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Will Someone Pls. Read My Hormone Results-Female Low on Testosterone

Hello, all...have to post for my sanity...took muscle relaxers last night to help me sleep...thought i was going to lose my mind not being able to sleep and all the crying and thinking about how i can't go through this 2 weeks of hell next month...

am still an emotional wreck, but am laughing and crying because i know the worst is almost over...by tomorrow i'm hoping to be better...been laughing/crying all evening...thinking about the hormonal journey from hell i've been through for what seemed like an eternity...and saying to myself...i'm not doing this again...i don't know what's going to save me, but darn if i'm going through that hell next month...no!

hoping any of you can help me...i'm laughing/crying because i made it through...it was so hard...made me half crazy...feel like i've been through a war...one more day i think...one more night...nothing's changed since my fibroid removal operation...the more i think it all will change, the more it's all the same...it's the same living hormonal hell...T cream hasn't changed anything...

i need your help girls...

hugs to all of you...i'm almost there...one more night i think...

luv,
Salty

Will Someone Pls. Read My Hormone Results-Female Low on Testosterone

Hey kittywitty I had to laugh when i read your opening paragraph. I just knew the vet would be better than a regular doctor, OMG!! it would be hilarious if it wans't so serious.

Your story reminRAB me of a friend my dad had. He did the rounRAB of the doctors and all of them told him nothing was wrong. One day he had to call the vet to see one of his animals on the farm and while the vet was there he questioned the vet about his own problems. Long story short, the vet ended up solving his medical dilema when none of the other "people" doctors couldnt. Just goes to show you!!

Yes, i've just read a VERY interesting article on chlorinated water myself. I used one of those counter top water jugs where you change the filter cartridge every 6 weeks or so. Even fluoride in water isn't good for the thyroid. I think they once dabbled in giving hyper people fluoride to lower their T4 or something along those lines. Well if you are hypo your T4 and/or T3 would be on the lower side and the last thing you would want is additional fluoride in that case.

I'm not sure how good water filters (and my water filter jug) are at eliminating chlorine and fluoride. I do know my water tastes like normal rain water once it's gone through my filter jug. I grew up on drinking rain water from a tank, but then there are so many pollutants and toxins about that they likely wash off and into the rain water tank too. My thyroid issues appear to run on dad's side of the family so i likely was doomed to get this illness anyway. I also had mega stress during parts of my life which wouldn't have helped any.

Regarding your cortisol question, yes, cortisol problems are quite common on conjunction with thyroid issues, regardless of whether your cortisol is high or low, it amounts to a similar situation as the symptoms are very alike. This is why it's best to do one of those cortisol tests where you give a saliva sample at 6am, 12noon, 6pm and 10pm so that they can see what is going on in an extended time period, not just by giving an early morning sample. I've known two people so far who have a normal cortisol reading first thing in the morning, but soon after it nose dives awfully.

Your depression could be due to low T4 hormones. From what my doctor has explained. If your depressed state is due to thyroid hormones, no amount of antidepressants will help, until you actually raise the T4 to where it ought to be.

With your vitamins, i have heard that if you are taking zinc then you need to take copper along with it, but don't take iron supplements 2hrs either side of it.

Yeah, not sure what's caused my blood pressure to rise, but i'm resuming taking Co-enzyme Q10. It's a bit expensive, but it's supposed to be very good for blood pressure and circulation etc etc. Seems to be good for a lot of things.

Well i hope your cat is doing well. I'm a BIG cat lover. I love their funny little ways, their independance and how they like to snuggle up to you.

You sure your vet can't run your blood tests??? Or at least you can take your blood tests to him and he might be able to interpret them better than your own doctor

Will Someone Pls. Read My Hormone Results-Female Low on Testosterone

The doctor stuff is very frustrating. Just the other day, my husband and I took our cat to the vet to check her thyroid again (she's hyperthyroid, she's 15y/o). He said he was going to check her free t4 instead of her t4 this time. I didn't even have to ask him to! Why can't people doctors be like that with us? So annoying. Anyway, while we were there, I did ask him if the free t4 was different from the t4 and he said 'yes'. He basically said that the free t4 was a more thorough test of the thyroid. I recently became aware of the fact that chlorine blocks the iodine receptors in the thyroid and I told him this. He was like 'oh, really, I didn't know that', and thanked me for the info. He's more open minded than most people doctors I've seen. Anyway, since I read that a few days ago, I have stopped drinking chlorinated water. I drink filtered water now and give it to my cat as well. We're also looking into a getting a shower filter.

My sister-in-law has Hashimoto's.

I was on antidepressants for 10 years. I've been off them for over two years now. I do wonder now, though, how much of my depression and anxiety that I've suffered from all my life was related to my thyroid. As I said before, too, I've had additional hypo symptoms since I was a kid. However, I also had a bad childhood (another board, though:-), so obviously that was a factor, too.

Another question for ya: Is high cortisol common with thyroid problems? I seem to have a lot of symptoms of that, too. Endo didn't check it, though, not surprised. If I ever get to another doctor, I'll be sure to have him/her check it along with the other things you mentioned.

Oh, by the way, I take 400mcg of vit E, 200mcg of selenium, and 2mg of copper along with 24mg of Zinc.

SounRAB like you got a full plate too right now. I hope you can things straightened out and feel better soon. You've obviously been dealing with this stuff far too long than you should have had to.

You are correct about the blood pressure and cholesterol problems being symptoms of thyroid irabalance. Low blood pressure and high cholesterol are both symptoms of hypothyroid. I have both.

Will Someone Pls. Read My Hormone Results-Female Low on Testosterone

Thank you, Audrey-B. Everything you wrote makes perfect sense. I appreciate the advice.

My gyn. will test my testosterone again in a month.

I can't wait until the T cream starts working. I hope I will notice a difference.

My gyn. will test my iron and vit. d. periodically, too.

Hope you're okay.

Hugs,
Salty

Will Someone Pls. Read My Hormone Results-Female Low on Testosterone

Audrey-B, real quick and then i'll write more soon...gyn did test on correct day and time for estrogen and i don't use salt at all and i eliminate sugar (especially around that time) and don't eat sat. fat, but i really appreciate your advice.

Someone mentioned i need to find out why my ferritin is low...guess that's another question for the gyn. Don't know how he's going to know.

Sorry about your dad.

luv ya,
Salty

Will Someone Pls. Read My Hormone Results-Female Low on Testosterone

Audrey-B and kittywitty, I just had to get on here and tell you I'm a mess. I know it's hormonal--cycle time should be soon. I'm so tired of crying. I give myself a bad headache everytime I do. I wish there was something I could do to make it better.

I started yesterday because I found out a friend is very ill, then today I had the 3rd deer tick crawling on me over the past 3 days and I just lost it.

I've been going to bed early because I don't want to keep crying. It's driving me crazy. I'm watching my sugar and salt intake...I'm just so hormonal...I'm really down.

I'm going to say I haven't been this bad since...well last month! It's so maddening.

I just had to vent. Thank you.

I'm going on the lyme disease board to see if there's anything that can be done to prevent the ticks except for deet--my grandmother sprayed that stuff all over her and it caused many problems for her.

I took a relaxant because I've been so bad.

Just thank you for being there for me...see, I tearing up just writing that!

Uggggh! Hormones!

Hugs to you both,
Salty

Will Someone Pls. Read My Hormone Results-Female Low on Testosterone

Back again...can't sleep, am crying--don't know what to do--Jill & everyone--my test results show i am not low in estrogen or progesterone...

there's got to be a solution...can't do this again next month. There's got to be a PMS solution.

Hugs,
Salty

Will Someone Pls. Read My Hormone Results-Female Low on Testosterone

Hi Kittywitty - yes, Free t3 and t4 is different to simply t3 and t4. I still dont understand a lot about the science behind thyroid testing as there is so much to learn, but asking for your "free's" is more valuable to interpret your individual situation.

Most definitely it's important to test the Thyroid Antibodies to see whether or not you have an auto immune thyroid disease eg: Hashimoto's or Graves (not sure whether there are others).

Unfortunately, like you said, too many doctors simply want to look at TSH. It's so maddening!! So many poor people with awful symptoms which affect their everyday lives, living in misery, losing jobs, affecting relationships.... and doctors simply wanting to shove antidepressants down their throats!! thank heavens for the internet is all i can say.

Another important factor often left out is the adrenal function and how much cortisol they produce. Even after a person is put on meRAB and still complain of tiredness their doctors often don't check their adrenals. In fact my adrenal symptoms have been worse than my thyroid symptoms. Once we get my adrenals where they are supposed to be i simply have no other major symptoms.

I'm glad you are finding relief from the Vit E and Selenium. Keep to the safe doses though as too much of both of these can be the same as too little. Also keep monitoring your ferritin, Vit D and B12. They are all important for our adrenal and thyroid health, among other things.

I on the other hand have had to go back onto cortisol supplementation. I got really good for a while there and my doctor stopped the supplements and now i've hit bottom again. I'm so tired and wake up in the mornings feeling like i've got a headache behind my eyes and tension in the head. When i first wake i'm too scare to move my head as it feels like it's paralysed.

Today i didn't go to work and went to see a regular doctor to get a sick leave certificate for work. I asked her to check my blood pressure and i was shocked to see it up at 140/95. My blood pressure has been doing weird things lately. I know the last time it was up was when my dad was sick and i had to do a heap of stuff to help my parents out, but this time round there is no real reason. I have read that blood pressure and cholesterol issues can also be a symptom of hypo or hyper thyroid illnesses too. Would be just my luck!!

Will Someone Pls. Read My Hormone Results-Female Low on Testosterone

Hi Audrey-B, just getting to reply to this message of yours. Yes, i've been taking the zinc all along, but had no idea not to take it with my iron.

As I found out, I not only feel awful before period time, but also during. Not much has changed since my operation to remove the fibroid.

I'm being re-tested for the T at the end of July as well as the ferritin and vit.d.

I'm feeling a little bit from the T cream now (i only know this by a slight increase in libido--which i could give a darn about, all i want is to feel better mentally, emotionally and physically).

I am still on 1%. I have been putting it on as much as possible right after a hot bath while my pores are open--don't know if that's why it's starting to work or just time.

I can't afford a homeopath or a naturopath--can barely afford my meRAB and co-pays for the drs.

I had stopped exercising during the hell i went through, then I hurt my neck so it's not comfortable exercising right now but i know i have to get back to doing it.

I'm worried about the minocycline i'm on--hoping that won't do anything to harm the T cream...i'm also concerned about it with my vit's and supplements so i don't take it at the same time.

As i've stated before i'm having a hard time knowing what to take with what...i still haven't gotten any posts on the vit. board.

It's a pain not being able to take my iron with my other vit's and supplements.

You certainly have been through a lot lately. What's going on now? Did your "emotions stay more or less close to normal" druing your period?

Let me know how you are doing.

Hugs,
Salty

Will Someone Pls. Read My Hormone Results-Female Low on Testosterone

I just have to post this and then go back soon and go over all the other posts and write more.

I am a complete mess about a week before my period, can barely function--it's sooo hard--I cry all the time, am extremely down, things are foggy, I want to be in bed...

then it gets a little easier right before my period arrives, i crave carbs (and eating more actually makes me feel better because i dont get enough calories when i'm so down)...then the first few days of my period i start to come out of the hormonal control and then i can function.

I thought the T cream was going to help with this, but it has not so far.

It's a total PMS nightmare! I am waiting for my cycle to start any day now so I can start to feel better.

Hugs to all of you and I'll write soon...oh, Audrey-B, I had no idea I couldn't take the iron with the calcium and zinc. I've been doing it like that everyday...no wonder i still feel crappy.

I am going to post quickly about it on the vit. board.

Salty