Can you spot a person with thyroid disease?

[dacky]

I have noticed through the yrs I can invaribly tell if someone has thyroid problems. It is written all over their face. I also have FM and as these two conditions coexists many times, I can usually tell if the person also has FM.

I don't go around medling in others private lives and try not to talk about my own ailments to excess, but if the opportunity arises I do share a general statement that I have thyroid disease and FM. Invariably the person I am speaking with also has the condition.

I was wondering if others have noticed this also. If so, isn't it interesting that doctors don't also have this ability? LOL

dacky (just a post in fun - please don't assume I think this is a serious subject!)

[Jimlow]

Hi Dacky, it's funny you say that because several times I have wanted to ask people "have you had your thyroid checked", because they had that tired look, droopy eyelids, a round/puffy face. In fact my bro-in-law, recently fell ill and Dr.s gave up trying to find a cause and just said "it's fibromyalgia" but they didn't check his thyroid antibodies. He is a prideful man, doesn't like to talk about things, so I told his daughter to suggest the test. His eyebrows are very thinned-out and this was another clue I saw.
ALSO: more Dr.s are suspecting fibromyalgia, is autoimmune disease and many believe it is thyroid related. Studies of fibronyalgia patients, showed the most common abnormality found in them was elevated TPO (antibody) levels!

[Bette66]

This is an very interesting post. I was diagnosed with Hypothroidism about 6 weeks ago.  I was put on synthyroid 25mcg. Over the past 2 years I have developed a rather full face and neck. I had even gone to the extreme about going to a plastic surgeon about a facelift because I sould not stand the way that I looked. And from that extreme I step up my surgery. But for the 6 weeks prior to the surgery I was to use this facial system and have found that my neck and face fullness has gone down. So now I am not sure if it is the synthroid or the facial cream. My ultrasound prior to medication was normal and did not show a goiter or enlarged thyroid gland. My TSH was 5.52. Could it be that the synthoid is causing the fullness to go down?
Any response to this would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You

[Jimlow]

Bette66, Hi.
Facial swelling is listed on many medical websites as a hypothyroidism symptoms. It may be due to fluid retention. Before I started thyroid med., I occassionally had swelling around one eye and also had swelling in my upper lip. My belief is that even this symptom corrects with thyroid replacement.

[Bette66]

Thanks for your response.  Yes my face was very full along with my neck area. It was like there was no jaw line so to speak. I still do have the tired look though. My sister had graves disease which is the opposite of hypothroidism. And my Aunt had thyroid cancer when she was little and they did not expect her to live.  That was 45 years ago and she is doing good. So thyroid problems do run in my family. Also, I don't understand when the antibodies test is done and mine fall <20,000 and I am told that is normal. But when I look in the range it is not normal. Any comments??? I have only been on synthoid for about 5 weeks and have to be retested in 6 weeks to see where my thyroid level is.
I am afraid that if my thyroid is normal then I will be taken off of the synthoid and will develop the same problems.
Thanks again

[katchetab]

if your bloodwork comes back in normal range they will keep you at that synthroid level.  You will take synthroid or some hormone replacement the rest of your life.  What is the dosage of your synthroid.

[Lindas831]

A related discussion, thyroid, flabby belly and puffy face was started.