What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue?

re: What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue?

dolphin8 — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:07:07 GMT

I was just re-reading this article, since it was the catalyst to my research on my own thyroid issues. I felt the need to go back to the beginning to see where it all started.

Those of you with thyroid issues really need to go to www.stopthethyroidmadness.com and read everything! It has changed my life completely. The Yahoo group associated with it is amazing. I have learned sooooo much! They cover Hashimotos, thyroid removal, and adrenal fatigue, as well as just about any other disease process since they all can or do have a thyroid or adrenal component.

The main thing I've learned from all of this research, is DO THE RESEARCH! Be your own best health advocate. Question the doctors - not to be confrontational, but because they unfortunately don't have the time to do the research for what is best for YOU. What they are taught in school is incomplete at best, but there are doctors and patients who have done the research and it's on the web!

Here are some great starting points - some of which are mentioned by others in this thread...

www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

www.lammd.com/.../adrenal_fatigue.cfm

www.adrenalfatigue.com

www.hormoneandlongevitycenter.com/hormonedoctor

www.womenlivingnaturally.com/articlepage.php

http://www.iodine4health.com/

Learn everything you can about how your body works so that you can heal!

Gina

re: What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue?

Healthy Wisdom For You — Sat, 24 May 2008 17:24:56 GMT

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at 21 years old. I was told that once the thyroid stops working, it can't be repaired. WRONG. Two years ago, just after my 50th birthday, a friend of mine told me about Wilson's Temperature Syndrome. I read the book offered on the web site, located a physician in my area and began my journey back to health. That experience was actually the beginning of all things green for me. Today, I am an avid researcher. I love the idea that my health is in my hands.

re: What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue?

RachelC123 — Sat, 24 May 2008 15:24:12 GMT

I have been trying to have my under active thyroid diagnosed for years, but the tests always come back "normal", though I have every symptom. 10 days ago, I found an herbalist who told me my thyroid was not working, and probably hasn't been working in a long time.. and instead of giving me iodine (which I have been taking for years with no effect), he muscle tested me for another supplement (he said some people are helped with iodine, and some with amino acids), which is really working. I finally have some energy! I always thought I was lazy when it comes to exercise... now I know I was just lethargic. i can't get enough exercise now! So funny, I think I actually like it!!

Anyway.. so there is hope!

re: What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue?

bjmn — Sun, 11 May 2008 23:05:22 GMT

I also have hypothyroidism and am taking Armour. In 2004 I was first treated and took Armour. In 2006, I was fatigued to the point of complete inactivity and say a naturalpath who suggested that I get my thyroid antibodies tested. My test was over 80000 (40 is normal). I researched autoimmune disease and hypothyroidism online. I found a great number of sites that attribute thyroid issues with fluoride intake. I started purchasing water without flouride and am much, much improved!!!! So, I also offer my experience and suggest to find reverse osmosis-unflouridated water. . . . salude!

re: What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue?

Jackie Bushell — Fri, 09 May 2008 21:41:43 GMT

Here are some really good informative forums for hypothyroidism and low adrenal reserve:

health.groups.yahoo.com/.../NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS

health.groups.yahoo.com/.../RT3_T3

Low-Carb_in_the_UK@yahoogroups.com

Jackie

re: What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue?

Jane66 — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:08:55 GMT

I started having symptoms of fatigue, hairloss, anxiety & depression at the age of 9 and was eventually diagnosed with autoimmune thyroiditis. After years of falling asleep on the school bus I was prescribed levothyroxine age 18 and have been on it since (am now 41). Generally I feel really well - I put this down to the fact that I have exercised regularly (and at times addicitvely!) since my mid 20's. I find it absolutely essential to my wellbeing. I am also a buddhist and chant daily which helps take care of my emotional and spiritual wellbeing. For these reasons I have never really looked into the a more naturopathic approach to my condition. After a recent blood test my thyroxine dosage was reduced from 125 micrograms to 100 (I have previously been on 150) because my T4 level was at 24 and TSH was low. Can anyone tell me the significance of these changes? And should I be asking more questions about my blood test results and looking at a more naturopathic approach and armour thyroxine? What are the long term health implications likely to be of continuing on levothyroxine? Any feedback would be much appreciated. :-)

re: What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue?

ladybugrules — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:51:49 GMT

I couldn't fit everything into one message,so here is the rest.you can use distillers or RO filters if you take a good mineral supplement.Also,you can buy filters for your showers that take out chlorine,and flouride.Nobodies water is even going to come close to giving you all the minerals you need,so you need to take a good mineral supplement.I use a mix of kelp,dulse,Irish Moss,and Cats Claw powder for my minerals,also found at mountainroseherbs.com.I also use bentonite clay,not only does it help with minerals,it helps with IBS.I also use cod liver oil,coconut oil,and an iodine supplement.I'm planning on focusing on my adrenals and my chemical sensitivities.My doctor wont address my adrenal problem,so I guess I'll have to work on it on my own.I'm going to try oxygen therapy for my chemical sensitivities,I've heard of a doctor that is giving his patients oxygen 2hrs+ a day,his patients are being cured after 4-6 months of therapy.I focus more on Herbal,and veggies in my own capsules,rather than a lot of vitamin supplements because the more pills I take the worse I feel.Diet is so very important to healing your body,you can take all the pills the doc's want to give you.You wont really get better till you start eating the proper foods.Unfortunately,most of the foods aren't going to make you well.fruits and veggies can make you better if you juice them,but just eating them will not give you the nutrients that you need.Thats why people with cancer get better when they juice,they are concentrating the nutrients.It's the same with dried foods.The nutrients are concentrated.You need to eat more berries and less fruits.I hope this helps.I wish good luck ,and good health to all of you with your health challenges

re: What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue?

ladybugrules — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:38:20 GMT

here is what I've done.Armour,no grains,no processed foods.I use alot of dried foods because,I cant handle very many fruits or veggies,especially raw.I'm sure it's my gallbladder,as my mom has been diagnosed with gallbladder problems.I wont go the way my mom did,traditional medicine,very weird stuff,one thing they did was take her stomach out and wash it w/saline solution,it didn't help.actually,nothing they have done has helped.Mountainroseherbs has a great selection at great prices,the best on the net that I've been able to find.Green cleaners and hair products.I use all natural butters and oils on my skin,again,you can find them at mountainroseherbs.com.I also use magnets,and EMF protection,from earthcalm.calm.After I got the home protection system,and the scalarresonator.I started sleeping deeper,and my fybromyalgia is about 70-80% better.I take a combination of Maca root,and Wild Yam for my hormone problems.I also use,Chlorella,Spirulina,red beet powder,lemon peel powder,bee pollen,Aloe powder,Cranberry powder,aloe powder because I havent found one organic processed juice that doesn't have sodium benzoate,Sodium Benzoate is one of the worst additives for allergies.My tea includes,Jasmine flowers,rose petals,Camomile,rasberry leaves,Rose Hips,Lemon,and Orange peel powder,And lotus flowers.I also take oregano in capsules,it detoxes your body of Molds and other toxins.I also use the foot detoxing method.All of these foods I chose because they target everything I need to work on.Immune system,strengthening different organs such as liver,gallbladder,and the heart etc. I also use Binaural waves to handle the excess pain I get from overdoing it and the headaches I get from my chemical sensitivities.most important point is this, our whole immune system is messed up.not just the Thyroid or adrenals.your whole system needs to be assessed.Don't look to docs for help.take responsibility for making yourself healthy.it takes alot of research.

re: What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue?

djseig — Wed, 07 May 2008 22:15:12 GMT

A very good site to visit is http://thyroid.about.com/. Mary Shomon does a super job in providing information about thyroid disease. When I was diagnosed with graves disease, the only information available to me at the time was from a HMO doctor. For about 10 years, I thought I was going crazy. I found other people, like myself, in the same situation. I now have a doctor who prescribes Armour Thyroid for my condition (I was treated with radioactive iodine twice for my hyperthyroidism), and I feel so much better, like normal. I would never take synthroid, levothyroid, or cytomel if given to me for free, only Armour thyroid for me.

re: What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue?

SithMaster88 — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:45:29 GMT

Bounced Back from Hypothyroidism!

What a great and informative article. One thing I would like to add is that sometimes the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ITHS) test won't indicate hypothyroidism on the first attempt. Sometimes a second test is needed just to make sure but even then that's no guarantee. In any case, I had all of the symptoms mentioned above (to include the outer 1/3 of my eyebrows losing hair) in having hypothyroidism, but my doctor refused to believe I had it (because both my tests said my thyroid was normal). My body was clearly trying to tell me something. I felt depressed, low on energy, and just not interested in anything. My work peformance over a 3 month period tanked. However, this funk for me didn't last for too much longer.

What worked for me was increasing my Omega-3 intakes big time! Krill oil, Cod-liver oil (the liquid type that you have to keep refrigerated after opening), and fish oil were added to my diet. I also cut back my coffee intake while increasing my water intake. Green/White/Black tea, wheatgress, and gentle herbal teas also became part of my diet. I did everything I could to at least walk daily (get at least 10,000 steps a day) because my will to exercise was nonexistant. I maintained my 6-8 hours of sleep a night and refused to stress about anything (I have a 7-month old baby, currently working on my MBA, and trying to meet the demands of being a husband and an accountant).

The result: Within a week, I noticed a big time difference. I woke up far less fatigued and found myself having more energy well into the afternoon hours at work. My exercise routines are becoming more physical and I find myself in better moods.

Cheers to Dr. Mercola and a wonderful, informative article!

re: What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue?

DJones3423 — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:47:31 GMT

I haven't read all of the comments, but I wanted to add something that might help some women. My thyroid problems were directly related to female hormones. Over the years, I was on various hormonal birth control (from various forms of the pill to Depo Provera to the mini pill to the Nuva Ring), and over time, each one of them affected my thyroid levels. I still don't know why, but the connection was undeniable. I'd be okay for about a year, then the symptoms would start to set in. I also had pre-eclampsia with my first pregnancy and hypothyroid-like symptoms with my second two.

From various blood tests, it appears that my T3 and T4 numbers would be low while my TSH number stayed relatively low (usually below 2.0). That's not the way the numbers usually relate to each other. Usually, as T3 and T4 drop, the TSH number goes up. The few times that my TSH number was captured at more than 2.0 was during times when I felt as if I were going to die, but my T3 and T4 were "low normal," so most doctors wouldn't treat me for hypothyroidism. My free T3 and free T4 were low, but most of the doctors who I had the misfortune of dealing with didn't test for those.

When I saw Dr. Mercola as a patient a number of years ago, I brought in all of my previous blood test results. He took one look at them and wrote me a prescription for Armour Thyroid. That action saved my life. Eventually, I became well enough again that I could see how my birth control led to the hypothyroid conditions. If I didn't take my birth control for a few days, the symptoms would lessen. As soon as I got back on it, the symptoms came back full force. I got off of all hormonal birth control, and I was able to wean myself off of the thyroid medication as well. I'm now entering perimenopause, and I can sometimes feel my thyroid becoming sluggish again. A few days of half of a thyroid pill per day (taken until I can feel my own thyroid picking up again), and I feel better.

I hope this helps someone.

Donna

re: What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue?

chieromancer — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:49:32 GMT

After reading Dr. Michael Anchor's book on using on Phen-Pro for weight loss, I found a prescriping doc in my area. Anchor's mentions hypothryroidism. So I read a couple of the books on the subject, testing my Basel temp and it was somewhere in the range of Recently Deceased!

One of the symptoms really hit home: feeling stiff and sore after just a short time of being inactive. I would drive to work (1/2 hour) and I would literally say "ouch" getting out of the car. So I mentioned it to my Diet doc, who gave me Armour, and that stuff is the bomb! I feel 75% better, no aches, no cold hands or feet. It's not the fountain of youth, mind you.

So when I stopped going to the diet doc, I went to me GP at Kaiser, who gave me Armour no questions asked, if you can believe that. It's cheap, too.

Take your basel temp, read the books, then go to your doctor armed. Squawk if necessary.

re: What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue?

Rockymom — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:43:15 GMT

Go to www.stopthethyroidmadness.com for great information on thyroid and adrenal issues.

re: What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue?

RECO — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:29:49 GMT

I wonder if these tips help someone that has hypothyroidism due to radioactive iodine?? That's the problem I have, and I take Synthroid for life.

re: What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue?

drlew — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:21:08 GMT

Another possibility could be type 2 hypothyroidism. Dr. Marc Starr wrote a book titled "Type 2 Hypothyroidism" and it is very interesting. It is very similar to diabetes where in Type 1 the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin. In type 1 hypothyroidism the thyroid doesn't produce enough thyroid hormone. Type 2 diabetes the pancreas produces enough insulin but the receptors are blocked or not working correctly to use it correctly. In type 2 hypothyroidism the thyroid produces enough thyroid hormone (shows normal on blood tests) but the receptors are either blocked or not working correctly. In the book it talks about multiple ways to determine if it is Type 2 Hypothyroidism that you may have. One is by measuring your temperature in the morning before getting out of bed and if it is below 97.2 you may have Type 2. Also if your body shows areas of Myxadema in the face and back of the arms. Get the book and read it, it is really easy to understand. Treatment is with iodine and Armour Thyroid or dessicated thyroid. Been on it for 4 months and I am experiencing huge improvements.