Understanding symptoms

I have problems sometimes holding on to things, or it may take a few times to grab something.  This has been going on quite a bit. It is very aggrivating.  I told my Dr. she ran blood tests and at the time my tsh was off.  I been treating the tsh and saw and Endo.  The endo insists that this has nothing to do with Hypo thyroidism.  I have been tested for carpal tunnel. but I have no pain. This does not change with my activities.

I am sure it may not be this either.  I was just wondering what the earliest symptoms you all may have had and if maybe this can be realted or not.  

I have this problem, major fatgue, and lately my neck feels tired its as if it is tired of holding my head up.  I haven't since March but I had 2 small eposides of vertigo. So I know it can be nothing or maybe it is and worth meantioning to my Dr. again?

[LATW]

Hello,
I am waiting to see an MS specialist in September. I have had a very frustrating problem with my right hand. I have a very difficult time grasping objects also. I don't believe it is related to strength though. I think it has something to do with being able to recongnize how far away something is. I have recently been diagnosed with optic neuritis. My ON is in my right eye. It is my right hand I have trouble with as well as my right leg.
This is interesting you brought this up. It has become very frustrating to me. I notice my writing is affected at times too. I will be interested to see if anyone else has the same problem.  
Can't say if it is MS related because I don't have a dx. I would mention the other symptoms to your doctor.

L

[Quixotic1]

Hi, Welcome to the forum. I certainly think this is something you should mention to your doctor again.  It indicates that you are having some "clumsiness" if I read you right.  Are you having trouble with the strength of your grip?  Or, is it that you fumble and don't quite get a good grip on whatever, or reach and not quite land on it correctly.  Do you reach and sometimes knock things over, trying to grab them?

What do you mean by "small episodes of vertigo?"  A momentary dizziness or a lasting/recurrent problem for some days?  This is important.  Was the vertigo caused by position or moving your head?  Or was it just there by itself?  Any overal balance difficulties, like falling over in the dark, or missing doorways or stumbling more when the ground is uneven?

Have you ever had fatigue like this before?  This certainly can be caused by the low thyroid.  Did the fatigue improve with the normalization of your hormone levels?  Are they normal yet?  With the low thyroid you would likely be most comfortable in the heat, but have you noticed any problem with the heat?

If you would answer these questions it would help us put your symptoms into a better context.  Welcome to our forum of the neurologically mystified.  Quix

[Aj.noon-]

I saw the endo and she seems to think I can come the hormones.  She strongly thinks that I was having post partum thyroditis.
The vertigo, it may have been a postional thing, it only struck my as strange because it never happened.  I was able to get it it go away, I had to throw myself on the floor. It was surprisingly difficult.
Fatigue, I wasn't truly experiencing that until the last 3 months.  And no it has never been a problem, I can't sit still most of the time and now I can't stand standing for long.
The hand thing.. this is the confused part. this is what worries me really.  It is just my hands. wrist, arm below the elbow. It is like a very tired feeling, like not having the energy to do stuff with them.  If I have something I suppose I don't know that I don't have a good grip on it.  And when I try and grab I don't have the object as I pull away. Therefore it seems to take a few tries before I "actually get it". There is no pain involved, I've been check for carpal tunel.  I just don't know what else.  It gets very fustrating.
The neck, is a very tired feeling, it is right about the hair line, and sometimes it just feels as though I can't hold my head up and I lay down. And strangely I get tired of talking sometimes?

I don't know if any of these things mean anything at all, but I was just asking questions around the places that involve some symptoms.  I have also read up on ALS, I am just a little scared of really having something or ppl thinking I am over reacting.
I thankyou very much for your time and knowlege.

[Quixotic1]

Hi, I just saw your response.  I don't understand a couple of your answers.  I can't tell if you are joking or just left out a word (who do that?)  About the vertigo, I gather you fell.  Did the dizziness go away after that?  I hate falling with vertigo.  You are right, it feels like you're falling (but you're not) so to keep your self from falling (which you're not) you literally throw yourself down.  I've had three concussions that way!  If it is positional, the most common kind, it may be BPPV and is totally curable.  We can talk about that later.

When did you deliver?

The missing the objects - it sounds like you are misjudging both where they are and what it is going to take to pick them up.  This sounds like a problem in the brainstem.  I don't know enough about all the ways the hypothyroidism affects the nervous system to say if this is do to low thyroid or not.  I'd have to go along with your endocrinologist.  You say "she seems to think I can come the hormones.."  I don't understand what you meant to say.  

Low thyroid can certainly cause general body fatigue and it can cause muscle weakness like you describe in your forearm/hand and in your neck.  Is your thyroid level corrected yet?  It may take several weeks after the level is corrected for all the symptoms caused by the low level to resolve.

When there are other issues going on and neurological symptoms it is hard to tease out what is what.  In your case, we know that low thyroid can cause fatigue and weakness of muscle groups.  That is the first thing that should be - and is being - treated.  If there are other things left after the thyroid has settled down, then you do need to look farther. If the symptoms came on in the six months or so after you delivered, then MS does come into question.  ALS sound MUCH LESS likely.  But one of the requirements for diagnosing MS is that all better/other explanations be ruled out (and low thyroid is right up there as an other explanation)

Once your thyroid issue is treated and you give the corrected level a month or so, if you still are having problems, you need a good, thorough neuro exam and probably an MRI of your brain and spine.  I don't think you are over reacting at all.  Friends and family don't want to think anything might be wrong and they often push the, "Oh, I'm sure it nothing, Don't worry."

I hope this has helped a little, sorry it took me so long.  I hope you stay around and answer some of the additional questions and get to know us.  We really are the best fourm on the net - for ANYTHING!!  Quix

[moeck]

My NS discovered that my droping things was due to nerves causing  faulty feeling in my hand.  I would feel as if I had grasped an object strongly enough but in reality I hadn't.  I have to think before picking things up and grip them stronger than my hand "feels it should" if that makes sense to you.
Also, I started down the road to "possible MS" with symptoms that my PCP thought were caused by my hypothyroidism, long story but he and my rheumatologist were actually arguing over my symptoms and who should be testing/treating what.

[Aj.noon-]

Thank you your responses.  Sorry about the typo's. My Endo took me off the treatment I was on. My levels were normal she didn't think I needed it anymore. She also said that my hand things wasn't thyroid, did a second carpal tunnel test on me. She said my Dr. needed to give an EG or something.
It actually started 3 years ago with my first pregnancy, I just took it for normal clumsiness they talk about with pregnancies.  It never quite resolved itself, and my youngest is going to be a year old in a month.  It became very bothersome so I discussed it with my Dr.  She ran a blood panel and my TSH came back high. Also had thyroid antibodies.So it could be Hashimoto's.
The treatment may have helped but it never went away I was still dropping things.  But I have noticed I have been off the treatment and I think its getting more annoying again. I can't really tell, sometimes its my mood that I get more fustrated with it.