Heat intolerance, feeling tired, hands trembling... maybe you have:

Hyperthyroidism.

Seems like it is very common after having a baby but the symptoms are meant to fade... mine haven't.

Other symptoms include: rapid weight loss, feeling sweaty, feeling anxious, low libido, heart palpitations, insomnia. Basicially your metabolism goes into overdrive.

My doctor just rang me tonight to say my levels are so high he is worried i might have a thyrotic storm. Meaning my body will go into a state of shock, symptoms include: fever, collapse, heart failure.

Yippee.


Thing is I don't feel that bad. Sure the heat gets to me, sure I'm tired. Yes I get the shakes (only minor) and yes my weight has slid off my post baby. But I don't feel like I am teetering on the edge of life.

Oh well... seeing doctor tomorrow. Done my research. Not going to accept radiation therapy that's for sure. The worst of it is that I am guessing that I will need to wean. :(

So, anyone else have/had this?

Haven't heard much about hyperthyroidism Bath, so can't offer any info - but just wanted to send you hugs and warm thoughts - it must be a pretty daunting time for you at the moment. I hope for both of you that you won't have to wean bubs, and that your recovery is quick.

Ta Suse :) I'm ok... DH is more daunted than me i think. The consoling thing for me is that I don't have the more severe symptoms. Hoobley was saying in another thread that she went from being "hypo" (slow metabolism) to "hyer" (fast metabolism) soon after having her baby. She found that weaning helped. Oh well, my boy has had over 18 months of the good stuff. I think he'll manage. I was hoping to make 2 years though.

Thanks again for your thoughts Suse :)

I'm glad to hear that the symptoms are at the 'lighter' end of the spectrum. Hope your dr's appointment goes well tomorrow and you get a good solution.

(P.S. - it's fantastic that you've been BFing for more than 18 months - I'm already feeling a sense of achievement - and it hasn't even been 3 weeks!! LOL!)

Dear Bathsheba, just wanted to post that I am sorry that the Doc had to deliver bad news. Hopefully you will be able to get this problem under control without the need for harsh treatments. Thinking of you sis., and sending loving get well vibes:goodluck:

Bath hope all goes well! Please let us know how you go. At least I hope Verity will control the boys while you are examined!!

Bath I hope you find the choice of treatment that suits you. May you return to good health soon :)

Just rang the surgery... seeing the doctor at 2pm. Until then I'm investigating some natural therapies because the side affects of traditional medication is pretty scary! I just know that if i start taking the "Western" medication I'll feel worse. At the moment I just feel tired, annoyed by the heat and a little shaky but if I take the medicines I can almost guarantee I'll be adding nausea, vomitting etc to the list :( No way am I going to keep battling on looking after my 3 with no family support and deal with that. From reading the info about the type of medicine the doctor will probably prescribe me the "cure" sounds worse than the disease!

ETA: thanks RH, Rory and Christine :)

ETA: Oh and "irritability" is another symptom of hyperthyroidism... yep... I got that! LOL

ETA: Here is a link to Native Remedies where I have purchased a product called Thryro-Soothe. RH: mum recommended this.

Oh Bath, all the best with your appt today and with everything else. I hope that you find something in natural medicine that can help. I am thinking of you hun. Take care.

Oh gosh Bath! I've heard of it.. but never realised it was serious enough for such dramatic treatment! I hope you can find relief from the natural remedies before needing to consider more 'conventional' treatments.

And well done on the feeding :) Hopefully if you go natural therapies, you can keep feeding!

Funnily enough Bath, I was just reading about this condition in an old issue of practical parenting today!

I'm sorry that you've got it, but as always you seem to know what you want and are on top of it!

I hope you're doing better soon.

Looking forward to hearing what the doctor has to say.

:( gotta have radio-active iodine injected into me tomorrow. I nearly refused but then I learned that you get more exposure to radiation from a standard x-ray. The amount is minuscule. At least today's result ruled out a brain tumor in my pituitary gland. The levels didn't indicate that. The thing I'm most worried about now is the ongoing medication. From what I've read i don't want a bar of it! I really think that if I gradually wean my DS then my body will recover. I probably haven't been looking after myself as good as I could have despite taking In-Liven. I think the first thing I need to do is give up coffee. The doctor was concerned that my pulse was 120 seated in his office. He reckons that's way too high and i'm going to blow a gasket. LOL told me to relax more! mwhaha... as if, with my 18month old running rampant. As most of you know you just don't stop with a toddler. Maybe I should get a job sitting at a desk... then I could relax more.

Been doing a bit of Goggling, as you do, and found out that many high profile people have my condition and they are managing it well. George W Bush to name one... typically occurs in people who push themselves too hard. Oh well, I'll just have to sit back and spend more time in BB!!! ;)

Bath, do you just have the one injection tomorrow or is it a continuing treatment?
Hope all goes well, thinking of you

Nic

BATH, i have had hyper in the past and for me it comes and goes , most recently was about 3 months ago ... i have all those symptons you listed and weight just slides off ....
but i havent had my thyroid check since pg with ds ... mabye with the next pg i have to get it checked again .... the doc said the levels were boderline ,but never check them again like he promsed .. hope your doing ok ...

Did you get to discuss the more natural medications like the one you mentioned in your earlier post?

Thanks girls.

Nic: Just the 1 injection at this stage to determine what's wrong by taking a scan that is able to take a picture of where the radioactive stuff settles. If it settles in a particular area/s that's where the overactive part of my thyroid is. I don't have a goiter (swollen throat) so they can tell it's not all affected, just an area (they call them nodules) so they need to see exactly where. If I had trouble swallowing then that would indicate that it was near the esophagus but I don't have any problem with that either. If the doctor sees that I have an overactive area (he most likely will) then he will medicate me with tablets that (I think) have harrowing side affects.

Lea: thanks :) I think mine will come and go too. I think factors like stress and over activity (chasing my toddler) make it worse and once I wean and he grows older (less chasing) then I think it will settle back to normal. If you start to feel feverish then I'd get yourself to a hospital quick fast though. My doctor says I am sailing very close to a 'thyroid storm' meaning a total meltdown... you overheat, get heart palpitations and feel disorientated... it can be very dangerous. I'd keep an eye on it.

RH: My doctor had never heard of any natural therapies and i could tell he wasn't interested. He said it was too dangerous to start trying that kind of thing. I'll get this test done tomorrow then maybe seek another opinion. It's so weird to be told you are so sick when all you feel is tired and struggle with the heat. So many people must be living in ignorance that they have it. I think DH thought I was just being wussy during our last hot spell. I swear it felt like 40 when it was only 32'C. As you know I have been subjected to a lot of heat in my life (living in hot places)... i can put up with a fair bit... but the last few years have really seen me suffer. It's different to just feeling hot... I feel all fuzzy headed, just can't think straight, have shortness of breath (heart working too hard), it's just awful. Thing is I don't actually sweat much like you are meant to with Hyperthyroidism... so that makes me feel even hotter!


Better go find my toddler....

Goodluck tomorrow then Bathsheba, hope all goes well.
It always makes me laugh when the medical profession have a dislike towards natural therapies, tell you they know nothing off them, yet they know enough to tell you it's dangerous!

Nic