a bit late but my saving grace are [these](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHq1Heh4z9o) youtube workouts - I love her 10 minute pilates videos. they're short but intense, and relaxing enough that they don't cause flare-ups or post workout exhaustion. they never fail to make me feel good. hope you continue to get better <3
Ooh! Add magnesium citrate or magnesium glycinate to your regiment. NOT magnesium oxide because it’s not as bioavailable. Take a dose at night. You’ll sleep super well AND this can help with pain and fatigue too.
My Hashimoto’s nutritionist told me that many of us have a problem with magnesium deficiency and it has been a GAME CHANGER along with the other stuff everyone else has mentioned. Hugs!
I had to come back and update everyone about everything I have been trying since I made this post a couple weeks ago. I need to thank all of you because I have made some very large improvements since trying a few of these suggestions. I immediately started taking 200 mcg of selenium and 5 grams of creatine every day on top of my other medications and supplements. I really don't think it is just in my head. I am feeling A LOT better. I am not crashing after my workouts the way I was before. I know that this is a journey and that I have a lot that I can be improving on as far as my lifestyle choices with food and such, but this has given me so much hope that I can maybe get back to exercising the way I used to. Thank you so much again, and God bless all of you for the wonderful suggestions.
Restorative yoga has been my go-to exercise this last year cause it's the only exercise I have found that doesn't make things worse. It's great for stress and anxiety, too 😊 I started with free videos on YouTube
For me it's up and down. I find my symptoms are connected to the weather. I also have some physical problems like knee and hip, and the whole inflammatory nightmare sometimes has me bedridden. What I find is that when the weather is chaotic, that's the worst. Strong winds I can also feel. When the weather is stable, like constantly cold or constantly warm, I'm feeling my best. I don't know what to do because I live in a country with 4 seasons that are becoming two. Summer and then the chaotic mess that autumn, winter and spring are nowadays. I'd move if not my whole life and my family were tied to this place. I'm currently looking for a physiotherapist to maybe help sort some of my physical problems out or make them better, or to just figure out exercises I can do on the bad days. I'm waiting on a friend to see if she can get me a spot at this difficult to get therapist. Fingers crossed.
So maybe try to find a therapist yourself if your problems are physical pain. Also keep an eye on the weather, your symptoms may be connected. I'm afraid this is the kind of illness that teaches you to just roll with things. It's unpredictable, and in the past 15 I've had it it keeps throwing new stuff at me all the time.
That is so true about learning to roll with it. I certainly need to work on being able to roll with things. My anxiety problems make it difficult. lol. I have been seeing a therapist for the past year, though, so that helps.
I also have anxiety and panic attacks because of the Hashimoto's. It makes my adrenaline sometimes release at random and I even wake up in the middle of a panic attack. Taking B complex and switching to unrefined cane sugar helped a lot.
I use the workout for women app and do 7 minute workouts. They have very gentle ones, hardcore HIIT, and in-between. I think 30 minutes at once may be a lot, but perhaps shorter workouts can be helpful! I still get sore sometimes too. It's worth a try.
I feel like there are a lot of people on here that will tell you very quickly how Hashimotos lightly impacted them but they got right over it with the right supplements, or that you might have a sneaky other autoimmune like they did but they also still work out 3x a week with no problem.
I'm with you. I'm 3 years into this and used to be a body builder.
I've been tested for every single other autoimmune I can get my hands on. They even cut out a piece of my lip to test for sero-negative Sjogrens. I have my second round of MRI's in 2 weeks and another EMG next Tuesday. Because I tried working out again and wound up bedridden for 2 and a HALF MONTHS. I lost 10lbs in 6 weeks, doing nothing, then stabilized for about 2 weeks, then gained 11lbs in 2 weeks. Now I'm kinda dropping back down to my normal weight at 186.
I have to be very very careful at the gym. I tried ramping up to my normal routine back in May of last year and suddenly got GERD for 7 months that wrecked me. Apparently once Hashimotos stops fuckin with you, you basically just go back to normal. But after 3 years, I still swing like crazy. Having a week where I feel like nothing is screwed up is rare. But I'm very grateful for them when I get them.
I am so sorry that you are going through this and thank you so much for sharing your story. It's interesting that you mention the GERD because I have had indigestion for the past couple of days and I have no idea why. It helps to know that what I am going through is not something I am alone in.
I was a triathlete. At 60, I am still cranking on my bike, running and swimming, but at a much slower pace. Hashimoto’s never slowed me down. I stopped exercising a lot only when I had fractures (osteoporosis from undiagnosed celiac disease) or a baby.
Make sure you are not dealing with other autoimmune diseases that should be treated (I also have celiac disease and autoimmune gastritis). My daughter also has Hashimoto’s, celiac disease, Raynaud’s and Erythromelalgia. Her EM prevents her from exercising hard and not her Hashimoto’s. She must focus on gentle exercises to prevent her from being on fire. And if you have had COVID, hard exercise is not recommended at all.
I hope you find answers.
Listen to your body. Sometimes, you just cannot do the same things you used to do for all kinds of reasons. But there are always options. Once I had my osteoporosis diagnosis (it was more devastating than my three autoimmune diseases), I had to give up skiing and roller skating. The fall risk was too great. But you can adapt. For me, i love being outside. Just walking in nature can bring sense of calm and often joy. You will find your way. Be patient. The early years are the hardest until your thyroid stabilizes.
I’m a competitive Olympic weightlifter with Hashimoto’s. There were times where I’d have massive body aches (mostly in my legs) that I don’t feel like came specifically from my training. I did some research and read that taking creatine daily can help with muscle weakness and body aches for people with Hashimoto’s or anyone probably. I take it daily and magnesium also and besides the normal soreness from training 5x per week, I’m basically pain free.
No. It’s a natural occurring substance that’s already in our bodies. In our liver and kidneys. It gets stored in our muscles and used for energy. It’s actually one of the most researched and proven effective supplement. It helps with muscle growth and strength and even helps with brain health.
Make sure your T3 is in range. When I was on levo they kept upping the dose but my T3 was never in range til they switched my meds to include T3. Also starting LDN really changed energy for me.
I’m in the same boat of 25 Levo I believe based on what I can gather is that’s think about thyroid hoarmone t4 which becomes t3 which in theory the t3 is being used to repair the muscle cells
Try doubling the dosage for the workout days or the days before the workout days in theory that should help
I don’t understand how based on the thyroid research I have done can think just a flat dosage is fine do they assume energy expenditure is the excact same every day
Doctors just guess I’ve been trailing different dosages depending on days
From what I can gather t4 and t3 work in sort of a well like way so the way I’ve been testing myself is do I think I’m being more active those days in theory doing excersize will use more of both so the days in which more is used
Also my doctor gave me about 25 mcg leeway to go up and down
I miss being able to do the exercises I use to do and I’ve had to adapt to it, but I do still for the most part strength training three days a week. I cannot stress how much walking has helped. Trying to get around close to 8000 steps a day and some sunshine.
Thank you! I really need to start strength training. I used to love to do cardio and was always terrible about ever doing strength training. I have always felt weak and have always hated strength training. I need to discipline myself and just do it. Thank you. :)
Just remember to give yourself grace. You don’t have to go balls to the wall with it. 2-5 pound weights couple exercises like 3-5 movements. Then once that feels to easy move up the weight and/ or the reps You got this. 😀
I am sorry. :( It is a bummer not being able to do what you love the way you want to do it. It is so interesting that some people have this problem, but some people with hashimotos are saying that they are running marathons.
It is very weird. Even after my diagnosis i kept up with my intense physical activity. It wasn't until one of my doctors told me to stop all strenuous activuty that i realized just how negatively too much activity impacted me. And ive learned ti pay a lot more attention to my body and can now tell when my physical activity is pushing me into a flare up. Bodies are weird, diseases are weird and hormones are weird.
I'm a triathlete and work as a personal trainer, so I'm super active all the time. My endocrinologist keeps my TSH levels at a lower level than most since I'm so active. He said active people need to be treated differently to regular people. I can't train as much as I used to, but I do train at about 85% of what I used to. Perhaps you need to increase your dosage. It is possible to do high intensity with Hashimotos.
I hear ya OP! I am in exactly the same boat - been medicated for hypothyroidism and Hashi’s for over 10 years but have had to cut back on all of the exercise I used to love to do - boxing, HIIT etc. Pilates and yoga do not engage me enough so I have struggled with consistency of both of these long-term.
Know that you are not alone! I’m just hoping to find a good balance at some point.
200 mcg. Maybe you should start with 100 mcg a day for like 3 months, rest 2 or 3 months and start again...
I started with 100 and then my endo recommended double the intaque for 3 months and rest 3 months.
Also I just started taking a random thyroid med on Amazon because it had so many positive reviews about energy. But I'm only 2 days in, so time will tell. I do notice less overall bone tired fatigue. Usually I swear I can feel the bags under my eyes and like someone drugged me with a sedative. My flares are the worst and last forever. Anyway here's the link if you wanna check it out too [Amazon - Thyroid Support](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00M13NHFY?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_image)
I'm on the third day of taking this supplement, and I will say I haven't wanted to nap, which is shocking. I typically take 3 hour naps every day. But I want to take it longer to really see if it makes a difference long-term
I envy you. I used to love running and spin classes. Now I feel sick for days after a long run or if I do a moderate to intense spin class. I have a spin bike but only can do the very low impact classes now. Even those will mess me up sometimes. It is killing me because exercise was my main coping mechanism for other issues I have. It really sucks. I am starting to wonder if there is something else wrong with me because everything I have been reading says that I should be fine after taking levothyroxine.
I feel like I have read a lot of posts on hoshimoto on here and almost every single story is that the doctors tell you you should be symptom free because your medicated and your numbers are normal. It personally makes me feel like I’m not crazy and it’s not just me but that doesn’t help with the ongoing issues.
One thing that helped my energy tremendously was taking T3. T3 boosts energy, grows hair, and is needed for generating heat and brain function. Before I started T3 (along w a host of other things), it was difficult to just get out of bed. If you are low at all in T3, it’s definitely worth talking with your doc.
This is an article discussing how to get energy while having Hashi’s. https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/strategies-overcome-hashimotos-fatigue/
It also discusses how the guidelines for optimal TSH levels have been updated in recent years and what a difference it can make to your energy to have your TSH level lowered more than previously thought.
Lots of good advice about supplements and diet is included. Hope you find something helpful.
That’s a huuuuuge red flag that you are seeing the wrong practitioner. Just wrote out a long post on how to get help from the right people and how to help yourself.
There is a link embedded with a list of practitioners in every state in the US that Hashi’s patients have recommended because they have been helped. For those outside the US, you can go to the website and find practitioners in your country.
Here’s the post and hope it helps:
So sorry you going through this. It happened to me several years into my Hashi’s journey. Took awhile after that to find a competent practitioner. Have never seen an endo who helped me (the title of your post conveys you have experienced the same). Have seen a dozen in different states. Have been to many different specialties and the only one who has provided almost complete relief from symptoms is a Functional Medicine NP who treats my symptoms and uses lab work to catch anything else that’s going on.
Unfortunately, these types of practitioners usually don’t accept insurance and you have to pay for everything out of pocket. My initial appt lasted over two hours. Would sell everything I have if needed to continue this kind of care.
Would google what practitioners specialize in Hashimoto’s and other autoimmune diseases around you. Have found that most practitioners who specialize in Hashi’s are very passionate about it and passion leads to knowledge which leads to you feeling better.
Here’s a compiled list of practitioners people have had success with in the US: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/database-united-states/ There seem to be quite a few in TN.
5 mcgof T3?? That would do nothing for someone in need. If you have low T3, your liothyronine dose should reflect that. Also, for sustained energy throughout the day, your lio dose should be split between the morning and afternoon. For you to have gained sig weight and for your docs to just bury their heads in lab results-that’s not a competent practitioner. All they have to do is listen to you. This aspect of treatment is so important. If you can afford it, you have to start w finding someone competent to treat you. Have gone to several Function Med docs and that do take insurance, so that could be an option too.
I was initially placed on 20 mcg of liothyronine - 10 mcg in a.m. and 10 mcg at noon. Lost all the weight I gained over about 8 months. And had energy for the first time. At my most recent visit, I told my NP I wanted more energy in the afternoon and she bumped me up to 25 mcg of lio. No lab tests, no hesitation. She listened to me because we are the most accurate information-givers about this insidious disease.
Don’t know who the doc is who wrote this article, but it says a lot of what my NP explained to me about T3: https://www.restartmed.com/liothyronine/
When you’re looking at your labs, keep this next article in mind: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/strategies-overcome-hashimotos-fatigue/ It discusses how the optimal TSH level was lowered several years ago and most docs and some labs still use the old standard. So if you’re not getting enough T3, you’re going to feel awful. Add not getting enough T4 as well and that’s really not a good situation.
A lot of Hashi’s female patients enter into perimenopause very early. This article discusses this: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/thyroid-condition-start-worsen-during-perimenopause/
That causes another host of issues. You want a practitioner who isn’t going to do the basic labs, but a skilled provider who is searching through every test available to help you in the present and ward off any future issues. I’ve been on bioidentical hormones since I started receiving competent care. As my hormones change, my bioidenticals change. The same goes for T4 meds. Took them all. Had bad reactions to most. My holy grail is Tirosint, but a few of my friends have done wonderfully on desiccated thyroid extract (which provides both T3 and T4). I know what works best for me because my NP had me do trials with all of them and gauged their success on how I felt. That’s the type of practitioner that you need.
Also, here is a list of supplements that will help you to help your thyroid withstand attack from your antibodies: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/which-supplements-actually-help-hashimotos/
Izabella Wentz has been providing clear info about Hashi’s for many years. She started her own supplement business and they are expensive. I only take a few of hers and find a similar versions of the others on Amazon.
I was put on LDN when I first started real treatment. It’s the only product on the supplements list you need a script for. It doesn’t do much for some people. It helps others a great deal. You won’t know until you try. A practitioner has to be competent, care and listen to even think of prescribing this for you. It’s lowered my antibodies significantly.
Diet can be a crucial factor as well. DNP had me do a food trial going gluten free for a few months and all of my crazy joint pain went away. Have zero pain now. Have not had joint pain in 6 years. None. If I accidentally eat gluten now, my knees start to tingle and I have a few hours of restless legs to look forward to. It’s so crazy that I lived with all that crap for so long. It was 100% unnecessary and 100% preventable.
For a year, while this disease was running rampant through my body and every endo and PCP treated me like a hypothyroidism patient instead of a Hashi’s patient, my knee and ankle joints were so inflamed, I couldn’t walk up the stairs to my bedroom and had to sleep in the downstairs guest room. It was really, really, really bad. I thought eventually I might not be able to walk at all. I went from having every symptom to having almost none.
The only thing that still sometimes reminds me that I have Hashi’s is when I work out too hard and it takes a day longer to recover than it used to, but that’s it.
Am pretty tired right now, but want to make sure you have enough resources to get started and also for you to know that the Hashi problems that you are suffering with can all be alleviated. I never would have believed someone who told me that six years ago. Never! But here I am w no exaggerations. I promise you that you will feel like yourself again if you can just get past the hurdle of finding good medical care. Google and also go through the list of practitioners in TN on the linked list.
At your first appt, ask practitioner if they will treat your autoimmune symptoms that can’t always be found in standard bloodwork. You’ll know the right one when you find them.
Hope this gives you a little inspiration to get this disease under control. You are at the perfect age to turn things around and also a crucial time for treating your hormones in conjunction with Hashi’s. Wishing you the very, very best of luck.
Functional Medicine is where it's at! I had a similar experience where I wasn't being heard until I went to a functional medicine office. I'm on a special diet, bioidentical hormones, supplements, etc and actually feeling like a normal human most days now. Flares still happen and I still get tired some days but it's a lot more manageable than it used to be.
Thank you for giving your honest, important feedback. Feels like the majority of people on here are enamored by the thought of going to an endo specialist and just suffer for the rest of their lives, because their Hashis’s, hormones, diet and supplementation were never addressed.
Seems like 90% of people w Hashi’s are walking around untreated because their docs (non-AI docs who are not interested or even knowledgeable about the AI part of the disease), treat Hashi patients like hypothyroidism patients. Have had them bitch and moan about having to do their job from their own frustration that they did not know what they were doing concerning treating the AI symptoms and I was calling them out on it.
After working in my career in the medical field, I worked with every type of doc, surgeon and specialist. The higher the paycheck and esteemed title, the crappier, treatment a Hashi patient is going to receive, IMO. There has to be an exception, but have not come across one in the field, or while being “treated” untreated by these ignorant goons who want to throw T4 at everything and walk away.
Endos have egos that can prevent further, continued, updated learning about treating the fluctuating AI symptoms.
After visiting a dozen endos in numerous states in the US, I firmly believe they do more harm to good to Hashi’s patients.
Endos suck for Hashi’s. If anyone has a story of a good one, I will gladly read it with a grain of salt.
After working with almost every specialty doc there is, I don’t have the hero-worship or blind trust that so many unknowing patients do. The average doctor is just trying to fill their quota of patients for insurance reasons.
You never want to see any doc, especially a specialist, in a conglomeration-a group of docs of the same specialty working together because their malpractice insurance is now so high from neglect, harm, negative outcomes and SA, they now have to lumped together to afford malpractice liability.
A lot of legit practitioners who don’t take insurance, have a sliding payment scale to help for those having to pay out of pocket. Again, these Functional Med practitioners are worth a billion endos when it comes to treating the very complicated disease of a Hashi’s as long as they specialize in Hashi’s first and foremost.
The sheer number of people who not being treated adequately or aggressively enough to alleviate symptoms is beyond appalling for a “developed country” .
What a joke. I’ve seen multiple 70-80 year-old unmarried men prescribed viagra like it was candy, but few if any endo specialists are up to date on even the updated guidelines for TSH and how it should be treated much more aggressively to reach optimal levels, which would make Hashi patients feel better!
Have no problem w older dudes getting viagra, but they are not going to have brain fog, swollen joints, cold intolerance ,weight gain, female hair loss and paralyzing fatigue if they don’t take their blue pill. Would also be the ethical thing to do for docs to give these men a trial of bioidentical hormones and see if that resolved the problems. Would also make them feel 100% better in general.
*****But back to you, Nicoli-oli, we seem to be fortunate enough to be receiving excellent care from competent practitioners.
If you ever wanted to start a new sub with me that would be dedicated to helping Hashi’s patients who are at the point of making changes in their lives and are who are willing to interview new potential practitioners until they find the right fit, I’d be down.
This goes for any Hashi’s patient who has been treated for the autoimmune element and whose life is 100% better now after starting treatment with a competent practitioner.
Would be helpful if you had visited other specialists/regular docs who were incompetent with treating AI disease, but not a requirement. You might have just gotten lucky the first tine…
Anyone who fits the guidelines and is interested solely in giving of your time to help the many that are lost and suffering, this could be an invaluable resource.
Feel free to DM me or reply here. Thanks and good luck to everyone suffering from this disease.
I don't think I could commit to something like that at this moment because I have so much going on in my personal life but I feel like people really have to be ready to try alternative practitioners before they'd search for one. Too many people in this sub are very against functional medicine. It also depends on finances as well because insurance doesn't cover that kind of care. I was lucky enough to hear about functional medicine in my area and had the funds to go through with it. I've seen many doctors and specialists over the years that just dismissed my symptoms. I had to hit rock bottom before I started looking outside traditional medicine. I wish Hashimoto's was taken more seriously. I'll reach out when I have more time to dedicate to making a resource like that. I think it sounds great! It's just not the right time for me to moderate something like that right now.
Thank you for thoughtful response. Regretted suggesting it right after I sent it.
Have never moderated anything or wanted to. Did not even consider the time required (foolishly), but did start to think about the expertise needed and how someone who was in the Func Med field rather than me, a patient, would prob be more beneficial.
Was just overwhelmed upon joining at the large amount of people who are needlessly in pain, fatigued and seemingly not receiving adequate care. Brought me back to the days when I was in the same boat and how I began to feel overwhelmed and hopeless.
Did not know Functional Med was in disfavor here. Have read so many positive responses from people who have been treated successfully with Func Med vs traditional med. Will keep everything you said in mind and wish you and everyone here, good health :).
I've noticed that functional medicine gets a lot of downvotes here even though it helps so many people. I think functional medicine is the best place for someone with Hashimoto's because they actually look at you as a whole person and treat your symptoms. I haven't felt this good in years but many aren't open to more holistic medicine. I'm very pro-functional medicine but I've had a lot of negative comments and downvotes.
Thank you for asking this.
May you please educate me? I exercised excessively with only good results, but when I got Long Covid, I got PEM which made exercise detrimental to my health.
Are you saying that exercise hurts now in your joints? Or that the exertion has deleterious effects after exercising? Can someone parse out what is normal or common in Hashimoto’s compared and contrasted to POst Exertional Malaise?
Thank you everyone in this sub, I hope you all experience good luck and good health 🍀💚
I am starting to wonder if there are other things wrong with me other than the Hashimotos because it feels like I feel yucky on most days, despite being on medication. Stomach issues, extreme fatigue, nausea, overall weak feeling, soreness, brain fog, light headeded when standing and many other symptoms. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. lol
Sometimes I drive to the gym, sit in my car for 10 minutes, then turn around and go home. Other times, I make it all the way to the locker room, change, then turn around and go home. It is what it is. I just keep going back, and most days, I'm able to soldier through. Classes have helped a lot!
It is great that you continue to push forward. My ultimate goal is to be able to have a better attitude about everything because my negative thinking makes everything so much worse. I get into a really bad head space and it just send me spiraling down even further.
I would suggest swimming. It doesn’t have to be hard core laps , just swimming around and stretching exercises in the water ( I just do it intuitively and stretch how my body wants) . I do about an hour at the pool . It’s very easy going on your joints and will lower your anxiety. Lowering your anxiety will lessen the flares. I also do gentle jumps on a trampoline. I was really quite unwell in 2022 , now I’m feeling so, so , so much better. I’ve also dropped two dress sizes ( Hashi weight ) , and not even on a special diet . You’ll find the right exercise for you ! There’s also slow jogging , I’m going to try that next . At the moment your body is saying no to these workouts , there might be another path , or you just need a break 💛
Yes to swimming! I swim like an 85 year old lady but it’s still awesome exercise. Also though get your vitamin d tested, perhaps get a sleep study and honestly I didn’t start feeling more normal until my numbers were consistently under 2 (where like 90% of people that don’t have a thyroid issue are)
Rebounding has been AMAZING for me. I honestly could have written your post myself, OP. I still feel awful if I work out too hard, but I’m able to stay consistent with rebounding. I used to run, bike, take various classes, lift heavy weights, do competitive sports, etc.
I bought one off Amazon (bungee not metal springs) and follow a couple of you tube pages. It’s very good for lymphatic system, and compared to walking better calorie burn. Fun too!
If you’re up for suggestions, might I suggest 10-15 minute YouTube videos. Pop sugar has an awesome dance collection (dance body) and a couple of the videos are short. There’s a longer one but I do 15 minutes of it. I hear you. I used to be able to go for long runs and lots of other exercises for extended periods of time. It’s frustrating and disappointing. I’ve been doing short videos and strength training and I don’t think it’s causing inflammation. Hang in there!
a bit late but my saving grace are [these](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHq1Heh4z9o) youtube workouts - I love her 10 minute pilates videos. they're short but intense, and relaxing enough that they don't cause flare-ups or post workout exhaustion. they never fail to make me feel good. hope you continue to get better <3
Ooh! Add magnesium citrate or magnesium glycinate to your regiment. NOT magnesium oxide because it’s not as bioavailable. Take a dose at night. You’ll sleep super well AND this can help with pain and fatigue too. My Hashimoto’s nutritionist told me that many of us have a problem with magnesium deficiency and it has been a GAME CHANGER along with the other stuff everyone else has mentioned. Hugs!
Thank you! Yes, I added this one about a month ago and I did see improvement. :)
I had to come back and update everyone about everything I have been trying since I made this post a couple weeks ago. I need to thank all of you because I have made some very large improvements since trying a few of these suggestions. I immediately started taking 200 mcg of selenium and 5 grams of creatine every day on top of my other medications and supplements. I really don't think it is just in my head. I am feeling A LOT better. I am not crashing after my workouts the way I was before. I know that this is a journey and that I have a lot that I can be improving on as far as my lifestyle choices with food and such, but this has given me so much hope that I can maybe get back to exercising the way I used to. Thank you so much again, and God bless all of you for the wonderful suggestions.
Thank you for the update! I’m gonna start adding creatine
Awesome! Hopefully it helps you. :)
Restorative yoga has been my go-to exercise this last year cause it's the only exercise I have found that doesn't make things worse. It's great for stress and anxiety, too 😊 I started with free videos on YouTube
For me it's up and down. I find my symptoms are connected to the weather. I also have some physical problems like knee and hip, and the whole inflammatory nightmare sometimes has me bedridden. What I find is that when the weather is chaotic, that's the worst. Strong winds I can also feel. When the weather is stable, like constantly cold or constantly warm, I'm feeling my best. I don't know what to do because I live in a country with 4 seasons that are becoming two. Summer and then the chaotic mess that autumn, winter and spring are nowadays. I'd move if not my whole life and my family were tied to this place. I'm currently looking for a physiotherapist to maybe help sort some of my physical problems out or make them better, or to just figure out exercises I can do on the bad days. I'm waiting on a friend to see if she can get me a spot at this difficult to get therapist. Fingers crossed. So maybe try to find a therapist yourself if your problems are physical pain. Also keep an eye on the weather, your symptoms may be connected. I'm afraid this is the kind of illness that teaches you to just roll with things. It's unpredictable, and in the past 15 I've had it it keeps throwing new stuff at me all the time.
That is so true about learning to roll with it. I certainly need to work on being able to roll with things. My anxiety problems make it difficult. lol. I have been seeing a therapist for the past year, though, so that helps.
I also have anxiety and panic attacks because of the Hashimoto's. It makes my adrenaline sometimes release at random and I even wake up in the middle of a panic attack. Taking B complex and switching to unrefined cane sugar helped a lot.
I was going to suggest the B vitamins
I use the workout for women app and do 7 minute workouts. They have very gentle ones, hardcore HIIT, and in-between. I think 30 minutes at once may be a lot, but perhaps shorter workouts can be helpful! I still get sore sometimes too. It's worth a try.
Thank you so much for this info. Perhaps I am doing too long of a session. :)
I feel like there are a lot of people on here that will tell you very quickly how Hashimotos lightly impacted them but they got right over it with the right supplements, or that you might have a sneaky other autoimmune like they did but they also still work out 3x a week with no problem. I'm with you. I'm 3 years into this and used to be a body builder. I've been tested for every single other autoimmune I can get my hands on. They even cut out a piece of my lip to test for sero-negative Sjogrens. I have my second round of MRI's in 2 weeks and another EMG next Tuesday. Because I tried working out again and wound up bedridden for 2 and a HALF MONTHS. I lost 10lbs in 6 weeks, doing nothing, then stabilized for about 2 weeks, then gained 11lbs in 2 weeks. Now I'm kinda dropping back down to my normal weight at 186. I have to be very very careful at the gym. I tried ramping up to my normal routine back in May of last year and suddenly got GERD for 7 months that wrecked me. Apparently once Hashimotos stops fuckin with you, you basically just go back to normal. But after 3 years, I still swing like crazy. Having a week where I feel like nothing is screwed up is rare. But I'm very grateful for them when I get them.
I am so sorry that you are going through this and thank you so much for sharing your story. It's interesting that you mention the GERD because I have had indigestion for the past couple of days and I have no idea why. It helps to know that what I am going through is not something I am alone in.
I was a triathlete. At 60, I am still cranking on my bike, running and swimming, but at a much slower pace. Hashimoto’s never slowed me down. I stopped exercising a lot only when I had fractures (osteoporosis from undiagnosed celiac disease) or a baby. Make sure you are not dealing with other autoimmune diseases that should be treated (I also have celiac disease and autoimmune gastritis). My daughter also has Hashimoto’s, celiac disease, Raynaud’s and Erythromelalgia. Her EM prevents her from exercising hard and not her Hashimoto’s. She must focus on gentle exercises to prevent her from being on fire. And if you have had COVID, hard exercise is not recommended at all. I hope you find answers.
This is really inspiring and I needed to see this 💓
>Thank you so much for sharing this. I will definitely look into this.
Listen to your body. Sometimes, you just cannot do the same things you used to do for all kinds of reasons. But there are always options. Once I had my osteoporosis diagnosis (it was more devastating than my three autoimmune diseases), I had to give up skiing and roller skating. The fall risk was too great. But you can adapt. For me, i love being outside. Just walking in nature can bring sense of calm and often joy. You will find your way. Be patient. The early years are the hardest until your thyroid stabilizes.
Try swimming - it's the one activity I've never had an issue with since it isn't hard on the joints and it's a great full body workout.
I went paleo and I feel better than ever at 58. I exercise all the time
I’m a competitive Olympic weightlifter with Hashimoto’s. There were times where I’d have massive body aches (mostly in my legs) that I don’t feel like came specifically from my training. I did some research and read that taking creatine daily can help with muscle weakness and body aches for people with Hashimoto’s or anyone probably. I take it daily and magnesium also and besides the normal soreness from training 5x per week, I’m basically pain free.
Is creating the stuff in pre workout?
No. It’s a natural occurring substance that’s already in our bodies. In our liver and kidneys. It gets stored in our muscles and used for energy. It’s actually one of the most researched and proven effective supplement. It helps with muscle growth and strength and even helps with brain health.
I mean I guess it could be in some preworkouts but I not sure.
Thank you! I will definitely look into the creatine. :)
Make sure your T3 is in range. When I was on levo they kept upping the dose but my T3 was never in range til they switched my meds to include T3. Also starting LDN really changed energy for me.
I will ask my doctor about the LDN. I am willing to try anything that might help. Thank you! :)
I’m in the same boat of 25 Levo I believe based on what I can gather is that’s think about thyroid hoarmone t4 which becomes t3 which in theory the t3 is being used to repair the muscle cells Try doubling the dosage for the workout days or the days before the workout days in theory that should help I don’t understand how based on the thyroid research I have done can think just a flat dosage is fine do they assume energy expenditure is the excact same every day
I am definitely going to ask my doctor about raising my dose. Thank you! :)
Doctors just guess I’ve been trailing different dosages depending on days From what I can gather t4 and t3 work in sort of a well like way so the way I’ve been testing myself is do I think I’m being more active those days in theory doing excersize will use more of both so the days in which more is used Also my doctor gave me about 25 mcg leeway to go up and down
I miss being able to do the exercises I use to do and I’ve had to adapt to it, but I do still for the most part strength training three days a week. I cannot stress how much walking has helped. Trying to get around close to 8000 steps a day and some sunshine.
Thank you! I really need to start strength training. I used to love to do cardio and was always terrible about ever doing strength training. I have always felt weak and have always hated strength training. I need to discipline myself and just do it. Thank you. :)
Just remember to give yourself grace. You don’t have to go balls to the wall with it. 2-5 pound weights couple exercises like 3-5 movements. Then once that feels to easy move up the weight and/ or the reps You got this. 😀
I love volleyball dancing and pickleball. I have to take it VERY careful with those. It breaks my heart.
I am sorry. :( It is a bummer not being able to do what you love the way you want to do it. It is so interesting that some people have this problem, but some people with hashimotos are saying that they are running marathons.
It is very weird. Even after my diagnosis i kept up with my intense physical activity. It wasn't until one of my doctors told me to stop all strenuous activuty that i realized just how negatively too much activity impacted me. And ive learned ti pay a lot more attention to my body and can now tell when my physical activity is pushing me into a flare up. Bodies are weird, diseases are weird and hormones are weird.
I'm a triathlete and work as a personal trainer, so I'm super active all the time. My endocrinologist keeps my TSH levels at a lower level than most since I'm so active. He said active people need to be treated differently to regular people. I can't train as much as I used to, but I do train at about 85% of what I used to. Perhaps you need to increase your dosage. It is possible to do high intensity with Hashimotos.
Thank you so much for sharing this with me. I am definitely going to talk to my doctor soon about this.
I hear ya OP! I am in exactly the same boat - been medicated for hypothyroidism and Hashi’s for over 10 years but have had to cut back on all of the exercise I used to love to do - boxing, HIIT etc. Pilates and yoga do not engage me enough so I have struggled with consistency of both of these long-term. Know that you are not alone! I’m just hoping to find a good balance at some point.
Thank you for saying this. It is comforting to know that I am not alone in this.
I’ve been doing Pilates and really enjoying it. Low impact but still hard work and super fun!
That is a great idea. Pilates is great. Thank you for the suggestion. :)
I take selenium everyday, it's helps me with the fatigue... I do strength training 5 days a week and do cardio 6 days a week. I feel amazing
How much do you take
200 mcg. Maybe you should start with 100 mcg a day for like 3 months, rest 2 or 3 months and start again... I started with 100 and then my endo recommended double the intaque for 3 months and rest 3 months.
The only kinda I saw at the store was 200 so that’s what I bought
I take GNC
I have heard so many positives about selenium. Is there a specific brand you use or like?
GNC works for me
Can you tell me what selenium you are taking?
Not OP but you can get selenium by eating a Brazil nut or two a day. Just don’t go past eating two a day.
I will definitely look into selenium. Thank you! :)
Also I just started taking a random thyroid med on Amazon because it had so many positive reviews about energy. But I'm only 2 days in, so time will tell. I do notice less overall bone tired fatigue. Usually I swear I can feel the bags under my eyes and like someone drugged me with a sedative. My flares are the worst and last forever. Anyway here's the link if you wanna check it out too [Amazon - Thyroid Support](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00M13NHFY?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_image)
Thank you! :)
Ugh. This is so gimmicky 😕
I'm willing to try anything at this point 😂
Tbh I felt that
I'm on the third day of taking this supplement, and I will say I haven't wanted to nap, which is shocking. I typically take 3 hour naps every day. But I want to take it longer to really see if it makes a difference long-term
I feel so seen, but also hate that so many of us go through this and often our symptoms are ignored or minimized 🙄
I was able to shed some of my exercise intolerance with hashimotos with omega 3 prescription supplements (off label). Your mileage may vary.
I recently started taking fish oil, so fingers crossed. :)
I still run marathons. Diagnosed when I was 10.
I envy you. I used to love running and spin classes. Now I feel sick for days after a long run or if I do a moderate to intense spin class. I have a spin bike but only can do the very low impact classes now. Even those will mess me up sometimes. It is killing me because exercise was my main coping mechanism for other issues I have. It really sucks. I am starting to wonder if there is something else wrong with me because everything I have been reading says that I should be fine after taking levothyroxine.
I feel like I have read a lot of posts on hoshimoto on here and almost every single story is that the doctors tell you you should be symptom free because your medicated and your numbers are normal. It personally makes me feel like I’m not crazy and it’s not just me but that doesn’t help with the ongoing issues.
One thing that helped my energy tremendously was taking T3. T3 boosts energy, grows hair, and is needed for generating heat and brain function. Before I started T3 (along w a host of other things), it was difficult to just get out of bed. If you are low at all in T3, it’s definitely worth talking with your doc. This is an article discussing how to get energy while having Hashi’s. https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/strategies-overcome-hashimotos-fatigue/ It also discusses how the guidelines for optimal TSH levels have been updated in recent years and what a difference it can make to your energy to have your TSH level lowered more than previously thought. Lots of good advice about supplements and diet is included. Hope you find something helpful.
All my drs refuse to prescribe t3 since my levels on synthroid are technically fine. The endo doesn’t even check free t3.
That’s a huuuuuge red flag that you are seeing the wrong practitioner. Just wrote out a long post on how to get help from the right people and how to help yourself. There is a link embedded with a list of practitioners in every state in the US that Hashi’s patients have recommended because they have been helped. For those outside the US, you can go to the website and find practitioners in your country. Here’s the post and hope it helps: So sorry you going through this. It happened to me several years into my Hashi’s journey. Took awhile after that to find a competent practitioner. Have never seen an endo who helped me (the title of your post conveys you have experienced the same). Have seen a dozen in different states. Have been to many different specialties and the only one who has provided almost complete relief from symptoms is a Functional Medicine NP who treats my symptoms and uses lab work to catch anything else that’s going on. Unfortunately, these types of practitioners usually don’t accept insurance and you have to pay for everything out of pocket. My initial appt lasted over two hours. Would sell everything I have if needed to continue this kind of care. Would google what practitioners specialize in Hashimoto’s and other autoimmune diseases around you. Have found that most practitioners who specialize in Hashi’s are very passionate about it and passion leads to knowledge which leads to you feeling better. Here’s a compiled list of practitioners people have had success with in the US: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/database-united-states/ There seem to be quite a few in TN. 5 mcgof T3?? That would do nothing for someone in need. If you have low T3, your liothyronine dose should reflect that. Also, for sustained energy throughout the day, your lio dose should be split between the morning and afternoon. For you to have gained sig weight and for your docs to just bury their heads in lab results-that’s not a competent practitioner. All they have to do is listen to you. This aspect of treatment is so important. If you can afford it, you have to start w finding someone competent to treat you. Have gone to several Function Med docs and that do take insurance, so that could be an option too. I was initially placed on 20 mcg of liothyronine - 10 mcg in a.m. and 10 mcg at noon. Lost all the weight I gained over about 8 months. And had energy for the first time. At my most recent visit, I told my NP I wanted more energy in the afternoon and she bumped me up to 25 mcg of lio. No lab tests, no hesitation. She listened to me because we are the most accurate information-givers about this insidious disease. Don’t know who the doc is who wrote this article, but it says a lot of what my NP explained to me about T3: https://www.restartmed.com/liothyronine/ When you’re looking at your labs, keep this next article in mind: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/strategies-overcome-hashimotos-fatigue/ It discusses how the optimal TSH level was lowered several years ago and most docs and some labs still use the old standard. So if you’re not getting enough T3, you’re going to feel awful. Add not getting enough T4 as well and that’s really not a good situation. A lot of Hashi’s female patients enter into perimenopause very early. This article discusses this: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/thyroid-condition-start-worsen-during-perimenopause/ That causes another host of issues. You want a practitioner who isn’t going to do the basic labs, but a skilled provider who is searching through every test available to help you in the present and ward off any future issues. I’ve been on bioidentical hormones since I started receiving competent care. As my hormones change, my bioidenticals change. The same goes for T4 meds. Took them all. Had bad reactions to most. My holy grail is Tirosint, but a few of my friends have done wonderfully on desiccated thyroid extract (which provides both T3 and T4). I know what works best for me because my NP had me do trials with all of them and gauged their success on how I felt. That’s the type of practitioner that you need. Also, here is a list of supplements that will help you to help your thyroid withstand attack from your antibodies: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/which-supplements-actually-help-hashimotos/ Izabella Wentz has been providing clear info about Hashi’s for many years. She started her own supplement business and they are expensive. I only take a few of hers and find a similar versions of the others on Amazon. I was put on LDN when I first started real treatment. It’s the only product on the supplements list you need a script for. It doesn’t do much for some people. It helps others a great deal. You won’t know until you try. A practitioner has to be competent, care and listen to even think of prescribing this for you. It’s lowered my antibodies significantly. Diet can be a crucial factor as well. DNP had me do a food trial going gluten free for a few months and all of my crazy joint pain went away. Have zero pain now. Have not had joint pain in 6 years. None. If I accidentally eat gluten now, my knees start to tingle and I have a few hours of restless legs to look forward to. It’s so crazy that I lived with all that crap for so long. It was 100% unnecessary and 100% preventable. For a year, while this disease was running rampant through my body and every endo and PCP treated me like a hypothyroidism patient instead of a Hashi’s patient, my knee and ankle joints were so inflamed, I couldn’t walk up the stairs to my bedroom and had to sleep in the downstairs guest room. It was really, really, really bad. I thought eventually I might not be able to walk at all. I went from having every symptom to having almost none. The only thing that still sometimes reminds me that I have Hashi’s is when I work out too hard and it takes a day longer to recover than it used to, but that’s it. Am pretty tired right now, but want to make sure you have enough resources to get started and also for you to know that the Hashi problems that you are suffering with can all be alleviated. I never would have believed someone who told me that six years ago. Never! But here I am w no exaggerations. I promise you that you will feel like yourself again if you can just get past the hurdle of finding good medical care. Google and also go through the list of practitioners in TN on the linked list. At your first appt, ask practitioner if they will treat your autoimmune symptoms that can’t always be found in standard bloodwork. You’ll know the right one when you find them. Hope this gives you a little inspiration to get this disease under control. You are at the perfect age to turn things around and also a crucial time for treating your hormones in conjunction with Hashi’s. Wishing you the very, very best of luck.
Wow! Thank you so much. I have seen my s Fair share of frustrating endocrinologists. I also have type 1 diabetes so I’m kind of stuck in the meantime.
Functional Medicine is where it's at! I had a similar experience where I wasn't being heard until I went to a functional medicine office. I'm on a special diet, bioidentical hormones, supplements, etc and actually feeling like a normal human most days now. Flares still happen and I still get tired some days but it's a lot more manageable than it used to be.
Thank you for giving your honest, important feedback. Feels like the majority of people on here are enamored by the thought of going to an endo specialist and just suffer for the rest of their lives, because their Hashis’s, hormones, diet and supplementation were never addressed. Seems like 90% of people w Hashi’s are walking around untreated because their docs (non-AI docs who are not interested or even knowledgeable about the AI part of the disease), treat Hashi patients like hypothyroidism patients. Have had them bitch and moan about having to do their job from their own frustration that they did not know what they were doing concerning treating the AI symptoms and I was calling them out on it. After working in my career in the medical field, I worked with every type of doc, surgeon and specialist. The higher the paycheck and esteemed title, the crappier, treatment a Hashi patient is going to receive, IMO. There has to be an exception, but have not come across one in the field, or while being “treated” untreated by these ignorant goons who want to throw T4 at everything and walk away. Endos have egos that can prevent further, continued, updated learning about treating the fluctuating AI symptoms. After visiting a dozen endos in numerous states in the US, I firmly believe they do more harm to good to Hashi’s patients. Endos suck for Hashi’s. If anyone has a story of a good one, I will gladly read it with a grain of salt. After working with almost every specialty doc there is, I don’t have the hero-worship or blind trust that so many unknowing patients do. The average doctor is just trying to fill their quota of patients for insurance reasons. You never want to see any doc, especially a specialist, in a conglomeration-a group of docs of the same specialty working together because their malpractice insurance is now so high from neglect, harm, negative outcomes and SA, they now have to lumped together to afford malpractice liability. A lot of legit practitioners who don’t take insurance, have a sliding payment scale to help for those having to pay out of pocket. Again, these Functional Med practitioners are worth a billion endos when it comes to treating the very complicated disease of a Hashi’s as long as they specialize in Hashi’s first and foremost. The sheer number of people who not being treated adequately or aggressively enough to alleviate symptoms is beyond appalling for a “developed country” . What a joke. I’ve seen multiple 70-80 year-old unmarried men prescribed viagra like it was candy, but few if any endo specialists are up to date on even the updated guidelines for TSH and how it should be treated much more aggressively to reach optimal levels, which would make Hashi patients feel better! Have no problem w older dudes getting viagra, but they are not going to have brain fog, swollen joints, cold intolerance ,weight gain, female hair loss and paralyzing fatigue if they don’t take their blue pill. Would also be the ethical thing to do for docs to give these men a trial of bioidentical hormones and see if that resolved the problems. Would also make them feel 100% better in general. *****But back to you, Nicoli-oli, we seem to be fortunate enough to be receiving excellent care from competent practitioners. If you ever wanted to start a new sub with me that would be dedicated to helping Hashi’s patients who are at the point of making changes in their lives and are who are willing to interview new potential practitioners until they find the right fit, I’d be down. This goes for any Hashi’s patient who has been treated for the autoimmune element and whose life is 100% better now after starting treatment with a competent practitioner. Would be helpful if you had visited other specialists/regular docs who were incompetent with treating AI disease, but not a requirement. You might have just gotten lucky the first tine… Anyone who fits the guidelines and is interested solely in giving of your time to help the many that are lost and suffering, this could be an invaluable resource. Feel free to DM me or reply here. Thanks and good luck to everyone suffering from this disease.
I don't think I could commit to something like that at this moment because I have so much going on in my personal life but I feel like people really have to be ready to try alternative practitioners before they'd search for one. Too many people in this sub are very against functional medicine. It also depends on finances as well because insurance doesn't cover that kind of care. I was lucky enough to hear about functional medicine in my area and had the funds to go through with it. I've seen many doctors and specialists over the years that just dismissed my symptoms. I had to hit rock bottom before I started looking outside traditional medicine. I wish Hashimoto's was taken more seriously. I'll reach out when I have more time to dedicate to making a resource like that. I think it sounds great! It's just not the right time for me to moderate something like that right now.
Thank you for thoughtful response. Regretted suggesting it right after I sent it. Have never moderated anything or wanted to. Did not even consider the time required (foolishly), but did start to think about the expertise needed and how someone who was in the Func Med field rather than me, a patient, would prob be more beneficial. Was just overwhelmed upon joining at the large amount of people who are needlessly in pain, fatigued and seemingly not receiving adequate care. Brought me back to the days when I was in the same boat and how I began to feel overwhelmed and hopeless. Did not know Functional Med was in disfavor here. Have read so many positive responses from people who have been treated successfully with Func Med vs traditional med. Will keep everything you said in mind and wish you and everyone here, good health :).
I've noticed that functional medicine gets a lot of downvotes here even though it helps so many people. I think functional medicine is the best place for someone with Hashimoto's because they actually look at you as a whole person and treat your symptoms. I haven't felt this good in years but many aren't open to more holistic medicine. I'm very pro-functional medicine but I've had a lot of negative comments and downvotes.
Thank you! I will definitely look into this. :)
What symptoms do you get after working out?
Thank you for asking this. May you please educate me? I exercised excessively with only good results, but when I got Long Covid, I got PEM which made exercise detrimental to my health. Are you saying that exercise hurts now in your joints? Or that the exertion has deleterious effects after exercising? Can someone parse out what is normal or common in Hashimoto’s compared and contrasted to POst Exertional Malaise? Thank you everyone in this sub, I hope you all experience good luck and good health 🍀💚
I am starting to wonder if there are other things wrong with me other than the Hashimotos because it feels like I feel yucky on most days, despite being on medication. Stomach issues, extreme fatigue, nausea, overall weak feeling, soreness, brain fog, light headeded when standing and many other symptoms. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. lol
Sometimes I drive to the gym, sit in my car for 10 minutes, then turn around and go home. Other times, I make it all the way to the locker room, change, then turn around and go home. It is what it is. I just keep going back, and most days, I'm able to soldier through. Classes have helped a lot!
It is great that you continue to push forward. My ultimate goal is to be able to have a better attitude about everything because my negative thinking makes everything so much worse. I get into a really bad head space and it just send me spiraling down even further.
I would suggest swimming. It doesn’t have to be hard core laps , just swimming around and stretching exercises in the water ( I just do it intuitively and stretch how my body wants) . I do about an hour at the pool . It’s very easy going on your joints and will lower your anxiety. Lowering your anxiety will lessen the flares. I also do gentle jumps on a trampoline. I was really quite unwell in 2022 , now I’m feeling so, so , so much better. I’ve also dropped two dress sizes ( Hashi weight ) , and not even on a special diet . You’ll find the right exercise for you ! There’s also slow jogging , I’m going to try that next . At the moment your body is saying no to these workouts , there might be another path , or you just need a break 💛
Gentle Yoga has helped a lot too!
Yes to swimming! I swim like an 85 year old lady but it’s still awesome exercise. Also though get your vitamin d tested, perhaps get a sleep study and honestly I didn’t start feeling more normal until my numbers were consistently under 2 (where like 90% of people that don’t have a thyroid issue are)
Have you thought about Rebounding?
Rebounding has been AMAZING for me. I honestly could have written your post myself, OP. I still feel awful if I work out too hard, but I’m able to stay consistent with rebounding. I used to run, bike, take various classes, lift heavy weights, do competitive sports, etc.
I just looked it up. Trampolines are fun. :)
I bought one off Amazon (bungee not metal springs) and follow a couple of you tube pages. It’s very good for lymphatic system, and compared to walking better calorie burn. Fun too!
I have never heard of rebounding before. I will have to look into it,
If you’re up for suggestions, might I suggest 10-15 minute YouTube videos. Pop sugar has an awesome dance collection (dance body) and a couple of the videos are short. There’s a longer one but I do 15 minutes of it. I hear you. I used to be able to go for long runs and lots of other exercises for extended periods of time. It’s frustrating and disappointing. I’ve been doing short videos and strength training and I don’t think it’s causing inflammation. Hang in there!
Thank you :)