Skin Discoloration on Neck/Hypothyroid?

[eeshort1]

This may sound a bit odd..however, I have noticed in the last 3 months there is a dark discoloration of skin on my neck just above my shirtline on both sides.  It almost looks like my neck is dirty. I have tried different things to scrub it off to no avail.  A co-worker of mine told me that her brother had something similar and was diagnosed with Hypothyroid.  Does this sound possible?  I have been tested on a few occasions in the past for my thyroid as I have had symptoms of irregular heartbeat for which I take Atenolol.  Is it worth going to the Dr.?

[OceanMama9]

I also have had my neck get increasingly darker with patches looking like it's dirty.  It coincided with hair loss and fatigue.  Kept asking re. my thyroid, had multiple drs. do bloodwork and say I'm "low but in range" on all thyroid labs.  Now on low dose Naturethroid (at my own request!) and feeling less like a train hit me.  I am, however, stuck with the dark neck skin.  It has to be the thyroid.  Surprised not more written about this online.  Not sure how to get my neck back to normal?  Also major sagging skin and general skin malaise since thyroid dropped.  I did genetic testing and found my body has a hard time making T3 from T4.

[gimel]

What is your NatureThroid dose?  What are your prior and current thyroid related test results and reference ranges shown on the lab report?  Also, if tested for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin, please post those as well.  

[wendy_19]

I just recently had a Hypo thyroid diagnosis, for 3 years prior, my hair was falling and several other symptoms but upon blood tests levels appeared normal. I recently returned to the doc with severe heart palpitations, then the levels showed up as hypo, but only slightly, although I must say my symptoms are very intense and varied. Im completely exhausted a lot of the time, my mood is very low and I feel very anxious, vulnerable and emotional for the slightest reason. I dont want to start the medication until Ive tried food changes, as im told once on the meds its harder to cure naturally and the meds may not be that suitable either. Anyway Ive cut out gluten, wheat, diary and other foods that that aggravate the condition and introduced foods that help heal. Ive ordered medical mediums healing the thyroid book, which many people swear by, so hope to introduce more healthy options soon, apparently this books says thyroid can relate to Epstein Barr Virus, which relates to shingle virus, which I have had in the past and it stays dormant in your system, certain foods feed the virus etc...I also have a discolouration on thyroid area of neck! (I think its related). I watched a online talk by Dr Wentz, she specialises with Thyroid related illness, that was helpful. I want to see a Naturopath and have more tests, the dr would only do basic's, although I did puch them to test me for antibodies, which came back positive. I can post test results if you can advise further. I hope sharing my experience  helps others. I believe if you get negative test results and you have the symptoms or you only show up boarder line, push for more tests or get them privately if possible, because everyones levels are individual, and theres no general normal level for all, dr wentz talked about this.

[Red_Star]

I have acanthosis nigricans due to insulin resistance.

"Acanthosis nigricans is a brown to black, poorly defined, velvety hyperpigmentation of the skin. It is usually found in body folds, such as the posterior and lateral folds of the neck, the armpits, groin, navel, forehead, and other areas." -  Acanthosis nigricans - Wikipedia

"Hypothyroidism can be added to the list of endocrine diseases associated with acanthosis nigricans. This is unlikely to be a direct effect of the hypothyroid state, but may instead be an indirect action mediated through obesity and subsequent insulin resistance. Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia seem to be commonly associated with (and perhaps causative of) the acanthosis nigricans that is seen in many endocrine diseases."*

*Acanthosis nigricans and insulin resistance associated with hypothyroidism. Arch Dermatol.
1985 Feb;121(2):229-31.

[OceanMama9]

I also have had my neck get increasingly darker with patches looking like it's dirty.  It coincided with hair loss and fatigue.  Kept asking re. my thyroid, had multiple drs. do bloodwork and say i'm "low but in range" on all thyroid labs.  Now on low dose Naturethroid (at my own request!) and feeling less like a train hit me.  I am, however, stuck with the dark neck skin.  It has to be the thyroid.  Surprised not more written about this online.  Not sure how to get my neck back to normal?  Also major sagging skin and general skin malaise since thyroid dropped.  I did genetic testing and found my body has a hard time making T3 from T4.

[mambu]

I just noticed how old your post is .. have you gotten any diagnosis's for the dark neck issue?  

[mambu]

I have been diagnosed with border line hypothyroidism for about 30 years now.. recently I noticed slightly dark areas on each side of my neck just above my shirt line also.. I was at my physicians office last month and didn't notice it then.. It also feels like I have pressure in my throat sometimes causing breathing and swallowing difficulties.   I do have a couple of nodules on my thyroid but they have gotten smaller over the years and have gotten smaller.  My thyroid physician sent me to a Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) doctor because he didn't think that the pressure in my neck was due to my thyroid but my ENT dr. says he thinks it may be my thyroid.   I am having a blood test soon to check for allergies. I will let you know if I get a solid answer.  Regards, Mambu2u

[TamraW]

The front of my chest is red most of the time, with tiny little red spots inside of bigger blotches. It looks and feels like a sunburn. Read my above post about my disease. It doesn't mean you have hypo or hashi, but you should get your labs, especially if you have other symptoms.
:) Tamra

[jena64]

I have a red neck all of the time like it is sunburned.  I thought it is because I'm getting older and I know your skin changes.  But could this be something else?

[TamraW]

Last year I was misdiagnosed with Shingles, but I kept getting the so-called Shingles monthly, along with fatigue, constipation, and a feeling like I'd been hit by a train. I have MANY more symptoms now. I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (a form of hypothyroidism). I get rashes/hives/burning skin frequently, but it has been better since the Synthroid.

Beware about lab values, though. Some doctors look at high values and interpret them as normal. It really depends on your endo. My TSH and FT4 looked normal to my first endos, so I switched and she ran more tests and found that I do have Hashi's.

Get your labs and post them here afterward, along with your symptoms, so we can give you our opinions.

Thyroid labs to ask for:
TSH
FT4
FT3
Anti-TPO
TGlob

Also, sometimes parathyroid disease causes these symptoms, along with kidney stones and bone density issues. If you have stones or bone issues, ask for PTH, serum and ionized calcium.

Take care...
:) Tamra