Overclocked

[flexagon]

I feel like my whole system has been sped up lately.

For the last few weeks I've been sleeping less than usual, and waking up before the clock goes off. I've seemed especially sensitive to both caffeine and alcohol. I've lost five or more pounds without meaning to, and am down around 125 again (good for acro). My sex drive has been up.

Weirdest of all, I've gotten my period way early... this one and the last one came only 18 days apart. The two before that were 26 days apart, and I was annoyed enough over that. What's happening?

I hope this fluctuation isn't a sign of something really bad, like my thyroid spinning out of control. What I'm feeling doesn't match up with the hyperthyroidism symptoms I can find online, though (loss of libido? um, no).

Comments

[randysmith]

It sounds like you're just more keyed up. In a good way :-}.

[nevers.livejournal.com]

fascinating! could you be hypomanic? i know that falling in love has put me in that state, so maybe the crush and the acting on it did it? hyperthyroid is possible too, though i hope it's nothing serious. supposedly, since excess thyroid speeds/revs your whole system up, it also raises your basal temperature. you might not have a baseline for comparison, but you could try taking your temp and seeing if it seems high. you aren't just having more caffeine or other stimulant than usual, are you? sounds like not if you're extra sensitive. this also reminds me a bit of how i feel on prednisone, a steroid. have you been using topical steroids (cortisone, for example) by any chance? do you feel extra irritable, angry or anxious?

i don't mean to pathologize your state of mind and body with all these questions! most likely you are perfectly healthy, you should enjoy the extra energy, and everything'll subside in time.

[flexagon]

no, I cut down on caffeine and other stimulants! and I've been cold a lot.

I had a great talk with a massage therapist (and friend) today, and she totally believes the recent adventures could throw my body for this much of a loop. That was calming. I don't feel sick and the symptoms of hyperthyroidism aren't there, and although hypomania sounds great it's not my style and the mood effects haven't been there.

[elbren]

it's close enough that you should get your endocrine function checked - both thyroid and adrenal malfunction can look like that.
it could also just be the start of the beginning of creeping toward menopause. the whole process can take a decade or two.

[flexagon]

Ah, thanks for the note on adrenal malfunction. If this goes on for another couple of months I will definitely look into these things. At the moment it's still just a curiosity, I think, and likely enough to have been caused by recent circumstances. I am keeping an eye on it.

[elbren]

makes sense. if you particularly dislike going to the doctor or are worried about the cost, i'd maybe even give it as long as a year unless the symptoms significantly worsen or are particularly troublesome. an off endocrine system isn't going to damage you very quickly.