You just described me in the first paragraph of your last post! In October it was so bad that I could not get out of bed. I've had heart palps for 7 years, but they are finally starting to get better. Some foods I eat trigger them, but for the most part, they are gone.
I am not sure if you are on any other medications, but before they got my test results back, my doctor put me on Celexa because he thought I was "anxious and depressed". I was, but it was from being frustrated at not having answers and from being severely hypo. In any case, the Celexa actually made me worse. It was what you described x10. After I came off the Celexa, I started feeling a bit better again.
My Vitamin D was 16.5 in the fall, and I can say that it does make a big difference for me. It has taken me some time to find a version of D3 suppliment that does not trigger an autoimmune meltdown, but I am feeling better now that I am taking it daily.
Hi Barb,
I just absoultely could not function at all. Dizziness, balance problems, severe headaches, couldn't walk without holding on to something. Shakey all the times. Palps so bad and trembling especially when trying to go to sleep. I had issues that I never had before. Sitting on my bed just folding clothes was near impossible even.
I'm not on anything right now and do fear going on something because I don't want that feeling again. At least I can get things done now.
How do feel about my other questions?
Especially about any recommended tests and vitamin levels.
Thanks
Hashimoto's itself really doesn't cause a lot of symptoms, except during times of inflammation/swelling. It's the hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism caused by Hashi that causes the symptoms.
The roller coaster comes in when you swing back and forth between hyper and hypo....
Why could you not tolerate the Levo? It's not uncommon for patients to report feeling worse after starting medications. When the body doesn't have adequate thyroid hormones, other organs (adrenals) try to take up the slack, which is probably why you were able to get through the tough times (I did that too). So once you get on medication, it takes time for the body to realize that there's actually thyroid hormones there and the adrenals can back off.
It also takes 4-6 weeks for the levo to take full effect, so if you reacted after only 2 weeks, you might have been reacting to fillers/binders in the pills.
Of course, we are all different and what works for one, may not work for another. I, for one, had better luck with generic med than brand name, until I started on Tirosint......
I am still learning about all the thyroid hormone tests, but your Anti-TPOab is the thing that really sticks out. It says there is definitely an autoimmune piece, and that can make you feel much worse than your thyroid levels alone may show.
I have Hashimoto's and am very hypothyroid at the moment. From the onset of my worst symptoms, and the seven years following, my TSH levels were normal. Yet last year, after the number skyrocketed, my doctors tested my Anti-TPOab and found it to be high.
You are definitely not alone in feeling like it's a rollercoaster. Something I used to notice is that I had great days and terrible days, and sometimes all in one day. As I learned more about how Hashi's works, I learned that a lot of my down times are when my thyroid is being attacked by the autoimmune disease. Until my dosage of levothyroxine was at about 75 mcg, I was feeling a lot of the same symptoms you are. It was hard for me to concentrate, I often found myself fatigued, I was very anxious and jittery (shaky even), and my BP/Pulse rate kept getting higher and higher (despite BP medications). These symptoms still come and go now, but it's much more manageable than it was before I started medications.
I've heard a lot of people say that thyroid medications are hard to judge. What works for one person may not work for another. If you're having trouble with one, you may ask to be switched to another to see if that helps. Another thing some people have said is that even switching from generic to the brand name medication can make a huge difference.
Regarding your thyroid meds, you may eventually have to start taking something. Dr. Catz switched me from generic to name brand because of all the fillers in the generic. I also have a friend that is on a low dosage like yourself and takes it every other day. Just a thought.