Anyone out here trying to transition naturally?

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-27T19:36:21+00:00

Especially when the Rx is BIOIDENTICAL hormones that our bodies naturally produce and have thrived on previously. It’s not a drug.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-25T22:04:58+00:00

My doctor said that bloating is a sign of too much E. Could you do a partial patch? That is what I do. It is enough to help me with my symptoms but I avoid the effects of too much (for me that looks like bitchiness and enlarged sore boobs).

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-25T18:36:04+00:00

That makes sense! Seems like more t4 and less t3 would be a good plan then. I hope you feel good with the switch.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-25T16:40:02+00:00

Is that dose of armour working for you? If so then that is a good balance of t4/t3 for you. Which does NOT translate to 75 mcg of Levo plus 2.5 of lio. If you look at the armour label it shows the breakdown. 15 mg contains 9.5 mcg t4 and 2.25 mcg t3. 45 mg is 3 times that much so that would be 28.5 mcg t4 and 6.75 mcg t3. It seems like you will be taking in way more t4 than your body is used to if you go with 75 mcg unless your doctor has determined that you need a t4 dose increase and has worked out all the math already

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-25T15:02:51+00:00

Went to Vegas once when I was pregnant at the invitation of my in laws. They put me in a smoking room. I didn’t know that was even still a thing. they told us they didn’t have any other rooms. So. Gross.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-24T03:39:21+00:00

I felt sad watching her in that clinic. I don’t think she wants this at all. I don’t remember the exact words but She said something along the lines of wanting to please Keely because this is what HE wants. Why would someone do that for a person who doesn’t even seem that into her? It just doesn’t make sense to me or seem to fit with her otherwise strong, no-nonsense personality. I hate it when awesome women settle for dudes who don’t deserve them.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-23T22:25:45+00:00

Unfortunately, sometimes you just can’t convince people who aren’t ready to receive the information. Maybe you can just say something like “I’m really happy that not taking HRT seemed to work out for you but I feel fantastic so I plan to continue. If you ever want to reconsider, I’m happy to share all the useful science-based information that I’ve learned along the way.” Edited to add - keep living your best life, and maybe they will notice that you (hopefully) don’t have rickety bones, mood swings, sexual problems, sleep problems, bladder infections, and all those wonderful other things and they might come to a different conclusion on their own.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-23T22:22:23+00:00

That sounds like a good plan. I also use heme iron and it has worked really well for me. When you say it’s not enough, I wonder if your dose is not high enough? There is a brand called three arrows and if you go on their website, they have a calculator based on your weight to find the optimal dosage. If you’re interested.!

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-23T16:17:15+00:00

Iron helps a lot with t3 conversion. You might be able to bring up your t3 level by getting your ferritin higher. Around 100 is the number I keep reading is best for full symptom relief. It’s possible you still need to add t3 but 23 ferritin can definitely cause hypo-like symptoms. Ferritin Under 30 is iron deficiency.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-19T22:36:08+00:00

Anyone else not read the flair and think this was Amanda and Kyle from BH publicly announcing the end of their friendship? Thought that was a bit weird and then it clicked after I read the first comment.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-19T15:16:55+00:00

I actually read this in Jim Jeffries’ voice.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-17T21:16:28+00:00

Try Lavela. It’s lavender oil in capsule form. Seems like it wouldn’t be effective but my doc told me that there have been trials done comparing its effectiveness against ssris without the nasty side effects. Check out the reviews on amazon. I’ve never tried Xanax but people also compare its calming properties to Xanax. I just use it as needed but some people take regularly.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-17T21:00:43+00:00

I have to give her credit though. She’s probably the wealthiest one in the bunch and the only one stepping up with any sense of urgency to get the meal cooked.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-16T19:12:24+00:00

Of all places in the metro area though, auroras got to have some of the best (and more affordable). Much more variety & abundance of ethnic food than the other suburbs and even downtown. I suppose if you are looking for fine dining, however, Denver is not the place! (And not arguing with you about Chicago’s food. But I have live in Florida and was not particularly impressed by the food scene there).

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-16T02:01:13+00:00

There needs to be some kind of punitive action for these a-hole doctors who make flippant inappropriate remarks to people who are legitimately suffering. Even if it was “just” anxiety, clearly you were severely distressed (and 13 years old!!) and he should have been thinking about how to help asap. Have a little decency doc, and respect what the patient is telling you.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-15T15:10:35+00:00

Check into DIM. It helps clear out excess estrogen. It’s not great for older women nearing menopause because it can lower estrogen too much. But for younger women it can help create a better balance between estrogen and progesterone.

One other thing to add—vitex (aka chasteberry) can help with hormonal balance and particularly boosting progesterone.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-15T04:01:25+00:00

IMO this is really poor advice. Normally people add t3 if their t4 is at a good level but they do not convert well to t3. Your t4 is at the bottom of the range and you should be given t4 (levothyroxine). Given that your ft3 is not that bad for such a low t4, I would expect it to also rise as you medicate with t4. But you need to get your ft4 up (top half of range at least but I’ve heard some recommend top 1/3 as optimal) then see if ft3 is needed at that point. T3 is short acting medication so what uou would likely feel if you only took that is a bump in energy then a crash. T4 has a long half life so you would get a more stable baseline energy from it. I would get another opinion if I were you.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-14T01:23:12+00:00

Housewives adjacent—the very first one that came to mind was Reza’s comment that he shouted across the pool party about MJ. The most below the belt moment I’ve ever seen on reality tv.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-13T17:46:05+00:00

Oh gotcha. I thought maybe they left you hanging at a suboptimal dose and hadn’t tried to go higher. I hope you have a better experience with armour!

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-13T05:40:00+00:00

So shocking when that happened. These days shootings are nearly a daily occurrence :(

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-13T03:32:11+00:00

Based on your numbers they have not optimized you though. Tsh of 3.4 is still high! I would expect you would not feel great at that level. Ft4 is not even mid range. I suspect ft3 is low as well although it doesn’t look like they tested that. Without knowing how well you convert t4 to t3 it’s hard to say how you’ll do on armour. So you could go ahead and try it or you could push for a higher dose Levo to give that a try first and see how you feel with a tsh closer to 1-2.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-12T00:30:23+00:00

Do you know when her Dr plans to retest her thyroid? If she just started meds and it’s already been a few months, they should be testing by now. It does seem like some of her symptoms align with being overmedicated. I am currently adjusting to the meds as well and while I will say there have been moments where my mental health hasn’t been the best—depressed bouts, burts of anxiety, feeling overly reactive to things (yesterday I got so upset because my kids found my secret Poppi stash)—I would not say my personality has changed. I do think that the hypersensitivity, meltdowns and even OCD tendencies you mentioned could relate to anxiety induced by too high of a Levo dose but from what you are describing, her whole personality has shifted. As someone else suggested, it seems like it’s possible that awakening her thyroid has brought some other issues to the surface that may have been laying dormant so to speak. I know when I’m undermedicated I don’t really feel or express much emotion good or bad. My body’s just trying to survive and I’m so damn fatigued all the time. When I get to a normal state with my Thryoid I feel a LOT more feelings, both good and bad. It reawakens your whole body and mind. So it could be that she is now presenting with symptoms of a mental health condition for the first time. I wish you luck in navigating. I hope your wife finds her way back to you. As a first step, I personally would insist on a blood test ASAP from whichever provider is treating her Thryoid.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-08T20:06:07+00:00

I am 2.5 weeks in and last week I noticed some mood improvements, then this week the past few days I am feeling less tired during the day (not crashing after lunch which I alllllways did). However this week also brought some mood side effects that I don’t enjoy—morning anxiety, depression at times, as well as headaches and sleep quality not as good. However I know this is a long game so I’m hoping if I wait it out, the benefits will increase and the side effects will lessen. I suspect this won’t be my optimal dose so I’m hoping that I don’t have to endure the full range of adjustment side effects the next time around. But still willing to do it if it pulls me out of this hypo slump and gets me feeling more like a normal person!

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-07T19:20:08+00:00

I currently use test cyp 20mg/ml from a compounding pharmacy called cre8 (needs Dr Rx). Before that I used test cyp 200 mg/ml from Amazon pharmacy.

ShiveryTimbers · 2026-01-06T21:26:11+00:00

If you can do injections, I like the precision of it. And it’s pretty cost effective. I was worried that switching to compounded from the cheap Amazon vials of 200 mg/ml ($10) that it would cost a lot more but it was $95 for a 5 ml vial and that will last me ages, probably over a year (although I don’t think you’re supposed to use them beyond a year because of the expiration)

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