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745975 tn?1258960922

Headaches

I'm trying to determine how common headaches are as a symptom of Hashimoto's. I have a daily chronic headache (though not like a migraine more like a dull headache) and I cannot imagine it is from my thyroid but figured I would see. Anyone else feel like they are hungover every day even if they didn't have a drop of alcohol or is this just me?
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803938 tn?1403748253
I am hypo/not hashi. I started to have migraines out of the blues about 7 years ago. First ones were 1 week long with aura, no medication would help, finally went away on its own. I had not been diagnosed hypo at the time ans was not taking any medication for thyroid. Migraines have kept coming since then, initially a lot auras but not anymore, now it's cluster headaches that can be in any part of my head. Being on Armour has changed nothing so not sure the thyroid is related to my migraines.
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745975 tn?1258960922
My brother and I both suffer from it, but we suffer in different ways. We share the random alcohol intolerance which just came from no where for me about a year ago. He also had chronic headaches that went away after two years on its own.  He doesn't seem to feel much relief from Synthroid and was on Armour for a while and then BACK on synthroid and now stopped taking anything at all about 2 weeks ago saying he felt markedly worse taking the drugs... I don't think he should have done it but time will tell how badly he'll feel later for his choice. Then again he also has Celiacs Disease and he doesn't stay gluten free which is also a poor choice on his part so i can not say that I would ever use him as an example of how to treat autoimmune diseases! He's been struggling with this for about 8 years, recently, in the last year, he says he's been feeing better then he has in a very very long time...

I do not get much anxiety but my brother gets SEVERE anxiety which did seem to begin when his Hashi symptoms started cropping up..... He takes medicine for his anxiety and i think it helps him. I used to have more anxiety when I was working full time as a banker... now my only stress is my health. I have some mood swings when i'm feeling really wonky but I would expect to have mental instabilities along side chronic illnesses!

Originally i'm from New Mexico but i lived in Chicago for 5 years. I lived in a few different areas of town before buying a condo in Bucktown/Wicker Park on the Logan Square side and sold it a few years ago before moving to Puerto Rico with my fiancee. I gotta say.... I don't miss the Chicago winters AT ALL, but I'm going to miss the summers there. :)
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865758 tn?1285952904
Does your brother suffer the way you do?  I am also glad to have someone who suffers like I do, but when I get off the computer I am back to thinking it is only ME!!!!  Have you ever had your Vitamin B12 checked?  This can cause these problems too however my level is fine (go figure)!  As far as the alcohol, I really don't drink anymore but the last time I tried to have my favorite drink I was drunk within 2 sips and really sick!  No more for me!!!! One question for you, do you have any anxiety problems with your Hashi's?

P.S. Noticed you were from Chicago, wherabouts?  I was born and raised there (well south suburbs anyway)
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745975 tn?1258960922
Well in a weird way, it's a relief for me to know that there are other Hashimoto's patients that feel like I do, because there are quite a few that seem to have everything under control and i don't get it.

It's soooo hard to deal with sometimes and it can be depressing. I just want my life back the way it used to be when i had energy and motivation and didn't feel like S***.  I guess i am still going though the rollercoaster of it all too.

was diagnosed in November but was started on a .05 MG dose of synthroid and now i'm at .1 and do not feel any better at all. So many things go through my head like "what if i just need more T3, or what if I i've got something else seriously seriously wrong with me."  And i think it's easy for people who feel good who don't have a chronic autoimmune disease to think you are a hypochondriac because they aren't the ones who have been feeling like A** for years on end.

Another question for you:

Regarding alcohol. Do you find your tolerance for alcohol has dissapeared? I can no longer drink more then one drink before I skip feeling drunk and go right to the hang over. If i do drink more then one or 2 drinks it will take me 2 days to recover. I was curious to see if anyone who has hashi's has that experience with alcohol. I mean i will feel hungover pretty much everyday even days i don't drink at all.... but it's much much worse if i've even had one drink.  just a few years ago i used to be able to drink and have fun... those days are gone. I do not see alcohol intolerance as a typical symptom, but my brother and i BOTH have hashimoto's and we both have this as a symptom....

Helpful - 0
865758 tn?1285952904
Yes I have hashi's and don't believe that I am through the roller coster of it all. I was on synthroid for awhile but didn't do well with it so was just switched to Levoxyl but haven't started it yet.  My headaches are constant and some days are worse than others.  Today is NOT a good day!  My dizziness and off balance are daily too!  I never thought to look at the pituitary glands but I've had ALL the labs drawn to check everyother hormone including adrenals so I guess it must be my thyroid.  I've been to numerous doctors including ENT and neurologist but all my testing has been negaitive.  I am sooooooooooooo frustrated.  Daily living is becoming almost impossible.  Like you I always explain it by saying I feel drunk or hungover and missed all the fun!!!!
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Avatar universal
I had transient headaches off and on at the outset of my diagnosis. They did not last long, but they were noticeable.
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745975 tn?1258960922
I had my MRI yesterday. First without contrast and second with contrast.... specifically they are concentrating on the pituitary area, to check for any adenoma or lesion.

The MRI findings must be bitter sweet... if nothing shows up, you'd get some relief that there is nothing serious going on with the brain, but if there is nothing wrong, you are back to square one. I'm anxious to get my results one way or the other.

My symptoms are a dull headache that is not concentrated on any one particular spot. I believe it's a little more pain/dizziness/pressure in the front of my head but it will also hurt in the back near the base of my neck. Most days I just feel terrible as though I drank way way too much the night before.  They are more or less chronic and daily. There may be one or 2 days out of several weeks were i wont get a headache at all and I will feel pretty good. But those days are rare.  I feel better when I am laying down then when I am standing up and I can no longer exercise because I get extra dizzy upon heavy activity.  My headaches are worse in the beginning part of the day and improve by late afternoon.

I thought it was my hyprothyroidsm from my Hashimoto's but i've been on a few different doses of synthroid and pretty much feel the same.

If my MRI comes back with nothing, I am going to insist that my endo check everything so make sure it's not related to adrenals or other hormones.

What are you symptoms? you're hypothyroid right? Hashimotos? Are you're headaches daily? Are they severe headaches or just kind of a dull heaviness or pressure?

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865758 tn?1285952904
Very curious as to what type of MRI you are having.  I too suffer from the headaches and dizziness and just had an MRI of my brain which was normal.  Are your symptoms daily?
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745975 tn?1258960922
also found this interesting:

http://www.medicalonly.com/2008/07/21/migraine-headaches-thyroid
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745975 tn?1258960922
thank you so much for taking the time to relay your experiences here with me on this! it's interesting to see the vote tally so far, it looks like it's just pretty distributed and in fact more-so then i had expected.  

Stella, YES! :) Now that you mention it I HAVE noticed that my headaches are far far worse when increasing my synthroid dose. I get a whole slew of nasty symptoms when on a new does of meds.... it's so bad that i really hate it when my doc wants to change it. The 2 weeks after a med increase feel way worse then the hypo symptoms alone.

?For the females out there... do you get spotting after a med increase?  for me it's like clockwork i will get 2 days of spotting between one week and 2 weeks after increasing my synthroid. It is crazy how much a little tiny fraction of a MG of hormone can alter everything in your body!!!!

Anyways i wanted to let you all know that i'm going in to get an MRI which my doctor really wants me to get because she is starting to wonder if there is not more to my headaches and dizziness then just my thyroid alone... so i will keep you abreast on that news. If there is no issue with the pituitary i would imagine it would just be my hypo not being managed correctly.

Thanks again everyone!
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649848 tn?1534633700
COMMUNITY LEADER
I used to get severe headaches when I was in 20's but they finally stopped and to this day, I very rarely get headaches unless I'm sick (cold, flu, etc)

I am hypothyroid/Hashi's and even when I was extremely hypo (before dx a year ago) and feeling my worst, I didn't have headaches as a symptom....Guess I'm a luck one.
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Avatar universal
i had daily headaches when i was hypo.  they would start around my eyes and then turn into full blown migraines.  once my levels were regulated, the headaches went away.

headaches are a symptom of hypothyroidism.  if because of the hashimotos you are becoming more and more hypothyroid, then you may get headaches.
Helpful - 0
393685 tn?1425812522
Headaches with thyroid disease mostly come from 2 things.

When a thyroid medication is decreased or increased. This is especially common in T3/T4 combo meds like Armour. The dulling - very annoying- headaches can last up to 2 weeks depending on the body reaction to the hormone

The other common reason for these is simply when a person is left hypothyroid. If they are undertreated with medication and the body is forced to keep things going with less energy - then headaches will come on as a signal to you that you are not getting enough to keep you going.

One way to avoid - or decrease the headaches is to make sure you are taking in the right supplements to help your medication do it's job. Also try to keep a cycle of sleep and wake patterns as close as you can, so you body knows when it's time to rest.

Some find they come on right before their cycle. I have yet to find the secret to ridding that!  :)





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219241 tn?1413537765
I can never figure it out either. Been too many years now for me and my Japanese friend!
I used to get migraines through puberty...now I get a variety of stress headaches, tension headaches, but mostly just a weird dull heavy head headache...I have learned to live with it, but some days it feels stronger than others.
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168348 tn?1379357075
Just wanted to stop by and say GREAT POLL!  I don't have hashi's so won't vote but will watch the results!

C~
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