Thyroid Q and A or Running Hot and Cold

Thought I'd give an update (Read 400 times)


Oh roo roooo!

    I started GF today too...as an experiment. Going to the grocery store helped calm my nerves...there are lots of gf foods and I surely won't starve. Dillons (kroger) also has the little gf symbol on their shelf tags so that made choosing brands pretty easy. Wish me luck Smile

     

    Ya know, Dirty Grace, I would have never believed I could do this a year ago.  But really, I don't even have much of a craving any more.  I basically eat meat, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, fruit and veggies.  Once a week I will eat something with a gluten-free grain in it.  I am so sick of years of reading labels and measuring servings and so on, this has actually been really freeing, if you can believe that.

     

    Best wishes--you'll surely be tweaking as you go, but if I had any advice to give, it would be to hang in even if it's tough for a while.  Then again, you're a runner, so you know that already....

    DirtyGraceFlint


    The Crap Whisperer

      Ya know, Dirty Grace, I would have never believed I could do this a year ago.  But really, I don't even have much of a craving any more.  I basically eat meat, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, fruit and veggies.  Once a week I will eat something with a gluten-free grain in it.  I am so sick of years of reading labels and measuring servings and so on, this has actually been really freeing, if you can believe that.

       

      Best wishes--you'll surely be tweaking as you go, but if I had any advice to give, it would be to hang in even if it's tough for a while.  Then again, you're a runner, so you know that already....

       

      Thanks for this! I do get what you mean about it being freeing and that is kinda what I'm hoping for! I am also a vegetarian so no meat for me but I do still consume dairy and eggs. I think that is kinda what had/has me worried...that my food options will be very restricted. On the other hand, I have been feeling like I rely waaay too much on processed convenience foods and I'm hoping this will get me refocused on eating real food. I don't have to worry about watching labels for meat and wheat if I'm eating veggies and fruit!

      Being the best tiny spec that I can be!


      Oh roo roooo!

        Thanks for this! I do get what you mean about it being freeing and that is kinda what I'm hoping for! I am also a vegetarian so no meat for me but I do still consume dairy and eggs. I think that is kinda what had/has me worried...that my food options will be very restricted. On the other hand, I have been feeling like I rely waaay too much on processed convenience foods and I'm hoping this will get me refocused on eating real food. I don't have to worry about watching labels for meat and wheat if I'm eating veggies and fruit!

         

        Yes, exactly--you don't have to check the label on an apple or an egg.  I had been mostly vegetarian for a number of years also and I totally know what you mean about processed convenience foods.  We always had Boca Burgers, soy milk, baked chips, low-fat cookies, etc., in the house.  Seems I have just learned a ton of stuff in the last few years--can't believe what hub and I used to buy, thinking we were "healthy"!

         

        A couple of links you might find helpful:

         

        http://thepaleodiet.com/faq  This is FAQs on Paleo eating and does contain a section on vegetarian Paleo.

         

        http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/#axzz1ozeravUx  This might also be interesting for you.

         

        I certainly do not believe EVERYTHING either of these guys has to say, but I have gone thru and picked out what made sense to me and tried to apply it.  I expect to keep adjusting as time goes by, but at least this helped me get started. 

         

        I hope this thread stays active.  I'm enjoying hearing from everybody and find it really encouraging to see what has helped, i.e., the MAF stuff.  Thanks to all!


        Driver, Runner, Bestie

          Hello:  I have something crazy going on with my thyroid.  The good news is that the test explains why I have felt so badly, but I don't know why this is happening.  In a nutshell, I have been on thyroid medication for about 3 years now.  Its been controlled and I have felt good.  About 9 months ago, my doctor felt that he should tinker with my meds.  My result was a .10 and he felt that was approaching a little hyper.  So, he adjusted the medication down a bit (from 112 to 100 mcg) and I hung in with 1.3 for a couple of checks.  I still felt ok, a little sluggish.  About 2 weeks ago, on a check, my TSH was 8.7 and he moved meds back up to 112 mcg. 

           

          I could not be more miserable.  Extremely tired, grumpy, my running has suffered by at least 90 seconds per mile.  I fight to get motivation to even move out of chair sometimes.  Numbness and tingling in my hands, arms and in my feet and legs.  Also, I just look at food and gain weight, so I have really cut back on calories.  After speaking with my doctor, he ordered "the works" blood test.  Everything looks ok, except for my TSH has now climbed to 26.84.  Also, bloodwork showed I was abnormal in sodium? being under the average range?

           

          I am meeting with him sometime this week to discuss.  How the heck does the thyroid go so bad so quickly?  I have a half marathon in about 4 weeks and I don't think I can finish it, much less hit a reasonable time (for me).  Its very frustrating! 

           

          Anyone else here go through this?  What would causing such a high test result in such a short time?

            Wow Kate, I'm sorry. I can't think of any reasonable reason to jump from 8 to 26 in 2 weeks except for lab error. I really hope you get some answers soon. Has your doctor suggested a thyroid uptake test (you get iodine injected one day and then a scan the next day to see thyroid function)? It might be a way to get an idea of whether your thyroid is working or not. He should also be checking pituitary function, since that sends the memo to the thyroid to produce TSH (or something like that Cheryl explained it better than me before).

             

            Let us know how it goes!


            Oh roo roooo!

              Holy cow, PoeDog!  I have no useful advice to offer, but wow, that is a huge change in no time at all.  I just googled "TSH sudden rise" and got a number of hits, also a number of suggestions from Google for other ways to phrase the question to get other answers.  I'm just on my way out the door so no time to look into this and send you some links, but if you have a chance, maybe you'll find something if you google?

               

              I can only imagine how crappy you must feel--wishing you relief SOON!!

              HappyFeat


                I'll echo the "holy cow!" KateSurprised  I'm just checking in at the end of my lunch hour, so have no time to look this situation up now. I will later though. I'm so sorry this is happening to you and so close to your race, too - it's beyond unfair!  Gotta get back to work now, sorry.

                Don't make excuses for why you can't get it done. 

                Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen.

                HappyFeat


                  another lunch hour fly by -  Kate, I second what Shauna said about getting the pituitary checked.  From what I could find online, that's the likely source of you TSH abnormality.  Can you get a referral to a specialist? an endocrinologist? to sort this out?

                  Don't make excuses for why you can't get it done. 

                  Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen.

                    Kate, sorry to hear that you are struggling right now. You asked if it was possible for a TSH to rise dramatically in just 2 weeks, and I believe the answer is yes. In fact, it can rise dramatically in a week. The reason docs are so reliant on TSH, is that when the feedback loop functions as it should, the TSH is the first indicator that there is a problem, even before changes are seen in FT4 levels. What does it mean? It's a sign that your thyroid is failing. Now it could be lab error, but given your symptoms, I wouldn't think so.

                    At one point, my ex-endocrinologist suggested I go off my meds completely (remember I have no thyroid) to see if my non-functional TSH would rise. She was going to check my labs at 3 day intervals. I refused, and was right to do so (more about that later).

                     

                    There's been some questions about Hashi's thyroiditis. You can have episodes of hyperthyroidism with Hashi - it all depends on your levels of antibodies and they can wax and wane as you move towards thyroid failure - although not everyone will. It is also not uncommon to have Hash's and Graves disease at the same time, but the only way to know is to have antibody screening for both diseases. People with one form of autoimmune disease seem more prone to multiple autoimmune problems.

                     

                    Hypo and Hyper

                     

                    Elly, it's been 6 years since my surgery, and every winter I experience a drop in my FT3 levels, and it makes no sense because I'm on a set dose, and yet it does - I always am better with my levels in the summer. Vitamin D is really important, and if you don't know your level, find out. I shoot for a minimum level of 50 and check my levels around December - I take around 3,000 units daily year round.

                     

                    I have not been doing well for the last year, and it's a long story. Will post later, maybe it will help to clear things up for me if I write it all out.

                     

                    Hugs to all - Cheryl

                    Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away...(unkown)




                    Go With The Flow
                    Thyroid Support Group

                    HappyFeat


                      (((Cheryl)))  I would like to hear what you've been going through and hope it will help you to share with us. Thanks for posting...you are the thyroid guru, you know.Smile

                      Don't make excuses for why you can't get it done. 

                      Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen.


                      Driver, Runner, Bestie

                        Well, all my doctor did was bump my meds from 112 to 125 mcgs and says that we will recheck in 3 months.  He says that I have Hashi's and that given my age, 44 years old, he expects a decline in thyroid function.  He also said that any change in THS will be slow, so we need to wait and see what is happening.

                         

                        It is all very frustrating.  I am really tired of feeling like this, and I don't feel like my doctor is really addressing the issue.  He is an internal medicine, family guy, what I nicknamed (maybe unfairly) a gatekeeper.  I get the feeling he is bored with my lists of chronic fatigue symptoms.   What I find disconcerting is that I feel extremely hypoglycemic/lightheaded at least 2 times a day on top of the rest of it. Yet, he has not passed me on to specialist, so maybe my case is just an ordinary "tinker with the meds" one.    I am not generally a confrontational person, either. 

                         

                        Cheryl. So sorry you are struggling.  I have always appreciated your responses and insight.  I think quite often of your marathon race report from a few years back and how you nailed that race, physically and mentally!  (Didn't you stomp on a Mile 16 sign?).  We care about you here, even though we don't always post much.  You are in my prayers.      

                        Kerry1976


                        Master of the Side Eye

                          How do any of you with hashis or hypo deal with healing from injuries? Sometime in November, I began to have what appeared to be classic plantar fasciitis in both feet. By January, I had completely stopped running. In early march, I was given a cortisone shot in the worst foot, the left. That provided tiny comfort, but was finding I was more and more sore all the way from hip to toe on both sides with the left being the worst. Another trip to the podiatrist and was sent for PT as he believed it was a movement issue. Had first PT session yesterday and not only is it a movement issue but all the muscles from hip down are completely inflamed. Sitting, standing, moving, sleeping, all hurt. I have a minimum of 3 months of work to get back to functional. They want to take it very slow because I am so inflamed that they don't want to push it to the point of no return. Anyway, long story short, I have been hypo for over a decade and was diagnosed with hashis a month ago. My system is totally out of whack right now, but am working on a gluten free diet, minimizing dairy and sugar (a big work in progress), and have a higher dose of levothyroxine. I was even home a few days this week because the body said "no more" and I slept over 18 hours on one of the days. Do any of you find that your body just heals slower? How do you deal with it? For any of you that have had to change your diet to gluten free, did you find it helped? It is so nice to have a place to ask questions and share our challenges and victories dealing with the thyroid. It affects everything in the body.

                          TRUST THE PROCESS

                           

                           

                           

                          Kerry1976


                          Master of the Side Eye

                            Apologies that my long post above shows up as one long paragraph. When I post from my iPad the formatting seems to get lost when posted.

                            TRUST THE PROCESS

                             

                             

                             

                            Elly.


                              Hi Kerry,

                               

                              Sounds you're in a world of hurt right now.  I'm very sorry for that.  All I can give you is my experience.

                               

                              I have not been diagnosed with Hashi.  But I am on both Synthroid and Cytomel. ... it's an up and down thing.  But you ask specifically about injuries and for my part, I think that I heal much more slowly. 

                               

                              Having said that, I am 65, but an active 65 year old.  Last year in July I wiped out on a 52 mile bike ride with only a mile and a half to go.  I was very tired and very hot (thyroid acting up?).  I fell hard and got banged up with lots of road rash.  My skin is still sensitive and discolored from that fall.  It took more than 6 weeks to get over the deep bruising that only showed up a week and a half later. I was prescribed pain pills to help me get going so I could get better. Recovery is dependent up getting up and moving ... and that holds true for heart operations, having babies or having accidents.

                               

                              I am not sure if the ability to heal is a function of age or thyroid, but probably both. After about age 21, your body takes longer to heal.

                               

                              My initial reaction is you should go walking/jogging.  That will make you feel better to move, and especially in a park or something.  No treadmills, because this is a mind/body thing and you need to spoil yourself.  Plantar feels better once you are able to get up in the morning.  Also, I found yoga to be a godsend.  It needs to be gentle yoga, because you are hurting and a good long downward dog starts to feel good for your feet and legs. 

                               

                              I have no experience with the gluten-free diet.  After a long discussion with my doc, this does not seem to be a viable option for me.  But I think others should chime in on this. 

                               

                              I hope this helps.  Stay in touch. 

                               

                              Elly

                              http://www.ellyfosterphotography.com/

                              Kerry1976


                              Master of the Side Eye

                                not cleared to run right now, but am cleared for aqua jogging, which I plan to do after work tomorrow. Movement is a very good thing for the body and soul.

                                 

                                MTA: I am almost 36 years old.

                                TRUST THE PROCESS