Something else to deal with.....

[Trevor]

I haven't been feeling well of late: tired, low energy, irritable, depressed, nervous, jumpy and an astounding inability to concentrate on one thing at a time and get 'er dun, as Larry the Cable Guy would say. I went for blood tests and two days later, my doctor called me which freaked me out as she never calls. The tests (yearly ones) are done and all is usually well. Not this time.

She told me that my thyroid was completely inactive, which, according to her, could present serious health problems for me in the future if I didn't do something soon. Heart, kidneys, pancreas, skin, liver could all go so, I am now on meds for the rest of my life.

So, having made it to 46, it seems its' all downhill from here.  

[Newt]

That's rough, Trev, and a nasty surprise, but not the end of all things!  I know at least three people who have had thyroid problems, two of whom had surgery, and they are doing just fine.  Something tells me that taking your meds and being conscientious about doing what your doc tells you are things you will be good at.  So the possible consequences of not taking action are a moot point since you most definitely will be doing something to maintain your health.

{{{HUGS!!}}}

[Flangepart]

Yeeps!
Well,take yer meds, bro. It's what ya gotta do,so we keep getting to make jokes about yer undies!

[Jack]

So sorry to hear that Trevor, sure hope the medications fix you up.  Don't worry about taking med's for the rest of your life - I'm on both anti-anxiety and stomach antacids for the rest of my life.  And I lead an at least passably normal life 

[Raffine]

Sorry to hear about this, Trevor.

The bright spot is they were ble to determine why you've been feeling so bad and there's a relatively simple solution - take the meds. Hopefully you'll be back to your old self in no time.

A good friend of mine was having some very troubling symptoms for about a year - low energy, joint pain and swelling, and growing weakness. It was discovered he had a unusual genetic blood disorder called haemochromatosis, which means the iron in his blood builds up over time. The simple solution - they bleed him every couple of weeks!

[Rev. Powell]

Trevor, I'm sorry to hear that, but look on the bright side. I too am feeling tired, low energy, irritable, depressed, nervous, jumpy with an astounding inability to concentrate on one thing at a time. But no one offers me meds that might make me feel better. 

[zombie no.one]

sorry Trev. meds for life cause of underactive thyroid, really? damn. I had a thyroid test recently and it was normal, but I too feel the above described symptoms a lot. seems there's a few of us in this boat... hopefully we can row this 'boat' to a nice 'island' and not get eaten by a terrible 'sea monster' from the... ok I'm not sure how far that analogy stretches tbh

[ER]

Trevor, one of the best things for your thyroid, especially an under-active one, is to incorporate iodine into your diet. Probably the best natural source of that is kelp, which you should be able to find in powdered form in stores near you, and just sprinkle that onto your food. (Except for being a little salty it is fairly flavor-neutral.)

Nori, the black sheets used to wrap sushi, is kelp and contains 70% of the RDA of iodine per serving. Other good sources are deep water fish like cod and tuna, potatoes, many beans, milk, and eggs.

Probably the overall best way to bring some rapidly utilizable iodine into your diet is to order a product known as Lugol's solution. By adding three drops of 5% solution into eight ounces of water, you get twenty mg of iodine, which is absolutely beneficial to thyroid function. A bottle of Lugal's solution costs about $20.00 US online and is enough to last several months. In Japan people have been using Lugol's solution in vast numbers since the Fukushima disaster, and doctors there are encouraged at how well the populace has been able to handle exposure to radiation while maintaining healthy thyroid function.

Just some thoughts. I hope they help, and good luck kicking the hell out of feeling bad.

[Allhallowsday]

Your condition is very treatable.  Be glad it was discovered and the symptoms you've experienced led to the discovery.  I know you're going to feel much better soon.  Keep well. 

[Javakoala]

Trevor, my friend, I am on thyroid meds as well. It sounds depressing, but it is one of those things that I take every day without even thinking about it. If I don't take them for a few days, I definitely feel the impact.

Not trying to add to your worries, but low to no thyroid activity will cause weight gain, which will ultimately result in more health issues. The upside is that you can start eating more meats and dense veggies that are slow to process in the system. Downside, you will want to seriously restrict your carb intake (sugars, breads, pastas, cakes, alcohol). But to be honest, most carbs from those sources are NOT healthy for you to begin with.

It isn't the end of the world, brother. Just another thing that happens. You aren't alone, either. Welcome to the crappy thyroid club, Trev!   

[Trevor]

That's rough, Trev, and a nasty surprise, but not the end of all things!  I know at least three people who have had thyroid problems, two of whom had surgery, and they are doing just fine.  Something tells me that taking your meds and being conscientious about doing what your doc tells you are things you will be good at.  So the possible consequences of not taking action are a moot point since you most definitely will be doing something to maintain your health.

{{{HUGS!!}}}

Hugs, SisterN: the meds I am on are so small in size, if I dropped them, I would lose them. 

[indianasmith]

Just remember, if it hurts when you do that - DON'T DO THAT!!!

[Trevor]

Yeeps!
Well,take yer meds, bro. It's what ya gotta do,so we keep getting to make jokes about yer undies!

Thanks, Brother Flange: I will keep taking them.  

[Trevor]

So sorry to hear that Trevor, sure hope the medications fix you up.  Don't worry about taking med's for the rest of your life - I'm on both anti-anxiety and stomach antacids for the rest of my life.  And I lead an at least passably normal life 

Hugs, Brother Jack 

[Trevor]

Sorry to hear about this, Trevor.The bright spot is they were ble to determine why you've been feeling so bad and there's a relatively simple solution - take the meds. Hopefully you'll be back to your old self in no time.

Thanks Brother Raff: my old self, you say? That would mean that I have no clean undies etc, etc.*

*Oops: nothing will actually change, will it? 

A good friend of mine was having some very troubling symptoms for about a year - low energy, joint pain and swelling, and growing weakness. It was discovered he had a unusual genetic blood disorder called haemochromatosis, which means the iron in his blood builds up over time. The simple solution - they bleed him every couple of weeks!

That got me thinking (it didn't hurt, BTW  ) that I should start donating blood again which should reduce my blood iron.