Possibly Have PCOS, Supplement/diet Advice Please!

[bionicheart]

I'm 27 years and suspect I have PCOS, but my doctor won't test my hormones because I'm not overweight, in fact I have been underweight for the last year and just now at a normal weight. I'm 5'10" and weigh 133lbs. I got my period when I was 15 and have had irregular periods my since then, always a couple days to a couple of weeks late or occasionally no period at all. I have chronic cystic acne, breast pain, painful periods, vary from light to heavy with clots, coarse hairs around my nipples/navel, so I assume my androgen and estrogen levels are high. PMS symptoms are increased anxiety, exhaustion, more irritable/sensitive.
I know my cortisol levels are high at night and low in the morning (no energy in morning, wide awake at night.) No matter what I eat I always have "skinny fat." In fact, since I've started peating, my cramps and breast pain have increased (not just around my period) acne, hair loss, and cellulite have all increased.
I took birth control from the age of 18-25, which made me a little more regular, but gave me one monthly migraine with aura before or after my period. I've had an ultrasound in 2015 when I got a paraguard IUD, and removed a month later, no cysts.
My right breast hurts pretty bad-I'm only a big A-small B cup and it hurts if I move too fast (running, jumping..etc..) I got the doctor to check and she just said it was normal around that time of the month -_-
I've read Phosphatidyl Serine can help with the cortisol levels and supplementing with a general glucose support supplement will help with insulin control.
I think the estrogen in the milk is increasing the pain. I just don't know what to do. Should I order a saliva test? I don't have a lot of money to spend on a naturopath so if anyone could give me advice on what I should eat/avoid eating or supplements that have helped or should help I would be so grateful.
I have been taking progesterone since the 15th. my last period was April 3rd-7th..
To help me sleep I'm currently taking:
progesterone 20-40mg topically
benadryl 50mg,
niacinamide 500mg
along with 1-2 scoops of gelatin in chamomile tea w/honey, coconut oil and a dash of salt. My insomnia has been so bad in the past I've had to take benzos.
I just quit taking benzos (tapered off slowly) last week so I resorted to taking 2-4mg of melatonin at night (I know this is not peat-friendly, but it's the only thing that puts me to sleep and feel like I need at least 8 hours to feel rested.) I still wake up at 2 or 4 am though... :/
Thanks

 

[mjrm]

I'm 27 years and suspect I have PCOS, but my doctor won't test my hormones because I'm not overweight, in fact I have been underweight for the last year and just now at a normal weight. I'm 5'10" and weigh 133lbs. I got my period when I was 15 and have had irregular periods my since then, always a couple days to a couple of weeks late or occasionally no period at all. I have chronic cystic acne, breast pain, painful periods, vary from light to heavy with clots, coarse hairs around my nipples/navel, so I assume my androgen and estrogen levels are high. PMS symptoms are increased anxiety, exhaustion, more irritable/sensitive.
I know my cortisol levels are high at night and low in the morning (no energy in morning, wide awake at night.) No matter what I eat I always have "skinny fat." In fact, since I've started peating, my cramps and breast pain have increased (not just around my period) acne, hair loss, and cellulite have all increased.
I took birth control from the age of 18-25, which made me a little more regular, but gave me one monthly migraine with aura before or after my period. I've had an ultrasound in 2015 when I got a paraguard IUD, and removed a month later, no cysts.
My right breast hurts pretty bad-I'm only a big A-small B cup and it hurts if I move too fast (running, jumping..etc..) I got the doctor to check and she just said it was normal around that time of the month -_-
I've read Phosphatidyl Serine can help with the cortisol levels and supplementing with a general glucose support supplement will help with insulin control.
I think the estrogen in the milk is increasing the pain. I just don't know what to do. Should I order a saliva test? I don't have a lot of money to spend on a naturopath so if anyone could give me advice on what I should eat/avoid eating or supplements that have helped or should help I would be so grateful.
I have been taking progesterone since the 15th. my last period was April 3rd-7th..
To help me sleep I'm currently taking:
progesterone 20-40mg topically
benadryl 50mg,
niacinamide 500mg
along with 1-2 scoops of gelatin in chamomile tea w/honey, coconut oil and a dash of salt. My insomnia has been so bad in the past I've had to take benzos.
I just quit taking benzos (tapered off slowly) last week so I resorted to taking 2-4mg of melatonin at night (I know this is not peat-friendly, but it's the only thing that puts me to sleep and feel like I need at least 8 hours to feel rested.) I still wake up at 2 or 4 am though... :/
Thanks

Do you use a menstrual cup? May be another piece of good information to measure how much blood you are releasing at the time of your period. You are underweight/normal weight...how is the weight distributed?

if you search the forum, seems like the best bet would be to try to incorporate anti-estrogen foods and supplements to start.

 

[bionicheart]

Do you use a menstrual cup? May be another piece of good information to measure how much blood you are releasing at the time of your period. You are underweight/normal weight...how is the weight distributed?

I have a menstrual cup, it seems like it fills up quickly (like half an ounce to an ounce in a couple hours) only for the first 2 days of my cycle. but the cup's suction creates more pain so I don't use it anymore. When I gain weight I see it in my arms, hips, thighs, glutes. But I have stomach "rolls" when sitting, and just a soft stomach with cellulite now... I look really skinny to most people, (I have a history of eating disordered behavior so I prefer to use their judgement over mine)

 

[nikkmm]

I have a very, very similar story to yours. One thing I will say - progesterone helped me at first, especially with calming the nerves and combatting some estrogenic symptoms. I started with a high dose as most people suggest. After a few months of usage, I started developing perioral dermatitis, fat/bloating around the middle like a spare tire and some serious irritability. I didnt do any hormone testing at the time so I'm not sure if it was high testosterone or high estrogen or what, but I know that when I stopped the progesterone, things started clearing up within a week. And then a few weeks after that, my cycle began to become more normal and I had a regular period. I feel like maybe progesterone kickstarted my hormones. Advice from this story: try a high initial dose of progesterone for a few days, then monitor symptoms - take a break from the progesterone if you feel it is making hormones more out of whack. Years of irregular periods and amenorrhea made me think I was very low on hormones and when they start moving again things can go a little strange.

If you can afford a DUTCH urine test I think it might be able to help you navigate your hormones and what's really going on. You shouldn't be in pain all the time.

Not sure what Peat says about these but kava and strong valerian might be able to help you sleep while you kick the benzo habit.

As far as food suggestions - obviously avoiding PUFA, excessive oil and estrogens is beneficial. I personally like to eat low fat and high carb but I think the most important thing while you're trying to fix hormones is not to stress yourself out with food too much. Eat what you like, while avoiding toxic substances that Peat talks about.

 

[Velve921]

I'm 27 years and suspect I have PCOS, but my doctor won't test my hormones because I'm not overweight, in fact I have been underweight for the last year and just now at a normal weight. I'm 5'10" and weigh 133lbs. I got my period when I was 15 and have had irregular periods my since then, always a couple days to a couple of weeks late or occasionally no period at all. I have chronic cystic acne, breast pain, painful periods, vary from light to heavy with clots, coarse hairs around my nipples/navel, so I assume my androgen and estrogen levels are high. PMS symptoms are increased anxiety, exhaustion, more irritable/sensitive.
I know my cortisol levels are high at night and low in the morning (no energy in morning, wide awake at night.) No matter what I eat I always have "skinny fat." In fact, since I've started peating, my cramps and breast pain have increased (not just around my period) acne, hair loss, and cellulite have all increased.
I took birth control from the age of 18-25, which made me a little more regular, but gave me one monthly migraine with aura before or after my period. I've had an ultrasound in 2015 when I got a paraguard IUD, and removed a month later, no cysts.
My right breast hurts pretty bad-I'm only a big A-small B cup and it hurts if I move too fast (running, jumping..etc..) I got the doctor to check and she just said it was normal around that time of the month -_-
I've read Phosphatidyl Serine can help with the cortisol levels and supplementing with a general glucose support supplement will help with insulin control.
I think the estrogen in the milk is increasing the pain. I just don't know what to do. Should I order a saliva test? I don't have a lot of money to spend on a naturopath so if anyone could give me advice on what I should eat/avoid eating or supplements that have helped or should help I would be so grateful.
I have been taking progesterone since the 15th. my last period was April 3rd-7th..
To help me sleep I'm currently taking:
progesterone 20-40mg topically
benadryl 50mg,
niacinamide 500mg
along with 1-2 scoops of gelatin in chamomile tea w/honey, coconut oil and a dash of salt. My insomnia has been so bad in the past I've had to take benzos.
I just quit taking benzos (tapered off slowly) last week so I resorted to taking 2-4mg of melatonin at night (I know this is not peat-friendly, but it's the only thing that puts me to sleep and feel like I need at least 8 hours to feel rested.) I still wake up at 2 or 4 am though... :/
Thanks

High sugar and Epsom salt baths have been instrumental for relaxation before bed time. I do 5 baths per week with 1-2lbs per bath; many of my athletes do daily baths with 1-4lbs per bath. If thyroid is low and estrogen is high, the sugar and magnesium combination could be largely powerful. Luke warm bath while eating your pre bed time meal could be a good combination.

Fruit, milk, Ice cream, gelatin, salt, honey can be a strong anti-stress combo.

 

[sele]

I'm 27 years and suspect I have PCOS, but my doctor won't test my hormones because I'm not overweight, in fact I have been underweight for the last year and just now at a normal weight. I'm 5'10" and weigh 133lbs. I got my period when I was 15 and have had irregular periods my since then, always a couple days to a couple of weeks late or occasionally no period at all. I have chronic cystic acne, breast pain, painful periods, vary from light to heavy with clots, coarse hairs around my nipples/navel, so I assume my androgen and estrogen levels are high. PMS symptoms are increased anxiety, exhaustion, more irritable/sensitive.
I know my cortisol levels are high at night and low in the morning (no energy in morning, wide awake at night.) No matter what I eat I always have "skinny fat." In fact, since I've started peating, my cramps and breast pain have increased (not just around my period) acne, hair loss, and cellulite have all increased.
I took birth control from the age of 18-25, which made me a little more regular, but gave me one monthly migraine with aura before or after my period. I've had an ultrasound in 2015 when I got a paraguard IUD, and removed a month later, no cysts.
My right breast hurts pretty bad-I'm only a big A-small B cup and it hurts if I move too fast (running, jumping..etc..) I got the doctor to check and she just said it was normal around that time of the month -_-
I've read Phosphatidyl Serine can help with the cortisol levels and supplementing with a general glucose support supplement will help with insulin control.
I think the estrogen in the milk is increasing the pain. I just don't know what to do. Should I order a saliva test? I don't have a lot of money to spend on a naturopath so if anyone could give me advice on what I should eat/avoid eating or supplements that have helped or should help I would be so grateful.
I have been taking progesterone since the 15th. my last period was April 3rd-7th..
To help me sleep I'm currently taking:
progesterone 20-40mg topically
benadryl 50mg,
niacinamide 500mg
along with 1-2 scoops of gelatin in chamomile tea w/honey, coconut oil and a dash of salt. My insomnia has been so bad in the past I've had to take benzos.
I just quit taking benzos (tapered off slowly) last week so I resorted to taking 2-4mg of melatonin at night (I know this is not peat-friendly, but it's the only thing that puts me to sleep and feel like I need at least 8 hours to feel rested.) I still wake up at 2 or 4 am though... :/
Thanks

I can relate to your suffering as I am recovering from severe chronic insomnia.
Cortisol controls blood sugar levels at times of stress. If blood sugar is low, thyroid is low or stress is continuous then there will be cortisol imbalance.
Once your blood sugar (glycogen storage) is fixed your insomnia will go away.
B1, calcium, fruits (fructose), salt will help with metabolism and glycogen. Stay away from coffee for now.
Milk is a superfood if you can digest it.
Unopposed estrogen gives you breast pain and PCOS. Regular carrot will help.
Take aspirin for pain.
Melatonin is a stress inducer.
Low carb diets raise cortisol and give you "skinny fat".
If you focus on ways to fix 'adrenal fatigue', you will be sick longer.
If you provide details of your current diet we can help tweak it.

 

[bionicheart]

I can relate to your suffering as I am recovering from severe chronic insomnia.
Cortisol controls blood sugar levels at times of stress. If blood sugar is low, thyroid is low or stress is continuous then there will be cortisol imbalance.
Once your blood sugar (glycogen storage) is fixed your insomnia will go away.
B1, calcium, fruits (fructose), salt will help with metabolism and glycogen. Stay away from coffee for now.
Milk is a superfood if you can digest it.
Unopposed estrogen gives you breast pain and PCOS. Regular carrot will help.
Take aspirin for pain.
Melatonin is a stress inducer.
Low carb diets raise cortisol and give you "skinny fat".
If you focus on ways to fix 'adrenal fatigue', you will be sick longer.
If you provide details of your current diet we can help tweak it.

My diet has not been consistent, I quit vaporizing cannabis a little over a week ago (failed to mention this as it's probably important to know I was vaping almost every night for about 2 years) so my appetite is very poor right now. I usually start the morning with some hot water with 1-2 scoops of gelatin, 1 TBLS of honey, 1 tsp coconut oil, a dash of salt and 1-2 glasses of OJ, with some string cheese or a cup of milk. Sometimes I just have a glass of OJ and a glass of milk and another string cheese for lunch, or I skip lunch because I get so busy at work. And get home around 5 and eat half a pint of Haagen daaz, maybe another cup of OJ with a little salt. For dinner I might just eat ice cream or some buttered sourdough bread. About once a week I'll order a plain cheese pizza because I have no energy. Sometimes I eat a couple scrambled eggs for breakfast with sautéed spinach w plain sourdough. I end every night with the tea, gelatin, honey and 1/4 cup 1% milk.
I have been diagnosed anemic as well. So i stopped taking aspirin and vitamin E(only took it for a week 325mg and 200IU) I eat a raw carrot maybe 4 times a week... I know I'm not getting enough protein.... but I'm my appetite is just non existent. Also sometimes a 24oz smoothie with frozen berries, honey and 1%milk. I seem to tolerate Dairy, if I'm eating like I said above I generally have one or two (constipated) BM a day... just a little more background, I was vegetarian for 11 years and fine then started eating more paleo for a year and got grossly skinny. Now I'm getting a bit orthorexic with food and not meeting my macros. Have a history of OCD as well....

 

[mjrm]

My diet has not been consistent, I quit vaporizing cannabis a little over a week ago (failed to mention this as it's probably important to know I was vaping almost every night for about 2 years) so my appetite is very poor right now. I usually start the morning with some hot water with 1-2 scoops of gelatin, 1 TBLS of honey, 1 tsp coconut oil, a dash of salt and 1-2 glasses of OJ, with some string cheese or a cup of milk. Sometimes I just have a glass of OJ and a glass of milk and another string cheese for lunch, or I skip lunch because I get so busy at work. And get home around 5 and eat half a pint of Haagen daaz, maybe another cup of OJ with a little salt. For dinner I might just eat ice cream or some buttered sourdough bread. About once a week I'll order a plain cheese pizza because I have no energy. Sometimes I eat a couple scrambled eggs for breakfast with sautéed spinach w plain sourdough. I end every night with the tea, gelatin, honey and 1/4 cup 1% milk.
I have been diagnosed anemic as well. So i stopped taking aspirin and vitamin E(only took it for a week 325mg and 200IU) I eat a raw carrot maybe 4 times a week... I know I'm not getting enough protein.... but I'm my appetite is just non existent. Also sometimes a 24oz smoothie with frozen berries, honey and 1%milk. I seem to tolerate Dairy, if I'm eating like I said above I generally have one or two (constipated) BM a day... just a little more background, I was vegetarian for 11 years and fine then started eating more paleo for a year and got grossly skinny. Now I'm getting a bit orthorexic with food and not meeting my macros. Have a history of OCD as well....

Get rid of the bread! If you are living in the US, it has a ton of additives and is in generally going to be inflammatory. What about shell fish and oysters? Do you like those?

 

[sele]

My diet has not been consistent, I quit vaporizing cannabis a little over a week ago (failed to mention this as it's probably important to know I was vaping almost every night for about 2 years) so my appetite is very poor right now. I usually start the morning with some hot water with 1-2 scoops of gelatin, 1 TBLS of honey, 1 tsp coconut oil, a dash of salt and 1-2 glasses of OJ, with some string cheese or a cup of milk. Sometimes I just have a glass of OJ and a glass of milk and another string cheese for lunch, or I skip lunch because I get so busy at work. And get home around 5 and eat half a pint of Haagen daaz, maybe another cup of OJ with a little salt. For dinner I might just eat ice cream or some buttered sourdough bread. About once a week I'll order a plain cheese pizza because I have no energy. Sometimes I eat a couple scrambled eggs for breakfast with sautéed spinach w plain sourdough. I end every night with the tea, gelatin, honey and 1/4 cup 1% milk.
I have been diagnosed anemic as well. So i stopped taking aspirin and vitamin E(only took it for a week 325mg and 200IU) I eat a raw carrot maybe 4 times a week... I know I'm not getting enough protein.... but I'm my appetite is just non existent. Also sometimes a 24oz smoothie with frozen berries, honey and 1%milk. I seem to tolerate Dairy, if I'm eating like I said above I generally have one or two (constipated) BM a day... just a little more background, I was vegetarian for 11 years and fine then started eating more paleo for a year and got grossly skinny. Now I'm getting a bit orthorexic with food and not meeting my macros. Have a history of OCD as well....

Cannabis is estrogenic. I'm glad you were able to quit.
Most of us on this forum have come from a vegetarian, paleo or HFLC lifestyle. Welcome to the club.
Yes, you are not getting enough protein. If you don't like milk you can eat more string cheese or cottage cheese. Sometimes you can sneak in some Greek yogurt. See if you can get your hands on some cyproheptadine. You can start with 1-2 mg. It will help lower your serotonin, increase your appetite and maybe even treat your OCD.
Do you eat meat now?
What foods are appetizing for you?
Anemia is usually low thyroid or low riboflavin. Iron deficiency anemia is rare.
An occasional aspirin for pain shouldn't be harmful. Aspirin also lowers estrogen.
Progesterone helps alleviate constipation.

 

[bionicheart]

Get rid of the bread! If you are living in the US, it has a ton of additives and is in generally going to be inflammatory. What about shell fish and oysters? Do you like those?

Yeah I'm in the US. It's just my go to because they are quick carbs if I add some fat... :/ but I'll eliminate and start eating more potatoes instead... I love shrimp, I'll start adding that. Thanks!

 

[bionicheart]

Cannabis is estrogenic. I'm glad you were able to quit.
Most of us on this forum have come from a vegetarian, paleo or HFLC lifestyle. Welcome to the club.
Yes, you are not getting enough protein. If you don't like milk you can eat more string cheese or cottage cheese. Sometimes you can sneak in some Greek yogurt. See if you can get your hands on some cyproheptadine. You can start with 1-2 mg. It will help lower your serotonin, increase your appetite and maybe even treat your OCD.
Do you eat meat now?
What foods are appetizing for you?
Anemia is usually low thyroid or low riboflavin. Iron deficiency anemia is rare.
An occasional aspirin for pain shouldn't be harmful. Aspirin also lowers estrogen.
Progesterone helps alleviate constipation.

The only meat I eat is occasional shrimp, I ate tuna yesterday for the first time in months and today my skin is inflamed... I find the following appetizing:
ice cream, potatoes with butter and salt, sweetened milk, now I want boiled shrimp (since I forgot how easy it is to prepare) my doc won't prescribe cypro but he did give me mirtazapine but 7.5mg seemed to increase my adrenaline/anxiety by day 4 so I stopped it. Thanks for your input!

 

[bionicheart]

I can relate to your suffering as I am recovering from severe chronic insomnia.
Cortisol controls blood sugar levels at times of stress. If blood sugar is low, thyroid is low or stress is continuous then there will be cortisol imbalance.
Once your blood sugar (glycogen storage) is fixed your insomnia will go away.
B1, calcium, fruits (fructose), salt will help with metabolism and glycogen. Stay away from coffee for now.
Milk is a superfood if you can digest it.
Unopposed estrogen gives you breast pain and PCOS. Regular carrot will help.
Take aspirin for pain.
Melatonin is a stress inducer.
Low carb diets raise cortisol and give you "skinny fat".
If you focus on ways to fix 'adrenal fatigue', you will be sick longer.
If you provide details of your current diet we can help tweak it.

ust don't
I overthink everything so I just don't know what a typical day of eating should look like for me to fix my glycogen stores. It may be partly bc of withdrawal from the benzos and cannabis, so I'm sure it'll get easier in time. I'm just overwhelmed. So you think it's ok to take aspirin with low iron? I noticed more bruises when I was taking it..

 

[bionicheart]

I have a very, very similar story to yours. One thing I will say - progesterone helped me at first, especially with calming the nerves and combatting some estrogenic symptoms. I started with a high dose as most people suggest. After a few months of usage, I started developing perioral dermatitis, fat/bloating around the middle like a spare tire and some serious irritability. I didnt do any hormone testing at the time so I'm not sure if it was high testosterone or high estrogen or what, but I know that when I stopped the progesterone, things started clearing up within a week. And then a few weeks after that, my cycle began to become more normal and I had a regular period. I feel like maybe progesterone kickstarted my hormones. Advice from this story: try a high initial dose of progesterone for a few days, then monitor symptoms - take a break from the progesterone if you feel it is making hormones more out of whack. Years of irregular periods and amenorrhea made me think I was very low on hormones and when they start moving again things can go a little strange.

If you can afford a DUTCH urine test I think it might be able to help you navigate your hormones and what's really going on. You shouldn't be in pain all the time.

Not sure what Peat says about these but kava and strong valerian might be able to help you sleep while you kick the benzo habit.

As far as food suggestions - obviously avoiding PUFA, excessive oil and estrogens is beneficial. I personally like to eat low fat and high carb but I think the most important thing while you're trying to fix hormones is not to stress yourself out with food too much. Eat what you like, while avoiding toxic substances that Peat talks about.

Thanks for sharing with me! How many mg of progesterone would you suggest? I'm taking only 20mg topically right now and haven't really noticed any difference in anything...

 

[HLP]

You should have access to thyroid glandular without a prescription then. It helped me stop the middle of the night awakenings. Ya, I'd eat more fruit and sugar rather than bread too. You are at the right place for advice that works. You will get healthy in time. Lots of rest is important. Maybe some Pepcid would help you sleep better too, as being more alkaline makes me sleep like a rock.

 

[sele]

I find the following appetizing:
ice cream, potatoes with butter and salt, sweetened milk, now I want boiled shrimp

These are good food. Enjoy plenty of shrimp. Trader Joe's has wild Argentinian red shrimps. I love them.
Mirtazapine gave me anxiety too.
Mix 2 tsp of salt in water and sip it throughout the day. Helps with anxiety. Try bag breathing.

 

[nikkmm]

Thanks for sharing with me! How many mg of progesterone would you suggest? I'm taking only 20mg topically right now and haven't really noticed any difference in anything...

I was using the liquid products that Peat talks about, from kenogen and health natura. I was doing 3-5 drops several times per day, applied to the gums and lips.

 

[bionicheart]

You should have access to thyroid glandular without a prescription then. It helped me stop the middle of the night awakenings. Ya, I'd eat more fruit and sugar rather than bread too. You are at the right place for advice that works. You will get healthy in time. Lots of rest is important. Maybe some Pepcid would help you sleep better too, as being more alkaline makes me sleep like a rock.

I'll grab some Pepcid tonight, what brand of thyroid is a good one...? Also, I have an internal defibrillator because I went into ventricular tachycardia when I was 21 and my mom and aunt had heart transplants due to idiopathic cardiomyopathy/congestive heart failure. They obviously took the conventional medicine route, and I stopped taking beta blockers a year ago and want to avoid going down the road they did. I've never had another episode and the ICD has never shocked me.. my HR is generally between 70-95 and BP 120/80 or lower. I'm mentioning this because I'm hesitant to take anything that might stimulate my heart too much, I don't know very much about taking thyroid... thanks for the suggestions!

 

[Tarmander]

I had a friend who was a long time cannabis user who went off it due to high amounts of anxiety it was giving him. Getting off was almost just as bad though, it took him a good month to feel any kind of stability. Part of his strategy was to overeat a bit and I think he gained at least 10 lbs. In your situation I would aim for stability as the highest good, gain some weight with ice cream or some other sugary fatty thing, and I'd switch the benedryl to cypro. The other recommendations here about salt and baths are good. Coming off benzos as well...man that's hard. Just hold on and pray while it passes

 

[HLP]

PCOS and heart disease is usually related to hypothyroidism but many doctors miss this. Do you feel chilled easily? Might be a good idea to get your morning temp before getting out of bed. This should give you a pretty good idea about how your thyroid is functioning. Your pulse won't be a good indicator due to the internal defibrillator. Idiopathic just means they didn't figure out the cause! OOOps. Always start with small doses of new things, for instance Pepcid says 20 mg but I'd err on the side of 10 mg to see how you react. As for thyroid glandular, I'm not a resident of the US so I don't know what you can get. I do know that American Biologics is nearly as strong as the prescription I get here in Canada. Mine is at least 6 times stronger. That being said, when you do find some start low for a week and increase slowly week by week. It takes around three weeks to determine the right dose for sure.

Here's a quote from Ray Peat's article on Heart and Hormones: Many children approaching puberty, as estrogen is increasing and interfering with thyroid function, have "growing pains," in which muscles become tense and sore after prolonged activity. When hypothyroidism is severe, it can cause myopathy, in which the painful swollen condition involves the leakage of muscle proteins (especially myoglobin) into the blood stream, allowing it to be diagnosed by a blood test. The combination of hypothyroidism with fatigue and stress can lead to the breakdown and death of muscle cells, rhabdomyolysis. I'd read some of his articles and the pieces of the puzzle will fall in to place.

Diet is huge in reversing damage. You can access the basics above in the resources section. Eat more approved fruits and increase your sugar intake in order to sleep better. Salt is important too. Be careful with the amount of plain water you drink. You need way less than you think. Make sure you get at least 80 gr. but closer to 100 grams of protein on a daily basis. You need good nutrition to have the energy to heal. Rest more if necessary. Don't expect overnight success, healing takes time. Cheers to great health!

 

[bionicheart]

I had a friend who was a long time cannabis user who went off it due to high amounts of anxiety it was giving him. Getting off was almost just as bad though, it took him a good month to feel any kind of stability. Part of his strategy was to overeat a bit and I think he gained at least 10 lbs. In your situation I would aim for stability as the highest good, gain some weight with ice cream or some other sugary fatty thing, and I'd switch the benedryl to cypro. The other recommendations here about salt and baths are good. Coming off benzos as well...man that's hard. Just hold on and pray while it passes

Thanks for sharing your friend's experience, it is difficult, I'm determined to stay away from it. Luckily ice cream is one of my only favorite things right now so I have that going for me, haha. I'll try to find another doctor that will prescribe cypro, my doctor just won't budge on letting me try it. :/