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Newly diagnosed with hashimotos!

Posted , 8 users are following.

emily52713
emily52713

So today I had an appointment with an endo for the second time. He said my thyroid levels are not normal and has diagnosed me with hashimotos. He explained it has something to do with my antibodies or something. Could this explain why my feet and hands are always Cold?

Anyway, they are treating me staright away for it.

Im still worried about adrenal Cancer and cushings. But he said that Cancer isn't an option. And my blood pressure was fine so he doesn't suspect any adrenal problem

1 like, 67 replies

67 Replies

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  • gill43753
    gill43753 emily52713

    Posted

    Good to hear from you,Emily,and glad you're now being taken seriously.Gill
    • emily52713
      emily52713 gill43753

      Posted

      I was relieved more than anything and was pleased with what he was telling me even though it isn't great to have this but atleast I have some answers now.
    • gill43753
      gill43753 emily52713

      Posted

      That's right.It's awful not knowing,or not being listened to.All the best.Gill
  • leigh25499
    leigh25499 emily52713

    Posted

    hi emily,

    If you had adrenal problem one of the symptoms is you'd be feeling exhausted and burned out most of the time- I believe trying to eat well, and sleep well - as healthy as possible, lots of greens and proteins, and if you have problems with this, supplement with some good vitamins and minerals to help support your body.   If your diet is a bit on the skimpy side you will find your hands and feet are often cold as our bodies need food as energy and these are the parts that often react first.  I dont think this is linked with the thyroid.  

    • jean34329
      jean34329 leigh25499

      Posted

      Hi Leigh

      I am new to the forum but I read that cold feet ,numbness can be a sign of hypothyroidism

    • emily52713
      emily52713 leigh25499

      Posted

      I have read that cold sensitivity in hands and feet is a symptoms of an underactive thyroid and that you can also feel fatigued with a thyroid issue too. I asked why they didint check my adrenal glands and he said because he can't see any symptoms and he won't do a test just for reassurance as it isn't as simple as a blood test
  • jean34329
    jean34329 emily52713

    Posted

    Hi Emily

    I reaad that coldfeet are one of the signs of hypothyroidism.

    May I ask you whattreatment haveyou been commenced on?

    Thanks.

    • emily52713
      emily52713 jean34329

      Posted

      I have been put on levothyroxine and have to take it once a day. And then I have to go and have blood tests every two months to see if my levels are back to normal
    • jean34329
      jean34329 emily52713

      Posted

      Hello Emily

      Thank you very much for your response.

      I am feeling very frightened at the moment as all this is new to me.

      Kind regards

      Jean

    • jean34329
      jean34329 emily52713

      Posted

      Emily

      I  haveLong QT syndrome as well. This precludes lots of drugs as they are contraindicated in Long QT.Lists of these drugs can be found onthe University of Arizona website.

       

  • helsbells15
    helsbells15 emily52713

    Posted

    Hi emily

    I was diagnose with hashis two years ago and I am now nearly back to normal, it will take a while and be prepared to read up as much as you can on hashis.   As the gland starts to fail you will feel rubbish for a week or so and then it will stop failing and you will feel fine for a while and so it goes on.  Once the gland had given up the ghost it is much easier to treat.

    I suggest you ask you gp to test for the following.  feritin, folate, b12 vit d people with hashis tend  to have low adrenal I know he does not suspect it how my blood pressure was normal and I had servere deficiencies in vit d and vit b and now supplement both.  If they are normal then great if not then at least you know and can do something levo will not always work as well if these vits and minerals are too low try to keep them in the upper third of the ranges it makes a big difference.

    You will have lots of questions as you go some people react really well to levo and never look back, others do not.  Just post any questions.

    • emily52713
      emily52713 helsbells15

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply.

      I was convinced for about 2 months that I have adrenal Cancer and cushings because I have a hump on the back of my neck but not nessecarily the pendulous abdomen.. So hearing that I have hashimotos was a shock but I was pleased to hear that there is something which is easily controlled.

      So will my gland just give up eventually? Even though I'll be on medication? The endo said something about sub clinical. And then explained about my antibodies. My t3 and t4 were normal but my thyroid level was not. Im still confused about what hashimotos is to be honest!

  • shellyC19
    shellyC19 emily52713

    Posted

    Hello Emily, I am an RN and I have had Hashimoto's since 1987 when I was in my mid - 20's.  Hashimoto's is an auto-immune disease and for some strange reason not really known why, our bodies attack via antibodies, (which are normally good), the thyroid gland and cause it to be useless in late stages. some people get a goiter.  The body sends out a signal and tells these antibodies " ATTACK"  in so many words, and they start to destroy the gland.....some reasons they think may cause it, is a gene in families, or something like Mono - Epstein Barr virus. However it is not clearly known why our bodies do this.  Some people have it mild and others it is worse.  I am the worse since it was discoverd later in my life and being my mid 20's then I suffered symptoms they did not know why back then. I had symptoms as a teenager but nobody tested young people back in the 1970's. They do now!!! They now know more about it and test young women for it and caught it early.  I developed a goiter and the doctor found it by that.

    In certain people it causes hypothyroidism which can cause some nasty symptoms. Certain symptoms are low energy, brain fog, feeling sleepy, weight gain, muscle aches, feeling cold.  I had a blood test that showed the antibodies and a sed. rate test which are important tests for Hashimoto's. I have had replacement thyroid for years now. Sometimes it can run in families, and tends to hit women. Men can get it but it tends to happen to women.  You should be tested for Lupus & Rheumatoid Arthritis as they tend to happen in some people w/ Hashimoto's.  You will be okay as long as you take your thyroid replacement hormone everyday, now in time you will have blood draws for thyroid levels to keep a check on it. I have lived with this condition a long time and  you can lead a normal life with it. Please let your doctor know if you feel symptoms do not improve.

    I know how it feels and I cried the day I was diagnosed but you can live a good life with it.  I also was tested for Cushings, Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis, so far all negative.  Watch carbs carefully and try to keep the weight down, since we tend to gain weight fast.

    Please keep in touch, I am in the same boat as you and I am 54. I hope I helped you. This is a great thing to talk with others who have it. i wish we had this back in the 1980's. however I am thankful now to have this forum.  Be well.

     

    • emily52713
      emily52713 shellyC19

      Posted

      Thank you for the information. I am only 17 so no wonder they passed it off as anxiety, because they normally dont think that teenagers have such problems. I do suffer with health anxiety which they passed it off as that.

      To be honest, i was pleased they found it as this could explain why i feel so crap.

      As this runs in families do you think it would be worth my mum being checked for it as after they diagnosed me, she said maybe herself should get tested as for years she has felt tired all the time but has passed it off to her busy lifestyle.

      Before this diagnosis i was 100% postive i have adrenal cancer and frightened myself so much. This thought is still there, and i told the endocrinologist i was thinking about cancer but he said absoloutely not.

    • shellyC19
      shellyC19 emily52713

      Posted

      Please ask your Mum to be tested!!!  When I got diagnosed, my sister got tested and she found out she has Hashimoto's also. My Mum got tested and she does not have it. However an aunt on my father's side had it.  A lot of time, the symptoms are blown off by doctors as the flu, or stress, or anxiety. Since you are young, it was picked up early.  That is helpful.  Some women notice it after puberty, or a pregnancy or late in life.  Adrenal cancer is rare and I do not think you have that.  If you had that they would see your sodium levels in your body be low and if it was that you would have had these symptoms much earlier.

      Hashimoto's is kind of a creepy disease because you don't get all the symptoms at one time, and it takes "YEARS" for certain symptoms to show, for example weight gain or goiter and even lower TSH  and T 3 & T 4 levels in your blood.  Many good doctors miss it.  Like I said, they say it could be stress related, instead of doing the blood draws.  So glad you were tested while young and you know!  Sounds like you have a good  Endo doctor, and that is important.  As you take the med, keep a journal or log down if you feel better or worse and it would help if you brought it to the next doctor appt.  It is important to get your blood levels checked a lot in the begining.  Thanks to modern medicine they have a lot of good meds for thyroid replacement.  If you don't feel better in 3-6 months make an appt. to see the doc again.

      I hope this helps - keep in touch and say how your are doing. biggrin

    • emily52713
      emily52713 shellyC19

      Posted

      Thanks shelly, I will tell my mum to definitley get tested soon. My dads mum had a thyroid problem but hers was overactive. She had other probelms too though.

      The endo was informative and told me to just live a normal life.

      Could panick attacks and anxiety be linked to thryoid problems? My mum was annoyed because they sent me for an mri to see that my pituatary gland is slightly enlarged when they could've just done a blood test in the first place because it made my anxiety a whole lot worse rolleyes

    • jean34329
      jean34329 emily52713

      Posted

      HI Emily

      May I ask you what blood tests would have indicated that your pituitry gland may or may not have been enlarged?

      Thanks

    • emily52713
      emily52713 jean34329

      Posted

      I had an mri scan on my head because I had a big fear over a brain tumour so the nuerologist that I saw said she would let me have an mri for reassurance..

      I don't think they can run blood tests to indicate wether it's enlarged, its a case of looking at it physically

    • shellyC19
      shellyC19 emily52713

      Posted

      Hi Emily, due some detective work and ask family members (women, like aunts, cousins, ) if they have thyroid problems.  It helps to find that out, and report to your Endo that.  It does run in familes and can skip a generation then come back in their children.  Doctors like to image glands as they can see it on an MRI if it looks normal. They should order blood levels also.  It is good since you are young and they have a Baseline MRI of it now in your file.  keep a check on all of your glands by asking for blood tests.  Overactive is stll a thyroid problem and it is important to know and tell the doctor.  It sounds like you have a good doctor so stick with him/her and let us know how you feel. I hope this helps.
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