# Coming off HRT, effects of thyroid meds?



## Desertrose (Jul 30, 2013)

Hi, again. 
I was put on HRT after presenting with a multitude of symptoms BEFORE Hashimoto's was diagnosed. I was at my wits end, ready to try anything to feel normal. Although I am only 45 yrs old this doctor was convinced I was perimenopausal. Easy to see why now as a lot of the symptoms are sometimes similar to Hashi's.
So I was on the HRT for three months. It was in the second month of taking it that he did the test for Hashimoto's and immediately prescribed thyroid meds.
So then, he told me to stop taking the HRT the following month.
So now, this is a month after stopping. My period should be due, but I just know it's not going to come on time, if at all.

About a week ago I started suddenly waking at night with palpitations.
A sure sign that something was amiss. 
Not long after stopping the HRT the night sweats began...far far worse than what I was feeling BEFORE going on it. Not sure really if they are night sweats or hot flushes. I don't get time to sweat as I just get raging hot and have to strip off. Then I get cold again.

My energy levels have changed. I'm actually feeling pretty good in that department, but my mind is always racing.
In short...I feel just a bit hyper.
Not sure if it's got anything to do with it, but also I get dizzy when I suddenly stand up. Just briefly, but enough to recognise it as something new to throw into the mix.

I did read somewhere that HRT can somewhat block the effects of thyroid medication, so I am presuming that possibly there is some adjustment going on not only with my female hormones, which are probably freaking out a bit now, and that goes the same for the thyroid hormones too?

Oh and I also feel like I might be losing a little bit of weight (I never weigh....just go by how tight my clothes fit and they are definitely feeling a little less snug)

What do you think?
Should I just wait and see and give my body a bit longer to settle down?
The palpitations are by far the worst thing to have to deal with.
Why is it only at night?
It's like night time my body just goes totally screwy. I sense that there is some flood of hormones, something being released then which completely upsets the apple cart.
I want to have my cortisol levels tested because I'm sure that must have something to do with it....including that falling asleep fluttering, inner trembling thing I get.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

How long have you been on thyroid replacement?

If it's been 4-6 weeks, you should go in and have a lab - be sure to ask them to run FT-4 and FT-3.

The HRT changed alot of things in your body and even being on it 3 months - your body will have to adjust. Since they started your replacement then took the HRT away - your body is dealing with 2 adjustments at the same time.

I would have labs ASAP then adjust your meds



> The palpitations are by far the worst thing to have to deal with.
> Why is it only at night?


When do you take your replacement?


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## Desertrose (Jul 30, 2013)

Hi, I take my thyroid meds in the morning and I've been on them for two months now.
I just recently - (well two weeks ago) had my labs tested, by my previous doctor (the one I will not be going back to see).
He only tested the TSH and FT4 and those levels were.
TSH - 0.5 (O.4 - 4.0)
FT4 - 17 (12-22)
So he said "everything's normal" and sent me on my merry way. 
At that point though I wasn't having palpitations but I was having pains in my legs, my hair seemed to be falling out MORE and generally feeling crappy.
I did go and see a new doctor pretty much straight after that, hoping he would just send me to an endocrinologist, but he said to just give it a few more weeks and see how I was feeling then. I think he figured it really hadn't been THAT long for me to have started on the thyroid meds so he was taking a wait and see approach.
Again, these palpitations have just recently occurred and I would have mentioned them to either of the doctors I saw, but they weren't a problem at the time.

I think you're right, there are two adjustments going on.
Maybe I'll give it another week, see how I go. If the palpitations get worse I'll go in.
It's just not very nice being woken UP by them. I've had a history of bouts of palpitations - in hindsight, probably I've been suffering the effects of Hashimoto's for a very long time. I've just never had them waking me up at night though, ever, so this is kind of weird.


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

I'm assuming you're dealing with estrogen replacement. From my perspective, as a guy with testosterone replacement, I can tell you that juggling HRT *and* thyroid issues can be pretty complicated. You adjust one side of things, and that commonly means adjusting the other side, too. That can be up, down, left, or right -- whatever your body feels like. You can't just tweak one without at least checking the levels of the other. Just going off HRT cold-turkey is a big strain on your body; it has to re-start production of those hormones naturally. That can take time. I don't know if there is anything they can do to speed that adjustment for you; I know in guys, sometimes they give HCG. Typically, HRT is something given for life.

I will say that, in guys, high estradiol (E2, a form of estrogen) does a really nasty job of blocking testosterone. We need a little, but not a lot. Not only that, but estrogen has an affinity for thyroid hormones. So, you could be getting a double-whammy. I know that as I raised my testosterone dose, (and concurrently my estradiol likely spiked) my thyroid hormones decreased pretty quickly; Free T3 from extreme top of range to mid-section, Free T4 went from low to the basement. All of a sudden I was getting hypo signs like my hair started falling out, my feet got cracked and dry, worse fatigue, and so on...

I think your doctor has the right approach in backtracking and starting you on thyroid hormones first. Everything I have read or seen suggests working on the thyroid first, before undertaking HRT. Now maybe you can't completely optimize the thyroid without the HRT (they do go hand-in-hand), but at least you can start from a good spot with regards to the thyroid levels.

hugs6


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## Desertrose (Jul 30, 2013)

It's so complicated isn't it! See my female hormone levels were always testing "normal" but the symptoms I was having prior to the Hashi's diagnosis were screaming perimenopause. I can understand why they honed in on that, first. 
It makes sense to treat one system at a time, but yes, they are all interlinked, so it's messy. 
Damn hormones!


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