Can I join? I'm hypo as well. Hypo and anemic.
Fatigue/weakness - Check
Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight Check.
Hair loss Check. Constipation - EH, not so much, but sometimes.
Depression - CHECK, CHECK!
Irritability -CHECK!
Memory loss - Check
Abnormal menstrual cycles-This is actually the only normal thing about me.
Decreased libido - Not me.
Cold Intolerance-DEFINITELY!!
I started on .25 of Synthroid. 3 months later I was upped to .50. Today I started . 75mcgs of Synthroid. I don't see an endo just my reg family Dr.
I also had a REAALLY bad fall 3 years ago which I'm just now getting treated due to lack of insurance and my neurologist put me on Topamax which the major side effect is fatigue. Yeah, cuz I don't have enough of that. It's hard sometimes to get my family, or even my husband to understand what is going on with me. I just want to be normal again.
It's hard sometimes to get my family, or even my husband to understand what is going on with me. I just want to be normal again.
That is EXACTLY how I felt. Everything was just so out of whack and I couldn't get anyone to understand. Simply getting up the muster to pick-up the house was enough to send me to tears. All I wanted to do was sleep and be left alone. Thankfully, getting your TSH in order will alleviate many of those problems. It's hard to see the end of the tunnel now, but know that one day (you get the right level of hormone) you'll wake up and the clouds and fog will be gone. Have hope and take of yourself in the meantime.
It's hard sometimes to get my family, or even my husband to understand what is going on with me. I just want to be normal again.
I definitely feel your frustration here... I had the hardest time getting my family and hubby to understand that I'm not just 'tired' - there's actually something wrong that zaps my energy level. Someone from LiveJournal sent me the 'Spoon Theory', and I've forwarded it to everyone in my family. The lady who wrote it is dealing with Lupus rather than Thyroid disease, but the gist of the story is the same...
I don't have hypothyroidism, but rather the opposite--hyperthyroidism (Grave's Disease). I was diagnosed a couple of years ago after I had RPL tests run after my 2nd miscarriage. I really feel for all of you. It's amazing how many aspects of your health and well being are tied into your thyroid, and sometimes it's hard for others who aren't dealing with it to understand.
I know my DH often wondered why I was always so tired and run-down, and then when I was finally diagnosed I actually had some friends comment on how it could be a good thing since it often makes people lose weight. Um, yeah, real healthy way to diet! Nevermind, that I gained weight when I was hyper.
Thankfully after a bit of searching I found a fabulous endocrinologist, and I have actually been in remission since I got pregnant (November 2003). The only negative I'm dealing with now is Graves Eye Disease (Thyroid Eye Disease), which progresses regardless of your thyroid levels. So I am constantly having eye issues.
My SIL had surgery 2 weeks ago removing a "wing" of her thyroid and the associated goiter, she has Hashimoto. Her levels always appeared normal, even though she had the goiter.
We are anxiously awaiting the results of this surgery to see how it affects her symptoms (the ones you listed). This is such a complex disorder that can affect a multitude of aspects of your health. DH's whole family has thyroid issues, so we'll definitely have our son checked as he grows.
Here are some links that I found helpful in educating myself on her surgery and condition:
Saathei - did you have trouble conceiving? We are desperate to conceive and just having the worst time with it. I know infertility is a symptom. Do you think your TSH levels are adding to the PPD? When will you have your levels checked again?
We had a very easy time conceiving; however, we made sure my levels were unchanging for 6 months before we started TTC. (The doc said we could start earlier, but I wanted to be TOTALLY sure it was under control.)
It's totally possible that my levels are adding to my PPD. I know that on days I do not take my pill, my PPD is significantly worse than it is on other days. I'm hoping to get my levels checked when I'm back at the doc on the 29th.
I was dx with Hashimoto's, 6 months after my first child was born (November 2002). My first TSH test was 112!!!
Since then, I was treated by my endocrinologist - she saw me through my 2nd pregnancy and then told me to see my family doctor from then on. I have never been able to get either of those doctors to listen to me when I say that I don't feel good. They just tell me that I'm tired because I have 2 toddlers at home. Whatever.
Even though my TSH stays in normal ranges, I can go from feeling like this:
depression (may or may not be thyroid, I realize)
brittle nails
dry skin
hair falling out
can't get out of bed, so damn tired
constipation
to:
can't sleep at night
jumping
heart racing
etc.
Finally, I went to see a holistic MD for all of this, which was a couple weeks ago. It took 2 months to get the appointment (he is one of the ones that are raved about on Shoman's website), and I was feeling like shit when I made it. When I finally got to see him, I was feeling decent, but a little jumpy. He has me taking a pretty massive dose of Iodine, 3-12.5 mg tablets/day and a magnesium/potassium/calcium tablet (as well as a basic nutritional vitamin supplement). We talked a lot about iodine and magnesium problems with thyroid patients. I am only taking the 3 pills for 3-6 months, then back down to 1 tablet/day. That 12.5 mg is so much higher than the US RDA (which I think is around 150 mcg).
He also dropped my synthroid from 150 mcg to 125 mcg, both because I was feeling jumpy and because he felt I would need less with the iodine replacement. I have to say that I am feeling really good, and my nails are actually growing for the only non-pregnant time in my life!
I think it is a shame that so many doctors treat just based on the TSH results.
I was diagnosed in January of this year as hypothyroid after blood tests to determine why I only had 7 periods in 2004. It all started to make sense once I found out - fatigue, hair loss, the missed periods, not being able to lose weight because of the fatigue (leading to no exercise), but one thing REALLY stood out. My in-laws' basement heat was not working properly over Christmas and it was 80 degrees down there. I was absolutely freezing my butt off all night long.
I was put on 50 mcg of Synthroid with an adjustment to 75 mcg (insurance changed it to levothyroxine - gotta love insurance!) in March. My TSH normalized in May at 1.16 and I feel mostly normal again - I've had a period every month, not nearly as tired anymore (though I need more sleep than I used to - at least 8 hours - to make it through the day). Hair is starting to become lush again. I don't know if I have Hashimoto's or not - my endocrinologist hasn't been interested in checking that - I also see him for the type 2 diabetes that I was diagnosed with in March. Grrr.
However, this week I've started to notice my heart racing at times, though my pulse is normal. I'm wondering if I'm on too high of a dose of levothyroxine now - I've lost 32 lbs since diagnosis and 15 since the normal TSH in May. (Yep, exercising 3-5 times a week now - gotta do it with the diabetes.)
Neen - did you need an RX for Selenium or is it OTC?
I got it OTC. It took alot of searching, but I finally found it at Wal-mart. It was about 3 bucks and I take one every night. I can say in the couple of weeks I've been taking it, I don't feel any worse and I can't tell if I really feel better. At least the brain fog is gone pretty much, but I'm still pretty tired all the time. I go have blood work next friday so we will see if this new level of synthroid is working!
Married my Forever Love: June 30, 2001
Ash 1990 A3 (Ham) 1997 Al 1998
Definitely time to ditch this Doc. My latest bloodwork shows my TSH to be 3.6. Her take is that the reading is 'fine' and she doesn't want to bump my meds since I'm still in the .5-5.0 range. She's afraid I'd get too low and become hyperthyroid. Everything I've read says that the range has been changed to .3-3.5, which would put me at the very high end of normal. Now, I'm sorry - I've been dealing with this long enough that I know when I feel good and when I'm starting to slide down the slope towards too much TSH. I feel like crap at this level. I'd like to try a month at the next dosage level and reevaluate. But will she listen? No - she's only concerned about the number on that paper. Come back in 6 months she tells me. When I was there 6 months ago my TSH had crept up a bit, and now it's done it again. Why is it so hard for her to accept that we could nip this in the bud?
{palm-forehead}
Next stop? A Dr. in Broken Arrow that the about.com thyroid site recommended. 2 hours away - gah!
I must interpret the life about me as I interpret the life that is my own.
~Albert Schweitzer
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Originally Posted by txssenorita
Um, yeah, real healthy way to diet! Nevermind, that I gained weight when I was hyper.
