Do I have thyroid problem or ???

[marsala]

I am 23 years old Male, vegetarian, non smoker ect. ect. I have alot of symptoms but very recently i started having episodes where my whole body would feel very shaky, especially my hands.  I get very flushed and feel hot and almost feverish, and my knees get very week.  These seem to happen every day around the same time...between 2 and 5 pm, but recently my hands in general have not been as steady as they've been in the past.  I have had frequent heart palpitations, cold feet and chronic pressure all throughout my head.  Last year I was constantly battling with symptoms that mimicked a UTI but the tests came back negative.  Had blood tests so they could check out my kidneys and everything came back normal. I have been having all these symptoms for the past 2 years off and on except the hand tremor, but it seems lately that everything has been getting worse.  I know that one of the syptoms for hyperthyroid disease is intolerance to heat.  I seem to have that but I am not sure if its because i live in a cold climate or not.  For example, i cant have it above 70 in my house or I am just very very uncomfortable.  Last year it was march and we had a warm day where it was 51 out and sunny I got so hot in the car that I had to strip down to a t-shirt and turn the AC on full blast for about 20 minutes.( which did not make my girlfriend very happy)  I hyperthyroidism constant symptoms or do they come and go? My mom was recently diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism, so i have an appointment to get that checked out, but its not for another 2 weeks.  I have allergies to mold, and where I work there is alot of mold so I think that explains the pressure in my head because that seems to get better by sunday when I havent been at work for a few days. But the other symptoms seem similiar to Hyperthyroidism. I would appreciate your opinion..please don't tell me its stress, because I dont have alot of stress in my life.

[Foothills]

I had surgery in Feb. '04 and 95% of the left lobe and all of the right lobe of my thyroid gland was removed.  Since then, I've had some difficulty with the regulation of my thyroid.  I was given 88 mcg of synthroid in the beginning and levels went up to 3.7 (causing a multitude of problems) and then changed to 100 mcg  My level at last check was 0.402 and my endocrinologist suggested that since my last check was 0.425, that I remain on 100 mcg and have a total assessment in 6 months.  I have had a twitch in my right thumb, some hair shedding, and developed tendonitis in my right arm,  but overall feel much better than when my levels were 3.7.  I recently had a bad cold and go through some bouts of coughing occasionally at night and during a couple of these episodes have had my hands to involuntarily have jerking movements...could this be related to my thyroid?

[ozark]

you should also have your sugar tested....

[ontherecord]

Since you are a vegetarian, it is very important for you to take a vitamin B-complex supplement, especially one that has the RDA equivalent of B-12.  B-12 is primarily found in meats and it is essential for proper function.  Take a multivitamin that has both the FDA recommeded B vitamins and some minerals.  Antioxidants also help.  Whether this measure will help your symptoms I cannot say for sure, but you will certainly and unequivocally derive benefit from a multivitamin which has adequate B-complex vitamins.  

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Here are a list of symptoms that may be associated with hyperthyroidism:
Palpitations
Heat intolerance
Nervousness
Insomnia
Breathlessness
Increased bowel movements
Light or absent menstrual periods
Fatigue

Fast heart rate
Trembling hands
Weight loss
Muscle weakness
Warm moist skin
Hair loss
Staring gaze

As you can see, these are relatively non-specific symptoms.  The best way to test for hyperthyroidism would be blood tests ordered by your physician.  Serum TSH concentration should be the initial screening test. If subnormal, serum free T4 and T3 concentrations are run by most laboratories. If not, but the index of suspicion for hyperthyroidism is high, a free T4 should be ordered with the initial TSH measurement.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.

Bibliography:
Ross.  Diagnosis of hyperthyroidism.  UptoDate, 2004.