There is a really good questionnaire in the book Thyroid Power. The book is well worth getting. The questionnaire in word format has columns for "absent, appeared, disappeared" to note beside each question.
Questionnaire taken from Thyroid Power by Richard L Shames MD and
Karilee Halo Shames RN PhD
Physical Signs of Low Thyroid
These include:
Slow body movements and/or slow speech
Sluggish eye movements or slow pupil light reflex
Prominent bags under eyes
Abnormality in shape, size, consistency, or texture of the thyroid gland
Difficulty in swallowing on command
Skin that is excessively dry or rough
Water retention, especially in the area of the face
Slow pulse
Low blood pressure
Hard-to-elicit or slow-moving ankle reflexes
Loss of the outer one-third of eyebrows
Basal Temperature Test
Taking of early morning temperature while lying down immediately on waking. If average temperature differs from 98ºF by 1 degree or more than this could indicate a sluggish metabolism in the presence of other symptoms.
Self- Assessment
1 Additional Symptoms
Do you have:
Significant fatigue, lethargy, sluggishness, or history of low thyroid at an earlier age
Hoarseness for no particular reason
Chronic recurrent infection(s)
Decreased sweating even with mild exercise
Depression, to the point of being a bothersome problem
A tendency to be slow to heat up, even in a sauna
Constipation despite adequate fibre and liquids in diet
Brittle nails that crack or peel easily
High cholesterol despite good diet
Frequent headaches (especially migraine)
Irregular periods, PMS, ovarian cysts, endometriosis
Unusually low sex-drive
Red face with exercise
Accelerated worsening of eyesight or hearing
Palpitations or uncomfortably noticeable heartbeats
Difficulty in drawing a full breath for no apparent reason
Mood swings, especially anxiety, panic or phobia
Gum problems
Mild choking symptoms or difficulty swallowing
Excessive menopausal symptoms, unrelieved by oestrogen
Major weight gain
Aches and pains in limbs, unrelated to exertion
Adult acne, eczema or severe dry skin
Vague and mild chest discomfort unrelated to exercise
Feeling off balance
Infertility
Annoying burning or tingling sensations that come and go
Experience of being colder than other people around you
Difficulty of maintaining standard weight with sensible food intake
Problems with memory, focus or concentration
More than normal amounts come out in the brush or shower
Difficulty in maintaining stamina throughout the day
2 Related conditions
Have you ever had:
Any other autoimmune disorders, such as:
Diabetes
Rheumatoid arthritis
Lupus
Sarcoidosis
Scleroderma
Sjorgen’s syndrome
Biliary cirrhosis
Myasthenia gravis
Multiple sclerosis
Crohn’s disease
Ulcerative colitis
Thrombocytopaenia (decreased blood platelets)*
Prematurely grey hair
Anaemia especially due to B12 deficiency
Dyslexia
Persistent unusual visual changes
Rapid cycle bipolar disorder
Raynaud’s syndrome
Mitral valve prolapse
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Persistent tendonitis or bursitis
Atrial fibrillation
Alopecia
Calcium deficiency
Attention deficit disorder
Vitiligo
Neck injury such as whiplash or blunt trauma
3 Family history
Have any of your blood relatives ever had:
High or low thyroid, or thyroid goitre
Prematurely grey hair
Complete or partial left-handedness
Diabetes
Rheumatoid arthritis
Lupus
Sarcoidosis
Scleroderma
Sjogren’s syndrome
Biliary cirrhosis
Myasthena gravis
Multiple sclerosis
Crohn’s disease
Ulcerative colitis
Thrombocytopaenia (decreased blood platelets)*
4 Physical Signs
Have you or your doctor observed any of the following:
*Low basal temperature in early morning (average of 24 Very likely to be low thyroid – possible action obtain trial of thyroxine regardless of blood test results
The best thing you can do, if possible, is get angry at the way you are being treated. I had the come back in 3 months, and was even told - once I got a diagnosis that "there might be an exemption from some prescription charges" and told to ask at the reception for a form to apply for this. Yes, there is a lifetime exemption from prescription charges on medical grounds. My GP practice was fund-holding at the time, so don't know if the exemption would have had an effect on this. You, never know, maybe there is pressure on the practice to reduce the number of medical exemptions per practice, I wouldn't be surprised.
It took me 12 years after my initial symptoms - and gaining 70kg in weight - before I got a diagnosis. Then, another 13 years to get the right treatment. I have a long-standing bad habit of flogging myself to keep going with adrenaline, and the symptoms of high levels of adrenaline are hard to distinguish between being over-treated. A GP told me that it was up to me to learn to tell the difference.
The biggest crime in my opinion is that GPs don't let patients manage their condition themselves as they do with diabetics. If every diabetic was given insulin on the basis of 1 blood test result taken anything up to a year (or several years) before, they'd be dropping like flies and GPs would be struck off right, left and centre. The BTA have admitted that at least 25% of the people used for the reference ranges have untreated hypothyroidism, but they don't do anything about it.
The standard dosage - in the US - is 1 µg (microgramme) for every pound of body weight. I've heard of people given 25mcg for years and never having their dose increased. What healthy adult weighs 25lbs?
Good luck OP, and start reading!!
There's also the Mary Shomes forum about.com which has details of recommended specialists, doctors, etc