could this be hyperthyroidism or a brain tumor?

[Firedude17]

This might be a little long, sorry about it.

I've had the feeling lately that I'm just falling apart, both physically and mentally. I'm currently 17, studying in school. My grades and social life are falling badly due to my issues,which really troubles me a lot. :(

Physical issues: I have constant tremors through my body 24/7, most evident and obvious through my thumbs, trouble speaking clearly and jumbling up words, trouble focusing my eyes, and fatigue at times.

Mental issues: SEVERE brain fog...my memory is completely shot, I forget things almost immediately; can't concentrate/focus my brain (it's very loud and crowded and muddled in there), brief moments where I forget where I'm going; I lose track of conversations easily, have to have people repeat themselves, etc. I also just feel like I'm moving slower than everyone else, feeling very pathetic.

Tests done: MRI scan sometime in July 2013, clear
Complete bloodwork done in 2013, early 2014, nothing showed up.
Thyroid test clear
Sleep study done a month back-normal
Went to see an eye doctor, no issues found.


I was feeling kinda dizzy foggy headed at times and out of it since the end of 2012. At this point it was manageable and not being too detrimental to my life. However i feel uneasy about it. Went to see a GP, tested me for complete blood-work and thyroid, results came out fine. She then referred me to a psychiatrist, a neuro and an eye doctor. Psychiatrist prescribed me on Prozac for 8 months, with several increments in dose throughout the months. Did absolutely nothing to help the symptoms but zombify my feelings and make me feel sick sometimes. Neurologist appointment came, had a MRI and it came back clear, doctor diagnosed it as anxiety.

I admit i am a little stressed due to my upcoming major exam then, but nothing too huge to handle as i was coping rather well with my studies then. Symptoms worsened, tremors began, concentration was struck and i felt more dim-witted than before. Was prescribed Ritalin by psyc to help. Worked initially with nausea and insomnia as side effects, but after my exam into my new school term in 2014, it was no longer working. Was taken off the 2 meds afterwards, but symptoms of foggy head and tremors still remained.


Thought of sleep apnea as a possible cause, did sleep study. Sleep was alright. Put on Zoloft in April 2014, reduced my anxiety greatly but symptoms also remained. i honestly could not take this anymore. i often got scolded at work due to this and my grades are also affected. My parents are also not very rich and hesitant to continue letting me see anymore docs as they think its all in the mind. i managed to persuade them to let me see docs for at least another more year but i am lost at where to start. I cant get a girlfriend due to this and i feel so stupid and clumsy compared to my peers. I used to be rather bright and scored A's for high school, but now I'm failing most of my exams and cant listen in school at all. Could this be brain tumor?( Not sure how long the MRI would be valid for). What should i do? I really want my life back!! :( Any comments on this issue would be greatly appreciated, thanks! :)


Other relevant info: I'm Male, 17, from Singapore. Have struggled with these issues since 15. My mood has been rather low these days. Currently taking zoloft for anxiety. Brain fog cause me to take an hour to complete this post.

[Firedude17]

I see...just took another thyroid, full blood count and blood sugar blood test a week ago. Will be having doctor apptment soon. Hope that it goes well. Thanks for the reply! I hope for the best......

[goolarra]

Doctors often aren't concerned.  Their job is to make sure you are "in range" on tests.  If they keep you in range, they don't get sued.  Once diagnosed with a thyroid issue, many get their patients back into range on tests and then completely ignore the fact that they're still symptomatic.  

Thyroid test ranges are more flawed than most.  Also, inherently, we all have a part of the range we feel well in.  For some of us, that's low in the range, for others, it's high.  Three of us can have the same FT3 and FT4 numbers, and like the bears, one will feel hypo, one will feel hyper, and one will be juuuust right.

If you have unexplained symptoms, you have to get copies of all test results and then find out where real people had to start meds or supplements.  

[Firedude17]

hmm i see but my doctor didn't really mention anything and didnt seem concerned about the thyroid issue

[Firedude17]

i will be getting an emg in a month's time, other than that i only had a mri done and physical examination done by my neurologist. I have stopped taking ritalin as it wasn't helpful to me

[goolarra]

Thyroid test ranges are very flawed.  So, basically being in range says very little.  The same is true for many other tests.  So, it's important to get copies of your lab work and do your own research on what's actually "normal" and what isn't.

If you just had TSH and FT4 tested, then testing wasn't adequate, either.  Along with those, FT3 should be tested.  

[Red_Star]

Clearly you have issues with your nervous system. Ritalin is a central nervous stimulant which clearly helped for a short amount of time. Did you have a full neurological work up done?

[Firedude17]

Thanks for the reply! The test i had for thyroid was around 3months back, t4 and tsh is in the normal range, and no, i had not had the vitamins b12 and d tested but i do take a multivitamin daily, so i thought i could rule that out.

Despite the mri being clear, i am still worried that there might still be something as it was taken over a year ago. My symptoms did not improve and in fact got a little worse( memory's gotten horrible, it's crippling, my brain is essentially blank). I was wondering if i should get another mri as my family is currently tight on funds, it's not cheap to take one(could cost a couple of hundreds to a thousand at where i live). Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.

[goolarra]

Since you were already having these symptoms when you had your MRI and it was clear, I think you can pretty much cross the rain tumor off your list, no?

Let's start by your posting your actual thyroid test results.  Just because they are in range doesn't mean you can't have thyroid symptoms.  Please also post the reference ranges for those tests since they vary lab to lab and have to come from your own lab report.

Have you ever had vitamins B-12 and D tested?