Back on the Wagon

I haven't updated in an absurdly long time, but I think you all know how it is (not that this blog has many followers). Life got busy with school and two part time jobs and, unfortunately my thyroid has been put on the back burner since I was functioning like half a normal person. But, as per normal, things have changed again and I have been reminded of the roller coaster that I'm on.

I can't even remember what I wrote last about so forgive me if I repeat anything, but here is what's going on with me:

The fall semester was one of my most difficult to date and I wasn't able to give my thyroid the proper attention it requires. I stopped seeing the endocrinologist that I was referred to over the summer because I didn't think she was doing me any better than my PCP - who can do the same for a lot less money on my part. That said, my lovely primary care doctor's office has seemed to taken on a bit too much than they are realistically staffed for and I haven't been overly thrilled with their care or availability. In the recent past I have begun to display all of my lovely symptoms and upon calling to make an appointment I was told that to see my regular doc I'd have to schedule two weeks out - anyone who has severe thyroid issues like myself is plenty aware of how that period of wait just won't do. So, I scheduled a more appropriate timed appointment (this coming Monday) with an entirely different physician. Maybe I'll get lucky and this one will actually care.

I'm frustrated, and I feel a bit at my breaking point. I need to start studying this information again and get myself back up on the wagon of improving my thyroid issues. I'm worn out and school is approaching quickly, yet again. It seems I have issues every 4 months or so that I need to readdress.

Maybe it will make me feel better to spell out what I really want. Maybe it will give me a sense of what to expect and what not to settle for.

I want someone to care. I want someone to realize that I should not be feeling this way. I want someone to help. I want someone who knows what they are doing. I want someone who doesn't just look at numbers. I want someone to tell me, "No, Rachel, you don't have to feel this way the rest of your life. There are ways to help hypothyroidism and I am going to put you on the path towards that."

Sigh. Maybe someday I will find that. I hope so. A coworker of mine has hypothyroidism and she says that her doc is something incredible. Maybe I will call her tomorrow. Worth a try, right?

Until next time.....

Iodine and the Thyroid Gland

Allow me to start off by saying that since I've started this process of figuring out why I have hypothyroid and what this is all about and how I can take care of it in a more natural way I've also noticed a huge desire to talk to people about what I am learning.  The endocrine system is extremely intricate.  One of my favorite people in the whole world is a physical therapist.  As he always says, everything is connected.  For a long time I understood this to apply to the muscles and the bones, but now I am finding that this statement applies to all the systems in the body and the body as a whole.

Now I know I failed to have this up when I said I would, but here it is now.

The thyroid gland produces thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), and calcitonin.  In order to make these hormones, the gland absorbs iodine, which it combines with tyrosine (an amino acid, or protein).  A gland in our brain, called the pituitary gland releases thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in response to the hypothalamus (another gland that is located in the brain) releasing TSH Releasing Hormone (TRH).  This process is jumpstarted by inadequate levels of T3 and T4 in the body.  TSH then stimulates the thyroid to start the process of creating T3 and T4, raising the levels in the blood and returning the body to homeostasis.  Theoretically.  Then there's us.  Now it gets a little more complicated then that, but for sake of me not having to pull out my Anatomy and Physiology book at 3 o'clock in the morning, that will do.  Even to an uneducated eye there are three obvious things that could be going wrong to create hypothyroidism: the hypothalamus does not release enough TRH, the pituitary does not release enough TSH, or the thyroid does not release enough T3 or T4.

But what about iodine?  The thyroid gland is the only place in the body where iodine can be absorbed, and we can not create it ourselves; in fact, iodine must be taken in through diet (most commonly, through iodized salt, but also through kelp, seafoods, cheese, and other foods, such as these on this website).  If there is not enough iodine in the body for the thyroid gland to absorb, it cannot properly produce T3 and T4.  If there is not enough T3 or T4 in the body, then we have hypothyroidism.

So how do you know if you have an iodine deficiency?  There are multiple ways.  A more simple and easy test is to purchase tincture of iodine (or weak iodine solution) from a grocery store -- it is relatively cheap, liquid form of iodine that can be used as a disinfectant.  Once purchased, "paint" a good sized circle on your bicep (upper underarm) with the want that is included.  Iodine will stain clothing, so be careful to wear something dark or allow the area to dry before allowing it to touch clothing.  If there is not an iodine deficiency the color should be uniform and consistent for 24-hours.  A 24-hour stain indicates that the body is not trying to absorb the iodine in to the bloodstream.  If the spot changes it's shade of color (it's going to be an orangish red initially, and should only get lighter) within or up to 2-hours after application, this could indicate a severe iodine deficiency.  Anything in between suggests some degree of iodine deficiency.

Another method to test for iodine deficiency would include a visit to your doctor for an iodine loading test.  This procedure involves consuming a large amount of iodine and then monitoring urine for a 24-hour time span to see how much the body is retaining.

The importance of thyroid health is significant, as the thyroid gland really effects the body as a whole, and I believe that finding some natural ways to increase this vital gland's health is well worth the time and effort, so looking into an iodine deficiency is something I would suggest.  For me personally I have tried the painting method and have found that the iodine begins to fade very quickly and is nearly gone in roughly five hours.  I'd like to look into having an iodine loading test with my doctor.

Best of luck, and please share any experience or knowledge you have with iodine in the comments section! :)

Oh, and fun fact: a few drops of iodine in non-sanitized water (such as rain or river water) makes it safe to drink and it can also be used as an antiseptic. Good to have around if there were to be a zombie apocalypse I'mjustsaying....

Pre-Finals Update

Finals week is ahead, and I am definitely feeling the pressure.  Stress levels range day to day, depending on whatever mood my thyroid is in (yes, I just personified an organ.  People do it with the heart all the time).  To combat the random overloads I have been listening to Snow Patrol, Birdy, and Coldplay on repeat.

Today (Sunday) was my second dose of Armour thyroid.  I'm not noticing a whole lot of abnormalities (although everything is kind of abnormal right now) except an increase in stomachaches, but I don't know if those are related to the new medication or to the influx of bread and cheese in my recent diet.  I'm trying to be good, I promise.  I'm also noticing a lot more of my (unrelated) back pain, but I wonder if that is because I am not having as many hypothyroid side effects to distract me.

Has anyone else experienced stomachaches with Armour?  Or maybe changing from Synthroid to Armour?

The last few days (really, since Thursday), I have been very content with my relationship status (single), which usually tends to be something that really gets under my skin and tends to be one of those things I perseverate on when I'm having a hard time.  Other than stress from school and back pain I'm doing quite well.  I have my moments, but they tend to be more focused on how I'm going to pass my Physics final rather than anything else.

I have been tracking almost everything -- mood, aches and pains (including stomach/headaches), stress levels, whether I feel my heart rate is funny or not, how social I am, meals, amount of sleep -- in a Moleskin notebook as of Friday.  Hopefully I can keep up on this and maybe be able to find out if certain things set off my symptoms.

I'd like to (ideally) post about the relationship between iodine and hypothyroidism tomorrow.

As always, I'd love to hear any stories or get any feedback on any of my material.  Feel free to leave a comment (I'll actually be quite thrilled) or email me!

What is Hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism is characterized by a low functioning thyroid -- an endocrine gland located in the neck/throat area.  The symptoms are extensive and they can present differently in different people.  Hypothyroidism is checked/diagnosed through a blood test, which looks at TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone), T3 Free, and T4 Free (both of which are hormones made by the thyroid gland).

There is a lot of information out there about symptoms for Hypothyroidism, why it occurs, how it can be solved, and etc.  WebMD (I know, I know) offers a pretty decent overview on underactive thyroid here: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/hypothyroidism-topic-overview

So what about me?  I have had Hypothyroidism for roughly three years, and throughout those years my symptoms have probably only been truly gone for a matter of six months off and on.   As for my symptoms, they are wide and many.

• I sleep.  I sleep for hours and hours, more than I should need (we are talking upwards of ten, eleven, twelve hours) and then I wake up, and if it's a day off I eat and I go back to sleep.  I am not being sarcastic.  When my hormones aren't right, I could spend forever in bed.
• I have insomnia.  Weird, right? Obviously not this and the above at the same time, but it will alternate.  I once was up for forty-five hours straight.
• I have heart palpitations (this is not usually a symptom of Hypothyroid, but more so one of low adrenal function, which we will get to later).  When "normal" (what is "normal"?) my heart rate is less than seventy, greater than sixty.  But at times, it races to 110 at resting (siting, standing, lying, not exerting).
• I am extremely defensive.  I am also extremely sensitive. 
• Everything seems worse.  Stress is at an all time high, which isn't good for your thyroid either.  My five page paper quickly becomes twenty-five pages and everything is just a disaster and THE WORLD IS CAVING IN!
• I'm lonely, but not with a sex drive.  I just want to be held and loved.
• I'm constantly fatigued, and in a different sense than that of sleeping all the time.
• I have Attention Deficit Disorder.
• In the late evening and night time, I have extreme hunger.
• A LOT of hair loss.
• Low grade depression.
• Increased sweating.

Those are the primary symptoms I notice.  Also included under the realm of Hypothyroidism is weight gain, intolerance to cold or heat, low body temperature, shaking, memory problems, constipation, irregular menstruation, muscle aches and cramps.

Basically, it feels like someone implanted a chip into my brain and is controlling every aspect of my body through some remote.  (Disclaimer: I am not starting in about conspiracy theories or things as such, I am just using my writer's mind to describe how much Hypothyroidism SUCKS.)