Thyroid problems just diagnosed want to chat to others with thyroid problems, looking for solidarity

[thumbellina]

Hello, found out that my thyroid has gone loopy 3months ago. Have been on 100mg of thyroxine for the last 4weeks and am still felling like cr*p. I just wanted to know if anyone else had experinced panic attack and wierd anxiety problems after starting the meds. Also in the mornings my arms and legs feel really weak and heavy. All this seems to have started since I started the thyroxine. It's just been a nightmare I had a really normal easy pregnancy and delivery and first six months with my fantastic DS. Life just recently has become unbearable, I don't feel like I am ever going to get better. I can get any sense out of the GP and the endo is so aloof and uninterested in any side effects I may be having. I have also lost shedloads of weight which is not normal for an underactive thyroid although it was overactive for a bit I think before it went underactive. I just want to know that this is going to improve as at the moment it feels like a never ending nightmare. Sorry such a moany message. Would love to hear any other experiences. Thankyou

I may look into that. I know the mind is very powerfull and can have huge impact on the body. I will have a look tomorrow. Thankyou

That's interesting scanner - I did wonder whether I would need more over time. Did you lose any weight after your thyroxine was increased?

I think they have more than a placebo effect. My reflexologist knew that I had a stiff neck (possibly enlarged thyroid)and that I had had an upset tummy - without me telling her. After the first treatment I was very thirsty. I was told to drink a lot of water when I got home. The next day all of my fluid retention vanished and my body expelled the remainder of what was left from a m/c. I was pretty amazed I can tell you.

Sadly no weight loss , in fact I find it very hard to shift the excess weight I put on after the last of my three babies and he's 5!

Well at least you have more of an excuse with 3 kids - I've only got one.

No side effects since the increase so I guess that shows that I'm not on too much.

Ladylush, good to hear that your dose has been increased, and that yoiu don't get any sude effects. I am going for regular tests (About twice a year, or whenever i feel like i am going off the scale. Like scanner, i can now pretty well identify when i am underdosed from returning symptoms).

Was wondering if any of you has heard of using coconut oil to suppress low thyroid function, and aid in weightloss? I just read something about this somewhere else, and wondered if any of you have experience (suzy, I remember you writing about diet in the past...)

Like many of you, I am also trying to get rid of all the weight I have put on over the years (about 20kg from 70 to 90kg). I have managed to lose about 10kg over the last 3 months (ds1 is 4 and ds2 is 2), which I am really really happy with (as I never thought I would be able to do it!). I now am 79kg, and happy with the way it is going, although i do need to be very disciplined (but amazingly enough managed to not gain any over Christmas): I have cut down on the calories i take, so I am not really on a diet but I just eat less of everything than i used to. Also i am not having any sweets or snacks, and little alcohol (on Friday and Saturday I can have one small glass of wine).
My aim is 70kg, although I have told my dh 75kg as then I feel a bit less of a failure if i get stuck soon . One funny thing is that all the weight i have shed in the last couple of months he seems to have put on.... (he's not very happy about it) My theory is that i cook the same amount of food, and he eats whatever i used to.

Anyway, better go and play with the kids, as they've been telling me to come and look at their traintracks: a very good way of excersizing, IMO!

well done for losing 10kg - that's brilliant. I'd like to lose about a stone, though a stone and a half would make me really happy. One thing I am hoping is that the extra energy I have since being on the thyroxine will help me burn off some calories.

Hello All, hope everyone is well . Just wanted to let you know Lush that I have picked a leaflet from a local acupuncture clinic and going to give it a go. It sounds like the reflexology was pretty incredible, may give that a go as well. I really think that all this anxiety has been caused by the rapid rise in my thyroxin as described by Pea soup. I think that acupuncture may really help to rebalance things. Does anyone take a well woman supplement? It contains all the vits that they think women need such as iron, folic acid, vit D etc etc. Does anyone know if it's ok to take these on thyroxin? I have been leaving a big gap usually about 4 hours. Any advice much appreciated Thankyou

Hi thumb I take pregnacare as ttc - it has most of the vits and minerals in it. I take it at night so it doesn't interact with the thyroxine (iron preparations should not be taken at same time as thyroxine).

Glad you are considering complementary therapies. A word of advice though is that a therapy is only as good as the person practicing it so shop around and try to get recommendations rather than relying on individual's self-endorsements.

Rang surgery today and the anti-bodies results are normal apparently. That's a relief. That means I just need to get the TSH below 2 and I don't have to worry about anything else.

Such a relief, Lush! I hope your TSH will get below 2 soon, but I'm sure the extra thyroxin will do the trick!

Thumbs, great you are going to try accupuncture. I've had it once in the past (was hugely sceptical about it), but amazed at the results. Have since tried Reiki, which my mum recommended, but I was even more sceptical about. Within minutes of walking in the reiki therapist had diagnosed me with migraines (which I have), kidney problem (which I had at that time without realising), and concentration problems/exhaustion. When I walked out I was strangely relaxed and that night I had the deepest sleep ever. Unfortunately, she never managed to cure my migraines, and I could do with another session to get rid of this tiredness after having my kids...

I am not doing too well atm . Am having another one of my migranes, and feeling very hormonal and out of balance. Wish they had tested for T4 last time, which they didn't as TSH was normal (0.98). Might start a new thread on my complaints, as they're not entirely thyroid related...

Anyway, maybe should just go to bed and try to have a good night sleep.. See you tomorrow girls,
x Honney.

Hi honney - sorry you are suffering with migraines. I've never had them, though I was getting sinusitis on a regular basis.

Yes it's a relief about the anti-bodies. It's weird cos I expected it to be positive.

Hi everyone

Just skimmed through this thread. I had a baby 6 months ago. Was taking her to see a cranial osteopath and he noticed my thyroid was swollen and suggested I see my GP.

Blood tests revealed underactive thyroid - my Mum has this too. Had a scan on goitre and they think it might be Hashimoto's. Have done 4 weekd of 50mcg and just been upped to 100mcg today! Also suffered from anaemia for years and have read that I shoulnd't take iron at same time as thyroxine.

I have not been told any of my levels - is it standard practice to tell patients? I have no idea what TSH T3 and T4 levels mean or what normal ranges should be - anyone got an idiot proof guide?!!

Could my Hashimoto's mean I struggle to conceive in the future? Will my goitre go down once the thyroxine kicks in or do I have this swelling for life?

Rather bizarrely my hubby went for blood tests as well and has abnormal TSH levels but they are not going to treat him but repeat blood test in 3 months.

Any advice would be appreciated or point me in direction of a good website as sometimes they are all a bit medical.

Thanks

Hi Scubes. About.com thyroid disease is pretty user friendly. Also google thyroid and CKS - that is a very useful site as it advises you what your doctor should be doing.

TSH = thyroid stimulating hormone. It is usually raised in untreated underactive thyroid. Even if you are within so called normal ranges, it may be too high for you.

T4 is Thyroxine - the amount of thyroxine your body produces.

I'm not too sure about T3 tbh as mine has not been tested.

I had a lump on my thyroid which went after 6 weeks of being on Thyroxine. I'm on 75mcg as my GP is quite cautious about increases.

Thanks Ladylush, I like the CKS website, will print it out to keep for reference.

We are bemused that both myself and hubby have got thyroid probs although from what I've read his looks like subclinical hypothyroidism - but hey I'm no doctor and should leave the diagnosis to them!!

I'm a bit nervous about the increase from 50 to 100 so will watch out for symtoms. Someone mentioned a helpline - any details??

PS, just seen from your profile that you are in Surrey - so am I - Walton on Thames - are you nearby?

Hello, no knowledge of helpline. Not really near Walton-on-Thames, though I venture into Kingston sometimes. I live in S. Croydon (the 's' stands for sunny ).

Doc has just rung, my antibodies are at a level of 3000, she said the norm is 60! So a definite diagnosis of Hashimoto's disease.

Started a long list of questions to ask consultant at end of Feb. Should my lo have blood tests as well? ONe of the girls in my NCT group was diagnosed too and her babe had to have additional tests on top of heel prick test.

Wow! At least you know I suppose. I think babies should be tested as well. My anti-bodies are normal so no need to get my ds checked out. Not much point now that he is 3 either!

Just jumping on the thread to say hi

I am hypothyroid too
Had my dose dropped from 150 to 125 three months ago and my TSH is now up to 10

Only just found out as the endo nurse said it was 3.9 when I saw her but she was reading out the wrong figure!

Scubes - my second child had additional blood tests after birth

Scubes,
mine (ds2) had his TSH and T4 tested only. He was supposed to be tested for antibodies (his cord blood just after birth, as antibodies in there would have indicated that they had crossed placenta), but in the chaos at the time it was forgotten.

I think the chances are high that it was actually the birth of your baby that triggered your hashimoto's (it often is), for some reason it is also higher after birth of sons (is your boy or girl?).
One thing that would be worth checking is if they automatically test for congenital hypothyroidism, as that might have been the additional heelprick test they did for your friend (here in Cambs it is included in heelprick). Symptoms in babies would apparently be worse than in us: they become extremely sluggish, and extremely chubby, and would be behind in their development (not reaching milestones, such as rolling, sitting etc).

The Blonde at your nurse. Happened to me as well, I have to call the healthcentre for results, and have been told on several occasions that all was fine, when there were obviously some results that weren't. It has made me quite worried, not so much for thyroid, because i have had that for so long now (4 years) that i am actually better at diagnosing myself most of the time, than the test (certainly faster), but for other tests, like smears etc....