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Avatar universal

ear ringing and severe sinus problems

I was just wondering if anyone else has these symptoms that worsened or started around the time your thyroid started to break down.  I have never had ear ringing in my life but now my right ear rings all the time-this is the side that my thyroid is enlarged on.  I also have horrible sinus congestion on that side as well.  The doctor will not say my enlarged thyroid could be the reason.  i also have ear pain like I have an ear infection.  I have gone to the doctor at least 4 times thinking I had a horrible ear infection only to be told there is nothing wrong.  I went to an ENT and had a hearing test and a cat scan-nothing showed up. Please tell me someone else has this problem and I am not going crazy.

Size of thyroid-right side 5x3x2.2cm
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Avatar universal
In the words of a good thyroid doctor, "The free T3 is not as helpful in untreated persons as the free T4 because in the light of a rather low FT4 the body will convert more T4 to T3 to maintain thyroid effect as well as is possible. So the person with a rather low FT4 and high-in-range FT3 may still be hypothyroid. However, if the FT4 is below 1.3 and the FT3 is also rather low, say below 3.4 (range 2 to 4.4 at LabCorp) then its likely that hypothyroidism is the cause of a person's symptoms."

Clearly you have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and are hypothyroid.  So, it is only a matter of time as to when your doctor starts you on thyroid med.  Depending on the philosophy of the doctor some choose to wait until lab results are out of range.  Unfortunately this results in the patient suffering for some time with varying degrees of symptoms.  You are already going through that.  Your Free T4 and Free T3 are both too low in the range for many people and you have all those symptoms, so you should push your doctor to start you on thyroid med.   Many members say that symptom relief required Free T3 in the upper part of its range and Free T4 around the middle of its range at minimum.  

In addition to the issues with low Free T3 and Free T4, hypo patients are frequently too low in the ranges for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin (iron), so you need to know all those.  Your D is way too low and you are already getting shots every week.  D should be around 55-60.  Low D causes symptoms and also adversely affects how thyroid hormone is metabolized.  In your case with the indicated high urine calcium, and low D, I am wondering about the possibility of a parathyroid problem, even though the PTH test was mid range.   When I did some reading I found this.  "Elevated urine calcium (>300 mg/24 hr) is often a sign of an overactive parathyroid gland."  When I did some further searching I found this info which I think you should read and discuss with your doctor..

http://parathyroid.com/low-vitamin-d.htm

So, most important for you I believe is to check out the possibility of hyperparathyroidism.  Second would be to work on the known thyroid issue.  

A good thyroid doctor will treat a hypo patient clinically, by testing and adjusting Free T3 and Free T4 as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels.  Symptom relief should be all important not just test results.  So, in addition to getting your doctor to start you on thyroid med, you should find out if he will be willing to treat you clinically, as described.  If not, then ultimately you will need to find a good thyroid doctor that will do so.  Along that line, I noticed you are located in Michigan.  I am sending a PM with questions about your doctor.  To access, just click on your name and that takes you to your personal page.  Then click on messages.  
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Avatar universal
TPO AB - 600 LAB REF 20
24 URINE CALCIUM = 346.5  LAB REF100-300
PTH INTACT 11-6-2014 = 31 LAB REF 15-65
TSH  11-5-2014= 1.03 LAB REF .30-5.00
FT3   11-5-2014 = 3.2 LAB REF2.3-4.0
FT4   11-5-2014 = 1.16 LAB REF .80-1.80
VITAMIN D 10-10-2014 =18 LAB REF>20
I AM ON 50,000IU OF VITAMIN D 2 X A WEEK
I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE FRACTURES IN BOTH FEET SUPPOSEDLY CAUSED BY VITAMIN DEFICENCY.
THESE LABS ARE FOREIGN TO ME AND I AM NOT SURE WHAT I SHOULD STRESS TO MY ENDO NEXT TUESDAY WHEN I GO BACK.
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Avatar universal
Your symptoms seem to be hypothyroid related.  Many doctors refuse to start their Hashi's patients on medication until lab results exceed reference ranges.  Unfortunately that frequently results in patients suffering with hypo symptoms in the interim.  Other doctors will be more proactive and start Hashi's patients on thyroid meds earlier to minimize the symptoms.  

Please post your thyroid related test results and reference ranges shown on the lab report, so we can better assess your status.    
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Avatar universal
I was diagnosed with hashi a month ago.  for a long time now I have experienced consistent weight gain with dieting.  Chronic fatigue, muscle aches and spams.  for about four month now I have had numbness in both hands and now into the arm with shooting pains and numbness.  after an emg I was told I have severe carpal tunnel syndrome and they are not sure about the right hand.  My regular doc is trying to send me to a neurologist which I do not think I need.  I feel that this is all somehow related to the hashimotos.  my regular temp is now at 96 degrees.  never used to be that way.  I am now going on month two of chronic sinus infections with ear pain.  so far the endo has not put me on any medicine.  Will some type of thyroid treatment be helpful in resolving some of these issues.  Just wondering because I am miserable and my anxiety has gone through the roof.
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Avatar universal
I was diagnosed with a nodule on the thyroid, it has been biopsyed and I am still awaiting the results.
Yes, the ear ringing has been so bad on occasion, that I could not hear outside noises at all.
I even tried hearing aids, which did not help much, as the ringing stopping the noise is interior noise, and it is exterior noise I am wishing to hear- I have missed a whole lot of conversations, because of the lack of being able to hear?  

My ears do ache often- it is a great deal of pressure that feels as though it is trying to push my eardrum out-
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988694 tn?1332359479
I know this is not a new thread, but anyway I wanted to comment.

I wanted to do it because I haven't found much information about earacke, sinusitis and hypothyroidism.

I have been having ear pain since I was a little girl. I had a lot of respiratory infections but never thought it would thyroid related. The worse came with puberty. Sex hormones and imbalance finished the work and I sarted to feel really bad.

Along with the ear pain came headackes and a lot of post nasal drip.

I have been trying to collect information about all this and their relationship with hypothyroidism.

I have read Hypo can cause sinusitis and ear pain, but not sure about the excessive post nasal drip (I have no allergies, doctors have no clue).

I have read also that can be estrogen-progesteron related. I think that being hypo and all the mess with the sex hormones cause all the symptoms.

I started treatment for hypo not long ago, so I am waiting for some results. Once stabilized in that I will take care of the sex hormones imbalance if the symptoms still persist.

Please, If you have been suffering from head, nose ear problems and they have gotten better with hypo treatment, post your experience. It would be very helpful for all of us still suffering. Thanks.
Helpful - 0
789820 tn?1315448513
I have the same symptoms...except ringing in both of my ears and left ear experienced partial hearing loss, extreme ringing and daily ear aches. I just had bloodwork for TSH done and will find out monday what the results are!
Helpful - 0
524020 tn?1223161005
WOW, the doctors make you think you'r nuts because you have all of these strange symptoms. I have had this crazy ear ringing for the last couple of monthes. I also have carpal tunnel in both hands. I never, never thought that is could be linked to my hypothyroidism. I am really motivated to be more proactive in this, instead of just listening to my doctor say "your levels are fine, it's not your thyroid" This forum has given me more info in 5 mins, than my Dr. has in the year since my diagnosis. Well you've been informative. Know anything about hairloss that may be related. Thanks, Deziree
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Avatar universal
No... you're not crazy. I started having all of the same ear problems that you are complaining of and was told that there was nothing wrong. After much testing and pushing the issue, I was told I had Hashimoto's. I'm still having problems with my ears off and on and have had more sinus problems lately.

I often wonder if it isn't because of fluid retention just like a lot of problems with thyroid are related to fluid retention-- you know? Like the bloating, the weight gain, the carpal tunnel is supposedly caused by fluid retention in the wrists/fingers, etc, etc, etc. If you retain the fluid in your ears, you would have symptoms of muffled hearing, ear pain like an infection, and ear ringing.

GERD, believe it or not, can cause some of the ear symptoms as well. I also read that inflammed sinuses can somehow block the eustachain tubes and cause symptoms like this. They say to try a saline nasal spray as this will help with sinuses that are inflammed due to dryness. The spray does seem to help a bit.

Good luck. I hope you find something that works for you :0)
Helpful - 0
438513 tn?1215703374
I hope it gets better for you. The ringing nearly drove me crazy for a week after my PT, but it gradually went away. I think it was more the anesthesia than the thyroid, though.

Hope you feel better soon.

viv
Helpful - 0
168348 tn?1379357075
Geez, I don't know .. I feel awful for you ...

Cheryl
Helpful - 0
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