If you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time, you’ll know that I’ve been struggling with extreme fatigue and heart palpitations for a number of months now. The blood work I had done came back normal, and I wasn’t really sure where to go from there.
I don’t know why I never came up with this information before, but it certainly seems logical.
Has anyone ever heard of postpartum thyroiditis?
You can develop it anytime in the year following the birth of a baby.
Symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
- Unexplained weight loss
- Increased sensitivity to heat
Those are hyperthyroidism symptoms. Later, the symptoms can swing to those of hypothyroidism:
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Unexplained weight gain
- Increased sensitivity to cold
I don’t really know where I fall in there, because I have pretty much all of these symptoms other than the weight gain. However, come to think of it, I did go back up about 10 pounds after I got back down to my pre-pregnancy weight.
According to what I read, most times postpartum thyroiditis goes away on its own. However, some women develop true hypothyroidism and it is has to be treated the rest of their life.
Anyway, I’m kind of glad to find that at least I have a logical explanation for how I’ve been feeling. I’m really hoping that this stuff truly does go away on its own.
Some days I feel pretty good. I’d say about 75% of the time, though, I am struggling just to do the basics like feeding everybody, changing diapers, and keeping the house relatively clean. The past few days I’ve really had a hard time; getting out-of-breath just by talking, feeling dizzy and like I’m about to pass out and feeling extremely weak. (Close your eyes, mom.) (My mom doesn’t like to let me drive if she knows this stuff.)
I’d love to know if anyone here has experienced this or if anyone knows of any natural remedies for thyroid problems. I have heard that coconut oil can help stimulate the thyroid, but I’m wondering if that would make things worse if I have hyperthyroidism. I don’t really know which one (hypo or hyper) I have since the doctor didn’t order the proper blood tests. I’ve been taking blackstrap molasses every day, but I don’t really know what else to try.
Anyone?
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I’ve had a lot of those off and on since Caleb was born…mostly the fatigue and breathlessness. (I think the irritability is just there from birth to the time they sleep normally…hahaha!) I have found that drinking warm pomegranate green tea with raw honey upon rising in the morning and having raw vegetables for breakfast have helped me TREMENDOUSLY! I feel refreshed, hydrated, and the raw vegetables are easily digested, giving my system a break in the a.m. while I’m the busiest. I then have more raw protein at lunch time and drink lots of water with my own vinegar in it throughout the day. Unless my leg acts up, I don’t have much fatigue anymore even though I’m still barely getting 6 hours of sleep a night with two wakeups with either Caleb or Addy.
Another herbal tea to make if the green tea does not agree with you is Siberian Ginseng with rose hips and orange peel. The Ginseng does not have the natural caffeine like green tea, but will still get your blood moving to encourage fresh blood to the brain and help move oxygen through the system. Fatigue usually comes from the body having to work very hard to process hard to digest heavy proteins and carbs first thing in the morning and having a clogged system. If the kidney and liver are sluggish from waste and bacteria, the body cannot pump clean blood to the rest of the body. The body then becomes fatigued causing it to go into “hibernate” mode to keep itself from being overworked. There are ways to safely cleanse while nursing, but I can tell you about that more later if you want:-) Waste collects on the walls of the intestines from years of eating polluted foods (hard not to do these days!) and it keeps vitamins, minerals, proteins, and amino acids from being able to be used. Since the body cannot dump the necessary nutrients into the blood or other organs due to the blockages upon the lining of the intestines and other vital organs, it simply carries the life giving substances out of the body with other wastes. Unless you remove these buildups, healthy substitutes, vitamins, and cleaner foods are still almost rendered useless. Adding healthy things are good, but without something that is working to scrub and remove that buildup, the body is quickly tired from trying to process the healthy and remove the bad at the same time. Fatigue is just it’s way of telling you that it’s clogged up.
Hope this helps and gives you some more avenues to maybe pursue! I pray for you often! Have a happy day!
If you think it is your thyroid please go back to the doctor and demand proper tests, a lot of doctors won’t order them unless specifically asked for and many many women go undiagnosed until it is too late. Ask for TSH and D3 levels for starters, Also ask if they can do T3 and T4 because the TSH isn’t always accurate if you are just a little off. You may want to check your iodine levels as well as most ppl are on the low side and new mothers need extra. Although I do not have children, I do have hypothyroidism and very low D3 which makes me very tired, irritable, etc.
Thanks so much for your insight, Nikki!
I have had these symptoms as well since Charity was born, and she’s almost 3. The doctor watched my numbers for many months, but deemed it not necessary for meds. She did say, however, that people who are small (like you and I) feel the changes more than heavier people who have more body weight to absorb the hormones.
I did a little study on pressure points in the feet, and was amazed at what I learned. My husband knows exactly where the different spots are, and usually if I haven’t been feeling well, the corresponding spots hurt. He massages them until they are relieved, and it really helps. I find that my feet actually start “craving” to be massaged where they need relief. Weird, but true. 
I saw a naturopath last fall and was prescribed a regimen of herbs that I took for several months. They gave me a boost, but were too expensive to keep up with.
This past January I had IV iron treatments in the hospital and they helped immensely with the heart palpitations. It had gotten so bad that I felt like I was blacking out in public places and I was scared to go into town for fear that I might collapse. Sometimes low iron can cause some of the thyroid symptoms (heart issues, etc.) I felt often that I was struggling just to keep myself aware of my surroundings….not good!
I also have Adrenal Fatigue, which shares some common symptoms with thyroid issues. So it’s hard to tell which one is acting up. But I do have a great specialist (endocrinologist-doctor of internal medicine) who checks all my levels (the ones Nikki mentioned) once a year by rote, and more if I ask for it.
Things I do to help myself-
1. Drink lemon water daily- it has amazing cleansing abilities and balances your pH levels. It also reduces salty and sweet cravings and makes me want ‘real food’ instead of unhealthy snacks. I feel much better when I’ve had the lemon water in the morning.
2. Increase my intake of protein, whether through drinks or snacking on nuts. I also switched to buying only organic yogurt, which has a high protein content.
3. Be honest with my kids…lol, but it’s true. I struggle to get through even one storybook because I don’t have enough breath to read.
4. Having daily foot rubs.
I could probably write a book on this, so I’ll stop. But I understand the frustration because doctors are loathe to do anything about it, thinking it’s “not bad enough.” But it’s hard to keep going when you have small kids and don’t feel well. I know. I’m there with you.
Leah, I appreciate your comment so much! It is wonderful to know that there is somebody who understands exactly how I feel! I will post an update soon on my plan of action and how it goes.
I sent you a link on your fb page but it sounds like similar to me. I have hisitmotos thyroid disease. And my thyroid goes up and down one week I’m hyper the next I’m hypo. Hisitmotos means I’m both and can be one at anytime. Proper medication helps. I don’t like medication either but what has worked for me is taking my synthroid at the same time everyday and eating proper. Eating small meals throughout the day. I urge you to take care of it fast.
Thanks for adding in, Shannon!
Look into something called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. See if any of the symptoms there click with you. Sometimes, thyroid issues are secondary to other problems. I’ve had a bouncing thyroid for the past 6 years. Hypo when pregnant with my 6 year old and hyper when pregnant with my 2 year old. Now, back to hypo again. Was just recently diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, personally. I would not recommend self treatment. The thyroid is a dangerous organ to mess with. Left untreated, it could result in permanent heart damage or death. You want to make sure that your levels are tested regularly – usually every 3 months or so. If you are taking thyroid medications – you CANNOT take them at the same time as any vitamin supplement. Nor can you use many soy products. These interactions can be very devastating. Taking that into consideration – home remedies may not be the way to go unless you have a serious talk with your doctor. My doctor did advise me that a gluten free diet may ease some of my symptoms. I hope you find relief. It’s odd to think that such a small organ can effect each and every other system in your body.
Yes, the body is amazing, but so confusing to take care of sometimes!
I just ran across your web site while looking into coconut oil and read about your thyroid concerns. It’s been a while since you posted this, but I do so hope that you’ve been checked out thoroughly in regards to the thyroid problem, or any other medical problem you might have (and I do emphasize “might”).
You see, at your age, with 3 little ones (3 in 3 years!) we kept making excuses for my health and it took 15 years from onset to get diagnosed with CFIDS/ME (also known by the despised term “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome”) and fibromyalgia, which then led to many other conditions and permanent problems due to the core illness(es). Each year I’ve gotten progressively worse. Last month I developed and added hypothyroidism: being in bed 24/7, I had nonetheless made myself fly to my son’s wedding in Malaysia – like a mom holding up a car in order to save her child, the adrenaline does kick in for live-altering situations! Well, I paid for that trip with the newly-developed thyroid problem. It’s been especially “no fun” when combined with all the other problems I have going. (Understatement!)
Back when I got sick from a flu in grad school, no one knew about CFIDS and fibro. So much more is understood now, though not nearly enough. But seeing people getting it more and more often has frustrated me so much that in February I finally started a blog. I just can’t stand to see others going through what I’ve had to over these last 38 years.
I’m sorry if I come off sounding a bit too passionate or even a bit “off,” but I just can’t stand the way so many are put at risk because of these illnesses. Over these past years (decades!) I’ve tried every western medicine approach, every alternative medical approach, every holistic approach imaginable. Please make sure you’re ok! Your kids need you! That sounds so corny, but it is soooo true! Wishing you the best of health and much joy with your little ones! Irene/upa xx
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, and for your concern! I am doing my best to make my health a priority.