Aa
Is this hypothyroidism?
Everything started a few weeks ago. Specifically, 09/14.
At that time, I felt perfectly healthy. Female, just turned 19. I've always lived fairly healthily; I eat okay (I could stand to cut down the sugar intake a little), I exercise, I don't smoke, I don't drink alcohol, and I don't have sex. I spent the summer both working full-time and taking classes full-time, and I had no problem with it. Concurrently, I went to the gym three times a week and hung out with friends.
Then, two days after my last day at work (I left for school), I passed out while at the gym. This was on 09/14.
It freaked me out a little, but the gym employees claimed that it happened all the time. And I think they were right to think that; maybe I'd just worked out a little too hard. I left from there, with no worries.
After that, I felt a little off. It's hard to describe now because I don't remember it fully, but I guess it was fatigue. It wasn't overwhelming; I could still function, apart from the fact that I didn't feel well enough to exercise. It would also make sense if fatigue was catching up to me from everything I did during the summer. Still, I decided to get things looked at just in case.
I passed out again when I got my blood drawn. This happened on either 09/19 or 09/20. After that, I felt HORRIBLE. I took me three hours to leave the clinic because I kept shaking, feeling nauseated, and feeling weak. I thought it was result of doing a fasting blood draw, since my main concern was glucose. I went in thinking that maybe I had hypoglycemia. The thyroid test actually hadn't been ordered by my doctor; one of the walk-in doctors at the clinic tacked it on to the order upon talking to me after I passed out.
All of my other blood tests came back normal. I ended up only having, as the walk-in clinic doctor put it, a "slight imbalance in TSH." My TSH was 5.11. They didn't test for T3 or T4. I also had a urinary tract infection, as my urine contained 50,000 - 100,000 cfu/ml of mixed flora. My PCD prescribed me 50mcg of levothyroxine, as well as the antibiotics for the UTI.
The horrible feeling continued. Simply being conscious took all of my effort. I felt like I could pass out at any moment. I didn't go outside for four days because it scared me.
On 09/23, I went to the ER at 2:30am in the morning because I thought I was having a heart attack. My heart rate sped up, and I started shaking uncontrollably for 30 minutes. My grandma drove me to the ER and I got admitted. I ended up having rapid heart beat, which the doctor said might be a result of the levothyroxine. He thinks anxiety worsened my condition. I also had low potassium. So, he prescribed me anti-anxiety pills and a 2-week supply of potassium supplements.
I still felt horrible, but I started to get a little better. On 09/25, I could no longer stay at my grandma's because I had to move to college for school. That kind of forced me out of the situation I was in, and since then I've gotten better. I'm fairly functional.
But that's it. I feel like I'm barely living right now.
I think maybe_me from the Men and Hypothyroidism topic describes my symptoms well:
"My symptoms: Sluggish, headaches, sporadically not motivated, weight gain, difficult to lost weight even after running up to 5 miles three times a week, not happy, anxious, tired but difficult to go to sleep (high level of axiety, i think), etc.. I don't have the energy to get excited over things anymore."
It scares me so much. I've always lived an extremely active lifestyle; I love being involved, achieving highly in classes, volunteering, etc. I am starting a new college this year, and I hoped to sign up for tennis, a business club, a volunteering club, and do musical theater all while achieving a 4.0 GPA. The old me could have done this easily. For the current me, it seems impossible.
I guess that's the scariest part. I feel like I can't do the things I loved to do anymore, like my life has been irrevocably changed.
And, while I know that hypothyroidism takes a while to form, these symptoms only started a couple of weeks ago. I was completely fine before that.
Now, I have depression and anxiety. I NEVER had anxiety before, and depression, while sometimes present, was not a huge issue.
I'm scared. Really scared. And I guess that the worst part is, I think I believe subconsciously that I'm going to die soon. This type of living, compared to how I lived before, seems like dying. Thoughts of the future are hazy, translucent, fleeting. I only have the present.
I was always a forward-thinking person, so the fact that my future no longer seems viable scares me. That had always been my motivation for living.
Anyway, I'm just trying to figure out what's going on. This scares me so, so much. All the doctors I talk to seem to think that hypothyroidism is no big deal, and I don't want to exaggerate it to others if it's not a big deal. They always seem surprised that it's affecting my lifestyle. But it is affecting my lifestyle, a lot. I can't live my life the way I want to anymore. And it makes me think: "what's the point of living, if I can't ever feel alive again?"
At that time, I felt perfectly healthy. Female, just turned 19. I've always lived fairly healthily; I eat okay (I could stand to cut down the sugar intake a little), I exercise, I don't smoke, I don't drink alcohol, and I don't have sex. I spent the summer both working full-time and taking classes full-time, and I had no problem with it. Concurrently, I went to the gym three times a week and hung out with friends.
Then, two days after my last day at work (I left for school), I passed out while at the gym. This was on 09/14.
It freaked me out a little, but the gym employees claimed that it happened all the time. And I think they were right to think that; maybe I'd just worked out a little too hard. I left from there, with no worries.
After that, I felt a little off. It's hard to describe now because I don't remember it fully, but I guess it was fatigue. It wasn't overwhelming; I could still function, apart from the fact that I didn't feel well enough to exercise. It would also make sense if fatigue was catching up to me from everything I did during the summer. Still, I decided to get things looked at just in case.
I passed out again when I got my blood drawn. This happened on either 09/19 or 09/20. After that, I felt HORRIBLE. I took me three hours to leave the clinic because I kept shaking, feeling nauseated, and feeling weak. I thought it was result of doing a fasting blood draw, since my main concern was glucose. I went in thinking that maybe I had hypoglycemia. The thyroid test actually hadn't been ordered by my doctor; one of the walk-in doctors at the clinic tacked it on to the order upon talking to me after I passed out.
All of my other blood tests came back normal. I ended up only having, as the walk-in clinic doctor put it, a "slight imbalance in TSH." My TSH was 5.11. They didn't test for T3 or T4. I also had a urinary tract infection, as my urine contained 50,000 - 100,000 cfu/ml of mixed flora. My PCD prescribed me 50mcg of levothyroxine, as well as the antibiotics for the UTI.
The horrible feeling continued. Simply being conscious took all of my effort. I felt like I could pass out at any moment. I didn't go outside for four days because it scared me.
On 09/23, I went to the ER at 2:30am in the morning because I thought I was having a heart attack. My heart rate sped up, and I started shaking uncontrollably for 30 minutes. My grandma drove me to the ER and I got admitted. I ended up having rapid heart beat, which the doctor said might be a result of the levothyroxine. He thinks anxiety worsened my condition. I also had low potassium. So, he prescribed me anti-anxiety pills and a 2-week supply of potassium supplements.
I still felt horrible, but I started to get a little better. On 09/25, I could no longer stay at my grandma's because I had to move to college for school. That kind of forced me out of the situation I was in, and since then I've gotten better. I'm fairly functional.
But that's it. I feel like I'm barely living right now.
I think maybe_me from the Men and Hypothyroidism topic describes my symptoms well:
"My symptoms: Sluggish, headaches, sporadically not motivated, weight gain, difficult to lost weight even after running up to 5 miles three times a week, not happy, anxious, tired but difficult to go to sleep (high level of axiety, i think), etc.. I don't have the energy to get excited over things anymore."
It scares me so much. I've always lived an extremely active lifestyle; I love being involved, achieving highly in classes, volunteering, etc. I am starting a new college this year, and I hoped to sign up for tennis, a business club, a volunteering club, and do musical theater all while achieving a 4.0 GPA. The old me could have done this easily. For the current me, it seems impossible.
I guess that's the scariest part. I feel like I can't do the things I loved to do anymore, like my life has been irrevocably changed.
And, while I know that hypothyroidism takes a while to form, these symptoms only started a couple of weeks ago. I was completely fine before that.
Now, I have depression and anxiety. I NEVER had anxiety before, and depression, while sometimes present, was not a huge issue.
I'm scared. Really scared. And I guess that the worst part is, I think I believe subconsciously that I'm going to die soon. This type of living, compared to how I lived before, seems like dying. Thoughts of the future are hazy, translucent, fleeting. I only have the present.
I was always a forward-thinking person, so the fact that my future no longer seems viable scares me. That had always been my motivation for living.
Anyway, I'm just trying to figure out what's going on. This scares me so, so much. All the doctors I talk to seem to think that hypothyroidism is no big deal, and I don't want to exaggerate it to others if it's not a big deal. They always seem surprised that it's affecting my lifestyle. But it is affecting my lifestyle, a lot. I can't live my life the way I want to anymore. And it makes me think: "what's the point of living, if I can't ever feel alive again?"
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Hypothyroidism is a tricky condition to manage. Getting the dose of the thyroid replacement med exactly right requires some trial and error, which requires patience.
I've seen several people do through this. Getting the TSH, T3, and T4 tests every week or two, tweaking the thyroid med dose accordingly, monitoring how they feel, and repeating the process as needed until the dose is just right.
Keep in mind that hypothyroidism mimics clinic depression. Most psychiatrists test thyroid function when evaluating a person for clinical depression, since thyroid disease turns out to be the underlying cause in about 10% of cases. As you get the thyroid replacement med dosed right, the feelings of depression should fade.
And yes, a number of OTC and prescription meds are off limits to people taking thyroid replacement meds. It's always a problem to find out what doesn't mix with what when starting new meds, but your pharmacist should be able to provide guidance.
Good luck and hope you feel better soon.
I've seen several people do through this. Getting the TSH, T3, and T4 tests every week or two, tweaking the thyroid med dose accordingly, monitoring how they feel, and repeating the process as needed until the dose is just right.
Keep in mind that hypothyroidism mimics clinic depression. Most psychiatrists test thyroid function when evaluating a person for clinical depression, since thyroid disease turns out to be the underlying cause in about 10% of cases. As you get the thyroid replacement med dosed right, the feelings of depression should fade.
And yes, a number of OTC and prescription meds are off limits to people taking thyroid replacement meds. It's always a problem to find out what doesn't mix with what when starting new meds, but your pharmacist should be able to provide guidance.
Good luck and hope you feel better soon.
Sorry for the second post, but I'm not sure how to edit my original post.
I want to clarify that I know I have hypothyroidism. I am just wondering if these symptoms are because of the hypothyroidism, or because I might have another condition.
I am going to a new doctor on Wednesday, but I"m not sure what else she'll be able to do to help me.
Also, I've had a cold for the past week or so, and I was taking Dayquil until I realized that you're not supposed to take it with a thyroid condition (I actually found this forum while searching for the interactions between dayquil and hypothyroidism.) So, I'm not sure if I just feel worse because of the cold. Either way, I don't think the cold alone can account for all of my symptoms.
Additionally, I've had a yeast infection this week. It seems like the diseases are piling up and overcoming me.
I want to clarify that I know I have hypothyroidism. I am just wondering if these symptoms are because of the hypothyroidism, or because I might have another condition.
I am going to a new doctor on Wednesday, but I"m not sure what else she'll be able to do to help me.
Also, I've had a cold for the past week or so, and I was taking Dayquil until I realized that you're not supposed to take it with a thyroid condition (I actually found this forum while searching for the interactions between dayquil and hypothyroidism.) So, I'm not sure if I just feel worse because of the cold. Either way, I don't think the cold alone can account for all of my symptoms.
Additionally, I've had a yeast infection this week. It seems like the diseases are piling up and overcoming me.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Thyroid Disorders Community
We tapped the CDC for information on what you need to know about radiation exposure
Endocrinologist Mark Lupo, MD, answers 10 questions about thyroid disorders and how to treat them
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
It takes approx 5-6 weeks for a thyroid medication to reach full potential in the body; therefore, it's recommended to be tested - Free T3, Free T4, TSH every 6 weeks until levels are stabilized; more frequent testing is a waste of money, since medications won't have reached full potential, except in the case of cytomel, which is a T3 medication and acts quickly.
You also need to be tested for thyroid antibodies to determine if you have an autoimmune thyroid issue, such as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which is the # 1 cause of hypothyroidism in developed countries.
You should also get a thyroid ultra sound to check for nodules.
In addition, it's not uncommon for those of us with hypothyroidism/Hashimoto's to be deficient in several vitamins/minerals, such as vitamin B12, D, selenium, magnesium, calcium.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause absolutely debilitating fatigue/exhaustion.