HYPOthyroidism?

7 Responses to “HYPOthyroidism?”

1. eliz_esc says:

   September 13, 2009 at 1:33 am

   Go see an endocrinologist – not just your regular doctor. Ask if the endocrine doc does salvia testing in addition to blood work. Also, ask if the endocrinologist knows how to check hormone balance. Sometimes the levels can be in normal range, but if the balance of all hormones is off you can have symptoms that mimic hypothyroidism… and other hormone problems.
2. Heidi Anne says:

   September 13, 2009 at 1:33 am

   I have it and had weight gain fatigue and depression. I am on synthroid and it seems to help. I still have bad fatigue though. Blood work should be the only thing you need..it will tell you if you have it and how bad it is. Good luck
3. Raven Eyes says:

   September 13, 2009 at 1:33 am

   Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones. This tends to slow down the body’s functions. Symptoms include tiredness, constipation and sensitivity to the cold.

   Approximately 1 in 50 women and 1 in 1000 men will develop symptoms of hypothyroidism at some stage in their lives. Once diagnosed, treatment is usually straightforward.

   The thyroid gland is found in the neck. It lies in front of the wind-pipe (trachea), above the level of the collar-bones and measures approximately 2 by 4 cm. It secretes hormones, which are chemicals produced by the body to help regulate how cells, and the organs made up of groups of cells, work. Hormones are sometimes called chemical messengers.

   In hypothyroidism, the thyroid is under active, with too little of the thyroid hormones being released.

   The symptoms of hypothyroidism relate to a general "slowing down" of the body’s functions. They include:

   feeling tired and sleeping excessively
   easily feeling the cold
   dry and thickened skin
   coarse, thinning hair and eyebrows and brittle nails
   sore muscles, slow movements and weakness
   depression and problems with memory and concentration
   weight gain
   constipation
   fertility problems and increased risk of miscarriage
   heavy, irregular or prolonged menstrual periods

   Treatment is with Thyroxine (T4) which can be given in tablet form. The body is able to convert this to T3 just as it would if the thyroid gland were producing the thyroxine normally. It can take some time to get the dose right. It is usual to start with a low dose, building up gradually every six weeks and adjusting the dose according to TSH levels.

   People usually feel much better once they are taking thyroxine. Side-effects are unusual because a missing hormone is simply being replaced. However, if too much replacement thyroxine is given, symptoms of an overactive thyroid may be experienced.

   People with subclinical hypothyroidism may not have any treatment, though doctors vary in their approach. Some prefer to offer treatment. Others recommend frequent monitoring to see whether overt hypothyroidism (with symptoms) does develop.

   Once the correct dose of thyroxine replacement has been established, it is usual to have annual checks of TSH.
4. Lisa A says:

   September 13, 2009 at 1:33 am

   You need to ask for free T3 and free T4 tests. The doctor will only want to check TSH. You will have to be insistent and firm in order to get proper testing.

   Oh, symptoms. My hair fell out, and I couldn’t walk due to muscle cramps. I had them in both legs, so I couldn’t even limp. With every step, I could both hear and feel muscles tearing. I had to avoid walking to minimize injury to the muscles.
5. TweetyBird says:

   September 13, 2009 at 1:33 am

   If I had you face-to-face, my first question to you would be what makes you think you may have hypothyroidism??? Then I would listen to your answers.

   Then I would tell you the typical symptoms. If it turns out that you do indeed have it, I wouldn’t tell you what to do for it. That would be up to your doctor. If your doctor feels that you need referral to an endocrinologist, you’ll be referred.
6. DNA says:

   September 13, 2009 at 1:33 am

   I have it. The first test however did not catch it, as I did not know you shouldn’t test TSH in the afternoon. It should always be done first thing in the morning only. This is because TSH is highest while we sleep, so you want to test as close as possible to its high point. Also, a TSH over 2.0 shows the thyroid is slowing down and could be causing high cholesterol, etc. Better thyroid tests are the free t4 and free t3.

   Symptoms I had were, weight gain, difficulty losing weight, fatigue, brain fog, mood changes, low body temp, cold feet, ridged fingernails with no moons, severe constipation, vertigo, sensitivity to light, dry skin, dry thinning hair, increased cholesterol, and muscle and joint aches. The weight I gained ended up making me insulin resistant,,,,,another conditio making weight loss difficult.

   I first started out on Levoxyl. It did nothing at all for my hypo symptoms, but gave me great lab work. Eventually I added a small amount of Cytomel to the Levoxyl and I got relief from about 75% of my symptoms. I was on the Levoxyl/Cytomel combo for about 2 years and then I wanted more than 75% relief, so I changed doctors and got put on Armour thyroid. With Amour, I got relief of about 95% of my symptoms. I still have cold feet at night and ridged fingernauls, but I can live with these two symptoms. All the other symptoms are gone.
7. Brenda G says:

   September 13, 2009 at 1:33 am

   I found mine out when I started loosing a lot of my hair,

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