Post by whitepicketfence on Oct 30, 2012 8:30:43 GMT -5
For those with thyroid issues, what led you to initially suspect that something was wrong?
I've been extremely lethargic lately and feel completely run down. I've also been feeling quite down recently. I don't think I'm depressed, just very blah. My emotions have been a bit crazy as well but I'm not sure if that's due to switching BC pills several times since having DD2 (I've been having trouble finding one that works for me).
I know these issues could be caused by just about anything but after reading about some symptoms of hyper/hypothroidism, I don't think it would hurt to rule it out. I'm thinking about calling my PCP to see if i can get my thyroid tested but thought I'd ask those with similar issues what their experience has been.
Trouble TTC was the initial impetus to get tested. Other symptoms I had? Difficulty losing weight, lethargy, dry skin, irregular periods, always feeling cold, and mild hair loss.
Low energy, low mood (not quite depressed, but it was hard to care about things). It's a quick blood test, and problems are really common. My numbers were always on the edge of "normal" - normal is 0.5 - 5 and mine would come in at 4.8 or so. When I wanted to TTC, my doctor decided to treat to get my levels down to ~2, and then I noticed how much better I felt.
Looking back I did have a lot of the classic symtoms: low energy, dry skin, trouble losing weight but for I was really struggling with stomach issues (which is not really a normal symptom at all). My stomach was often upset and it would come on very quickly. I'd be fine and then bam! I'd need to go to the bathroom immediately (sorry, that's kind of TMI!).
It had been doing that for probably a year or more and my dh was the one that really kind of encouraged me to go in and said that he didn't think it was normal. It had gotten so bad that I really hated to go out or be too far away from home for fear of my stomach acting up.
So I went in and they did a bunch of blood tests and I came back hypothroid. I was pretty convinced that I had that in addition to whatever was going on with my stomach but after about 6 weeks on the medicine my stomach really got better and all those issues now are basically gone. I did start to experience less severe symptoms again this summer and my thyroid levels had gotten a bit high again so my Dr. bumped up my dosage and I've been back to feeling normal.
I was 19, with a strong family history of thyroid issues. And struggling to keep weigh off. I went in for my annual and my PCP, who is an Internist, thought it would be a good idea to run tests.
I was charting while TTC and my temps were really low and inconsistent. Dr. Google suggested a thyroid problem, and then I looked at other symptoms that I had (in the year prior I was more tired that normal, gained weight that I couldn't take off, started with constipation issues, sinus problems were worse than ever) and had blood work done. I am in the subclinical hypothyroid range, and have a follow-up appt with a doctor in a few weeks to talk about treatment.
You should really get tested, then you will know what you are working with. My doctor just used the fatigue and constipation to "justify" the bloodwork and I had results a few days later. It was nice to start getting some answers to go along with my symptoms.
I lost 1/4 of the hair on my head and the outer edges of my eyebrows (the eyebrow part never grew back either), I was so lethargic I had to force myself out of bed and I would typically go sleep in my car at lunch time. I gained weight rapidly. This was all with a TSH is the high 3 range which some people consider "normal". I don't function well at all unless TSH is right at 1.
On a side note, it took me a long time to properly regulate and it wasn't until I went on natural thyroid meds (armour) AND changed to a low carb, clean diet that I actually felt like myself again. I tried synthroid and multiple synthetic thyroid meds and although my lab numbers improved, my symptoms never did.
Oh, I'll add one more. I was tested first through my OB/GYN. She said my results were "normal" and we moved on. I never got my numbers. When I saw my PCP, she tested them again, and that's when we discovered the issue. Depending on the type of provider you see, there are apparently a couple of different schools of thought on what classifies as normal. When I saw my RE, he tested again, and determined that my dosage should be higher.
Post by whitepicketfence on Oct 30, 2012 10:00:13 GMT -5
I've been having similar stomach issues for the past few years. I do drink a lot of coffee so I was never sure if it was a result of that or something else.
The more I read about this, the more convinced I am that I need to be tested
I'm going to call my PCP later today to get an appointment scheduled.
Checking in as hypothyroid, but unfortunately I don't think I'll be any help because I was born with it.
Although now these responses have me concerned about possible future trouble TTC, even though I've been on meds since I was 5 days old and get checked yearly...
Checking in as hypothyroid, but unfortunately I don't think I'll be any help because I was born with it.
Although now these responses have me concerned about possible future trouble TTC, even though I've been on meds since I was 5 days old and get checked yearly...
It's only a problem if your hormones are out of whack. If your meds are working for you, you should be fine. My doctor put me on synthroid pre-emptively because low thyroid hormones can cause issues with miscarriage and birth defects; I got pregnant my first month trying and had a wonderful baby boy.
When you do get pregnant, get your bloodwork done early and often to make sure your dose can be adjusted as needed. My dose doubled by the end of pregnancy.
Checking in as hypothyroid, but unfortunately I don't think I'll be any help because I was born with it.
Although now these responses have me concerned about possible future trouble TTC, even though I've been on meds since I was 5 days old and get checked yearly...
It's only a problem if your hormones are out of whack. If your meds are working for you, you should be fine. My doctor put me on synthroid pre-emptively because low thyroid hormones can cause issues with miscarriage and birth defects; I got pregnant my first month trying and had a wonderful baby boy.
When you do get pregnant, get your bloodwork done early and often to make sure your dose can be adjusted as needed. My dose doubled by the end of pregnancy.
Good to know. Thanks! I just checked out of curiousity and my level was 2.4 at my last appointment in March. I've been on the same dose for about 8 years now.
I definitely know that I need to get tested early and often when pregnant. I remember asking my specialist when I was about 16 what I would have to worry about with the condition as an adult. He just emphasized being proactive and getting into the doctor right away when I get a positive pregnancy test someday (soon, hopefully!).
I'll toss out an alternate voice here (just saw the endo again this morning for a follow-up, actually).
I've been dealing with the classic hypothyroid symptoms for a while - feeling cold all the time, difficulty losing weight even when watching diet and exercising, fatigue to the point of having to push myself into getting out of bed, napping on the floor of my office, etc.
And, well, I've been going thru the various checks for thyroid issues, and a variety of other things. Lemme tell you - I had _no_ idea so many things could cause this set of symptoms. The number of different things to check for seemed almost endless. It is possible that it has something to do with the BC/hormone changes, too.
So, your best step is to contact your doctor and talk to them about it. Specifically let them know that this is not normal for you, too. Thyroid tests are simple blood tests, and are pretty easy to get done. There is no harm in getting this done, and, as another poster indicated, thyroid issues are not uncommon.