Anyone been diagnosed with hypothyroidism?

[wispaxmas]

Just wondering really.. What symptoms did you have, did you ask your GP to do the test after checking your symptoms out on your own or did they suggest to you that it might be your thyroid?

It's just that I've suddenly put seemingly unassociated symptoms together and realised they're all signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism.. But then as I'm overweight and have always struggled to lose weight a part of my mind wonders if I'm being ridiculous and grasping at straws to find an excuse for my inability to lose the weight. But then that in itself is a symptom.

What has made me look into it recently is that I've been wearing a heart rate monitor daily and it tracks my activity and resting heart rate, which is low, near about 50bpm and I'm definitely not an athlete with a BMI of 30, size 16, and quite the mum-tum. My BBT has always tracked below the normal values for pre-ovulation at around 35.7 degrees. Small things I never worried about before include: nails constantly flaking, peeling, and breaking, horribly dry skin, and being tired all day despite getting 8-9 hours sleep a night, extremities constantly freezing.. And related or not I have a history of vasovagal fainting - which I did not grow out of at 25 like my doctor said I would and last fainted about 7 months ago at 31 years old, off a bar stool, concussion, ambulance, the works. But if my HR is low maybe it is related and there's an underlying reason for it all?

Anyways, because none of these things aside from the fainting have ever been worrisome I've never been bothered, but having realised my HR is low and what you'd expect from an athlete I'm starting to think that something isn't right.

Thoughts?

[averywittyusername]

Hi, I've just seen your post while looking for info about levothyroxine, the best way to diagnose thyroid issues is via blood test, if you have some symptoms I can't see why a GP wouldn't do this, if only to rule it out. There is so much information on the internet about the wide variety of symptoms and so many seem vague, ie brain fog, mild depression, sluggishness, all of which could be put down to other causes. I was tested a year ago (long story, H thought I should be tested because he'd read a daily mail article which said it caused a lack of desire for sex )and had mildly raised level of tsh which I was quite upset about at the time but GP said levels weren't really high enough to cause symptoms, what I read on the internet contradicts that. A year on and I am a stone heavier and frustrated beyond belief, I had a blood test done which indicated higher number so I'm on levothyroxine for just over a week now and I have to admit I was hoping for a miracle cure but I haven't morphed into an energetic sharp minded slim person just yet, in fact I'm a few lbs heavier and crippling insomnia has got worse, plus I've been bursting into tears (but that might be due to the weight!). I think it's notoriously difficult to get the dosage right and can take months to get treatment rightwhat I'm trying to say is a diagnosis is perhaps a double edged sword, however I'd say definitely get a blood test, otherwise you'll be wondering and it's better to know. Hypothyroid is very common especially in women, and (sometimes) easily treatable.

[imip]

I have all the vague symptoms. I've put on 4-5 kilos in the past year, I'm at the border of normal BMI and this has nudged me into overweight and I'm unable to shift it. All the brain fog, low mood, loss of libido, ridged nails. I've really put a lot down to middle age (I'm almost 45). I even have blurred vision, and felt an overwhelming sense of relief to realise that I may be able to join the dots on these random things that collectively are getting me down.

What I thought was completely unrelated was a numb feeling in my throat. I just can't get rid of it - like a swelling, compression, numbness - hard to define. When to the dr who suggested it was a goitre. I had a ultrasound scan and my thyroid is enlarged with lots of nodules. Nodules in themselves are relatively common. My blood tests all come back in the normal range.

I've been referred to an endocrinologist now, as Dr said the standard GP blood tests aren't that revealing and the thyroid could be working in fits and spurts. I've got a cold ATM, and I've been losing my voice for 5 days, not sure if it is kind of having some impact with the goitre??? I'm not really sure what the outcome will be, but I am going in with my facts for hypothyroidism and better blood testing because I am pretty symptomatic. I m a bit concerned that I will be ignored, but because I'm getting more concrete symptoms ( I went to Dr because of the numbness and vision issues) I'm hoping they'll be more responsive.

[lavenderbongo]

I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and have been on thyroxine for about 4-5 weeks.
I went to the doctor initially because of general exhaustion, being rather emotional and generally overwhelmed with everything.
I have found I have felt much better the last few weeks. Definitely more energy and my aching ankle joints have gone! I didn't realise this was related to the thyroid but apparently it is!
Well worth going to get a blood test.

[SagaAndMartinsLiftConvos]

I have it, and have been on levo for about 6 weeks now. It's had no discernible effect. Had another blood test yesterday so I'm hoping they will try me on a higher dosage.

I went to the Dr in November last year. My symptoms were vague and crept up on me over two years, so that I had just normalised them - tired, often unable to focus, gained about a stone, sluggish digestion, hair loss. My head hair thinned and went brittle and dull, my eyebrows thinned on the outer edges (I am told this is typical), my leg, armpit and pubic hair also diminished and seemed less healthy than before.
My appetite went weird - I realised that I rarely felt hungry any more, I could go all day till dinner without eating and only be slightly hungry, and then I'd feel full after only a small meal, but at the same time I was gaining weight!
I had no energy for anything; I'd do the school run, come home and basically curl up on the sofa all day until pick-up time. I'd go out if I had to, but I'd tire quickly - like, I'd go into town shopping and find that after an hour I was done in and just need to get home.

And it just dawned on me one day that I HADN'T always felt like this and that maybe there was a physical cause. I thought iron deficiency, but as a compulsive Googler I also came across hypothyroidism. When I listed my symptoms the Dr also suggested these two things and ordered blood tests for them as well as for various vitamin deficiencies.

There are other symptoms I did not experience - I don't feel the cold particularly (I love it in fact!) and my nails have always been strong and healthy.

[PoshPenny]

Ask your GP to do the test and see what it shows, I had to go private to get a diagnosis as my NHS blood tests came back "normal" and I was told it was all in my head. That's not uncommon it seems. Hopefully won't be the case for you.

[LittleCandle]

GPs are notoriously crap at thyroids, so ask for a referral to an endocrinologist. I am in the middle of a battle about the amount of thyroxine I am taking after it was cut 3 years ago. Last year, after constant complaining about my symptoms, I could barely function and I demanded to see my test results. Turns out they were using out of date tables to judge it. My dosage was upped, I began to recover, then I was informed it was being cut again - because they were still using the wrong tables. I am now juggling two different doses on alternating days and I get the results of the latest test on Monday. I have seen an improvement on most of my symptoms, but not all. If they are still going to argue with me, I will be demanding an appointment with the endocrinologist, but I am not sure he will be a huge improvement, as his 'advice' letters have no pointed out they are still on old tables, which probably means he isn't up to date either.

Stick to your guns. You know your own body. The symptom that finally persuaded the doctor that I was having problems was the fact I had grown no body hair whatsoever in over 5 months. Overall, not a big problem, but definitely not normal. Oh - and don't let them tell you its your age either, which I also got!