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

[averystrangeweek]

Every time I read one of these threads, I recognise all the symptoms,, including the eyebrow thing. Can anyone tell me the names of the blood tests the GP should be doing? My doctor has tested me for underactive thyroid, but they said the result was within the normal range so they wouldn't be doing other tests. Which other tests?
I feel like I have to go back and pester them again, and need to know what to ask them for. Thanks.

[Purpleartichoke]

My doctor’s dismissed my concerns again and again. My thyroid was obviously diseased so we were doing regular biopsies, but they wouldn’t treat me for being hypothyroid. Finally one of the biopsies showed cancer. The endocrinologist referred me for a partial thyroidectomy. I went to the surgeon with a plan to demand he take the whole thing. He walked in the room, took one look at my neck and said, “well this is going to be easy. We have a long appointment booked so we can explain the iterative process of testing your thyroid to decide how much to
Extract, but you clearly need a complete thyroidectomy and I won’t do any less.”

Did the surgery and radiation. Now I take a few pills and get bloodwork periodically. Much easier.

[Riv]

My dad had all the symptoms. He was depressed and really cold and his skin was quite an odd yellow colour. His voice had changed too. The GP said he was depressed because he couldn’t work. He saw a newly qualified GP when his own was on holiday. Young GP immediately insisted on tests. DD had Hashimotos. Two weeks on levothyroxin and he was virtually his old self, thinking of returning to work, feeling warm, skin and voice back to normal. The most amazing thing was his hair grew back, even on his arms. He had very thick dark roots and thin wispy ends!
The young gp said all of DDs children should be tested for hashimotos. I was told I had it when I was 21, and was given a blood test (thyroid function test) every year since. Only just started needing levothyroxin (I’m going through the menopause) I can feel the difference, although I am only on 25mg at the moment, and haven’t really had many obvious symptoms . But I think I have a wonderful, on the ball GP ( although she is not so young anymore 😂)

[INeedToGetHealthy]

My DM was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid in her early 40s, just like her DM, Dbro and Dsis, so I knew that there was a risk that I would have similar problems. DS2 was diagnosed at the age of 2 with having a non-functioning thyroid gland, even though it was present. So he started on 25mcg Levothyroxine daily. He is now in his teens and takes 50mcg daily.
I had been "borderline" for a few years but as my symptoms were not easing up my GP started me on Levothyroxine and monitored me. After that my thyroid gland just gave up. I now take 200mcg Levothyroxine daily.
I had also been nagging a friend to get her thyroid levels checked as she was really struggling with most of the symptoms. Her test results came back as underactive too.

It is so easy to think that they thyroid is nothing really but in truth it controls your whole endocrine system. Best to get it checked.

[julensaor]

I had cancer when I was younger and the radiation treatment fried my thyroid as it tends to, when concentrated in the neck area, so I have been hypothyroid for a long time. I agree with other posters, the dry skin, hair loss or hair quality (as dry as a desert), everything is just dry, dry dry!! . If on the right medication levels, weight loss or gain should not be an issue. The dryness stays though. But after cancer I never saw it as a big deal.

I had an escalation a couple of years ago, heart palpitations and some night sweats, fuzziness in the head, memory gone, eyesight weak, a sense of detachment - don't know how else to describe it, like a mottled pane of glass between me and the rest of the world. Fear creeps in like WTF but I felt like an ass going to the doctor because the symptoms to me were abstract and being a good doctor she spotted an issue straightaway. Thyroid was where it was considering medication, but vitamin D was negligible and calcium levels were out of upper limits which is rare. This with a further PTH (parathyroid hormone) blood test suggested one of the lesser diagnosed conditions of hyperparathyroidism. Ask for tests on calcium and vitamin D. I had 2 large tumours removed and the difference is unbelievable (benign tumours may I add).

[burntdinner]

When my under active thyroid was first diagnosed 12 years ago my main symptoms were
Weight gain
Exhaustion
Itchy dry skin esp shins
Feeling cold all the time

Luckily my dr was very helpful and got my blood tests back the same day and started on my medication

[lavenderbongo]

Hi. I was diagnosed around two years ago. My Mum was diagnosed about 15 years ago. I was exhausted all the time and just wanted to sleep. Also felt incredibly depressed and down, constantly teary. Everything just felt overwhelming. My ankle joints were also weirdly stiff! It was a huge relief when I was diagnosed and I’ve been pretty much fine since being on thyroxine.