Thyroid problems
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive April 2008:
Thyroid problems
I'm being tested at the end of the month for an underactive thyroid. The doctor I saw this week seems to think I have some of the symptoms and I've been feeling poorly for quite a while now. Has anyone here had any trouble with their thyroid and do you have any advice or suggestions? I think I'll be relieved to be diagnosed.
There is a history of hypothyroidsm in my Dad's side of the family. My Dad took Synthroid until he died, and my youngest sister, who turns 50 this year, has been on Synthroid for years for an underactive thyroid.
The only time I had a problem was for several months following my hysterectomy, and I was on the same med for approximately 6 months; after that I was retested and things were *normal* and I haven't taken meds since 1995 for it.
I do remember that the symptoms *I* had were:
Weight gain
Hair loss
Fatigue
Weakness
Irritability or moodiness
Dry skin
And in looking online at symptoms, I am wondering if I need to have mine checked again, because I have:
Increased sensitivity to cold
dry skin
hoarse voice
elevated blood cholesterol
muscle aches, tenderness, stiffness, pain, stiffness & swelling in joints, muscle weakness
Fatigue
However, those could all be related to all the other stuff I have going on. What symptoms do you have, Tink???
I saw an endocrinologist several years ago, and he ran more than the *normal* tests (TSH). I was also tested for a pituitary disorder, and was found to have a very low IGF-1 hormone level. I assume your doctor will test your T3 and T4 levels. I found this online:
"A physical examination reveals delayed relaxation of muscles during tests of reflexes. Other findings may include pale, yellow skin, thin and brittle hair, coarse facial features, brittle nails, firm swelling of the arms and legs, and mental slowing. Vital signs may show slow heart rate, low blood pressure, and low temperature.
A chest x-ray may show an enlarged heart.
Laboratory tests to determine thyroid function include:
T4 test (low)
T3 test
Serum TSH (high in primary hypothyroidism, low or low-normal in secondary hypothyroidism)
Additional laboratory abnormalities may include:
Increased cholesterol levels
Increased liver enzymes
Increased serum prolactin
Low serum sodium
A complete blood count (CBC) that shows anemia"
HTH!
I have hypothyroidism, Cori. Like you, I was grateful to have a diagnosis. A year after I had dd I went to a new family doctor and described how I was feeling. Depressed, muscle aches, very tired, weight gain and losing any weight seemed impossible. She sent me for blood tests, and a week or so later I was on Levoxyl. I felt better after a couple of weeks of taking the medication. I have to go in on a regular basis for a blood test and sometimes she adjusts the medication based on the tests. Like Karen, I think I'm over due for a check up because I've been achy again and my skin is so terribly dry.
I think Hol is very knowledgeable on this subject, as well. I hope you are able to get some answers and start feeling better soon! I think the depression was the hardest thing for me. I was even taking an antidepressant at the time, but it didn't seem to be helping. When I got on the thyroid medication I noticed a big difference. More energy and less depression.
Take care and let us know what you find out, okay?
Yes, I know a fair amount about hypothyroidism because, I too, have it AND I work for an endochrinologist. She was my doctor before she was my boss. (She is still my doctor, too).
All of the above symptoms are correct. Thyroid problems tend to run in families. My Mom was always hypothyroid but would never go to a doctor about it. It wasn't treated until she went into a nursing home at 85 y/o. My neice (age 30) has Hashimoto's disease, which is an autoimmune disease where your body actually attacks your thyroid.
I was always "sub-clinical" as far as blood levels. However, I had the symptoms since my thirties, to a lesser degree. I always had thin fragile hair, dry skin, an inability to lose weight without starving myself, and always cold. In early 1997, I developed mono (at age 48, Go figure!). My DS passed away unexpectedly right after, and a couple years after that, I went through menopause. That is when my thyroid crashed. The muscle and joint pain and fatigue were almost debilitating. I also bruised eaily and had "foggy brain", where I couldn't concentrate. My primary care physician did some T4 and TSH levels and put me on a low dose of Synthroid (T4 supplememtation). I started to feel just slightly better, so I started seeing the endochrinologist. She did more in depth testing and put me on Cytomel (T3) as well as a higher dose of Synthroid. She also found out that I have pernicious anemia as well, so I have to have a B12 injection once per month. Hypothyroidism and B12 deficiency frequently go together. Those two additons really made the difference. My weight stabalized, my hair is thicker than it has ever been (figures, now that it's grey. LOL!) I have more energy and my thought processes are back on track again. I still have a lot of joint and muscle pain, but I also have osteoarthritis (age related).
Dr. D (my endo and boss) says that there is definitely a correlation between estrogen and thyroid hormone. That is why a lot of menopausal women become hypothyroid, but it is very common at any age. It seems that almost half of our patients seem to have thyroid problems (hypo and hyper, thyroid nodules and cancer) and the other half have diabetes. Thyroid problems seem to be more common in women.
One word of advice...if you are put on a thyroid supplement, either Levoxyl or Synthroid, insist on the BRAND name. The generic substitutes are not all made by the same company, and the quality control and consistency in dose is not there. (There is no generic for Cytomel). Spend the extra money for the brand even if your insurance company or pharmacy tries to push the generic to increase their profit.
Occasionally people respond better to Armour thyroid which is naturally derived supplementation from actual animal (mostly bovine) thyroid glands.
Cori, I could have written Hol's third paragraph as far as her symptoms were concerned. My emotions are what finally made me decide to go on the meds. I am not a med type of person at all, it was a very hard decision for me. I too had/have the joint pain and find that taking a glucosomine/chondroiton (sp) mix helps alot with that.
I opted for Naturthroid, which is like the Armour that Hol mentioned, but without corn, so allergies are not a problem for me. It's worked wonderfully. I can't say my physical problems like thin hair and weight have gone away, but my ability to think and react rationally are definitely better.
While you are doing this process, make sure you have all of your hormones checked too. I had stopped making testosterone, although my progesterone and estrogen are fine, it's very interesting how these issues all correlate.
Good luck
Wow, thanks for the responses. I asked my doctor to test me several years ago but the results of a TSH only test came back "within normal limits". I've educated myself since then and will ask for the free T3 and T4 tests but I've also read that the parameters for "normal" have been changed and it's easier to be diagnosed now. I really like my doctor but he's not one to pursue things and I'm a bit worried that he's going to brush this aside if it isn't immediately obvious that I have a thyroid deficiency. I saw one of his partners for a strep test this week and he was the one that suggested I look into this.
My symptoms are dry, fragile hair, dry skin, the feeling of a lump at the base of my throat, foggy thinking, low energy and stamina, difficulty healing, low grade depression, and the most frustrating for me, of course, inability to lose weight. I've been on a strict calorie counting diet and I'm running 1.5 miles 5 times a week for 4 months and I haven't lost one pound.
This is my first "real" health problem and I'm worried that the doctor won't take me seriously, that I'll have to pursue this with another doctor because I struggle with making myself heard, and that I'll have to be on meds for the rest of my life. With all of that said, I will actually be disappointed if all the tests come back negative because I really don't feel well most of the time and I think the doctor may dismiss it, due to being 50 lbs overweight.
I appreciate everything each of you posted and I'll use it to help me stay on top of this problem. Thank you.
Tink, first, if your doctor doesn't take this seriously, then start using his partner, who apparently does take it seriously.
I, like you, don't like the idea of being on meds "for the rest of my life". But a few years ago my urinary/incontinence problems got to be a real problem, so I went to a urologist, who put me on Detrol. You can believe that I will happily take Detrol for the rest of my life.
My mom was on Synthroid from about age 45 until she died, at 82. Snythetic thyroid is probably one of the least intrusive medications you can take, in that its side effects are next to nil as long as the dosage is correct (and annual or semi-annual blood tests will tell whether it is), and there are very, very few medications that interact with it in any negative way.
It definitely sounds like you have a metabolic problem of some kind. If you don't get good answers from your primary care doctor, I urge you to demand, DEMAND, a referral to an endocrinologist.
Ginny - Have you had any side effects from Detrol? I have the same problem, but I have put off taking meds for it because I just didn't want to have to take yet another pill. However, I have to wear a pad all the time, even to bed. My GYN tells me that it is a consequence of menopause and child bearing. (You young ones...see what you have to look forward to? LOL!)
I have read that one of the side effects is dry mouth and dry eyes. I suffer enough from that NOW, but the incontinence is a BITB, too!
BTW - I also have full blown osteoporosis in my hip and osteopenia in my spine and I am supposed to be taking Boniva for that, too. (Yikes!) I never got the prescription filled because I already have GERD (for which I take Nexium), and we have patients at work who had to stop oral meds for osteoporosis because of the gastric side effects.
However, the Detrol, I think, would be a wonderful help. I would be interested to hear your feedback, Ginny.
Hol, I'm not Ginny, but I've been on Detrol LA for several years. Many years ago I was on regular Detrol, and the dry mouth side effect drove me crazy, so I quit taking it. A few years later my symptoms were so severe that I brought it up to the doctor again, willing to put up with the side effects. Well, by then, they had Detrol LA, which is "long acting," or a sustained release. I have had no annoying side effects with it, and it's a life-saver. Well, at least a life-changer. I still have mild symptoms, but they are easy to live with. (I still wear my poise pads, though, LOL!) I would really suggest talking to the doctor about it. Ginny may have more to add.
And Tink, I have no experience with the thyroid thing, but I sure hope they can get you diagnosed, treated and feeling better.
Hol, I've been taking Detrol LA for at least 4 years. There is some dry-mouth symptom, but no other side-effects, and I researched it carefully. I don't have any dry eye problems. It is however, limited in its effects. As I understand it, it only works for women whose incontinence is caused by sphincter problems - which are a normal sequalae to childbirth and menopause. My problems are relatively mild compared to others, and apparently it works really well for me, because I only take a 2 mg dose every 3rd day. But I will say that if your doctor recommends it, do try it. Now I can laugh, cough, sneeze, or even run or jump without having to be sure I've gone to the bathroom first, and I only have to go to the bathroom a few times a day. (I still wake up around 5 a.m., though - which is a whole lot better than waking up at Midnight, 2 a.m., 4 a.m., etc.)
You are absolutely right - you can't take oral osteoperosis meds if you have GERD. I know of at least one medical malpractice lawsuit, in fact, where when a woman was hospitalized and could not sit up, the nurses kept giving her the oral osteoperosis med and she wound up with throat scarring from the GERD.
I have been reading about the injection of osteoperosis meds - from what I read, it is a one time a year injection. I am, however, very reluctant to be "one of the first" for any new medication or treatment.
Ginny, I agree with you about being "the first" to take a med. Too many times, drugs have been touted as the greatest thing since sliced bread, and then there are tragedies. Look at Redux and Vioxx. We have drug reps visit our office everyday and tout their product. Some are real "snake oil salemen" in their approach, yet others are very straight forward.
There are two injectables now. One is Forteo, which is a daily, self administered injection. Training on how to do it goes with the first prescrition. The other is the once a year infusion (you have to go in for IV administration). It is called Reclast. That will probably be a viable option for me down the road, too. However, there are criteria you have to meet before your insurance company will approve it. It needs prior authorization. Your physician has to state that oral meds have not worked, or are contraindicated for reasons such as GERD.
We had one elderly, frail patient. She is 88. She was taking Fosamax (a 1 x week PO (by mouth) med). She had such burning in her throat that she panicked and thought that she was choking. She went to the once a week Boniva, and seems to be fine. Actonel is another weekly osteo med, but has proven not as effective in clinical trials. It is manufactured by Proctor and Gamble. The doc I work for says that they are so rough on the esophagus because they are very acidic, to penetrate the bone.
And, yes, with ANY of the PO meds for osteo you MUST remain upright for at least thirty minutes.
For now, I just keep taking my Citrical with Vitamin D. I was surprised that I have it in my hip because the heavier you are, the more weight you put on your joints, which supposedly increases bone mass.
Thanks, both of you , for the feedback on Detrol.
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