Re: I didn't realize it is all so complex!

[Guest guest]

Ahhhhh

Your story sounds so familiar, and none of us realised it was so

complex either I am sure, I certainly didn't.

Welcome to the forum. Hashis seems to me to be a disease that the

doctors think is simple to treat but the sufferers seem to share a

number of nasty symptoms which flare up and the docs put them on other

things for each symptom. We then end up on loads of drugs and having

declining health. Lovely eh? We are usually then told our thyroids are

under control and we are depressed, need to lose weight, get our

hiking boots on etc. Very constructive if someone isn't either

agarophobic, madly anxious, or laid up with Fibromyalgia or CFS. Or

sorting out their CDs into alphabetical order due to OCD.

Sadly that is why these forums exist, we need better education for the

docs and patients that if these symptoms turn up there better be some

other treatment for the thyroid available. There is, but I have to

say, doing the treatment is not easy and I often lose heart. From what

I have read, once you get it right it is WELL worth the trouble.

Luckily the people who are down with this disease are wonderful and

support each other so well despite their own problems. Shiela is our

mrs dynamite . Loads of wonderful people here thank God, scientists,

Drs the lot.

Hope you can find something to make your life better here. You will

certainly get great advice and support.

lotsa luv

Dawnx

[Guest guest]

--- In thyroid treatment , " blondiethefirstuk "

<whitbywitchuk@..

I cant thank you enough for your reply. Actually I wept. You really

know, even down to sorting out cd's (I keep humping the furniture

around the living room, over and over again!)

You say that you are undergoing treatment and that it is not easy.

Please will you give me an indication of what it entails or tell me

how you found out.

I really want to feel well, it has been so long and I rarely complain

to anyone how I REALLY feel. (all in the mind syndrome? no its not!)

Please reply

Thank you

[Guest guest]

Hi

Sounds as though you've had an awful time. The scandal is you aren't

alone. It seems most of the medical profession have little, or no,

understanding of thyroid/adrenal problems.

If you read through members' posts you will see that you aren't alone.

Read the excellent advice on this site, and ask lots of questions. We

DO get better!

Pen x

[Guest guest]

Thank you so much Dawn for your lengthy reply!

In my recent history, I have been taking venlafaxine (efexor xl 150)

which is an anti depressant for 5 years, also anti psychotic drugs,

beta blocker and bendroflumethiazide (blood pressure.In August, I

wasn't aware that my illness was caused by Hashi's, and was absolutely

fed up with so much medication, (I had just had biliary colic attacks

and excruciating back pain) I was passing out at times by taking so

much medication! So I decided to cut back on the venlafaxine, I havent

taken any for 3 weeks now (feel lousy)I told my doctor that I was

coming off, cancelled my gall bladder operation, stopped taking the

chlorpromazine and the bendroflumethiazide.

I currently take levothyroxine and atenolol (beta blocker) I had

intended to stop the beta blocker but feel afraid to at the moment as

it is often prescribed for anxiety and without it I think I would

explode.

You have opened a pathway to realization for me. I now know that by

your experience I need to get all the blood tests done and decide

where to go from there.

Are you taking the armour thyroid hormone now?

I am surprised at the connection of thyroid and breathing. My mother

had a partial thyroidectomy about 55 years ago, sent home, no

replacement hormone, nothing. Now as I look back over her life I can

actually see that she must also have suffered from Hashi's. She

finally died in 2004 from COPD after coping with breathing problems

for 40 years. Funnily enough a cause for her 'asthma' or other

pulmonary complaints was never known or indeed sought.

I am so pleased for you that you have found improvement in your

breathing, after watching my mother suffer so much I can understand

the stress your poor body has been subjected to.

I feel that a tap has been opened and want to pour so much out. Sorry!

I really do feel isolated. I dont think I am looking for sympathy, but

I emailed my family with my forum message and your first reply (also

posted on facebook!).

I have read many of the files and will endeavour to get the book from

the library.

Will close now, once again thanks for taking the time to reply to me.

Love x

[Guest guest]

Hi Pen

In all honesty I don't feel as though I have had an awful time, (I'm

not being dramatic here) I have always felt unwell since childhood.As

I am, is natural to me, although I have been well aware that others in

my environment didn't experience the same as me. I think that as I

have got older I have thought that my symptoms were part of old age

(always found some excuse!)I have always had social anxiety but met up

with a few women of my age in an anti anxiety group and for the first

time, I have friends to compare with. Some of them have so much energy

and alive. One of the others is in a similar position to me.

Out of the blue, (we normally only meet up once every 6 weeks) I had a

call from her this afternoon. I confided in her how I am feeling and

I discovered she has been unwell for 5 years, also been suspected of

being hyper thyroid but she wasn't in the parameters!!! She's just

been given more antidepressants!

I really appreciate your interest and support. It is such a relief to

know that so many people feel like me. Also I can remain 'anonymous'

which suits my anxiety and social phobia.

It is so kind of you to reply.

Love

[Guest guest]

I can identify with the feeling that it is " natural " to feel so unwell.

For me the decline into hypothyroidism was a really gradual process of

wide ranging but " niggling " non-specific symptoms which I just seemed

to become accustomed to, until finally everything came crashing down

(exhaustion, pain etc) and I realised that something was going on which

needed serious action.

For what it's worth, when I finally became well, which happened

overnight on a combination of Armour and Cortef, that's when it struck

me how poorly I'd actually been!

Stick with this group and you'll get there too! It may take a while.

We're all different, but you WILL get better.

Pen x

[Guest guest]

Dear

Thanks for your message.

I weaned myself off the antidepressants (venlafaxine) and now I

havent't taken any for the last three weeks. I must admit that at

times this week I have been tempted to take them again, but I want to

be pill free. The tablets dulled my senses so much!

Thank you for the advice about the beta blockers. I am due to see my

doctor for a BP check. If the results are ok, then I will come off

them. I am actually waiting for a gall stone operation (should have

had it on 2nd december but don't feel well enough) and my BP needs to

be ok before making a new operation date. I actually wonder at this

point whether the biliary attacks could have been another obscure

symptom of the hashi's, as I had three extremely bad attacks

(hospitalised) back in July but nothing since.

Hopefully my raised BP (which incidentally was the cause of the

antidepressants!)will have become normal. I will stop taking the

tablets and also get the gall stones sorted out. My T3 should then be

more productive and I will feel better.

Do you know, it is only when I stop to think, as I have forced myself

to do recently, that one realises what a mess they have got into!!!!!

[Guest guest]

Hi hon

No problem, the reply that is .

Today is the beginning of the rest of your life, you may find all this

stuff fascinating once you get into it. You will come across stuff and

all the jigsaw of your life will start to fit together.

My dad died of COPD (with major complications) you have my deepest

sympathy. It is a horrible thing to watch happen to a loved one.

Once we realise how complex our HPA axis is to balance and that a

little levo pill is just scratching the surface we realise that

enzymes and other things which cannot function properly in Thyroid

hormone deficiency because of low body temperature and that essential

chemical reactions are not performing well. So much to research hon.

Yes I am on Armour now, I am also on Hydrocortisone but that is

another part of the story you will come across shortly. Our adrenal

glands and the possibility that we have a problem with them due to

years of them struggling to maintain a balance for us (put simply).

Anyway I will leave you to your reading and see what you think hon.

take care and God bless

Dawnx