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How come that your face is swollen when you have hashimoto's disease?
Dear Hashimoto-survivors,
I'm asking myself this question for a long time but couldn't figure this out yet.
How come that your face/cheeks/eyes/hands is swollen/puffy when you have hashimoto's disease?
I'm sure it has something to do with to overall functions/metabolism of the patient and the fact that everything is
slowing down but there must be a better explanation...
Thank you so much in advance and I'm looking forward to your replies,
Jeffrey Bursens (a hashimoto victim since severall months)
I'm asking myself this question for a long time but couldn't figure this out yet.
How come that your face/cheeks/eyes/hands is swollen/puffy when you have hashimoto's disease?
I'm sure it has something to do with to overall functions/metabolism of the patient and the fact that everything is
slowing down but there must be a better explanation...
Thank you so much in advance and I'm looking forward to your replies,
Jeffrey Bursens (a hashimoto victim since severall months)
Well quite a few paragraphs lol.
I have also had pretibal myxedema as well due to Graves antibodies and it took a year to go away after the Graves antibodies disappeared. I've had hypothyroid symptoms for over 25 years and at this rate it is going to take another 25 to be free of myxedema!
There is an article you can read in more detail: Myxedema- The forgotten Test for Hypothyroidism but this is the first few paragraphs...
"Myxedema
In 1878, Dr. William Ord performed an autopsy on a middle-aged woman who succumbed to hypothyroidism. Upon cutting into her skin, he saw tissues that were thickened and boggy. The tissues appeared to be waterlogged, but no water seeped from his incisions. Dr. Ord realized this disease was unique and previously unrecognized.
Dr. Ord summoned a leading chemist named Halleburton to help identify the substance causing the swelling. What they found was an abnormally large accumulation of mucin. Mucin is a normal constituent of our tissues. It is a jelly-like material that spontaneously accumulates in hypothyroidism. Mucin grabs onto water and causes swelling. Dr. Halleburton found 50 times the normal amount of mucin in the woman’s skin. Her other tissues also contained excess mucin.
The doctors coined the term myxedema. Myx is the Greek word for mucin and edema means swelling. Myxedema was adopted as the medical term for hypothyroidism.
The edema or swelling associated with hypothyroidism usually begins around the face, particularly above or below the eyes and along the jaw line. However, the skin on the side of the upper arms may be thickened early in the course of the disease. The swelling associated with hypothyroidism is firm and will eventually spread throughout our body’s connective tissues.
One of the many functions of connective tissue is to help hold our bodies’ organs and structures together. Connective tissue lines our blood vessels, nervous system, muscles, mucous membranes, the gut, as well as each and every cell in our glands and organs. Abnormal accumulation of mucin in these tissues causes swelling and significantly impairs normal function.
This type of swelling is unique to hypothyroidism. Medical textbooks about hypothyroidism state that myxedema is thyroprival (pertaining to or characterized by hypothyroidism) and pathognomonic (specifically distinctive and diagnostic). Translation: if the thickened skin of myxedema is present, you have hypothyroidism. Normal skin is relatively thin, and you may easily lift it with your thumb and index finger. If you look, you’ll find a number of people whose skin is almost impossible to lift. This is due to the marked swelling and glue-like infiltration of mucin in the skin and underlying tissues that result from hypothyroidism. Women’s skin usually has slightly more subcutaneous fat than men. Hence, their skin tends to be thicker. There are many different degrees of myxedema."
There is an article you can read in more detail: Myxedema- The forgotten Test for Hypothyroidism but this is the first few paragraphs...
"Myxedema
In 1878, Dr. William Ord performed an autopsy on a middle-aged woman who succumbed to hypothyroidism. Upon cutting into her skin, he saw tissues that were thickened and boggy. The tissues appeared to be waterlogged, but no water seeped from his incisions. Dr. Ord realized this disease was unique and previously unrecognized.
Dr. Ord summoned a leading chemist named Halleburton to help identify the substance causing the swelling. What they found was an abnormally large accumulation of mucin. Mucin is a normal constituent of our tissues. It is a jelly-like material that spontaneously accumulates in hypothyroidism. Mucin grabs onto water and causes swelling. Dr. Halleburton found 50 times the normal amount of mucin in the woman’s skin. Her other tissues also contained excess mucin.
The doctors coined the term myxedema. Myx is the Greek word for mucin and edema means swelling. Myxedema was adopted as the medical term for hypothyroidism.
The edema or swelling associated with hypothyroidism usually begins around the face, particularly above or below the eyes and along the jaw line. However, the skin on the side of the upper arms may be thickened early in the course of the disease. The swelling associated with hypothyroidism is firm and will eventually spread throughout our body’s connective tissues.
One of the many functions of connective tissue is to help hold our bodies’ organs and structures together. Connective tissue lines our blood vessels, nervous system, muscles, mucous membranes, the gut, as well as each and every cell in our glands and organs. Abnormal accumulation of mucin in these tissues causes swelling and significantly impairs normal function.
This type of swelling is unique to hypothyroidism. Medical textbooks about hypothyroidism state that myxedema is thyroprival (pertaining to or characterized by hypothyroidism) and pathognomonic (specifically distinctive and diagnostic). Translation: if the thickened skin of myxedema is present, you have hypothyroidism. Normal skin is relatively thin, and you may easily lift it with your thumb and index finger. If you look, you’ll find a number of people whose skin is almost impossible to lift. This is due to the marked swelling and glue-like infiltration of mucin in the skin and underlying tissues that result from hypothyroidism. Women’s skin usually has slightly more subcutaneous fat than men. Hence, their skin tends to be thicker. There are many different degrees of myxedema."
COMMUNITY LEADER
You don't know for sure that you have myxedema. Myxedema is a relatively rare condition of hypothyroidism. With hypothyroidism, it's most often a life threatening condition stemming from long term, non treatment of hypothyroidism. While the skin pinch test may be helpful in some instances, it's definitely not a hard and fast way to tell if you have myxedema (thyroid dermopathy). For instance, I'm over weight, so there are very few places on my body that I can just lift up the skin without getting other tissue (fat) with it.
Myxedema is a non-pitting edema. If you press on your lower leg, most often you will leave a finger/thumb print that may or may not turn white. If your skin pits, you don't have myxedema. Even that's not a fool proof test because other conditions can also cause non-pitting edema.
"The term myxedema has been applied to several clinical entities and is often used interchangeably with severe hypothyroidism, the common clinical condition in which the thyroid gland produces abnormally low levels of hormones.
Myxedema also refers to 2 different dermatologic conditions. Pretibial myxedema, an uncommon skin disorder, occurs not in cases of hypothyroidism but in hyperthyroid states, including, most commonly, Graves disease. The term pretibial is somewhat misleading, because the condition can affect other areas of the body and could more accurately be called localized dermopathy.
The other skin condition, called myxedema, occurs in severe, long-standing hypothyroid states and is caused by the deposition of mucopolysaccharides within the dermis."
Please note the phrase "LONG-STANDING HYPOTHYROIDISM". Myxedema occurs from untreated hypothyroidism. Most of us feel so miserable that we seek treatment long before myxedema sets in.
From what I can find, thyroid dermopathy (skin changes) occur most often in those with Graves Disease/hyperthyroidism. Myxedema associated with hypothyroidism is usually a life threatening situation and requires hospitalization to stabilize thyroid hormone levels.
It's extremely unlikely that you would need corticosteroids. In the unlikely event that you have myxedema (thyroid dermopathy), it should resolve, or at least stabilize, once thyroid hormone levels are adequate.
Myxedema is a non-pitting edema. If you press on your lower leg, most often you will leave a finger/thumb print that may or may not turn white. If your skin pits, you don't have myxedema. Even that's not a fool proof test because other conditions can also cause non-pitting edema.
"The term myxedema has been applied to several clinical entities and is often used interchangeably with severe hypothyroidism, the common clinical condition in which the thyroid gland produces abnormally low levels of hormones.
Myxedema also refers to 2 different dermatologic conditions. Pretibial myxedema, an uncommon skin disorder, occurs not in cases of hypothyroidism but in hyperthyroid states, including, most commonly, Graves disease. The term pretibial is somewhat misleading, because the condition can affect other areas of the body and could more accurately be called localized dermopathy.
The other skin condition, called myxedema, occurs in severe, long-standing hypothyroid states and is caused by the deposition of mucopolysaccharides within the dermis."
Please note the phrase "LONG-STANDING HYPOTHYROIDISM". Myxedema occurs from untreated hypothyroidism. Most of us feel so miserable that we seek treatment long before myxedema sets in.
From what I can find, thyroid dermopathy (skin changes) occur most often in those with Graves Disease/hyperthyroidism. Myxedema associated with hypothyroidism is usually a life threatening situation and requires hospitalization to stabilize thyroid hormone levels.
It's extremely unlikely that you would need corticosteroids. In the unlikely event that you have myxedema (thyroid dermopathy), it should resolve, or at least stabilize, once thyroid hormone levels are adequate.
This is also a question for Barb135,
Dear,
Is there anything else I can do to resolve the myxedema?
Coricosterïods creme maybe ? Will I be fine in the end?
Is myxedema an issue that is curable ?
Thanks
Dear,
Is there anything else I can do to resolve the myxedema?
Coricosterïods creme maybe ? Will I be fine in the end?
Is myxedema an issue that is curable ?
Thanks
I'm covered from head to foot in myxedema and my nose and lips thickened as well. After 2 years on thyroxine I can now pinch my lower arms and just the start of my upper arms, my lips are back to normal, my nose has improved, tongue is still enlarged but some improvement.
Dear Barb135,
It is indeed the same as in the U.S. mcg not mg.
So I'm trying to learn step by step and to not rush by important details.
My doctor is not an endocrinologist. It's my house doctor so I guess it would
be better to change to a thyroid specialist. Anyway, my FT4 is higher then mid-range. Is this something that needs to change or is this not the reason I'm still hypo? So if I understand correctly FT3 has to be higher then FT4 and that's not the case with me.
I'm sure T3 medication is possible in Belgium. Even desiccated hormones that contain T3 are obtainable.
Are you suggesting I should demand T3 medication or maybe just wait a little longer?
Thanks Barb135 for your concern, information and loyalty
It is indeed the same as in the U.S. mcg not mg.
So I'm trying to learn step by step and to not rush by important details.
My doctor is not an endocrinologist. It's my house doctor so I guess it would
be better to change to a thyroid specialist. Anyway, my FT4 is higher then mid-range. Is this something that needs to change or is this not the reason I'm still hypo? So if I understand correctly FT3 has to be higher then FT4 and that's not the case with me.
I'm sure T3 medication is possible in Belgium. Even desiccated hormones that contain T3 are obtainable.
Are you suggesting I should demand T3 medication or maybe just wait a little longer?
Thanks Barb135 for your concern, information and loyalty
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