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Hypothyroid and Irregular Menstrual Cycle
I would like to hear from anyone who is Hypothyroid and has had/has irregular menstrual cycles that were extended and not stopping. My cycle is always normal/heavy (5-6days) except for this month. My flow lasted 5 days, however I am still bleeding @ day #11. Went to my doc and he checked me out, concluded that it is my hormones (which I figured anyhow), but would like to know what experience other have had with this issue.
Just to Add: I obviously am not converted due to the many health issues that I am experiencing and am in the midst of finding a new endo that listens to me and not only my labs....
Just to Add: I obviously am not converted due to the many health issues that I am experiencing and am in the midst of finding a new endo that listens to me and not only my labs....
i wish i would of kept mines too.....everytime my period comes its a issue.....having issues conceiving as well.....you can email me if you want to chat!!! mullen_roshanna***@****
Can anyone help me with my problem ?? I am 22yrs old and I found I have hypo thyroid in 2011 and then I took the treatment the dr. Says I dun have it anymore but the major problem is mine which nobody understand that my irregular periods I didn't shed blood for almost 2months can anybody plzzz guide through it??? As I have been to dr. They just give me med I got periods for that month n the next month again some prb. Its about an year I am facing this problem n I can't loose weight b.cuz of this.
Kindly respond me to my email I.d: Fatima_fatto***@**** incase I forgot to check the answers .
Kindly respond me to my email I.d: Fatima_fatto***@**** incase I forgot to check the answers .
I was treated for hypothyroidism about 2 years ago. And I have the irregular menstrual cycles along with the many other symptoms. Though mine are different, first it starts really light, like pretty much spotting, then heavy for 2-3 days, but then slow down and stop, the timing is off as well.
It's always good to find a good doctor to help get ya treated and work with ya on it : ). Mine is a really good doctor.
It's always good to find a good doctor to help get ya treated and work with ya on it : ). Mine is a really good doctor.
I know some of these messages are old. Hope you found a resolution. My doctor also just does the T4 and TSH and ignores the T3. My holistic doctor is furious. He is going to order the full battery of tests for me. Also, thinking of switching from Synthroid to Armour. Armour addresses T3 issues. Tired of bleeding. Thyroid and perimenopause at play in my case.
i am 29 yrs old nd was told 8 yrs ago while pregnant with my daughter i had hypothyroidism after she was born i had only 1 period then 8 months later another i go to the dr and they say all my levels are normal now to stay on my meds and birthcontrol pill so i can menstrate but i want another baby and cant get pregnant... very frustrating that idk whats going on with my own body ....but ur not alone and i hope things work out for you!!!
Thanks for responding and yes it is very frustrating and ongoing. After 18days of a cycle and 8 days of taking a progesterone hormone pill, it seems as if the bleeding is coming to a halt (Thank God)..I was about to lose my mind (what's left of it). I plan to visit my endo very soon and i'm gonna be prepared for him this time, who knows, this may be my last visit with him depending on the outcome of our conversation. I have to take a stand in order to feel better (somewhat anyhow). We have to become our own advocate at times, and that's my plan. It seems as if there are lots of illnesses related to Thyroid Disease or those that seem to go hand in hand. I suppose, education and alot of research will bring us closer to getting answers, because I am fed up of doc's telling me that my other ailments aren't related to my thyroid condition...not true at all !
I don't have diagnosed hypothyroid yet, but I had half of my thyroid removed when I was a teenager (13 years ago) due to a tumour. A couple years after that I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). My main symptom was irregular periods. I could go for months without a period, then I'd start bleeding and not stop for weeks. It wasn't heavy bleeding, just spotting but it went on for ages. I'd had 7 weeks of bleeding when I finally got to an OBGYN who had me go back on the birth control pill to stop the bleeding. It worked. Blood tests showed wacky hormone levels indicative of PCOS.
I came off the pill at 23 to conceive our first child which was easy fortunately. Got my period back once (it stayed away for a year) and then conceived our second. Didn't get my period back again for nearly 2 years after that, then conceived our 3rd child that month! She's a year and a half now and I haven't had a period yet.
I don't really understand the connection between thyroid and PCOS, but it seems that many people have problems with both. There is also a connection between PCOS and diabetes. I feel like a mess at the moment with all sorts of symptoms and no answers. It's terribly frustrating.
I'm sorry you're running into problems with your endocrinologist. It can require a lot of assertiveness to get good care.
I came off the pill at 23 to conceive our first child which was easy fortunately. Got my period back once (it stayed away for a year) and then conceived our second. Didn't get my period back again for nearly 2 years after that, then conceived our 3rd child that month! She's a year and a half now and I haven't had a period yet.
I don't really understand the connection between thyroid and PCOS, but it seems that many people have problems with both. There is also a connection between PCOS and diabetes. I feel like a mess at the moment with all sorts of symptoms and no answers. It's terribly frustrating.
I'm sorry you're running into problems with your endocrinologist. It can require a lot of assertiveness to get good care.
I have no one to accompany me. I get very frustrated that most endos won't try something new even when the patient is screaming for help. I have to go to him within next few weeks and I'm gonna lay it on him in a nice way because it is truly affecting my wellbeing in all aspects.
mrsdee761,
My girlfriend was recommended that procedure due to very heavy cycles and denied it because she didn't want a foreign object inside of her, but instead she opted to have an ablation that basically has the same affect and her cycles are very light. In my situation, I have never had abnormal cycles and this is the first one ever to last a decade (lol). I beleive that it is my hormones due to being hypo and if it comes to having to have a procedure done, I will highly consider it because I am anemic as well.
My girlfriend was recommended that procedure due to very heavy cycles and denied it because she didn't want a foreign object inside of her, but instead she opted to have an ablation that basically has the same affect and her cycles are very light. In my situation, I have never had abnormal cycles and this is the first one ever to last a decade (lol). I beleive that it is my hormones due to being hypo and if it comes to having to have a procedure done, I will highly consider it because I am anemic as well.
I have my cycle for up to 2 weeks and I'm preparing to have the Therma Choice procedure done next week. I am truly looking for to it although it have some scary side effect. They are going to insert a balloon into my uterus and fill it with liquid and heat the liquid to burn the enter layer of the uterus and this will either stop the cycle all together or slow it to one or two days. I think it's worth it.
I have been on levethyroxine for about 10 years now, last month my doctor started taking me off all meds for a week to do some tests, I had not had a period in almost a year, and after the first week of changing my meds to 100 mcg, i started, that was at the first of Dec, 2011, here it is the first week Jan. 2012 and nothing, I am down to 5 mcg a day now. do not know for sure but I was thinking that this has to have something to do with my medications.
Is there someone you can take with you to the appointment? Although it would be helpful if they knew something about thyroid (you can fill them in on the high points of what you want out of the appointment), , any friend could help you keep the doctor on track and give you some breathing space to think. My husband and I never go to appointments alone any more. I can't tell you how many times I was SO happy to have had a second pair of ears listening.
I gave him a list of hypo symptoms after you i reviewed the website that was informative for hypo patients and he didn't even review it. I was feeling dizzy that day for some reason (probably the anxiety) and I didn't have energy to share my thoughts with him. I was just determined to not come back! But, I cannot find another who is worth the change. When I do go back to him, I will be prepared to share my thoughts and convince him to do something. I'm alittle skeptical on the T3 med's due to my "arrythmia" and high blood pressure. Are there any over the counter supplements that may help with these symptoms. I am day 16 on my cycle and i'm very frustrated at this point.
Based on our experience to date, it seems futile to keep looking for a good thyroid doctor that also accepts your insurance. So, how about if we bombard your current doctor with scientific evidence that dosing a hypo patient based on TSH doesn't work? If you think there is any chance of success with this I'll be very glad to provide links that you can copy and give to your doctor and try to get him to consider adding T3 to your meds.
I have been tested for FT4 and I always check off FT3 and i evaluate my labs once i get them. My FT3 is always low range whereas the FT4 is always upper range (about where it should be). It is my doc who doesn't look at those levels unless my TSH is out of range. He doesn't even notice that I check off FT3 testing. I am back down to 88mcg on Synthroid from 100mcg due to very low range TSH and it didn't help my physically being either. I requested that my gp do a thyroid workup and eve she didn't test for FT3 as I requested (guess it's not in the book)..my FT4 level is 2.5 (1.4-3.8), with seems alittle on the low side to me but maybe not...my last FT4 back in oct was 1.2 (0.8-1.8).
Yes, I have been in constant contact with Gimel, and he has been very helpful but havent found a doc who accepts my insurance as of yet.
Just one thought. I have absolutely no problem with NT or Armour or even Cytomel. however since it appears that you have NEVER been tested for anything other than TSH. You have no idea what even your FT4 levels are.
It may be possible that your FT4 is still very low in the range and that you don't have any conversion problem.
In other words. It may be possible that simply raising your Synthroid may work or at least help. I would recommend that you get your FT4 levels into the middle of the range before you really start thinking of adding a T3 medication.
Just something to think about. You MAY be able to talk your current Dr to at least test for FT4. If I were you; I might even place a bet with your Dr. Bet him that your FT4 is below mid range and your FT3 is below the upper 1/3 of the range. If he says he doesn't think so ask him to prove you wrong! All it takes is a blood test!
It may be possible that your FT4 is still very low in the range and that you don't have any conversion problem.
In other words. It may be possible that simply raising your Synthroid may work or at least help. I would recommend that you get your FT4 levels into the middle of the range before you really start thinking of adding a T3 medication.
Just something to think about. You MAY be able to talk your current Dr to at least test for FT4. If I were you; I might even place a bet with your Dr. Bet him that your FT4 is below mid range and your FT3 is below the upper 1/3 of the range. If he says he doesn't think so ask him to prove you wrong! All it takes is a blood test!
Well, it's your story, and you should stick to it! It's better than kicking the dog...
I'm sorry you are having such a struggle with this, and I agree with you that once your levels are optimized, a lot of your problems will resolve themselves. I guess at 44, perimenopause might be an issue as well. Peri can last a lot of years. My cycle had always been extremely regular (29 days on the dot). About 10 years before menopause, it all of a sudden shortened and got kind of flaky (a technical term).
You DO need a good doctor...hope you find one. Have you talked to gimel about that?
I'm sorry you are having such a struggle with this, and I agree with you that once your levels are optimized, a lot of your problems will resolve themselves. I guess at 44, perimenopause might be an issue as well. Peri can last a lot of years. My cycle had always been extremely regular (29 days on the dot). About 10 years before menopause, it all of a sudden shortened and got kind of flaky (a technical term).
You DO need a good doctor...hope you find one. Have you talked to gimel about that?
I Blame everything on having a TT, even if it's not to blame. I suffered from anxiety in 98 and after med's kicked in, I was okay with very minimal symptoms after it left me "helpless". After the TT, the panic attacks came back, my BP went evern highter than it was and I was put on a higher dosage of med's, never had a problem with a skipped heart beat, started having aches and pains in my arms and legs, heavier cycles, well, the exhaustion I won't even mention,...it's just never ending and i'm only 44 yrs old. Unbelievable. I believe that once my levels are where my body wants them to be, these symptoms may ease up or even go away, until then, I am at my witts end...oh and did I mention, I'm seeing a Psychologist!..lol..Glad I still have a sense of humor.
I don't believe I just typed a whole response to you and it got blown away when I tried to submit it...grrrr.
Have you had a cardio workup? I guess I'm wondering if your TT brought something to the surface (like a congenital heart defect) that might have been lurking all your life??? Many of those are very "fixable".
Both NT and Armour have a relatively high T3 content. In every 60 mg (1 grain) of desiccated, there's 38 mcg of T4 and 9 mcg of T3. The ratio of T4 to T3 is about 4.5 to 1. Our own thyroids produce about 20 to 1; the rest comes from conversion. Keep in mind that may people only take 5 mcg synthetic T3 a day, and you see where desiccated can be more than some can tolerate.
My tachy always started with a "skipped" beat. It's interesting that even though I haven't had tachy in 18 months, I still get the skip. I've been on beta blockers since starting thyroid meds, and though they did wonders for my tachy, they don't seem to touch the skip. Every time I feel the skip, I'm SURE I'm going to get tachy, but I haven't...
Have you had a cardio workup? I guess I'm wondering if your TT brought something to the surface (like a congenital heart defect) that might have been lurking all your life??? Many of those are very "fixable".
Both NT and Armour have a relatively high T3 content. In every 60 mg (1 grain) of desiccated, there's 38 mcg of T4 and 9 mcg of T3. The ratio of T4 to T3 is about 4.5 to 1. Our own thyroids produce about 20 to 1; the rest comes from conversion. Keep in mind that may people only take 5 mcg synthetic T3 a day, and you see where desiccated can be more than some can tolerate.
My tachy always started with a "skipped" beat. It's interesting that even though I haven't had tachy in 18 months, I still get the skip. I've been on beta blockers since starting thyroid meds, and though they did wonders for my tachy, they don't seem to touch the skip. Every time I feel the skip, I'm SURE I'm going to get tachy, but I haven't...
It seems like i'm doomed, lol. The problem with me is that my heart rhythm has an extra beat and this happened after the TT and is even more prominent now. I get tachycardia whenever I have a panic attack, which happens even moreso now and started after the TT. I know someone who has tried Cytomel and couldn't tolerate evern the lowest dose due to the heart racing. So, does that mean naturethyroid and Armour thyroid both come with that side effect as well. I have to try something because there is no way I can settle with all of these symptoms without feeling lifeless.
I do not take any med's for the arrhythmia, however my bp med's are a betablocker and slows my rate, but nothing helps with the extra beats.
I do not take any med's for the arrhythmia, however my bp med's are a betablocker and slows my rate, but nothing helps with the extra beats.
I didn't realize you had an arrhythmia (I do, too). T3 meds can be tough with an arrhythmia. Make sure any doctor who prescribes T3 meds for you is aware of your arrhythmia and consults with your cardio.
T3 can raise your BP; it can cause anxiety/panic; it can exacerbate arrhythmias. However, that being said, all those symptoms can also be caused by improperly adjusted thyroid hormones (both too high and too low).
When I was increasing my meds, I had a terrible time. Every increase came with increased arrhythmia. I was completely convinced that the more thyroid meds I took, the more difficult it was going to be to control my arrhythmia. However, wonder of wonders, once I got on the proper dose of meds and was on it for enough time to truly stabilize, my arrhythmia has been the best it's been since I was about 7 years old. (Knocking on wood) I haven't had an episode of tachycardia in over 18 months.
Back before I knew enough to know better, my PCP actually put me on T3 (5 mcg). I wasn't on it for long because I didn't think it did anything and stopped it. It didn't bother my arrhythmia, interestingly enough.
Do you take anything for the arrhythmia?
T3 can raise your BP; it can cause anxiety/panic; it can exacerbate arrhythmias. However, that being said, all those symptoms can also be caused by improperly adjusted thyroid hormones (both too high and too low).
When I was increasing my meds, I had a terrible time. Every increase came with increased arrhythmia. I was completely convinced that the more thyroid meds I took, the more difficult it was going to be to control my arrhythmia. However, wonder of wonders, once I got on the proper dose of meds and was on it for enough time to truly stabilize, my arrhythmia has been the best it's been since I was about 7 years old. (Knocking on wood) I haven't had an episode of tachycardia in over 18 months.
Back before I knew enough to know better, my PCP actually put me on T3 (5 mcg). I wasn't on it for long because I didn't think it did anything and stopped it. It didn't bother my arrhythmia, interestingly enough.
Do you take anything for the arrhythmia?
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