Hypothyroid symptoms

Thank you, I'll contact Parakletos and also read through the post.

Hi, Parakletos agreed to help me, I'm so glad.

I'd be happy to post on here as well, for the benefit of the forum and to let fitness 'test his knowledge'. I'll copy/paste the same answers as I've given Parakletos. Thanks for having a look as well, I'm very long winded, sorry for that, but here it is:

1. Describe your main suffering?
I feel tired, unmotivated, and overwhelmed most the time. My memory and mind is not sharp, but feels sluggish and lazy (I had an excellent memory and quick mind when I was young). Physically, I'm easily exhausted, and even though I want to get things done, simple things tire me out so they end up taking much longer than they should.


2. What other physical sufferings do you have in your body?
I'm anemic, dark circles under eyes, pale dry skin, tendency toward blackheads and acne (and many scars from past breakouts), coarse dry hair which is falling out and quite thin, overall feeling of stiffness and heaviness in my body-especially through the neck and shoulders. My digestion is poor and I'm easily bloated and prone to pain in my intestines.

3. What mental sufferings / feelings do you have associated with your physical sufferings?
I'm extremely frustrated that it takes me so long to accomplish anything. I'm a work-at-home artist, and have many ongoing projects, but accomplish very little each day. My mind is easily distracted and I don't have the sharp focus and attention on anything. It's frustrating because I was extremely mentally sharp when young and at the top of my classes. Now I feel dumb and slow thinking, and my mind wanders, making it difficult to focus on getting my work done. I become impatient and angry at myself for being 'lazy'.

4. What exactly do you feel when you are at your worst? Describe the sensation in your own words.
Extremely overwhelmed and feel as though my life is being wasted and is pointless, meaningless. I'm prone to bouts of deep loneliness and feeling like I have no value and no connection to other people. I feel like I'm worthless and my work is pointless. And I feel overwhelmed to continue facing another day.

5. When did it all start? Can you connect it to any past event or disease?
I often was depressed and tired as a young teen (about age 11-14), and in college (age 19-20). I think it was due to abuse within my family (molested by an older brother) and not being treated with love and kindness as a child. In college I was also eating a lot of pasta and breads, which I now know I'm allergic to. Gluten aggravates moodiness and depressive thoughts in me.
My health and moods worsened again when at age 24 a different brother and his friend used date-rape drugs to rape me (1996). This event was a huge turning point in destroying my feeling of happiness and joy for life. Immediately after I became very sick with a sore throat infection which took me a long time to overcome. I continued to have recurring throat infections up until 2003 when I had a tonsillectomy.
After the tonsillectomy, the throat infections lessened, but by about 2005 I began having frequent severe sinus headaches. They were worse if I wore make-up, and were aggravated by the strong chemicals I used in my job as a lab technologist. I still get these sinus headaches, but much less often as I've learned to avoid the triggers.
In 2009 I became infected with giardia while traveling in India. I had a month long bout of severe diarrhea and was treated with flagyl to overcome it. Since this time my digestion has been poor and I've made many dietary changes and use supplements in an effort to improve.

I think all of these things together have aggravated my symptoms.

6. Which time of the day you are worst?
Late evenings are worst. When I'm physically exhausted, and mentally frustrated from my lack of accomplishments.

7. What are the things which aggravate your suffering and which are those which ameliorate the same? Example- time, temperature, pressure, rubbing, washing, eating, tight clothing etc.
Extreme heat and cold with humidity seem to aggravate me. Tight clothing, especially if itchy and uncomfortable make me moody and annoyed. Bright lights are especially aggravating and can induce headaches and fatigue. Sitting still for too long worsens me. Loud music will energize me for a few minutes, but quickly becomes aggravating if continued...I become very tired and annoyed feeling from it.
I feel better with a change in weather (going from too hot to refreshingly cool, or too cold to soothingly warm), taking a shower, taking a short walk, change of scenery. Being around people I like can energize me, but if hanging out too long I become impatient, insecure, and anxious feeling. Mornings are good for me, especially if I can get going on something or have a place to go. If I sit around too long planning the day instead of taking action, I get anxious, moody, and lethargic.


8. Do your think your sufferings have relation to any external stimuli (like, change of place) or any internal biological changes in the body, like, menses (in females)?
I'm very sensitive to outside stimuli...I would say in fact I'm OVERLY sensitive to them. Sometimes I just want to curl up in a dark safe corner, no sound, no light, nobody around.
I'm worse at the beginning of my cycle when I get my period. The evening before, and the 1st day of my period are the absolute worst. I'm moody, weak, headachey, annoyed at everything and everyone, and can expect to get nothing done that day. I have only enough mental and physical energy to sit in a dazed and mindless state.


9. When do you feel better, during hot weather or cold weather, humid or dry weather?
Warm sunny, dry weather is best for me. Slightly cool, but dry weather is refreshing to me. Humidity is worse, both in hot or cold weather.

10. Describe your general mental set up? Are you Moody, Arrogant, Mild, Agreeable Changeable, Nervous, Suspicious, Easily offended, Quiet, Arguing, Irritating, Lazy etc.
I'm generally laid back, follow the crowd, let others do the talking. I don't pick fights, but tend to be agreeable. If anything, I'm too easily pushed around, and not assertive for my own needs. I simply go with the flow of what everyone else wants to do or say. I don't know if this is my true personality, or if it's a reaction to not feeling like I have the energy to do more. I feel very disconnected from people and events.
In past when I've felt physically and mentally well, I'm joking, laughing, interacting and enjoy poking fun at people, relishing a good mind stimulating conversation. Now I'm mostly quiet and non-interactive, unless someone else makes the effort to drag me into the conversation.

- How do you feel before or during a thunderstorm?
I haven't noticed any change before a storm, but I feel an excitement and thrill during it, and feel more refreshed and clear-headed after a storm.

- Do you like being consoled during your tough times?
I want to feel like someone relates and understands, but the extra stimuli of them talking, me having to think about what they're saying and having to respond feels extremely overwhelming and annoying during that time. I'd rather they stay quiet.


- Are you sensitive to external stimuli like smell, noise, light etc?
Yes, absolutely. Especially bright lights. When I'm at my worst, I want silence, darkness, softness and comfort. No stimuli at all.

- Do you have any typical habit or gesture like nail biting, causeless
Weeping, talking to one self etc?
I tend to pick at any scabs, sores, or pimples. I'm improved, because this has caused extensive scarring which I'm self conscious about and don't wish to add new scars. But I still do it, especially when I'm feeling anxious.

- How do you feel about your friends, family, your children and especially your husband / wife?
I love my husband, but also feel very disconnected from him. We have fallen into a patter of being more like casual roommates rather than show real passion and romance between us.
I have poor relationship with my family because of their past abuses, and have deep mistrust towards them. I have no children, and few friends. Overall, it's too easy for me to get up and walk away from a relationship...I don't make deep emotional connections and have an overall mistrust of people, always thinking they will end up not liking me or being annoyed with me, so I should not contact them or try to improve the connection.

11. What are your fears and do you dream of any situation repeatedly?
My recurring dream is I'm in school, and am either in the wrong classroom, or don't have the schedule to know which classroom I should be in. My class schedule is in my locker, but I can't remember the combination to open the locker to get my schedule. I'm late and will miss class, but I just can't remember which class is next, or where it is, or how to get there!

These dreams are full of frustration and anxiety...I was a very serious student and always wanted to do exactly what I was supposed to be doing.
I feel like that in life, I left a good paying science job to pursue art and have kids, but now that I'm doing art I'm not using my time well and it's going nowhere, maybe I shouldn't be doing it, maybe I should care about making money and get a 'real' job.... Should I be having children, I haven't been able to become pregnant, maybe I should give up.
I'm very unsure of myself and what I'm doing in life, and if it's the 'right' thing to do. I feel like my life is being wasted and I'm not where I need to be, and that I will be in trouble for it.


12. What do you crave for in food items and what are your aversions?
I love heavy rich food like lamb, cream, butter. I don't like overly sweet things. Unless its something rich like ice cream. I prefer dark meat chicken and don't like the white meat.
I enjoy eating carb-rich salty foods like dosa, lentils, potatoes, especially with butter, but I become bloated and uncomfortable after I eat them.
I don't like plain vegetables, they must be salted and doused in coconut oil, olive oil, or butter to become edible. With the exception of raw carrots, because I like the crunchiness.
I like salads, but there must be lots of dressing, and preferably a meat item on them.
Overall I'm an adventurous eater and have few dislikes. I'm allergic to soy, gluten, and casein. The casein is most challenging, because I love dairy products and can't seem to make myself avoid them.

13. How is your thirst: Less, Normal or Excessive?
I tend to still feel thirsty even after drinking water. It seems I can't satisfy the thirst.

14. How is your hunger: Less, Normal or Excessive?
Less. I often force myself to interrupt what I'm doing in order to eat. But once I start eating, I feel like I can keep eating everything in sight. I have to make myself stop again.

15. Is there any kind of food which your body can’t stand?
Carb rich foods make me bloated and uncomfortable.
Soy and wheat are awful for me. Soy will give me stomach pain and diarrhea.
Wheat makes me in such bad mood and physically drained that I feel like killing myself, and have to remind myself I will feel ok again in a couple days and it's just the wheat. I hate life at such times if I've eaten wheat.
Milk (casein) makes my sinus's congested...it's hard for me to resist eating cheese or yogurt. Yogurt seems to be less aggravating, but I probably should avoid it as well.

16. Is your sweat normal or less or more? Where does it sweat more: Head, Trunk or Limbs?
I sweat very less. I don't sweat much at all, but if I had to say something is more, it would be head region.


17. How is your bowel movement and stool type?
Regular in the timings (every morning around 11ish). Stool is generally soft and loose, but I take magnesium at night, otherwise I would have frequent constipation as well.

18. How well do you sleep? Do you have a particular posture of sleeping?
Very poorly, and wake up unrefreshed feeling very tired. It's extremely difficult for me to get out of bed in the morning.
I prefer sleeping on my side, with an arm around a pillow, but it's nearly impossible for me to fall asleep on my side. I'm only able to fall asleep while sleeping on my back.

19. Do you think you are able to satisfy your sexual desires in general?
No. I have very low desire for it, but when I do have sex, it feels disconnected and unsatisfying.

20. Do you have any strange, peculiar or unusual symptom or feelings? How are you different from others?
I have a tendency to dwell obsessively on problems until it's resolved.

21. What medications have been taken earlier by you to treat the diseases and do you have any particular symptom surfacing after the medication?
I'm taking very low dose of natural dessicated thyroid for about 3 months. My overall fatigue has slightly improved since taking it. I've not noticed any bad effects from it.
I've also been taking methyfolate (active form of folate) and methylcobalamin (active vitamin B12), due to some testing which indicated I have MTHFR 1298AC mutation, and am not processing folate/B12 efficiently. I've taken this for about 7-8 months and have noticed an improvement in the fatigue and lethargy. Again, no bad effects from it.
I do get bad effects if I take the non-active forms of folate (flu-like symptoms and weakness).

In the past I took Byronia Alba to treat sinus headaches, and it did reduce the pain.
I also used a homeopathic remedy to treat a bad vaccine reaction in which I developed cysts in my armpit and groin region. No bad effects, only improvement. I don't remember the remedy.

I've had bad reaction to sulpha-drugs (I think I was given some during a sore throat episode). I became very physically weak, bad acne (hives?), difficulty breathing, and went to the emergency room where they gave me anti-histamine.

I take vitamin supplements, which seem to help me get the nutrients I need since my digestion is poor.


22. What major diseases are running in your family?
My grandmother had arthritis and weight problems.
My mom seems to have hypothyroid type symptoms, but I don't know if she's ever been tested or checked it out.
I think a couple of my brothers and an uncle are allergic to wheat and have similar reactions as I have, but they've never looked into it. Obesity is an issue for some of my relatives (all on my mom's side).

23. Describe, how do you look like? Describe your overall appearance.
I'm petite (5' 2', about 115 pounds), small bone, small frame. I have some curviness...large hips compared to the rest of me. I have pale, fair skin which is uneven due to scarring. I have dark blonde hair, which is very fine but dry and rough feeling. I'm age 40, and I think look my age due to the poor skin, and am starting to grow white hairs. My petite size often makes people think I'm younger than I am.


(For Females)
24. If your menstrual cycles are not normal, please describe the irregularities, like pains, moods, flow type, clots etc.
As mentioned above, I'm especially weak and tired feeling, and moody for the first days of my cycle. My skin is also worse at this time. I'm more pale and tired looking during this time. I sometimes experience some back pain. I think my cycle is fairly normal otherwise. It's very regular in its timing and flow.
When I was young, I had severe cramps and pain, and often very heavy bleeding. The herb Dong Quai helped this significantly. I still take it right before my cycle if I suspect it will be painful or difficult.

25. What major diseases have you had in your life and when. Please write them in a chronological manner.

1972 Born with weak left eye (surgery was done at a year old, then again at age 7 to 'correct' the position, but my eyes never learned to see together, hence I don't see depth). Eye strain, and a lazy left eye is an ongoing problem for me, as well as nearsightedness.
About a year old, left foot was turning wrong, and I wore a device to make it turn correctly.
Frequent stomach aches as child (I think due to wheat).
Frequent sore throats as child.
At about age 15 the doctor who was removing my wisdom teeth discovered a cyst in my left lower jaw, and he surgically removed it. It was benign.
In college I over ate wheat and pasta, and had severe bout of depression, sleeplessness, anxiousness. And VERY severe cystic acne. This became better when a naturopath advised I stay away from wheat. But I still have bad scars from this.
1996, after being raped I had severe sore throat and sinus infection which lasted over a month and was very difficult to overcome, even with repeated medications and effort. I had frequent recurring throat and sinus problems since then til 2003 when I had tonsillectomy. Now I still have occasional sinus problems and headaches, but sore throats are rare.
2009 Severe bout of giardia, bad diarrhea for about a month. I lost weight and became extremely weak during this time. My digestion worsened ever since this episode.
About a year and half ago I began feeling drastically more fatigued, lethargic, and forgetful. This has improved somewhat since I'm taking certain supplements (methyfolate, methylcobalamin, dessicated thyroid).
I've been trying to become pregnant for the last 3 years, but with no success. I'm currently seeing a specialist to see if anything physically wrong is causing this.

I enjoy exercise, once I'm going. But I avoid it and tend to be lazy. I enjoy a good walk, or hike, especially in pretty scenery. I don't enjoy getting sweaty or feeling uncomfortable with overly aggressive exercise.

I don't feel consoled by others. If I'm really down and not feeling well, only time and sleep helps me get out of it.

My periods are regular, every 28-29 days exactly. Flow heavy on 1st day, then quickly is lighter each day. No clots or other abnormality.

I had first period about age 11. They were always regular in timing, exactly 28 days.

I have moments of being happy and energetic...most recently about 3 weeks ago while on vacation to a scenic beach area with a friend. And some moments here and there during my days. But the time when I was consistently happy, optimistic, and energetic, day after day was during high school and 1st year of college (about 1987-1991). I had moments of self-doubt, but it was overall a very happy time and I felt connected and enjoyed my friendships, I laughed a lot and was very joyful, even in the face of challenges.


Thanks!

Thanks fitness.
Your choice is in fact different than Parakletos so far...but he's still finalizing. When he's finalized his choice, I'll let you know, and I'll carefully look into both your recommended remedies and determine which seems more appropriate for my situation.

What were the main features which led you to choose Nat-M?

thanks!

Hi fitness,
I've had a chance to go through Nat-Mur, and am amazed at the many symptoms which perfectly describe me...even many I didn't mention in my postings.
I'm still waiting to hear Parakletos final opinion. But it's hard to imagine something else fitting better in so many areas as Nat-Mur. Especially the mental traits, the eye problems, and other problems which I would've been embarrassed to post.

What is your recommended dosage? And was that 200C or 200X or some other potency?
[message edited by rush2ady on Sat, 05 Oct 2013 00:50:59 BST]

Thanks to both of you for looking at my case.
The layering makes sense, as Paraklatos explained to me the treatment of the more recent symptoms before dealing with the deeper older ones. Many of the Nat-M symptoms go back even to when I was a baby (like the eye problems), so this makes sense to me.

I'll start with China per recommendation, and let you know the response to the remedy. My local shop didn't have the correct remedy, so it will be a few days because I'm ordering it...but I will certainly inform about my response when I take it.

Thanks again!
[message edited by rush2ady on Sun, 06 Oct 2013 04:14:30 BST]

I don't know enough of homeopathy to make the judgement. I do see your point about China not fitting me as well...the strongest fit is the abdominal symptoms, and a couple of the mental ones, like a loathing and boredom for life (which I see also fits Nat-M). But other mental ones, like clear thinking, or fear of animals, don't fit me.
I'm easily confused! Lol. your leaky pipe example was equally compelling as the painted house :)

Is there harm if I do start with China and address it first?

I feel Nat-M will be needed though, not only the eye problems but many symptoms have been long standing, even since childhood. The silent grief, disappointed love, slow learning to talk...it's so descriptive of my childhood.
I understand now why two different people assisting a patient is not advised...but I do like both perspectives and appreciate the desires to help.
Is it simply the order of remedies which you are in disagreement with? I just want to confirm I won't be doing further harm if I start with one or the other.

thanks!

I'm starting with China, per the recommendation and for the benefit of the forum will report my response.

Thanks,
Amber