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short of breath due to thyroid?
I was diagnosed with Hashimotos' Disease in July after becoming short of breath upon exertion; it is the only diagnosis made despite extensive tests on my heart and lungs, but no one has felt that Hashimoto's Disease would make me short of breath upon exertion 24/7 for the past six months. I am healthy, but can't walk up two steps without resting....can the thyroid do this? what treatment will work? one dr. tried Sythyroid, a very small dose for a couple of months but no change........
Wow, that makes me feel good to think that perhaps I will be able to help someone else once my diagnosis is made clear. Have you ever been on any medications for any of your symptoms? The Synthyroid didn't help me.
Fortunately, I am not having angina any more now...probably because I limit myself so much...went through catherization, stress testing, echo, 30 day heart monitor :( and a dozen lung tests, as well, and I am 'normal' except for my autoimmune thyroid indication, and the drs. I have seen say that shortness of breath isn't caused by a thyroid problem. It is so frustrating! I have been through six months of jumping through their hoops waiting for them to catch up with my initial thoughts in July, because I am not a doctor and I cannot prescribe myself medications, obviously, and I have no clue what I need, although from reading on here, perhaps the Cytomel for my T3 instead of the Synthyroid for the T4. I have also been on prednisone for another autoimmune disease for 31 yrs. and figure that my adrenal glands are atrophied, and perhaps that plays a role. I will keep you and others posted and hope that I can be of help. :)
Fortunately, I am not having angina any more now...probably because I limit myself so much...went through catherization, stress testing, echo, 30 day heart monitor :( and a dozen lung tests, as well, and I am 'normal' except for my autoimmune thyroid indication, and the drs. I have seen say that shortness of breath isn't caused by a thyroid problem. It is so frustrating! I have been through six months of jumping through their hoops waiting for them to catch up with my initial thoughts in July, because I am not a doctor and I cannot prescribe myself medications, obviously, and I have no clue what I need, although from reading on here, perhaps the Cytomel for my T3 instead of the Synthyroid for the T4. I have also been on prednisone for another autoimmune disease for 31 yrs. and figure that my adrenal glands are atrophied, and perhaps that plays a role. I will keep you and others posted and hope that I can be of help. :)
I always am surprised when I read other people's symptoms that are like mine. I also have shortness of breath when I walk. I had my heart tested years ago and nothing was wrong. I haven't had anything done recently. I seem to run into the thyroid issue with every symptom I have. I am going to a new doctor today that was recommended by this forum. It sounds like you are in Balto. or nearby. This doctor is in this area. He is an internist but on his letterhead he specializes in thyroid and diabetes. I am hoping that he can help to bring some clarity to me as to what is wrong. I have been dealing with this thyroid issue for a long time and would like to get it straight. It is easier to deal with what you know than what you don't know. I will watch this post to see what you actually find out. thanks
Hi Barb, thanks for taking time to comment:) I don't have the latest (last week's TSH, was told that it was 0), but my scores from November were: TSH .08 (range, .30 to 5.00); Free T4 was 1.1ng/dl (range was .6-1.6).
That's all I have for now. I had my Free T3 tested in Oct.(it was 3.0, range 2.5 to 3.0) but since my TSH was higher (.43) that would mean that it isn't current to the TSH. As I looked over the past 2 1/2 yrs of blood tests, my TSH has gone up and down from 2.89 to 0, without medications. Although, I did take a small dose (half a pill of 25mcg Synthyroid for 2 or 3 months but have been off it since October.) I felt 'hyper' in 2010 and 2011, before I knew what was causing it....then 'hypo' last Jan-April, and decided that I needed to make changes, so I got back on my exercise regimen and also lost 25 lbs to see if I felt better (my knees and finger joints hurt too:( and I did feel great April, May and June, until last 2 wks of July felt weaker, then July 8th went up 7 steps and was so short of breath couldn't talk ! Thus began this journey where I am now six 1/2 months later not knowing yet why I have been short of breath upon exertion 24/7 :( Thanks for any insight you have......I am working with Johns Hopkins cardiologist and pulmonologist right now waiting to hear what they have to say, and I am thinking once they clear me, they will probably suggest an endocrinologist there.....hopefully one that pays attention to symptoms more than the enco at Hershey Med Center last August :(
That's all I have for now. I had my Free T3 tested in Oct.(it was 3.0, range 2.5 to 3.0) but since my TSH was higher (.43) that would mean that it isn't current to the TSH. As I looked over the past 2 1/2 yrs of blood tests, my TSH has gone up and down from 2.89 to 0, without medications. Although, I did take a small dose (half a pill of 25mcg Synthyroid for 2 or 3 months but have been off it since October.) I felt 'hyper' in 2010 and 2011, before I knew what was causing it....then 'hypo' last Jan-April, and decided that I needed to make changes, so I got back on my exercise regimen and also lost 25 lbs to see if I felt better (my knees and finger joints hurt too:( and I did feel great April, May and June, until last 2 wks of July felt weaker, then July 8th went up 7 steps and was so short of breath couldn't talk ! Thus began this journey where I am now six 1/2 months later not knowing yet why I have been short of breath upon exertion 24/7 :( Thanks for any insight you have......I am working with Johns Hopkins cardiologist and pulmonologist right now waiting to hear what they have to say, and I am thinking once they clear me, they will probably suggest an endocrinologist there.....hopefully one that pays attention to symptoms more than the enco at Hershey Med Center last August :(
COMMUNITY LEADER
Yes, thyroid can cause shortness of breath.
Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease, in which the body sees the thyroid as foreign and produces antibodies to destroy it. The disease is progressive and causes the thyroid to produce less of the necessary hormones, as it destroys healthy thyroid tissue. As the thyroid produces less hormones, you become more hypo and medications often have to be increased in order to keep up with the decline in thyroid hormones.
It takes at least 4-6 weeks for a dose of T4 medication to reach full potential in the blood, so being on synthroid for only a couple of months, would not be enough time to tell much.
You need to get thyroid hormones tested in order to know what direction to go. The tests you need are Free T3, Free T4 and TSH. Do not let your doctor get by with testing *only* TSH, because that's a pituitary hormone and does not measure actual thyroid hormones.
If you have any of those test results, please post them here for us to see, so we can better assess your situation. Be sure to include reference ranges which vary lab to lab and have to come from your own report.
Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease, in which the body sees the thyroid as foreign and produces antibodies to destroy it. The disease is progressive and causes the thyroid to produce less of the necessary hormones, as it destroys healthy thyroid tissue. As the thyroid produces less hormones, you become more hypo and medications often have to be increased in order to keep up with the decline in thyroid hormones.
It takes at least 4-6 weeks for a dose of T4 medication to reach full potential in the blood, so being on synthroid for only a couple of months, would not be enough time to tell much.
You need to get thyroid hormones tested in order to know what direction to go. The tests you need are Free T3, Free T4 and TSH. Do not let your doctor get by with testing *only* TSH, because that's a pituitary hormone and does not measure actual thyroid hormones.
If you have any of those test results, please post them here for us to see, so we can better assess your situation. Be sure to include reference ranges which vary lab to lab and have to come from your own report.
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