Diagnosed with hypothyroidism but my doctor didn't give me anything

[philip341]

I am 17 and was told a few days ago  found that I have hypothyroidism. I have been having different symptoms for a few years but no doctor could find the problem. They just told me it's anxiety or stress. My parents kept taking me to doctors and we finally found the problem. The doctor  also said my vitamin D level was very low. I drink soy milk as well and all the doctor did was tell me to stop drinking the soy milk and to repeat the test agian in two months. He didn't give me any medicine but did tell me to start taking vitamin D. Should I follow his adive? Shouldn't he have given me a prescription? Is hypothyroidism fatal?

[yallolorry]

hi Philip

first of all commisserations if you have an underactive thyroid - hypothyroidism. Your symptoms certainly sound about right. It's fairly typical if a test shows borderline results not to immediately start treatment but to test again in 6-8 weeks, especially if previous tests have shown up as "normal".

Like you I was drinking soya milk before I was diagnosed and I will always wonder whether that might have exacerbated my condition.

Your doc sounds switched on if they told you to stop the soya and tested for Vitamin D. You might find that you will start to feel better once you're on that and you might not need thyroid replacement therapy (thyroxine), or you might not need it yet. Once you are on it you will almost certainly be on it for life so if you can find another solution to your symptoms that might be preferable. Vitamin D deficiency can have pretty profound effects and supplementation might make a big difference for you.

Thryoid replacement hormone is not always a simple solution. There are plenty of us on here who take it but still don't feel entirely well. Equally, for some it can be wonderful. We are all different. Lots of people who post on here and haven't found thyroxine to be a complete solutin for them have found relief from a combination of thyroid meds and things like supplements, equally there are some who are apparently well without the thyroid meds though that's controversial...

you will probably come across a lot of conflicting points of view about thyroid treatments on the web and it can be particularly distressing trying to work out what to do for the best because just being hypothyroid can make everything seem worse! It can really mess with your state of mind!

I'm really pleased you have a doctor who has been recommended and sounds like he is going to be supportive. Keep talking to him and educate yourself as much as you can. Getting back to feeling well again will probably take a bit of time whatever you do so be patient with yourself but also don't be afraid to ask whatever questions you need to ask and challenge anything that doesn't sit comfortably with you. It's your body and you deserve to be listened to and taken seriously.

wishing you well.

[philip341]

The doctor we went to is a GP. He was recomended to us by one of my mom's co-Workers. I think I finally found a doctor that actually cares and wants to make you healthy and is persistant in trying to find a solution. He did mention something about a referall to someone else. I'll ask him about that next time I see him.

[Totie]

My husband was told his level indicated hypo on a routine check up. The doctor told him he wanted to test in two more months before starting him on medication. My husband agreed because he does not want to be on thyroid medication if he does not need to be.

His second blood test came back as hypo, so he was put on 25mcg of medication to start off with. He is now on 50mcg & we will retest again in six weeks.

His primary is doing the testing, he was not referred to an Endocrinologist, I don't think he needs to be. My primary handles my levels & medication as well.

[newbeerob]

Thanks for getting back to me, you are definitely helpful like I expected.  That is good advice for me to ask for copies of my blood work so at least I can keep them for my records.  My family doctor has had me have various tests, lots of bloodwork to rule out a major problem, MRI to rule out spinal issues or nerve damage and I am going to see a neurologist in August.  Each one of these tests have indicated that I am totally fine.  Like lots of people out there this makes me nuts because obviously I know something is wrong with my body from all the pain.  I also have a feeling that I will be mis-diagnosed with fibromyalsia because they won't be able to figure out whats wrong.  Another part of me does think that maybe it is the affects from long term stress and it will take a long time to leave my body but another part of me wants to solve the problem and get rid of the pain.  So in terms of the blood work looking for thyroid issues, what would they be looking for and how do they determine if it's normal or not.  Because you would think one person would be different from the next.

Rob

[blsdnsvd]

It seems as though you have alot going on. I am going to assume that you have been to a doctor in relation to the stomach issues?? Sometimes, one condition can cause us to have symptoms in other areas of our bodies. If there is something major going on inside of your body, often times, blood work can detect when there is a problem. What are the doctors or specialists telling you??

As far as the thyroid issue goes, you seem to be having both hypo and hyper symptoms (brain fog, exhaustion, anxious)...have you noticed any heart palps or flutters?? I suggest that you find another endocrinologist and be very persistent with him/her as far as how you are feeling. Explain every detail of your symptoms and ask questions. An "experienced" doc will listen to you and do their best to help you. Blood work is not the only way to detect a thyroid issue especially using the TSH levels (i recently found that out). Have you ever had a sonogram or uptake scan of the thyroid??? These tests will determine the activity of the thyroid's function.  It's obvious that this condition is genetic in your family and therefore you are at risk for developing it as well.    

I have a friend who was misdiagnosed and it took the seventh doctor to run tests and diagnose her with Graves Disease. She had a small amount of cancer within her thyroid and had it removed. Because she was diagnosed at a late stage, she is not able to maintain a normal active life and is permantely on disability. It is important to be diagnosed early before the condition can do damage.

If you have any copies of your recent blood work pertaining to the thyroid tests, please post them...if not...always request copies of your medical records to have for your records.

I am certain that others on this site will also respond to your post with helpful and guided information.

I hope this helped some...

[newbeerob]

Hey,
       I am just new to this website, I was reading some of your posts and you seem to be pretty informed and give some pretty solid advice. For about one year I have had quite a few health problems.  In the middle of March last year I had a migraine, threw up and immediately  felt pain in my lower back and adbomen.  This pain sometimes was so int    ense it would bring me to my knees and I should also mentioned my bladder and bowel was function was not right for at least 4 months.  In the year since I have constantly felt a dull aching pain in my adbomen which gets worse when I sit down.  I also have in the past 6 months started to develope extreme tension in my shoulders and in the front of my neck. I had thought some of these problems were related to gastrointestinal but I have since determined that its related to my muscles in and around my abdomen, back, neck and shoulders.  I have experienced alot of stress due to some personal issues in the last year and alot of people have told me its just stress.  However, now that I don't think my life is stressful and these problems are still here I beleive I need to get further tests to eliminate some things.  Therefore, I guess I am hoping you can help me determine whether or not its a hyperthyroid problem.  So my symptoms are basically lots of muscle pain, my neck sometimes is so clenched that I can feel the muscles are like steel rods.  At night I am constantly clenching my toes and can't seem to stop it.  I also feel periods where I feel extremely tired where I am almost in a fog.  There are other times when I feel super hyper and anxious where I can't sit still.  Can a hyperthyroid cause some of these issues.  In the past I have gone for blood tests and told my doctor I wanted to test for thyroid because it runs in my family and my mother has graves disease.  The blood tests came back and all he said was everything was alright.  I really want to be more informed about thyroid so I know what the tests are looking for.  I appologize if I just told you my life story but if you have any words of help please let me know.

Thanks,
Rob

[blsdnsvd]

As i have learned from posters on this site, Free t4 and Free t3 and the most important indicators of  how the patient feels and being that your levels were low, that explains why. Whatever you do, stay persistent and never allow a doctor to push your symptoms under the rug or onto another doctor especially the ones that you described. I too have all of the symptoms that you've named and it's all because i had my thyroid removed and now i am hypo.

Is this doc an Endocrinologist? if not...that's who you need to be referred to.

[philip341]

Thnks for your responses
the symptoms I was having were: Extreme fatigue, palpitations, dry skin, feeling cold, shortness of breath, muscle pains and feeling drowsy. The thing that really upsets me though is that I had a TSH test done 3 times in the past and it was normal. This time the new doctor I was seeing, who runs a private practice also checked the free t4 and t3 and said it was low. Also I'm not sure what the results were.

[dwt7let]

All I can say is idiot's idiot's and more idiot's!!!!
Thats who we have to deal with when with thyroid we are not our best at all and a bit vulnerable.
What ever you do go and get your self some treatment even if you buy some yourself and start on 25 mg's. I believe alot of endocronologists these people who have our life in their hands are actually trained in Diabetes what has this got to do with thyroid???
I myself was un-treated for years untill I paid private, I am going again this week.
Here in England they treat every individual symptom separately I notice you have asthma me too. An under-active thyroid causes this depression, skin problems, stomach.bowel problems, blood pressure problems, the list go's on. Also thyroid leads to heart problems if not properly treated!!
Also those tests are rubbish too general whats right for you isn't right for me it's too
generalised. Borderline means you have thyroid trouble don't be fobbed off or look else where!!!!
Take Care
Lorraine x

[Super_sally888]

do take vitamin D.  make sure its D3.

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

do you have your test results?  Please post them and we can comment on them better.  If the levels were 'borderline' perhaps the doctor wants to repeat tests in 2 months to make sure before you start meds.

Do keep away from soy, it makes it harder for your thyroid to work.  Also some find that cutting out gluten helps.

[MANmom]

Hypothyroidism can be fatal, but you are probably no where near being so hypo...my TSH before cancer treatment got up to 186, but I have heard of several hundred.  Soy will affect the thyroid, you should avoid soy.  Stress can do many things that mimic thyroid, they are baing cautious, but keep up with it.  

[blsdnsvd]

What symptoms are you having?

Your primary care physician should refer you to a Endocrinologist. They specialize in the thyroid department. Once there, they will evaluate your situation and run specific tests, Yes, you should take vitamin due to the fact that your level is low and it's more than likely due to your condition. Any thyroid condition that is detected should be treated to control any symptoms.