Let me start off by saying I don’t know if this is a testosterone/hormone replacement issue or not, but I have posted here before and I know there are many knowledgeable guys who might be able to lead me in the right direction.
I posted here about a year ago with a similar issue; here is the thread:
Purechance and ksman were particularly helpful, so thank you once again.
The problem, unfortunately, is that I haven’t really made any progress since the original post above. I think I’ve regressed to some degree, in fact.
*Just to avoid confusion if you haven’t clicked through yet above, the issue wasn’t low testosterone. At the time I was dealing with a constellation of symptoms that I thought were related to an anxiety/depression disorder, but in truth may have been thryoid related or even a side effect of a medication (Effexor) that I was taking for panic attacks and general anxiety.
So here I am today and I am dealing with a lot of the same issues I experienced a year ago: hot flashes, chills, sweating (was diagnosed with hyperhidrosis secondary to anxiety but I think the Effexor may have set this off), burning skin (a new symptom that is extremely distressing and I feel may be caused by neuro damage/protracted withdrawal from Effexor - which I have been off of for ten months now), extreme intolerance to heat (I live in AZ), malaise, muscle cramps, soreness (not DOMS, more like paralysis at times), brain fog, spaciness, intense food cravings, syncope feeling, muscle twitching, chest pain, palpitations, dry skin, scalp dermatitis (not diagnosed but I think that’s going on for the past two years but much worse lately), hair that has changed from dark brown and hyrdrated to VERY dry light brown/bronze/red with a few greys and even WHITES, etc. etc.
The list goes on and on, but I figure I’ll stop there for now and fill in more info in my responses so I don’t make this the longest post ever. I will add that there are times that I feel OK, and I can have some good workouts, although lately these physical issues have been so pronounced that I haven’t worked out for several weeks. I also think that the days where the physical problems are not as noticeable are not “counted” in a way because psychiatric problems take there place. As an aside, I know this is not paxilprogress, but I’m in a place now where I am saying FUCK the drugs (and FUCK most of the ignorant doctors as well) and am seeing that some of my problems here - both mental and physical - may have been caused by/exacerbated by various prescription medications.
I am by no means an expert on thyroid or endocrine issues but I think that there is a high likelihood that there is something going on related to these. I was also recently diagnosed with sleep apnea (5 apneas per hour - which just qualifies me to have the diagnosis, but it may be more of less severe since it was only one test), which my doctor has said can potentially cause all of these symptoms, especially since I may have had it for years up to this point. My other HUGE concern though is that I have potentially permanently altered my neurochemistry, and/or nervous system with Effexor and/or other SSRIs that I have taken on and off over the past 6 years.
After last October when the I started the above thread, I did OK for a few months but then developed heart palpitations last spring (2011) shortly after weaing off Effexor. Since then all hell has broken lose and I’ve had at least a couple of blood tests, an MRI and an EEG to try to get to the bottom of this.
I will dig up the blood results from last spring/summer and post them here later but I do have some numbers from the most recent test done earlier this month. It was done by the neurologist who was testing thyroid stuff (although maybe not very thoroughly) and also MS, Lupus, etc.
The MRI and EEG came back normal, which I guess just means I don’t have a tumor. Great, but they don’t really have a way of understanding brain/neurotransmitter chemistry to see how I’m doing in that department, apparently. In any case here are a couple figures to get started with:
(most recent)
TSH: 3.26 Range .45-4.5 *
T4 FREE NON-DIALYSIS: 1.3 Range .8-1.7 *
Folate 17.9 Range + 7.2
Glucose 91 (fasted) Range 65-99
Calcium 9.6 Range 8.7-10.5
Hemoglobin A1C 5.4
Estimated Average Glucose (EAG) 108
(Doc didn’t say anything about fasted glucose but seemed a little surprised by EAG. Didn’t say it was an issue but I know I’ve been eating like crap lately - another wonderful thing I’ve got going is intense junk food cravings - so I didn’t think it was a problem either)
(Didn’t list but B12 was in the low 800s - it’s always been good at least since I’ve paid attention to it starting 2-3 years ago)
- If I am mistaken those numbers suck yea? At least the TSH I would think. But of course the doctor said I am “in range.” Granted, it was a NEURO but still. (there were some other numbers in that test but I just listed what I thought was relevant - will list results from a few months back as well)
FYI my current supplement regimen:
3-6g fish oil per day
400mg magnesium per day (recently)
4000 IU Vit D per day
1000mg Vit C per day
300-900mg ALA (off and on)
2-3g CLA per day (off an on)
Multi-Vit
Garlic Extract 1500mg per day
Vitamin B6?
Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex one shake per day on average
In any case my next steps were going to be to try to find a new endocrinologist since the one I went to off an on over the past year or two doesn’t seem to be aggressive enough with spotting hypos and to see a rhuematologist to see if they have any ideas. I have also thought about finding an MD that is also a naturapath.
Any insight into what could be going on with me??
I am trying to keep a level head about this and systematically cover all the bases but it’s getting pretty debilitating, and it’s pretty overwhelming when the one thing that gives me a break from this crap (working out) becomes something I can’t do for fear that after a heavy leg workout I’ll wake up and literally not be able to move the next day (aching, weak, almost paralyzed muscles) and feel like I have the Flu! (and I never get “ill” in the traditional sense, so there is something more sick and twisted at play here)
I have gotten pretty damn distraught lately because of the thought of iotragenic problems from Effexor or others, but it’s dawned on me that if the problem(s) that it (may have) caused is something I can spot, i.e. hypo - and I can fix that independently - then all hope may not be lost.
At this point I do think all of this is related to one or a combination of the following: sleep apnea, hypothyroidism, protracted withdrawal/permanent damage from meds, or, alas, the anxiety it self. Overzealous psychiatrists have told me that young men CAN get hot flashes and such from anxiety - even when not “feeling” anxious - but when it’s accompanied by tingling, burning skin and a constant infernal hot feeling throughout my body that DOES NOT let up, I just don’t buy it…especially when there are so many other problems that I don’t think can be attributed to a simple anxiety disorder…
I appreciate any advice/insight anyone can share. I’ll post more blood work and as I alluded to above I’ve had another couple dozen symptoms other than those so I will try to think and list those.
THANKS!