To ask for your thyroid issue stories and help?

[Snowflakes1122]

I’m desperately looking for advice from anyone who has been in my shoes.

I’m convinced I have a thyroid issue.

I have

Hair loss, foggy memory, feel miserable and have no motivation, heavy periods, I’m exhausted all the time, I feel like my brain is running slowly too. I get painful numb arms when I’m sat down or in bed too. The hair loss is the one I’m struggling with the most
I need to pluck up the courage to go to the doctor, and just wondered what others experiences were with this? Were your doctors sympathetic or dismissive? What did they do?
I’m so fed up of feeling rubbish. I want my life back

[TheFirstRuleOfFightClub]

^ Sorry about the HUGE post!

[alltoomuchrightnow]

I went back to my doctor recently and said I thought thyroxine wasn't really working as I was abnormally cold and had a huge pile of duvets, throws and blankets at night (hard to sleep with that weight on me) and hot water bottles. She just shrugged and said, 'more hot water bottles?" I already have three (and turn them cold within half an hour)

[alltoomuchrightnow]

Another important thing..keep candida in check as that can really attack the thyroid. My nutritionist put me on a 6 week diet to eliminate it. It was hell with the 'die off' but certainly worked. My thyroid had been full of it so that made me even more sluggish with tingly limbs. It did cure my tingly (bad circulation) feet but not hands .
I take 16 billion viable cells of probiotics daily (non dairy) to keep it at bay and seems to work

[thenightsky]

TheFirstRuleOfFightClub Thank you for that post. Very educational and helpful to me personally.

[unexpectedgifts]

It's hit and miss.

Sometimes you get a doctor that will treat you for your symptoms if you are borderline. But generally in the Uk you don't get treated unless you fall within UK results for low levels. These are different for the USA and it's much easier to get treated abroad.

However, I have long standing thyroid issues and had always assumed my symptoms were thyroid related.

By coincidence someone in my family was diagnosed with abysmal vitamin D uptake, it was in single figures.

It turned out that if you don't ask for vitamin D testing you don't get it as part of a general blood screen. So when you are told that your bloods are all normal, they might not be.

Every female member of my family has now been tested, all in single figures (I think normal is about 70)

The low thyroid symptoms we all were experiencing have gone. I have energy, clear head, and I sleep properly now.

It took a year to get levels of D back up. I'm still only at around 40 but it's such a difference.

It might be an idea to request a specific vitamin D test and rule this out. It's made a big difference to me and all my sisters.

[LittleCandle]

I had my thyroid removed because of cancer 23 years ago. I was on one dose for years and years and years and then my GP decided I was over medicated and changed it. I was symptomatic immediately, but it took me over 3 years to persuade them that I could not function on that dose. I was just about back to what passes for normal (I usually feel a bit crap all the time, cold etc) and they cut it again. A couple of times the surgery sent out the wrong prescription so I had loads and loads of tablets and I self-medicated and felt much, much better. However, I had a whole lot of symptoms last year and was sent to the endocrinologist (first time I had seen one) and told that it was all menopause. He didn't listen to a single word I said. Told me that the treatment I was given was now considered wrong and he wanted to cut my dosage right down to 50mcg maximum, but preferably 25mcg. I would be completely unable to function on that dose. At the time, he agreed to put my dose up (to get me out of the door) and all the 'menopause' symptoms vanished, bar the hot flushes.

I am once again symptomatic and finally have a doctor's appointment in a fortnight. I have absolutely no doubt they will say it is just menopause, and if so, I shall tell them that I won't be coming back in for more blood tests annually and shall start buying my drugs from the internet so that I can take a dose that actually works for me.

GPs are shit with thyroid issues, but the endos are no fucking better - or at least the one I saw was shit. You need to stick to your guns to get treated.

[SerenDippitty]

I was diagnosed 16 years ago, my GP picked it up in the course of other tests. Had all the mental symptoms. I’d. Got used to feeling crap and did not realise how shit I’d been feeling until the medication took effect. I put on about two stone but amcurrently a healthy weight. I will say that starving yourself is not the answer. The thyroid needs a moderate calorie intake to support its function. I found a healthy diet, low fat moderate healthy carb and protein exercising every day, watching portions and alcohol worked. Also watch coffee Intake. I have one cup a day and leave several hours between taking medication and drinking coffee.

[Snowflakes1122]

Yes, I am also losing my outer eyebrows.

I’m unbelievably forgetful and absent minded. I put the milk in the cupboard the other day, not the fridge

[Snowflakes1122]

I also think my mother has a thyroid issue, as her hair is thin, and the outer eyebrows are gone.

Thank you so much for all the help

[Member984815]

I was diagnosed in June too , was just so tired and felt crappy , I thought it was iron the GP immediately started me on meds and I feel so much better now . You won't be dismissed my mother has now also been diagnosed after a full well woman check . We have both noticed massive changes in our skin and hair and her tingling arms have stopped

[Snowflakes1122]

Just had a thought. If I do get diagnosed, will it affect my life insurance policy/make it invalid? Anyone know?

[KellyMarieTunstall2]

It could be hypothyroidism, and with that you could have low vitamin levels and low ferritin. Get yourself a blood test kit from Medi checks and test yourself. Then you can visit your go forearmed.
I have hypo, and everything was low and felt rubbish for a very long time. I hope you get some answers.

[OhTheRoses]

No snowflakes been diagnosed since 1990. Never ever an issue.

Have none of you sat in the gp's office and said "I'm sorry, I don't agree, my research says. I have a right to be at my best and make maximum contributions to me, my family and society and if I can't the NHS pays more or loses funds".

[sollyfromsurrey]

alltoomuchrightnow
She just shrugged and said, 'more hot water bottles?" I already have three (and turn them cold within half an hour) you won't be 'turning' hot water bottles colder any faster than anyone else. With an underactive thyroid you FEEL cold but your body's actual temperature is still within normal range.

[Littlepond]

I’ve been trying to get my thyroid sorted for years and it’s still not right. It’s hard going 😞

[OhTheRoses]

I wonder if some of the issues are the thyroid?

[EggysMom]

My GP picked up my hypothyroidism when I hadn't shifted a bad cold (as in, an unable-to-work cold) after three weeks. Other than that, I had no symptoms - and I've on the lookout for years because it runs in my family, I was the only one not on thyroxine at that point!

[TheFirstRuleOfFightClub]

thenightsky I'm glad I've helped someone.

Oh yes, your vitamin levels, especially vitamin D will be affected as pp has stated. Again, they may try to fob you off, don't let them, you will need a huge initial dose that you can only get via prescription (I think) but you can buy a maintenance dose from health shops. I would again direct you to online support groups (mine are all on fb).

[ImBattlingOn]

@sollyfromsurrey How does that work when my feet are actually icy?

If I put my icy feet on a hot water bottle, then they cool the hot water down quickly.

I’m not the previous poster but I have the same issue.

[thenightsky]

ImBattlingOn Yes... I'm another one who can freeze a hot water bottle with my icy feet. I even needed a hot water bottle purely for my feet in bed throughout the last incredibly hot summer!

[alltoomuchrightnow]

Yes, icy feet cool down hot water very quickly. When I've had hot water bottles in rare warmer moments, they have stayed hot.

[MaryBoBary]

OP what were your results? I have been to the doctor today and ended up in tears because I am so fed up of feeling shit all the time. I’m waking up every day with a splitting headache that lasts 3-4 hours, and then starts up again at about 6pm. I’m constantly exhausted despite at least 8 hours sleep per night and only working 18 hours per week. I was diagnosed as B12 deficient in January and really hoped the injections for that would solve all my problems, but 4 weeks later I felt just as tired again. I’ve had 2 miscarriages in the last 12 months and had extremely heavy periods for the last 7 months. I have been feeling cold for a couple of months and had to have a hot water bottle most nights, despite usually being a very hot person. My eyebrows have become virtually non existent despite the fact I don’t pluck them, and the skin on my face has become really dry, itchy and bumpy. I suffer with anxiety and depression that I was on medication for for 2 years but decided to wean myself off when we tried to have another baby. These were put down to post natal but I’m not so sure now. And my mum has under active thyroid.

I went armed with this list to the dr today and he has agreed to test my thyroid next week. I am praying that this is the answer, because if it comes back as normal I really don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m only 28 but feel about 68 and can not bear the thought of feeling like this for the rest of my life. It sounds so dramatic over symptoms that, individually, don’t seem much. But all of them combined are really getting me down.

I hope you got some answers?

[MaryBoBary]

Also your other post made me chuckle - I found my table salt in the fridge door the other day - had a very bland beef casserole the night before because I could not find the sodding thing anywhere!

[happyhillock]

I had some of your symptons, loosing a lot of hair when washing it, palpatations , feeling overly tired and cold, went to doctor's was diagnosed with underactive thyriod

[Evilspiritgin]

I know this sounds stupid but if you take your medication in the morning don’t take it the day of your blood test (my blood tests are always in the morning so the blood goes off to be checked rather that sitting overnight) as it caused an artificial high

My go ordered my test without my knowledge (within another blood test)a few years ago I am now on 200mg, I had the thin eyebrows plus the tiredness plus if my thyroid is playing up the first symptom I start getting is the 3 o’clock snooze

With the help of sw I did lose 4 stone, so you can lose weight