Thyroid Antibodies?

[didoandaeneas]

I've been gaining a lot of weight recently around my mid-section and lower body, and interestingly enough, under my chin. I've never been as heavy as I am now. I'm 5'10" and 186 lbs. In January of this year I was 170. I bike for 2 hours 5 days a week. I eat on the 1300 calorie plan my trainer gave me (when I had a trainer a year ago). But I keep slapping on weight. I missed a period, but it came back. That's never happened. My skin is breaking out. My husband recently noticed I'm growing black facial hair, which has never happened. My menstrual cycles are usually heavy and painful. I'm tired all the time. I went to the doctor in May when I realized the weight was starting. All the T3, T4 tests came back normal. Even a metabolism test came back normal. I have no children. My mother has hypothyroidism, but apparently I don't. I wondered if it could relate to an autoimmune disease, since I had breast augmentation 2 years ago. I am not on any medicine or pill whatsoever. What is wrong with me and how can I fix it?

[Jennie1178]

Have you looked into PCOS?  Check out the forum with the information on this one.  I'm not a doctor of course, but it sounds like exactly what you have.  I have the same thing so I can relate.

[stella5349]

It may be a cortisol imbalance - but to say Cushing's is the issue with no full work up is just not right.

I think the poster who said menopause may be on something. I guess your age could tell more on that. What are your cycles yet.

Obviously - there is a hormal imbalance going on. Cortisol imbalances is a collector in the lower abdomen and face- chin. Hair can form on face with a estrogen imbalance produced in the sex glands.

This could be as "easy" as adrenal fatigue or as big as having primary hypothyroidism to secondary adrenal distress and estrogen imbalances.  The hormones in the body can be divided into 4 components. The Pituitary gland - Thyroid gland - Adrenal glands - and the Sex Hormone glands. These are the 4 things when a hormonal imbalance is happening and they each require testing. All four can put out the same symtpoms on a patient so they all need to be looked at both in a whole system and as seperate issues.

You need blood work and even a possiblity of a saliva test.

If you have the ability to ask and add suggestions with your doctor - see if he would consider running

a TSH - Free T3 - Free T4 - FSH panel - CBC - cortisol - and Vit B test to start.  

Depending on if your doctor has a great knowledge of hormone imbalances - you may find the answer in those simple tests. If however they don;t really understand the whole endo system and treat the symptom and not the root of the problem- you may be up against a wall of quandry wonding the why's and how's of you feeling so off.

[susankate]

PLEASE GET TESTED FOR CUSHING'S SYNDROME RIGHT AWAY! It can be fatal if left untreated.

Do some quick research about it. ALL of your symptoms are classic Cushing's. Call your doc tomorrow and INSIST on getting your cortisol levels tested immediately.

Good luck!

[5thave]

Sounds as if you are going through menopause to me. Read Christiane Northrups book Wisdom of Menopause.

[dai3symae]

All my tests came back normal for years until the doc did antibody testing, which show the hypo.  Track your symptoms and ask for antibody testing next time.  Always get a copy of your labs.  The normal ranges have changed and many docs still use the old ranges.  I started with a TSH of just over 2 but didn't feel better until it got closer to 1.

Good Luck, I hope you get some help and feel better.