Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with thyroid

My brain is broken.

relucent — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:25:52 -0800

I think I may have a thyroid disorder. What now? Details inside. 25-year-old healthy white male. No medical history to speak of.

For the past five months, I have gradually lost my ability to concentrate or focus on anything for more than a few minutes at a time. (I have always been prone to distraction, but not like this.) My ability to process information has decreased, and I am constantly in a state of what can only be described as "brain fog".

I used to be quick-witted, but now I often will forget what I'm saying in the middle of a sentence. My conversational skills have tanked. I write a lot, but I go back and read the things I've written recently and they lack the clarity and cohesiveness that I used to have. I also fidget constantly. If I'm sitting at my desk, my leg is shaking almost 100% of the time. I am frustrated to no end with all of this.

The start of it coincided with a stressful project at work over the summer which lasted about 2 months. We also moved to a new city in October for my wife to take a job, and I am now working from home after being in an office environment for the past three years. So there were the factors of stress and and a big lifestyle change that could have contributed. It may be worth pointing out that I probably do not get as much exercise as I should, but I have recently started running a few times a week and it hasn't helped a bit. I also quit drinking coffee, but no help there either.

Most of these symptoms are indicative of a thyroid disorder of some sort (probably hypothyroidism). Both of my parents have had a history of minor thyroid problems so this would not be unprecedented, though they were both over 40 when they had their issues, so 25 is awfully young.

So I think I have a problem and I think I may know what it is. I'm scheduling my yearly physical in the next couple of days, and will see if I can get some tests done. (I am terrified that they won't find anything. The worst thing I could hear is that I don't have a problem.) But is there anything else I can do in the mean time? Any other steps I should be taking?

I know self-diagnosis is a dangerous thing, and I know hypothyroidism is an easy scapegoat for life failures. But I don't have anything to blame on it... I'm not overweight and I haven't really failed at anything. My work performance has actually been excellent despite all of this. I just can't think.

sudden surgery

Cat Pie Hurts — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:44:37 -0800

Sudden substernal thyroid surgery dealing with the now and the after. I'm an overweight 36 year old male who has breathing issues for a few years now. I quit smoking a few years ago, hoping the breathing would improve, but it didn't. So I lost a lot of weight. That helped a bit, but not too much.

My GP thought it might be my tonsils, so she sent me to an ENT. The ENT found a "large mass" in my neck, so he sent me for a CT scan yesterday. The results of yesterday's scan show that my thyroid is massive and extends below my sternum. It is also causing significant compression of my trachea. My GP called in a surgeon who wants to remove my thyroid immediately because of the severe compression and concern over choking. I've been living with the issue for awhile now and have learned to compensate.

What it comes down to is:

Today has been a snowball of phonecalls and appointments and I am lost an terrified.

The surgeon has already scheduled the surgery for Tuesday (the day before my freaking birthday). He feels that it's urgent that the thyroid is removed.

1. I want some time, even if it's only a week, just to "get my affairs in order". Yes, whatever that means. I know surgery is risky business. I have never had anesthesia before and I am overweight, so that puts me at much greater risk. Can I push for that time?

2. This is a rollercoaster. How do I deal? If I don't get that time, do I just let go and roll with it?

3. Post substernal thyroidectomy recovery. What can I expect? Everything I've read applies specifically to women. Any male specific advice?

4. I'm not kidding. If they're taking it out, I want it. What can I do to let me keep my thyroid in some preservative fluid? It's mine, dammit!

Thanks, everyone. I'm so freaking scared right now, it isn't funny, but the surgeon and my GP assure me that I'll have an immediate quality of life improvement post-surgery (breathing!).

Oh boy, soy!

Anonymous — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 21:51:24 -0800

My vegetarian diet is making me sick. Help! I'm a 27-year-old female who has been a vegetarian for nearly 14 years. I was overweight when I started the diet and dropped about 40 pounds in 6 months. I've managed to maintain my weight and remain relatively healthy- until recently.

Two years ago, I was diagnosed with anemia and the doctor found that my thyroid was sluggish. I began taking iron pills daily which provided some relief, but with very unwelcome digestive side effects. A year later, my iron levels improved and my thyroid was no longer sluggish, but the doctor wanted me to continue taking iron during my period.

However, during the past 6 months, I began to gain weight. I exercise daily, take vitamins, and consume between 1000-1500 calories daily, so I had no clue why I packed on 15 pounds. After talking with a friend, who was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I began to suspect that my thyroid was failing me again. I was depressed, tired, and bloated-basically I felt as if I had PMS 24/7. But then my friend asked me how much soy was in my diet.

Though I do eat fruits, veggies, and whole grains, the majority of my diet consists of soy products. My friend mentioned that all of this soy consumption could lead to estrogen dominance, which inhibits thyroid functioning. After reviewing all of the symptoms, I realized that I had every single one of them.

Like everyone else, money is incredibly tight at the moment, and I can't afford to pay for lab tests on my hormones and thyroid functioning. I'm obviously going to cut the soy out of my diet, and will probably give up my vegetarian lifestyle, but what else can I do to get my body back in shape? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Help me justify putting off a visit to the doctor because I am poor.

Gonestarfishing — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:01:45 -0800

Another thyroid question... So me-fites...help me figure out if I should go to the doctor or not. Typically I would just go anyway, but I just got my very own brand new shiny health insurance and I haven't yet met my $400 bubble where insurance starts paying for stuff. I have been experiencing some symptoms that would indicate hypothyroidism. They include:

- I feel like my hair is falling out at a more rapid rate than it used to. In sunlight I can see through to my scalp, which has never been the case in the past. I am also getting split ends and my hair breaks really easily. I never. Ever. EVER had split ends in the past, even when I was heat styling my hair almost every day and getting my hair cut once a year. Now I always let my hair air dry, and get a trim every 3 months and still, split ends galore.
- My nails (which were also super duper strong and unbreakable once upon a time) now break much more easily, and start peeling as well from time to time.
- I have had eczema since a child, but for the first time in my life I am getting patches of eczema on my face in the summertime.
- Extreme daytime fatigue, even after changing my diet to include more healthy foods, upping (and lowering) my food intake, going to bed earlier, etc. I pretty much can't help but pass out after I get home from work.
- I was sleeping pretty well every night up until a couple of months ago when I started having more and more frequent bouts of insomnia. The fatigue has been present a lot longer than the insomnia, by a couple of years at least, though now I'm sure it's attributable to the insomnia.
- Unending low grade depression
- Unexplained joint pain. I have flat feet, so if I'm on my feet for a significant amount of time, my ankles/knees/hips/lower back will ache, but often I'll have had a low key day and I still end up feeling arthritic (I'm only 23).
- Constipation
- A once laid back person, I am now more prone to snap at my loved ones in anger when they don't deserve it. I would now classify myself as having a hot temper.
- I had blood work done 2 years ago to test TSH, and mine was at 4.3. My doc said it was on the high side of normal but still within normal range. I got tested again a month after that, and all was back to well within normal ranges.
- Perhaps the most frightening symptom of all is the memory loss/brain fog. I have trouble recalling simple words when speaking and my ability to compose sentences has gone down the shitter. I find myself being grammatically incorrect a lot, but can't think of the proper way of how to phrase things. I was once a star english student and used to pride myself on my vocabulary. I feel like I've been dumbed down by 30 IQ points. I have so much trouble trying to focus my brain at work, but can't remember all the tasks I need to complete.

I know there are other symptoms that I am simply not recalling at this moment in time.

Now I know you're saying, get thee to a doctor, stupid! What perplexes me, and the reason why I am asking this question, is that I am not overweight. I gained weight (15 lbs) when I started college 5 years ago that I didn't lose (lack of exercise, horrible diet) until this past year, when other health issues caused me to be unable to eat my typical diet, or much of anything at all. I now have a healthier appetite (and am making much wiser food choices) and have gained a couple of lbs back, but nothing major.

I have a family history of my paternal grandmother and an aunt (her daughter) having hypothyroidism. It should be noted that they have always been pin-thin before and during their hypothyroidism (but perhaps may be due to their penchant for eating disorders). I am not close with them, nor do I wish to be, so talking to them about this is not an option.

So. Given the symptoms above, and seeing as how some of them may be explained away by other things, and also seeing as how my weight is under control, do I need to see a doctor immediately or soon? I will go if it seems like I need to, or eventually, but money is tight and like I said, insurance bubble (whatever the fuck it's called, I can't remember) hasn't been reached yet so any visit I make will be paid for out of pocket. Have any of you ever experienced or heard of hypothyroidism sans weight gain? If I do have hypothyroidism, will delaying a doctor visit by 3-6 months make a difference?

Also, I noticed today while touching my neck that my thyroid may be swollen? I don't really know what my baseline is, so I'm not sure if it is swollen, or how to judge. I tried googling "how to identify swollen thyroid" and found one video that wasn't particularly helpful. If I tilt my head back, I can see it sticking out from my neck. While I was thinking about it, I also started remembering that for the past couple of months or so, things have taken a couple or a few swallows to get completely down. Maybe it's in my head, I don't know...but do you have any tips for feeling up your thyroid? What should I be looking for?

ThyroidFilter: Whither to T3, or not T3? That is the question.

bitterkitten — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 08:35:56 -0800

ThyroidFilter: Who out there (particularly those with Hashimoto's), after ditching T4-only therapy for either added synthetic T3, Thyrolar, or the natural stuff, now feels waaaaay better, comparatively speaking? I know there's an ongoing debate about what works better (and how the establishment endocrinologists often go 'screw you', t4 only is the way - and let me tell you, that's what 95% of the docs I saw a few weeks ago at Mayo Clinic thought), but I personally believe that everybody should be able to try whatever's best for them if science has proven it actually does something. Obviously this is not always easy to do.

I have reasons for wanting to try this, but am wary of returning to the near-death-like state I was in when I was first diagnosed with Hashimoto's over 10 years ago, and my TSH was way the heck up near 65.

I've read stuff from folks like the 'Stop the Thyroid Madness' people, and there's Mary Shomon who's been dispensing thyroid advice for quite a while, plus scoured the other MeFi threads.

I don't know many people personally who have switched from taking just t4 to additional t3 or Armour/Naturethroid, so I'm wondering what y'alls experiences have been.

thank ye muchly, hive mind

Hypothyroidism - general questions

sailoreagle — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:45:40 -0800

I'm in the usual boat (at least from what I've seen sifting through the relevant tags on here): a hell of a lot of hypothyroidism symptoms, and a doctor insisting I don't have it. History and actual questions inside. (I know you're not my doctor, but I have honestly no idea who to ask or where.)

Preamble: my mom has hypothyroidism, which she only found out about somewhat recently.

Her sister went to an endocrinologist, had tests done, the endocrinologist diagnosed hypothyroidism and recommended immediate family members test for it too.

My mother, displaying a lot of the symptoms, tested and brought the test results to her normal doctor, who pretty much immediately put her on Levothyroxine. Her symptoms went away, and she's been happy ever since.

I'm displaying a fair amount of the symptoms myself:

- Issues losing weight (I can't seem to shed the extra weight I've gained, no matter how much I exercise, how much I diet, and so on)
- Constantly feeling tired and weak
- Constantly feeling depressed, moody and very easily irritated (I'll snap for no reason)
- Feeling cold all the time (winters are hell)
- Muscle / joint pain for no discernible reason
- Issues remembering things and focusing (I feel fuzzy-headed pretty much all the time)
- My hair feels drier and more brittle than it used to be
- I can't seem to feel rested no matter how much I sleep
- My skin is dry and brittle and keeps cracking in spots (especially my heels)

I had two blood tests done by the doctor I had in my home country.

#1 had TSH at 4.80.
#2 had TSH at 5.22 and T4 at 1.1 (within the norm).

Doctor then said I ought to start taking Levothyroxine like my mother.
Then - before I could start - I moved to a different country (UK) and had to get a new doctor. Who took a look at those tests, said "let's just get another done to be sure" - and the result for test #3 promptly came back "normal", though I haven't got the faintest idea what that means since I never got to see the numbers. Had another test done to doublecheck, which also came back "normal", don't have the numbers for that either.
At which point I was promptly informed that it's not hypothyroidism, it's not anemia (tested for that too), it's just stress / lifestyle, I need to get over it on my own. Which I've tried, but nothing seems to be helping - if anything, it's getting worse.

My questions are the following:

- What do I do now? I'll be moving and therefore getting a new GP soon enough (two months and a couple of weeks), should I just tough it out until then and see what the new GP says?

- Or should I track down an endocrinologist on my own and go over my GP's head? If so, how do I track one down? Can't seem to have any luck on the internet and I'm not very well-versed in health matters. Would hospitals have one? All hospitals?

- I found a leaflet in a magazine advertising this thing. I am very skeptical, especially as I've found nothing on the internet either supporting or disputing their claim of "this does help". I'd be wasting my money if I were to get this thing, wouldn't I?

I'm just sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I'm 27 and feel like an old person :(

Not a Loser

Scattercat — Sat, 16 May 2009 04:13:46 -0800

GlandFilter: My SO has a problem. She has numerous symptoms of thyroid imbalance, but she shows up on tests as normal. Now she's trying to lose weight. Basically, she's been exercising regularly and trying the low-carb diet. Absolutely no refined sugars, some carbs (i.e. fruit, mostly) along with lots of fiber and water. Eating several meals spaced out through the day. She's been keeping a food diary; 1200 calories per day. After four weeks, she has lost... nothing. She's currently two pounds under her starting weight; last week she actually went above it slightly.

In addition to the apparently stubborn excess weight (which appeared inexplicably several years ago, without any change in eating/activity habits, and has lingered since), she also has a family history of thyroid issues (mother and grandmother), a personal history of depression and anxiety (which didn't respond well to drug treatment), disrupted sleeping patterns, is always cold (to the point where she's running a space heater when I'm actively sweating and turning on a fan), and has unexplained fatty deposits in odd places like the back of her neck. However, blood tests for hypothyroidism came back "low normal." So my question here is twofold:

1) Does anyone know of a good way to lose weight under these conditions? Anything we're not already trying, that is?

2) Is there any other medical diagnosis that would explain sudden weight gain of this kind? Alternately, is there any way to get treatment for hypothyroidism if you're a textbook case but your scores aren't in the official "abnormal" range?

How reliable is the thyroid test?

The Dutchman — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:58:44 -0800

My thyroid test came back normal, but I have a bunch of symptoms that seem like hypothyroidism. How reliable is the test? Symptoms that make me question the results:
- many years: dysthymia (anxious, down, irritable)
- many years: low heart rate (resting pulse at doctor's office: 48)
- recent: elevated blood pressure
- past year or so: can't seem to lose weight despite reducing calories and exercising.

Is this part of having strep, or something else?

tachikoma_robot — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:03:21 -0800

YANMD, but please help. I'm worried I might be developing some sort of Thyroid condition- or is it just that I'm already sick with strep throat? How worried should I be about this? So on Friday morning I woke up with strep throat. Not so much of the sore throat part really, mostly tired, cold and miserable. (And it was a warm day in the DC metro area, too..) I went to a Minute Clinic as soon as possible, in the afternoon, thanks to reading the advice on a previous askmefi.

The doctor seemed to agree that I had strep throat, although I'm not completely sure, she didn't prescribe me antibiotics (my mother insists she should have) just plenty of rest, hot drinks, ibuprofen and to keep well hydrated. She also told me that the infection(?) would travel down towards my lungs, and she's been right about that.

She checked me out and found I had a low fever, a mild cough, normal blood pressure, and my lymph nodes on my neck were normal. But when she was examining my neck she seemed concerned about my thyroid, which has been a little.. bigger than normal in the past few months. It sticks out a little like a tiny adam's apple (only i'm a girl), and that day my throat was well, you know, hurts to swallow, coughs, sore throat kinda inflamed etc.

She asked if I was unusually tired all the time (answer: yes, but not as much lately and a year ago I was diagnosed with anemia and prescribed vitron-c iron pills, which helped). And if my hair had been falling out. (answer: kinda? It's not falling out on its own, but if I scrub too vigorously when showering it does tend to fall out. (You can see gaps in my eyebrows- from washing my face too close to them. Hair on my head seems fine)

Anyway, she told me to go to my primary care doctor after I got better and get my bloodwork done and thyroid levels checked. No problem right?

Well that brings me to today. I wasn't really coughing much until today. But what's really worrying me is my thyroid. It was just kinda swollen with the rest of my throat on friday, pretty normal the next day (after 15 hours of sleeping) but today its.... well it's really hard. (i'm sure it's my thyroid, the doctor pointed it out to me) It's hard like I have a solid bump in my throat where my thyroid is. If I tilt my head backwards, it sticks out like a walnut.

I'm torn between thinking maybe this is just the strep throat again, nothing to worry about- only this is the first time I've had it and I'm worried that maybe I do have some thyroid condition, what if this is something serious. How worried should I be? How urgent is this?

I did try searching for this issue, but came up with nothing. I will have my doctor look at it eventually, but my primary care doctor, if I made an appointment now, it would likely be a couple of weeks from now. Also any ideas about possible causes would be welcome as well.

(Background information that might be useful: I'm 23, a girl, no real medical history except asthma/allergies when I was little, a tad underweight otherwise pretty average health-wise)

What chemicals in the brain are responsible for a sense of mental clarity?

specialfriend — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:06:52 -0800

What chemicals in the brain are responsible for a sense of mental clarity? More inside about why I'm interested... I felt very tired and mentally foggy for 3 years. Finally, I went to endocrinologist, got many blood tests. Found very low Vitamin D and slightly low thyroid. 6 months later, all levels are on the very good side of normal. My physical energy is now excellent, but I still feel as if I'm chugging cough syrup all day -- drugged and foggy.

I feel progressively worse throughout the day, which makes me think I'm running out of (or accumulating) something. But what?

All suggestions for fixes welcome, though I should note that I've tried almost every dietary fix, better sleep, exercise, meditation-- you name it. This is why I gotten down to brass tacks and neurotransmitters in my question. Thanks, everybody!

Thyroid advice badly needed

tkolstee — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:38:03 -0800

I'm pretty sure I have thyroid issues. I see the doctor in three weeks. What can I do until then and how do I know whether I need to see someone sooner? I strongly suspect that I have thyroid problems, particularly a hyperactive thyroid. I realize that YANAD/YANMD, and I've already made an appointment with the doctor, but it won't be for another three weeks. In the meantime, I need to know a few things:

o What else could this be, if not thyroid, that I need to look into?
o How serious is my condition at this point, based on the evidence available? Should I be pushing to see someone sooner? Should I go to the ER?
o What can I do in the meantime to manage my condition through more conventional means?

I also wouldn't mind hearing people's opinions on opting for RIT (radioactive iodine treatment) and replacement vs. anti-thyroid meds, so that I can be prepared with a decision if these are indeed my options.

I'm male and 34 years old if that helps.

First, the reasons I think I have thyroid issues. Please jump in if you think I might be wrong with the self-diagnosis, but I've done a lot of research on this and am all but convinced that this is hyperthyroidism.

Most of these symptoms started around March through June of last year. There have been a LOT of changes in my life starting around that time, and some of them have been "explaining away" or masking my symptoms. At the very least I've been so busy that I've been ignoring these things until I started noticing the pattern. I'll try to provide as much detail as possible.

Family history:
My mother has Grave's disease with VERY bad eye and skin involvement, my brother has Hashimoto's, and at least one other member of the family has had issues with severe thyroid problems in the past. When this was discovered, my family urged me to get a thyroid panel, but I kept putting it off.

Unexplained Weight Loss:
Growing up I went back-and-forth a few times from very skinny to very fat. This was not due to changes on my part AFAIK, and I always assumed that hormonal changes and growth spurts were responsible for the changes. As an adult I've had my natural "set point" change once on me - I was at 180, diet and exercise got that to 160, and then I relaxed that and stayed at ~200 for several years. This for me was overweight but not in the obese category. Since June I've lost about 40 pounds without even trying, and am now closer to my ideal weight. I had made a few diet and activity level changes, but nothing that seems to match up in time or severity with that kind of dramatic weight loss. As the weight loss continues, I've started trying to eat enough to maintain the same weight and don't feel like I can keep up no matter how much I eat. I should mention that my appetite has been a little smaller than before, but I believe this to be related to the behavioral changes, and I still have quite a bit of appetite, even ravenous at times.

Hair/Scalp Issues
I have very curly hair, and used a lot of products in my hair for several years. Early last year, I started noticing what I thought at first was very bad dandruff. I used the typical shampoos and remedies to try and correct the problem, but nothing seemed to work. It seemed to be confined to one "patch" of skin on the right side, and the scalp began flaking in bigger pieces as it progressed. I had a few spots where skin had partially flaked off and formed "flaps" of skin with raw skin underneath. There have also been periods where my scalp turned red along my hairline in front. I thought this might be a bad reaction to one of the hair products I was using, but after I discontinued all of them and went back to the stuff I knew wasn't a problem, the scalp issues persisted. They would "flare up" for a while and then go away. The only thing that may have helped, unless it was just coincidental timing, was Dawn dish soap. After doing a little more research, I figured it was either seborrheic dermatitis or eczema. It wasn't until just recently that I connected this to thyroid.

My hair has always been full but also fine, dry, and brittle. I have started to notice what might be more than my normal hair loss, but this might only be due to external changes - I've been growing it out longer, styling it differently, and using little to no styling products where before I used them heavily.

Other, more vague symptoms (possible, but not as certain)
I've been having pressure and dull aching in my chest near the sternum coming and going since November. It's very slight, and I was painting and ripping out very moldy tiled shower walls around the time this has been going on, but now that I have all the "contaminated" products removed from the house I still feel it. This one's harder to classify, because my wife and roommate have both been feeling the same pains. It may not be related at all, but may also indicate secondary problems that can result from untreated hyperthyroidism. This is the one that scares me the most and makes me wonder whether I can wait the extra three weeks to see the doctor.

My heartbeat and blood pressure, by the way, are good. Heart rate is around 60-80 resting, and BP around 120/80.

Temperature sensitivity: Hard to say - I was going back and forth between two different climates quite often from October 2007 to September 2008, and Florida plays tricks with your temperature sense. I seem to tolerate heat well, but I've never dealt well with cold.

Nervousness and muscle weakness: I've heard these tend to "sneak up" on people. My activity level is feast or famine, but mostly VERY low right now except for the occasional home improvement project. My stress level is also VERY high. I plan on changing both of those soon, but for now I can't tell if I've grown weaker or more nervous without external factors playing a part.

Skin changes: Not that I've noticed. Then again I don't normally pay much attention to these things and everything dries out during winter here, so again it's hard to say.

Tremors / trembling hands: I can hold my hand out straight and see very little movement, but I tried the "paper test" I found online (put out your hand palm down, place a sheet of paper to rest on the back of your hand, and look for trembling at the edges of the paper). I see some movement in the paper, but I thought that small tremors were somewhat normal. At least they seemed to be for me.

Sleep issues: As always, I get far too little and then sleep myself out when I can. When I lie down, I'm out almost as soon as my head hits the pillow. Sometimes I find myself barely able to keep my eyes open a few hours before my normal bedtime, but with my serious sleep debt I think that's a more likely cause.

Help!
I am working on taking in more calories to keep my weight stable, upping the activity level gradually, and cutting down on smoking (currently slightly over 1 pack/day for 20 years) with an eye toward quitting. I'm also working on getting more sleep and really paying attention to my body so that I can present my symptoms to the doctor in a better way. I've heard that 3:1 preparations of sodium and calcium, as well as copper, may help manage the symptoms. I've also heard that cutting back on iodine helps with hyperthyroidism but hurts in the case of hypo-. I also know that if I'm wrong in my guess I could be doing more harm than good but I think that reducing meat and salt may be a step in the right direction, which I will watch carefully.

Also as I said above, I'd be interested in finding out the hive mind's thoughts concerning the treatment options if I'm right about a thyroid issue. Is this an individual case-by-case decision, and what should I know before making a choice?

Thanks in advance for any help, support, or advice you can give me. Whether I'm being rational or not this is scaring me pretty badly right now.

What do my Thyroid test results mean?

toocan — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:43:56 -0800

Having suffered from a lot of symptoms associatd with a possible Thyroid problem I had a test and have just got the results although the doctor says there fine about.com says they are not. Im hoping someone could shed some light for me. My TSH level is 2.44 and my T4 is 19.4 (the doctor says the safe range is 15 - 21) The main reason for the test was i suffer from :

Fatigue
Cold intolerance, increased sensitivity to cold
Depression
Migraine headache
Impaired memory
Anxiety/panic attacks
Sluggish reflexes

How long did it take you to adjust to taking Synthroid?

specialfriend — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:51:10 -0800

How long did it take you to adjust to taking Synthroid/levothyroxine? I just began taking 25mcg this week and I'm feeling weirder by the day! I've tried googling for info, but all I can find is hysteria-filled message boards claiming levothyroxine is manufactured by Satan himself.

Fluctuating TSH / thyroid - normal or weird?

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:39:29 -0800

[Thyroid/CFS-Filter] Do TSH and thyroid levels typically fluctuate within a period of weeks? If so, how much fluctuation is normal? I've looked at previous thyroid questions before but couldn't find any that answered my specific questions... and I know, YANMD. I'll be seeing a doctor next week - but then, I've also seen about 3 doctors this year, with varying results.

I was diagnosed with CFS at the beginning of this year. As a teenager, I went through a period of subclinical hypothyroidism for about a year or so. During the past two years (I'm in my early twenties now), I started experiencing some symptoms of hypothyroidism, the more persistent symptoms being coldness and numbness in extremities, fatigue, dry skin, low blood pressure, hair loss, cold intolerance, constipation, increased sleepiness, inability to concentrate/focus and depression. About 3 months ago, I got my TSH and free T4 tested - which turned out to be 5.082 mIU/L and 14.48 pmol/L respectively. Six and a half weeks after that test, I had another thyroid test done: my TSH was 2.21 mIU/L, free T4 was 18.65 pmol/L and T3 (which hadn't been tested previously) was 1.32 nmol/L.

I had no treatment between the tests (the tests were administered by different doctors), and to my memory, did not make any changes to my diet or the supplements (vitamins and minerals) I was taking. For each test, the doctor administering the test pronounced me healthy and said I had no thyroid problems.

Up until now, I've figured my symptoms were/are just part of the CFS. But I was just looking at the test results again and wondering why my TSH and free T4 seem to fluctuate quite a bit (?) within 6.5 weeks when I didn't really make any changes to my diet or lifestyle, let alone take any hormone supplements. Is this normal? Am I overthinking this?

If it's not my thyroid, what else might it be?

starbaby — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:58:30 -0800

I am looking for suggestions as to what medical problems may look like, act like, and walk like thyroid problems, but aren't. Specifically hypothyroidism. Many times in my life, I have had my thyroid tested. The symptoms that caused the doctor to order the tests ranged from extreme fatigue [which has lasted years] to the unexplained hoarseness I am experiencing right now. The tests, which usually only include TSH and T4 tests, always come up fine. The doctor doesn't fix the problem, drops it, and I don't get better. Then I will eventually move somewhere else, something will come up that prompts a doctor visit, and the cycle will continue.

It wasn't until the most recent episode that I started looking at hypothyroidism symptoms and thought, "Wow, it really does seem like I have this." I am going in for another blood lab on Wednesday, with a brand new doctor, and I'd like to figure this out.

If it's not hypothyroidism, what else could it be? This way, I can ask them to test for as many possibilities at once as possible, minimizing my out of pocket expenses and blood loss.

My biggest symptoms right now:

--fatigue
--hoarseness for a month now with some difficulty swallowing [no throat infection, doctor checked for that last time]
--extreme sensitivity to cold
--sudden dry skin that has lasted a month
--increase in hair loss
-brain fog

Not the only ones, but the worst ones this time around. I suppose it's possible there's nothing wrong, but I'd like to know for sure.

Thanks in advance.

What do we need to know about thyroid cancer?

beowulf573 — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:42:04 -0800

My wife was just diagnosed with thyroid cancer, if anyone can share experiences, recommended reading material, or general advice we'd appreciate it. She's been diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer which is apparently the most common and for her age and tumor size (39 and 1.5cm) has a very good prognosis. However we are obviously worried and stressed. Her doctor has published a book that we're going through and we've read the first few pages of google results. We're working and gathering as much information as possible before her next appointment so we know what questions to ask.

One big worry for her is having children after her treatment is done. We were actively trying to have a baby, but obviously this will have to be put off for a while. So if anyone knows of someone who had thyroid cancer and then had a child please mention it so I can reassure her.

Hypothyroidism: What can I expect?

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:05:01 -0800

TSH level of 4.67 = diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Seeing a specialist in 30 days, trying to hold onto my sanity until then. What can I expect? My mom, two aunts and my first cousin all have hypothyroidism. I have been feeling "off" for about 8 months (I work out and don't sweat, I get tired easily, have gained almost 20 pounds, am freezing cold ALL the time, very depressed and my libido's down as well). I went two weeks ago to my GP and was tested. My TSH level is 4.67. I got a recommendation to see an endocrinologist and will be going 30 days from now (that's the soonest anyone can see me). I've had my thyroid tested every year for 6 years and this is the first time I've had anything but a normal result. My worst fear is that I am turning into my mother: she weighs close to 250 lbs. and falls asleep so frequently it looks like narcolepsy to those who don't know her.

My real question is this: How long will it take after they prescribe me medication before I feel normal again? They WILL put me on meds, right? What side effects should I watch out for? I'm extremely anxious to get on meds as I've felt bad for almost a year now and just want my life to get back to normal. I have run the gamut of starving myself, working out for hours (1.5 to 3 hours per day until I get black bruises on my knees), crying like crazy and avoiding people because of this.

I've battled eating disorders in the past and if I can't get my weight and my depression under control soon, the urge to do bad things is rising (related to my past ED behavior). My boyfriend loves me dearly and has, in desperation, hidden my scale and measuring tape in an effort to stop me from torturing myself now that we both know I have a medical condition that's causing the weight gain. I'm having vivid dreams about cutting pieces of myself off with knives and other times I dream about eating food I won't let myself eat any more all night long. My biggest fear is that I'll finally get on medication and still not be able to lose the weight again. Should I mention this to my specialist? My self esteem is cripplingly low right now and last night I slept for 12 hours and woke up still exhausted. I'm a writer and my thinking feels "muddy" at work. I have trouble concentrating and can't remember things. Are these all symptoms that will go away with medication? Any insight from those of you that have hypothyroidism is appreciated.

The rational part of my brain knows that I am making this worse with my obsessive behavior. I just need some kind of lifeline to help me get through the next 30 days; offsite responses can be sent to thyroidgirl@gmail.com. Thanks in advance for lighting a candle in my darkness.

How fast will you lose thyroid hormone from your blood if you stop taking synthroid/levoxyl?

bitterkitten — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 18:40:34 -0800

How quickly will your TSH lower if you stop taking daily thyroid hormone pills such as Synthroid/Levoxyl? I know quite a bit about Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. However, while I know it takes a long time for typical synthetic thyroid hormones like Synthroid and Levoxyl to get circulating in your blood at the desired level, depending how much you have to boost the level (as in various states of hypothyroidism) - suppose you want to lower the level? A few days ago, it was determined that my friend's TSH was now for the first time too low and outside the normal TSH range (down to about .075) and so he was feeling pretty wiggy. The doc told him to stop taking the dose he was on altogether for about 3 days, then start taking the next lowest level.

It was estimated he ought to start feeling quite a bit better in about a month, if his symptoms were indeed brought on as a result of too much thyroid hormone. ?

MedicalFilter

bad grammar — Thu, 31 May 2007 19:46:17 -0800

How can I avoid both thyroid cancer and the medical-industrial complex? A couple of years ago, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease (a form of hypothyroidism) and put on Synthroid, artificial thyroid hormone. The doctor (who is not an endocrine specialist) advised me to have an ultrasound scan "just in case." (Standard cover-your-ass advice.) I have been putting it off ever since, because I feel fine otherwise.

Should I have this scan? I am am afraid both of cancer and of a false positive, with a lot of anguish and wasted money.

I exercise a lot, eat healthfully, and have not experienced a serious slowdown or weight gain. The Synthroid does has an effect, as I found when I slipped up and did not take it exactly as prescribed, in the morning, an hour before eating. When I slipped up, I could count on feeling hung over for the next few days. Synthroid also gives me fairly bad insomnia during the week before my menstrual period. A minor symptom of Hashimoto's is that my hair is going grey (I am 36).

I am presently unemployed, having spent the last several years writing a book which is about to be published by a prestigious academic press, though it is a long shot whether I will make any money. I have been holding part-time jobs which have just covered the costs of my insurance and yearly physicals and bloodwork. I am now looking for work, especially work with decent medical benefits. I don't expect to be hired as a professor, as I am not a good teacher. My most practical plan is paralegal work and law school.

If I find (now) that I have cancer, and as I am without savings, except several thousand $ in stocks, my parents would have to pay for cancer treatment. They are well-off but are beginning to have their own health problems. I feel guilty just thinking about this.

An old friend is highly active in the thyroid cancer patient community and is giving me some part-time work -- unfortunately, transcribing medical conference notes. Reading about the complications is making me freak out. I have always been afraid of disease and death. I need the money and her recommendations, so I can't tell her that I won't do the transcriptions. How can I chill out and not develop medical students' disease?

Hypothyroid or hypochondriac?

apostrophe — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 14:26:50 -0800

Is my thyroid underperforming, or am I just being a hypochondriac? My TSH level is 3.47 and my primary care physician thinks I'm fine. But I don't feel quite right. The endocrinologist is expensive and takes forever to get an appointment with. I just want to know if I'm wasting my time. I am exhibiting symptoms of being hypothyroid. Here they are. About a year ago I went off hormonal birth control and began charting my fertility patterns. I noticed that my body temperature is consistently below 98.6, usually around 97.1 or less. I also have the hardest time losing weight. Last summer, as part of my scientific approach to my body (chart for fertility, fitday.com for weight loss), I went several months tracking my caloric intake and exercise. I work out 4 days a week, 3 days doing 30 minutes cardio + 30 minutes weight training, plus a vigorous yoga class. I ride my bike around town. I walk places and take stairs. As far as eating, I started out around 1800 calories a day, then slowly took it down till I saw results. I didn't see any weight loss till I got to about 1200-1300 a day. I should add that I'm 5'7" and pushing 170 lbs. So, yeah. That was frustrating. The weight loss I did see was minor, like a pound every 2 weeks. Other signs: dry skin / eczema, not a lot of energy (I need 9-10 hours of sleep a night or I find it hard to concentrate & yawn all day), constipation, and I always feel cold. Oh, and my blood pressure is always low. Like, 110/60. Both my grandmother and mother are diagnosed as hypothyroid and are on medication.

So I went to see my gynecologist as my PCP. I had the blood tests, and here are the results:

TSH: 3.47
Thyroxine – free: 1.1
T3 – total: 116

From my online research, a TSH over 3.03 is now considered hypothyroid. I told this to my doctor, and she said I should see an endocrinologist to pursue it further, because these numbers seemed fine to her. I'm in the Bay Area, and have heard great things about Dr. Nathan Becker. But he's expensive, doesn't take insurance, and it takes forever to get an appointment. I just want to know if there's anything that he could even do for me, or if I'm imagining these problems. I am a little neurotic. But, you know, the thermometer doesn't lie!

Hashimoto's disease

soviet sleepover — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 16:13:42 -0800

I've just been diagnosed as having hypothyroidism (probably Hashimoto's disease, though the secondary bloodwork that would confirm that isn't back yet). I'd like to hear stories/anecdotes about having hypothyroid problems &/or Hashimoto's, especially if you've tried alternative treatments (whether or not they've succeeded). Additionally, I'm looking for resources, online or off, that consider alternative treatments/dietary changes/etc as well as standard Western medical practices. At this point (having been diagnosed just today from a recent blood test), I know very little about this. I'm not opposed to following the normal allopathic route of synthetic thyroid hormone replacement, but because I'm not showing many symptoms and my TSH levels aren't outrageously high (31.5, which so far means little to me, but is by no means at worrisome levels), my doctor says it's totally fine to explore other options. At the same time, while she's completely open to homeopathic/non-traditional options, she doesn't know anything about them, so the onus is pretty much on me to research this stuff. Any ideas on where to start that will provide information useful to my physician yet be readable to a layperson like myself?

Glucose/thyroid/fatigue connection?

miss tea — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 11:53:24 -0800

I am wondering if there are any resources that can draw a connection of any kind between low blood sugar and poor thyroid function, and thus fatigue? Basically, I am pretty low-energy. It doesn't affect my work but I frequently feel like going to bed at 9 even though I usually sleep until 7-- and after my workday is through I generally collapse like a lump on the couch.

Recently, I got life insurance, and in my blood test results it showed that I had 60 mg/dL less than 2 hours after breakfast (probably a slice of Ezekiel whole grain toast, natural p.b., and cottage cheese). I have also been slowly gaining weight, and am waiting on the results of my thyroid test (although my doctor thinks it's not thyroid based on the absence of any lumps in my neck). While perusing a previous AskMF I noticed a few people had anecdotal evidence of a connection between low glucose and thyroid, and I am hoping to someone can point me toward resources? A lot of the overall info on glucose levels I've found is also absurdly basic and not helpful, so resources in that direction would be great too.

For the record, I am female, 32, normal weight, and take zoloft, but this fatigue is different than depressive fatigue.

What's going on with my thyroid?

amro — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 15:32:16 -0800

I am asking this question for Kickstart70: "A couple weeks ago, over the course of a day, the left side of my thyroid gland swelled to a visible lump on my neck (ie. it wasn't swelled in the morning when I shaved, but was in the evening). Blood tests show my thyroid levels to be 'normal'. I don't know what 'normal' is, that's just what my family doctor said. She sent me to a specialist, who ordered an ultrasound of my neck and a needle aspiration test. The ultrasound showed that it was definitely my thyroid, the needle test was apparently not done properly and I have to do it again while ultrasound is performed again to make sure they hit the right spot. The specialist said "I don't think it's cancer", but he sounded...uncertain and concerned.

Now I know a few things:
- it's definitely thyroid
- it's one side of the thyroid and not the other
- it came on suddenly

So, if not cancer, what else could it be? If cancer, what's generally the likelihood of coming out of this without losing my thyroid? If cancer, is there any real chance of this spreading and me not coming out of it?

My wife is due with our first child in June, and I'm freaked out by the possibility that I won't be around for the majority of her life."

Experiences and Information on Hyperthyroid aka Grave's Disease

barnone — Wed, 24 Aug 2005 21:00:37 -0800

I've just been diagnosed as severely hyperthyroid, also known as Grave's Disease. I'm under the care of about 6 physicians, but want to know some more subjective information. Is there a really great book? A great tip for sleeping with my head raised on pillows? Other experimental or experiences you can pass my way would be great. Some background information: I'm a female in my 20s, with a bit of a history of thyroid problems on both sides of the family. This went undiagnosed for 8-12 months until it basically exploded into the beginnings of a thyroid storm. I'm now on Tapazole and a betablocker (for the first month) and have several GPs, specialists, opthamologists and family working with me, treating me, keeping me under medical care. I had almost all of the symptoms, but not much orbitopathy (buggy eyes). We're going the drug route (and vitamins, including selenium, which may or may not be connected to thyroid levels) until it either doesn't work or surgery or radioactive iodine becomes necessary. I'm actually feeling better in some ways (emotionally, academically) but in others my levels have dropped (energy, hemoglobin, etc.) - again, the doctors know and are constantly monitoring this.

I'm wondering a few things:

a) Can you recommed a good book or two on the subject? Some look woefully out of date, and many websites have agendas, incorrect information or are extremely dense in medical notation. Something between these two extremes would be great.

b) Can you point me in the direction of medical or other literature on the side-effects of radioactive iodine? That seems to be one of the more prevalent treatments in the US, and the connections with opthamopathy startle me and make it more of a last-option approach than my doctors. I need to be well-informed when discussing this with them.

c) What have been your experiences? How do you feel, based on whatever choice you made (drugs, surgery, iodine) and what would you do differently? I know it's subjective, based on medical information and personal decisions, but just knowing what made someone choose one route over another is helpful to me. It lets me think of consequences and benefits that I might not have anticipated.

d) I'm continually making a list of questions to ask my doctors, but I'm obviously missing some. What kinds of things should I be worried about or on the lookout for?

e) Other than selenium, what are vitamins, important minerals or other acids that I should be taking?

Thanks in advance; this is my sock puppet account because I don't want this information linked to my personal name at this point.

Treatment options for hypothyroidism?

vacapinta — Tue, 11 May 2004 12:09:00 -0800

I am researching different options for treating hypo-thyroidism. I personally have been taking Synthroid for a long time and would like to know what other routes, if any, are available. [More inside] First, let me say, I am not asking for medical advice. I have already consulted with doctors and, unfortunately, have been given different opinions. I'd like to a bit more research on my own and would welcome opinions and personal experiences of others in order to provide me with different avenues of investigation. I know this is a common problem, or Synthroid would not be one of the top 5 most prescribed drugs in the US. But I have reasons to doubt that consumers are being told the whole story.