I have had so many women email me and contact me to thank me for sharing my symptoms, diagnosis and experiences b/c they can relate to them so much but didn't know what to do about it.......
I rec'd an email from a stranger the other day and here's part of what she said:
On another note,I have experienced extreme other issues that nobody has ever taken seriously! I wake up drenched in a cold sweat for nights out of the month,insomnia,extreme anxiety at times, unexplainable weight gain,brain fog,horrible PmS to the point where I feel as though I shld be In a locked up room by myself for a week out of the month, and so many more symptoms relatable to you!!!I seriously feel as though I'm reading my own symptoms!!!I have not pursued much medically because I feel as though I'll be looked at as an emotional wreck or hypochondriac!!! Thank you for sharing your story!!i am going to pursue getting my hormones tested!i also am feeling the need to probably change my diet completely! )Thanks so much for being honest!!You never know who's life you will touch!!:)
I have said this before but I will re-itterate it again. I CANNOT express strongly enough that if you are experienceing any of the symptoms described above, and i'd like to add depression, irritability, short temperedness, moodiness that it is important to consider having your hormones and thyroid tested.
A LARGE amount of women go for YEARS undiagnosed who have hormone imbalances or thyroid isssues. THAT is a fact.
I did.
Often your GP will run a few simiple blood tests and tell you, you are fine. TSH is normal, hormones "appear" normal and send you on your way. They might even add some advice like "you just need to slow down, don't run as much, get more sleep etc"...but YOU KNOW that there's more to it than that, don't you?
for years I wondered why I was growing more and more impatient and hostile over little daily things. I couldn't control my emotions and would have embarassing outbursts. The HIGHS and LOWS of depression came with out notice. A few years ago, it all came to a head when I woke up one day with no notice and was so depressed that thoughts of SUICIDE flooded my mind. I needed to escape the dark thoughts and feelings that were plaguing my mind and the heavy anxiety on my chest that made it feel like I couldn't breath. I couldn't stop thinking about it and how I just wanted to escape. Perhaps I could take some pills or just drive my car off a bridge...or perhaps it doesn't hurt that bad to slit your wrists in a cold bath? This is no joke.It went on for days until the urge was so strong I was scared. I knew logically how I was feeling didn't make sense but i couldn't make it go away. My husband came home one night and I broke down telling him that I was feeling so dark that I just wanted to Kill myself and I didn't now why. He immediately insisted I go to the doctor. I had been on an anti-depressant after Erika was born b/c I got post pardum with both my girls but didn't want to go back on it. I asked to sleep alone and be alone. Lucky for me, my husband is a smart man and wouldn't leave me alone. I ended up at the doctor and do you know what they did? they prescribed me zoloft.
NO tests were run, no hormones were checked.
3yrs later I sit here and i'm POSITIVE that I was dealing with massive hormone imbalance as well as thryroid / hashimotos which can cause extreme depression and anxiety.
5 mos ago when I started seeing Dr. Minarik at Elixia wellness group, He suggested that If I changed my diet (this was before we knew about the hashimotos or low progesterone) that he thought I wouldnt need to be ON an anti-depressant. I explained that I had tried to go off of it and would go crazy...even weaning off slowly and at the same time I was still having high highs and low lows ON it:(
We talked about my diet and he asked me if I had a SUGAR ADDICTION? that was easy. YES. sugar everyday. whether ice cream or chocolate bar or chocolate chips or hot chocolate or a Pepsi treat....YES. everyday. needed it.
processed food? too much.
Wheat? yes. YUMM! sandwhiches, pasta.....bliss.
He asked me to go off GLUTEN, SUGAR AND PROCESSED food. That was 80% of my diet? HUH??? ugh. SO hard to do, but I was willing, or maybe DESPERATE.
I did this for 2wks and noticed a huge diff in my moods and the brain fog was gone. He asked me to start weaning off my anti-depressant (but was totally fine if It didnt' work and I still neeeded it). To my surprise I was off Zoloft in 2WEEKS!!! that is unheard of for an anti-depressant and I have been fine ever since. it's been 4 mos and I havn't needed it at all.
I cannot believe the change in my moods and temperment when I cut out gluten, sugar and processed food and that only got BETTER when I started the whole 30-autoimmune diet 5wks ago and cut out EVERYTHING other than meat, veggies , fruit and good fats, added in synthroid and some very specific supplements for my condition and discovered which foods i'm actually allergic to.
I feel like I have completely different brain. It is bizarre and incredible all at the same time.
Since then I have started a small dose of synthroid and a progesterone cream. I have little ups and downs but we are talking like speedbump size compared to the MOUNTAINS i was facing before.
FOOD.
HORMONES.
Who would have guessed?
Do you know that many are mistaken for having mental illness when really their hormones or thyroid are out of whack?
The body is such a COMPLEX thing with so many SYSTEMS working at once and alll rely on eacother. If one thing gets really out of balance the whole train can get derailed!
My life is different now. I have to think ahead about all my meals. I have to always have organic grassfed and free range meats defrosted each day and ready for cooking. I must constantly stock my vegetables and get up extra early even on weekends to take my synthroid since I can't eat for an hour after I take it.
I can't load up my days like I used to and pretend to be superwoman. I have to think of ME first. feeding my body with GOOD balanced meals. it is alot of WORK. But it's worth it. Days like yesterday and today where I worked ALL day are hard and catch up with me. I'm still learning to pull back and build in TIME each day for meals. NO more eating on the fly. I have to tell clients, i'm sorry but I HAVE to eat my beef and vegetables before we start. It's sort of embarassing and I'm sure they're thinking i'm nuts but I understand the importance of it since I've seen the drastic change in my life. It's so important!!
Anyway....I have to go tuck my sweet baby girls into bed:)
I hope my ramblings are able to help someone.
On an exciting note, I can't wait to get this book in the mail tomorrow....another stranger with hashimotos emailed me and said it changed her life...I was SOLD by the title alone:)
I'm so glad to be done with the phase of my life where I HONESTLY felt like I was going CRAZY some days. I will never look back. I eat to LIVE now instead of LIVE to eat and it's so worth it:)
