Anyone Hypo and Peri-Menopausal?

Sweet_Pandora

I have been back and forth to the Dr. the past few weeks for bloodwork.

All is normal with my thyroid. However Dr. advised me and I kind of suspected it I am in peri-menopause! I found out that some of the symptoms are similar to one another.

I've recently stopped taking birth control and started having the night sweats! Ugh! Not every night but often enough. I wake up soaking wet and chilled. I am so cold I don't want to get out of bed and dry off.

Is/has anyone else experienced this and any suggestions?

Thanks

Karen

islandmonkey

What were your actual thyroid levels? There is a big difference between "within normal range" and "optimal for YOU". I would get the actual numbers from your doctor.

Also, what kind of bc were you on? Hormones can make your thyroid go all wonky, especially if it contains estrogen.


Check what your doctor tested for your thyroid. If he/she just tested your TSH level, please know that this is NOT a thyroid hormone - it is a pituitary hormone. If it's anything over 1.5 I'd ask your doctor to also test free (not total) T3 and free T4.

Sweet_Pandora

I was on Tri-cyclen Lo which is a low dose pill.

My range was normal for me and the Dr. did test both T3 and T4. In the past if either change even the slightest I would have symptoms and would need to adjust my meds.

I am keeping a health journal to track any changes I experience.

Thanks for the info.

Karen

small4me

The testing for hypo thyroid here in Canada is very different than the states. We have a range ~ and if you are in that range there is not much more the doctors can do legally (they cannot increase the dose of medication if it is in range).
I have had low thyroid for 20.5 years and I have to keep trying things on my own... my diet I keep learning about foods that are 'bad' for the thyroid and weaken it, etc..
Late last year I also quit my birth control(I was only taking it for PMS, and the older I am getting the worse the birth control can do to my body!) and would have night sweats too, so much from head to toe. I haven't been to the doctor about this, just trying to change my diet and get my exercise back to routine.
So far it seems to have help, the night sweats aren't quite to often or as bad!

islandmonkey

The testing for hypo thyroid here in Canada is very different than the states. We have a range ~ and if you are in that range there is not much more the doctors can do legally (they cannot increase the dose of medication if it is in range).
I have had low thyroid for 20.5 years and I have to keep trying things on my own... my diet I keep learning about foods that are 'bad' for the thyroid and weaken it, etc..
Late last year I also quit my birth control(I was only taking it for PMS, and the older I am getting the worse the birth control can do to my body!) and would have night sweats too, so much from head to toe. I haven't been to the doctor about this, just trying to change my diet and get my exercise back to routine.
So far it seems to have help, the night sweats aren't quite to often or as bad!

I'm in Canada - I think your doctor is feeding you a load of BS. Your doctor can change your dose to keep you in range, but get you to an optimal place within the range. What labs is your doctor testing? Just TSH, or also testing free T3 and free T4?

What meds are you on? A T4-only pill like Synthroid or Levothyroxine? There's also a dessicated med in Canada called "Thyroid", manufactured by Erfa - it contains both T3 and T4.

There's actually no difference in testing - you just have to find a doctor willing to work with you. What province are you in?

Have you had your Vit D tested?

small4me

The testing for hypo thyroid here in Canada is very different than the states. We have a range ~ and if you are in that range there is not much more the doctors can do legally (they cannot increase the dose of medication if it is in range).
I have had low thyroid for 20.5 years and I have to keep trying things on my own... my diet I keep learning about foods that are 'bad' for the thyroid and weaken it, etc..
Late last year I also quit my birth control(I was only taking it for PMS, and the older I am getting the worse the birth control can do to my body!) and would have night sweats too, so much from head to toe. I haven't been to the doctor about this, just trying to change my diet and get my exercise back to routine.
So far it seems to have help, the night sweats aren't quite to often or as bad!

I'm in Canada - I think your doctor is feeding you a load of BS. Your doctor can change your dose to keep you in range, but get you to an optimal place within the range. What labs is your doctor testing? Just TSH, or also testing free T3 and free T4?

What meds are you on? A T4-only pill like Synthroid or Levothyroxine? There's also a dessicated med in Canada called "Thyroid", manufactured by Erfa - it contains both T3 and T4.

There's actually no difference in testing - you just have to find a doctor willing to work with you. What province are you in?

Have you had your Vit D tested?

No BS - if a doctor is audited and a patient is prescribed a prescription that may/can do harm they can be in trouble. That is a fact anywhere, my doctors all seem to follow the rules. My point was..that if you are in range of "normal" thyroid any doctors I have seen in the past 20 years do not change your dose so that you 'feel' better.
My test include all - sometimes my T4 is good and my T3 isn't and then vice versa.
I take vit D every day -
I have been on Thyroid hormones until they took it off that one off the market - I am in Alberta and have seen many many doctors in the past- my biggest problem is that my thyroid levels change every 6ish months - I am always on a new dose of medication to just keep me in the 'normal' range, not in the feel great range.
So I have been studying about what foods, other than what I knew before. Lots of protein, less starch and certain veggies can do more damage than good ~ like spinach, kale, broccoli etc...
As much as this seems to be a very common condition ~ every person is unique.

islandmonkey

No BS - if a doctor is audited and a patient is prescribed a prescription that may/can do harm they can be in trouble. That is a fact anywhere, my doctors all seem to follow the rules. My point was..that if you are in range of "normal" thyroid any doctors I have seen in the past 20 years do not change your dose so that you 'feel' better.
My test include all - sometimes my T4 is good and my T3 isn't and then vice versa.
I take vit D every day -
I have been on Thyroid hormones until they took it off that one off the market - I am in Alberta and have seen many many doctors in the past- my biggest problem is that my thyroid levels change every 6ish months - I am always on a new dose of medication to just keep me in the 'normal' range, not in the feel great range.
So I have been studying about what foods, other than what I knew before. Lots of protein, less starch and certain veggies can do more damage than good ~ like spinach, kale, broccoli etc...
As much as this seems to be a very common condition ~ every person is unique.

My point is that just because you are "within normal range" doesn't mean there isn't a BETTER "within normal range". Just because you're in range doesn't mean your meds can't change, while still staying perfectly within the bounds of legal and ethical obligations. My doctors also follow the rules, but don't allow me to wallow at the bottom end of "within normal range". They would be completely fine with an audit.

It scares me a bit that you put "feel" in quotations around feeling better, because the whole point of meds is to feel better...if your free T3 and free T4 are at the very bottom of the normal range and you feel like crap, your doctor CAN increase your meds so that you get to a better place with your free T's. Again, not advocating going off the rails (I think you thought that's what I meant?), just advocating doctors listening to the patient experience. I hear SO many people say they feel horrible but their labs are "normal", and then it turns out they are juuuust barely in normal range.


You were on Erfa's Thyroid, if that what you mean? It's never been taken off the market - who told you that?

If your Vit D is at rock bottom and you're taking a single pill, and you live in Alberta, I can pretty much guarantee you aren't getting enough. Vit D is required for your T3 hormone to act at the cellular level, so being deficient (as most N. Americans are, especially those of us in Canada) can give you hypo symptoms.

missigus

I 100% agree with person above. Normal range is NOT a one size fits all. For many years I had dr's that told me I should be feeling great, that my t3 was within normal. Well, it was one- one hundredth from going below normal, and I felt like dog doo. I agree its very important to find a dr that will listen to the symptoms and treat the symptoms rather than the numbers. Took me years to find one, but if I were you, maybe look on Mary Sholomon's site and look under top doc's. They tend to treat differently that most conventional endos out there. Maybe you can find some in Canada.

Also, if your peri-menopausal you can look into using progesterone cream. It seems to help me with some of the symptoms, it's been kinda tricky finding that balance though beteewn to much and too little. I also take evening primrose oil which is awesome for PMS symptoms and very harmless.