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Hashimoto's Help Please! Never felt so sick...
Sorry this is so long, but I'm hoping the whole story will help.
About a year ago I started feeling tired and dizzy at random times during the day. There was no rhyme or reason to it, and lying down didn't help the dizziness. I had no real health problems previously. (I was 24 and running 4 miles per day.) I saw an ENT who did a hearing and balance test, which came back normal, and gave me a steroid pack for a possible hidden sinus infection. The dizziness went away for a couple of weeks, then returned.
In February the muscle cramps started. I was waking up at night with tears in my eyes, gasping for breath because of bad aches in my legs. Finally in March 2008, I saw a doctor who did bloodwork and my TSH was 64. The doctor said I had hypothyroidism, and I tested positive for Hashimoto's Thyroidits. They started me on Synthroid, 125 mcg. The muscle aches immediately went away, but 4 weeks later I started having a racing heart, night sweats, and feeling nervous and jittery. My dose was immediately taken down to 100 mcg. The same thing happened again after 6 weeks. I felt like a crazy person. They ran labs again, and decided my dose was still too high. Then I started on 75 and, frustrated with my regular doctor, saw an endocrinologist who is awesome. She said I had been OD'ing on Synthroid and I should get better on the 75 dose. She found no nodules and said my thyroid looks like it should. My thyroid labs were normal.
After five weeks on the 75 mcg dose, I started getting severe dizziness, shaky arms, hot flashes, and numbness in my extremities. Sometimes It hurt to stand up straight because my back ached. My thyroid labs showed that I was on the high end of normal, so now I'm alternating my Synthroid between 75 and 50.
I've never felt so sick. Several times a day I'm having a sudden onset of vision that looks wavy, pain and heat in my upper back, and along with it comes dizziness and numbness in my hands. I feel pressure behind my eyes when it happens and sometimes my stomach is upset afterwards. I'm waking up emotional and nauseous. I'm not sleeping well. Just a year ago I was a happy young newlywed who was looking forward to running a half marathon. Now I'm lucky to make it through a grocery store trip without feeling like someone needs to put me in the cart and roll me out of the store.
My endocrinologist says my thyroid labs are normal. She looked at me like I was crazy when I told her my symptoms. My family doctor ran CBC, CMC, renal labs, glucose tolerance test, and everything came back normal. I have slightly low blood pressure (105/76) but I think that's from running. They've scheduled me for an MRI in case there's a hidden sinus infection somewhere.
My question is this: Has anyone had similar symptoms with Hashimoto's? Could this all be thyroid? My regular doctor suggested that it could be anxiety caused by Hashimoto's, but I don't feel worried about anything. I'm normally carefree, strong, and spunky, but I feel like this has changed me so much. I'm not opposed to taking something for anxiety if that's what it is, but I feel like there has to be something causing this. I've never had any health problems before. Your help would be appreciated. My husband and I want to get all of this straight before we start trying to start a family. I feel like Hashimoto's is ruining my life.
Thanks so much for your help!
~ Emma
About a year ago I started feeling tired and dizzy at random times during the day. There was no rhyme or reason to it, and lying down didn't help the dizziness. I had no real health problems previously. (I was 24 and running 4 miles per day.) I saw an ENT who did a hearing and balance test, which came back normal, and gave me a steroid pack for a possible hidden sinus infection. The dizziness went away for a couple of weeks, then returned.
In February the muscle cramps started. I was waking up at night with tears in my eyes, gasping for breath because of bad aches in my legs. Finally in March 2008, I saw a doctor who did bloodwork and my TSH was 64. The doctor said I had hypothyroidism, and I tested positive for Hashimoto's Thyroidits. They started me on Synthroid, 125 mcg. The muscle aches immediately went away, but 4 weeks later I started having a racing heart, night sweats, and feeling nervous and jittery. My dose was immediately taken down to 100 mcg. The same thing happened again after 6 weeks. I felt like a crazy person. They ran labs again, and decided my dose was still too high. Then I started on 75 and, frustrated with my regular doctor, saw an endocrinologist who is awesome. She said I had been OD'ing on Synthroid and I should get better on the 75 dose. She found no nodules and said my thyroid looks like it should. My thyroid labs were normal.
After five weeks on the 75 mcg dose, I started getting severe dizziness, shaky arms, hot flashes, and numbness in my extremities. Sometimes It hurt to stand up straight because my back ached. My thyroid labs showed that I was on the high end of normal, so now I'm alternating my Synthroid between 75 and 50.
I've never felt so sick. Several times a day I'm having a sudden onset of vision that looks wavy, pain and heat in my upper back, and along with it comes dizziness and numbness in my hands. I feel pressure behind my eyes when it happens and sometimes my stomach is upset afterwards. I'm waking up emotional and nauseous. I'm not sleeping well. Just a year ago I was a happy young newlywed who was looking forward to running a half marathon. Now I'm lucky to make it through a grocery store trip without feeling like someone needs to put me in the cart and roll me out of the store.
My endocrinologist says my thyroid labs are normal. She looked at me like I was crazy when I told her my symptoms. My family doctor ran CBC, CMC, renal labs, glucose tolerance test, and everything came back normal. I have slightly low blood pressure (105/76) but I think that's from running. They've scheduled me for an MRI in case there's a hidden sinus infection somewhere.
My question is this: Has anyone had similar symptoms with Hashimoto's? Could this all be thyroid? My regular doctor suggested that it could be anxiety caused by Hashimoto's, but I don't feel worried about anything. I'm normally carefree, strong, and spunky, but I feel like this has changed me so much. I'm not opposed to taking something for anxiety if that's what it is, but I feel like there has to be something causing this. I've never had any health problems before. Your help would be appreciated. My husband and I want to get all of this straight before we start trying to start a family. I feel like Hashimoto's is ruining my life.
Thanks so much for your help!
~ Emma
Is your doctor aware that your TSH should be supressed to a .50-1.0 for hashi patients. My new endo told me this after my old one had undertreated me for 2 yrs and I progressively got sicker. There are a lot of dr's out there that truly do not know the best treatment levels for hashi's. And also your Free T3 levels should be checked to see if you are converting properly. You thyroid panel should consist of TSH, Free T4 and Free T3.
Hi Emma,
I am so sorry you are feeling so bad. Maybe it is the Synthroid. I have read in others post's that they had anxiety from Synthroid but then switched to another brand and were fine.
My symptoms were not as severe and recently diagnoses with Hashi's. I get muscle weakness and just have felt chronically ill. It really worried me because and no one can understand how bad we feel most of the time. When you have a good day you are just so happy you feel vibrant. I too am a runner but have had injuries lately (due to this who knows) and now I am trying to get back into it without pushing myself. A few things I have done which seems to be helping is taking some iron right during and after my cycle for a few days. Also extra B vitamins, and Vitamin D. Since taking these additional supplements I am feeling much better ALMOST like my old self again. They also increased my dose of Armour thyroid by a .5. The Armour has both T3 and T4 in it Synthroid does not. My body would not convert the T4 very well so now the natural thyroid is much better. Maybe you should check into switching brands.
Thyroid is a guessing game and it is forever changing. What works for now may only last a year and then oops you need adjusting again. I have been dealing with this for 9 years and can't tell you how many times they have adjusted them.
Hang in there it will get better just keep after them. You have to take it into your hands or find a better doc. I had to go to a homeopathic to get straightened out main stream didn't work for me. Good luck to you and keep us posted....
I am so sorry you are feeling so bad. Maybe it is the Synthroid. I have read in others post's that they had anxiety from Synthroid but then switched to another brand and were fine.
My symptoms were not as severe and recently diagnoses with Hashi's. I get muscle weakness and just have felt chronically ill. It really worried me because and no one can understand how bad we feel most of the time. When you have a good day you are just so happy you feel vibrant. I too am a runner but have had injuries lately (due to this who knows) and now I am trying to get back into it without pushing myself. A few things I have done which seems to be helping is taking some iron right during and after my cycle for a few days. Also extra B vitamins, and Vitamin D. Since taking these additional supplements I am feeling much better ALMOST like my old self again. They also increased my dose of Armour thyroid by a .5. The Armour has both T3 and T4 in it Synthroid does not. My body would not convert the T4 very well so now the natural thyroid is much better. Maybe you should check into switching brands.
Thyroid is a guessing game and it is forever changing. What works for now may only last a year and then oops you need adjusting again. I have been dealing with this for 9 years and can't tell you how many times they have adjusted them.
Hang in there it will get better just keep after them. You have to take it into your hands or find a better doc. I had to go to a homeopathic to get straightened out main stream didn't work for me. Good luck to you and keep us posted....
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