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A question to those with hypothyroidism
I was curious if those of you who were diagnosed with hypothyroidism had 'episodes' prior to diagnosis. What I mean is, where you had normal symptoms of hypothyroidism, but would occasionally have moments where the symptoms were extremely severe then tapered off some after a period of an hour or two.
My TSH has been fluctuating pretty badly, and I tend to have moments where I go from the usual brain fog, fatigue, muscle twitches, and heart palpitations to suddenly being so weak i can barely move, so tired I can barely speak, and so 'mentally fogged' that I can't think too clearly. Once I lie down for a while it seems to get a little better, then I'm back to the 'normal' symptoms.
Have any of you experienced this?
My TSH has been fluctuating pretty badly, and I tend to have moments where I go from the usual brain fog, fatigue, muscle twitches, and heart palpitations to suddenly being so weak i can barely move, so tired I can barely speak, and so 'mentally fogged' that I can't think too clearly. Once I lie down for a while it seems to get a little better, then I'm back to the 'normal' symptoms.
Have any of you experienced this?
I've told everyone that has asked me what it was like almost the same thing you said. I always tell them that my brain feels like it's working at about 60% of what it's capable of. It feels like it's half asleep. It's horrible to deal with, and it's scary.
i asked my doctor to test it me for because lately my symptoms are switching. one day i feel the hypo the next the hyper and sometimes both at the same time. this is getting me really annoyed.
The symptom that i hate the most is the brain fog. this memory lost is killing me i went from 95% good memory to 0% memory.
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Fibromyalgia is often a combination of symptoms of something else, and yes, those of us with Hashi's/hypo, have those symptoms, as well as depression. It's very possible that your "fibro" and depression were both actually caused by Hashi's.
UA13 - it takes about 5-6 weeks to get the full effect of the medicine, but it can take much longer for your thyroid levels to stabilize. I've been on med for almost 3 yrs and have only recently stabilized enough to feel relatively confident that I'll wake up feeling decent. In spite of that, I still have some "low grade" symptoms.
UA13 - it takes about 5-6 weeks to get the full effect of the medicine, but it can take much longer for your thyroid levels to stabilize. I've been on med for almost 3 yrs and have only recently stabilized enough to feel relatively confident that I'll wake up feeling decent. In spite of that, I still have some "low grade" symptoms.
Thanks everyone :) I hate that everyone has experienced similar (horrible) things, but it's kind of nice for me to know that i'm not alone. That's one of the worst parts is feeling completely alone and since doctors say "on paper, you look fine", everyone kind of assumes that there really must be nothing wrong.
How long does it usually take thyroid medicine to start working?
How long does it usually take thyroid medicine to start working?
thanks for the info everyone, apparently we are all a mess, lol...seems whether your a little over the range (and that range seems debately amongst physician's) we all feel bad. I wish they made something that does not take six weeks to work. I was diagnosed years ago with Fibromyalgia, and depression. It sounds like this may be all inclusive in Hashimoto's disease. I wish I could shed even 5 lbs but 3 years after I quit smoking, I traded it for now obesity. I wish my metabolism was faster. I afraid to get my heart rate up because of these scary palpitations. If I don't get resolution this week from my doctor, I will have to find an endocrinologist, unfortunately I live in a small town and probably will have to travel 100 miles find one. Thyroid disorders suck!
To answer your original posting. I am like that pretty much all day every day and have been for at least 20 years. Raised 3 kidlets, lost my husband to another woman, had to fight druggie charges ( I was a undiagnosed Hashi not a Druggie, moronic idiots!), and generally lost my social life and ability to work a job.
Even though I had my thyroid out nearly 3 years ago, and have been at times super hyper, and now super hypo, I have ALWAYS had that fight tokeep my brain from wandering off into the distance following sheep and clouds. I need to lie down constantly. If I don't drop off to sleep, after about a half hour I get up and feel ok again. I can at least focus on my ebay selling for an hour or so, then it starts again.....bleurgh........
When I am hypo at TSH anything over 1.0 the heart palpitations start. BUT it's when my Free T3's drop under 4 is when I REALLY get them badly. When it fell to 2.6 recently, man, I thought I was going to be joining an African Drumming class teaching bongo beats! So make sure you get tested for Free T3 , coz hypo is really heck on wheels that's for sure!
Cheers!
Even though I had my thyroid out nearly 3 years ago, and have been at times super hyper, and now super hypo, I have ALWAYS had that fight tokeep my brain from wandering off into the distance following sheep and clouds. I need to lie down constantly. If I don't drop off to sleep, after about a half hour I get up and feel ok again. I can at least focus on my ebay selling for an hour or so, then it starts again.....bleurgh........
When I am hypo at TSH anything over 1.0 the heart palpitations start. BUT it's when my Free T3's drop under 4 is when I REALLY get them badly. When it fell to 2.6 recently, man, I thought I was going to be joining an African Drumming class teaching bongo beats! So make sure you get tested for Free T3 , coz hypo is really heck on wheels that's for sure!
Cheers!
Please see my comments above (to UA13) re FT3 and FT4.
If increases in T4 meds (like Synthroid) are not doing you a lot of good, you might need to add a direct source of T3 to your meds. However, without FT3 and FT4, you cannot know this.
Considering your family history of autoimmune disease (Hashi's and Graves'), you should also be tested for thyroid antibodies, TPOab, TGab and TSI.
If increases in T4 meds (like Synthroid) are not doing you a lot of good, you might need to add a direct source of T3 to your meds. However, without FT3 and FT4, you cannot know this.
Considering your family history of autoimmune disease (Hashi's and Graves'), you should also be tested for thyroid antibodies, TPOab, TGab and TSI.
Oh, will you two just quit it! I don't want to hear about your skinny problems! What I'd do to have that problem, just for a little while...Don't worry, I get it, neither extreme is good.
Moose, I think there's a lot of discussion lately on when to start treating Hashi's, and many are arguing that treating earlier, rather than later, can help ward off some of the symptoms, especially the ones that come about as a result of the thyroid having to "struggle" (neck pain/fullness, nodules, swelling, etc..not to mention actually descending into hypo he//.). You just have to find a doctor on that side of the fence.
UA13, yes, I had brain fog. To me, it was like not being entirely "here"...lack of sharpness in sight, sound and easily distracted. I still felt like I could concentrate, but why would I want to? It was such an effort. BTW, you don't sound pathetic. Hypo is hypo, whether your TSH is 5 or 50...you just don't feel good. Just make sure your doctor really understands how bad you feel...don't soft-peddle.
Moose, I think there's a lot of discussion lately on when to start treating Hashi's, and many are arguing that treating earlier, rather than later, can help ward off some of the symptoms, especially the ones that come about as a result of the thyroid having to "struggle" (neck pain/fullness, nodules, swelling, etc..not to mention actually descending into hypo he//.). You just have to find a doctor on that side of the fence.
UA13, yes, I had brain fog. To me, it was like not being entirely "here"...lack of sharpness in sight, sound and easily distracted. I still felt like I could concentrate, but why would I want to? It was such an effort. BTW, you don't sound pathetic. Hypo is hypo, whether your TSH is 5 or 50...you just don't feel good. Just make sure your doctor really understands how bad you feel...don't soft-peddle.
I too have lost muscle which is depressing. I'm skinny enough as it is lol.
From my understanding, if you have Hashi's, you pretty much have to just 'wait' until you become fully hypo, right? That has to just be awful....
From my understanding, if you have Hashi's, you pretty much have to just 'wait' until you become fully hypo, right? That has to just be awful....
Thank you, I definitely will. I hate sounding pathetic, but I'm really scared. Especially with how my mind is lately. It's just so slow. I used to be quick witted and sharp, but now it's like i'm 90 years old. It takes me so much longer to understand things, and I spend all day feeling 'stoned' or like i've been drinking a little. I'm just not mentally sharp anymore. I'm forgetting simple things, and that's what bothers me the most.
Did you also have that feeling?
Did you also have that feeling?
You sound like my husband. When I met him, he was 6'2" and weighed 145...pathetically skinny. However, I still fell in love with him! The years have taken a little toll on his midsection, but not a lot. You and he both lose your appetite when things aren't going well...I could eat a horse...unfair!
You should be testing FT3 and FT4 every time you test TSH. TSH is a pituitary hormone, several steps removed from thyroid hormone levels and subject to disturbances anywhere in the thyroid/hypothalamus/pituitary feedback cycle. Also, "normal" is not necessarily normal (you didn't think this was going to be easy, did you?). When reference ranges were established, the population of "normal" people was flawed...there were undignosed hypos and Hashi's in there. So, a good part of the lower end of the free reference ranges should probably be excluded. Also, not all of us are comfortable everywhere in the range. Many find that FT4 has to be at least midrange and FT3 in the upper half to third before symptoms are relieved.
Ask your doctor to test FT3 and FT4. You'll know a lot more about what your thyroid's doing than you do right now.
You should be testing FT3 and FT4 every time you test TSH. TSH is a pituitary hormone, several steps removed from thyroid hormone levels and subject to disturbances anywhere in the thyroid/hypothalamus/pituitary feedback cycle. Also, "normal" is not necessarily normal (you didn't think this was going to be easy, did you?). When reference ranges were established, the population of "normal" people was flawed...there were undignosed hypos and Hashi's in there. So, a good part of the lower end of the free reference ranges should probably be excluded. Also, not all of us are comfortable everywhere in the range. Many find that FT4 has to be at least midrange and FT3 in the upper half to third before symptoms are relieved.
Ask your doctor to test FT3 and FT4. You'll know a lot more about what your thyroid's doing than you do right now.
Another guy here. I went hyper to hypo (then stayed there), hot to cold by the hour some days. Some days on end I was good though. It was confusing and went on for years. Then was Dxed Hashimoto per lab tests, that was in '98. Not all gain weight, I lost some (lost muscle mass). When I was tired, I wasn't hungry either.
See you have obviously high numbers which makes me feel bad for complaining about mine since they are so much lower than yours, but I seriously wonder if my tsh even being upwards of 4.3 is what's making me feel so awful. I can only imagine how you and others who have overt thyroid problems must feel.
Today was another one of those days, the second in a row. I feel the normal muscle twitching, mild headaches off and on, cold feet, and brain fog, but then suddenly it's as if someone just drains all of the energy out of my body at once, and I just can't do anything. After a few hours, it's "better" but i'm still stuck with the other normal symptoms. It's so frustrating.
Today was another one of those days, the second in a row. I feel the normal muscle twitching, mild headaches off and on, cold feet, and brain fog, but then suddenly it's as if someone just drains all of the energy out of my body at once, and I just can't do anything. After a few hours, it's "better" but i'm still stuck with the other normal symptoms. It's so frustrating.
Oh I know what you mean about the weight thing. Except mine has been that I can never gain weight. I'm a guy, and I'm tall, so being really thin just looks bad but I can't gain no matter what I do. Plus this whole thing has made me mostly lose my appetite altogether.
My free t3 and free t4 were both tested once a while back (about 5 months ago) and both were in normal ranges. That's what makes this whole situation even more confusing. I have literally every symptom of hypo minus weight gain, but my ft3 and ft4 are both fine, just my TSH is just all over the place, but within ranges too. Before I started feeling bad, my TSH was never above 1.0. Since this, it's been everywhere.
Not currently on meds, no, but am seriously thinking about telling my doctor to give me a month or so of low dosage thyroid meds if all else fails. This has been going on for 10 months now, so it's getting OLD. My whole life is on hold because of this.
My free t3 and free t4 were both tested once a while back (about 5 months ago) and both were in normal ranges. That's what makes this whole situation even more confusing. I have literally every symptom of hypo minus weight gain, but my ft3 and ft4 are both fine, just my TSH is just all over the place, but within ranges too. Before I started feeling bad, my TSH was never above 1.0. Since this, it's been everywhere.
Not currently on meds, no, but am seriously thinking about telling my doctor to give me a month or so of low dosage thyroid meds if all else fails. This has been going on for 10 months now, so it's getting OLD. My whole life is on hold because of this.
I take Synthroid for my thyroid but apparently he doesn't seem to work right lately. I am fluctuating from 19 down to 8 now back up to 20. That's when I landed up in the ER. I had a very fast heart rate and being in my 40's I thought too I was having a heart attack. My mom has Hashimoto's my sister has Graves' Disease. I go to doc in a few days to find out what he can do. My moods swings are awful. I just want to punch someone I am so irritable. I don't know what test the ER did outside the TSH. My doc did a Thyroid Panel in this past summer after I called him to have mine tested because of symptoms I was having. He found it to be 19 then raised my meds. I now take 150mcg and apparently thats not working now too. I've never been diagnosed with nodules, or goiters. I wonder what test he will do now. I have to wait days with the TSH at 20 and I am afraid I will end up back in the ER.
Don't tell me about your great metabolism! I, personally, think I was born without one (a metabolism, that is). LOL I've fought my weight all my life...
TPOab (thyroid peroxidase antibody) is the test for Hashi's. If it's positive, you have a diagnosis of Hashi's. However, if it's negative, you should also be tested for TGab (thyroglobulin antibody). Some of us with Hashi's are TPOab positive, some TGab postive, and some both.
U/S will show any nodules (most of us with Hashi's have them). It's important to minoitor them periodically.
TSH fluctuates a lot, even intraday. So, it's important to have your blood drawn at the same time of day every time. 3.3 is higher than the current AACE recommendation of 0.3-3.0. Most labs and doctors use an obsolete range.
Has your doctor tested FT3 and FT4? Are you on meds?
TPOab (thyroid peroxidase antibody) is the test for Hashi's. If it's positive, you have a diagnosis of Hashi's. However, if it's negative, you should also be tested for TGab (thyroglobulin antibody). Some of us with Hashi's are TPOab positive, some TGab postive, and some both.
U/S will show any nodules (most of us with Hashi's have them). It's important to minoitor them periodically.
TSH fluctuates a lot, even intraday. So, it's important to have your blood drawn at the same time of day every time. 3.3 is higher than the current AACE recommendation of 0.3-3.0. Most labs and doctors use an obsolete range.
Has your doctor tested FT3 and FT4? Are you on meds?
My doctor just now ran a test for TPO(?), but I haven't gotten the results yet. No ultrasound yet. Because my TSH hasn't been that high, my doctor hasn't been that concerned yet. It's sort of averaged about 3.3 or so, lowest being 1.55 and highest being 4.3. I figured fluctuations like that were normal though, but I have a lot of hypo symptoms. Except weight gain (but I have always had a great metabolism).
Have you all had antibody testing? Early stages of Hashi's are often characterized by swings from hypo to hyper.
Have you all had ultrasounds to check for nodules?
Are all your doctors testing FT3 and FT4 as well as TSH?
Have you all had ultrasounds to check for nodules?
Are all your doctors testing FT3 and FT4 as well as TSH?
The palpitations are what sent me to the ER too. I thought I was having a heart attack once. VERY scary feeling.
Have you been threated for your thyroid?
Have you been threated for your thyroid?
Same here. There are days when it's mainly just the 'brain fog' or whatever you want to call it, muscle twitches everywhere (so annoying), and shoulder aches. Other days it's just awful.
i feel the same day. i got days that the symptoms are normal but other days i feel like they are worse specially the muscle twitches and the joints pain.
I am having problems with my TSH fluctuating badly. There are times it seems like right in the middle of a day I get so tired I just want to find a spot and sleep a few hours then I feel better. Or maybe my sugar levels drop so low then I eat and feel more energetic. Heart palpitations recently sent me to the emergency room. I don't know why this is happening but it sounds like I am not alone.
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