To stay off work tomorrow?

[ginorwine]

I have a responsible job and am very commuted to it. I have been diagnosed with a thyroid problem - underactive- and I have felt a bit odd since starting the meds : in particular weepy, unclear thinking and very tired in a underwater feeling way.
The issue is before I was diagnosed I felt ok ish and now I have the diagnosis and meds I feel worse.
I don't want to be taking on a I'm ill identity and im worried I'm thinking myself ill ! Mind thinking I'm ill.
I told the gp how felt as I'm not a person that relates to being ill and never go to docs as I wanted to ask why I could be feeling worse. She did not think it could be the meds and that since diagnosis I've given self permission to recognise ive been feeling unwell. However I know for sure that prior to diagnosis I did not feel as groggy as I feel now .
I went to work last week an struggled to co centrate and I felt anxious in meetings were I have to represent my profession as I felt I was doing a bad job. I finished the week early and felt a little better for it.
I don't feel really ill and not sick but I am worried I will not do my job v well and I don't know if I should go in or not - especially as I'm sure I won't feel better by next week anyway so might as well go in and struggle ? Anyone else struggled with work with underactive thyroid and did you go into work and what stratagies did you employ with less energy and diminished brain power?!

I haven't suffered from thyroid problems but,have been in a similar position and I realized that staying off was prolonging the fear - and I felt really guilty. Why don't you go inn and give it a go? Do you have a line manager who is sympathetic who you could talk to?

Thanks blonde. I went into work last week and felt like hell on wheels - cried ! I have suggested managers monitor my work as if I so make mistakes it could affect patients. That a good move I think. Thanks for reply - in bit off a tizz!

Can you ask for an occupational health assessment?

Get it in recode that you have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and ask their advice?

Without wanting to tempt you into reading stuff that might make you feel worse, could you google the meds and see if they've made anyone else feel worse? If they have there's bound to be someone who's written it somewhere.

Sometimes some drugs can make you feel worse for six weeks odd until they kick in, how long have you been taking them?

Is there any way you could work at home for a few days?

Agent - two weeks in . I did read meds can make worse on patient forum which I guess wd be subjective - gp feels that these side effects don't exist and that I must have been feeling this way before . Just worried re functioning at work !

Haunted good idea but no facility to do so as cant access systems .

Could just be anxiety which can follow a period of being unwell. Go in and face it I say! If there's any doubt that you may be thinking yourself ill distraction is best. You'll feel better for having gone x

So it could be them making you feel shit?

Only two weeks in is hardly any time at all, did the patient forum say how long it's likely to last? Maybe if you knew a rough time it'd be easier to focus on that and try to battle through it?

If you took some time off towards the end of last week then work will have had a heads up that you might not be in tomorrow, maybe made plans for cover etc.

It's easy for me to say, but if the meds are making you feel a bit freaked then stay off, you've been diagnosed with something you're trying to sort, it's going to take time.

Go a bit easier on yourself!

Darn. Can you find an important project that you need to immerse yourself in, cancel meetings and keep your head down? If it's maintaining your composure that's worrying you, then being present but undisturbable might work. Will possibly mean fessing up to direct management.

Thank you all! I work directly with patients and that is source worry that I wi get it wrong .if I could be left alone to do a project etc i think I would be slow but ok. I work in fast movi g enviro

Me t in a hospital .

I have an under active thyroid and the meds usually take around 6 weeks to get into your system properly. Have they asked you to have a blood test in 6 weeks to check your tsh levels?

They also start you in a low dose of thyroxine so as not to shock your body. It may be that your body is responding to the thyroxine now you have some but realising it's not enough.

Slowness is a symptom of under active thyroid.

Hope you feel better soon

Thankyou hippo- yes I will be re tested at 6 weeks.

In same position apart from I did feel unwell before but struggled on. I've just had two days off work for feeling shite and I'm on week 3 of the tablets!

You may need to get your adrenals tested. If your adrenals are exhausted you cannot convert thyroxine (synthetic T4) into T3, T2, etc, so it just pools in your system. It would probably be too early for you to be feeling the effects of that, but it's something to be mindful of.

It can be useful to supplement your meds with Vitamin D3, iron and magnesium - usually depleted in people with thyroid issues. Also some people find coconut oil very helpful for revving up the metabolism. You can eat it straight off the spoon!

Useful sites to become acquainted with are UK Thyroid Support healthunlocked.com/thyroiduk/questions you can post any questions there and get informed advice, they're great for helping others interpret test results too; and Stop the Thyroid Madness www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ It's an American site but the tabs at the top of the site are very useful.

Thyroxine is presented as a wonder drug by the NHS (because it's so cheap) but a lot of people struggle with it. There are other options - synthetic T3, and natural dessicated thyroid, that's what I take. I can't get it here so I import it from Thailand and I'm feeling really well on it.

Remember with thyroxine that it's very important you swallow it with a full glass of water, you need to wash it through your stomach for it to absorb effectively. You should then leave an hour before eating if you can. Some people have a lot of success taking it before they sleep, because it gets all night to absorb.

I could go on, but I'll get off my soapbox now! Plus you may already know all this!

Gatora- no I had no idea ! Thanks for info !

Gatora - meant to ask - I take mine with a cup of tea. I wonder if I cd take with water and then have tea straight after as I don't function before my morning cuppa? !

Calcium is one of the things you are supposed to keep a few hours away from thyroxine (and iron) but I know several people on UK Thyroid who wouldn't give up their morning cuppa! I think the glass of water is the most important thing. If your test results show it does affect absorption you could try taking it at night?

Thanks makes sense!

Oh, one other thing GP's don't always tell you - on the date of your blood test don't take your medication until afterwards, otherwise it will look like your levels are much better than they are. It's best to book your test as early as possible for that reason, you don't want to wait until 2pm to take your medication!

Gato thanks for that info I wd not have known that !

No problem I'm not an expert on this stuff by any means, but you can always PM me if you have any questions - though I'd really recommend signing up to the UK Thyroid board, you will always get a reply from someone who really knows their stuff!

Oh, and bottled water is better than tap, because fluoride is also one of the things that affects absorption. And so is soya. OK I'm done now

Thanks ! Much appriciated :)