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[Keep On Swimming]

Hello everyone,

It's been a while since I messaged. I hope everyone is having the best day/form possible!

I've always had a really healthy lifestyle + sport (I have Hashimoto's so I have to be careful about sleep, eating well, early to bed, etc.) but have been regularly feeling dreadful since March 2022 when peri cranked up a gear, bringing with it horrible symptoms which were affecting my QOL. In Nov/Dec 2022 I tried Estreva oestrogen gel, found it to be excellent, but was still having terrible moments of feeling ill so my thyroid specialist told me to stop it.

Fast forward to now, multiple medical tests later (all ok, everything "perfect" say my GP and thyroid specialist), and I am barely able to work and can't manage more than a 10-min walk (constant muscle weakness, extreme fatigue, dizziness, concentration pbs, aches and pains, shivers, unrefreshing sleep, near fainting). My doctors say its long covid (covid number 2 in Feb 2022) and possibly Chronic Fatigue Syndrome too. I'm waiting for an appointment at the Long Covid centre here where I live in France.

I just wanted to know if anyone else is in this situation? Have you found any relief at the Long Covid centres? I've been researching and a few doctors say there is a strong link between covid and accelerated peri (great!) and also the symptoms completely overlap!

I went back on the Estreva oestrogen gel 2 months ago and it is really helping with the night sweats / anxiety and low mood (almost gone). So if anyone is hesitating to try it, I can only encourage you to do so.

I just needed to type this here as the exhaustion is terrifying and I've lost all my spark!

Thanks for reading.
xxx

[Dotty]

I had total exhaustion… I couldn’t do anything . I was diagnosed with CFS but it turned out to be due to peri menopause. Once I was on the right type and dose of HRT, the exhaustion went.

[SarahT]

Although I have never had a positive test for covid, I do share some similarities with you.

Many years ago I was diagnosed with post viral fatigue syndrome, and I lived with that for 4 1\2 years before regaining a better form of health.

I was diagnosed about 25 years ago with an underactive  thyroid. Last December my thyroid had dropped enough that I had to increase my thyroixine to 125. Although I gained a little more energy, that soon disappeared.

 I am on estradot  100 and mirena coil.

My energy levels vary greatly throughout the months. Today I was fairly active, a walk and some gardening, a rare day of exercise,  two weeks ago my joint pain, muscle fatigue and energies so low my husband had to help me out of bed and I struggled to walk more than 20 mins.

Until last year I was doing two long fast walks every day, and a full and very active long day. This has gone. Most days I can only achieve a fraction of what needs to be done each day, let alone what I actually want to do. And my muscles, energy and joint pain is affected by any form of exercise.

It is this crushing fatigue that has led me to speak with my g.p in a couple of weeks. I am aware from other threads  on here that there is a big link between thyroid issues and hrt and the way they interact. Also just for the fun of it all peri symptoms seem affected too. Oh good......

Until I speak to my g.p and hopefully get bloods done, I am reluctant to look too closely into causes of this intermittent yet debilitating crash of exhaustion I get, in case my foggy brain gets overloaded with too much info which may or may not be relevant, or I convince myself of a condition or illness based on matching symptoms! Health anxiety can rear up maybe....As you say QoL is so bad.

Some of my peri symptoms are improving, thanks to the hrt, like night sweats, anxiety, anger, VA ongoing  treatment. BUT the exhaustion and joint pain affects my life too much to have a stable quality of life.

I just wanted to say I do understand how you feel. I am not anywhere near finding out what the hell is going on with my conflicting health difficulties but it does sound a bit similar to your own.

Am not sure this helps you much, but I think there must be others out there working with these particular issues.

Wishing you well
X

[Keep On Swimming]

Hello Dotty and SarahT,

Thanks so much for your replies. Dotty, that's terrific that HRT was the solution for you! Relief! You don't have CFS after all! HRT is really helping with the night sweats/anxiety/low mood for me, but the other symptoms like weakness/dizziness and exhaustion are really bad.

SarahT, I'm so sorry you are in a similar situation. Thank you for sharing. I can only say that you just have to bite the bullet and get those darn tests over and done with. Good on you for getting the ball rolling and contacting your GP. Will you let us know how you get on? Does swimming help your aches and pain? It really helps mine.

I saw my GP today who finalised the request for the long covid unit. She says they will also address the CFS suspicion too. I have to see a cardiologist in June because my blood pressure has been low for a while. So, it's a matter of time and going to the appointments and hopefully someone will say, "You have long covid" or "You have CFS" or "You have both!" or "You have neither and you're just having a hideous peri/Hashimoto combo", so then I can ACCEPT it and get on with getting better. Not to mention getting back in my beloved outdoor pool!

All the best everyone
xxx

[SarahT]

I am with you on actually getting a diagnosis helping.
 Sometimes I feel I am going around in circles trying to work out what the hell is going on. If I have a firm diagnosis I can begin to find info and possible solutions as to what I can do to help resolve symptoms. Sometimes I feel like a hypochondriac with so much going on.

But hrt has improved some symptoms particularly the emotional or mental side. Just need to get the exhaustion and muscle fatigue worked out. I fear brain fog is here to stay.

In answer to your question, I don't swim, walking has always been my safety valve, and that has been almost wiped out due to physical limitations....one day I hope to be out walking properly just  as you are back in your pool. I try to stay optimistic, but some days it's hard isnt it?

But good news things are moving forward for you appointment wise... Do give an update please?

I will post findings too after my appts. As you say, even if it is a peri\thyroid disastrous mix, it can be accepted and adapted to.

Good luck! 😍

[Keep On Swimming]

Hi SarahT!

Thanks for your kind message. There must be an answer out there for us! You'll be reassured once you've done your tests - my drs are so happy to tell me: "We know you feel dreadful but all your results are excellent!", so we have ruled out anything sinister. And that is a huge relief. I hope you get to that stage really soon.

Can I ask, are you in peri too? I honestly think that the fluctuations of peri are brutal for some women (deffo for me). I had another almost-fainting spell before lunch (I'd had a morning cashew nut and raisins snack, so it wasn't low blood sugar). I just breathed through it, thinking, this has got to be my darn hormones again... And it passed. I cannot WAIT to get to post meno (even though I'm expecting the flatlined hormones to be horrendous) because that way, no more fluctating hormones and I can get on the full HRT package. In France they don't cater for peri women! My gyne took pity on me and has given me oestrogen gel with the instructions of only using a tiny amount until I'm post. The 0.5 pump has knocked the crippling anxiety on the head and for that I'm very very grateful!

BTW, have you thought about testoesterone? There is very interesting info about its benefits (energy, etc.). I watched this the other day (thanks to a lady here on the forum who recommended it and it was a real eye opener). This doctor is amazing, we need many more like her!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTVg2kzcYJQ

Today is a 4/10 energy wise and I didn't have to sit down after my shower! Better than yesterday!

xxx

[SarahT]

I am so pleased for you that you found a sympathetic Dr who will treat peri symptoms. Don't know where I would be if that was like it for the UK, it's hard enough with the treatment available!

Yes, am still peri. And I had a lot of anger at this as I am 56 and still get periods every single.month without fail...so everyone around me at my age at least finished that side of things. I say I get periods , but I am on the miren a coil so in theory I shouldn't bleed, but my body hasn't realised this and I get slight bleeding just to stir things up a bit more.

Like you I hope.reaching meno will stop at least the mad fluctuations of our own cycles vs the hrt.

I have improved a bit, on speaking with my dr, we increased my dose to 100 in the hope it will cease my natural menstrual cycle, to even things out, as I developed pmdd symptoms which are very severe and scary. Touch wood, this month I felt a lot better. (Even if my pms has returned!) it sell such a mess at times isn't it?

I am actually going to ask about testosterone when I speak with my dr. Like you, I do think the thyroid and peri are not working well together, that is my main concern. I will check out the you tube, thanks for that. I find writing with you helps me feel someone knows (sadly) how we feel.

I learn so much from everyone on this forum. Now I expect the crashes of fatigue in the lead up to a period, I will take the advice and plan my life around this. Honestly - surely none of us should have to live like this??

Am lucky I have never had the feeling of fainting like yourself, today I say I am 7\10 which is a fabulous day...yesterday more a 5,so I'll take that with gratitude.

Keep in touch, I feel for you very much xx