missed period?

[clareyh]

Hi,

I posted a thing the other day to say i had some unusual symptoms- Weakness- mainly upper arms and thighs, joint pain,  very slight twitches, fatigue, nausea (mild but constant), very slight hand tremors noticed when a hold an item still infront of me, generally feeling shakey, increases bowel movements, occasional numbness in leg, barely noticeable.  Also my bruxism causes a lot of facial pain- temple headaches. I also keep accidently scraping/catching my tongue on my teeth when I talk (not quite tongue biting) and biting the side of my cheek (could be my wisdom teeth though). Anyway I've been panicking that I have Multiple Sclerosis- its all I think about as I had a spell of vertigo about 6 months ago. (talk of fibromyalgia, lupus, lyme disease, parasitic worms has flown around as well). I was due my period 4 days ago and it seems as though I have missed it all together- I saw the tiniest drop of blood once and that was about it. I am NOT pregnant i assure you- it wasnt likley anyway and I have done 4 pregnancy tests to be sure. Anyway as my thyroid levels were borderline 3 months ago (i forget but i think it was overactive but i dont know) and then returned to normal I wondered-

1) are these symptoms, and is missing a period normal if so?
2) How likley is it that my symptoms are caused by my thyroid even though levels returned to within normal range after being discrepant.

Any help would be appreciated,

Clare :)

[dawnangela]

I missed a period for five months with being dx hypo..hyper im not sure but no doubt it messes you up..someone will be along that can help you on that..

[clareyh]

i'm not sure which way my throid levels were when they were discrepant, could be either- just had some blood tests done so i'm hoping that something easily treatable is realised as the MS panick will continue!!

[thelma201]

thyroid problems caused period issues for me, prior to menopause. are you being treated for a thyroid problem? i'm a little confused

[clareyh]

sorry,

no i'm not- i had routine blood tests done and the thyroid levels were borderline (as i say, not sure which way; over or under) and when retested were borderline again. Retested 3 months later and my levels had returned to normal so they did nothing else about it, so never recieved any treatment for a thyroid problem.

[mommyjamieof2]

I have only had 1 period since January almost 10 months!!  And it has been like that for the last couple years.  I have been on thyroid meds for about 3 months and still no return.

[TamraW]

I have Hashimoto's, and because my body swings from hypo to hyper, my blood tests can show normal one week, and low or high the next; therefore, if you have an auto-immune thyroid disease, you need to get your TGab and Anti-TPO blood test. Your doctor has probably never ordered one. I had to request one, and that's how I found out I have Hashi.

I get all of your symptoms when my body swings to hyper mode - ALL of your symptoms.

Then, the next week, I'm back to tired, constipated, etc...

If you never get the fatigue, constipation, weight gain, etc...just the diarrhea, shaky hands, weight loss, then you should also look into Graves disease. I do believe the TGab and Anti-TPO tests will reveal Graves as well.

Request a thyroid ultrasound as well to see if a goiter is causing your face pain. Both Graves and Hashi people can have goiters/nodules.

Also, order these labs again, TSH, FT4, FT3. When you get your labs back, please post them here. The good news is that there is medication to stabilize your thyroid levels and help you feel better.

:) Tamra

[clareyh]

thanks,

I am waiting on blood tests to come back- I am getting:

-B12/Folate, Fasting Glucose, Ferritin, GP Profile (whatever that means), Thyroid function, Vitamin D Metabolites, Plasma Viscosity and a FBC.

I will wait to see what they yield and then you suggest, requesting these other ones from my GP?

I am quite clueless, i'm only 21 and prior to these horrible mass of symptoms was fine so im struggling to cope with it all! :(

I appreciate all your advice and I will try and obtain a copy of the blood test results!

:)

[thelma201]

looks like you're having alot of things tested, and this could indeed turn out to be a thyroid issue- i very much doubt you have MS!!! and I'm thinking if you've only missed 1 period it might be due to the stress of all this?? just a stab, but stress can also cause hormonal fluctuations. I wouldn't be worried about missing just 1 period right now. If you go a few months and don't have one, see a gyno! Sounds like you are moving in the right direction to get to the bottom of these symptoms..well wishes :)

[coco1993]

Yes! I have the same symptoms with numbness and my joints feel stiff al the time, i can barly keep my eyes open and i just feel like when im walking my legs will buckle. I havent had a period in 1 year and my tsh level is 3.51. Its normal but the headaches are getting worse. You might want to have an OXIMETRY study to see if some of it might be pituitary problems and if your like me the tierdness of how i feel cause stress. Good Luck!

[thelma201]

You have elevated TSH

[clareyh]

thanks everyone :) I think i have made it so much worse as I am so stressed about it and am a highly anxious person anyway. Guess i'l wait for my blood test results then take it from there!

:)

[TamraW]

Coco, TSH of 3.51 is NOT normal. Many labs have lowered the threshold to 2.5. My TSH was 2.74 when all this started. Docs told me that was normal, too, so I did some research.

I demanded the Anti-TPO and TGab Hashimoto's antibody blood tests.

My Anti-TPO is 221, and anything over 35 is NOT normal. Therefore, if we were just to rely on my TSH, which is a pituitary hormone, anyway, not a thyroid hormone, then I would still be in the dark about my Hashimoto's disease.

I am on thyroid hormone replacement meds now and feeling much better.

If you have Hashimotos, and/or hypothyroid symptoms, then a TSH of a 0.5-1.0 might make you feel better. Also, for many hypo patients, your FT4/FT3 should be on the HIGHER end of normal, not in the middle.

Get a second opinion and the  medication to make you feel better!

:) Tamra

[clareyh]

Wow, there are some knowledgable people on here! When I get my thyroid results I will post them and see what people think!

[clareyh]

Well... I haven't yet been given a copy of the results but they tell me everything was fine. Do you think my symptoms are reflecting a thyroid issue enough for me to request what you advised me-TGab and Anti-TPO FT4, FT3? I should mention that despite the title of this post i did get my period just a week late! My GP seems more concerned with sending me to a rheumatologist than looking into my thyroid but given my thyroid levels have in the past been discrepant I thought it worth them doing more with that.

[clareyh]

Well....I saw my doctor today, and she said that the thyroid levels were on the high side but within normal limits- but I wasnt given a copy of them. Can thyroid levels that aren't over active but on the high side cause my symptoms? They just want to repeat in 3 months. What are the best blood tests other than T3 T4 AND TSH to request??

[dawnangela]

Also ask for a Antibody test..This tests for Hashimoto..Autoimmune disease.