Looking for some advice
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hi, my name is Jason and I am 38 years old. About 2 years ago I started not being able to sleep at night off and on. It progressed to even with taking ativan and ZZZquill I couldn't sleep. I missed a blood test at work to check blood sugar and cholesteral. So I went to my doctor for the yearly physical and had it done. They called in October and said my thyroid was off just a bit and I might want to take levothyroxine. I started taking .5 mcgs and started to feel better in a few days. I still couldn't sleep at all even being tired. So then my hair started falling out and I went back to the doctor and she cut my dose in 1/2. She then scheduled me to have a ultrasound, and that came back as thyroiditis. Then today I get a call that I need a CAT scan because my lymph nodes are swolen on the left side and the one in my arm pit was HUGE a few weeks back, but has settled down even though it's still sore. Also she started me on Vitamin D and I have been sleeping better and stopped all the "aids" cold turkey a few months back. I know for the past few months my teeth have hurt on my upper left side even though I could never narrow it down to 1 tooth. I seem to always have drainage on my left side also. Should I be freaking out? It's hard not to and I talked to my doctors office today, but they really didn't tell me anything. Thank you in advance for the advice and have a nice day.
0 likes, 6 replies
shellyC19 jasonsamara
Posted
My name is Shelly and I am a nurse in the USA. I have Hashimoto's Thyroid disease since 1987. I am 54.
Thyroiditis can come from a myriad of things. It can be triggered by pregnancy and a bad FLU, and an infection in the body, a virus called Epstein-Barr virus also called Mononucleosis.
It sounds like you may have an infection. So please explain where the drainage is coming from?
The lymph nodes will swell whe they trap an infection. The lymph nodes run all over the body. Even a bad tooth or an abcess can cause a thyroid problem. Any infection can lead to problems elsewhere in the body.
So if your doctor prescribed Levo please consider taking it, as it will help calm the thyroid down and take the pressure off it. Take the half dose, your doctor said to take and take it everyday without food. Give yourself some help and then have your blood checked in 8 weeks or so.
Hypothyroid symptoms are: Sleepy all the time, weight gain, headaches, muscle aches, extreme fatigue, brittle nails, brusing, feeling cold, hair loss. There are more thse are common ones.
Many of us are low in Vit D and B-12. It can be related to low thyroid We need all minerals to be checked. please ask the doctor to check, Potassium, sodium, calcium, ferritin, iron, magnesium, B-12 and Vit D, & selenium, also a blood cortisol level, as many of us with thyroid problems can have adrenal gland issues.
Also another check of the TSH, T4 and T3 levels so you can know how your thyroid is doing.
Any questions just ask,
Shelly
jasonsamara shellyC19
Posted
Thanks for your response. I have been taking the levo every morning and waiting atleast 1/2 hour but most days a full hour. I take my vit. d atleast 4 hours later.
The drainage or tightness is back in my throat and I can feel it most when I swallow, but it is not difficult to do so.
Lymphnodes showed swollen on my ultrasound around my thyroid, but the one on that side in my arm pit is sore also.
I just have felt so bad for so long and now that I feel a little better I have to have a CAT scan and that has me worried. Also that my hair is just fallng out since I started Levo.
Thanks.
shellyC19 jasonsamara
Posted
Wait at least 1 hour before eating so the med can get ahead of the food. It can be blocked from food , a half an hour is kind of short.
Autoimmune thyroid disease can also cause swollen lemph glands and attack the thyroid and it can cause a goiter which can make it feel tight around your throat. TPOA antibodies blood test is a test to make sure and TGab is another test. So have that checked please.
Sinusitis is another cause and you get a bad taste in your mouth and lot's of drainage. It can be that sometimes. Sinuses are cavities that are easily infected and can hurt badly esp. if you try and bend your head forward. It can feel like pressure and can be treated with antibiotics.
It could also be a tonsil type of infection and that can make it hard to swallow if the lymph tissue swells too much. Tonsil tissue can grow again even if you had them out.
It could also be streptococcus a nasty sore throat and bad infection and that can make a lot of pain in your throat and make it very red. E-mycin will cure it have a throat culture to know for sure!
Have an allergy check also. Many allergies can cause throat problems like dust ones and certain foods.
Please do the CAT scan as it can show a lot. If you have trouble breathing ever, see your A &E or Emergency Room.
It can take time to see the hair stop from falling out. It took 6 months for me to stop and then another amount of time to regrow it.
Have a blood ferritin level as we need that to be 70+ and most of us are low in it. Ferritin is a component of Iron.
Keep us posted on what happens, any questions please ask,
Shelly
jasonsamara shellyC19
Posted
shellyC19 jasonsamara
Posted
Okay well that is good if it is not inflammed.
Have the doctor check out allergies, (food and meds), sometimes it can cause problems in the body. An ESR test called an Ethyrocyte Sedimentation rate can tell if you have any autoimmune process going on and a Thyroid and a condition like Lupus. TPOA test also can check to see if any antibodies that attack the thyroid are present as this can cause problems also. Let us know what the doctor says.
Shelly
helena83477 jasonsamara
Posted
It really is through trial and error via blood tests that the Doctor can flush out why other things are happening in your body. Looks like you're in the right hands Jason.
I've been taking 200mcg of Levothyroxine for five years now and I still experience side effects now and again but for the most part, I'm feeling ok, just need more energy!