Thyroid & Premature Menopause

[Rite760]

Dr Dr. Lupo, You have been very helpful before and I just want to check something new. I am in a premature menopause right now. During the past year the symptoms have become much worse, & my thyroid has been swinging between borderline hypothyroid and normal. Recently, my doc made me stop my HRT to see where I was in the premature menopause, and my FSH came back at 40 and Oestrogen at 80. So she has said I am post menopausal. However during the whole of this year, its like my body is drying up everywhere even when I was on HRT. My mouth is dry with very painful gums, my eyes are so dry, and my chest is so dry too. I have a permanent dry cough which I've never had before and my skin is dry and cracked. My thyroid is currently within the normal range again. Most importantly, do you know if there is some other condition my doc is missing that is making me dry up like this from the inside out? Or is it still my thyroid but it's not showing up properly, or the menopause, in which case would it be better to go back on HRT, and if I do, does that mean I will have to go through another menopause from hell again in 10 years time when they stop it? Sorry this is so long!

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

Low estrogen can cause the dryness.  Would talk to your GYN about this and options for treatment.  Borderline low thyroid may contribute and menopause is a common time for thyroid problems to show up.  Would look at thyroid antibodies (TPO) to see if you have hashimoto's -- in which case if the TSH is fluctuating around the high side, it may be worth considering treatment.

[shauna36]

HI, i saw in your post some syptoms that i have been dealing with and think it might be wise for you to have a nuclear thyroid scan to see exactly what your thyroid is doing. I too suffer from alot of the same symptoms you do im 35 and was told it could be early menopause. I refused to believe that and kept digging, i asked about thyroid but my blood work kept coming up negative it wasnt until i became tachycardic(high heart rate) that my dr. ordered scan and it showed graves desease which is hyperthroid.I just started meds for the thyroid and heart but in mean time have also been diognosed with celiacs desease that could also be creating some of the other symptoms.Dont give up and if you feel something isnt right it usually isnt so go with your gut feeling and find a true diagnosis. Good luck

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

srogens disease also causes dryness.  this is an autoimmune condition.  You may want to ask your doctor to check for this if it hasn't been checked already.