Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[SueLW]

Hello, me again! 

I've been on a cream HRT regime for 3 years (almost).  I know the compounded creams are not received favourably here, but it seemed to work well for me for a time.  I tried patches and they were too strong for me.  Anyway, no point going into all the things I've tried at this stage.

But recently I have been suffering much worse moods.   . Since Christmas probably.  I have no idea how I will feel in a few hours time let alone tomorrow.  It's impossible to plan anything.  My knees and ankles hurt, by feet are sore and now my hips are joining in.  I sometimes get sore wrists and shoulders too.  I've lost flexibility.  I get sore boobs.  There's a kind of cyclical nature to this but not an obvious one.  At certain times of day I seem to run out of breath so stairs get hard (I had to give up playing my clarinet 6 years ago for lack of breath! and also lost the ability to swim underwater for the same reason.  I suspect it's actually a panic reaction rather than actual loss of breath).  But my emotional state is bad.  The other week I shouted at a man in a car park.  Loudly!  Actually, I swore at him.  He was being a dick, but still, I'm usually polite.  It just boiled up inside me and screeched out.   

Sometimes I don't know if I want to scream or cry.  My house is a dirty, untidy mess.  My business is suffering badly. I can't concentrate or focus or motivate myself.  I spend hours just sat in a lump.  I work alone and that means I just don't get anything done.  If I am with people I pull myself together for a bit and no one would know.  But I'm not often able to be with others except my wonderful, marvellous husband.  I have no social life.  Can't plan it and find it too stressful now.

I also have developed hypothyroidism and I'm struggling to get onto a proper dose of thyroxine.  Instead of getting better my numbers are getting worse and any raise in meds makes me feel terrible for days.   

I don't know which condition is causing what.  Given my decrepit 80 year old feeling body (I'm just turned 55) and my moods, do you think the HRT is no longer doing it's job?

I am going to see a different HRT doctor next week.  I've decided I want a second opinion.  I'm hoping she can help with my thyroid too because she is herself hypothyroid.

[CLKD]

Do make a list to take to the appt.! 

Thyroid is a hormone so it stands to reason from where I'm sitting that if one hormone is out of kilter, it may well affect others.

As for shouting:  may I giggle.  Many years ago I stopped at a set of traffic lights on a cross roads.  They turned red, amber, green but I didn't move forwards - there was a queue across the main road which I could see was held up.  They turned R, A, green a 2nd time.  The man behind flashed his headlights.  I put my hazards on, put the hand-brake on, got out: I wandered to his car and said "Follow me!"  He did, sheepishly.  I led him to the cross roads, pointed out that as a local I knew when there was a hold up ......... he meekly got back into his car.  The men behind his car were laughing 

I rant at the TV.  I rant at other drivers ......... HORMONES 

As oestrogen levels drop muscles may become lax = aches and pains.  An over-the-counter pain relief should help.  Gentle exercise.  Warm baths. 

[Snoooze]

Have you had your Vitamin D level checked? Mine was very low and I was fatigued, had low mood and lots of aching joints particularly my hip. After taking a high dose of Vit D I feel loads better and my joint pains are gone. Low Vit D causes osteomalacia. Softening of the bones.

[CLKD]

That's a good point.  My VitD levels were low last August and capsules helped a lot.

[SueLW]

Do make a list to take to the appt.! 

Thyroid is a hormone so it stands to reason from where I'm sitting that if one hormone is out of kilter, it may well affect others.

As for shouting:  may I giggle.  Many years ago I stopped at a set of traffic lights on a cross roads.  They turned red, amber, green but I didn't move forwards - there was a queue across the main road which I could see was held up.  They turned R, A, green a 2nd time.  The man behind flashed his headlights.  I put my hazards on, put the hand-brake on, got out: I wandered to his car and said "Follow me!"  He did, sheepishly.  I led him to the cross roads, pointed out that as a local I knew when there was a hold up ......... he meekly got back into his car.  The men behind his car were laughing 

I rant at the TV.  I rant at other drivers ......... HORMONES 

As oestrogen levels drop muscles may become lax = aches and pains.  An over-the-counter pain relief should help.  Gentle exercise.  Warm baths.

I already have a very long list!  My other doctor never lets me get through my list at all.  I'm hoping this one might!

You may laugh.  I am laughing about it now.  But it's not really me.  I'm no push-over, but I don't normally swear at strangers!

[SueLW]

Have you had your Vitamin D level checked? Mine was very low and I was fatigued, had low mood and lots of aching joints particularly my hip. After taking a high dose of Vit D I feel loads better and my joint pains are gone. Low Vit D causes osteomalacia. Softening of the bones.

Thanks for the suggestion.  My Vitamin D is good actually.  I supplemented all through the winter and my recent test showed a more than adequate level, a good level.  So it's not that.  Vitamin B12 was tested recently too and is not likely to be causing issues.

[weathergirl]

I would suspect getting your thyroid sorted out would be first and foremost. If it's not being regulated well, it doesn't seem to make sense to throw more or different (HRT) hormones into the mix. Good idea to get a second opinion.

Some women need to try different thyroid regimens to get it under control. It's also a good idea to consider an endocrinologist.  I'm not sure where you reside, but in the US, endocrinologists are usually the ones to handle thyroid issues (especially if initial treatment is not satisfactory).

Good luck and hope you get back on track soon.

[Kernow]

Hi SueLW,

The ladies above have given you excellent advice.

I sympathise with the mood swings et al...where do the rants come from...I feel there's this hidden person who suddenly springs up and let's forth...luckily I control it to TV  or my own living room, although I have to admit I've become pretty feisty in the car

I don't know if this would be of any use but I suffered with very bad aching joints and although clinically the NiCE guidelines say glucosamine has no real effect, I've found that a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin has certainly got rid of mine.

Hang in there 

[SueLW]

I don't know if this would be of any use but I suffered with very bad aching joints and although clinically the NiCE guidelines say glucosamine has no real effect, I've found that a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin has certainly got rid of mine.

It's worth a try.  Thank you.  This aching joint issue is fairly recent and could be thyroid or HRT related.  I'll pick some up.  I've taken it before in the past with no ill effect.

[Mary G]

SueLW, I think you need a review of both your HRT and thyroid medication.  Re your HRT, perhaps your oestrogen levels have bottomed out and you need a higher dose now - a lot of your symptoms indicate low oestrogen.

You may be completely different but I have noticed that when my oestrogen levels fall, my thyroid reading become worse.  Could this be the same with you?  I don't have a thyroid problem and I am always within range but numerous blood tests have confirmed that in my case at least, better thyroid and cholesterol readings are linked to high levels of oestrogen.

I take it you have the whole set of thyroid tests and not just TSH?