Adrenal/Thyroid/Estrogen Hell... how long does it take to figure this out???

Anyone else there with adrenal issues, thyroid issues and also estrogen issues? I know you have to fix in the order: adrenal, then thyroid, then estrogen. But if you're totally messed up with all 3 areas, how can you manage them at once?

Anyone with adrenal fatigue that wasn't diagnosed with saliva, and rather with bloodwork? If so, what tests did you have done - DHEA and cortisol? If so, how many cortisol readings? I have only had saliva tests for the cortisol, but both done for DHEA.

With low thyroid, I guess you cannot fix low thyroid/auto-immune disease if your adrenals aren't working - the thyroxine cannot be utilized if your adrenals are low.

And if your thyroid is off, your body cannot properly use the estrogen. So..... how the heck do you do this? Anyone with all 3, do you get managed by an endocrinologist? A gynecologist? A family dr?

I'm currently seeing a gyn who I think is ready to hand me off to an endocrinologist... but there's quite a wait to get an appt with the endocrinologist... so in the meantime do you just sit in jungle limbo?

Those with all 3, what kind of estrogen supplementation has worked for you? Patch? Oral? Ring?

Thanks, am quite depressed that all this is going on right now, can't see the light at the end of the tunnel and dealing with upcoming tonsillectomy kind of makes me dread it all!
HELP!

Calypso,

It is so hard to figure all of this out, but, trust me you will find your way. First, I have been diagnosed with adrenal fatigue through saliva testing and the standard method of watching your eyes dilate and contract in the dark. If you don't know about this test, find the book "Adrenal Fatigue" by Joe Wilson--It's incredibly helpful.

I've been on DHEA, Selenium, Zinc, B COmplex vitamins, pantothenic Acid and high doses of Vitamin C. THis is all for the adrenal fatigue. In addition, I am hypothyroid so I'm on armour thyroid. I take 2 tablets in the morning and one at noon. This helps me with the afternoon fatigue--OH, the vitamins are split---DHEA and Pantothenic acid in the morning --the rest at night with a second pantothenic acid capsule at night as well as VItamin C, at night.

Finally, I'm on a vivelle dot patch that's changed twice/week, progesterone drops at night as well as testosterone drops in the am.

It has taken me about 6 months to feel alot better, once I found the right doctor! I have been to endocrinologists, two gyns, and an internal medicine doctor. I finally ended up going to a specialist OB/GYN that has over 20 years experience in all of this and she is the one that figured all of this out! I don't know if it's okay to post her name but it's <Doctor's name removed per website Guidelines. Please share this information privately through email or PM.> in San Antonio. I'll take the chance and share this with you because after moving around I finally went back to the GYN that actually performed my hysterectomy. She has truly made a difference in my life.

The only complaint I have is that I have gained about 8 pounds all in my belly! I can't stand it! I can no longer wear my pants anyway, we're working on changing the estrogen and hoping I drop the weight!

I hope this helps shed some light on your issues? It has been hit and miss for a while. I'm over two years post op but still not quite "right"--atleast I'm not mood swinging like I was--everyone is happy about that LOL

Good Luck and let me know how you progress!!

Sueliz,

Thanks for your response. At least I don't feel quite alone and it's nice to see someone has made such strides.

I was on synthroid but still low T3, then added selenium (to hopefully convert T4 to T3 - it didn't). Dropped the selenium (plus found out it was contraindicated with ulcerative colitis). Switched to Armour, felt improved but now TSH is back up, T3 is fine, T4 is low. Aaaargh. Plus antibodies are very high. I did the saliva test for adrenal but only DHEA and morning cortisol and both were very low. With adding the DHEA - I felt a lot better until the facial acne started and I had to drop the dose from 25 mg to 10. Now things have slid down again. I did the eye dilation test and I failed. Have seen an endocrinologist in the past, and 3 gyn drs, 1 internist too. They all wanted me on synthroid only and only looked at TSH. The current gyn I think is getting a bit frustrated so wants me to go to an endocrinologist instead.
Meanwhile, my estrogen is still testing VERY LOW (like no hormones on board) and thyroid is all over the place. Am so frustrated and wish there were a quick fix.

Did you have any bloodwork for your adrenals? Were you only diagnosed with adrenal fatigue after your surgery? I think perhaps I had it before the surgery too, but it got a lot worse.

If I lived in Texas I'd go see your dr. It's a bit far to travel, but wondered how you found them? Not sure who to ask. I'm happy with my current gyn but I think I've become too much to handle with her very busy practice.

Am using Adapt adrenal support that has the C, B complex, herbs, and pantothenic acid, plus zinc, etc... It makes me kind of nauseous but I'm sticking with it..

Thanks again!

Calypso,
Yep, I can relate. I was diagnosed with low adrenals when I was about a year post op. I was going thru some other issues also at the time, never got around to the adrenal thing. As my other issues got fixed and my hormones levelled out the adrenal issue seemed to straighten itself out. Although I suspect that I may be having some issues with that now. Hmmm... think I need to bring up that when I see my doc for my annual.

I did develop a thyroid problem a few years post op. I take a supplement called Thyrosol for thyroid support. Thus far, it has done the trick so I don't have to go on Armour or Synthroid yet. I know that day is probably coming as thyroid problems run in my family.

The first thing I learned when I joined this was patience, patience, patience. It took awhile for my mentors to drill into my head, but once I finally started listening things started to come together for me. It still wasn't easy and took some time, but I did make it to the other side.

Hi Calypso

Actually, the ob/gyn that performed my surgery I lucked into and she happens to be someone that is an "expert" in hormone replacement therapy, adrenal fatigue, and thyroid issues. I simply was lucky but when I left san antonio I went through several Ob/gyns and an endocrinologist--which by the way didn't understand this stuff at all--highly disappointing. I think you have to find someone that specializes in hrt---my GYN has a practice that's seperate from her normal women's practice. In essence she devotes a few days/week just for balancing hormones--she spends an hour with me every 4 months and since I live several hours away she speaks to me on the phone about my symptoms and I fill out the symptoms profile she sends me and fax it to her. It's working pretty well for me.

It sounds like you're on some of the same things I'm on--vitamin wise, etc. My DHEA is 10 mg in the am but my thyroid is 60 mg of Armour in the morning and then I take another 30 at noon---that helps with the afternoon sluggish feelings. Once my thyroid was appropriately dosed I felt tremendously better. The pantothenic acid and DHEA alone made me feel much better but the addition of the 30mg of Armour at noon did the trick.

My estrogen levels keep coming back low, blood work, and I'm having "belly" issues so I think im not converting estrogen or progesterone appropriately. I'm switching back to vivelle dot today and am trimming a small portion off the .075 patch---trying to get near .060 and changing twice/week. I'm currently on .60 estraidol but it makes me speed and unable to sleep. Also caused major anger issues for the first 2 days--hard for me to deal with.

Once I started the DHEA adn the pantothenic acid--two times a day--I felt better in 2 days. Now that my armour thyroid has been increased I feel quite normal---something that I haven't felt in nearly a year. I think if I didn't have this belly issue I'd feel a lot like I did prior to my hysterectomy. I'm probably one of the few people that would say, "I wish I would have never had the hysterectomy" This has been far worse than the awful periods I was having. Had I really comprehended all of this, I would have never chosen to do it.

I think I had a thyroid issue and the adrenal fatigue prior to the hysterectomy but I was never diagnosed. Once the surgery was over I ended up feeling like a mess--I was concerned I wouldn't be able to hold down my job--I work as a hospital administrator which even frustrated me more---access to lots of good medical care, yet, few docs really understand this!

I hope this is helpful to you and will continue to think through how this played out for me and see if I can find some other information to share. I think the adrenal fatigue book I told you about is helpful--I had to change my diet as well---I watch my sugars as this caused hypoglycemia as well---what a mess!

Take CAre and let me know how you're doing!

Susan