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Spoonie

The ‘Spoon Theory’ Perfectly Captures Managing Thyroid Fatigue

Originally published on 29th July 2016 Last updated on 25th November 2023 A ‘Spoonie’? What’s a…

A Thyroid Flare Up or 'Bad Thyroid Day'

A Thyroid Flare Up or ‘Bad Thyroid Day’

Originally published on 12th May 2016 Last updated on 25th July 2021 I refer to days…

How I Manage Housework with Thyroid Disease

How I Manage Housework with Thyroid Disease

I have always been a tidy, organised person. It’s just who I am. I feel happiest…

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theinvisiblehypothyroidism

📞 I’m currently waiting for the GP to call me

📞 I’m currently waiting for the GP to call me about my ferritin levels being low, but still “in range”.

•••

🥱 I experience ongoing tiredness, poor stamina, achiness and very heavy periods.

😳 So the fact my low-but-in-range ferritin has been deemed normal and “no further action” has me feeling anxious for this call.

🦋 I want to make sure they understand how these symptoms affect my daily life.

🦋 I want to make sure they understand that my ferritin needs to be higher for me to feel well (I know my ‘optimal’.)

🦋 I want them to know the iron supps don’t seem to be working. And I want to know why?

🦋 I have the phrase underlined in my notebook “it’s important to me that you understand just how heavy and inconveniencing my periods are and how exhausted I’m feeling with ferritin this low.”

🦋 I am a health advocate and yet I’ll be honest about this: I still get very anxious about medical appointments and I worry that they will be a waste of time or I will come away feeling like a hypochondriac.

🦋 I prefer over the phone appointments because at least I know they won’t be wasting time out of my day with travelling to and from and sitting in a waiting room for possibly quite awhile. And over the phone appointments also make me feel more prepared as I will write out my notes like this so that I can feel as if I have said everything completely and succinctly.

•••

👇 Am I the only one?

- Rachel 🦋💙

☀️ Why may some thyroid patients need less thy

☀️ Why may some thyroid patients need less thyroid medication in the warmer months?

•••

🧡The main purpose of thyroid hormones is to ensure that the metabolism is running properly.

💛People with hypothyroidism (and possibly not optimally medicated for it) may have symptoms associated with a slow metabolism, such as feeling cold a lot of the time.

🧡We need the correct amount of thyroid hormones in our bodies to burn calories in order to create heat and fuel, which is important, in particular for our body temperature and energy levels.

💛 In the warmer months, due to the thyroid not needing to work as hard to generate body heat, we may not need as much thyroid hormone, and it is for this reason, that some thyroid patients find they actually need to lower their thyroid medication slightly in the summer or when they go on holiday to a warmer country, with the guidance of a doctor of course.

‼️I definitely do not suggest you do this on your own!

🧡It’s definitely worth talking to your doctor about this if you notice that you feel particularly worse at a certain time of year, and think you could do with a slight medication dosage adjustment.

💛You may also feel hyperthyroidism symptoms if you require a slight decrease of thyroid medication in warmer months.

🧡You should aim to have your thyroid levels (the full panel) tested twice a year if possible; once in the warmer months and once in the cooler months, so your doctor can adjust your dose as soon as possible.

•••

👇 Let me know below - did you know this?!

- Rachel 🦋💙

🩸 Periods. 🩸Along with many of the other s

🩸 Periods.

🩸Along with many of the other symptoms of hypothyroidism, menstrual issues is a common one.

•••

🩸Thyroid hormone is needed for every function and cell in the body, so when you’re hypothyroid, many processes — including your menstrual cycle — can be affected.

🩸Hypothyroidism can lead to irregular menstrual cycles, heavy periods, painful periods, short or delayed cycles, non-ovulation and struggles to conceive.

🩸Behind period issues or abnormalities/changes, there may be non-optimal thyroid hormone levels, oestrogen dominance and/or adrenal dysfunction, PCOS, endometriosis etc.

🩸Do ensure your thyroid levels are optimal as an initial step. For many thyroid patients, this resolves any menstrual problems.

🩸We shouldn’t be putting up with debilitating menstrual issues than CAN be resolved in many cases. Badger your doctors!!!

•••

👇 Let me know your experiences with this in the comments and as always, follow me for more thyroid info and please check out the resources linked in my bio for more support!

- Rachel 🦋💙

🩸Did you know that you could be diagnosed with

🩸Did you know that you could be diagnosed with both thyroid conditions?

•••

🦋 The short explanation is: it’s not possible to experience both at the same time, but you can be diagnosed with both.

🦋 Hashimoto’s and Graves’ Disease have the complete opposite effect on the thyroid gland (one leading to a decrease in thyroid hormone and leading to an increase), so it is not possible to experience the effects of both at the same time.

🦋 However, you can be diagnosed with both, and fluctuate between experiencing one or the other. Or, you may have an initial diagnosis of one (Graves’ or Hashimoto’s) and then switch to having the other permanently.

🦋 According to research, developing Hashimoto’s after Graves’ disease happens to approximately 15-20% of people with Graves’.

🦋 The other way round, developing Graves’ after Hashimoto’s, is quite rare.

🦋 Due to the nature of being diagnosed both Graves’ and Hashimoto’s at the same time meaning that you can fluctuate between the two states of thyroid disease, it’s not uncommon to have thyroid levels checked frequently to ensure that the correct treatment is still being given.

•••

👇 Let me know if you already knew this!👇

NOTE: definitely do not assume you have any medical conditions or diagnoses until you’ve been evaluated by a medical professional who can test for them.

- Rachel 🦋💙

© Rachel Gask and The Invisible Hypothyroidism, 2015-2024. All Rights Reserved.

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