet have what feels like adrenaline "jolts" when it happens, so I think my body is compensating for the low thyroid levels with adrenaline. I suppose it is hard to tell the difference between symptoms from high cortisol and symptoms from high adrenaline, though.

 

[Shrimp]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

Heart rate super high lately, ranging from 90-115bpm. Blood pressure 110/60ish. Idk what's up; I seriously doubt I'm hyper on my dose of 1.25grain Thiroyd and 12.5mcg Cynomel. My temp was only 97.4 this morning. Gonna halve the dose of Cynomel; I'm probably getting too much direct T3 if anything.

 

[Xhale1991]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

Going through the exact same thing man. I started getting the adrenaline attacks a month ago. They are brutal. Really terrifying the first few I had but I've been able to deal with them a bit better recently. First one I had.... literally thought I was dying. Was shaking so violently I thought I was having a seizure and it was the coldest I've ever felt in my life. Along with that I couldn't talk, swallow, HR skyhigh.... ugh it's tough just thinking about it. I have CFS, not sure if I'm hypo but I have alot of hypo symptoms.

 

[Peata]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

Heart rate super high lately, ranging from 90-115bpm. Blood pressure 110/60ish. Idk what's up; I seriously doubt I'm hyper on my dose of 1.25grain Thiroyd and 12.5mcg Cynomel. My temp was only 97.4 this morning. Gonna halve the dose of Cynomel; I'm probably getting too much direct T3 if anything.

Do you have any ideas on why your temp is so low after being on the thyroid? What might be causing that?

 

[Shrimp]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

Going through the exact same thing man. I started getting the adrenaline attacks a month ago. They are brutal. Really terrifying the first few I had but I've been able to deal with them a bit better recently. First one I had.... literally thought I was dying. Was shaking so violently I thought I was having a seizure and it was the coldest I've ever felt in my life. Along with that I couldn't talk, swallow, HR skyhigh.... ugh it's tough just thinking about it. I have CFS, not sure if I'm hypo but I have alot of hypo symptoms.

Sorry to hear that you're dealing with something similar; it's certainly no fun. :/ Have you found anything that helps them, or do you just ride them out? Have you had your cortisol levels tested? I used to have them much worse after a bout of hyperthyroidism, and they would pop up at random, but fortunately now they are mostly triggered by high stress, so I can tell when I'll be prone to them. The worst part is when I try to nod off to sleep and it feels like I'm going over the big drop in a roller coaster each time I start drifting off...I'd usually just end up pacing around all night.

@ Peata: I think I am simply not on enough thyroid medicine at this time. My TSH is suppressed by the medication, but I'm still not on a high enough dose to fully replace what my thyroid would make if it were fully functional, which from what I've read is around 100mcg T4 and 10-30mcg T3/day.

 

[Shrimp]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

Got labs back from doc; was on 44mcg T3 at the time, no meds day of test.

Prolactin: 19.7 (2.8-29.2) - was 92!! last time, Vitex must be doing something...
Free T3: 3.55 (2.30-4.20) Best my T3 has looked in a long time
Free T4: 0.38 (0.71-1.42) LOW but to be expected on T3-only
TSH: 0.01 (0.35-4.50)

Slowly increasing my Thiroyd up to 2 grains again to see how I feel; at 1.5 now. A dose of 2gr NDT+ 25mcg T3 is what landed me in the ER with hyper, so I don't want to push past that. I don't think the T3-only treatment was a good idea; didn't seem to notice any benefits. Then again, I've never noticed any huge benefits from thyroid supplementation at all. :/

 

[charlie]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

Wow thats a huge change on prolactin!

 

[Shrimp]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

Yeah Charlie, I was shocked by how much the Vitex was able to bring it down! Didn't really expect much from it. Saves me from requiring an expensive MRI to look for a prolactinoma, too!

--------
Just wanted to note that I'm raising NDT dose from 1.5 grain to 1.75 grain starting today. Having super bad acne flare up; didn't think Vit. A did much, but after not taking it a few days things do seem to get worse. I think I may need more zinc, as well; should get some oysters soon. Need to be better about taking Vit. D supplement, too.

I'm doing better about pushing myself to get out and do stuff. Anxiety/disoriented feeling is still there, but I can usually work through it and do what I need to do while out on errands without needing to leave. I think magnesium does help some with this.

 

[Blossom]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

That is so exciting about how much you lowered your prolactin with vitex! You are very fortunate to have avoided the medical route on that one. What they don't tell people normally is that there are only two medical options to treat prolactinoms, medication or surgical removal. Usually if the prolactinoma is causing visual disturbances it is large enough to warrant surgical removal but even then they will usually give someone the option of taking medicine to shrink it ( if they are not greedy for money). The most common drug treatment for prolactinomas in the U.S. is bromocriptine. It would be even better if lisuride was prescribed in the U.S. imo. The important thing is that you avoided that huge mess- all with your Peat inspired approach and an awesome herb! Good for you and you probably saved yourself thousands of dollars!

 

[j.]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

I wonder if vitex works for hair loss? Peat blames prolactin for male hair loss. Maybe Propecia fixes hair loss by reducing prolactin (while also making you permanently impotent, in some cases).

 

[Blossom]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

I wonder if vitex works for hair loss? Peat blames prolactin for male hair loss. Maybe Propecia fixes hair loss by reducing prolactin (while also making you permanently impotent, in some cases).

I think if your hair loss is from increased prolactin then anything that lowers prolactin will correct the hair loss. I haven't looked into Propecia so I have no idea about that one. On a personal note when my prolactin in high my sex drive is low-non existent but when my prolactin is normal the sex drive returns to normal. When I mention high prolactin I'm thinking about how I have felt when levels were at 100 or more not just a few points higher than normal. I'm sure others may have had a different experience.
I'm not male but I can't imagine that taking something that can cause permanent impotence would be a good idea.

 

[j.]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

I didn't mean to say it's ok to risk impotence. It's an aspect of a drug that nevertheless might give us clues on how hair loss works.

 

[Blossom]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

I didn't mean to say it's ok to risk impotence. It's an aspect of a drug that nevertheless might give us clues on how hair loss works.

Oh I didn't take it that way at all! I'm just amazed at some of the horrific drug side effects. I've taken my fair share of nasty ones unknowingly in the past. I wish I would have questioned 'medical' things more back then.

 

[Shrimp]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

I am definitely glad I trusted my gut feeling that I could get the prolactin down on my own, and that I don't have a prolactinoma. I saved a lot of money and stress from the MRI!

--
Increasing my NDT from 1.75gr to 2gr today, and keeping it there until I get my next set of bloodwork in July. Still looking for a doc that has a better idea of what they're doing, as I don't like self-treating because I'm scared that the source of meds available without prescription could suddenly dry up. My doc is happy to keep me on a dose of 1gr NDT because my TSH is suppressed, but I'd barely be able to get out of bed on that dose. So Thiroyd it is for now.

Things that have improved since taking meds/ loosely Peating:
-no longer have yellow skin!
-hair fallout decreased (still there though), regrowth
-no more IBS (cept when taking mag citrate...ugh)
-fewer adrenaline (panic?) attacks at night (used to be weekly at least, now monthly or less)
-lighter periods

Issues remaining:
-intense fatigue
-derealization
-anxiety and constant shortness of breath
-moderate acne
-chronic sinusitis/headache
-cold hands/feet
-unstable temps and pulse
-waking up to pee 2-3x at night
-low blood pressure (usually 90/60)
-low libido (probably just cuz I feel like crap overall)

Things that have helped:
-Progest-E: for anxiety
-Carbs from rice, potatoes, grapes
-salt
-Ativan 0.5mg as needed (less than 1x/month)
-acupressure mat (for anxiety/panic)
-magnesium (sleep)
-ginger ale with real ginger (indigestion)

Not sure if helpful or only mildly helpful:
-NDT
-Rhodiola
-The Carrot™
-Vitamin A
-Niacinamide
-gelatin
-OJ
-dairy
-bag breathing

I'm not sure if the fatigue and derealization are causing the anxiety or the other way around, but I'm sure one of them is causing the others, and resolving one symptom will cause the others to budge.

I still definitely need to eat more, but there is nothing that is satiating and easy for me to digest in large amounts. I am far from strictly Peaty. Right now,I eat:
-OJ
-grapes
-melon
-applesauce
-dried cherry/mixed fruit strips
-ice cream
-white rice and brown rice pasta
-potatoes
-cheese
-whole fat greek yogurt with honey
-eggs
-beef
-skinless chicken breast
-shrimp

I occasionally have whole milk, San Pellegrino Orange and Lemon sodas, veggies like bell peppers, summer squash and green beans. Caffeine makes me feel weird even with sugar/food so I avoid it.

Getting 4x cortisol saliva test done to see if I can get any useful info from that.

 

[Shrimp]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

It is 3AM. I woke up clammy and sweaty with 120bpm pulse, temp 97.4. Perhaps I am taking too much medicine? Been on the 2grain NDT for about 9 days now, I might need to back down to 1.5gr...I drank some OJ with 1/2 tsp salt and took some Progest-E, pulse is down to 96 but still uncomfortable, temp decreased to 97.2. Hands/feet warm now.

I still don't understand my weird reaction to thyroid medication. I feel like I go from having too little to too much with no time of feeling well in between. I raise pretty slowly, too, by 15mg every few weeks. Given my low temp and high pulse (90-100+bpm past few days), I have no idea if I am hypo or hyper! Perhaps this is an adrenaline thing.

 

[Blossom]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

It is 3AM. I woke up clammy and sweaty with 120bpm pulse, temp 97.4. Perhaps I am taking too much medicine? Been on the 2grain NDT for about 9 days now, I might need to back down to 1.5gr...I drank some OJ with 1/2 tsp salt and took some Progest-E, pulse is down to 96 but still uncomfortable, temp decreased to 97.2. Hands/feet warm now.

I still don't understand my weird reaction to thyroid medication. I feel like I go from having too little to too much with no time of feeling well in between. I raise pretty slowly, too, by 15mg every few weeks. Given my low temp and high pulse (90-100+bpm past few days), I have no idea if I am hypo or hyper! Perhaps this is an adrenaline thing.

I wonder if it is summer where you live? I'm not taking any thyroid right now. Even one small crumb of cytomel causes my heart rate to increase to 115. For me it definitely seems like the summer has resulted in my needing less thyroid like Peat has written about. The three a.m. part does seem suspicious for some stress hormones though. I have a long history of waking between 2-4 am with my heart pounding/racing that only started resolving when I discovered Peat's work. I hope you are able to figure it out soon! Good luck

 

[Shrimp]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

I wonder if it is summer where you live? I'm not taking any thyroid right now. Even one small crumb of cytomel causes my heart rate to increase to 115. For me it definitely seems like the summer has resulted in my needing less thyroid like Peat has written about. The three a.m. part does seem suspicious for some stress hormones though. I have a long history of waking between 2-4 am with my heart pounding/racing that only started resolving when I discovered Peat's work. I hope you are able to figure it out soon! Good luck

Hi Blossom! It's almost summer here in MA, with the temps (and humidity!) to show it; been 70s/80s lately. Unfortunately, I can't be off of all meds; my TSH climbs above 2 even in the summer, and I feel absolutely awful. I feel ill now, too, but not as bad as when on no meds at all. I still have hypo symptoms at this dose, but perhaps my body can't handle this much right now. Pulse is down to 83 now at 9AM, but I only got about 4 hours of sleep. Anyway, thanks for the input! I'll figure it out somehow. :?

 

[Blossom]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

Oh, I wasn't suggesting you stop your thyroid meds at all! I was just pointing out that due to the summer you might need less like Peat has talked about!

 

[Blossom]

Re: Shrimp's Peat log- thyroid, anxiety and acne issues, oh

I wonder if it is summer where you live? I'm not taking any thyroid right now. Even one small crumb of cytomel causes my heart rate to increase to 115. For me it definitely seems like the summer has resulted in my needing less thyroid like Peat has written about. The three a.m. part does seem suspicious for some stress hormones though. I have a long history of waking between 2-4 am with my heart pounding/racing that only started resolving when I discovered Peat's work. I hope you are able to figure it out soon! Good luck

Hi Blossom! It's almost summer here in MA, with the temps (and humidity!) to show it; been 70s/80s lately. Unfortunately, I can't be off of all meds; my TSH climbs above 2 even in the summer, and I feel absolutely awful. I feel ill now, too, but not as bad as when on no meds at all. I still have hypo symptoms at this dose, but perhaps my body can't handle this much right now. Pulse is down to 83 now at 9AM, but I only got about 4 hours of sleep. Anyway, thanks for the input! I'll figure it out somehow. :?

I have found a salty sugary snack before bed helps keep me out of that waking in the middle of the night pattern. Sorry if you are already doing this but I thought I'd mention it just incase because it is so simple and often effective.