thyoxine and menstrual disturbance?

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I've been pretty ill (virus) since last Friday and am still nothing

like better. I have sweated off 11 lbs while I've been ill. Today I

appear to have started my period a whole week early - this NEVER

happens to me and I am very alarmed by it. In fact it desn't even feel

like a proper period, I'm not even sure where the blood is coming from.

What I want to know is can thyroxine affect your periods in this way?

Or is it more likely to be due to the current illness? Just concerned

as I've had plenty of frequent illnesses in the past years but my

periods have never been affected.

I have a blood test appointment first thing tomorrow and will mention

it to the nurse. If it is anything dodgy I'm hoping to get an

emergency GP appointment.

Tracey

[Guest guest]

Hi Tracey

Glad you are off to the nurse, and indeed mentioning it is good, if

she does not know ask to see the doc.

Thyroid conditions do indeed affect your menses so treating them and

altering the hormone status may change something. I am not a gyno by

any stretch of the imagination, don't know your age, or anything. I

have had erratic periods for the last 6ish years and I was only 42

when that started. I have had absent periods for over a year. Then

started again scanty, then stopped. I never really got a diagnosis. So

if I were you I would chase the doc harder than I did about it. To be

honest I felt too ill to be bothered.

Good luck and God bless

Dawn x

[Guest guest]

Hi Tracey,

Stresses of any kind can upset your periods and thyroid disease

is notorious for causing heavy periods- though they tend to be at long

intervals rather than too soon, but there are always exceptions. See what

happens next time and tell you doc if it happens again. Keep a chack on your

iron as with blood loos you may become anaemic which can mimic the symptoms

of hypo.

Subject: thyoxine and menstrual disturbance?

Hi all,

I've been pretty ill (virus) since last Friday and am still nothing

like better. I have sweated off 11 lbs while I've been ill. Today I

appear to have started my period a whole week early - this NEVER

happens to me and I am very alarmed by it. In fact it desn't even feel

like a proper period, I'm not even sure where the blood is coming from.

What I want to know is can thyroxine affect your periods in this way?

Or is it more likely to be due to the current illness? Just concerned

as I've had plenty of frequent illnesses in the past years but my

periods have never been affected.

I have a blood test appointment first thing tomorrow and will mention

it to the nurse. If it is anything dodgy I'm hoping to get an

emergency GP appointment.

Tracey

------------------------------------

Messages are not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always

consult with a suitably qualified practitioner before changing

medication.

[Guest guest]

Hi there,

Seems like we have a few things in common. I used to be a regular 28

day'er - almost as regular as clockwork. When I was diagnosed as

hypothyroid my period went haywire. Day 18 one month, Day 23 the

next, Day 21 the next. I do recall that VERY rarely, if I was really

stressed out or really sick, it could occasionally affect my cycle

prior to my Hashimoto and Hypo diagnosis.

Anything that concerns you should be checked out, so good on you for

checking with the nurse.

It is interesting that you have posted this message because it was

only today that I went to see someone who specialises in this sort of

stuff. She has ordered a swag of tests for me, so we can try and get

to the bottom of the problem. If you want to know what the tests are,

just send me a private email and I'll send the list to you. Don't

want to post it here as it would take ages to write out, but I'm happy

to pass on the test names if you think you might want to ask your doc

about being tested too. Up to you though....

P

I appear to have started my period a whole week early - this NEVER

happens to me and I am very alarmed by it. In fact it desn't even feel

like a proper period, I'm not even sure where the blood is coming from.

What I want to know is can thyroxine affect your periods in this way?

Or is it more likely to be due to the current illness? I've had plenty

of frequent illnesses in the past years but my periods have never been

affected.

[Guest guest]

Hi there, menstrual problems irregular etc: are hypo symptoms. angel

for Good helps you make a difference

[Guest guest]

Thanks chaps!

Well, I came home from the bloodtest and sat and cried feeling quite

hopeless. It didn't go well. (

I had thought I was due a full blood screen, so mentioned to the

nurse that the results might be odd as I hadn't eaten much in the

week as I had been so ill, also that I had lost quite a lot of

weight in that time. She then told me it wouldn't make any

difference as it was only a ferritin and thyroid test. Now I KNOW

the GP had written down hormone testing as I'd seen the original

card - this was a different card to the one the nurse had.

I explained I was very worried about my belly swelling up and my

shape changing noticeably during the 6 weeks I've been on 50 mcg

daily dose of thyroxine. I put on half a stone over that period (on

top of the 1 stone I put on in December, pre-trial, coinciding with

a sudden hike in my TSH.

In spite of being on the heavy side, I am known (even envied by

some, ho ho!)for my trademark hour-glass figure and always dress to

show off my slim waist. It is normal for me to put on weight on my

hips and bum, which I hide under my nipped-in-waist full circle

skirts. In the last 6 weeks, however, I have been shocked that my

waist just expanded - just like that!- and that I've had to drag out

my old pregnancy clothes and elasticated waists again. To me that is

a huge indicator that something is going very wrong and I'm quite

frightened by it to be honest.

Even having lost 11 lb the belly and alien body-shape have stuck

with me. Then, when that inexplicable early period came a week early

yesterday, it threw me into a bit of a panic. Even through years of

illnesses and bizarre weight-gains, my periods have always been

regular. True, they became extremely heavy for a while 10 years ago

after childbirth but no cause was found (and it was investigated

pretty thoroughly). Since I've been on iron and my ferritin levels

raised, my blood loss is noticeably less, ie- no need for super

towels as normals now do the trick perfectly!

I had hoped the nurse would just feel my belly or something and I

asked if I should make an appointment to see the GP. In the event

she told me to wait until the blood test results come back as she

has requested the lab also tests for hormones to see if I'm going

through the menopause.

So, in 2 weeks time I've got to make an appointment to see my GP to

discuss the results. The indications do look like my personal GP has

struck me off after all (Sheila knows the story of this)but nothing

is certain at the moment and I find that in itself rather worrying

and paranoia-making.

I still feel pretty lousy and will probably have to spend most of

the day sleeping again.

Tracey

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

Thanks for your comments. I decided to stay up and use my brain power while it is still there! Caught up with a week load of official financial and legal matters emails which have been stressing me and probably adding to my woes. Quite a plate-spinner!

Our bodies require T3 and not T4 - Dr Lowe will never treat any of his patients with L-thyroxine - only treats with T3 alone or with Armour Thyroid. Perhaps you would be better off on Armour (or T3 alone), but explaining that to your GP is something else.That is indeed going to be a tough one to pursue in my current situation. I just wish THAT information was the orthodoxy and then we would not have to fight to get sensible treatment when our emotional, physical and financial resources are so depleted.

If your GP removed you because you pressed for a trial of L-thyroxine, this is an insufficient reason. Under the GMC, doctors should work with their patients, not against them. Don't let this one go Tracey, especially as you previously got on well with your doctor.I still have a horrid feeling that it all came tumbling down for me as I admitted my sister had seen my results and showed them to her GP (a hypothyroid sufferer herself) who, as you remember commented they indicated underactive thyroid problems and that the person, ie me, must discusss it with their own doctor. My sister's GP had suggested printing off info about subclinical hypoT and showing that to my GP - not that I dared after my GP launched into a full-scale shout about me consulting a "quack" who wasn't fit to be a practising GP if she had thyroid problems as she couldn't be right in the head!

I still don't think I have done anything wrong, certainly how could I personally have "broken the patient doctor contract" my GP kept accusing me of? It was the sort of reaction I would have expected if I had gone to Dr P, for example, and then told my GP afterwards and not before if you know what I mean. I could see how that would insult my GP's professional position. But letting my newly-symptomatic sister see MY bloodtests results for her ends? I don't understand!

Hopefully I'll have more to go on when the bloods come back and I try to get an appointment. If he won't see me, then I suppose I'll have to go down the PALs route.

When you write to your doctor, you could also ask why you have not been given the full hormone tests (thyroid and others) also.I queried this with the nurse before she took my blood but she did not phone the GP as I would have expected. I suppose it is because I may have had my lot of full-blood screens for this financial year. It is a shame as todays blood would show me at rock bottom and may have given useful clues why I keep getting so ill.

Did you remember not to take your L-thyroxine on the morning of your blood test?I've been taking them in the evening but I didn't skip last night's dose. It was approx 12 hours before the blood test. Will that be problematic?

Tracey

[Guest guest]

You haven't done anything wrong. I know that your sis discussed

your results with her doc, but regardless of that, it is your body

and you can seek advice from where ever you wish. My doctor is

helpful, nice, has tested a million things and has sorted out quite

a few things for me healthwise, and is really trying to help me BUT

I still don't feel very well. I went and saw another doctor today

for advice about things that they specialise in + I asked for a

second opinion about thyroid replacement. I don't feel that I need

to ask permission, however I will let my usual doctor know that I've

seen the other doc, but it will be only be to share test results,

etc. I'll also let them know what the 'new' doctor discovered, so

we can share further information in order to help me to get well

again.

At the end of the day, none of this stuff is personal or against the

doctor that we normally see. It is all about GETTING WELL AGAIN,

and if that means that a doctor gets upset because you (or in your

case, your sister) have sought another opinion then it is all about

the docs ego isn't it? They should be happy that you are taking

steps to be responsible for your own wellbeing. There is absolutely

no reason for them to feel threatened. They should be able to

handle alternative points of view and have a rational discussion

about your condition, shouldn't they?

I know my usual GP would be fine with this. My usual GP actually

ENCOURAGES me to go and see naturopaths etc to get other ideas, so

I'm sure that my GP won't mind that I've asked another doc for their

opinion and assistance. I guess I'm pretty lucky to have found my

usual GP.

Perhaps in your discussions with your 'usual GP' you can keep it

really professional, focus on your health and if it is important for

you to keep them as your GP, let them know that you value their

assistance, however you also want to be able to seek and discuss

alternative points of view with them and others (such as your

sister!) so that you can make an informed decision about your

health. I don't understand your doctor's thinking regarding the

whole 'broken contract' thing.

P

> I still don't think I have done anything wrong, certainly how

could I

> personally have " broken the patient doctor contract " my GP kept

accusing

> me of? It was the sort of reaction I would have expected if I had

gone

> to Dr P, for example, and then told my GP afterwards and not

before if

> you know what I mean. I could see how that would insult my GP's

> professional position. But letting my newly-symptomatic sister see

MY

> bloodtests results for her ends? I don't understand!

>

[Guest guest]

I just wish THAT information was the orthodoxy and then we would not

have to fight to get sensible treatment when our emotional, physical

and financial resources are so depleted........#

Amen to that one!!

Please let us know how you go on and whether your doc ordered the

tests for you

luv Dawnx