Text Book Symptoms? + Labwork Interpretation

ivy

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Portugal
Hello all,

I've come to the forum after a lot of reading and frustrating, seemingly dead-end, medical endeavours. I would like your help and advice regarding diet and especially supplements.

Backstory: I've probably had a tendency for hypothyroidism since my teens, when my hair started to shed. All my blood work was normal then, pelvic ultrasound and mammograms normal as well. My menstrual cycles were long (31 days) and messy, I always wore more clothing than everybody else around, I had nausea and trouble digesting before my period. The two dermatologists I saw both prescribed Spironolactone, which on my first try made my period descend every 15 days. The second time, with a lower dosage, I just started looking thinner and my mother disliked the idea of my kidney dependence on this drug for the rest of my life, so I quit again. My late twenties were tough: IBS diagnosis (and big dietary changes), a bout of inverted psoriasis, permanent cold and a gradually more exposed scalp until I decided for a transplant, four years ago. Also, losing a lover caused serious disruptions in my sleep in 2014, and it took a long time (and supplements, I was most successful on Gaba) before I was able to sleep some five to six hours straight. Keeping my hair from falling is a permanent job, as is keeping my tummy safe from pain and diarrhoea.

Currently: suddenly last November, I noticed big changes: my hair fell massively, my teen cramps and long cycles are back, I now have constipation and could easily sleep nine hours, my breasts increased dramatically and I have stabbing pain on the side of the breast unless I'm wearing a sports bra. From ovulation till my period finally comes, this pain prevents me from running, dancing, even moving in bed is hard.

Of course, all successive lab test are normal, according to my doctor. First, anaemia was ruled out.
Here's what followed:

Jan 23
TSH 1,54 RANGE 0,55-4,88
FT4 10,4 RANGE 11,5-22,7
FT3 3,8 RANGE 3,5-6,5

March 3 (luteal phase)
Triglycerides 61
Total cholesterol 233
HDL 84
Prolactin 12,0
FSH 3,6
LH 5,1
E2 125,0
Progesterone 17,00

Pelvic ultrasound is clean. Thyroid ultrasound shows 3 nodules, one (7mm wide) of mixed echo structure awaiting biopsy. Also, my report says that my lymph nodes are reactive, but my GP never even mentioned it. Breast ultrasound only shows a small cyst (3mm) and mentions predominantly fibrograndular tissue.

Now, I've measured my heart pressure, pulse and oral temperature a few times, since I know Peatarians value these indicators.

March 18,
10 pm before sleep
BP 97/57 pulse 44 temp 94.1
4.30 am woke up
BP 95/56 pulse 51 temp 96.98

March 20,
8.15 am woke up
BP 97/55 pulse 57 temp 97.52
11 pm before sleep
BP 85/57 pulse 51 temp 96.08

So, is my breast pain part of a bigger picture or am I paranoid? What insights do you have? What tips can you offer?

Many, many thanks in advance.
 

sele

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Aug 9, 2014
Messages
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Welcome to the forum @ivy

saw both prescribed Spironolactone
Spironolactone is a potassium-sparing diuretic that prevents your body from absorbing too much salt.
Our cells need salt for proper metabolism.
Your progesterone seems low.

You have classic signs of very low metabolism (hypothyroid).
Could you tell us a little bit about your past diet?
And your present diet?
Are you into endurance training of any sort?
 
OP
ivy

ivy

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Joined
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Messages
314
Location
Portugal
Welcome to the forum @ivy


Spironolactone is a potassium-sparing diuretic that prevents your body from absorbing too much salt.
Our cells need salt for proper metabolism.
Your progesterone seems low.

You have classic signs of very low metabolism (hypothyroid).
Could you tell us a little bit about your past diet?
And your present diet?
Are you into endurance training of any sort?


Sele, thanks for the input.
My diet has progressed from grain/legume based vegetarian to low starch and high fat pescatarian, with occasional meat, lots of salads, fruits and nuts. In theory I should be milk free, keeping to goat and sheep dairy, gluten free, egg free and very very careful about sugar. Needless to say, it has been hard.

For the last few days, I've reintroduced milk with no severe reactions. I've replaced tuna with cod. I've steered away from nuts and indulged in sugary drinks and oranges. I feel happier, but somehow guilty!

I go to the gym six days a week for mild training such as Pilates or dance classes. I ride my bike as a means of transportation. I've worked with a personal trainer occasionally because I wanted to lose some thigh fat, but she pushed me to extremes to get my heart beating and I stopped...

How can I be a more efficient human being? And mostly, how can I balance my hormones and get some relief to the terrible pain I'm experiencing?
 

EIRE24

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Apr 9, 2015
Messages
1,792
Sele, thanks for the input.
My diet has progressed from grain/legume based vegetarian to low starch and high fat pescatarian, with occasional meat, lots of salads, fruits and nuts. In theory I should be milk free, keeping to goat and sheep dairy, gluten free, egg free and very very careful about sugar. Needless to say, it has been hard.

For the last few days, I've reintroduced milk with no severe reactions. I've replaced tuna with cod. I've steered away from nuts and indulged in sugary drinks and oranges. I feel happier, but somehow guilty!

I go to the gym six days a week for mild training such as Pilates or dance classes. I ride my bike as a means of transportation. I've worked with a personal trainer occasionally because I wanted to lose some thigh fat, but she pushed me to extremes to get my heart beating and I stopped...

How can I be a more efficient human being? And mostly, how can I balance my hormones and get some relief to the terrible pain I'm experiencing?
Did you ever suffer from skin problems on a vegetarian diet?
 

tara

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10,368
:welcome ivy
For the last few days, I've reintroduced milk with no severe reactions. I've replaced tuna with cod. I've steered away from nuts and indulged in sugary drinks and oranges. I feel happier, but somehow guilty!
If you are feeling better with these changes, that seems good, especially if your guts are handling it well. :) There's enough anti-sugar messaging around that it's not surprising it can sometimes trigger guilty feelings, but there is no good reason for you to feel bad about it.

If you feel like telling, do you have an idea of how many calories you are eating in the average day? Low carb dieting might have been slowing you down, and if it was low calorie as well, even more so. I'm not sure which theory says you should be dairy free, but I think it depends on how it works for you. If you can digest it well and feel well with milk or cheese, it's got lots of useful nutrition in it. If it gives you nasty symptoms, maybe introduce more gradually and see if you can readapt. If it doesn't work, eat other things instead.

Seems like a good move to stop with the physical trainer - in the shape you are in being pushed to extremes could well do a lot more harm than good. Might make sense to pull back on the other gym work too, at least till you have more energy for it.

Looks like quite low blood pressure as well as temps. When measuring temps, do you keep the thermometer well in place for at least 5mins, preferably 10mins? It can take that long to stabilise, even if it beeps or something more quickly than that.

The other issues - nodules etc - probably bear keeping an eye on. If you haven't yet started reading Peat's articles, I'd recommend them. Start at a topic that interests you. Some of us have to read and reread - there's a lot in them. raypeat.com.
I think if I was you, once I'd got a more nourishing diet happening, I'd consider trying a little aspirin daily.
 
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ivy

ivy

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Did you ever suffer from skin problems on a vegetarian diet?

@EIRE24, when I changed my diet to address IBS and candida overgrowth, a rash that I had on my arms simply vanished. It was probably psoriasis already, but no one had taken much notice. My grain intake before was very high, cutting on flours probably helped my skin. Later, a waxing session triggered an itching/burning reaction and the actual diagnosis involved a lot of trial and error. I took antihistamine pills for more than a month and eventually healed. But at that point I was eating mostly raw fruits and vegetables, and very low fat; had such low triglycerides the doctor even scolded me... My cholesterol reading these days gives me the creeps.
 
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ivy

ivy

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:welcome ivy

If you are feeling better with these changes, that seems good, especially if your guts are handling it well. :) There's enough anti-sugar messaging around that it's not surprising it can sometimes trigger guilty feelings, but there is no good reason for you to feel bad about it.

If you feel like telling, do you have an idea of how many calories you are eating in the average day? Low carb dieting might have been slowing you down, and if it was low calorie as well, even more so. I'm not sure which theory says you should be dairy free, but I think it depends on how it works for you. If you can digest it well and feel well with milk or cheese, it's got lots of useful nutrition in it. If it gives you nasty symptoms, maybe introduce more gradually and see if you can readapt. If it doesn't work, eat other things instead.

Seems like a good move to stop with the physical trainer - in the shape you are in being pushed to extremes could well do a lot more harm than good. Might make sense to pull back on the other gym work too, at least till you have more energy for it.

Looks like quite low blood pressure as well as temps. When measuring temps, do you keep the thermometer well in place for at least 5mins, preferably 10mins? It can take that long to stabilise, even if it beeps or something more quickly than that.

The other issues - nodules etc - probably bear keeping an eye on. If you haven't yet started reading Peat's articles, I'd recommend them. Start at a topic that interests you. Some of us have to read and reread - there's a lot in them. raypeat.com.
I think if I was you, once I'd got a more nourishing diet happening, I'd consider trying a little aspirin daily.

@tara, thank you for the welcome and advice!

I'm not sure how many calories I was ingesting. I suppose around 2800, because of the amount of nuts and rice crackers I was nibbling on. Is there a reference calorie count for a 35 yo active female?

I'm an overthinker, that's why I'd rather keep doing a bit of slow cycling and Pilates. I get terribly moody if I don't move a little everyday. I suspect it helps my blood flow...

I've read and re-read several articles already, and I'm trying to implement the general principles of the diet and lifestyle, getting as much sunlight as possible, resting and avoiding stressful situations. But I was hoping to figure out exactly if this is hypothyroidism or something else. Should I be concerned about my cholesterol? Do you have any specific tips for breast pain? With regards to aspirin, how much and at what time of the day should one take it?
 

EIRE24

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@EIRE24, when I changed my diet to address IBS and candida overgrowth, a rash that I had on my arms simply vanished. It was probably psoriasis already, but no one had taken much notice. My grain intake before was very high, cutting on flours probably helped my skin. Later, a waxing session triggered an itching/burning reaction and the actual diagnosis involved a lot of trial and error. I took antihistamine pills for more than a month and eventually healed. But at that point I was eating mostly raw fruits and vegetables, and very low fat; had such low triglycerides the doctor even scolded me... My cholesterol reading these days gives me the creeps.
So you're thinking that maybe low fat causes the psoriasis? I suffer with patches of it around my body and nothing really gets rid of it?
 
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ivy

ivy

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So you're thinking that maybe low fat causes the psoriasis? I suffer with patches of it around my body and nothing really gets rid of it?

@EIRE24, I had psoriasis way before I went low fat; it was never addressed simply because it wasn't too symptomatic. If there's a correlation I can think of, from my experience, it's between cereal intake and psoriasis. Of course, even if you are grain free you should be careful not to expose your skin to aggression, neither mechanical nor chemical. Be careful not to wax and not to exfoliate as much as I did, it destroys the lipid barrier of the skin.
 

EIRE24

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@EIRE24, I had psoriasis way before I went low fat; it was never addressed simply because it wasn't too symptomatic. If there's a correlation I can think of, from my experience, it's between cereal intake and psoriasis. Of course, even if you are grain free you should be careful not to expose your skin to aggression, neither mechanical nor chemical. Be careful not to wax and not to exfoliate as much as I did, it destroys the lipid barrier of the skin.
Yes I think I may have compromised my lipid barrier already and this is why I get skin problems
 
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ivy

ivy

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@tara, can you give me the specs for aspirin? Recommended dosage, frequency, etc? I'm afraid I'm pretty clueless.

Thank you!
 

tara

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@tara, can you give me the specs for aspirin? Recommended dosage, frequency, etc? I'm afraid I'm pretty clueless.
Hi Ivy, bear in mind that I'm no expert, just a lay person who's read a bit and trying to figure out my own health issues, so none of this is medical advice.

I don't have expertise or relevant experience with pain in the breasts - I imagine it is no fun.
I think Peat has suggested something like 200mg as a reasonable amount of daily aspirin for normal use for supporting health, and sometimes people may benefit from higher amounts for particular issues for a period. 200mg is a bit more than the baby aspirin that many people take against heart disease etc, but not a high dose.
AIUI, in addition to giving pain relief, aspirin can have some benefits in improving energy metabolism and in situations where a group of cells are have got into a state of unsuitable growth.
Personally, I'm currently taking somewhere between 100m - 250mg most days, but occasionally up to 1000mg when I think it might help with my issues. Some people take more.

Most people can handle the low doses of aspirin fine, but there are things one can do to mitigate the risks, esp. if one is regularly using more of it. One is to make sure to get adequate vit K to help protect agains the risk of excessive bleeding. If you are just taking small doses of aspirin, then you may be able to get enough from food if you focus on gettting lotts of leafy greens, a bt of liver regularly, and I thin some cheeses can be good sources byut haven't investigated this. Peat has suggested supplementing with K2, eg Thornes, if oneis using more aspirin regularly. Some here use other brands too - eg idealabs and healthnatura. Glycine with aspirin can also help protect the gut. Some people like to dissolve aspirin in water with baking soda, which I think can also make it gentler on the gut. Having it idissolved in water (maybe added to other drink) after food may make it easier on the gut. Because it can stimulate metabolism, it is probably good to make sure you have fuel on board.

Some people here have found ways to access pure aspirin. I haven't, so I just look for the ones with that look as though they ave the least unwanted excipients.

I guess you saw this one on aspirin: Aspirin, brain, and cancer

Your TSH does not look extreme, though possibly slightly higher than optimal. I think this means that your thyroid hormones are just slightly lower than your body thinks they should be. If your body has also down-regulated them to deal with stress, this can also lower the TSH. The FT3 and FT4 look near the bottom of the 'normal' range. If you are eating and maintaining on something near ~2800 cals, then that's probably not far off normal amounts of fuel/energy. I have not learned about the implications of nodules on the thyroid - may be there are others here with some relevant experience or knowledge.
BP 97/57 pulse 44 temp 94.1
This looks like bradycardia - slow heart rate (under 60bpm, esp if under 50 pbpm). The temp is low enough to count as hypothermia (under 35C) if it was not a mismeasurement (can take 5-10 mins to stabilise on a thermometer).
Both chronically low body temps and chronically low heartrate can be indicators of low base metabolism/low thyroid function.

There probably isn't any way for any one to give you perfect instructions for your situation over an Internet forum - but hopefully you can get some ideas about what might be going on for you and possibilities to consider trying to address your situation. :)
 

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