Tired Mommy….or Tired Hormones?

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Tired Mom or Tired Hormones? | East Valley Moms Blog

All of us moms can relate with feeling tired or drained and having little energy throughout the day. Why would there be any other reason for feeling tired other than being on call for 24/7?! I think it is very common for us moms to go years without feeling 100% or feeling a tiny bit off because we chalk it up to plain ole motherhood.

What if I told you it may not just be that? Yes, we do not get the amount of sleep we did before children, we are woken up at various times during the night and go full throttle all day, but that does not always equate to being “tired as a mother.” I have been questioning my thyroid and hormones for about four years and my doctor’s always dismissed it. If they did test me on that off chance, the testing was not done correctly, which makes a huge difference in your results. Last year I went through the wringer with my health and my mysterious illness that kept me bedridden for months. Catch up on my journey here about my health scare with Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroid.

After finally finding a doctor (Naturopath) who understood my condition and could treat me, I literally wanted to burst into tears when he agreed to check my hormones and actually understands how to treat them. I would like to give you some tips on what to look for if you think you have an hormonal imbalance:

Symptoms of a Hormonal Imbalance

  • Weight gain
  • Temperature imbalances or hot flashes
  • Fatigue or insomnia, little to no energy
  • Low libido, vaginal dryness
  • Depression, mood swings
  • Endometriosis, ovarian fibroids
  • Brain fog, poor memory

This is a short list, there are a ton of other symptoms and everyone is different. Once I got on medication, which I only take from cycle day 14 to the end of my cycle, I felt a million times better! Without my medication, my temperature increases to about 99.5-100 which is enough to make me feel sick and terrible. I am also on another natural supplement everyday that helps my low testosterone and DHEA levels.

Endometriosis, Ovarian Fibroids, Uterine Fibroids

So, I have suffered with ruptured cysts and painful pelvic pain and periods for years now. I can’t count how many ER trips I have had to take because of a ruptured cyst, and let me tell you I’d rather go through the pains of labor! I’ve had several surgeries for my pelvic pain and prescription strength pain medicine to combat the pain that comes with my monthly cycle. This entire last year I have had an ultrasound with my obgyn every month to keep an eye on large cysts I had in each ovary. I started seeing my Naturopath to treat my hormones and within two months, both cysts that would not leave my ovaries are gone! I also no longer have to take prescription pain medicine for monthly pains.

Advocate For Yourself

If your doctor dismisses the ideas of hormones or does not know how to treat them properly, find someone who will. Another important piece of information is to properly test your hormones, which means the testing must be completed on Day 19-21 of your cycle. No exceptions! You know your body better than anyone else and if you think there is an issue going on, trust your instincts and keep digging until you find answers. I also recommend finding a doctor who listens to your symptoms and doesn’t just treat you only according to your labs.

Important Tests

If you want to get your hormones checked, you need to have the following tested: DHEA levels, Progesterone, Testosterone (and Free Testosterone), Estrone, Estradiol, and Estriol. Also consider having your Cortisol levels checked which can be causing you Adrenal Fatigue. If you want your thyroid checked, you absolutely MUST have the FREE T3 and FREE T4 checked. If your doctor does not check the FREE T’s, this will not give you a true indication of your thyroid levels.

The table above is everything you need to test for if you want to get your thyroid checked. Your thyroid and hormones are all interconnected and if your body is out of balance, you will never feel great, no matter how much exercise you do, how much rest you get, or how well you eat. I would love to hear if anyone else has had a similar experience to mine!

4 COMMENTS

  1. Great article! I’ve wondered if I’ve had thyroid problems or hormonal imbalances often. I’ve had my blood work done numerous times to check my thyroid and every time they come back normal. I’ll ask my Dr the next time I go in for a check up. Thank you for all of the info and tips on what to ask for!

    • Hi Julie,
      Also keep in mind that if you are testing hormones, it needs to be tested on cycle day 19-20. If you do not test on those days you will not be getting an accurate picture. Also, there are many different hormones to test; progesterone, the 3 estrogens, testosterone, free testosterone, and DHEA. Hope that helps!

    • Hi Sarah,
      I currently see Dr. Kevin Barnett (Barnett Clinical) in Chandler. He specializes in Hashimoto’s and thyroid, as well as hormones. He is a naturopath and the only doctor I could find that tested me correctly.

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