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Misdiagnosed with Thyroid Deficiency Creates HAVOC in Menopause

by Sally
(Phoenix, Arizona USA)

Hello. I experienced Estrogen dominance (heavier than usual periods that were occurring more frequently) in Fall 2010. In Spring 2011, bio-identical aware nurse (now a doctor) prescribed compounded bio-identical progesterone cream 100mg daily. She also identified low Vit D and low DHEA and I was put on Vit D 5000 iu daily and compounded DHEA 15 mg for 6 weeks. Responded well to this; fatigue went away, periods "normalized" - went back to once a month and not as heavy. Could function as a person, although I still had insomnia issues. Hormone nurse said I am a person that likes to "make cortisol" very easily, and that makes it hard for me to sleep. I have always had IBS-like problems, BMs several times a day, and food seems to run right through me. Probiotic use helps only to a certain degree.

Blood draws with concierge doc showed my TSH number creeping up from April 2013 to June 2015 when I experienced total body melt-down. Attended daughter's outdoor high school graduation at night in 105 degree heat and had very bad reaction - just could not cool down. Looking back, I was stuck in one huge hot flash. Very uncomfortable and felt very sick. Returned home and for a solid week thought I had flu-type bug, no energy, had no appetite and low grade fever. Went to concierge doc after having HUGE head squeezing migraine that made me fall to my knees, very dizzy. He identified this as a "hormone headache." Wanted me to come in the next week for a fasting blood draw. Hardly slept all weekend waiting for the blood draw. Shook violently and uncontrollably during the blood draw. Wait nearly 2 weeks for expensive, concierge doc to get back to me - he calls and says "This is it you are hypo thyroid - I've called in a prescription." Took one day's worth of NatureThyroid 32.5 mg pill, felt heart palpitations and like I could not slow down, everything was going way too fast. Called the doc, told him I can't take this medication again, he said you have to take it and give it time. Took a total of 5 NatureThyroid pills and was sent into 45 DAYS of HYPERTHYROID STATE. Lost about 12% of my body weight in one week - this is BAD when I started at only 105 pounds. Could not go 2 hours without eating. My parents and husband cared for me around the clock - getting food prepared. Only to watch me waste away, I have lost muscle, which causes your whole body to hurt. Fired the INCOMPETENT concierge doc - after getting all my recent blood tests. During middle of hyperthyroid state he did a blood draw to "cover his behind" and with the Grace of God, my thyroid numbers looked good, but I looked bad. Being hyperthyroid drove ALL my hormones and neurotransmitters to ZERO.

Hyperthyroid state lasted July 2014 thru August 2014. During July 2014, visited hormone nurse (now a doc) and she put me on very low dose BiEst. Have been very slowly titrating up, my E2 amount is 1mg per day, the E3 is 4 mg and the progresterone is 100mg. Also take 5 mg DHEA compounded pill daily along with Vit D 5000 iu.

Wray can you explain why you are so dead-set against any Estrogen at all? I am NOT your typical 50 year old, slightly plump woman. My estrogens were taken to ZERO along with everything else while being forced into the hyperthyroid state. Many hormone experts agree that very thin, women with ectomorph body types may need bioidential hormone replacement - estrogens, progesterone, maybe testosterone.

In early September I had the ALCAT blood test for food sensitivities - of which the list is long. Have had allergy testing since age 18. The ALCAT test confirms gluten sensitivity which may explain why I have always had digestive issues (lots of BMs) and my inability to gain much weight. Do you agree that we need a certain amount of Estrogen, even if it is small - I'm not asking to have my periods back again, I just want to function as a person. If I had a full-time job during this time frame, I would have lost it. Then I would have a legal case against this incompetent concierge doc - he did not realize that people with chronically low DHEA - your body will try to compensate for this and the thyroid pitches in to help out. That's why my TSH number was up, but all my T3, T4 and Free T3 and Free T4 numbers were IN THE GOOD RANGES. In fact, my Free T4 was very high - another indicator that he should not have put me on thyroid medication - if anything, from observation I look like an overactive thyroid case (but I do not test that way). Please help get the word out about the link between menopausal symptoms, low DHEA and how these can falsely inflate the TSH number.

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