I feel so unwell all the time - Hypothyroid?

[FallenAngel22]

Since 2011 I've been unwell pretty much 90% of the time. I went to my GP because my hair was falling out and I was always cold. Had full bloods done, all came back normal. So I went away hoping to get better. In 2012 I started feeling dizzy, weak and shaky all the time. Went to a different GP in my surgery who tested me for anemia and coeliac. Found out I was anemic and had v low ferritin. Couldn't stomach iron tablets so tried spatone and my levels slowly improved. The weakness went but the dizziness, feeling cold, hair loss, fuzzy head didn't.

Fast forward to the last 12 months and I've got steadily worse. I've just completed my first yr as a mature uni student, most of it in a daze. I can't go on like this so went back to my dr, after reading extensively on the internet and was convinced it was my thyroid - I fit virtually all the symptoms including gaining weight without trying. He checked my last TSH results - in 2012 it was 2.0, in 2013 it was 2.5 and today I've just rung up for the latest and it's back to 2.0 with Free t4 at 10.3. No other levels were checked. I have another appointment next Thursday but I know he will say my thyroid is fine and refuse to treat. I have been taking Cerc for dizziness for 18 months and it's not helping. I'm now getting dry eyes and fuzzy vision and I'm convinced it's thyroid related. My aunt is very hypothyroid.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? I'm so fed up of feeling like crap every day, I'm only 35 but feel older than my mum :(

could it be low iron/ferritin ? i have this at moment , i feel dizzy at times hair loss ,tired ....have you had that checked again recently ...

Yes, my iron levels were checked last month and now normal apparently.

oh thats good then ,have you had a diabetes check ? not sure if that gives similar symptoms ...

www.thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/index.html

It does seem very much all to do with your thyroid gland; dry eyes and blurred vision can also present with hypothyroidism.

I would have a look at the above non woo website about the thyroid gland particularly the section on getting a diagnosis and starting treatment.

It does sound hypothyroid.
The system is to blame - if your TSH levels are high and your free t4 is within range they won't treat - even if you are symptomatic which it sounds like you are.

I have been through the same

My TSH improved over a year and so did my symptoms - but I was very insistent with my GP that it be monitored and that if my TSH did not go down they I wanted treatment .

I would also request to see a specialist .

Your TSH results are within range though OP - to be borderline hypothyroid your TSH would need to be at around 10 .

Don't forget that with hypothyroid your TSH is high not low - a low value indicates that it is normal.

I was borderline hypothyroid and my TSH was 11 ish.

Your thyroid is in range OP. TSH of 2 is fine. Did they check your T3?

What about B12 and vitamin D? I'm Vit D deficient and this can make you feel tired. I'm also hypothyroid and low TSH is good, not bad.

Other possible cause of your symptoms:

Pernicious anaemia
Lupus
Sjögren's syndrome
Mixed connective tissue disease

To name a few. When my similar symptoms recur my GP does
B12, Folate, ESR, U&Es, Liver Profile, Thyroid antibodies, CRP.

Thanks everyone. I have decided to go to my next appt armed with my list of symptoms and how I feel. Rather than taking the thyroid route directly I will see what he says. I also need to check what blood tests I've had. As far as I know, and can recall, none were for hormone or vitamin levels.

My T3 had not been done.

T3 is recommend by the thyroid society. Just because your T4 is ok doesn't mean your T3 is. My brother is a good example of someone who had to have his meds changed as it turned out he wasn't converting T4 to T3.

YouR free t4 is at the bottom end of the range, which can vary depending on where you live. Range is 7.5-21.1 in my area, but has changed over the years - at one time was 10.3-25.5.

I have been to hell and back with my GP in similar circs to yours, I went and found myself a private doctor via the Thyroid uk website after he told me I was reading too much "rubbish on the internet", absolutely refusing point blank to consider the bigger picture that maybe the thyroid could be responsible - having already diagnosed carpal tunnel, menoragghia, tennis and golfers elbows, plantar fasciitis and accepted that I have an issue with Gluten although coeliac tests were negative, but managed to lose a stone of the three that had gone on since I gave up smoking (without trying) once I changed to gluten free diet. also low ferritin, vit D, b12 and folate, but they were all "in range" (you will start to hate that term) so therefore nothing was wrong with me. and certainly it couldn't be my thyroid. when you're dragging yourself about on your knees with exhaustion, can't see or hear properly and feel totally shit, that is seriously not helpful. (Sorry I am ranting I realise). I was at the point of starting to self medicate, but am now trying the private doctor first, and it's early days but so far so good. It was most refreshing just to be listened to and taken seriously. and whilst I would rather not spend the money and be treated on the NHS, I've spent more on a single vet visit. Oh and when I finally got the GP to examine my thyroid he agreed it felt funny, arranged a scan and I have a nodule and cysts on it. got appointment with an endocrinologist at end of the month, but I expect to be told there's nothing wrong with me other than I'm fat and lazy, which seems to be par for the course. I wish you the very best of luck and hope you have a better time of it getting a diagnosis than I have had.

My last results are 1.63 TSH and 11.0 FT4 which are the "best" I've had following good and gluten free diet and vit and min supplementation.

I've had a look at stop the thyroid madness. Can't believe there's so many unwell people with Drs refusing to treat because they levels fit the "normal" ranges.

PoshPenny I'm sorry to hear you've been so unwell although I can totally relate to most of your symptoms. Currently I am sat in my office with all the windows closed and I'm shivering cold. It's July!

You are in exactly the same position as I was for ten wretched years. My TSH was rising very slowly and my FT4 and FT3 were always low in range, so I had all the symptoms of not having enough thyroid hormone, but couldn't get a diagnosis because all the doctors I saw were working off the TSH alone. As a result, the only diagnosis I have is CFS.

However, as I am now on a proper replacement dose of thyroxine and symptoms I had had for over twenty years have disappeared, I am satisfied with my own self diagnosis.

It's worth getting a print out of all your thyroid results over a period of time, together with the reference ranges and having a good look at them.

If you post them on here, someone will interpret them for you.

It's also worth asking your GP to check TPO and TgAB antibodies. If you have antibodies over range, and symptoms, they should treat you regardless of TSH.

Thanks RockinD that's helpful to know. I will see what I can get when I go next week.

Thought I would update since I've seen the Dr....

He agreed I have all the symptoms of hypothyroid but he can't treat me because of my TSH and FT4 being in the normal range. I mentioned the other blood tests but he said they are not routinely done and the lab would return them? However, he did take me seriously and is referring me to an endocrinologist who can do further bloods and hopefully agree a trial with medication. It could take up to 4 months to be seen but hopefully I will get somewhere. He advised I keep a note of my symptoms and take my list with me that I showed him.

I feel so tired and shaky today and lightheaded when I stand.

Have you had your calcium checked, look up Hyperparathyroidism (nothing scarey I promise) felt like you and was convinced it was thyroid problems. BTW despite having thyroid in the name it is a totally different gland

No don't think I've ever had my calcium checked? I'll look it up. Did you get treated?

Yes I had a small nodule on my parathyroid gland removed improvement in health was nearly instant, op was very minor just a day case.