hashimoto thyroiditis and tinnitus

[Sue907]

I've been having the following symptoms for years now: vertigo, tinnitus (since I was 9 and I'm 54 now) aching joints, my fingers, toes and nose is always cold, sometimes I get really hot for a few seconds then cold again. I was having trouble sleeping but it's turned around to sleeping and waking up extremely tired. So much so that on my way to work I feel like pulling over to sleep. I sometimes forget why I walked from one room to another. I have high cholesterol that I take Vytorin for. My blood pressure is normally low. I've gained 40 pounds over the last 5 years and I haven't changed my eating habits at all. I used to work out like an idiot women but now I can't seem to muster up enough energy to ride my recumbent bike for 30 minutes. I have large bags under my eyes.
Most of this I've assumed was old age creeping up on me but last May I thought I had  bronchitis because I had a dry unproductive cough and my doctor found two nodules on either side of my thyroid. I had 24 needle biopsies done and they thought I had thyroid cancer for a month or so until we could do more tests. They decided I had Hashimoto thyroiditis. The endocrinologist didn't do a thing to help me. She just said we will wait another 6 months and retest. I'm not willing to wait that much longer. I need to have answers now.
My ENT tried to tell me I need hearing aids. (I do have quite a lot of hearing loss, especially in my left ear) but I am wondering if treating the thyroid problem will also help the tinnitus and vertigo. When I mentioned this to the ENT doctor and nurse they both made me feel like I was really, really stupid for even suggesting it. I would like to know if they can somehow be related and if treating the hashimoto thyroiditis will help the tinnitus and vertigo before I go to the expense of buying hearing aids. (My insurance won't cover even a penny of hearing aids and they are really expensive)

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

There may be a connection but it has not been consistently proven -- in considering treatment for Hashimoto's, we look at the TSH level and if >3 (sometimes >2 even) given the symptoms a trial of levothyroxine is often reasonable.  The nodules can be followed with ultrasound to ensure they remain stable in size.