Long list of medical symptoms (Could it be hypothyroidism or some other illness)?
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Hi.
I've been exhibiting a long list of symptoms that I have been suspecting may be an indication that I have hypothyroidism; however, I had a TSH+T3+T4 test done six months ago and my test results said that my levels are still within the generally considered normal range though I appear to be on the brink of having hyperthyroidism (sorry, I can't seem to find my test results so I can't give the exact figures). An aunt and an uncle have hyperthyroidism, and my mother’s lab test results changes from hyper to hypothyroid.
Below are symptoms that I experience on an almost daily basis. They are way too many in my opinion that sometimes I feel like there is something completely messed up inside my body, so if you have reasons to believe that these symptoms may be related to some other illness or disease, please tell me so. Also, sorry in advance if this is going to be a very long read because I want to give as much context as possible. I'm particularly bothered about the items in bold, so if you could help me out with them in particular, I would be really grateful.
Chronic fatigue / Low stamina / slow recovery period after activity
- I get tired very easily. If I constantly walked around for four hours or more, I would be on the verge of a fever the following day -- hardly able to pull myself up from the bed. I didn't start being this weak until I became 26 yo or so.
Inability to stand on feet for long periods of time
- if I stand on my feet for 2 hours or more, I would have serious lower back pains. (I was diagnosed with mild thoracic scoliosis, if that helps?)
Inability to concentrate or read for long periods of time
- This happens a lot when I read something that has a lot of new technical information (or when I’m starting to exhibit hypoglycemic symptoms). At best, I tend to miss minor details. At worst, I keep reading a particular section but my brain fails to absorb it. It feels like my neurons would start firing whenever I try to do that, but the chain of processing information gets broken somewhere.
Snoring - As far as I know, this only happens when I'm physically exhausted.
Insomnia - When I'm not physically exhausted (or sometimes when I'm extremely physically exhausted), I have serious trouble sleeping. Usually, I can go up to 20 hours of no sleep; sometimes I can go up to 42.
Hypoglycemia
I have never had my blood sugar levels tested, but I exhibit a lot of hypoglycemia symptoms. Usually, I will start feeling them if I haven't had any food in the last 3 or 4 hours, but there have been two instances that I experienced them 30 minutes after having a heavy meal. When I’m having these episodes, I would:
Start shaking
Feel my legs and knees getting all wobbly
Would lose strength in my hands
Start having shallow breaths
Experience a pins and needles sensation across my body
Start feeling lightheaded, like I’m about to pass out anytime
Have these short blackouts that occur for microseconds
Start throwing up
Have palpitations
Break out in cold sweat, particularly in the hands and feet
Become super pale
Experience brain fog
Start gasping for air even when I’m simply talking at a normal pace
Heat intolerance
If I walked under the heat of the sun unprotected for at least 15 minutes, I would start to feel like I’m running out of oxygen. At its worst, I would have micro blackouts.
Cold intolerance
I have a comparatively low tolerance to cold compared to a lot of people I know. I start shivering at 20 degrees Celsius.
Diminished reflexes
I’ve always been clumsy, but I used to have decent reflexes as long as I was able to see things through my peripheral vision. These last seven years, though, it feels like there’s sometimes a disconnect between my brain and motor movements.
For example, in two actual cases, I saw someone who was about to grab me from behind one time and someone who was about to reach out for me from my right on the other time with my peripheral vision.
My eyes saw it. My brain recognized what it meant. I told my brain to evade it, but my body failed to move. The weirdest part is, I instinctively let out a scream (I often end up doing that whenever I get startled) seconds after my brain first recognized what was going to happen.
Slow speech
When I start exhibiting hypoglycemia symptoms, I would struggle with speaking. My speech doesn’t necessarily get slurred, but I would be increasingly reduced to fewer words until I give up because I’ve become too tired.
Poor immune system
I have a really weak immune system. I contract flu about 90% of the time after getting exposed to someone infected.
Tinnitus
I have had tinnitus as far as I can remember.
Repeated urinary tract infections
I get UTI on and off.
Vertigo
I only started experiencing this about 2 years ago. Usually, I only experience motion sickness if I try to get up. During one episode, simply moving my head to the left or to the right would send the world spinning.
Bald patches on the head / sometimes also on the legs
I would occasionally get bald patches on my head. It would appear without any apparent cause and would disappear on its own.
Falling hair
I’ve had this since forever though my hair is still relatively thick.
Thinning of the outer edges of the eyebrows
I only noticed this happening about 7 or so years ago.
Dry skin
I’ve had this since forever.
Rashes
I suffered through aquagenic urticaria for 2 to 3 years before. It just started happening one day and went away on its own after I chose to ignore it because the itch was driving me crazy (I did take medications that I can no longer remember early on, but they didn’t help at all). During that time, any contact with any type of water (freshwater, saltwater, tap water, distilled, rain, and even my own sweat would cause incredibly itchy hives to appear all over my body and wouldn’t subside until four hours or so after contact). I appear to have mostly been cured, but when I sweat a lot or I came out of the bath, occasional red patches (that sometimes go along with rashes, would appear on my skin).
I also get rashes when I come into contact with dust and if my skin had prolonged contact with grass, wood, and metal.
Constant acne breakouts
I get cystic acne breakouts a week before, during, and after my period, and they appear in random locations all over my body.
Chronic and intense dysmenorrhea
When I get dysmenorrhea every month, I get the whole range of symptoms: abdominal cramps, intense lower back pain, low blood pressure, LBM, throwing up, and mood swings.
Frequent constipation
I’ve had this on and off over the last ten years or so.
Acid reflux
Started experiencing this about 5 years ago.
Endometriosis
I had to go through surgery to correct this before.
Depression
I’ve had this on and off for a very long time, but it will become really aggravated when I’m exhibiting hypoglycemia symptoms, I am physically exhausted, or when I’m about to have my period.
Extended Adrenaline Rush
I would very occasionally get this when I was younger when would get into threatening situations, but now, it feels like my body’s chemicals have gone haywire. It seems like every little thing would trigger it (I feel annoyed, adrenaline will spike. I felt nervous, adrenaline will spike. A simple problem came up, adrenaline will spike. I’m forced to do something that I don’t want to, adrenaline will spike). Before, they were a legitimate flight or fight response, since the last 7 years or so, it feels like they have completely gone overdrive. And when it does happen, it would take 2-5 hours before the adrenaline gets flushed out, and after that I would feel completely exhausted to the point that I feel numb -- like I don’t react to anything short of physical pain.
Gall stones
I was diagnosed with gall stones nine years ago.
Low blood pressure
I’ve had low blood pressure since forever. My average day-to-day BP is 90 / 70, but if I’m not getting enough sleep, I would sometimes go up to 70/40.
Sleepiness
I regularly get so sleepy around 10 AM and 3 PM everyday that I can barely keep my eyes open.
Sharp Chest Pains
Every once in a while, I would get this sudden sharp chest pains, like a syringe is piercing its way through my heart. It often lasts for a second or two and during that time, an attempt to breathe would cause the pain to intensify.
My skin breaks out very, very easily
I wash clothes with my hands, I'd end up scraping my skin.
I lightly bump my hand against a hand surface, my skin will break.
I brushed against something lightly, my skin will break.
This probably only started happening around 4 years or so ago.
My skin doesn't peel after getting sunburnt.
Before, if I get sunburn, my skin would peel afterwards and the darkening will return to a more natural color in about two weeks. Since the last 7 years of so, my skin hasn't really been peeling. I got a serious sunburn before that left my skin feverish for 2 weeks but I only got a tiny splotch of peeled skin. The darkening also took about two years to return to its former color.
1 like, 6 replies
MtViewCatherine Adriene
Posted
MtViewCatherine Adriene
Posted
Apologies, I see that you can't find the results of your thyroid tests. If your tests appear to be on the brink of hypothyroidism, and you have classic hypothyroid symptoms, you are more than likely autoimmune hypothyroid Hashimoto's disease. You can get an ultrasound of you right thyroid to check for cysts, which indicate hypothyroid disease.
I can assure you that even when your tests show normal thyroid ranges, you can have hypothyroid disease. My TSH never tested above 2.5, and I have a giant cyst on my thyroid, indicating advanced disease, as well as severe hypothyroid symptoms.
I didn't have much luck with traditional treatment, because the treatment regimines are really designed to treat hypothyroidism with spiked TSH. Fortunately, I was able to shrink the cyst and get some relief from alternative treatments and supplements.
shannon93482 Adriene
Posted
Yes, I agree that it may be Hashimotos Disease. My tests were also within normal range but I exhibited all of the symptoms you described. The good news is that is sounds like your thyroid is still producing enough thyroid hormone. Have your doctor check for antibodies in your blood. That will tell you if you have Hashimotos. It's an autoimmune disorder that can be treated with thyroid hormone, diet and reduction of chemicals in your hygiene products. Look up The Thyroid Pharmacist online for excellent resources. Good Luck.
MtViewCatherine shannon93482
Posted
sadchick Adriene
Posted
Hi,
I'm new to hypothyroidism,freshly diagnosed as 'subclinical'. From what you say, it sounds a lot like you experience many of the signs of a poorly functioning thyroid. I think the brain fog, lack of concentration and low energy are typical symptoms
Sorry I can't offer further advice, since it feels a bit like a case of the blind leading the blind
I hope you have a supportive and experienced doctor, who will give an accurate diagnosis and run tests.
dana18818 Adriene
Posted
I don't know about all of your symptoms but most appear to be hypothyroid.