Archive for the ‘heart palpitations’ Category

14 May

How Do You Know When to Increase?

Posted by Kris in B12 injections, Cynomel, heart palpitations, Heartbeat irregularity, Hypothyroidism, selenium, Spectracell blood test, T3 only, T3 only protocol, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

I am writing this post on the day before Mother’s Day because I get the honor of having my daughter, her husband and my grandson with me tomorrow, Mother’s Day. What a great gift she is giving me as I know my daughter hates getting in the car and traveling across town but she is doing it to honor me and that makes me feel very humbled and grateful.

On bold moves

This week I made the bold move of increasing my T3 dosage. To many that may seem like no news. For someone like me who went through an entire year of incremental increases of T3 gradually exceeding the dose my body could tolerate it is a bold move indeed.

I will try to provide a short timeline for those who are interested otherwise skip down to “Along came T3″. I started my T3 only in April 2010. I decided to try T3 only because nothing was helping an irregular heartbeat I had suffered with for about a year prior to starting T3-only.

When I was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism about 15 years ago I was prescribed what I now call Syncrap, T4-only. Then around 2005 I got tired of always needing to increase my thyroid meds and stopped taking them. Just for the record, that was not a good idea. This in turn eventually caused my adrenals to burn out, a.k.a. adrenal fatigue. Finally in about 2007 I started seeing Dr. Robert Bruley in Linden Hills, MN. He put me on compounded T3 and T4 adjusting the T4 according to my symptoms but keeping the T3 very low.

I stayed on T3/T4 for a year or two but my heart continued to give me troubles. I knew from my symptoms that this was not a weak heart or blocked arteries. It would come on at certain times of day and certain times of day it would be non-existent. Exercise didn’t bring it on, stress didn’t bring it on but when it came on it was so severe it would make me cough as if I had asthma.

Finally in late 2009, I convinced Dr. Bruley to let me try Armour. I felt a drug that supplied me with T1, T2, T3 and T4 was superior to one that was mostly T4 with a tiny bit of T3. I was probably correct but it still didn’t solve the problem. My palps were disturbing but thankfully not life threatening.

Along came T3

Then in April of 2010 I took a really bold step and started T3-only. I did so without Dr. Bruley but with the wonderfully helpful people on a thyroid forum who looked at my RT3 blood test and told me I had thyroid resistance and needed T3-only to clear the T4 that was blocking the all important T3 from entering my cells. These folks had all been under treated by allopathic doctors and some had come very close to dying as a result of T4-only thyroid drugs. They had found help in taking T3-only but first they had to clear the T4 out of the thyroid cell receptors and that my friends is the bit of Hell I mentioned earlier.

It took me 9 months to finally feel normal again after starting T3. That was about 4 months of checking my temperature three times a day. 5 months of hand tremors. 6 months of horrible sleepless nights. All that but my heart was beating quite regularly at this point, not all the time but more and more it was not beating irregularly and no more coughing, none. Finally at 9 months came a realization that I had to dramatically decrease my T3 dosage. I couldn’t take the sleepless nights nor shaking hands. I gradually dropped my dose to 37.50 mcg at dose where I felt comfortable and my heart still beat normally.

At that point I felt good and decided I just couldn’t keep concentrating on the negative. I needed to be well. I quit taking my temperature three times a day and got on with my life. I knew 37.5 mcg wasn’t enough but it was okay for a while. About 7 months ago I increased gradually to 50 mcg and have been at that dose ever since.

At 50 mcg I had almost normal energy, my hair loss decreased, my sleep was reasonably good. I even slept on my left side at night (on your left side you can hear your heartbeat and when it is irregular that is disturbing). However, I knew I should wake up feeling more aware and sharp than I was. Even when I started my B12 shots, instead of feeling much better I felt only marginally better and, as time passed I felt even more lethargic than I had been feeling.

The good news

I think this makes a short blog a long one and I am sorry for the verbosity but we now move onward. This week I finally took a basal temperature and when it read 97.3 I knew it was time to increase my T3 and I felt certain my body could handle an increase. On Tuesday I added 6.25 mcg to my 11 a.m. dose. The first day I felt no change whatsoever. The second day I could tell my pulse was slightly higher and my sleep was better.

So far things are working rather well. My temperatures were up on the second day but now four days later they are down again.  My blood pressure is closer to normal (109/70). My pulse is normal (70). I don’t feel so muzzy headed when I get up in the morning. With my temperatures hovering around 98 during the day I know I am not done. I need more T3 and will aim for 75 mcg as that is the level that most people need to feel really good but if at anytime the tremors return or I feel hyper the dose will change. That is the beauty of T3-only, you can lower it and see quick improvement.

Kris Insight

Here is why I think it is working this time. It is only a theory mind you but I think taking the B12 shots and increasing my cellular levels of B12 has contributed to allowing what T3 I take to actually get in to the cells. When the T3 is finally allowed in to the cells you go quite hypo (slight weight gain, sluggishness) because you are using it all and need more.

I also think my inadequate levels of selenium, zinc, CoQ10 and Inositol were possibly keeping my cells from clearing all the T4 out and/or allowing all the T3 in to the receptors. I am now taking therapeutic doses of all those nutrients to get my cellular levels up where they belong.

I could be wrong so don’t take me to task about my insight. I am not a doctor, I am a dental hygienist who has successfully treated her thyroid resistance with the help of the “village”. With that said, if you are still having troubles with getting your T3-only treatment to work for you (or any thyroid treatment for that matter) may I make a suggestion? Get a Spectracell Nutrient test. It is clear to me that we really must test everything we can at the cellular level not just a normal blood test.

If you want more information on the trials and tribulations of going it alone just go here. I have pages and pages of experience you can read through. Obviously I am still learning and I need to keep an open mind and an informed one but for today increasing a minute amount has made a difference and I feel good.

Santé,

Kris

19 Mar

On Being Hypothyroid and Other Minutaie

Posted by Kris in Adrenal Fatigue, Adrenal fatigue and alcohol sensitivity, Adrenal fatigue supplements, B12, B12 injections, CoQ10, Cynomel, FIR sauna, heart palpitations, Heartbeat irregularity, Hypothyroidism, pounding heartbeat, Spectracell blood test, T3 only, T3 only protocol, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , .

Spring has sprung in Minnesota and as always I am reminded that with spring there is renewal and with that rebirth comes a certain amount of joy. Perhaps Anne Bradstreet said it best in Meditations Divine and Moral (1655)-”If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome”.

I thought as this week brings with it the first official day of spring it might be timely to update my thyroid buddies on my current state of health. I will preempt everything by asking you to understand if I seem a bit sardonic. I admit to still being very superstitious about what I say and I know many hypothyroid people, and other “spoonies” will relate.

That said, here we go……..

T3 only and what works for me

I am still taking 50 mcg of T3. This dose seems to work pretty well for me even though by the dictates of the RT3 thyroid group it is not enough. My pulse is pretty normal and I am happy with my blood pressure. I generally have a pulse around 75-78 bpm and my blood pressure is pretty consistently at 116/69. After being outside and pulling weeds it is 122/74 with a heart rate of 81 bpm.

How I feed my adrenals

I still take 1/2 teaspoon of Celtic Sea Salt every morning and every afternoon. I salt my food heavily and often take extra salt if I feel my pulse is too high or if I have reason to perspire more than normal. A hot bath, a FIR sauna or this warm summer-like winter weather increases my perspiration and thus my need for sea salt.

I can tell by how I feel if I suddenly stand up whether or not my adrenals need more support. If I get light-headed I know I need to increase my sodium intake. It seems my adrenals, while healthier than they used to be, still require plenty of salt to feed their “condition” . Reminds me of the old adage “feed a cold, starve a fever” I feed them salt but hopefully starve them of nothing.

How to increase cellular deficiencies

Overall I think I am doing quite well but as you know my Spectracell test showed some deficiencies. I increased my Ubiquinol to 100 mg twice a day. I am taking 200 mcg of Selenium twice per day and  close to 64 mg of chelated Zinc per day. I was taking about 750 mg of Inositol per day but for some reason I didn’t feel any particular improvement and maybe felt worse.

Here is my new dog and pony trick. I finally got things straightened out between my doctor and a very helpful pharmacist at The Prescription Center in LaCrosse Wisconsin and my injectable B12 arrived post-haste. I will tell you more about injecting B12 next week after I have finally perfected the technique with Chloe’s assistance. I expect great things from an increased level of B12 and I hope not to be disappointed.

Exercise and FIR sauna resumed

I took several months off my normal frenetic exercise regimen around this time last year and I am finally getting back in to the swing of things. I am very careful not to overdo. In fact, I do something totally foreign to the before-adrenal-meltdown-me. I actually ask the SU if he will slow down when we walk together just to avoid taxing my system. I strongly believe that my heart palps were stimulated by an unnatural release of adrenalin and if just cooling it a bit avoids a reenactment I am content to be a wimp (yes, I have a problem with not pushing to the max).

Along with mild exercise (T-Tapp Basic, PACE walking, rebounder, Schwinn Airedyne) I have resumed some brief FIR sauna sessions. My basic routine is to exercise enough to sweat. While I am working out my sauna is warming up and as soon as I finish I hop in there for 15-20 minutes, salt water in hand. I have missed my sauna sessions but when you have adrenal stress the FIR sauna pushes you over the limits of what you can stand.

Kris Insight

Does all this mean I am as good as I can be? In one simple word, no. My heart still thumps occasionally, especially if I have too much caffeine or external stimulation. I have restless nights when I get up and sleep elsewhere so I don’t wake up the SU. I can only handle a tiny glass of wine unless I don’t mind being awakened by a pounding heartbeat that is in excess of 100 bpm. My mouth burns or tastes metallic most days and I occasionally have a hot flash that causes my face to flush (sex hormones are still not perfect).

Overall though, I feel fine. Not fine as in I don’t want to say anymore but the kind of fine that has a bit of cockiness and swagger. I saw this great quote on Facebook today that I strongly identify with,  ”Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass…..it is about learning to dance in the rain”. I have learned to dance in the rain and I feel fine.

Santé,

Kris

12 Dec

December Thyroid News:The Hypothyroid Heartbeat

Posted by Kris in Adrenal Fatigue, Adrenal fatigue and alcohol sensitivity, Adrenal fatigue supplements, Amino Acids, Anti-aging supplements, Autoimmune Thyroiditis, Bio-identical hormones, bio-identical progesterone, heart palpitations, Heartbeat irregularity, Hypothyroidism, pounding heartbeat, T3 only, Thyroid resistance, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , .

It is trite I know but I will say it anyway, I simply cannot believe how time passes us by. One day you are 10 without a care in the world and the next you are 57 with all the cares of the world on your shoulders. Being  a person with autoimmune dis-ease does not make it simpler but there are few if any dull moments and you constantly learn something new and unusual. With that in mind I thought an update on my thyroid health would be timely.

On Sleeping on Your Left Side

Many of my readers and fellow hypo’s will know that my hallmark of thyroid health is being able to lie on my left side and without further ado let me say, I am sleeping on my left side. Not all the time but when my right side is sore from use I can turn to my left side and even if I hear my heart beat it is not irregular and it is not pounding. Just for the sake of feeding my thyroid health superstitions I will add that it is not consistent, there are times when my heartbeat blips or pounds (read below for other reasons) but for the most part I can turn to my left side and fall back in to a relaxing, rejuvenating sleep without any particular upset.

A Brief on the Hypo’s Heartbeat

The above statement may be hard to comprehend if you have never experienced the hypothyroid heartbeat, so let me briefly tell you. When your thyroid is not producing enough thyroid hormone to adequately feed the needs of your body your body produces unnatural amounts of adrenaline to compensate. This over compensation by your adrenal glands, in my opinion, not only causes adrenal fatigue it affects your heartbeat causing palpitations. This often ends with  you sitting in a cardiologist’s office, then being put through a myriad of tests only to be prescribed this and that medication and still suffering the palpitations.

Bear in mind, we “hypos” aren’t used to a normal heartbeat because our hearts often beat too slowly and too softly to be heard, so as we start medicating our thyroids adequately, either with a doctor’s assistance or on our own,  we suddenly hear a pounding heartbeat if we lay on our left side in particular. Add to this “pounding” (but probably normal) heartbeat any kind of irregularity and you have a person who never sleeps on their left side. Never, that is, when they are under-treated or incorrectly treated for thyroid resistance.

Life Changes

I hate to go so far as to say I live in fear of the irregular heartbeat but I have blogged on this subject ad nauseum, so I must dread it. A few weeks ago I found myself at my computer at midnight with a heartbeat in excess of 100 bpm. This always leads to researching online, first to my groups and then to other online comments or studies. This particular knowledge gleaning moment led me to a conclusion that was the end of my world as I knew it, after reading  a hundred entries or so on many different forums I realized what the problem was. I needed to cease my evening tipple.

Yes, you read that right and it pains me to say because I love my traditions (not addictions because I can give them up without bad side effects) many of which I learned while living in Europe, a time that is full of pleasant memories and custom. I love my English “tea ceremony” every morning and I thoroughly enjoyed two glasses of wine in the evening. What I didn’t realize is that my adrenal fatigue had reared its ugly head and adrenal fatigue and alcohol do not mix.

If you have adrenal fatigue alcohol acts as a stimulant akin to having caffeinated coffee or perhaps even Ephedra or other like stimulants (I have never taken Ephedra but I have read about its effects). I knew those were stimulants to avoid just like the nerve racking television which I avoid after 8 p.m. because the lights and noise stimulate me like a cup of coffee or worse.

What I didn’t seem to associate with my sleeplessness and racing heartbeat was the wine before supper that “relaxed” me. Seriously, how could it be a stimulant? It is specifically supposed to help me relax. I felt betrayed (not really) but clearly I needed to stop that long standing custom, so I did. If someone would have told me that putting that particularly bad nightmare scenario to bed was this simple I would have been all over it ages ago.

I know, I know, I can hear all the health conscious folks reading my soliloquy asking with wonder “Doesn’t she know alcohol is bad for her?” Mercola and many others preach and preach on the evils of alcohol but honestly I still don’t think a glass of wine is going to kill you but there is a time and place and I am not in either at the moment.

In Conclusion

With that admission behind me I feel like my shoulders are less rounded as if a weight has been lifted from them. I have to say that other than a few niggling issues I have been exceptionally well. I am still taking 50 mcg of T3 which results in normal energy and slightly below normal basal temperatures. I have recently started taking Ashwaghanda again and I added 5-HTP to my repertoire of supplements to elevate my moods slightly and help me sleep even better.

There are things that still need attention and the one that plagues me at the moment is my dry eyes and mouth. It could be Sjogren’s as that often accompanies Hashimoto’s Disease but I have never had that diagnosis, so my quest for an answer to that problem continues. If you have successfully treated this issue please share your experience by leaving a comment.

I conclude that with almost everything in my life I have come to expect the unexpected and I glean from all I experience what I can. I am fascinated by the stories of the world and the challenges we all face. If you come across this blog while on your own midnight quest for knowledge I hope you find it comforting that you are not alone. We are truly in this together and we share the weight of the world’s health issues on collective shoulders.

To your good health,

Kris

24 Oct

NA Brew and You

Posted by Kris in Adrenal Fatigue, heart palpitations, Heartbeat irregularity, hypothyroid, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , .

I was thinking as I pondered this week’s blog that featuring a bottle of beer might grab your interest. Now I ask you, did it? There is a medicinal purpose for this interest grabber but all the same most will not expect it of a blog that is mostly devoted to hypothyroidism. Well you will now expect the unexpected.

A few weeks ago I was fascinated by a news story I found on Twitter, http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/24/nonalcoholic-beer-aids-marathon-recovery/. My piqued curiosity was primarily a result of my ongoing electrolyte issue, something in retrospect I think has been with me forever. I am sure no one else reading this article connected NA beer with electrolytes but leave it to me.

Decades ago I ran a half marathon. I did not enjoy the run and when we finished I was totally dehydrated, I didn’t know I was totally dehydrated but when the proffered drink, Coca Cola, was consumed with some voracious appetite for replenishing fluid, I was suddenly hit with stomach cramps of a humongous proportion. I spent the rest of the afternoon in a warm tub of water, writhing.

You see when running in those days, whether it was 5 miles or 10,  I avoided hydration because any fluid inside often had the negative affect of causing a stitch in my side. “Stitch” is an euphemism for paralyzing pain that stops you in your tracks and according to the site I looked at many think it has something to do with your liver. I suspect I was dehydrated, very low on minerals and high in inflammation when I finished the 15K race in the hot July sun. If strained ligaments that support your liver are the cause of such pain mine were in paroxysms of strain.

Fast forward a decade or two, and thanks to struggling adrenals my electrolytes are often on the edge of imbalance and a good long soak in a hot tub can put me over the edge and always has. For me the after effect of a long soak in a very hot tub of water is a racing heartbeat that nearly roars in my ear and awakens me from a sound sleep. I now know what to do (run to the kitchen and drink a large glass of very salty water) but I am always looking for help with this issue. Enter non-alcoholic beer, yes, you read that right, a non-alcoholic (NA) brew.

Last week after a nice hot tub evening we were going to have homemade pizza. What is perfect with pizza? Well, for some the only answer is beer. I am not a devotee but having read the article on how well marathon runners recover if they drink  non-alcoholic beer before and after a race I was looking for any excuse to give it a try. I am currently not gluten free, so I do not have to seek out gluten free non-alcoholic beer and the Beck’s NA that I found is actually very tasty, a slightly bitter German brew that is nicely hoppy with the perfect carbonation. I had no Beck’s NA before my bath but two afterwards plus a slice of salty pizza.

I did not count the carbs ( honestly I didn’t want to know) but I suspect the extra carbs are also helpful to marathon runners. My goal was an uninterrupted night of sleep and my goal was achieved. I did have Celtic Sea Salt throughout the day but I always do that and still have to get up and drink salt water. I also take Tri-Salts, a mixture of magnesium, calcium and potassium but again I always do that, so the NA beer was the only change and it made a difference, it really did. I got up but it was for reasons other than a need for salty water to calm my racing heart.

Talk about unscientific studies this one has no control subjects, no pre-bath data to compare to post-bath data but I will do it again and wanted to share the article and my experience with my readers. By the way, the article did state that drinking alcoholic beer probably negates any benefits of the polyphenols found in beer even though the alcoholic beer is even more loaded with polyphenols. Also, just for the sake of knowledge gleaned, unpasteurized beer is even more loaded with polyphenols, B vitamins, etc. but still alcohol negates most of the benefits.

Yes, you’ve got that right, there is no excuse for a bender this weekend. I take no responsibility for anyone drinking one to one and a half liters of strong beer in the name of lowering inflammation and possibly assisting electrolyte imbalances but, gosh, if you do, and it works, let me know.

Experimenting for your good health,

Kris

4 Jul

Almost Nirvana and Other Madness

Posted by Kris in Adrenal Fatigue, Adrenal fatigue supplements, Autoimmune Thyroiditis, B12, Bio-identical hormones, Cynomel, Forest Pharmaceuticals, gall bladder disease, heart palpitations, Heartbeat irregularity, hypothyroid, Hypothyroidism, pounding heartbeat, RT3, T3 only, T3 only protocol, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

This week’s blog is for my fellow thyroid sufferers and other “spoonies”. A thyroid friend contacted me the other day and asked how I was doing (Hi Olivia) that got me to thinking that I hadn’t reported recently on the status of my health. There isn’t really anything earth shattering to report, nothing fabulous or horrific but I feel after a year on T3 only, and hitting more than a few bumps in the road, things are nearly there, almost nirvana (but superstition keeps me from saying anything more).

I will do a quick rundown of the past year for those who might be unfamiliar. I have had hypothyroidism for 15 years give or take a year. In those years my dose of Syn-crap was constantly inadequate and being increased every time I had my blood drawn. I found a good doctor who would let me try Armour in 2010 but after about a year on Armour I was still having problems with an irregular heartbeat that began three years prior to trying Armour (things started out quite well on Armour but then Forest Pharmaceuticals changed the formulation and the irregularity came back with a vengeance).

I decided to go the “T3 only” route in April 2010 after reading Stop the Thyroid Madness by Janie Bowthorpe and investigating various health forums that she introduced to my world. I had been battling this irregularity for more than three years now and despite what my doctor was telling me (you need to see a cardiologist) I knew  my heart was reacting to something akin to an improper release of adrenaline and that had to be caused by one thing, my improperly treated thyroid. I fit the description of a person with a Reverse T3 issue, basically an inability to get enough T3 to the thyroid receptors because they are blocked by T4. If the receptors are blocked by T4 the T4 is not converted to T3 as it needs to be for the thyroid to use it, so you are always under treated and have a resistance to any thyroid medication that has T4 in it.

Around this time last year, that is July Fourth and approximately 3 months on T3 only, I suddenly started having panic attacks, inability to sleep through the night, a feeling of not being able to swallow, diarrhea and a basal temperature of 98.2 -98.4. My daytime average wasn’t that high and other factors led many with whom I consulted to feel I was suffering intolerance. Adrenal fatigue can lead to intolerance issues, so I tested my adrenal health. The tests showed challenged adrenals, not full blown adrenal fatigue but low normal results especially midday, so I did try Isocort and then hydrocortisone but by and large those made me feel worse. [In retrospect, thanks to many talks with Nanci, I have concluded that my adrenals were weak but should never have been treated with anything containing hydrocortisone but hindsight is 20/20 as they say].

I “cleared” in July and had to drop my dose from 125 mcg to 68.75 mcg. I stayed on the Isocort (taking it like this 3-3-2-1) and gradually increased my dose of Cynomel according to my temperatures. Increasing according to my temperatures meant that I actually increased too much and too fast and eventually developed a bothersome tremor in my hands. It was so pronounced that it made my job (dental hygienist) difficult but the good news is I never had to quit working despite what I would call the rigors of clearing T4 from my receptors.

Last autumn was actually pretty miserable as I diligently climbed my way back to taking  125 mcg of T3. I was constantly taking my temperature three times a day and finding it sub normal over all, sometimes even my basal temperature was below 97.6, so I would up the dose despite the tremor and sleepless nights. Things weren’t great, I didn’t feel “normal”, my temperatures weren’t “normal” and I was getting discouraged.

Christmas was the nadir of my T3 only treatment. I had increased and decreased and now I was taking 118.75 mcg. It was Christmas Day and we were in Bayfield, Wisconsin with family an activity that usually brings me joy. That weekend I hardly slept, my heart was racing constantly. Basically, I was miserable, so I decreased again despite my temperatures  (which still weren’t normal) to 112.50 mcg. Nothing improved, nothing.

To make this now long introduction a little  shorter, after talking online for months with several helpful “thyroid friends” (to whom I am most grateful) this last winter, in February, I decreased dramatically to 50 mcg of T3. Miracles of miracles, almost overnight all of my objectionable symptoms disappeared, my temps didn’t come up but I finally felt human again after months of, gosh I hate to be dramatic, torture. I honestly couldn’t believe what a difference it made. I could go upstairs without feeling breathless, I was sleeping the sleep of normal people, my thinking was clear, my tremor completely disappeared and miracle of miracles my irregular heartbeat was better than it had been in years.

Enter Kris today. I am enjoying summer in Minnesota (yes, it finally has arrived), my new grandson and relatives visiting for the Fourth of July. I am still taking 50 mcg of T3 spread out in four equal doses the last one being as I turn the light out at bedtime. My daily average temperature is sub-par but my basal is within normal limits (97.8) and as long as I feel “human” I am sticking to 50 mcg of T3.

I know my current regimen flies in the face of everything my gurus on the RT3 site recommend but my heart is as regular as it has been in years and the other night I actually found myself sleeping on my left side. That is a significant event only for those of us who have experienced the sound of a pounding irregular heartbeat. When you lay on your left side the sounds of your heartbeat are magnified and, needless to say, unbearable when those beats are irregular. When I awoke sleeping on my left side I knew I had passed a milestone in my treatment.

I have my daily supportive routines like taking at least 1/2 teaspoon of Celtic Sea Salt every day, twice a day. I take one Thorne B #12, Thorne folocal if I take additional B12, Krill oil, antioxidants with 2000 mg of Vitamin C, and Bio-Astaxanthin every day. Other days I might add Vitamin D3, Vitamin A, Zinc Picolinate Plus, Super K, Chlorella and Spirulina.

Three times a week I put a scoop of  Boku Superfood in my morning smoothie which consists of some form of protein powder (SunWarrior or Mercola’s Whey). I am currently not following a gluten free diet but my carb intake is very low during the week and only on the weekend do I eat more carbs. I guess you could call it carb loading for a day or two which is sometimes recommended by exercise coaches.

All in all, I feel my health this summer is far better than last summer. My blood test panel showed improvements but certainly not perfection. My hormones are all low but my SHBG was very high, so that is the explanation for the low levels of my sex hormones. I know I need to compensate with higher doses of Estradiol and Progesterone but have yet to find a doctor who is knowledgeable in treating with the Wiley Protocol. My gall bladder still troubles me but that has been ongoing for years and I now understand that a sluggish thyroid lends itself to a sluggish gall bladder, so I take the necessary steps to keep it as healthy as I can. I have a very dry burning mouth at times and my eyes feel dry, so I suspect Sjogren’s but there is no diagnosis of such a thing and with a diagnosis I am not sure anything would change. I use natural lubricant for my eyes and I have very good oral hygiene.

Does my heartbeat still trouble me? Sometimes I can feel it “skip a beat” but instead of panicking I take it in stride and soon things are normal again. It is never precipitated by exercise, so I am not fearful. My blood pressure is nearly perfect if on the low side. My energy is good but I am careful not to overdo as I feel my adrenal health is still compromised (indicated by my low temperatures of 98 degrees most afternoons that I check). My sleep is the best it has been in years and I often don’t wake at all or if I do it is only once and I go right back to sleep.

My wish for all the “thyroid friends” and “Spoonies” who read this is that you, too, can find your peace. Just know that some day you will turn the corner and find your self again. Even if it is fleeting, for that singular moment just enjoy the experience of  being you again.

Happy Fourth of July,

Kris

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