Can anyone diagnose me?

[Frodont]

I've been keeping a diary and can see a pattern. Once every two or three weeks I wake up feeling a bit poorly, slight sore throat, as if I'm coming down with a cold. The worst symptom is feeling cold. Really cold, can't get warm, sometimes have to go back to bed wrapped in a duvet or have a hot shower. No temperature. Anyway, that passes, but the next day I feel achey, exhausted, joint pain, almost hungover. This lasts for about 48 hours then I feel fine. It's almost like a migraine, but absolutely no headache!

Any bright ideas? I'm 56, on hrt, take lots of vitamins, normally active and healthy.

Have you ever had blood tests for thyroid function? Just a thought.

Yes about 8 years ago apparently all was ok

Although I've just googled underactive thyroid and I also have dry skin, a hoarse voice often, I've put on a stone and a half and carpal tunnel in both wrists

I've just been diagnosed with hypothyroidism with very similar symptoms

@Queenfreak

I've just been diagnosed with hypothyroidism with very similar symptoms

I'm sorry to hear that 😦 do you have to take medication?

I'd ask for a full thyroid blood test, OP, including thyroid antibodies, not just the basic one.

Thank you. This sounds stupid but can I just ring and ask for one? My gps surgery isn't massively helpful at the best of times. I might pay for a send off blood test and see what that says if they are reliable?

I doubt you'd you'd get enough blood out on a DIY test, @Frodont. Although tbf I've never tried it.

Does your GP do e-consult? That would work. You get to list problems, symptoms, and say if you'd like some kind of onward treatment / referral / tests, which the GP can consider.

The GP might also want to test for vitamin and mineral levels, etc.

How is your HRT being monitored btw?

I take my blood pressure and and send it in!

I do have an online patient access thing. Thank you.

As well as thyroid, I'd also ask to have your Vitamin D, folate, B12 and iron (incl ferritin) tested (they only do serum B12 rather than active, so if your results are high/normal they could be skewed if you're taking supps with B12 in them, and this will mask any underlying deficiency, unfortunately!)

Make sure you see the results yourself and do some research; what the NHS classes as normal/optimal doesn't always been you won't be symptomatic, have an 'insufficiency' or be borderline. This is especially true of D, ferritin and B12.

Entirely agree with everything that @EllenRipley has said. Also worth visiting here thyroiduk.org/and looking at the related Thyroid UK sections of www.healthunlocked.com .

Many UK GPs and endocrinologists also think that the best way to treat an under-active thyroid is with levythyroxine and not everyone gets on with this medication. Good luck!