Hypothyroidism

[freakygirl]

I've been reading up on hypothyroidism.

A few years ago when I went to the dentist they mentioned that my thyroid was enlarged and to have it checked out. I went to the dr and had him check it out.. he felt around my neck.. and told me it was a little large.. but in the long run it was normal from what he could tell. But to be sure I should go to the hospital for some blood work. Well needless to say.. I didn't go. (I know.. lecture me later though.. k?)


Anyway.. they symptoms fit..


Fatigue-I have been sleeping, on the average, 12 hours a day/night... and I'm still always tired.
Weakness-Doesn't seem to be a real big problem.
Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight-I can eat nothing.. and never lose weight.. but still gain
Coarse, dry hair-OMG.. it breaks easily. Even washing my hair is dangerous.
Dry, rough pale skin-I'm always slathering on lotion.. but I still have dry rough skin. And the other day.. I had no lips. They were so pale.. you couldn't tell I had any.
Hair loss-Read "Coarse, dry hair".
Cold intolerance (can't tolerate the cold like those around you)-I'm forever cold.. even in 80 degree weather.
Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches-Always have muscle aches. Especially in my back.
Constipation-One symptom that I don't have
Depression-Talk to Mr Freaky about this one.
Irritability-OMG.. again.. talk to Mr Freaky
Memory loss-What was I talking about? Actually.. this isn't exactly a problem. I've always been an airhead.
Abnormal menstrual cycles-I'll spare you the details.
Decreased libido-Decreased? More like non existant. I wouldn't care if I ever had sex again. Don't fucking touch me!


So.. anyone here diagnosed with hypothyroidism? How is it treated? How long have you had it? Has treatment helped. As far as.. weight loss/gain, sex drive and the depression?

I've read all the websites.. I'm looking for personal stories.

 

[CelestialBody]

 

[medjay]

My ex has Graves Disease. Her thyroid is dead. She will be on medication for the rest of her life. She had never been big before but now she's can't fit into any of her clothes. She has severe migraines everyday. She's very depressed. The thyroid was recently revealed to be cancerous and will have to be removed, leaving a scar on her neck.

But at least her sex drive hasn't changed.

Sorry to sound so negative but those are the facts.

 

[freakygirl]

CB-Thanks for the input.

Medjay-I was just reading about cancer of the thyroid. And ofcourse.. my little mind gets to working. I have migraines like crazy. NOTHING gets rid of them.. UGH. Maybe I shouldn't self diagnose myself.

 

[Ham Murabi]

I know a guy with it, and he's on medication. You can tell when he stops taking the pills — he gets real irritable.

 

[Sillyman]

Oh God. Christmas dinner has followed me to the board.

My whole family has thyroid problems, and it's ALL they ever talk about. Please God no.

 

[freakygirl]

Whew

I just found this on Graves Disease

Symptoms of Graves' disease include nervousness, irritability, unexplained weight loss, increased appetite, heat intolerance, excessive sweating, rapid pulse, thyroid enlargement, diarrhea, fine tremors in fingers and warm moist skin. About 50 percent of patients also develop ophthalmopathy, characterized by bulging eyes, often with red swollen lids. To a lesser degree, Graves' Disease patients may exhibit slightly bulging eyes and a staring appearance


That doesn't fit my symptoms...

 

[Guest]

 

[freakygirl]

EE- I have 1.5 years into my nursing degree. I was working on finishing it when I had to quit because of my mom.

No, I'm not a "nurse" yet. I'm a nurse in training in waiting.
And as far as going to the dr.. it will have to wait awhile. I don't have medical insurance. I will have to find someone willing to take payments first.

 

[ksmybuttons]

I always wanted Hypothyroidism so I could go on medication to boost my metabolism. Was never meant to be...

I had decided I had a horrible lung cancer. Turned out to be I was dehydrated from my high blood pressure medication.

Self diagnosis is a fun thing. You know, you won't be able to relax until you get it checked.

 

[Earthmuffin]

It's not that uncommon

Hey there freakygurl!

Hypothyroidism isn't that uncommon. It is treated by (lifelong) daily medication of a small pill usually Levothyroxine. It takes approximately 6 months of "regulation" to be "back to normal". You have to have lab draws every couple of weeks initially and then every 6 months to a year for "maintenance".

There are several reasons you could have developed this disease, the most common being a virus. My ex- had Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism which is an autoimmune disorder like Lupus. He had all the sx's but it was passed over as poor diet or deployment or whatever.

Go get the blood test it shouldn't be too costly initially. Call your local Public Health Nurse and the hospital to see if there are any programs that you would be eligible for (some are research studies where they pay YOU)! Good luck!

 

[freakygirl]

I had german measles when I was pregnant with my oldest daughter.. or atleast I had diagnosed myself as having it.

Fucking minds.. First I was worried about my daughters sleepwalking.. got that all fixed and now this.

I will never sleep soundly again!

 

[christophe]

hypothyroidism is not that uncommon...it is usually treated with synthroid...thyroid levels are usually checked periodically to ensure things are as close to normal as possible. if your thyroid is enlarged this is known as goiter. with treatment the size of the goiter can be sometimes reduced. if not surgery is required. it is a major surgery, but i work with people who have this procedure done frequently. most do very well and are home in a day or so. unfortunately if the entire thyroid l is removed then replacement therapy is a must along with calcium if the parathyroid is also removed!

 

[La Principessa]

did someone mention goiter??

just went through the op last aug. you want to know about what test and what happens PM me...I'll give you all the info I have. Not that big a deal really.

 

[christophe]

did someone mention goiter??

just went through the op last aug. you want to know about what test and what happens PM me...I'll give you all the info I have. Not that big a deal really.

 

[La Principessa]

what?!? am I lying???

 

[christophe]

what?!? am I lying???

not at all!

 

[Oliver Clozoff]

Re: It's not that uncommon

Hypothyroidism isn't that uncommon. It is treated by (lifelong) daily medication of a small pill usually Levothyroxine. It takes approximately 6 months of "regulation" to be "back to normal". You have to have lab draws every couple of weeks initially and then every 6 months to a year for "maintenance".

There are several reasons you could have developed this disease, the most common being a virus.

Actually, the most common cause of hypothyroidism is ablation of the thyroid by treatment for hypERthyroidism. It's easier to treat hypothyroidism and replace someone's low level of thyroid hormone than it is to lower an abnormally high thyroid level so hyperthyroid patients with Graves and other hyperthyroid conditions receive different kinds of thyroid ablation, usually with radioactive iodine. The objective is to kill off only part of the thyroid to get the thyroid hormone levels back to normal, but it often kills off the whole thing resulting in a hypothyroid state which is thereafter treated with levothyroxine (synthroid).

None of which matters to Freakygurl.

Freaky, when you have a chance, go in and ask for a thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test. It's simple and not expensive and can usually tell whether or not you're hypo, hyper, or euthyroid (normal).

Good luck.

 

[freakygirl]

ok.. if this is hypothyroidism.. and I get put on that pill.. will all my problems (weight gain, hair loss, sex problems etc) go away?

I really don't want to have surgery (if it came to that).. There isn't any other options?

 

[La Principessa]

ok.. if this is hypothyroidism.. and I get put on that pill.. will all my problems (weight gain, hair loss, sex problems etc) go away?

I really don't want to have surgery (if it came to that).. There isn't any other options?

you might not even need the synthroid. I had the left lobe and isthmus removed and am fine. no meds. everything back to normal. goiter can wreak havoc.

 

[christophe]

ok.. if this is hypothyroidism.. and I get put on that pill.. will all my problems (weight gain, hair loss, sex problems etc) go away?

I really don't want to have surgery (if it came to that).. There isn't any other options?

your dosage may need to be adjusted periodically but many people it will actually help...surgery is not used as a first line effort...only if medical therapy doesnt work!

 

[freakygirl]

ok.. you guys are making me a little more at ease.

Hopefully this isn't my problem (although it would be nice to know what my problem is without having to go to the dr to much. Ya know?)

Thanks for the information everyone.

Oliver-I'll call the dr tomorrow to see how I go about getting that test done.

 

[christophe]

ok.. you guys are making me a little more at ease.

Hopefully this isn't my problem (although it would be nice to know what my problem is without having to go to the dr to much. Ya know?)

simple blood test is all that may be needed! i will draw the blood for ya if you want ...i wont feel a thing...i promise

 

[Oliver Clozoff]

I'd try not to worry too much, Freaky.

You haven't even been diagnosed yet! There could very well be nothing wrong.

Get checked out and then address what needs to be addressed.

But to answer your question, if you are hypothyroid, your symptoms can usually be almost completely alleviated with exogenous thyroid hormone (levothyroxine aka synthroid).

 

[La Principessa]

freaky my goiter episode all started out with my yearly exam and a new GP. she happend to notice it while talking with me (found out later she used to do ER medicine and was really good at spotting things early on). she felt around and felt it but wanted to rule everything out.

drew blood for the T3 and T4 tests. came back inconclusive.
do the uptake and scan test. inconclusive
do the ultrasound. yes there are masses (quite a few acutally but one big one) but not sure what they could be. so inconclusive.
needle biopsy. not enough sample taken. inconclusive.
surgery. yep, it's goiter.

is it major surgery? yes. but it is relatively simple. I was in the hospital 23 hrs. 90 mins of surgery. I remember the operating room, the surgeon saying hello and then the post op nurse was waking me up. The sutures were removed the next morning and I was steri-stripped for 10- days.

The worst part?? The steri-strips itched!!! honest, if it does boil down to surgery, it's a breeze.