If you are/were perimenopausal with thyroid issues and feeling fat and exhausted. What’s the best thing you bought/did/do to make yourself feel better?

[BigCheeseWheel]

I’m 48, feel like I am just at the beginning of peri - periods starting to go a bit odd after always being a 28 day cycle type. No other real symptoms as yet, just tired and sometimes a bit of weird vertigo.

I also have hashimotos and trying to get my thyroide levels in check with levothyroxine and apparently we are nearly there with them.

I have put on weight (I started a new very full on busy job last January that’s fully office based after working from home for a few years perviously) so my diet and exercise regime probably needs overhauled and I need to start making time to prioritise that.

I’ve just had a bit of a bonus from work and I’m wondering if there’s anything I can buy that might help, supplements, miracle cures, anything that genuinely made a difference to you. Along side the hard work that I also know I need to put in!

mounjaro? And gym membership (lift weights)

Can’t help, but following as I’m in exactly the same boat. So sending virtual support your way.

51 - definitely peri menopausal, haven’t had a period since October. Also have an under active thyroid. Feel exhausted and fat. I had a health check through work and specifically asked them to check my thyroid again as I know they run extra tests in private clinics. Came back fine.

I started strength training last year as it supposed to be really beneficial to women of our age, but had a bit of a hectic start to the year and haven’t done it for a while. It did make me feel better and I will start again.

If anyone has some wonderful advice I’d also love to hear it.

I think probably regular walks do help. I walk to work every day and we have a dog so we walk loads. I sometimes sleep in late on Sundays.

I agree that spending the bonus on gym membership would be a great idea.
I would also talk to GP about HRT but I know not everyone can/wants to go down that route.

eating low carb and quitting booze has made the biggest difference to managing my weight

hrt helps

Get professional help. Dietician or Nutritionist. Personal Trainer. Be prepared to invest in yourself. It’s hard, but worth it…

Walking every day. Even if just around the block in your lunch hour.
Magnesium glycinate supplement before bed to help sleep.
Cod liver oil supplement for aching joints.
Decent hairdresser!

The meno-vertigo is awful, I wish I had a miracle suggestion to cure that.

I don’t have thyroid issues, but I do have bowel issues and cancer. 45 and perimenopausal with periods about every 3 months at this point.

The best thing I did was give up alcohol and get outside and do lots of walking. When I’m well enough (cancer doesn’t always make that possible) I regularly do hill walks of 8-15 miles. I’ve walked 80 miles of the Camino de Santiago. I regularly go on walking holidays. People will tell you that you can’t get fit walking, but you absolutely can. But you have to put time and miles in. It’s done wonders for my mental health too.

There are no quick fixes or shortcuts. You can lose weight (temporarily) with jabs, but if you want to change your life, you have to change your life.

HRT (including Testosterone)

Levothyroxine

Chicken livers (can’t take iron supplements without intestinal distress)

CoQ10 ( the one ending in -ol not -one , apparently there’s a difference)

Rhodiola Rosea (3% salidrosides)

Zinc (picolinat, because apparently that makes a difference)

D3K2 high dose in winter

The Fabulous App (original app, the “new” sub type apps are crap in comparison)

Focus Revolution (cos having ADHD complicated things further, although after 2 years of FR I barely remember I have ADHD on the daily, cos my environment is better shaped around me, rather than “the norm”)

Structured Pro app because my daily/weekly planning needs to factor in energy costs over time costs.

Properly waterproof shoes, cos I won’t even contemplate going for a stroll if wet feet are on the table. I don’t mind wet rest of me, but the feet are fussy,

The really expensive magnesium that can get in your brain did nothing for me. Same with a high quality vit B complex. Same with a raft of “especially for menopause” supplements.

I don’t think there is a magic bullet, more your own personal team of meds, supplements and support tools that you have performed “suck it and see” on. Keeping those that help, and ditching those that don’t.

And big, fat hug. Cos I know this kind of Not Fun Times personally and I feel for you.

No booze, and walk walk walk.

Same boat.

Prescription pain pills for periods & aches.
Walking
Squirty iron and vitD
Yogurt
Huge budget for insomnia kindle buys
Less huge handbag

One day a week, resting the battered body - really helps. You do get dreadfully tired dragging this load.

Lots of walking, couch to 5k and overhauling my diet to eat alot more plants and minimal UPFs

I also have Hashimoto’s disease. The NHS will typically tell you your levels are “in range” once your thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels have been brought down to 4.5mu/L.

However, my own experience and the experience of the vast majority of the people I’ve known with Hashimoto’s disease is that hypothyroid symptoms will still be felt until TSH is reduced to 2mu/L or lower. I personally feel healthiest with it around 1.5mu/L.

What is your TSH currently?

I just kept walking and ditched the car as much as possible

Hi op, I’m a few years younger than you definitely peri, have consistently high TSH levels (not medicated) a naturally ‘sturdy’ build and spent a few years having cancer treatment which meant I wasn’t able to exercise and left me feeling like a sack of shit.
I will caveat this by saying I don’t have children so I’m aware everything will be 10x easier for me. But some of it may be doable or helpful for you.
The main thing I did was join a (very expensive) gym where at 7am most mornings do a variety of classes inc yoga, cardio and strength. It was hard going for the first few months but now I feel great and WANT to go. I use the sauna there which is allegedly v good for ‘inflammation’ and tbh I’ve barely been sick in the last year whereas I used to catch a cold every couple of months. The high cost keeps me accountable and means I don’t spend as much money on going out / eating out.

I batch cook and prep lunches on a Sunday which is usually something like tuna or mackerel pate, seeded crackers and veg crudités. cut right back on alcohol. My body just can’t deal with it anymore. Dark chocolate instead of milk.
I used to struggle to get a good nights sleep but I’m so tired come 9pm from the early starts and exercise I sleep soundly now. Also have a spoon of lemon flavoured magnesium citrate (Better you brand) in a wine glass with ice on an evening.
I’m still a work in progress but I feel 100x better compared to this time last year.
Crazy heavy periods are still crazy heavy but much less painful now, I have more energy, feel so strong, and I guess I look better. Haven’t had my bloods done for a while but I’ll be interested to see if my TSH is any better.

good luck x

Oh and to add, changed my logistics so I walk 30 mins to and from work most days. Fresh air and extra exercise. A pair of AirPods so I can spend the time listening to a good podcast and waterproof coat, boots and baseball cap keep me dry in all weathers.

• I sound very active but I do have a lie in and lazier day on a Sunday

Mounjaro and also seeing a private Endrochronologist to get on the right level of meds! Gets it all stabilised and also make sure you’re on hrt as you will end up with more autoimmune diseases if you don’t!! Have you had the test for Addisons?

I saw an article called “L-tyrosine changed my life” and read up on it. It’s a supplement - and a game changer - for people with under active thyroids. There’s loads of Facebook pages offering support to people with under active thyroids and the general consensus it that Thyroxine is pretty useless and often prescribed at too low a dose.

I ordered some L-tyrosine off Amazon and have felt amazing since taking them. Within a few weeks I’d lost just over a stone without trying (basically the weight gain the under active thyroid caused).

I’ve had an under active thyroid for over 30 years and battled constantly with GPs to increase the dose, sort out the on-going fatigue, weight gain etc and they’re not very interested!

Quit sugar

I'm 54 and decided that I'd had enough of being over weight. I use the My Fitness Pal app and track everything that I eat. I aim for 1000 calories a day. I'm bone idle, so don't do exercise, but the weight loss is happening. In two weeks, I have lost 6lbs.

I treat myself on a Friday and Saturday night and will drink wine and eat a takeaway but not exceed 1300 calories. I think it is important not to restrict yourself too much or you will burn out after a few weeks.

I now eat meat and fish with veg...lots of veg to fill myself up. I try not to eat carbs. I drink lots of water. If I fancy alcohol, I will have a bottle of Becks Blue which is 53 calories. I eat 10 cal jellies for the sweet fix.

I couldn't tolerate HRT as it sent me into total depression. I think I was in Oestrogen overload.

I don't think there are any miracle cures for being over weight. I think you have to bite the bullet and count the calories and exercise.

Hi LinedOverLatte,
that's really interesting - did you need to check with your doctor before taking it and which one do you use, please?

Please lift some weights or you’ll lose muscle as well as fat.

Hi @MyBoldPanda - I use HORBAACH L-TYROSINE 1000mg 120 capsules from Amazon UK. I take them as directed (one or two a day).

The article and other research I did said 3 weeks or so to notice a difference and I did.

TBH, I didn’t bother checking with my GP because they’ve largely been a bit dismissive over the years. As long as my levels are in the “acceptable” range they don’t alter the thyroxine dose. In the UK the blood tests for T3 and T4 “acceptable” limits are very different to other countries and we are largely UNDER prescribed. I have a strong family history of my mum’s side of thyroid disorders (siblings, parent, grandparent, aunts, cousins including male and female people) and despite our different weight, heights, gender we’re all on pretty much the same dose. At times I was so completely exhausted I could barely function and peri-menopause made it all worse.

Obviously I wouldn’t recommend not checking with a GP, especially if this kind of thing might make you anxious, but I did A LOT of additional research and checked for any contra-indications with other meds I take etc and believe I made an informed decision. I also tracked how I was feeling, looking out for anything that could indicate I was heading towards “over active” but nothing untoward. The weight literally came off with me doing nothing different, my brain is less foggy and I am definitely more energised. I am also on HRT but had been for several years before starting the L-tyrosine.

Have a look at some of the Facebook pages - they are hugely informative, and Google more about L-tyrosine (I came across the article completely at random and am so thankful). I’m happy to answer any more questions you might have but don’t know how to do direct messages in here ☺️

Hi @LinedOverLatte , thank you for that info, I will definitely look into it!🙂

Mounjaro

getting the right dose if taking medication (this never worked for me as as thyroid function fluctuated) and regular check for thyroid has helped, hrt, eating well, taking supplements and exercising, sleeping well all has helped

but Mounjaro was the real changer the impact physically has been far more than just weight loss (blood pressure, no longer pre diabetic, better sleep, less headaches, not feeling so tired as body can manage my weight, lower sitting heart rate, digestion improved) )