Does this sound like an underactive thyroid?

[WesternBelle]

I had my baby in January this year and have had the following symptoms since then:

Aching joints
A LOT of hair loss
Spots
Failure to shift the weight despite eating healthily
Exhaustion (yes, to be expected after a baby but baby has slept through since March and this is not just tiredness)
Irregular periods

I put the symptoms down to general "new mum" issues, but have since pondered whether it is a thyroid issue since looking into irregular periods and discovering an underactive thyroid is a cause too.

Any thoughts?

korma, that's terrible. Do you just not respond to the Levothyroxine? I have no idea how they treat it if you don't have a thyroid.

I think thyroid problems are so easily overlooked and not given the consideration that they should get by GPs because they mimic so many other illnesses.

I was exceptionally lucky that the GP I saw ran a load of bloods before putting me on ADs because most of my symptoms and obvious post natal state pointed straight to PND.

It's really scary how many of the body's systems are affected by the thyroid. I didn't realise before I was diagnosed.

Thanks for the link, some interesting stuff there.

It's not my thread but I think that you deserve to have a bit of a moan given what you've gone through. Enjoy your drink and I hope you do manage to find a way to feel better soon.

Not at all Korma. You have been through/are going through a really hard time and it's great that you want to share your experience in the hope that it might help someone else, that's a really positive thing to do.

And I think you have the right to feel down about it. Feel free to vent!

I'm off to bed soon but will catch up tomorrow.

Night all. Sleep well Korma x

Just to clarify, you interpreted me correctly - if its properly treated with the correct dose of thyroxin there should be few side effects. DH has a variety of other health issues, all treated but some do have side-effects, so he's commented on the relatively benign nature of thyroxin.

Getting the dose right for each individual can be difficult. It seems that 'normal' levels in the blood tests in the general population may often not be optimum for an individual. Korma, it does sound like you probably need more. I know its bloody difficult to find the energy to fight GPs when you're suffering from hypothyroidism but it does sound like you should try.

I have made an appointment for Monday a.m. so looking forward to that.

Hope you are feeling brighter today Korma. Is it worth suggesting you try again with a doctors appointment to see if there's anything more they can do for you, if that's not too naive, and we support each other?

Hair is coming out so fast I'm surprised I have any left. Its constantly blocking the shower. Yesterday I pulled out a solid hairball the size of an orange (no kidding) from the plughole and there's hair all over the bedroom floor where I use the hairdryer. Even my eyebrows and eyelashes are sparser.

Feet are cracked, hands are terribly cracked, corners of mouth are cracked... feel like I'm falling apart. Hopefully the blood test will turn up something that has a treatment available to try.

Hi WB, glad you made that appt. Be sure and let us know how it goes.

Korma, sorry if I offended last night with my questioning. I'd just honestly never heard of eye/heart problems being related to underactive thyroid and are all over the literature for overactive. (And also the reason my GP wouldn't let me up my thyroxine when I was still feeling a bit low but my TSH was fine due to dangers of overtreating.) How unlucky for you to have to experience both.

I'm so glad you are getting good care now, it's so hard to get some medical professionals to take these issues serously isn't it? I was thinking about you this morning and am sure there was ref on a previous thread here to an alternative to Levothyroxine. You may already be aware however and I'm sure your consultant will be. Good luck to you too.

Since last posting, I have had the results through, thought I would update.

I do have an underactive thyroid, I was right. It isn't dire but it is there all the same.

Of the range given which is 0.2 - 5.0, I am 5.38. Usually anyone over 5 is pretty much automatically given the tablets but GP has said she wants to see if it's down to pg first before committing to treatment, so have to be retested in 3 months time.

If the level has not gone down into a healthy zone, or has increased, then I will go on the treatment which GP advises is for life so she doesn't want to start me on it before making sure it's absolutely necessary. Fair enough.

Go back to your GP
You need treatment, I would feel crap with a TSH over 5
Under 1 is much much better for me

If necessary ask for a referral to an endocrinologist

Your baby is 6 mths old now so I don't see how it is related to your pg!