Crashed temps,.

[bluewren]

Hi All,

I need some help here please. I am 57, female, and have been working hard to raise my BMR for 3 years! This involved changing my diet from paleo and low carb, to eating sugars, dairy, shellfish, gelatin, meats, eggs,o/j, root vegies, coffee, chocolate, fruit, raw carrot.I eat between 2500-3000 cals/day, sometimes more.

Supplements are Vit B's, Mag, caffeine, aspirin, Progesterone, glycine, Cyproheptadine at night. I use Cynoplus half tab daily, Cynomel half tab daily, both in divided doses.

Despite this regime, my temps are still low....35.8 C on waking, 36.2 after eating and sitting under a heat lamp. My sleep is very poor....I lie awake for hours before finally dropping off, and wake at dawn.This is a huge problem for me, causing me grief. It began 4 months ago.

Today, as an experiment, I increased my morning Cynoplus to half a tab with breakfast. 3 hours later, my temp was 34.1. I was sweaty, but my pulse was 82 (74-80 is my norm). Now, 3.5 hours later, I'm up to 36.1 under a lamp.

My latest blood tests were all within normal limits. TSH 0,01. T3 and T4 mid range. Cholesterol was in upper limit. Iron pretty high too, for which I donate blood.

I am very tired, and have no stamina. I actually feel worse than I did 3 years ago Should I increase T3 and lower T3/T4? Any help greatly appreciated. I feel at my wits end.

Bluewren

 

[tara]

34.1 seems very low - I bet you weren't feeling great with that.
I'm not expert on this, but did you get rT3 tested? I'm no good at interpreting the numbers, but if you are taking too much T4, some of it might get turned into reverse T3 which opposes T3. Both TSH number and symptoms seem consistent with this. I would be cautious about increasing T4.

What changed 4 mths ago?

How's your breathing? For me, getting my breathing calm and nasal seems to be important for good sleep.

 

[answersfound]

Maybe stress hormones Are interfering with recovery. I would increase Cyproheptadine dose. I know it will make you even more tired but it will help the recovery process. Also you can drink coffee to help with the fatigue.

 

[SQu]

I don't have answers but often have the same bad patches and am doing much the same as you for the same time, similar age. I think stubborn low temps may be estrogen. Some symptoms sound like estrogen eg sweaty might be flushing. Have you looked into Clonidine ? Lowers adrenalin, sold for flushing and migraine, without prescription in some countries. Haidut posted studies on it, will try to find. Helping me get better sleep, especially helps stop that lying in bed awake thing, and sometimes i take it when I flush. I disliked side effects the first day or two (dry mouth, too sedating) and apparently one must taper down when stopping but I broke pills in half to begin with and don't take every day and only one when I do and have no problems.

 

[Aspekt]

Are you getting much salt?

 

[bluewren]

Thanks for the responses.

Tara: my RT3 was 199 (140-540) This has increased from the level 6 month previously. I certainly won't increase T4.
4 months ago I had family stress.

Lookingforanswers and sueq: will check out more Cypro, and read up on Clonidine.

Thank you.

 

[bluewren]

Aspekt: I eat a lot of salt on food, and in O/J and milk.

 

[Peata]

My suggestions based on what's working for me -

I monitor my temps and if I see it lowering during the day to below 98.0, I eat again. So I might be eating every hour or two (doesn't have to be a big meal each time), and use thermogenic foods which are salty and/or sweet. Little to no liquid unless I'm thirsty or feel I need it to balance what else I'm eating. Example - fruit and instead of having a cup of milk with it, I'll have 1/4 c. milk with some salt in it. Or salted fruit and salted low fat string cheese, for examples of snacks.

Also, I lowered liquids and increased salt.

Cyproheptadine may be helping overall, I'm not sure. But I slowly worked up to 8 mg. day, divided.

I also have to make sure there are not a lot of hours between last meal and sleep. So I have something before bed. Otherwise I might either have trouble falling alseep or wake up in night from adrenaline. It sounds like what is happening to you. If you lay there trying to sleep but feel uncomfortable, mind racing or "flashing", anxiety, too hot or too cold, etc. Then for me that's a big sign to eat something. Or if I wake up from a night terror or just getting up to pee too much or waking too early. Maybe you are eating a snack before bed, but I just wanted to mention it. I even keep a squirt bottle of honey on the nightstand in case I need it.