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I think I am pretty good at listening to my body.
Okay, let’s back it up. Sometimes I am too good at “listening” to my body. “Listening”? I used the quotation marks because there have been a few times my internet diagnoses on WebMD just cause me to feel a little bit neurotic. My mom is happy to not have one, but two hypochondriac daughters. Headache? I’m sure it’s a tumor. Chest pain? I’m having heart palpitations — it must be a heart attack! Needless to say, I need to stop Googling symptoms when all I have is a cold, not the Swine Flu.
Needless to say, I have mentioned a few times now that for the past few weeks I have felt a little bit “off”. It was draining really, and very very frustrating. I felt tired, irritated, and run down all the time. I was starting to have feelings of depression and anxiety. Pair that with a few extra pounds I have put on lately, and I would have to say that something was just not right.
In fact, this was exactly how I felt before I went on my thyroid medication last October. I have talked about my hypothyroidism before, but in case you’re not familiar with my journey, you can read it about it here. Before I went on medication, which was a very hard decision for me to make, I was all of the above. I really don’t know how I was really “living” then. I was really just hoping to make it through one day at a time. It was honestly so debilitating the fatigue I was feeling.
So when I started having those same feelings creeping back, I knew I had to go back into the doctor to get my blood work looked at again. Usually with thyroid patients, you have to go in every six months or so after your thyroid is in a normal range. I was in the 6 month hiatus from seeing my doctor, but called and insisted I go in to run a test. So last week I dragged myself (and my niece and nephew) to the doctor to get a thyroid panel run.
I was not surprised when the results came in. My thyroid was elevated, which actually means that it was working too slow. Thyroid is weird — the higher the count it, the less your thyroid works. When the count is lower and into the negatives, that means it is working too hard and producing too many hormones.
My doctor decided to increase my medication one more time, and hopefully it will even out in a few weeks. I am so glad I decided to listen to my body this time around. Obviously sometimes when I have a “feeling”, it’s not always right. However, it is always the right thing to check it out. The worst (actually the BEST) thing that can happen is your doctor can tell you that you are 100% fine!
I am actually already starting to feel better after only a few days on the new medicine. While I don’t normally go for the “traditional” medical interventions, this was one that I couldn’t not. Obviously everyone has their views on what is the best (holistic/natural or traditional), but please respect my decision on this.
Now the only thing I have to get over is that I am much hungrier than normal because when your thyroid starts to work again, it means your metabolism will increase a little bit (which explains those few extra pounds — believe me, they’re there Mom). But, apparently since I’m all for listening to my body, eating is on the rise right now!
Question: When is the last time you really listened to your body?
{ 62 comments… read them below or add one }
Back in February when I finally ditched wheat from my diet! Best decision ever! It took awhile, but I had to finally admit that my body was telling me it wasn’t happy eating wheat.
I find that I get gut feelings a lot about what I should do in situations and I tend to listen to that as well. Our body is smarter than we often give it credit for!
I think when it comes to food, other people will look at you like you’re crazy for giving something up just because you “feel better”. Go you!
This was a great post! I really used to struggle with listening to my body. The last time I truly listened to my body was yesterday. My body wanted some fries, and so I got fries. I was satisfied and happy
I recently went through something very similar with medication.. I don’t like the idea of being on something that needs to be taken every day, but my migraines had been so out of control lately that I knew I needed to do something so my doctor put me on a daily medication. It’s been 2 weeks and I usually would have had at least 5 or more migraines and I’ve only had 2. It still sounds like a lot, but to me it’s magical. I hope it continues to work.
I used to have a lot of trouble with migraines before I went gluten free. I don’t get headaches now unless I acidentally eat gluten. I’m no doctor, but just want you to know what it was in my case!
I third this. I am not even headache-prone by my mother and grandmother are/were. Horrific migraines. And I know when gluten consumption is low, migraines are less. And when it’s high, they rage. At least in our family with our body chemistry but it’s all sooo hard to sort out. Good luck!
About a month ago I noticed I was unusually sleepy very early in the evening, like around 4-6, which was weird because I usually stay up until at least 11:30, I had headaches and felt an anxious feeling in my chest like I wasn’t getting enough oxygen. I freaked myself out by googling my symptoms and then asking my sister ,who had gestational diabetes, what her symptoms were. I convinced myself I had diabetes(it runs in my family) so I made an appointment with my doctor and they ordered blood work. Luckily it isn’t anything like diabetes; just a B12 deficiency. I’m taking some shots for it and some B12 supplements and I feel so much better. Glad I paid attention to how I was feeling.
I hope the new medicine keeps your thyroid normal
im so glad you did!!!.. now its on the right track!! i listen to my body everyday!.. esp with eating.. whatevr im craving! i guess the biggest change was when I listened and ate some eggs and meat
Yes I saw that! I say eat what you want girl!
I am just like you, always checking WebMd. But I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing. Listening to our bodies is so important, like you said. I have heard way too many sad stories about people who could have been saved had they gone into the doctor, with way too many positive stories about people who listened to their bodies at the right time and survived something. There is no way I would ever ignore something that seemed completely off.
Last time I listened is when I switched from Milk to Almond milk! Just feel so much better!
BTW - your last name shows up in the article - not sure if you wanted to share with everyone or not…
Thanks Deanna - I took the link off. I’m all about internet safety!
oh girl, I feel ya. My thyroid is high due to some stomach complications. Listening to your body is so important right now. Being very aware! Thank you for sharing this Chels.
This same thing just happened to my sister in law. She has been sick for weeks and finally went to get it checked out. Turns out it was her thyroid too! Glad you listened and hope you feel better.
I do my best to listen to my body every day. If I’m completely ravenous, I don’t focus on the calories or the fact that I ate my lunch at 10, but I continue to much and snack until the hunger subsides. I am a moody, crabby beast if I’m hungry so my body really leaves me no option other than to EAT.
ihave always been concerned when i feel run down but my blood tests always come back normal. i am feeling more run down than usual. and stomach problems. i want to get tested again. but think it will just come back normal so not sure what to do??
we try to listen to our bodies but sometimes we get mixed signals.
we are getting our blood work done to see where we stand with things, mainly hormones. we hope to share our results here soon.
good for you though in listening and taking care of your body!!!
xoxo
I’m interested in hearing the results because I know you both have had girlie problems I have been dealing with for the last 18 months!
Oof — I think I may have a thyroid problem. Lately, I’ve been feeling *very* fatigued, generally run-down, and I have gained weight that just shouldn’t be there based on what I’ve been eating and how much I have been exercising. Something is *not* right. Looks like this girl is going to do some research and read your old post over again! Hopefully this will help me get to the bottom of my troubles.
Mwah, I love you! Lately I have been trying to listen to my body, but it’s hard because my appetite is like nonexistant! either that or it suddenly gets really ravaging but says “I’m full” after one bite. Silliness. I might e-mail you g-frand!!
Sounds very similar to something I experienced- you may actually be not eating enough!!! Sounds counter productive, but it can cause weight gain and loss of appetite. I had to just bite the bullet, eat beyond the first bite fullness, lots of healthy fats and decrease exercise for a bit, and then lost weight and gained energy!
I, too, have hypothyroidism & have been on synthroid for many years. Sometimes, when I feel like the levels have “changed” I will go in for a visit to make sure everything’s good. Thyroid problems are so much more common than people think- and the symptoms can really be symptoms of so many other things, which makes it hard to recognize. I’m glad you figured everything out and are feeling better!
Great post Chelsey! We did an entire 3 hour lecture on the thyroid for my human physiology class and I can only imagine how fatigued and off you must feel/have felt! I’m glad that you listened to your body and went to get it checked out! Earlier this year I really listened to my body when I started to feel more down and withdrawn and I was antisocial. I think that my body had started to become immune to my antidepressants so I went to my doctor and we upped my dosage only slightly- and man it was amazing how within like a week I started to feel back to my normal self!
I love your listening skills.
I kind-of want to hate your thyroid but I won’t because -you know, all things weaved together for good and blessings in the trials and all that. But still.
There better be a lot of pretzels up there for you. (0;
I really want to read the news article! I can’t link. Please make that happen (if you want) maybe just a cut and paste???
The last time I really listened was two days ago. I was physically depleted, emotionally in a tailspin from rushing around for the past many weeks and was about to just lose it having to face going to work. So I called in. Best use of listening to my body in…months!
So happy for you that you’re back on track!!!!
yay! So glad you listened to your body. Nobody wants to go to work cranky! I hope you got some sleep!
The last time I was truly listened to my body was today.
I was feeling anxious and moody all day. Even though working out was the last thing I felt like doing, I pushed myself to go to yoga. I just got back, and I’m glad to report I feel very happy and calm.
Hooray
The last time I had to really bite the bullet and listen to my body was thyroid related - but I have the opposite problem, hyperthyroid from Graves disease which is an autoimmune disorder that causes your body to attack the thyroid & overproduce tons and tons of thyroid hormone. If I hadn’t started running more, I probably wouldn’t have paid as much attention to the symptoms - but it’s really hard to ignore a racing heart when you’re running. My HR was over 200 beats per minute before I got it under control. Eep. But now I’m taking medicine and doing much, much better. My medicine keeps getting reduced every few months and that makes me happy. I have to say though… I’m jealous of the 6 months between blood draws! It’s been 6 months since I found out about the Graves and I’m still getting blood drawn at 8-10 weeks. So many needles. I am so bad with it!
Thanks for putting all this info out here!
Quick question for you - did you cut gluten out before or after you found out about the thyroid? I’ve read a lot of information about graves disease getting better after eliminating gluten… right now my levels are getting better over time on their own so I don’t want to mess with my diet but if they stall I think it will be something to try. Anyway, I was curious
Wow! I have heard of Graves disease - it does not sound fun at all. I had elminated gluten about a year BEFORE I found out about the thyroid condition.
What were your symptoms? I’ve been struggling with feeling not very good the last year or so, and have wondered if it some sort of thyroid issue. (Though sometimes I feel like I’m a bit of a hypochondriac too.) I’ve been trying to “self-diagnose” myself with vitamins (my chiropractor recommended them), but I have still felt sluggish, had a hard time concentrating, and tired. I went to the dr about year ago and they said I had a bit of a Vitamin D deficiency, but even with taking the liquid drops, it hasn’t helped.
If it were me, I would go to the doctor and describe your symptoms and ask if they will run a full panel of bloodwork. You never know!
I was tired, depressed, irritable, very emotional, unmotivated, and had sinus issues.
I’m starting to get better about listening when my body is telling me I need to take a day off from running! The symptoms of being a little overtrained are always the same for me - I’m cranky, tired all the time yet unable to sleep at night, no appetite, bloating, etc….and I used to spend days being like “huh I wonder what’s wrong with me?”. Now I just take a day or two to sit on my butt and eat and sleep. Glad you got your thyroid issue back in check -have fun feeding that appetite!
I’ve had MAJOR insomnia lately, and even though I do have stress in my life right now I decided to also take a look at my diet. Sure enough, now that I’ve decreased my sodium intake, I’m sleeping much better! Still not enough, but I’m examining other things that I can make changes to as well.
It’s nice knowing I’m not alone. Sometimes I feel like people think I’m crazy for only being 25 and having thyroid problems. For me it came on slowly at first and then I started noticing drastic changes. The final straw was when I had been sick for almost three weeks. I was sleeping 15 hours a day. Of course my doctor initially thought it was mono, thank goodness it wasn’t. Being a very health-conscious person I was so reluctant to have to go on medicine. Especially with no real promise of ever getting off of it. Despite my hours and HOURS of researching online there really isn’t any alternative to medication. I did want to ask you if going gluten free made a difference for you in that respect. I know you went GF before you discovered you had hypothyroid, but I’ve found I have more energy in general when I cut out gluten.
I’m glad that you decided to listen to your body, girl! Living with symptoms like that is no fun at all, and it’s great to hear that you’re feeling better <3 I listened to my body today when it was saying "feeeeed meeeee" every flippin' hour. Lifting does quite a number on the old appetite…
Before I had shoulder surgery, I had been seeing a chiropractor for pains in my shoulder..I didn’t want to go the traditional medicine route. But, after four years of therapy and no improvement, I decided to see a doctor. It turned out that I had a benign tumor, and the only way to remove it was through surgery. I’m so glad that I listened to my body and saw an orthopedic surgeon! Now that thing is out of me and I can rehabilitate and get on with my life!
Glad you’re feeling better girl!
….My doctors can’t believe that my thyroid is normal, I have EVERY symptom but it seems to be normal…. Keep taking care and doing what works for YOU!!!
Hey Julie!
I am dealing with thyroid issues myself and although I have been feeling crappy for years, my thyroid levels are normal, which is why none of my doctors ever “figured it out”. Finally my mom did some research and found a “girl doctor” who specialized in thyroid. She told us that your thyroid levels from the blood test, although sometimes helpful in diagnosis, only tell you how much thyroid your body is producing, not how much is actually working. If you really think it’s your thyroid, I think you need to go see another doctor. Good luck on feeling better! ~Lauren
Oh I’m such a hypochondriac (sp??) too. We have to get some blood work done next week for a life insurance policy and I’m freaking out. What if I find out I have a terminal disease, etc? I’m sure I’ll be fine but as my husband says, I always think of the worst case scenario. In fact, I probably could’ve written those books except I would need someone to write the solution because that’s the part I don’t have.
I’m glad you’re feeling better! I really need to start trying to listen harder to my body. There’s a long list of things I can’t eat or touch, and it keeps getting longer. Yesterday, hives showed up around my shoulders and arm pits, and today, they started spreading down my arms. I wish I knew what has been causing all my tummy problems and hives lately (I was much better after finding out about my gluten and soy allergies, among others, two years ago), but my blood work and skin tests are negative for any new allergies.
Good for you for going to get things checked out. My mom is a WebMD MASTER. If I have a throat tickle, somehow it turns out to be cancer is her mind. I listen to my body on the rare occasion it tells me to stay in bed instead of get up at the crack of dawn to work out. I figure if I can’t drag myself out of bed, I need the sleep more than the workout!
I’m glad you realized what was going on with your body and saw your doctor. You sound like you’re feeling a lot better now!
Haha I’m a total internet hypochondriac too. I like googling my symptoms and playing detective… but of course usually my search results are way off base! 
The last time I listened to my body was when I woke up at 3 am the other night and had a bowl of cereal. Usually I would try to ignore it until breakfast because getting up is such a nuisance. But I was hungry, so I obliged and ate!
I woke up this morning feeling rubbish and am now totally tempted to google my symptoms….!
I like to think I listen to my body regularly with regards to what I am eating and how much sleep I get, but I could probably do more….
Yikes- good thing you listened to your body!!
I’m pretty good about listening to mine- not pushing myself too hard, giving myself a break from workouts when I need one, etc. But it can be hard at times!
I’m also guilty of using WebMD way too much! Good to know I’m not the only paranoid crazy out there
I hope you continue to get better and can get of the meds in the near future! Well Wishes!
This is me exactly! Thanks for posting. I just started taking medication about 6 weeks ago so we are still in the early stages of trying to figure out my correct dosage. Fun times…not!
I was just reading an article on thyroids! I’m glad you posted this and I’m glad you listened to yourself. xo
I don’t get it. If you are hypo, that means fatigue and low weight ? And if hyper opposite? Or vice versa.
Educate me
hypo usually means that you are fatigued and have trouble losing weight. Hyper means that your body/metabolism is working too hard and you may lose weight.
I also think its okay to take medications sometimes. I’m on antidepresants and antianxiety meds . I resisted , but I’m bowing to it and at least trying it for a year. Its better to have a life and be on medications than to have no life and take nothing.
I try to listen to my body when I’m debating on whether or not I should work out when I am tired. Most of the time I realize that my workout won’t be that effective bc when I get there I’ll just be miserable. It’s always better to get a good night’s rest and then have an awesome workout the next day!
I would hope everyone would respect your decision to use/up your medication! It’s unfortunate that personal decisions on health, exercise, food, etc. are questioned by others. You are clearly happy and healthy because of the decisions you made based upon what felt right for you. Way to go and I’m glad you are feeling better in time for school to start
So glad that you listened to your body and went to see your doctor.
I feel for me it’s so important to listen to my body when it comes to eating. I eat a pretty clean diet but I often indulge in something little everyday in order for me to stay on track. If I don’t indulge as often, then I find myself mini binging and stuff I “can’t have.”
I feel like I should write a post on how I’m BAD at listening to my body
I’m trying to be better, I swear. For instance, I’ve been dragging my butt out of bed early every day this week and have felt so tired all day, so today I let myself sleep in. Till 9:15, wahoo!
I’m so glad you’re feeling better! I have a lot of anxiety issues and I work on ways to figure out why I’m having anxiety and what I can do to reduce it.. Its a work in progress
amen to listening to your body! that was me last week when i just went on workout overload, but i scaled back this week and feel muuuuuuuuuuuch better!
Way to go in listening to your body! Hopefully you are doing well with a higher dose! Just be careful what your pharmacy prescribes. My mom has hypothyroidism as well, and it’s taken her on a whirlwind! She had to get her dose increased, but the pharmacy filled her a prescription for a much higher dose, and she actually went into hyperthyroidism! She’s got some issues that she’ll live with for life now because of it, and is in the process of lawsuits and such, but it made her realize that anything can happen. She’s now back to a healthy range in her thyroid.
My friend has been feeling that way lately and she thought about getting her thyroid checked out - I’m definitely going to pass this on to her! Glad you’re starting to feel back to normal too.
I recently had blood work done because I’m tired alot, constipated, can’t sleep, and I’m losing hair really bad. They said my T3 thyroid level was low and my cortisol was high. They said it wasn’t low enough for meds. I’m getting a second opinion. I still feel my hair wouldn’t be falling out for no reason.
I also have had to scale back my workouts a bit I think I was way overdoing it and started to lose alot of weight and feel lethargic. In the past I would have pushed through but now I’m listening to my body and taking it easy.
That sounds like such a tough thing to deal with. I finally decided to take a break with birth control between migraines, raging acne I hadn’t seen since junior high and despite healthy eating/regular exercise, my body refused to drop weight. Sometimes you do just have to listen to your body because we are all so different!
Hi! This is my first time commenting but I’ve been reading your blog for a while now. I’m also hypothyroid (after a long transition from hyperthyroid to an ablation that put me in a ‘normal’ state for awhile), and definitely know how it feels. Listening to my body really helped me get back on track but it was hard and took some time for me to actually pinpoint the problem. Glad to hear you are feeling better and thanks for sharing!
I really liked the article, and the very cool blog
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