To think I have underactive thyroid?

[ifitmakesyouhappy]

I am a 28 year old female, I am severely fed up with my health, I've had issues for a few years now regarding weight gain, acne, missing periods and was diagnosed with PCOS.

From October 2019 until April 2020 my acne had cleared and my periods had become regular again.

However after April's period I have had none and from around about may time have had these following symptoms -

Tired - sleep for 8 hours per night then still struggle to keep eyes open during day 2-3 hour naps if can

Unexplained Weight gain

Constipated

Hot flashes

Shaky in between meals, made better when I eat

Numbness in my arms

Muscle pain

No period since March

Heart palpitations

Persistent nausea which is better when eating

Hair loss in eyebrows

Dry skin

I seen the doctor in July but hadn't really taken much notice of all the symptoms together and mainly complained of my heart palpitations, he done a blood test and ecg - he said everything was fine, my blood glucose was high - 13 but my hba1c was normal as was my TSH for thyroid.

However, since then these symptoms are getting steadily worse, I have never in my life experienced such lethargy in my life, any activity, even just walking a little and I am ready for a nap. I could sleep all day and it is not like me.

Having done some research I genuinely believe I have hypothyroidism. I am going to phone tomorrow and book in with a female doctor who dealt with my PCOS. The thing is I don't want to be seen as a hypochondriac that won't accept the answer. Does this sound like underactive thyroid? Would you push for another test?

So my TSH level was 1.98 so normal?

I've wondered if I have hypothyroidism developing. My TSH varies from 3 to 4.5. The supposed 'normal range' cut off is 4. My GP says unless (until!) it is about 6 they are not worried. So 1.98 is low by those standards Im afraid.

Yeah I think overactive thyroid is now out of the question

Sorry *underactive

@ifitmakesyouhappy

So my TSH level was 1.98 so normal?

No it’s not if you are experiencing symptoms. Your GP should try to bring it down to ~0.6 to see how it affects your symptoms.

I have similar symptoms and my TSH was found to be about 7. They weren't overly bothered but I've started on 50 of thyroxine

Totickleamockingbird GPs really not interested in a TSH under 6. I have plenty of symptoms. Are you UK based? Many other countries have a lower cut off I believe.

How do you get a GP to differentiate between PCOS, underactive thyroid and menopause?

My thyroid is "normal", I have diagnosis for PCOS for which there is "no treatment" and I'm 48.

I've got tiredness, soft tissue injuries, aching joints, hair loss, eyebrow loss, weight gain (am obese), dry skin, high blood pressure (not high enough for treatment) twitching eye muscles, irritability and spikes of anxiety (though, there's a lot of stress at home just now).

I got a prescription of SSRI. I am sure I'm not actually anxious, I don't FEEL anxious but I do get palpitations and so, I'm diagnosed as anxious.

Thyroid issues run in my family.

I find it very hard to advocate for myself to the GPs. Which is ridiculous, I'm an HCP.

I have an underactive thyroid, on levothyroxine. I suspected it for ages but while my TSH was raised for. A while, my GP wouldn't give a diagnosis or treatment until my T4 was low. This is common within the NHS but there is evidence that you should give a diagnosis and treatment once the TSH is raised.

My own theory is that once you have that diagnosis all prescriptions, not just for thyroxine, is free, and the NHS are wanting to save money.

(Though tbh I'd be Ok with just my thyroxine being free and paying for all other meds. I take it of course, though don't take the piss, will buy otc medication rather than getting a prescription. But I'm working and can afford to pay for my prescriptions. I'm aware that tggere are those on low incomes that don't qualify for free prescriptions and struggle. I'm a mental health nurse and recently assessed someone whos painting and decorating business had taken a hit during lockdown, didnt qualify for the government grants as he hadn't been in business long enough, and wasn't taking his antidepressants and staying because he was sinking further into debt.)

Sorry for typos. MN need an edit function! But to be clear 'staying' should be 'statins'.

That TSH wouldn't normally mean you had an under active thyroid but everyone is different - I have Hashimoto's and unless my TSH is under 1 (which many people would experience hyperactive thyroid issues at) I am like a zombie. Were you tested for anti-bodies?
Some of those symptoms could be low iron too, and it's worth checking your B12 as well. Another option is undiagnosed coeliac disease (which impairs vitamin takeup) so you could give gluten free a go for a few weeks and see if things improve.
I hope you find your answers, op, fatigue is so difficult to manage around.

My endocrinologist suggested I had silent coeliac but that was 5 mins before Covid took off so still haven't had a chance to do the test - celiac.org/about-celiac-disease/symptoms-of-celiac-disease/

vivariumvivariumsvivaria That's sounds like me last summer. My TSH was over 4 but GP dismissed me. However, bloods did show I was slightly anaemic (again, GP dismissed it as 'normal for a menstruating woman'. Really? Easy for a bloke to state that.) I self medicated with high doses of iron, and threw in vit d and b12 for good measure and I did feel an awful lot better in a few weeks. I do have to keep up with it since I notice after a month or so if I stop supplementing. I do still wonder if I am on a slow slide into hypthyroidism, mum and niece both have it, but these supplements have really helped none the less. I did read somewhere that being low on these vitamins (and others I can't recall) can affect how well the thyroid works so it is a good avenue to explore if GP not helping.

YANBU

Book a telephone consultation with your GP, list those symptoms and you should get some blood tests arranged.

@Pan44

Totickleamockingbird GPs really not interested in a TSH under 6. I have plenty of symptoms. Are you UK based? Many other countries have a lower cut off I believe.

I am in the UK and the diagnosis/treatment system for under active thyroid in this country is broken. A lot of GPs don’t even bother thinking proactively. They just tick a box and get done with it. Unfortunately, patient keeps suffering until symptoms are much worse. Keep pushing for it.

Oh I am the same! I had a test and it was borderline so got to wait for another round of bloods in 4 weeks. I really feel for you I'm so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open.

You need around 1 for fertility.

Have you had any covid symtoms before apr?

Thanks everyone! I am booked in to see doctor on Wednesday morning, however, since I had bloods taken in July and they were all normal she said no need to do again. Not really sure what I'm going in on Wednesday for. She mentioned referring me to gynaecologist about my PCOS but even she said a lot of those symptoms do not match.

To be honest I really could deal with all the other symptoms, it is the tiredness and the nausea I am really really struggling with. It's really not normal at my age, the only other time I have experienced it was in early pregnancy with daughter 8 years ago.

@Keepdistance no, no symptoms of COVID at all

It's not normal at any age of course, but especially not at 28 when I'm meant to be full of energy and all my friends are.

@Keepdistance Do you have a link for that? I have a similar TSH to the OP and would be handy to have a link to wave at my GP.

I have all these symptoms except for weight gain and loss of periods (although mine have only just come back since having DD 14 months ago).
I had a blood test in July and TSH was 1.65, everything else was also normal (iron levels, blood sugar etc) but I'm so tired I physically cannot get through the day without a nap, and DD isn't even a bad sleeper anymore!
I feel like my GP didn't really care once the blood tests came back normal, especially since I don't have any measurable symptoms, they're all just things I have to describe (tiredness, nausea, aches, faint and dizzy before eating).

If your blood glucose was 13 you must have some form of diabetes- you need antibody testing to see which type and treatment urgently.

dont know about thyroid stuff but I had hair loss/palpitations/nausea when I was low in iron and ferritin. has this been checked out too?

Hi OP! I'm your age and have PCOS and an underactive thyroid. I'm currently on 100mg of levothyroxine and my TSH is still hovering around 11, though this is an improvement. The "normal" range changes for everyone and most doctors seem keen to get you off medication as soon as you're back in a statistically normal range, but that range doesn't account for an individual's own optimum level. I would not discount having an underactive thyroid but equally i would keep an open mind about other things that could be causing your symptoms. Hormone disorders are disastrously misunderstood across the board and medicating them is an absolute minefield. I am yet to find my optimum dose but hope to soon. Best of luck to you!

I'm glad you have an appointment, you mentioned your blood sugars are high, could you possibly be prediabetic? That and thyroid issues have similar symptoms. Might be worth getting the 3 month blood sugars test, not sure what it is called.