Aa
Thyroid or Pituitary???
Please Help:
I've been feeling tired the last several years, however I pretty much attributed it to my high stress job as a banker, and financial advisor (particularly in this bad economy). However, last May i quit my job to move to Puerto Rico with my finance. once i was not working and just taking care of the house, i then realized that i had a severe health problem. I was feeling tired all the time even though i was able to sleep as long as i wanted. My symptom progressed to dull chronic headaches, lack of desire to do anything at all, and a general feeling of exhaustion and fatigue, hair loss, etc. I then decided to go see an internist because Thyroid problems run in my family. My blood work came back showing that i have Hashimotos Thyroiditis. For the first months on .05 mg of synthroid, i felt better, off and on, but then all my symptoms came back only worse. For 2 months i suffered with chronic headache, feeling dizzy upon standing or shifting position, difficulty waking up in the morning, and feeling like i have a terrible hangover even if i have not had a drop of alcohol. I decided to go on a gluten free diet to see if that would help since my brother also has Celiac disease and i read that auto immune disseases can go hand in hand. I felt better for about 2 weeks, and then went to se my doctor again. She doubled my Snythroid to .1 mg and ordered an MRI and another ANA autoimmune test. She told me to only do the tests if my symptoms returned and i felt badly. 1 day after my medicine was increased ALL of my symptoms returned. Chronic headaches, slight itching in inner ear, sinus pressure at night when i lay down, dizziness upon standing, inability to get things done during the day, loss of libido, feeling hungover etc.
I am a 25 year old female 105 lbs. I've lost weight since my appatite has decreased, which i suppose is not much of a sign of hypothyroidism.
Does this sound like more then just thyroid? or should i give it time and see if the increase of medicine helps and wait to go get those tests? Or does this sound like something with the pituitary?
I've been dealing with feeling terrible on and off for a whole year now and i am desperate to get a resolution.....
oh yeah my last blood tests were perfect in range for Free T4, and 4.54 TSH.
I've been feeling tired the last several years, however I pretty much attributed it to my high stress job as a banker, and financial advisor (particularly in this bad economy). However, last May i quit my job to move to Puerto Rico with my finance. once i was not working and just taking care of the house, i then realized that i had a severe health problem. I was feeling tired all the time even though i was able to sleep as long as i wanted. My symptom progressed to dull chronic headaches, lack of desire to do anything at all, and a general feeling of exhaustion and fatigue, hair loss, etc. I then decided to go see an internist because Thyroid problems run in my family. My blood work came back showing that i have Hashimotos Thyroiditis. For the first months on .05 mg of synthroid, i felt better, off and on, but then all my symptoms came back only worse. For 2 months i suffered with chronic headache, feeling dizzy upon standing or shifting position, difficulty waking up in the morning, and feeling like i have a terrible hangover even if i have not had a drop of alcohol. I decided to go on a gluten free diet to see if that would help since my brother also has Celiac disease and i read that auto immune disseases can go hand in hand. I felt better for about 2 weeks, and then went to se my doctor again. She doubled my Snythroid to .1 mg and ordered an MRI and another ANA autoimmune test. She told me to only do the tests if my symptoms returned and i felt badly. 1 day after my medicine was increased ALL of my symptoms returned. Chronic headaches, slight itching in inner ear, sinus pressure at night when i lay down, dizziness upon standing, inability to get things done during the day, loss of libido, feeling hungover etc.
I am a 25 year old female 105 lbs. I've lost weight since my appatite has decreased, which i suppose is not much of a sign of hypothyroidism.
Does this sound like more then just thyroid? or should i give it time and see if the increase of medicine helps and wait to go get those tests? Or does this sound like something with the pituitary?
I've been dealing with feeling terrible on and off for a whole year now and i am desperate to get a resolution.....
oh yeah my last blood tests were perfect in range for Free T4, and 4.54 TSH.
I'm not sure, but my TSH was low and the T4 was normal. My new endo says that tells him it's most possibly pituitary not thyroid. I do not have the labs in front of me right now, but I just wanted to let you know what my endo said regarding the tsh with the in range t4.
Thank you very much for responding....
you are right about the TSH being out of range and actually my lab does use the updated .3 to 3.0 range as their standard with the disclaimer that the society of endos had recently narrowed the range... It was with these results that my Doc decided to double my synthroid dose from .05 to .1... I was unsure about this because my free T4 was fine, just that my TSH is always yo-yoing is i'm not sure what increasing my synthroid will do. I guess i'll know for sure if the synthroid is effecting my TSH with the next blood test.
Much to my dismay my internist did NOT do the Free T3 or T3 tests.... which i realize could be important info since these tests could also explain why my T4 is fine but my TSH is high, if for example my body is not converting the T4 into T3. ::Sigh::....
No other hormone tests were taken at this time which is also much to my dismay because i can tell that everything in my body feels very very off.... i just have a general sense of dysphoria, along with my other symptoms. I've really been wanting to see an endocrinologist because i really do want a total hormone and metabolism panel, but i've been unable to get in to see the highly reccomended Endos here (there are only a few here in Puerto Rico that have been suggested to me). I'm sure that the hormone tests would shed some light on a bunch of things.... one of which being that shortly after beginning my synthroid i had a menstruation that was so horrible that i was vomiting and writhing in pain and that had never happened to me before either.
Regarding my blood pressure, it has also been fluctuating.... going from the low 80's to the mid 100's between my different visits. I would say that i am not experiencing unusual salt cravings though i do seem to love to snack on salty foods, but sweet ones equally as often.... however, i HAVE noticed that i get thirsty quite a bit more often then before....????
I also learned today that my aunt (fathers sister) had a large pituitary tumor removed when she was in her mid 20's. So i don't know if that might be relevant? I've been trying to get a hold of her on the phone to see if she can recall her experience all those years ago.
I am making my appointment for my MRI for earlier next week. I guess i do not see any reason to wait....it cannot do any harm to see what it yields!
Thank you so much for your response, because i definitely believe that this has to be more then just the thyroid :)
you are right about the TSH being out of range and actually my lab does use the updated .3 to 3.0 range as their standard with the disclaimer that the society of endos had recently narrowed the range... It was with these results that my Doc decided to double my synthroid dose from .05 to .1... I was unsure about this because my free T4 was fine, just that my TSH is always yo-yoing is i'm not sure what increasing my synthroid will do. I guess i'll know for sure if the synthroid is effecting my TSH with the next blood test.
Much to my dismay my internist did NOT do the Free T3 or T3 tests.... which i realize could be important info since these tests could also explain why my T4 is fine but my TSH is high, if for example my body is not converting the T4 into T3. ::Sigh::....
No other hormone tests were taken at this time which is also much to my dismay because i can tell that everything in my body feels very very off.... i just have a general sense of dysphoria, along with my other symptoms. I've really been wanting to see an endocrinologist because i really do want a total hormone and metabolism panel, but i've been unable to get in to see the highly reccomended Endos here (there are only a few here in Puerto Rico that have been suggested to me). I'm sure that the hormone tests would shed some light on a bunch of things.... one of which being that shortly after beginning my synthroid i had a menstruation that was so horrible that i was vomiting and writhing in pain and that had never happened to me before either.
Regarding my blood pressure, it has also been fluctuating.... going from the low 80's to the mid 100's between my different visits. I would say that i am not experiencing unusual salt cravings though i do seem to love to snack on salty foods, but sweet ones equally as often.... however, i HAVE noticed that i get thirsty quite a bit more often then before....????
I also learned today that my aunt (fathers sister) had a large pituitary tumor removed when she was in her mid 20's. So i don't know if that might be relevant? I've been trying to get a hold of her on the phone to see if she can recall her experience all those years ago.
I am making my appointment for my MRI for earlier next week. I guess i do not see any reason to wait....it cannot do any harm to see what it yields!
Thank you so much for your response, because i definitely believe that this has to be more then just the thyroid :)
First of all, your TSH is out of range - the new range is .3 to 3.0 (labs have not changed over even though it has been changed for years now).
What is your free T3 and T3?
Were any other hormone tests taken?
A low thyroid test like your second one, shows more central hypothyroidism more than just hashimoto's, and could be pituitary, but you would need more testing. My TSH would fluctuate a lot and mine was pituitary, not thyroid but I also had Hashimoto's as well.
Low blood pressure is pointing to other issues - are you craving salt? Have you seen a cardiologist to rule out POTS?
What is your free T3 and T3?
Were any other hormone tests taken?
A low thyroid test like your second one, shows more central hypothyroidism more than just hashimoto's, and could be pituitary, but you would need more testing. My TSH would fluctuate a lot and mine was pituitary, not thyroid but I also had Hashimoto's as well.
Low blood pressure is pointing to other issues - are you craving salt? Have you seen a cardiologist to rule out POTS?
I also wanted to mention something else:
my TSH levels have fluctuated a lot while my T4 levels remain with in range. My lab results which were used to make the Hashimotos diagnosis was: 1.03 Free T4, and 4.628 TSH, the lab tests immediatly following this were: .045 TSH and T4 w/in range though on the higher end.... So while my lab work is not terribly out of range my symptoms are very severe.
What i had left out above is that the dizzy spells are occasionally accompanied with seeing black spots as though i am about to pass out...... before i was diagnosed, i was visiting Puerto Rico while we were house hunting for a place to buy... I woke up in the morning and was planning to go out to the beach and i started feel very very dizzy and disoriented and then i sat down at the breakfast table with my Fiancees parents and the room was spinning and then I fainted. I HAVE NEVER FAINTED BEFOE IN MY LIFE. They took me to the couch where i woke up moments later and then eventually the dizziness went away and i was able to go outside.
I used to run 6 miles a day a few year ago and even as far back as august i would run a few miles a day but recently when i try to run i get very dizzy and then start feeling extremely hot and sweaty and then i have to sit down before i black out, and i will occasionally see spots.
When i first fainted i thought it was low blood pressure since last time i had been at the doc my blood pressure was only 84... but this time it was 119 or something so now i can rule that out for causing my headaches and light headedness. I just dont know if i would agree that this is my thyroid... but curious as to what others who have gone though pituitary problems think about this....
anyone else feel like they were hungover with out drinking at all?
my TSH levels have fluctuated a lot while my T4 levels remain with in range. My lab results which were used to make the Hashimotos diagnosis was: 1.03 Free T4, and 4.628 TSH, the lab tests immediatly following this were: .045 TSH and T4 w/in range though on the higher end.... So while my lab work is not terribly out of range my symptoms are very severe.
What i had left out above is that the dizzy spells are occasionally accompanied with seeing black spots as though i am about to pass out...... before i was diagnosed, i was visiting Puerto Rico while we were house hunting for a place to buy... I woke up in the morning and was planning to go out to the beach and i started feel very very dizzy and disoriented and then i sat down at the breakfast table with my Fiancees parents and the room was spinning and then I fainted. I HAVE NEVER FAINTED BEFOE IN MY LIFE. They took me to the couch where i woke up moments later and then eventually the dizziness went away and i was able to go outside.
I used to run 6 miles a day a few year ago and even as far back as august i would run a few miles a day but recently when i try to run i get very dizzy and then start feeling extremely hot and sweaty and then i have to sit down before i black out, and i will occasionally see spots.
When i first fainted i thought it was low blood pressure since last time i had been at the doc my blood pressure was only 84... but this time it was 119 or something so now i can rule that out for causing my headaches and light headedness. I just dont know if i would agree that this is my thyroid... but curious as to what others who have gone though pituitary problems think about this....
anyone else feel like they were hungover with out drinking at all?
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Brain/Pituitary Tumors Community
Here are 15 ways to help prevent lung cancer.
New cervical cancer screening guidelines change when and how women should be tested for the disease.
They got it all wrong: Why the PSA test is imperative for saving lives from prostate cancer
Everything you wanted to know about colonoscopy but were afraid to ask
A quick primer on the different ways breast cancer can be treated.
Get the facts about this disease that affects more than 240,000 men each year.
