Dr. Izabella Wentz, PharmD

Thyroid Pharmacist

What Would You Do If You Got Your Energy Back

What would you do if you got your energy back?

Medically reviewed and written by Izabella Wentz, PharmD, FASCP on August 10, 2015

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Addressing Fatigue and Hashimoto’s

I hope this message finds you well. Today, I want to focus on something near and dear to my heart… overcoming fatigue and getting your energy back!

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that I once experienced debilitating fatigue and that I missed out on life for most of my twenties due to the fatigue.

The fatigue started when I was 18 years old, during my second semester of my first year of my undergraduate studies, when I was taking three science classes that were required prerequisites for pharmacy school. I didn’t understand what had happened. While during the first semester, I got numerous colds, “strep-throats” and the like while living in the dorms which would often interfere with my schoolwork, during the second semester, I went from an ambitious, energetic straight- A student to a shell of my former self. I was so tired; I felt like a walking zombie.

I started missing classes, and my grades began to slip. I would fall asleep while trying to study, and once slept through an 8 am exam; having laid down the evening before at 6 pm for a “quick nap.” I started withdrawing from social interactions and spent most evenings after my classes sleeping. I often slept through the dorm room dinner time and was too tired to get food elsewhere… this resulted in me losing so much weight, that a few of the girls in my dorm began writing me anonymous notes about my “disgusting eating disorder.” The worst part was my brain-fog. I couldn’t think straight enough to make even simple decisions, yet alone study!

I barely passed my classes that semester and spent the first part of summer break in bed, seriously considering dropping out of college- how would I ever get into pharmacy school, when I could barely pass my prerequisite science classes and could barely drag myself out of bed to shower? Without setting the alarm, I would go to bed at 9 pm, then woke up at 3 or 4 pm the next day.

My parents wondered what happened to the bossy, busy-bee teenager they sent away to college and thought that I must have become depressed. They took me to a psychologist who told me that all of my problems were in my head and that I needed to change. I was told I would need intensive counseling to get better.

Learning to “Live with It”

I couldn’t stand disappointing my parents, and I decided that I was going to do my best, fatigue and all. I enrolled in summer school so that I would be able to take fewer classes in the fall.

I still kept getting sore throats, and eventually, one doctor did some advanced testing, and I learned that I had “mono”, a condition caused by the Epstein-Barr Virus (known as glandular fever in the UK), and was told that the fatigue would get better, but the fatigue only improved slightly..

I sought out the advice of numerous physicians and was told I was stressed, depressed or just “getting older.” I later learned that this virus had been implicated in triggering autoimmune thyroid conditions, chronic fatigue syndrome and other autoimmune conditions.

I thought that I had chronic fatigue syndrome and believed the conventional medical opinion on the condition; “the condition is thought to be psychological in nature, and there’s nothing that can be done to improve it.”

I eventually learned to compensate and live with the fatigue, allowing me to finish my undergraduate studies, pharmacy school, and start to live a seemingly “normal life.”

A person who has her health has a thousand dreams, she who does not has just one…

When I turned 25, I moved to Los Angeles, CA right after my wedding. I had dreamed of living in Los Angeles for many years, and was so happy to be there, but was too tired to experience all of the things the amazing city had to offer.

I had so many interests, dreams, and goals, but never enough time (or energy) to pursue them. I wanted to take adult education classes, get into great shape and dreamed about having little children to push in a stroller along the beach sidewalks. But I was too tired to pursue any of my dreams! In fact, I was too tired to do anything but go to work and come home to watch TV, day in and day out. I had no energy to exercise, spend time with friends, or pursue any hobbies.

When I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s in 2009, I was relieved. I thought my fatigue would be solved by thyroid medications, but the medications only helped a little bit. I had to take charge of my health to get on the path to recovering my energy! I started to see gradual improvements with all of my interventions and finally felt like my old self again in February of 2012! I ended up writing a patient guide sharing all of my interventions, Hashimoto’s the Root Cause.

Today, I’m living in Boulder, CO, and spent my Saturday Mountain biking through the Colorado Mountains! I never thought I’d be an outdoorsy type of girl because these kinds of activities would leave me so fatigued, I would have needed days to recover from any strenuous activity. But I feel so great today; I even went to a Barre Fitness class this morning. My brain fog is a distant memory, and I am working through my “bucket-list,” turning my dreams into reality!

It’s not in your head, and you can get better!!

It breaks my heart when I think that some of you may still be suffering due to debilitating fatigue. I want you to know that you can get better, you can get your energy back and feel like yourself again. Maybe even better! You don’t have to “learn to live with it.” Life can be good again, and you can do all of the things you dream about. When you get your energy back, so many doors will open up to you!

Fatigue is your body’s way of telling you that there’s an underlying root cause that needs to be addressed. It could be food sensitivity, an infection, a nutrient depletion, deficiency, toxin overload, hormonal imbalance and/or an improper brain response to stress. Many times, it’s a mixture of two or more of the above that creates a perfect storm that results in poor energy.

Be sure to check out my article on strategies to overcome fatigue for more information!

P.S. Be sure to sign up to my email list to get a free book chapter, recipes, Thyroid Diet start guide and notifications about upcoming events and my weekly newsletter.

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  2. Thank you for writing this blog on Hashimoto’s I was diagnosed in 2012 With hypothyroidism and I was prescribed she T-4 hormone – and the doctor has a suspicion based on my symptoms that I had Hashimoto’s and that test was positive I am struggling still T4 hormone keeps rising and I feel awful – I still have chronic fatigue I still have chemical sensitivities to the point where we have to use hardly any chemicals in our house for laundry or cleaning I cannot be by anyone’s perfumes or men’s colognes – they did try the T-3 hormone but it made my heart race and my blood pressure rise so we had to discontinue but I do feel better – at my last visit my doctor suggested account found where the T-3 hormone could be released slower into my system – I am working on a gluten-free diet my weight has never changed in fact I have gained weight and my 130 pound frame now holds almost 200 pounds so thank you for giving me some hope that there might be some help for me out there somewhere
    Reply

    • Lisa- Thank you so much for sharing. I am so sorry you have had to go through so much. Fatigue was the most debilitating symptom I experienced with Hashimoto’s. It actually started 8 years before I was finally diagnosed in 2009, after I got Mono (Epstein-Barr Virus) in college. I needed to sleep for 12 hours each night to be able to function, and by “function” I mean after hitting the snooze button on my alarm clock for two hours (ask my poor husband), I would drag myself out of bed and then had to drink 4-6 cups of caffeine everyday to keep myself awake. I often had Red Bull and Pepsi for breakfast, and was the epitome of “wired but tired”. I hope my articles help you get started 🙂

      OVERCOMING THYROID FATIGUE
      https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/top-10-tips-for-overcoming-hashimotos-fatigue

      THIAMINE AND THYROID FATIGUE
      https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/thiamine-and-thyroid-fatigue

      Reply

  3. Make sure they check your hormones too. In my case there was zero testosterone as well as low thyroid and a gluten free diet made a world of difference.
    Reply

  4. Hello I live in the UK and have been following your posts for some time.I take on board the dietary and exercise advice but still struggle with symptoms since my Endo will only prescribe T 4 and I would like to take Armour or NDT Do you know if I can purchase these medications for myself? 😞 Mary
    Reply

  5. I would get a job . And spend time with my kids and my husband. I I have a question how can you tell if its low blood sugar I have hypoglycemia or hyper low blood sugar and it makes me tired too how can I tell which it is
    Reply

    • Debbie- The role of insulin is to clear blood sugar out of our
      cells, so a large insulin release is followed by a rapid drop of blood
      sugar (hypoglycemia). Symptoms of hypoglycemia are very
      unpleasant and may include irritability, fainting, lightheadedness, or
      tremors. Hypoglycemia necessitates the release of cortisol to help
      maintain the glucose supply to the brain and counteracts insulin,
      causing insulin resistance (this is also linked to the Type 2 diabetes
      epidemic). Here is an article you may find interesting as well! 🙂

      BLOOD SUGAR IMBALANCES AND HASHIMOTOS
      https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/blood-sugar-imbalances-and-hashimotos

      Reply

  6. Dear Isabella, firstly thank you for all you do. I am looking forward to this summit. I have been looking into the Pure Encapsulations supplements that you recommend and discovered the “Thyroid Support Complex” – is this something you would recommend? I have had Hashimotos and then CFS since 2001, I take Levo thyroxine every day, but still feel very fatigued etc. I am taking my health into my own hands, gluten free and focusing on diet and relaxation lifestyle… now supplements to help alongside so would appreciate your thoughts. Thank you, Catherine x
    Reply

    • Catherine- Not everyone will need every single supplement! In fact, I believe that most nutrients should come from the diet, this is why I always list food sources for most of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals and probiotics that are depleted in Hashimoto’s in the book and on the blog. However, some may require/prefer supplements and the supplements on the website are a resource for those that do. I recommend getting tested for deficiencies to determine your need for a supplement as instructed in the book and blog. I also don’t recommend starting multiple supplements all at once. I recommend starting one at a time and then adding another a week or so later once it has been confirmed that the first supplement is not causing any harm.

      I do have a full supplements chapter in my book. Have you checked it out? Not everyone should be taking every supplement and the book will help uncover your root cause. This will help you figure out your supplementation.

      http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615825796?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0615825796&linkCode=xm2&tag=thyroipharma-20

      Reply

  8. Very good question, everyone needs to bring back our energy that we have since we are physically fit and healthy. Due to everyday stress our body suffers and we started to feels unhealthy.
    Reply

  9. I’ve been hypo for 12 years,(I am 48 now) on levo. Three years ago after my dad died my life was turned upside down. I got pneumonia, shingles and was stressed beyond max being co-executor with a “not-so-kind” brother. I became fatigued, exhausted, and depressed as well as gaining weight, struggling with anxiety, high BP and a nervous breakdown. First I began counseling, started meds and went to a doc who did a thyroid panel. She started me on 10,000 in D3, iron and more levo. Months later I felt like I could finally do research on these deficiencies. My thyroid numbers continued to go the wrong way…I begged her for NDT. No, it’s not reliable, she said. So I left her care. On my own I gradually decreased antidepressants and levo. After lots of prayer of what to do next, I asked my friend and midwife (who also does well woman care) to read your book and STTM. Long story short, she prescribed nature throid 8 months ago, I titrated to a 3 grain dose. I also researched LDN, oh my…this is my life saver for my aches and pains in my joints and muscles. We tested for RA because if it. So here I am nearly 3 years after my dad’s death. I have OPTIMAL thyroid numbers and D3 numbers. I feel good but my ferritin is still not optimal. 3 yrs ago it was 15, now 54 with two 65 mg of elemental iron daily. I have been dairy and gluten free for 14 months, I take a regiment of supplements according to those books and have treat my adrenals. Can you suggest ways to increase iron absorbtion? I take a probiotic and feel like my gut has healed. What am I missing? I am excited to see what LDN does to my antibodies. JC
    Reply

    • Jolene- Supplements are not created equally, and many multivitamin tablets
      have questionable absorption profiles. I don’t like recommending
      “One a Day”-type vitamins because they don’t consider how the
      vitamins interact with one another. For example vitamin C taken
      together with iron improves the absorption of iron, while iron taken
      together with zinc decreases the absorption of zinc. Not everyone will need every single supplement! In fact, I believe that most nutrients should come from the diet, this is why I always list food sources for most of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals and probiotics that are depleted in Hashimoto’s in the book and on the blog. However, some may require/prefer supplements and the supplements on the website are a resource for those that do. I recommend getting tested for deficiencies to determine your need for a supplement as instructed in the book and blog. I also don’t recommend starting multiple supplements all at once. I recommend starting one at a time and then adding another a week or so later once it has been confirmed that the first supplement is not causing any harm.

      I do have a full supplements chapter in my book. Have you checked it out? Not everyone should be taking every supplement and the book will help uncover your root cause. This will help you figure out your supplementation.

      http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615825796?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0615825796&linkCode=xm2&tag=thyroipharma-20

      Reply

  10. I need a doctor that will lopk further than testing T4 levels. I think I may have leaky gut due to immediate swelling on the stomach whether drinking water or eating food. Can you recommend a doctor in Hot Springs Arkansas or Little Rock Arkansas?
    Reply

  11. Thank you for sharing this! People o work with and even family and friends don’t get it! They say you look healthy so there’s nothing wrong with you. You probably not getting enough sleep. I’ve been trying to get 7-8 and sometimes it’s not enough. I recently lost my job and on of the reasons I was given is being tired at work! I’m not a lazy person! I’m just fatigued and have brain fog so bad I can’t think straight! Almost a month ago I saw a new Endocrinolgist who has me on T3/T4 meds and I’m starting to feel better and am losing weight with my diet and exercise finally! But I’m constantly reading how to gain back energy and feel better! You have to be your own advocate and not listen to negativity.
    Reply

    • Michelle- When I was first diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, I felt so alone. My doctor didn’t think it was a big deal, and none of my friends or co-workers had it. It wasn’t until I started to research online that I found others who were going through the same thing.

      A couple of years after my diagnosis, I found Hashimoto’s 411, a closed Facebook group run by Alice Berry McDonnell. This group is amazing! It is comprised of an army of highly motivated, smart, supportive women and men (now 45,000+ strong), and each of them sharing ideas of what worked for them, things they were planning to try, and offering support to one another. The comfort I received from knowing that there were others going through the same challenges as I, was enormous.

      https://www.facebook.com/groups/hashimotos411/

      Ask questions. Post your thoughts. Scan the files. It is an absolutely amazing resource. Best of all it’s kept private from spammers.

      Reply

  14. Thanks Izabella, I remember that awful fatigue dragging through days and days and years also! I have been recovering for more than 5 years. I think taking your class may have been the thing that will “Nail it” for me. I got through most of the class thinking I had done this and that… When we got to the section in infections, I knew that it might be the missing piece! I had previously not been able to test for SIBO, and we didn’t do anything about the symptoms of it that I was having. I found the herbal protocol for SIBO and figured that I would try it with alterations since I couldn’t have garlic. My body swelling seemed to start going down; my bloated belly, and swollen thighs seemed to start going down! My functional medicine nurse said she was sorry, BECAUSE it was a no brainer that I would have SIBO after 30+ years of undiagnosed celiac. I am so glad that I took the class.

    Reply

    • Anna – thank you for following this page. Most thyroid conditions result from the immune system attacking the thyroid because the immune system is out of balance. Even when the thyroid is taken out surgically, is ‘dead’, or treated with radioactive iodine the autoimmunity still persists in most cases. Many people will have their thyroids removed, and will develop new autoimmune disorders such as Lupus, Rheumatoid arthritis, etc. The immune system just finds a different target. We need to re-balance the immune system to prevent this (sometimes the autoimmunity can be reversed as well). The gut determines your immune system. With the exception of discussing proper thyroid medication dosing, the majority of my website and my book focuses on balancing the immune system. The info I present is based on my own research and journey for overcoming my autoimmune thyroid condition.

      Hashimoto’s Protocol
      thyroidpharmacist.com/protocol

      Hashimoto’s Root Cause
      http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615825796?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0615825796&linkCode=xm2&tag=thyroipharma-20

      Reply

  16. Hi Dr
    I have thyroid issues for over 10 year’s September I had diverticulitis then stomach inflammation after that I started getting fatigue every day in December I went to my endocrinologist did blood test and found out I have hashimoto well now I think I have both hyperthyroidism hypothyroid I feel so tired day by day I was 200 lb back in September now February I’m 165 please I need help this fatigue is driving me crazy can’t function I want my life back

    Reply

  17. Hi Dr,
    I have Hashimoto thats what the doctor told me. I have been feeling extremely tired all the time. I really dont have the energy to do anything even 10-12 hours of sleep is never enough for me. After exercise is even worst im totally drained out. I just want to sit down doing nothing and it has really affected my work. Any suggestion how i can get back my energy.

    Reply

    • Susan – thank you for reaching out and sharing. I’m so sorry you are struggling with fatigue. I understand how hard this is. <3 Fatigue was the most debilitating symptom I experienced with Hashimoto’s. It actually started 8 years before I was finally diagnosed in 2009 after I got Mono (Epstein-Barr Virus) in college. I needed to sleep for 12 hours each night to be able to function, and by “function” I mean after hitting the snooze button on my alarm clock for two hours (ask my poor husband), I would drag myself out of bed and then had to drink 46 cups of caffeine everyday to keep myself awake. I often had Red Bull and Pepsi for breakfast, and was the epitome of “wired but tired”. I hope my articles help you get started 🙂

      OVERCOMING THYROID FATIGUE
      https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/strategies-overcome-hashimotos-fatigue/

      THIAMINE AND THYROID FATIGUE
      https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/thiamine-and-thyroid-fatigue

      Reply

  18. This is exactly what my life has been like the last 3 years. I got mono and then the fatigue got worse and worse. I am currently 24 years old and am missing out on everything because I am so fatigued. I was diagnosed with Haahimotos 2ish years ago and have seen Endocrinologists since but of course my TSH and T4 are normal so no one really cares. Even though my thyroglobulin antibodies are almost 500. I apparently shouldn’t have symptoms till my thyroid stops working. Never mind the fact its swollen and pushes on my trachea. Never mind the fact I take a 60 mg vyvanse every morning that only lasts me 3 hours and then I have to consume up to 700 mg of caffeine just to TRY and function. I’m at the point where I’m trying to finish my bachelors and then make it into vet school. But that dream seems so so far away with how things are right now. Most of my life is spent unconscious. This HEAVILY affects my life if you would even call it a life at this point. But no one seems to care. Where do I need to start to get better? I can’t keep living like this.

    Reply

    • Victoria – thank you for sharing you journey. <3 I'm so sorry you are struggling with this. I understand how hard it is! Without going into too much detail, the first of the crucial defining moments in my disease development may have started during my undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois. Due to the communal living setting of dormitories (and less than stellar hygiene habits of most college students), I had recurrent strep throat infections and even contracted mononucleosis, a viral infection caused by the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), which is implicated in triggering many autoimmune conditions. I received multiple courses of antibiotics as well as flu shots (which may be associated with EBV infections) and started birth control for menstrual cramps.

      Animal fats, broths, soups, and stews support the body’s ability to suppress the viruses. Monolaurin or lauric acid, one of the components of coconut oil, has been found to be active against the Epstein-Barr virus. Replication of any viruses including Epstein Barr is inhibited by glycyrrhizic acid, an active component of licorice root. Quercetin, Co-Enzyme Q10, N-Acetylcysteine, and glutathione were also reported to be helpful in chronic fatigue syndrome because of their anti-viral properties. It is my belief that this combination had a profound impact on my gut flora, and thus my immune system. Here is an article which you might find interesting:

      EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS AND HASHIMOTO’S
      https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/epstein-barr-virus-and-hashimotos

      Reply

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