hypothyroidism

hi.i am 32 and after my 2nd child was born i started to have some bad hairloss for 1 whole month, ice cold feet (since jan.2008 for all my symptomes), fatigue, puffy face, mood swings, sweating, very dry skin, brittle nails etc. went to doc in sept.2008, checked blood, told me under active thyroid and my testosterone level was very elevated.is that called hypothyroidism? since than i am on levothyroxine, first 25MCG now 50 MCG. still ice cold feet, sweating, brittle nails and very dry skin. since jan.2009 swelling over right knee with lots of  muscle aches and flares that i sometimes barely can walk. under my breasts is everything swollen where the bone is and something in my left breast near nipple, under both armpits all lymph glands are swollen, one in the backside of my neck left back(since march 2009), in my groins, inside of my upper legs, my hands and feet are almost everyday so warm and feel so thick and sometimes stiff that i broke some glasses couldnt hold them. mood swings, night sweats, irregular period (last one in sept.last for 3 weeks long!!!very slow flow, the others before that lasts 2 weeks long, one was one week with very heavy painful flow and clots). my doc will test my blood for lupus, RA, always thyroid level, all hormones, CBC, CMP etc. can all that come from my thyroid? or other causes?which? i dont have health insurance, cant go that often to doc. he ordered mammogram, cant afford it.right now checking out where to go for that. cancer in my family from my father side. also RA. any help? thanks and god bless. mandy

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

pregnancy can trigger autoimmune conditions, particularly with your family history.  If you have other conditions I would say they are  separate from the thyroid. But some of the symptoms you describe could be thyroid-related.

Do you know your thyroid levels?  Please post along withe the reference ranges. You may still be undermedicated, which would exaccerbate everything else.

Need to get your thyroid levels optimised then your doc can work on other stuff.  

Would make sure you are taking a good vit D supplement as low Vit D is implicated in a lot of autoimmune conditions (have it tested if you could afford to), as well as getting reasonable sun exposure.  

[TamraW]

Mandy, I have Hashimoto's, which causes hypothyroidism. Sometimes, Hashi can resemble Lupus or MS. Testing required for Hashi antibodies are TGab and TPOab bloodwork as well as a thyroid ultrasound.

Here are my symptoms:

Mild weight gain even while dieting
Extreme fatigue/napping
GERD/Heartburn/chest pain
Mostly constipation mixed with diarrhea
Depression/anxiety/forgetfulness/brain fog
Abdomen swells for no apparent reason
Neck/jaw pain/swelling/pressure
Scratchy voice
Migraines, dizziness and back of neck/head pain
Very cold feet and hands and sometimes a feeling like ants are biting my feet
Endometriosis (2 years ago – cured after one year of birth control)
Irregular/heavy periods and menstrual-like cramping in between periods
Ear pressure/pain
Voice is sometimes hoarse
Knee/joint pains – finger swelling and pain
Rash or scaly skin on neck, head, hands, chest, chin, nose, right armpit down to waist
Dry eyes and sometimes soreness
Occasionally I have a mild hot flashes or chills
Night throbbing/pounding in ears that wakes me
Toe nails feel painful and brittle
Muscles in legs sometimes go wobbly and weak when I am standing
Tingling feet/hands/lips
Body temp ranges 97-97.5
Hair clumps in shower
Shaky hands
Blood pressure changing
Feeling like heart is beating fast
Decreased sex drive
Enlarged lymphnodes in neck and armpit
Legs feel heavy and swollen at times

:) Tamra

[Barb135]

You have a lot of symptoms of menopause -- you might need to get your estrogen, progesterone, etc tested.  Pregnancy can cause turmoil with the hormones

I agree that you should post your thyroid levels.  With all the swollen lymph glands, lumps in your breast and a family history like yours, you NEED that mammogram NOW.  Check with your local city or county health dept, they should be able to help you since you don't have insurance.  

[mandy1442]

hi. thanks for the comments. we share almost every symptome as i can read here. my doctor wants to check all my hormones, check for lupus, RA, prolactin, CBC, CMP etc. all that stuff and i will have a mammogram also.my testosterone last year was so elevated, my doctor told me some men would kill me for that. not funny for me. i dont like that, got hear on my back after my 2nd son was born. think i am in perimenopause also. since over a year my doc checks my thyroid level every 3 months. and i am not pregnant!! was always hard for me to get pregnant. each time (2times) i was on a protein diet and became pregrant. now...both my both are having allergy to egg white. coinsed.?

[mandy1442]

hi sally.thanks. i knew my levels from last year and early this year but not the current once. have to check that in 2 weeks than i know more. last time doc told me in august maybe next time higher dose.will see. before my 2nd son was born in 2007 i didnt have any of these symptoms, just since always irregular periods and lots of cysts on my ovaries, esp.the right one. still have it. he will test for this matter too. hope in 3 weeks or so i am in the clear and know more about whats going on in my body. as a mom you have to take care of yourself, am i right? but as a mom you always put your kids in the first place. its right to do that of course, but we moms always forget to take care of us. but everything is in changing process right now. just takes time.hard to wait for all those needed answers. and i am happy to talk to you here in this group. any advise what else i can do?

[mandy1442]

i also have severe sometimes mild tailbone pain. i knew that from being pregrant but after my second son was born everything changed... and since august i also have tailbone pain, comes and goes, but mostly there and sometimes very painfull. where does it come from? anybody out there who knows something from own experi.?thanks.

[Super_sally888]

i also have the tailbone pain.  try a craniosacral therapist or a chiropractor that specialises in women;s issues.... no one here who can treat it for me.... but may be able to get some help when i get back to australia next year.

[mandy1442]

without insurance you dont have so many choices where to go if you have pain or symptomes. i will have to do my blood test and than check back with my doctor and see what we will do. stay well.