Ways to cope with tiredness?

[ClairB73]

I have Hypothyroidism and am on 100mg of Levothyroxin.  I had my blood tested fairly recently and the medication appears to be working and my levels are fine.  But I am suffering with tiredness.  I feel so tired my muscles feel weak all over and I feel like I'm struggling to carry on with day to day tasks.  On a 30 minute car journey with 3 kids in the car and the radio blaring I will fall asleep on the way there and on the way back.  I go to sleep fine at night and sleep all night and yet feel unbelievably tired throughout the day.  Of course it's not all the time, I get bursts of energy and sometimes I feel fine, but I just wondered if any one has any advice on how to cope or ways to get more energy?

E.g:

Can tiredness due to Hypothyroidism be improved with exercise?
Can eating differently or different foods improve levels of tiredness?

Thanks

Clair

[ClairB73]

I made the original post. I have spent years feeling like my muscles feel weak or as I describe it, feel faint. I sit on the sofa and fall asleep. I get confused, muddle up words and sometimes think I've got early Alzheimer's or something. Following up another medical condition unrelated to my thyroid they did a full blood test. They discovered that I have vitamin D deficiency and therefore low immunity. I have started taking vitamin D and have been now for a few months and I feel like a different person. Yes I still get tired at times but it's not like it was before, I cannot put into words how differently I feel but one thing's for sure, I have more energy and now I feel my age (40) instead of feeling about 80! I would recommend a full blood test, what if it's lack of vitamin D as well as a thyroid problem? In fact they are now saying it was probably the vitamin D deficiency that caused my thyroid condition! I would also make sure they check your iron and ferratin levels, this can all contribute to a feeling of overwhelming tiredness. Good luck and I hope that you get the help you need and start to feel better!

[Barb135]

You've tacked your comments onto a very old thread.  Your issue would get more attention if you start your own thread.  You can do this by clicking the orange "Post a Question" button at the top of the page, type your questions/comments, then click the green "Post a Comment" button.

I'm not sure how much we can help you without seeing lab results; can you get them to post?  Your symptoms could be from over medication, or it could be simply that the increase hasn't had time to take effect, and it's not unusual for symptoms to get worse when changing doses or meds.

Not sure what you mean by "Thyroid Clinic".  I don't know of any clinics that specialize only in thyroid issues, unless you're referring to an endo.

[Allyparty]

I have recently been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, (July 2013), I dont know much about it and dont know my test results other than the doctor said the results had come into the normal range last test but it was low end of normal. Shortly after another doctor upped my dose to 75mg. I am feeling worse and worse and am currently off work. I cant seem to do physical things like go shopping, house work etc for much longer than an hour. Some days I get up so exhausted i can only sit on the sofa. Yesterday I went to the shop with my son and felt so confused that I was a little scarred for my son. My brain felt like it was buzzing and i had pins and needles in the back of my head so I sat down and asked my son to stay close, hes only four. The buzzing stopped after an hour and after finishing shopping I ate something and went home. What might happen if I crash again like this and just keep going? Is there any danger to myself or will I just pull through it. I am a teacher and have to be incharge of vulnerable people so need to know if it is safe for me to return to work.

Also someone told me I could go to a Thyroid clinic? Anyone know how you do this?

[goolarra]

Do you have the actual numbers for your thyroid tests?  Too often we hear doctors saying "normal" when testing was inadequate or reference ranges were obsolete.  If you don't have a printed report, you can request it from your doctor who has to give it to you on request.

What are your hypothyroid symptoms besides fatigue and not coping?

[chicken232]

hi i have hasmotis thyroiditis levels are fine but i am so tierd and unable to cop or function this happens in busy times like school holidays .i work and have 2 young childern any advice please to fight this feeling tiredness not able to function

[goolarra]

Just wanted to add that the currently accepted TSH range is 0.3-3.0.  Many labs (like yours, if they told you your TSH was in "normal" range) still use the old range of 0.5-5.0.  You may have to educate your doctor about the "new" range.

[gimel]

Glad you got some lab results.  That will help us hopefully help you.  When you go back to the doctor,  be sure to ask for a copy of your latest several lab test reports.  They are required to provide upon request and it is a good idea to keep on hand for reference.

With respect to the results you obtained, we really need to know the reference ranges also, to be more confident in our analysis and responses.  Reference ranges tell whether you are in the low end of the range or middle or whatever.  Ranges also vary,  dependent on the lab and what measurement units they are reporting.  I expect that your free T3 and free T4 results are in p mol/ L.  If this is the case, then your free T3 results are within the very broad range, but in the low end and free T4 is slightly above the middle of the range.  Assuming this is the case, this free T3 level is generally not adequate to relieve symptoms such as yours.  In addition, your TSH level is above the currently recommended level of .3-3.,  and adds further evidence to your hypo t symptoms.

Free T3 is the most important thyroid hormone.  It affects almost all body functions and is the only thyroid hormone with any significant correlation to symptoms.  That's why it is so important for people with hypothyroidism, like yourself, to get free T3 high enough within its range  to relieve symptoms such as fatigue.

If you can get the reference ranges for free T3 and free T4 and post those to confirm my assumptions, that will be very helpful.

[ClairB73]

Dear Goolarra,

I have just called my Doctor's and got the blood test results back.  I only got the results via the receptionist over the phone so I hope I have all descriptions of what the numbers relate to correct.  She did tell me that everything was within normal levels.  Any way, here goes:

serum free triiodothyroine level 4.4
serum free T4 level 15.7
serum TSH 3.32

I hope you can shed some light on this but I have made an appointment to go back to my Doctor's  on 5 June just to have a chat.  If all my levels are normal though, I feel a bit of a fraud!  But I just don't think I should be feeling this tired!

Thanks in advance!

Clair

[goolarra]

Yes, they do have to give you your results.  I always get a printed copy...that way I have the ranges included (post the reference ranges along with your results as they're different in different countries, expressed in different units, etc.) and there's no chance that someone will misread the number.  While you're getting your latest labs, try asking for all the previous ones, also.  History never hurt.

Thyroid labs in a nutshell:

TSH - a pituitary hormone that tells your thyroid to produce T3 and T4.  When it is above range, your are hypo, when below, hyper.

T3 - the 'active' form of the hormones your thyroid produces.  It is what controls your metabolism.  T3 is very fast-acting and is removed from your body if not used fairly quickly.  Low T3 indicates hypo, high hyper.

T4 - the 'storage' form of the thyroid hormones.  T4 cannot be used by your body until it is converted to T3.  Low T3 levels indicate hypo, high hyper.

[ClairB73]

I’m very new to all this so please forgive my ignorance.  When I go for a blood test I go to the hospital, it then takes several days for the results to go through and they are sent back to my doctors.  If everything is ok, I don’t hear anything, if there is a problem the doctors will call me in and then just say whether my medication has to increased or not.  I’ve never seen my lab results!  I assume therefore that I can ask my doctor for them, so I will get my test done next week, and then make sure I get my results and will post them.  So this whole process will probably take a week.  I would go to the hospital today, but the last time I went on a Friday I had to wait 1 hour and 20 minutes before they could do the test because there were so many other people waiting.  I can’t bear that kind of thing!

Yes I can totally sympathise with goolarra saying about sitting down too long.  The other day I almost didn’t collect my children from school because I sat down for 5 minutes and I was drifting off even though I had 21month old girl on my lap.  Actually that was probably the problem, she was all warm and cuddly! And yes, mtkst13, my husband doesn’t understand the tiredness either!

I am confused about the advise about diet just because I don’t eat unhealthily!  I cook most of my own food myself and eat loads of vegetables!  When I’m on a low ebb, I crave sugar like crazy and raid the biscuit tin and the kids sweets.  I crave sugar like I really need it, is this normal?  Is my understanding correct that some of you are advising taking vitamin supplements to help?  What’s “Mega B plus”?  I’ve never heard of this! And Smilerdeb, what is RAI? Goodness, I really do know nothing!!!  I’m going to have to start reading the whole forum but I just don’t understand all these levels and TSH’s and things!?!

What gets me is when I complained to my doctor about feeling tired she said, “well it’s because you have 3 children, of course you are tired”.  But I am sorry, it’s way beyond that!  She almost didn’t refer me for a blood test, but I am also complaining of constipation and that tipped the balance for her.

Thank you all for your advice!  Clearly I am going to have to post my lab results if I get them and rely on you guys to tell me what on earth it all means as I am so ignorant!

[Smilerdeb]

I agree with goolarra and gimmel.
Post yr labs as what may be 'normal' dor some, isnt for others.
Its sounds like Hypo to me regardless of what the labs tell you.

I found Calcium/D combined, Mega B plus and a multivitamin the way to go when I was hypo.

I am still borderline hypo after getting the flu and my tsh shooting up to over 6.0 but getting the tsh down slowly. At one stage, if my tsh was at 6.0, I wouldnt have been able to function but I am still working fulltime and studying online too and dont seem to feel as tired as I was after RAI and TT.

I think regardless of whteher you have a thyroid or not, everyone needs certain vitamins especially if you have had RAI as that just burns the whole system out.

[LazyMoose]

I can understand. This question is repeatedly asked here. I am one of those people that had good labs on t4 (levothyroxine in my case 10 yrs) but still had hypo symptoms and was ignored by my doc. There are some very educated lab interpreters here, post it. I have just switched to Armour (still adjusting). Sitting at work, talking while even standing for more than 5 minutes would make my eyes roll back. But I had occasional bursts of energy?  Driving at times was scary. I made the switch to relieve tiredness but surprisingly found that T3 really helps me with muscle weakness, pain, hair, skin - I'm not even up to my proper dose yet!  Hoping the tiredness will go away with the upper dose. Learn about your adrenals, a lot of talk about that relation to energy with hypo's. My experience: more than moderate exercising can be worse if the thyroid med is not working, your muscles will not rebuild. Magnesium (and, to my surprise t3 in Armour )has helped my muscles. No longer sore in the Morning!!!!! Was sore for 15 years. Take all the hypo vitamins? - mentioned in previous posts. Changing my diet helped some last year with the energy.  Alkalizing your body PH (higher PH takes a few months) by ditching junk food, sugar, grease and get this - grains (low PH), in favor of whole foods can add energy. After the initial 3 month torture you can back off a little. Fast food is the worst! Don't do it!!
Just what I have learned.

[goolarra]

You all should follow gimel's advice and post your lab results and reference ranges.

I can completely identify with all of you.  When I was hypo, I could fall asleep anywhere anytime...in the car, at the computer, anytime I sat down for too long (more than about 10 minutes).  As long as I kept moving, I was okay.  

That was one of my first symptoms to go away.  You all sound like you might need meds increases.

[mtkst13]

i'm on 112 mcg of synthroid and supposedly stable with a tsh of .51.

i can sympathize with you.  i'm constantly falling asleep at work.  when i sit down, i feel like my body stops.  my breathing gets slow and shallow.  i can't focus my eyes very well.  i start getting double vision.  people will be talking to me and i'll shut my eyes!  my pulse is 56 beats per minute right now.  it's awful.  i feel horrible.  i can't drive long distances either.   the sitting makes me fall asleep.  it's dangerous.  when i get like this, i make my husband drive.  he doesn't understand how i feel though, so it gets frustrating for me.

some days i feel better than others.  today i feel like i'm crashing.  i don't know if it's something i'm eating that's interfering with t4 to t3 conversion.  i ate a lot of shrimp and cole slaw yesterday.  i also have another theory that relates to my menstrual cyle.  prior to ovulation i get really tired and lethargic and get joint and muscle aches.  after ovulation i get more energetic and feel better and no more aches and pains.  currently i'm about 10 days away from ovulation.  we'll see how the next two weeks go.  if it's this bad already, i don't know how i'm going to get through the next 10 days!

i'm getting my tsh, ft3, and ft4 checked within the next week or so.  i'm anxious to see what my ft3 is because my endocrinologist never orders the test.  i haven't had it evaluated at all since starting synthroid.  she only orders ft4 and tsh.  this time i got a different doctor to order it.

[gimel]

Good diet and exercise will  help anybody, but it sounds like your level of tiredness is way beyond that.  Please post your lab test results and reference ranges.

[Ariom63]

My fiancee is also on 100mcg and works anywhere from 12 to 14 hr days.  yet 4 x's a week he is at the gym.....he says that since he started working out he feels so much better.  He also always felt tired no matter how much sleep he got.  

Me on the other hand, have had my left thyroid gland removed due to a tumor and am taking 50mcg's. I don't feel as though it is doing anything...guess it is a good thing.  My tests results are always good..so doctor just keeps telling to take it, and I know I have too for the rest of my life.  Even though I have one gland I still feel the same before I had the surgery.  Too much energy, loose weight easily...thinning hair...and the list goes on and on.  But tests results are just fine!  Go figure..: )

Just remember exercise increases your serotonin levels and endorphins which make you feel better and have more energy. Also a good diet helps as well.