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Original poster

I'm ill and worried - can anyone help?

26 replies

Rhubarb · 03/07/2004 19:26

Basically I've lost a shitload of weight since breastfeeding and am now down to 7.5 stone, which is very skinny for someone of my height, I've not been that thin since I was 16. I'm normally 8.5 stone. I've also been feeling tired and lethargic.

Last weekend I picked up a virus which really laid me out. I had flu-like symptoms, my hands went gray and numb and I was in bed for 2 days. I've not exactly recovered, most days I have a headache that stays in the background, but can get really bad. I feel very, very tired, nauseous and just like I've got a very bad hangover. Mornings are really bad, it can take 20 mins just for my eyes to open properly. My eyes also hurt quite a bit and I can't stand bright light. I'm also very sweaty, even when it's not particularly hot.

Went to see doc today after dh had to take another day off work to look after me. She took loads of blood from me to test all sorts of things. One thing that was mentioned was an over-active thyroid. Of course you think of loads of things you should have asked once you've come out, so I'm wondering if you guys can help. I'll know on Weds what it is, but can anyone tell me about over-active thyroid glands?

I have been tested for this when I was pregnant, but was ok. So if I have got it, what can have caused it? Should I give up breastfeeding? Is there anything I can do to make myself feel better? Will it go away without treatment? I feel pretty bad at the moment, and the internet sites on this sound really bad. They talk about surgery and radioactive iodine treatment. It can also be fatal!!!!! Is this true? I'd be grateful for some advice. Ta!

OP posts:

gscrym · 03/07/2004 19:30

Sorry to hear your poorly. It's bad enough being tired, let alone feeling as run down and low as you do. Hopefully things are a bit clearer after your results are through.
If you have anything to ask the Dr, why don't you write down everything you think of and at least you'll have a list.
Hope you feel better soon.

jmg1 · 03/07/2004 19:43

ruhubarb, this may be a daft question but are you eating enough and are you resting when possible?
How long has this been going on?
I think you need to know what is wrong before you worry yourself about treatments and the long term prognosis.

tamum · 03/07/2004 19:49

Oh rhubarb, honey, try not to worry. It's only fatal if it's untreated as far as I know, and the treatment is nowhere near as bad as it sounds. There are several people on here with thyroid problems, I'm pretty sure JJ is one. I don't think anyone knows what causes it exactly, but it can come on at any time. I don't know of any reason to stop breastfeeding, but I don't know enough about it to be sure. I think it can often be controlled with medication, and sometimes goes away on its own if it's associated with recently having a baby.

Thomcat · 03/07/2004 19:53

Oh hon, please try not to worry. The doctor will sort it out and ypou'll be right as rain in no time. Just try and relax, lots of love to you, TC x

Original poster

Rhubarb · 03/07/2004 22:32

Thanks guys! I do try to eat well and rest, but we're planning to relocate to France in the next couple of weeks so my stress levels are obviously very high. I thought I was eating ok, but 7.5 stone really shocked me, I had no idea I had lost so much weight. And now I just can't seem to shake off this illness, in the mornings I simply can't manage to look after myself let alone 2 children, one of them b/fing. I know there is something wrong, I was just kinda hoping it would be exhaustion or something like that, a slap on the wrist and told to eat more and rest more. I was prepared to give up b/fing if needs be. But she took 5 vials of blood! It's kinda worrying, and I do have some of the symptoms of this thyroid whatsit. Just my luck when we are about to leave the country!

OP posts:

katierocket · 03/07/2004 22:41

rhubarb - my friend has an overactive thyroid and she is fine. She is on medication (just pills) and will be for rest of life BUT it doesn't bother her and she's healthy, full of life etc. She did say that once it was diagnosed and given medication she couldn't believe how much better she felt (I think she had had it for a while before it was diagnosed)
She's never had any kind of surgery or any other treatment. I can ask her anything else you want to know if you like.

katierocket · 03/07/2004 22:41

BTW wow I can't believe you're going to France - did I miss this?! What are you going to be doing out there?

WideWebWitch · 03/07/2004 23:51

Rhubarb, just wanted to say I hope your GP comes up with something reassuring and you're better soon. I missed the France thing too, wow, good for you.

Batters · 04/07/2004 00:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

suedonim · 04/07/2004 01:35

Rhubarb, I know someone with an overactive thyroid. She took a long course of tablets and now her thyroid has reverted to normal. Take care and all the best for France.

HelloMama · 04/07/2004 02:21

Rhubarb - stop looking on the internet! When you feel poorly its not a wise thing to do as you will come up with lots of frightening diagnoses which aren't helpful when you're already not feeling well and worried. It sounds as if you're very tired, under the weather and stressed out, in which case all of your symptoms sound about right. I'm sorry you're feeling this way. I really hope your GP comes up with some helpful advice. It sounds as if your DH is looking after you well and I hope in the meantime you can try and get as much R&R as possible. Let us know how you get on. Lots of love x

HelloMama · 04/07/2004 02:28

BTW the 5 vials of blood will be checking for alsorts of things such as generalised infections, thyroid function, anaemia, glandular fever, etc. Unfortunately the lab needs a different bottle of blood for practically every test, but this is routine and is nothing for you to worry about. The amount of blood taken doesn't indicate there is a big problem or anything, they're just trying to rule out all the major (most common) causes of your symptoms which could be any of the above. HTH. Take care x

SofiaAmes · 04/07/2004 02:45

Could it be diabetes? Sounds like they should figure it out pretty quickly with all those blood samples.

Davros · 04/07/2004 10:26

I was like this after having my first Rhubarb but I also was very out of breath. It turned out to be an immune system illness (whcih could be many things including diabetes) which may have been dormant and triggered by pregnancy. Anyway, you have done the best thing because it really doesn't sound like normal tiredness although, with the beeeg move it still could be. DO keep us posted, when do you get the results? What about medical care when you move, all sorted? BTW, I didn't b/f my second due to the medication I take but I do believe it was the best thing for all of us although it wasn't really my decision.

Original poster

Rhubarb · 04/07/2004 13:34

Thank you!
I am jumping the gun a bit, the GP didn't say that I had an overactive thyroid, just that she would be checking out that possibility. I'm now trying to convince myself that I haven't got it and it's just a virus!

The France thing - we're moving in about 3 weeks. Living in a caravan whilst we travel around and find somewhere to settle. I'm doing a TEFL correspondance course (in my spare time! That's a laugh! ) that I can carry on doing whilst I'm over there, hopefully that might land me a job. We will get medical insurance before we go, but I hope this is just a virus as my French isn't great and I don't fancy having to sort out treatment over there!

I feel a bit better today, but still low in energy and irritable. It didn't help that ds decided to scream for an hour at midnight for no good reason! I find out the results tomorrow at 5.15pm so I shall let you know. It's like waiting for your exam results!

OP posts:

Davros · 05/07/2004 15:19

Any news?

Original poster

Rhubarb · 05/07/2004 17:16

Appt at 5.15pm so I'll let you know later. Feel very tired and weepy today, but then ds woke up crying at 5.30am so it's little wonder that I'm tired! I'm also very anxious about the results. I'll feel better once I know, whatever the outcome at least I'll know!

OP posts:

expatkat · 05/07/2004 17:52

just a long shot. . .if nothing is found, it could be that your high level of anxiety is manifesting itself with physical illness. This happens to me in times of very high stress when I'm trying to ignore my anxiety and be stoical. So I don't feel anxious, but all of a sudden my body seems to break down & I start getting some systemic symptoms: major, major exhaustion, body aches, rapid weight loss, nausea, and even neurological symptoms like dizziness and lack of balance. My skin goes an odd colour, too. What's true for me may not be true for you, though--but I just want to throw out a reassuring possibility that you may not have anything bad after all, just a severe case of anxiety. I do hope, though, that whatever it is, gp gets to the bottom of it this afternoon. It can be awful when you know you're unwell but no one has an explanation for it.

Those light-sensitive headaches sound like classic migraines. . .but you wouldn't ordinarily get one everyday I don't think.

expatkat · 05/07/2004 17:54

Oh, and to further reassure. . .I keep hearing that French medical care is extremely good if you happen to need it over there, though I understand about the language barrier.

Original poster

Rhubarb · 05/07/2004 22:29

Ok, the good news is that I do not have either an over or under-active thyroid, my liver is fine and my kidneys are fine. But.....my white blood cell count is very low. 1.8 when it should be 4 or 5. The GP is worried about this and the sweats I've been having. She wanted to refer me to a haemotologist to have a bone marrow sample taken, but I quickly talked her out of it! I'm due back on Monday for another blood test to see if there is any change. If it is still low, then I shall have to have a bone marrow sample taken, which will interfere with our France plans.

My hope is that the virus I had, which was a nasty one, is responsible for the low cell count, in which case next week my cell count should be on the up. If not then I don't know what happens or what it might mean, I'd rather not know either! So I'm trying to be reasonable about it, but the GP looked very grave and so I am very worried. Damn and blast!

OP posts:

Tinker · 05/07/2004 22:37

Fingers crossed Rhubarb, can imagine you'd be very worried, Hope all is looking better next week.

expatkat · 05/07/2004 22:39

Not to put to rosy a picture on things, Rhubarb. . .BUT it's a high white count that's usually indicative of something bad like leukemia. A low white count can definitely be a result of a virus. After I had gladular fever I had a low white count and had to go for further tests, which turned out negative. Hopefully that will be the case for you, too. I wonder if your body isn't fighting something still like maybe a parasite, or a virus that you still haven't quite kicked. Anyway, sorry to hear the gp got you worried. . .this has happened to me many times, where something has been off in my bloodwork and it's panicked me and the gp, and then turned out to be nothing. Try not to worry until there's more info, though I recognize that's a really hard piece of advice to follow.

Original poster

Rhubarb · 07/07/2004 12:42

Thank you, I've got all weekend to muse over this, and if I did it would drive me mad! So I'm trying to put it out of my mind. It probably is my body fighting an infection. I've started to wean ds off the breast now, which I didn't want to do, but right now I'd rather do that than risk getting another infection and having to quit our plans. I need to get back into shape. I feel bad about it, but there you go. So long boobies, it was nice knowing you!

OP posts:

eefs · 07/07/2004 13:20

gosh Rhubarb - didn't hear about the France relocation. Wow, best of luck and congrats. I think you are doing the right thing in weaning DS - you've given him so much already (he's the same age as my ds2 I think - almost 7 months?) and remember you're body is channeling all the goodness into producing milk. You'll hopefully be able to hold onto a bit more weight and have a bit more energy when your body readjusts.
Fingers crossed for Monday.
L eefs

Original poster

Rhubarb · 10/07/2004 13:21

Hi eefs! Not seen you around in a while! How is your little one doing? You are right, ours are about the same age, mine will be 7 months on Sunday. Very fat, but quite happy. Very lazy too though, doesn't do much at all yet!
I gave some more blood today and will phone for the results tomorrow afternoon. I feel a lot better so I do hope everything is ok. But I saw some friends at the weekend, I'd not seen them in a few months, and they all looked very shocked when they saw me. I'd made an effort to look nice that evening as it was a wedding reception of a friend, but all everyone said was how ill I looked! I do know that I'm very skinny and pale now, but I guess I just never realised how shocking I looked! So time for rice pudding I think!

OP posts:

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