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Hi, need some advice, ive been poorly for last 6 months. Feeling sooo fatigued, nausea, tinnitus, weight gain, pins and needlesin right arm and hand daily, sometimes both feet. Muscle pain and weakness, tearful, breathlessness, tight chest. Intermittent sore throat and glands go up and down.
I am only 39 in just 6 months my life has come to a grinding hault, no socialising, no gym just early nights i have terrible night sweats, yet cold hand and feet. wake feeling exhausted. I am a mum of two little ones who need me, and i have barely enough energy to scrape through each day.
i have had blood tests and was low vitamin d and low ferratin iron but not below minimum levels. im sure its thyroid but dr says test shows normal. Is this area worth pursuing. I am not menopausal and i do not feel this is anxiety. Just dont know where to go next.
Thanks for your thoughts and time
1 like, 33 replies
gina85048 jo44570
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barbara98940 gina85048
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I vited for hildegard's
barbara98940
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I voted for hildegard's reply because I thought it was very comprehensive, well written, thoughtful and caring. I would though consider anti-depressants as a last resort as the symptoms of depression are similar to those of thyroid disease and once you are diagnosed with depression there is a danger doctors will stop looking for another cause.
I prefer the book by Dr Peat field as it recognises that a significant minority (15%) of hypothyroid patients treated with thyroxine still have hypothyroid symptoms.
A good website is tpa uk. You will need to register to get access to their treasure chest of articles - it is well worth the effort.
barbara98940
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simon19729 gina85048
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l96953 gina85048
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Hi Gina, Your story sounds like mine. Been a nurse 30 years and searching for answers. Dx with hashimotos over 22 years ago but became ill after 3 tick bites. Was initially treated with doxycycline but became very ill. Saw a lyme doc after 2 years of symptoms, lyme was negative which many lyme tests give false negatives. Did have some bartonella and h-pilori. Felt better after treated but in 3 weeks after getting the flu, symptoms returned gradually. Couldn't afford to continue seeing the lyme doctor but found out about MTHFR and lots of other things. Seems the lyme (which I probably have) & bart tanked my immune system. Please let me know if you found any answers. Can't even mow my grass any more and it's really tanked my immune system so looking for answers before this turns into a full blown disease process. Oh, my thyroid stopped tolerating T4 rx alone (wasn't converting T4 to T3 well) and now having issues with T3 rx too. Waiting to see new endo who prescribes natural thyroid support. Also have new onset vasculitis which appears to be agressive. Have heard stories from others about cyst formation and insect-borne pathogens. Originally was misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia (in US) which is common with lyme disease. Hope you and your husband are feeling better and his prostate is healed.
jacob89085 gina85048
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marc42645 jo44570
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About 3 weeks ago I woke up on a Sat. morning feeling like I had the flu but no fever, aches or pains. I had to leave and when I got back home I laid down for a while but still didn't get any better.
I wake up in the morning feeling nausea's and heart palpitations many times start in. I've had the palpitations all my life but they would briefly occur and has not been any problem. I also noticed at times it was difficult to breath like I couldn't get my breath. All of this has sent me to the ER four times. I've had numerous blood test, ekg's, and even did a cardio stres test and nothing definitive has turned up. The answer I get is it is anxiety. This totally baffles me because not a thing has changed in my life to even make me think it is anxiety related. Nothing with my job or family life. The doctors want to push taking Xanax and I have fought this. There has to be a reason why out of no where this has occurred. Some days I feel somewhat okay but maybe the next day bam it hits. I notice ringing in my ears too. My fear is to get on Xanax and possibly covering up a real issue such as a problem with my thyroid. The cardiologist prescribed 25 mg of a beta blocker and increased it to 50 mg a day and the palpitations still occur. First I thought it was some throat infection and possibly ear but nothing points to that. One ER visit they did see a slightly low potassium level and gave me some potassium to take and that did nothing. Some mornings I cough until I gag but nothing discharges. I am slightly dizzy in the morning but no headache. From the symptoms I ahve read for me it sure looks like a thyroid problem. I also notice not being all that excited about doing any thing. I took a few days off from work and laid in bed all day from feeling tired.
Psh7345 jo44570
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- PHYSICAL APPEARANCE -
As we age, we certainly want to take advantage of everything that can keep us youthful, attractive, and svelte. Who needs plastic surgery when maintaining good thyroid function is a cheap, noninvasive way to stave off accelerated aging? When you take a close look at the impact low thyroid function can have on all parts of your body, you’ll realize that you need to take your thyroid seriously in order to age gracefully.
HAIR
Since hair and skin are some of our fastest growing tissues, we often notice slowing metabolism in these areas first. Hypothyroidism leads to hair that is dry, brittle, and dull. It also becomes straighter, finer, and thinner and may even turn gray prematurely. Thin, uneven, patchy gray hair isn’t the look we’re after as we head into our forties or fifties! Another sign of low thyroid function, discovered over a century ago, is the loss of the outer third of the eyebrows. Body hair and eyelashes also often disappear.
SKIN
Slowing thyroid function takes a big toll on the skin. The first signs are coarse, dry, sallow, pale, unhealthy looking skin, which also may get very itchy (Owen and Lazarus 2003). This can progress to acne, red spots, boils, premature wrinkling, yellowing or grayish skin, rashes, and even eczema or psoriasis. Adequate thyroid function is necessary for good blood circulation, so hypothyroidism results in inadequate blood flow throughout your body. When this happens, blood is preferentially sent to your brain and vital organs to keep essential functions going. Our skin may be our largest organ, but in hypothyroidism it takes a backseat to survival, and as a result, it isn’t properly nourished and replenished by the oxygen that blood provides. Poor circulation can also lead to the development of varicose veins.
Skin can also get puffy and swollen, particularly on the face, arms, and front of the thighs due to fluid building up in the connective tissues. This condition, known as myxedema, is a side effect of slowed metabolism. It’s caused by an accumulation of waste products that aren’t effectively removed from the tissues. Connective tissue is everywhere in the body, so this swelling doesn’t affect just physical appearance; it also impacts the function of the glands, organs, and cells as they become infiltrated with this jellylike substance. In fact, this swelling may affect only internal tissues and organs, without showing any external signs.
FACE
When thyroid function is low, the face, particularly around the eyes and jawline, often gets puffy; this, too, is caused by myxedema. Reduced kidney function caused by the general slowing of metabolism also leads to fluid retention, particularly around the eyes and in the hands and ankles.
This is a different type of edema and can be distinguished from myxedema by pressing your finger on it; if it leaves a depression that lasts for a longer period of time than is normal, it’s due to reduced kidney function rather than myxedema. As hypothyroidism progresses, the entire face can develop a coarse look, with swelling or thickening of facial features.
FINGERNAILS AND TOENAILS
Slow-growing, soft, ridged, brittle nails with pale nail beds are a sign of low thyroid function.
The crescent-shaped white area at the base of the nail bed often gets lighter or disappears altogether. This can be due to reduced blood circulation or inadequate protein synthesis, another effect of the general slowing of metabolism in hypothyroidism (Jabbour 2003). Ingrown toenails and fungal infections are also common.
TEETH AND MOUTH
Excessive tartar buildup and cavities can be caused by low thyroid function (Noren and Alm 1983). Excess tarter causes red, swollen, and receding gums (which can be made worse by low estrogen), hence the old saying “getting long in the tooth.” Gum recession isn’t always a reliable sign of hypothyroidism, however, as gum disease due to hypothyroidism can also cause gums to become swollen and overdeveloped and extend down over the teeth instead of receding.
In long-standing hypothyroidism, the mouth can appear large and the lips puffy and coarse.
The color inside the mouth is often pale, and the palate may be more vaulted than usual (Barker, Hoskins, and Mosenthal 1922). Temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ syndrome) is also common as hypothyroidism causes problems with muscles and ligaments. In addition, both edema and clenched teeth due to chronic muscular tension can affect the jaw and cause the pain and muscle spasms of TMJ syndrome.
WEIGHT
With hypothyroidism, we don’t metabolize food effectively and the calories we consume turn into fat instead of energy. This weight gain is insidious, and neither diet nor exercise resolves it.
When weight gain is caused strictly by low thyroid function and not other endocrine deficiencies as well, fat tends to be symmetrically distributed on the body (Barker, Hoskins, and Mosenthal 1922). When low pituitary function is at the root of low thyroid function, weight gain is generally confined to the area from your abdomen to just above your knees. The skin of a person with hypothyroidism also takes on a flabby look, as overall musculature is affected, too. Bear in mind that being overweight is an issue that goes beyond mere appearances, as it increases your risk of many diseases and health conditions.
FEET AND LEGS
Do you have weak knees, or have you become flat-footed or bowlegged in recent years? All of the ligaments in your body can be affected by low thyroid function. They will tend to relax and can cause conditions like flat feet, weak knees, knock-knees, hyperflexibility of joints, propensity for sprains, and even scoliosis. Early on in hypothyroidism, the knees often get weak. This starts with a feeling of unreliability in the knees, as if your knees might give out if you were to break into a jog or even a fast walk.
The first sign that your ligaments are being affected is often a flattening of the arches of your feet. When they flatten, your foot rotates inward, which can result in painful calluses on the sides of your big toes and sore, aching feet. Another sign of relaxing ligaments is aching palms (Jacobs-
Kosmin and DeHoratius 2005).
VOICE
Although it can’t be seen, the voice is an obvious indicator of age and health. Due to swelling in the throat, many women with hypothyroidism start to sound more weak and tired. The voice often gets deeper and softer and also more hoarse or nasal. Speech can become deliberate and slow, and as the condition progresses, articulating words may become difficult, causing stumbling over words and slurred speech (Madariaga et al. 2002). These difficulties can stem from swelling of the lips and tongue.
As with being overweight, changes to the voice have impacts beyond the impression you make on others. The swelling of the throat responsible for voice changes also causes difficulties with swallowing, so choking on small objects is common. If the uvula (the little punching bag in the back of your throat) and tonsils swell, this can cause snoring and an inability to breath through the nose.
EARS
Not only does low thyroid function result in chronic ear infections due to lowered immune function, it can also result in impaired hearing and abnormal physical ear placement. If long- standing, hypothyroidism can cause the ears can be set lower on the head and protrude more, while also becoming more swollen or thicker than normal. Overall hearing is diminished and excessive earwax is common (Brucker-Davis et al. 1996). Low thyroid function can also cause tinnitus and result in hearing strange noises, such as clicking, ringing, or buzzing sounds or the sound of running water.
POSTURE
As our thyroid function declines, so does our ability to hold ourselves upright. Posture is one of the markers of aging, with stooped and slumped posture being part and parcel of the look of old women. Poor posture may be caused by the fatigue so common in hypothyroidism, or by the bone weakening and osteoporosis that also occur. This slumping is exacerbated when the abdomen protrudes due to relaxing musculature and swelling of the stomach caused by constipation.
MUSCULATURE
Few things signal aging more than flabby, diminishing muscles. Our muscles are closely tied to the metabolic process, and when it slows, they start to lose their tone and contours. The weight gain we experience at the same time obscures them even more. But again, this goes beyond appearances.
Normal activities will become more difficult as the muscles also get tired easily and often feel heavy, and mobility can be impaired by an increased tendency to stumble or experience muscle cramps (Argov et al. 1988).
Psh7345 jo44570
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I am recently sub clinical hypo and refuse to take the toxic, synthetic Cytomel!
I found this out after 3 blood tests that my doctor ignored to see the small signs and finally went to a Chinese reflexologist that told me my adrenal glands were not good, immune system was not good and thyroid was low.
My 4th blood test revealed a low T3 with elevated but normal mono %.
Im a firm believer in Eastern Medicine and not taking a pill the rest of my life.
monica12114 Psh7345
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monica12114 jo44570
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Curious to know if you've had progress with root cause of symptoms? I'm having similar symptoms and have been told my T3 is low.
a_15352 jo44570
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agata53455 jo44570
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Your symptoms are very similar to mine and I was diagnosed with hashimoto's thyroiditis +hypothyroidism.
Sometimes, you can have hashimoto's and still normal T3 and T4 levels. I did have normal results first time then after 2 months my leves were abnormal. Unfortunately, I do not have my results with me to show you.
I would definetly bother some more your doctor and if that doesn't help I would ask for a second opinion. Ask for a thyroid level check every few months. I have been sick for a year now. Finally, they are figuring out what is wrong with me. Good luck to you!
layalove jo44570
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