Hi Furyan, it can be so difficult to work out cause & effect when we have both conditions, I agree. I can't say anything definitively as it's all so complex, my knowledge is very limited & we are all up against variations in individual biochemistry & genetics. I can only suggest a few things you might want to think about if you haven't already & you can then see whether any of them seem likely.
I am now building up my dose of thyroid medication. Bizarrely, I’ve had a return of feeling a bit warmer at night, aching joints, hand cramps and constipation. Thse are all symptoms I got with low oestrogen and were usually sorted by upping the dose.
1) More thyroid hormone in your system should make you warmer if it's increasing your metabolism - you'll know that, so sorry for stating the obvious, but sometimes when we have so much going on it's easy to overlook the basics we know so well & I'd hate us to miss something simple when we're brainstorming! Is it possible your TH dose has inadvertently got a bit too high while you've been trying to optimise it?
2) I find the more TH in my system the more I pee & not noticing that change if it's gradual can cause us to underestimate how much fluid we need . . . for among other things keeping constipation at bay & helping prevent us overheating.
3) Cramp can also occur with electrolyte imbalances/dehydration.
4) The increase in TH may be clearing oestrogen more efficiently from your system, so less hanging around, perhaps giving reduced menopause symptom relief? But if you're constipated I'd have thought this scenario less likely.
5) I can't see your earlier posts as I type this to be sure whether you're on T4 monotherapy, T4+T3 or NDT, but confusingly there seems to be some evidence that increasing T4 dose (if that's what you've done recently) can paradoxically
reduce T3 by limiting activity of an enzyme involved in conversion. If you now have less active T3 in your system, that could maybe account for the constipation, cause a flare in any hypothyroid-related joint issues & perhaps affect your ability to regulate your temperature.
6) Contrary to your experience that higher oestrogen levels seemed to help prevent constipation, I find the higher my oestrogen dose, the slower my gut transit. Which is an absolute pain.
I've never taken Cyclogest but progesterone potentiates TH & Utro always made me feel hyper, way too hot at night, pee for England - needing great care to avoid dehydration - & made my joints hurt. How much of that is due to its effects on TH & how much to its opposing oestrogen I don't know.
Also never taken DHEA, though my Endocrinologist was considering prescribing it some time back.
uncertain about changing the HRT until my thyroid dose is optimal as the rule of thumb is to change one thing at a time…
I've so often been in the same situation & it's difficult, but yes I agree, one thing at a time if you can? When are you intending a TFT & were your last results only slightly suboptimal or very?
Sorry if this just adds to the confusion
. It's easy to overthink when we feel rotten & I've gone round & round in circles myself trying to balance thyroid & HRT, but sometimes chatting to someone else in the same boat can bring a little insight.
Wx
