hypothyroid

[Grits]

I went back and read a lot of the old threads about hypo and hyper thyroid, so I know there are quite a few of you on the forum.

I had routine blood work done as part of a yearly physical with a new MD who also tested thyroid function. To my surprise, it came back abnormal (6.440). She wants to do another test before starting meds, so I go back next week for that.

I find myself almost glad (weird I know) that I might have this. When I was riding this summer, I found myself so fatigued during the ride and struggling to keep up, which I blamed on everyone being stronger than me even though I was riding more than most of them. Maybe it was because of my thyroid? See, I'm looking for a scapegoat here! I would wonder if there was something wrong with me physically, but then would just convince myself that I needed to train harder, was getting older, etc. etc.

So many of the symptoms can be attributed to menopause or peri-menopause, I can see this going undiagnosed very frequently. My hairdresser commented that I seemed to be losing more hair than normal when she shampooed, and I blew that off (I have a lot of hair. I can afford to lose some.) I would struggle to stay awake while waiting for appointments.
In hindsight, I can see the symptoms, but they are so vague and could be caused by so many different things.

I'm so glad I broke up with my old MD. The new one was much more thorough.

[indysteel]

As someone dealing with a hyperactive thyroid, I feel for you. Hopefully, you'll be able to get it under control quickly.

[crazycanuck]

Hey, have you read "Why do i still have thyroid symptoms when my lab tests are normal" by Dr Kharrazian?

Also have you thought about changing your diet and going wheat free? Here are some links
http://drknews.com/
http://chriskresser.com/the-gluten-thyroid-connection
If you have itunes etc, listen to the paleo podcast #98 or 99 (have to go n check) where Rob discusses the book "wheat belly"
Underground wellness radio interview with Dr Tom O'bryan (UWR is a bit too over the top for me but this one was recommended to me by my physio)

[Ursula745]

A TSH in your range isn't too bad, actually. Enough for treatment, yes, but it isn't horrible. Mine was around 5.8 and is considered very mild. I am on 75mcg of Synthroid. I do feel better and the weight is coming off, but still slowly for me. I feel better, but it's not a miracle or anything like that. So, just a heads up. If you get meds, 1) don't expect and immediate result, and 2) don't expect a huge improvement. It won't make you feel like you are super energetic. For me, I just kind of "forgot" about being tired, because I wasn't anymore. I didn't notice a super increase of energy or metabolism. I just started to feel normal I guess. Good luck. I hope your doc gets you on the right meds/dose soon.

[Grits]

Yes, Ursula, good points. The MD said it was mild, so at best I would expect mild improvement.

CC,thanks for your suggestions. Since I am not really having any significant problems, I'm not motivated to make any big lifestyle/diet changes, and I would really need to be highly motivated to do that! I'm sure that would change if I felt worse. I hope that a low dose of meds will do the trick.

Now I am waiting for DH to get back with my favorite energy boost - a Chai Latte

[Dannielle]

Oh gosh, I feel absolutely hideous with my TSH as high as yours is. When mine was in the 3.5-5 range I was being checked for lupus, arthritis, MS, etc due to all the symptoms I was experiencing (and was eventually given the broad "fibromyalgia" diagnosis). It all cleared up when I went to an endocrinologist who treated my hypothyroidism more aggressively.

[Grits]

Dannielle, Isn't it funny how our bodies react so differently to things? If I hadn't gotten this routine screening, I never would have thought to get checked for the mild symptoms I am having, while you were having much more extreme symptoms with better test results.

As I am telling friends about my test results, so many of them are saying that they are exhausted all the time. I guess doctors hear it so much, or women don't even bother to report it, that hypothyroid gets undiagnosed a lot. I'm telling them if they really do feel tired a lot, got ahead and ask for some blood work, for pete's sake, and get their thyroid function and iron level checked. It is a shame to not feel the best you can for lack of a simple test.

I'm glad you were able to get on the right meds and dosage and get some relief.

[Flyneagle]

This is a great thread I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism last month and started on 75 mcg of synthroid. I was feeling really drained and just felt off and gained a lot of weight over the past year. I told my gyn dr at the beginning of the year how I was feeling and we ran my TSH and other hormones all in normal range. Well I'm a medical laboratory scientist and last month I was at work and felt awful so ran my TSH again and this time it was 7. Needless to say family doc agreed that was definitely my issue. I'm so glad to finally have a reason to why I felt the way I do.
Now the synthroid at first was making me feel really amped up...like I was going a hundred miles an hour! I think I'm finally getting use to it but my doc wants me to go up to 125mcg and then check my TSH again around the 25th. So that's my thyroid story

[Dannielle]

the weight gain part is a booger, too! Since I spent years with undertreated hypothyroidism I packed on quite a bit of extra weight. Once everything got worked out I was finally able to lose but still had to work to lose it (it didn't just melt away lol). It took me 4yrs to lose a little over 200lbs but it's finally gone. Bike riding helps quite a bit

[Grits]

Dannielle, That is an incredible weight loss - good work!

Flyneagle, Is your MD upping the dosage because you have been retested and your levels were still not where they needed to be? It is interesting that they went from normal to 7 over a period of months, but you were already having the symptoms when they were still normal

[Flyneagle]

No...he just upped it 2 weeks before retesting. It's funny how you can have symptoms for a while before you see the increase in the lab results...but I will say that when the thyroid is out of whack it sure affects everything :s

[Dogmama]

I've been on synthroid for 20 years & just recently (last year) had it increased just a little. My doc says peri & menopausal women are often hypothyroid & can use some help. I'm not a big proponent of pills but I wouldn't go without my synthroid. The generic is incredibly cheap & works for me.

[Catrin]

I admit that I am suspicious over the claims that XYZ diet can address a malfunctioning thyroid. Then again, that suspicion is probably over someone trying to convince me that removing wheat from my diet would address MY thyroid issues....apparently the news that I do not HAVE a thyroid at all didn't change her mind at all.

To me it was kind of like the old adage - if the only tool you have is a hammer then everything looks like a nail. Nothing wrong with checking out different options, but there is so much differing information out there.

[indysteel]

I admit that I am suspicious over the claims that XYZ diet can address a malfunctioning thyroid. Then again, that suspicion is probably over someone trying to convince me that removing wheat from my diet would address MY thyroid issues....apparently the news that I do not HAVE a thyroid at all didn't change her mind at all.

To me it was kind of like the old adage - if the only tool you have is a hammer then everything looks like a nail. Nothing wrong with checking out different options, but there is so much differing information out there.

I'm suspicious as well. But I do want to clarify something in your post. As it relates to hyper or hypothyroidism caused by autoimmune disease, it is not the thyroid, itself, that is malfunctioning. Rather, it's the autoantibodies in your body attacking your thyroid (and often your eyes) that is root of the problem. By removing the thyroid (or in my case, taking antithyroid medicine), you are not eliminating the autoantibodies. Rather, you merely eliminate or alter the gland that they are attacking.

So, I suppose there are other things one could do--although I'm not sure diet is one of them--that could potentially eliminate or reduce the autoantibodies that are the root cause of Graves' and Hashimotos. Clearly, though; once you've had your thyroid removed or radiated, I would presume you have to take a drug to replace the otherwise missing thyroid hormone. No change in diet is going to create hormones from a now nonexistent gland.

[Catrin]

I'm suspicious as well. But I do want to clarify something in your post. As it relates to hyper or hypothyroidism caused by autoimmune disease, it is not the thyroid, itself, that is malfunctioning. Rather, it's the autoantibodies in your body attacking your thyroid (and often your eyes) that is root of the problem. By removing the thyroid (or in my case, taking antithyroid medicine), you are not eliminating the autoantibodies. Rather, you merely eliminate or alter the gland that they are attacking.

So, I suppose there are other things one could do--although I'm not sure diet is one of them--that could potentially eliminate or reduce the autoantibodies that are the root cause of Graves' and Hashimotos. Clearly, though; once you've had your thyroid removed or radiated, I would presume you have to take a drug to replace the otherwise missing thyroid hormone. No change in diet is going to create hormones from a now nonexistent gland.

Very good points, and I think the clarification was important. Of course we still need those hormones, and I've been taking that 1 pill a day since 1984...though sometimes I still forget It was just perplexing to me how little that person actually heard when we were discussing this - it was like she couldn't even hear what I was actually saying.

I hope you are starting to feel better?