Dealing with fatigue

[Guest]

At some point this summer, my thyroid stopped working. It was pretty bad by the time I got around to seeing a doctor (first TSH test was 137 on a scale of .3-3.0..after three weeks it was down to 75).

The doctor put me on levothroxine and I have an appointment with an endo in October.

But I'm not feeling better. It's been 4 weeks since I've been on medication and I'm still exhausted. I nap every day at lunch, because if I don't, I'm afraid I'll fall asleep on the drive home. Then when I get home, I'm already ready for bed. The only time I feel ok is in the morning until 10:30 or so, and then directly after naps, when I seem to get bursts of energy.

(Bet you all wondered why I wasn't still exercising! Now I can barely stretch every day. I'm a big fat pile of mushiness.)

I am better, over all..I'm not swelled up anymore, and can see little improvements like my hair starting to grow again, but I'm still so damned tired all the time and yet, I still have to get through the day, which adding in the commute, is typically 12 hours. My boss is pretty good about stuff, but my job really isn't conducive to closing my door and sleeping a 1/2 hour every four hours. Taking time off work isn't an option.

Any suggestions for dealing with this? Between work, kids and all my million and one other obligations, I'm having a hard time keeping up. There really isn't any point I can "stop" at..

[SpookyPistolero]

Just to ask a question that wouldn't solve the whole problem and that you've problem answered a dozen times, how's your diet? If you're skipping lunch, for example, entirely, then that might be an issue.

[TarpleyG]

You say time off isn't an option?  Isn't an option for you or your employer?  Do you have short-term disablilty that you can use?  That'll keep you in a paycheck and allow you time off to deal with this and your employer cannot deny you if you have the coverage.

Greg

[mfree]

All I can offer is make *sure* you present your case fully and persuasively to the Endo in October.

Asides from that, were there any iodine depletion issues with the meds? Might have a plate of seaweed salad occasionally just to keep up.

[grampster]

Barbara,

I'd get back with my doc NOW and strongly encourge him to get your other appointment moved up.
My experience with medicine is that YOU need to take control of them.  Your sense of urgency will drive the day.  I know you have the moxy to get after them.  Don't wait till October.

[Standing Wolf]

More range time.

I mean that seriously. If that doesn't do the trick, I'd follow Grampster's advice immediately above.

[Guest]

I shot four rounds of trap last Saturday and slept most of the next day and a half. I'm pathetic.

Food probably is an issue..I haven't been eating as well because all my time is consumed with being lazy. So that probably is part of it. I'll try to do better.

As far as work..neither of us can afford me to take time off. We're kicking off two huge projects and its just not a option right now and I can't afford it anyway.

I think more than the physical part of it, the psychological idea of me being as human slug is driving me nuts. I feel worthless and wimpy and whiney. There's a storm coming and I'm too freaking lazy to walk downstairs and check on things there.

Plus my kid leaves in two weeks and I'm going to miss him a lot, so I'm sad about that, too.

Gack. I should avoid people for a while, I think.

[Guest]

Hey, sm..renal is what I thought of at first when I started swelling up like a sausage back in July, but I don't think so now. My next dr. appt. is on the 29th..I'll keep you posted.

[caseydog]

Barbara , from someone who hasn't had a functional thyroid for 20+ years ( I131 ablation X3) , you won't feel yourself until your numbers get really close to normal. It takes about 6 weeks to catch up on average - longer if your doc isn't being aggressive , you'll get the dosage tweaked for about a year until your body and your doctor come to terms on how much Levo you need.

Call your doctor and tell him how you're feeling and see if he will go a bit more aggressive on the catch-up dosage is about all you can do. What strength is the Levo your on ? I take 175mcg at 220# give or take 20# depending on season.

Ray

[Guest]

50 mcg. It seems to be working, though..my TSH went from 137 to 75 in 2-3 weeks..

I'm not sure what #is? I'm 139 lbs right now if that's what you mean..I had gained about 12 lbs. since July but have lost 3 or 4 since I've been taking medication.

So only a few more weeks of ass dragging, huh? That sounds good.

[caseydog]

If your thyroid has completely failed I'd expect you'll end up between 75 and 100 mcg as a final dose once you get caught up. If you start feeling jittery , like too much caffeine jittery, call the doc, too much Levo isn't particularly harmful but it can cause anxiety and panicky feelings , sleeplessness, poor digestion , diarrhea etc.. , sort of the opposite of most of your symptoms now.

Ray

[280plus]

You just take good care of yourself there missy...

[Guest]

Yes, sir!

I might skip that seminar tomorrow, though, and just sleep in.

[280plus]

I've dealt with fatigue all my life due to what was recently found out to be apnea. I know all the feelings of laziness / worthlessness as well as the problems others have with your desire to sleep and the stigma they attach to it. PLUS, having just had a son ~ a year ago take off for 6 months in the AF I know exactly what you're going through there. He's back out on a medical discharge. Bad back. I wish I had something to say about it to ease your worries but AFAIK all you can do is be brave.

As far as the seminar, oh well. You can pick my brain anytime. As a matter of fact, I was thinking about solar electricity just yesterday. If you build a low end solar generating system and wire your lights for DC instead of A/C it would save on electricity. You could have a 220/110 feed from the Electric Co but only use that for your appliances. You could have a few A/C outlets around in case the sun wasn't around for a while but most of the time your lights would be a free ride. The beauty is it would save you the cost of an inverter and related stuff that you would need to change the solar DC to the more common A/C which you'd need for your appliances. Plus it wouldn't have to be all that big of a system if it's just for lights.

Feel better soon.

[Guest]

I called today and they have three or four of these a year..plus October 8 they have a parade of solar powered homes, and well, I'm just geek enough to go on that.

Nobody has given me a hard time about being a slug..mostly its the opposite..I get crap for not sleeping the day away. Which is impossible to do.

Of course, mind you..its 9:20 and I'm just no w sleepy, even after going out for a while after work. So maybe things are getting better.

P.S. Whaddaya know about wind power?

[Guest]

Sorry to hear about your thyroid, I hope you get better soon.

If you have any questions about wind power I would be happy to help. Wind power is a lot more cost effective than solar. Building the generator yourself can make things even better. http://www.homepower.com/magazine/downloads.cfm has lots of good information in their back issues.

If you do go solar you can buy used solar cells. They may even have a warrenty intact. They generally last a lifetime so buying used can be a good bargin.

If you want to be a bit more abitious you can build your own solar panels from scratch and dent cells on ebay. Try to match up the amperage of the cells that are in series because you will only get what the lowest amp cells can give. The same thing goes for stringing solar panels in series.

[Guest]

Well, I'm feeling better these days, thank goodness. My TSH was 11.3 this week and I'm down right energetic again. I still nap, but they're shorter and I don't feel like my head is weighted down to the pillow anymore.

[Guest]

Glad to hear you are feeling better.

Regards,

Steve

[Waitone]

Stay on your doc.  About a year ago my body quite making hemoglobin.  I did the mind over body thing for so long it almost did me in.  The frustration of being unable to take a shower was more than I could stand.  I did learn the body will ultimately win in any combat with your mind.  So tend to the ol' bod.

[280plus]

Nice to hear you're feeling better. Some of that may have had to do with your son leaving the nest too you know. You've made it over the initial hump of anxiety that goes along with being the parent of a kid in the service. Incidentally, due to that recent thread on apnea and hose heads I decided to tighten the straps on my mask and lo and behold I too am feeling much better. I'm dreaming up storm these days. I won't be going into any of that...

[Guest]

Maybe, but I think in some ways, it helped. I was too exhausted to be too anxious. I'm sort of sad I didn't get to enjoy the last few months with him more.

Now I need to start working out again..I'm really out of shape.

[280plus]

I'm sort of sad I didn't get to enjoy the last few months with him more.

I know what you mean. once they're gone you wished there had been more time. IIRC they issued us a writng thing (paper, envelopes) and told "you WILL write home" so you should be seeing something soon. We'll see how much of a writer he is if nothing else. Some guys write, some don't. Usually it's because they're exhausted and have so much stuuf they got to get done. Take care, go for a walk, don't push yourself too hard at first!