Does anyone here suffer from Thyroid Problems?
 

I was wondering what your symptoms were and what treatments you were receiving. I think that I need to be tested and wanted to know any information you guys had to share.

Thanks.

What symptoms ar you having? Why do you think you need to be tested?

My aunt suffers from it so it's always a possibility. I just turned 32 and started tallying up some of this stuff plus when I saw the Dr in August and we checked the no period thing she said we will wait three months more and then run the hormone tests to see. I decided to search online and they had a check list and out of the questions of symptoms I checked a good buit of them. Let me list them:

*Gained weight inappropriately or unable to lose weight (meanwhile I don't eat a lot and I am always on the go)
*Hair is droppng
*Dry skin
*Muscle aches, pains, stiffness
*Extremely irregular periods (never been 28 days but always had it) now it's been almost five months and nothing (no I am not pregnant. Had my tubes tied after my third child two years ago)
*Mood swings
*Extremely low sex drive
*Bumps on the back of my arms (caused by a build up of beta-carotene)
*Headaches
*Vaginal Dryness

My hubby has hypothiroidism(sp)

Symptoms
A large gouter(sp) on his neck
Difficulty swallowing

I am going to schedule to have the blood work done. See what comes back. My hormones are seriously out of wack at this point and it needs to be fixed.

I don't have thyroid issues, but I am a nurse - so I can help a teeny bit. It could possibly be thyroid. But, given your age, it could also be a "hormone adjustment" - many women in this age bracket go through some hormone changes that can be pretty scary.

I lost a bunch of hair at 32 as well; my hair is super thick - so I didn't go too crazy, but it was really weird. I also noticed some change in memory - which can be hormone related too.

So, it could be hormones, it could peri-menopausal symptoms, and it could be thyroid. Regardless, they simple blood tests could either provide answers or at least rule some things out for peace of mind!! I'd get the blood tests asap, if it were me, just so I didn't wonder about it all the time. I do hope you feel better soon!

I contemplated the perimenopause but my mom started hers in her 40's and just now at the age of 55 did the menopause thing so it is something I mentioned to the Dr.

The hairloss is not evident but I notice all the extra shedding.

Well don't the hormone adjustment and the thyroid kind of run together. Isn't the thyroid the balance of the hormone kingdom? Not sure but I am going to call her when the office opens and schedule up.

I haven't had a period in 5 months...never happens unless I am preggers. While it's not a 28 day cycle I do or did get it every month. I saw her in Aug when it was only 3 months late and she gave me a pill to take for five days that would bring it down if I were uncomfortable but I want to figure out the whole issue not a symptom of it. I haven't taken the pill because I wanted to watch it and see what happened.

So with a hormone adjustment what happens and what are the treatments?

My mother has been diagnosed w/ Hashimoto's disease. It's a thyroid condition. And while she's not male or from an Asian country (her father is Persian...but no asian), which are the likely candidates to develop it, she surely has been diagnosed w/ it and is on medication now for the rest of her life. Eventually the thyroid will die off altogether and she'll rely soley on the Synthroid to give her body what it needs in place of a functioning thyroid.

Good luck!

btw, my Mom is 47.

The thyroid produces thyroid hormones only - but these hormone do affect the RATE at which other processes happen in the body (incl. other hormone related activities), which is why so many random symptoms occur.

If your hormones are just sort of adjusting - meaning, maybe your production of one or some of them is changing/has changed a bit - there really is nothing you can do unless your estrogen/testost./progest. levels are just way out of whack.

I take Oona PMS to help ease some of my symptoms - bc my chest gets so tender, water retention - argh. I had tried EVERYthing - and finally found this Oona - it is the only thing that has touched the symptoms. http://oonausa.com/

My mom had some of those symptoms and she was dx with hashimoto's disease (hypothyriod). She went to see a hormone balancing specialist who sent her for blood and spit specific test. You should make sure your Dr. checks T3 total, T3 Free, T4 Free, TSH, Thyrodlobulin Autoabs, and Thyroid Peroxidase Autoabs.She is being treat more on the hollistic side. I am going to be tested for hyperthyriodism because I have a lot of the symptoms as well and my aunt was dx with Grave's disease... I'll let you know how my tests go. Have you made an appointment with your dr.?

WOW,
You just descibed me! Now i'm worried, thought it was menopause.

I just had my, oh, maybe 5th thyroid scan (had three nuclear scans and one CT Scan) all for my thyroid. I have two goiters, but they have not changed in 3 years and I also have a muscle mass on the right side of my neck over my thyroid, which would make removing the goiters very difficult. BUT yet, I am not giving any thyroid medicine because the doctors I have seen in my area (3 specialists and 2 general doctors) do not approve of just "passing out" the medicine unless they are 100% sure they will improve the symptoms. So, with all my symptoms.....pretty much the same as yours, nothing has been done. Oh, my TSH (blood tests) have all come back normal too. - Another reason for none of them giving me any thyroid pills. I did have a scare a few months back because one thought it was a tumor....but this lastest scan showed it was a muscle mass. (aurgh). So, I don't know what else to do.

I will be sure to check and ask her about all of these. Thanks. The Dr. will be open at 2 today so I am waiting to call to make the appt.

It can also be perimenopause. But the Dr was leaning more towards the thyroid because of my age. Also my regular physician had looked at my neck and said that he wanted to do a follow up and check for the thyroid.

The thyroid levels are iffy depending on what doctor you see...some want to see a higher number than others. I don't want meds unless I absolutely need them. I hate to take anything unnecessary but I desperately want to get to the bottom of what is going on here.

I am the world's worst at taking meds....especially if I do not have to...I just found it odd (in a good, maybe bad way) that with all the different doctors and all the symptoms I have, I have not gotten to the bottom of what is causing it. One doctor (a specialist) actually told me that he just didn't know and that with the lastest scan results (which were very throrough) he said that he wouldn't waste my money (if he were me) and to just stick with my normal doctor. Aurgh.....so, here we go again...back at page one...starting over again.......it gets frustrating.....

Wanted to add too.....food allergies have about the same symptoms too.....so don't rule those out!

I havent read all the other post yet so Im not sure if this is still releveant but Im repsonding to the first post. I have hypothryoid and I take synthroid. About 5 years ago I went to the doctor to have a physical done because I was feelign so tired all the time. I never would have guessed I had hypothryroid even though it does run in my family and the reason I didnt suspect it is becuase usually it can be associated with weight gain and many people that have it tend to have constipation as 2 of the main symptoms and I had neither. Symptoms I do expereince are extreme fatigue, cold all the time (I tend to keep my house at 85 degrees), I have muscle cramps, lose hair, ridged fingernails that are brittle and break easy, and I feel out of it.

If you are diagnosed with hypothryoid and put on medication it takes several weeks to get your thyroid back on track so you will still have the symptom for awhile and also do not take thyroid medicine with orange juice- the calcium breaks down the medicine. This is just something Ive learned.

i have hyperthyroidism. symptoms i had were my hands shook a lot, bulging eyes, i was always hot even in freezing weather, i couldn't concentrate.
some otherrs that i didn't have are palpitating(sp?) heart, hair loss, etc. those are the only ones i can think off the top of my head.
i started off taking 10mg methimazole(sp?) twice a day, but they have cut it down to 2.5mg once a day over the past 2 years.
pm me if you want more info

Thyroid Results
 

I totally appreciate all the info you had given me before on the topic. I Just got the results back tell me what you think:

I just spoke to the Dr's office and the nurse sent me a copy of the results. The Dr is actually out so I won't be able to speak to her until sat about them. I also made an appt to see my regular Dr for further inquiries. I am now on month 5 with no period.

Here are the results:

Thryoxine (T4) 7.2
T3- Uptake 28.4
T7 (FTI) 6.0
TSH 3rd Generation 2.67
HCG, Quantitative <2
FSH 4.6
LH 5.94
Prolactin 3.9

I appreciate any feedback you can offer. Not sure what the numbers are really supposed to be.

Thanks for your help and support with this.
__________________

I have hypothyrodism for the last 16 years right after having my son. I take synthroid .300 mcg which is the highest dose. I had excessive bleeding, always cold, dry skin, weight gain, brittle nails, always tired, memory foggy & lose tons of hair.....thank God I have enough hair for 5 people. I have had terrible results when I skip my daily dose. A woman’s TSH level should ideally be less than 5.0. Mine have been as high as 30. Here is a chart on normal results.

Test-------------------------------Abbreviation--------Typical Ranges
Serum thyroxine-----------------T4--------------------4.6-12 ug/dl
Free thyroxine fraction-----------FT4F-----------------0.03-0.005%
Free Thyroxine--------------------FT4------------------0.7-1.9 ng/dl
Thyroid hormone binding ratio---THBR----------------0.9-1.1
Free Thyroxine index-------------FT4I-----------------4-11
Serum Triiodothyronine----------T3-------------------80-180 ng/dl
Free Triiodothyronine l-----------FT3------------------230-619 pg/d
Free T3 Index--------------------FT3I-----------------80-180
Radioactive iodine uptake-------RAIU----------------10-30%
Serum thyrotropin---------------TSH-----------------0.5-6 uU/ml
Thyroxine-binding globulin------TBG-----------------12-20 ug/dl T4 +1.8 ugm
TRH stimulation test Peak-------TSH-----------------9-30 uIU/ml at 20-30 min
Serum thyroglobulin l-----------Tg-------------------0-30 ng/m
Thyroid microsomal antibody titer---------TMAb-------Varies with method
Thyroglobulin antibody titer----------------TgAb-------Varies with method

OMG - this sounds like me - I was going to have my doctor check my thryoid at my June yearly - now I am for sure. This is a great thread you guys - I have learned a lot. :thumbup: :thumbup:

Iam on the same med, have been for 20yrs, I get it checked every yr, good point about the oarnge juice, I was told that to, Iam still always cold and very skinny, they say you burn off everything you eat when its underactive. musle cramps and tiredness are also bothersome. to the orignal op. i hope you feel better soon and find out for sure if thats whats it is.

I have hypothyroidism/Hashimoto's disease, my Endocrinologist actually said it is severe Hashimoto's. It all started a few years back when I went to my regular doctor and he noticed my glands were swollen, he felt an enlarged nodule on my right side. He sent me to an Endocrinologist who is awesome btw, she ordered a blood test and ultrasound. Seeing her explained the constant fatique,sensitivity to cold, and now the slight weight gain but hard weight loss. Anyway after the ultrasound I had a biopsy of the nodule, very weird feeling since they don't use a local anesthetic. The nodule turned out non-cancerous, and has reduced in size with regular medication and kept an eye on with annual ultrasounds. I am currently on .88 Synthroid, it took a while to get the right dosage and now I may have to play the dosage game again since the blood test showed I am now taking too much meds. After the discovery of my thyroid issue, turns out there is family history of it (thanks for telling me peoples!!uggh....). Not all with hypothyroidism, but a related thyroid problem.

side note: should of seen the look on my bf's face when I told him I had to get an ultrasound. :D

regarding thyroid problems
 

Does someone have other details about thyroid problems?

I also take Synthroid. I was diagnosed in 2003 after I became so physically exhausted and my neck was huge, it just was so big and I gained a lot of weight for NO reason :( I thought something was seriously wrong cause I was constantly tired. Now things are much better. I got a thyroid sonogram about 2 years ago just to make sure and everything was fine. I go to the doc once a year to make sure my dose is accurate, sometimes it changes for some, for me it hasn't. I remember to take my medicine everyday.

thyroid
 

I have thyroid problem and taking natural med. My doctor always prescribes me natural med. Anyway my systems are tired all the time no energy. Always want to lay down. Don't sleep at night, Gain weight I am going tomorrow to get blood work done to see how mine is doing.


If you think you have a problem I would go and have my blood work done and see.


Cheryl

I take one at night and one at 5:30am only because one helps the other. When I'm on them I feel Wonderful

The web is full of information there are two types which is Hypo and Hyper.

Hypo (Under active thyroid) you usually feel, tired, cold, gain weight by just looking at food, weak nails, dry skin and loss of hair.

Hyper (Overactive thyroid) you usually have a tough time gaining weight, always hot and some times get Goiters and enlarged eyes (seems like if they are popping out).

Symptoms and Diagnosis of Thyroid Disease, including Risk Factors, Tests, Checklists for Hypothyroidism, Hyperthyroidism, Goiter, Nodules, Cancer

I do
Weight gain in eight years 40 pounds and I was running 5miles 5 days a week ,tired, brittle nails my toenail are so ugly the doctor did a blood test and gave me some meds and in three months 30 pounds are gone 10 more to go its horrible especially the weight gain and the other symtoms are something you can over look thank god for a check up.

forgot
 

always hot and hairloss chalked it up to menopause