Thyroid: should I be worried? Please read

[Notting]

Hello

Quick post, but I have previously been tested for thyroid and results were "normal" I never asked what they were and just walked away from the situation head down thinking "oh must just be in my head". Anyway that was 6 months or more ago.

However I have symptoms and a few have happened lately that made me google.

I wear a Fitbit charge HR it's new: My resting heart rate is 47bpm. So I googled this thinking "oh I'm super fit": basically suggested this wasn't normal and I got a lot of thyroid threads suggesting this is a symptom.

My other signs/issues I have are: constipation (doctor said Ibs) but I do get it even on a diet rich in fibre, high in veg and very healthy. Sometimes only serious laxatives help.

My eyebrow lady noticed I'm losing my eyebrow hair?

My feet have been getting what I thought was cold and blue... I've always felt the cold though and to be honest it is cold at the moment?!

Recently my nails are a mess. Used to be strong. Now peeling and brittle?

My long beautiful locks are splitting and just feel dry and horrid. I haven't dyed my hair in over a year and I don't abuse it either.

Weight gain. I used to be petite and tiny. I'm under 25 (just) and gain weight so easily. I run four times a week, gym twice and am on my feet all day averaging 15k a day. Yet my stomach mostly but also thighs. I don't eat much (people comment on how I struggle to lose it).

I get depressed but not sure that's a symptom and runs in my family

So yes this is my dilemma. Do I bury my head in the sand and ignore what the Internet says. Or go to the doctor and say what?

Definitely go back to the GP. Tell them all that you've written in your post. You can ask for your exact numbers, ask if, given that you've got so many symptoms, you can have another test. Or whether there's any other tests you ought to have. I would think they should check for anaemia at the very least. If you want more evidence, you could take your basal body temperature for a couple of mornings and see if it's on the low side.

Never accept "normal". Also you need up to date test results.

What levels were tested; if TSH was only tested then it is insufficient. Many GPs are also not up to speed when it comes to such problems.

What you write is all indicative of problems with the thyroid gland. It warrants further investigation.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/index.html This is a good website and has information re testing as well.

Those symptoms ring warning bells for me. GPs are crap at thyroid stuff. My GP is still using out of date charts to tell me my levels are high, when they are within the normal ranges. Taking the amount of thyroxine they want leaves me with every symptom in the book. Go back and ask to see an endocrinologist. I'm not convinced they are really all that much better, but should be more up to date on levels.

Thyroid uk have a list of thyroid friendly private doctors if you have no joy with your GP. For me it was well worth the money, i am a functioning member of society again.

Remember too op that having an under active thyroid is easily treatable once it's diagnosed. You feel you are at risk and are aware of the symptoms so that's half the battle.

Make an apt with a sympathetic partner. Ask what tests were taken last time and ask for a print out of the results. TSH should be in conjunction with T4 and free T3 I think. Also ask for iron and bit d to be tested and for the full thyroid tests to be run again. Take a list of symptoms with you and be clear that you need to find the cause.

Well, there must be something wrong and I would like the obvious things factored out please because I don't feel well. Oh, you don't agree, well I accept that but please could you note that you have disregarded my concerns in my notes. Works wonders. Ever so nicely though.