Silly me -- thought I was feeling better

December 30, 2004

A few weeks ago, I posted on how much better I was feeling. Well, I

should have known not to do that since it never lasts for me! Anyway,

a few different things have been going on and am wondering if anyone

has any ideas. I'll try to be short!

Originally, I was on .137 T4 + 1 grain armour. About 2 months ago, I

started phasing out the T4 and increasing the armour. Felt a definite

improvement in mental and physical symptoms. Also, have been taking

nutri-meds adrenals for about 3 months which has helped too.

Over the last 3-4 weeks, I've felt a gradual worsening in symptoms,

not horrible, but noticable -- which I attributed to the drop in my

overall dose which had the T4 in it.

About 10 days ago, I raised to 3 grains and plan to stay here for a

while. About the same time, I got a slight touch of the flu. I

increased my adrenals for 4 days to help with the illness and the

armour increase. Went back to my regular adrenal dose on Sun.

The last 3 nights, I haven't been sleeping well and last night had a

major hot flash and was awake at 2. Also felt very weak and a little

dizzy in the morning yesterday.

My oral temps have been all over the board since I raised to 3 grains

-- 96.2 - 97.1 (97.5 1x). There's no pattern at all, but they're

definetely lower than they have been for the last 2 months (when they

were usually 97.2 or higher). Also, sometimes my oral and my

underarm temp have been almost the same -- they also used to be about

a degree different.

Does all this point to anything? Did I take too many adrenals and am

feeling the effect of that? Did the flu just throw everything off? I

have no idea what to make of the temps, but the lower #s do go along

with my increasing hypo symptoms.

Thanks for any ideas.

Debbie

December 30, 2004

I learned the hard way, like you. I posted on how great I was feeling a few

weeks ago and then BAM, knocked on my butt.

Sorry you're not doing so well.

Hugs,

Tigger

Silly me -- thought I was feeling better

A few weeks ago, I posted on how much better I was feeling. Well, I

should have known not to do that since it never lasts for me! Anyway,

a few different things have been going on and am wondering if anyone

has any ideas. I'll try to be short!

Originally, I was on .137 T4 + 1 grain armour. About 2 months ago, I

started phasing out the T4 and increasing the armour. Felt a definite

improvement in mental and physical symptoms. Also, have been taking

nutri-meds adrenals for about 3 months which has helped too.

Over the last 3-4 weeks, I've felt a gradual worsening in symptoms,

not horrible, but noticable -- which I attributed to the drop in my

overall dose which had the T4 in it.

About 10 days ago, I raised to 3 grains and plan to stay here for a

while. About the same time, I got a slight touch of the flu. I

increased my adrenals for 4 days to help with the illness and the

armour increase. Went back to my regular adrenal dose on Sun.

The last 3 nights, I haven't been sleeping well and last night had a

major hot flash and was awake at 2. Also felt very weak and a little

dizzy in the morning yesterday.

My oral temps have been all over the board since I raised to 3 grains

-- 96.2 - 97.1 (97.5 1x). There's no pattern at all, but they're

definetely lower than they have been for the last 2 months (when they

were usually 97.2 or higher). Also, sometimes my oral and my

underarm temp have been almost the same -- they also used to be about

a degree different.

Does all this point to anything? Did I take too many adrenals and am

feeling the effect of that? Did the flu just throw everything off? I

have no idea what to make of the temps, but the lower #s do go along

with my increasing hypo symptoms.

Thanks for any ideas.

Debbie

December 30, 2004

Hi Debbie. Sorry about your setback!! But do know that you are

NORMAL!! I, too, had them, when I was first working to find my

optimal dose of Armour, as do many others.

I would suspect that when you were phasing out the T4, and adding in

the Armour, you were ending up underdosing yourself on the Armour

alone, so your hypo has been returning bit by bit.

Additionally, being on the 3 grains for only 10 days is also not

enough time for you to see the effect of the added T4 in the Armour

(Armour is 80% T4). It can take at least 4-5 weeks for the T4 to

build to it's optimal amount, and for you to feel it's conversion

benefits.

And....I also suspect that the 3 grains won't be your optimal dose

either. Compare it to this: I used to be on .125 T4-only (with NO

additional Armour), and am now on an optimal dose of only 3 to 3 1/4

grains Armour. You may, in fact, still need much more Armour.

The adrenal support you are on---did you have definite low-

functioning adrenal symptoms, or did you do the 24 hour ZRT adrenal

test to verify it?

And yes, if you increased your Armour to 3 grains just 10 days ago,

AND started getting the flu, it can mess you up! Especially in the

temps! If you had not have gotten that flu, you might have seen some

results from that 3 grains and it's T3!! (

I guess if I was in your shoes, I'd either give the 3 grains a bit

more time, or go ahead and rise to 3 1/4 grains or so......but I'd

definitely hold that for several weeks---both to give the flu time

to fully leave my body, and to give the T4 time to build and see

it's results. But that's me, and you trust your gut about what to

do for yourself.

Janie

p.s. Forgot to mention--sounds like your estrogen is getting low,

and it may be quite wise to get your female hormones balanced. I've

had both ends of the spectrum over the year---I've had three hot

flashes, yet now, I have HIGH estrogen and ROCK BOTTOM progesterone--

the latter is being treated with progesterone cream.

> A few weeks ago, I posted on how much better I was feeling. Well,

I

> should have known not to do that since it never lasts for me!

Anyway,

> a few different things have been going on and am wondering if

anyone

> has any ideas. I'll try to be short!

>

> Originally, I was on .137 T4 + 1 grain armour. About 2 months

ago, I

> started phasing out the T4 and increasing the armour. Felt a

definite

> improvement in mental and physical symptoms. Also, have been

taking

> nutri-meds adrenals for about 3 months which has helped too.

>

> Over the last 3-4 weeks, I've felt a gradual worsening in symptoms,

> not horrible, but noticable -- which I attributed to the drop in my

> overall dose which had the T4 in it.

>

> About 10 days ago, I raised to 3 grains and plan to stay here for a

> while. About the same time, I got a slight touch of the flu. I

> increased my adrenals for 4 days to help with the illness and the

> armour increase. Went back to my regular adrenal dose on Sun.

>

December 31, 2004

Ahh, yes, Janie -- but just because all these thoughts are rolling

around in my head doesn't mean my gut knows which one to go with!! :-)

I did sleep better last night and seem to be feeling more " normal "

today. The hypo symptoms are still here, but I can deal with them

better knowing I'll be able to raise soon if I need to. It was the

hot flashes and poor sleeping that really freaked me out. It's been

quite a while since I felt that way (since I started the adrenals) and

I really don't want to go back to that.

So, I guess where I'm at is to sit tight and let the T4 catch up, let

my body heal completely from the flu before making any big changes

with my adrenals.

I think next time I get labs done, I'll add the female hormones. It

wouldn't surprise if something was going on with them too. I'll have

a lot of reading and research to do on that topic before I understand

it all!

Thanks so much, Janie, for everything!

Debbie

>

> Hi Debbie. I was struck by your first sentence which mentions how

> you had been thinking the same things I had stated to you. Lately, I

> have been dumbfounded how MANY times my thoughts about my health

> ended up being correct. It's uncanny. That phrase " trust your gut "

> REALLY has meaning!

>

> Concerning your mention of your April high cortisol/low DHEA results

> and then the July results---I am noticing that my hormonal imbalance

> is causing havoc everywhere in my system right now...and maybe, even

> at 38, your are starting your changes?? Granted, my age is more than

> a decade older than yours, but my genes have always put me at a

> younger level than my age. I am peri--and I have been shocked at

> what is happening to me. I'll have estrogen low enough to cause hot

> flashes, and then a few months later (now), my estrogen is high and

> my progesterone is ROCK BOTTOM......and I feel like major crap. The

> low progesterone appears to be causing an overreaction in my

> adrenals.

>

> So....it might be worth your time to get your female hormones

> checked, and do remember at what point your were in your cycle when

> you do the labs. Some folks feel saliva is the best way to go, yet

> my NP feels that bloodwork is just as informative. So, I did the

> bloodwork since I respect her so much.

>

> Janie

>

December 31, 2004