magpie
Member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2013
- Messages
- 10
I am a forum lurker and have never posted on a forum before. Ever. So I have no idea how to use emoticons, quoting, etc. PLUS I’m 53, so that’s a handicap right there. The reason I’m finally posting is as follows: About 5 years ago, it seems my healthy life as I knew it disappeared forever. This is my long journey to discover how to be healthy again.
Some history without being too long-winded – when I first got pregnant, at age 22, I got vitiligo. After the pregnancy, I suffered from constipation. All of this seemed normal to me after awhile and I ignored it. I had two more healthy children and dealt with the constipation for about 25 years. The vitiligo got much worse. In my forties, I had very severe periods and eventually an endometrial ablation. Then over the next few years, severe severe insomnia. I could not fall asleep no matter how hard I tried. Then depression and anxiety followed. I was prescribed estradiol which seemed to make me a bit more anxious, but I trusted everyone who said it made their anxiety and insomnia go away. Mine persisted. I’ve been on so many sleeping pills, supplements, some working for a while, others not at all, sleep has been hit or miss for the last 5 years. I refused SSRIs. I looked around and could not find even one acquaintance who was suffering as I was.
Some time in the middle of all of this, my doctor announced that I had high cholesterol, and that I needed a statin. After a brief search of the internet, I demanded a thyroid test, which proved me to be hypothyroid (TSH of 5.4, high antibodies) but which the doctor declared was normal. I changed doctors. As soon as I tried to take thyroid medication, the insomnia and anxiety would escalate to awful levels and I would quit the medication. The doctor(s) had never seen anyone who had this reaction to thyroid medication.
And then after much searching (hours, tens, hundreds of hours) I started reading articles by Dr. Peat. My ills started to make sense. In fact, after all my research – and I am not a scientist – this is the only path that seems to be steering me in the right direction.
I never zero-carbed. I never Paleo-ed (is that a verb?) I was never an extreme athlete. I ate healthy balanced meals (also including PUFAs) all my life. I was under-weight. Possibly I didn’t get enough protein. I have no idea why I have ended up hypothyroid – but there were signs even from as early as age 6 when I had anemia, so perhaps I was born with it. There is a strong hypothyroid family history as well.
I started eating Peat-like in January / February. I don’t seem to have a lot of food allergies so that makes it much easier. I don’t get acne or heartburn or other intolerance symptoms either. But here is the big change. I started a program of taking dessicated thyroid and increasing the dose as slowly as I can. My heart rate started out about 58 (remember I am NOT an athlete – so how dare doctors congratulate me on my fitness level). My blood pressure has always been low – 100 / 60 – again congrats from doctors.
Every time I increase my dosage of NP Thyroid (so far I take 2 ½ grains during the day, with food) I get jumpy. My anxiety increases along with my heart rate (adrenalin I think) and also my insomnia. I take 150mg Trazodone at bedtime, along with 8-10 drops of Progest-E – more if I need it. In fact, I’m taking a lot because I go through 1 bottle in 3 weeks. I think the Progest-E is helping a lot with sleep – I sleep pretty well most nights. I take 50mg Pregnenolone 2x per day, 100mg niacinimide 2x per day and 1 aspirin 2x per day (with vit k), as tips from Dr. Peat to control anxiety. I think it helps, but who knows? I discontinued all estrogen as of March.
Currently my heart rate is somewhere between 69 and 72 bpm and my temperature hovers around 98.4. I am using pulse/temps along with bloodwork to target my optimum thyroid dosage – currently my TSH is 1.54 and I am at about 30% of range in total T4 and 40% of range in total T3. So I think I have to still increase my medication.
Some symptoms are improved with increased thyroid medication (interesting to note that although my thyroid medication is increasing, I am still nearer the bottom of the range in T4 and T3 so perhaps that’s why I still have a lot of symptoms) but most symptoms remain – I’m still constipated, I have terrible cracked eczema on my thumb that is fairly new to me, I am persecuted by low-level anxiety and insomnia, but my hair finally stopped falling out. It’s looking very good. My nails are ridged and brittle, but seem a bit softer in the last few weeks.
I am interested in thoughts on my situation. I am my own lab-rat – no doctor seems to be able to help me, and no person I talk to directly has ever experienced what I’m experiencing. My family is tired of hearing me drone on about my symptoms and my research. Luckily my doctor is on-board with me adjusting my thyroid medication and supports everything I do as long as I stay in range. I am hoping that as my thyroid levels come up, my anxiety and insomnia will disappear. I have high hopes, but I sure wish I could read some testimonials to help me through.
Thanks for listening.
Some history without being too long-winded – when I first got pregnant, at age 22, I got vitiligo. After the pregnancy, I suffered from constipation. All of this seemed normal to me after awhile and I ignored it. I had two more healthy children and dealt with the constipation for about 25 years. The vitiligo got much worse. In my forties, I had very severe periods and eventually an endometrial ablation. Then over the next few years, severe severe insomnia. I could not fall asleep no matter how hard I tried. Then depression and anxiety followed. I was prescribed estradiol which seemed to make me a bit more anxious, but I trusted everyone who said it made their anxiety and insomnia go away. Mine persisted. I’ve been on so many sleeping pills, supplements, some working for a while, others not at all, sleep has been hit or miss for the last 5 years. I refused SSRIs. I looked around and could not find even one acquaintance who was suffering as I was.
Some time in the middle of all of this, my doctor announced that I had high cholesterol, and that I needed a statin. After a brief search of the internet, I demanded a thyroid test, which proved me to be hypothyroid (TSH of 5.4, high antibodies) but which the doctor declared was normal. I changed doctors. As soon as I tried to take thyroid medication, the insomnia and anxiety would escalate to awful levels and I would quit the medication. The doctor(s) had never seen anyone who had this reaction to thyroid medication.
And then after much searching (hours, tens, hundreds of hours) I started reading articles by Dr. Peat. My ills started to make sense. In fact, after all my research – and I am not a scientist – this is the only path that seems to be steering me in the right direction.
I never zero-carbed. I never Paleo-ed (is that a verb?) I was never an extreme athlete. I ate healthy balanced meals (also including PUFAs) all my life. I was under-weight. Possibly I didn’t get enough protein. I have no idea why I have ended up hypothyroid – but there were signs even from as early as age 6 when I had anemia, so perhaps I was born with it. There is a strong hypothyroid family history as well.
I started eating Peat-like in January / February. I don’t seem to have a lot of food allergies so that makes it much easier. I don’t get acne or heartburn or other intolerance symptoms either. But here is the big change. I started a program of taking dessicated thyroid and increasing the dose as slowly as I can. My heart rate started out about 58 (remember I am NOT an athlete – so how dare doctors congratulate me on my fitness level). My blood pressure has always been low – 100 / 60 – again congrats from doctors.
Every time I increase my dosage of NP Thyroid (so far I take 2 ½ grains during the day, with food) I get jumpy. My anxiety increases along with my heart rate (adrenalin I think) and also my insomnia. I take 150mg Trazodone at bedtime, along with 8-10 drops of Progest-E – more if I need it. In fact, I’m taking a lot because I go through 1 bottle in 3 weeks. I think the Progest-E is helping a lot with sleep – I sleep pretty well most nights. I take 50mg Pregnenolone 2x per day, 100mg niacinimide 2x per day and 1 aspirin 2x per day (with vit k), as tips from Dr. Peat to control anxiety. I think it helps, but who knows? I discontinued all estrogen as of March.
Currently my heart rate is somewhere between 69 and 72 bpm and my temperature hovers around 98.4. I am using pulse/temps along with bloodwork to target my optimum thyroid dosage – currently my TSH is 1.54 and I am at about 30% of range in total T4 and 40% of range in total T3. So I think I have to still increase my medication.
Some symptoms are improved with increased thyroid medication (interesting to note that although my thyroid medication is increasing, I am still nearer the bottom of the range in T4 and T3 so perhaps that’s why I still have a lot of symptoms) but most symptoms remain – I’m still constipated, I have terrible cracked eczema on my thumb that is fairly new to me, I am persecuted by low-level anxiety and insomnia, but my hair finally stopped falling out. It’s looking very good. My nails are ridged and brittle, but seem a bit softer in the last few weeks.
I am interested in thoughts on my situation. I am my own lab-rat – no doctor seems to be able to help me, and no person I talk to directly has ever experienced what I’m experiencing. My family is tired of hearing me drone on about my symptoms and my research. Luckily my doctor is on-board with me adjusting my thyroid medication and supports everything I do as long as I stay in range. I am hoping that as my thyroid levels come up, my anxiety and insomnia will disappear. I have high hopes, but I sure wish I could read some testimonials to help me through.
Thanks for listening.