Hypo with Hyper Symptoms

[chel 81]

I am 26 years old and have had hypothyroidism since I was 19. I developed it within just a few months of getting mono which my doc believes triggered it. Unfortunately the docs I saw at the time all thought I was too young to have thyroid issues despite the obvious symptoms (rapid weight gain of 30 lbs in 3 months, IBS, depression, fatigue) and didn't diagnose me until 3 years later. When I finally got the dx I started on Armour and worked my way up to 1 grain over the next 9 months. All of my symptoms disappeared and everything was great for several years until this last fall when I started feeling tired again, started gaining weight, became depressed and couldn't think straight. My doc didn't think the Armour was working anymore so she switched me to Synthroid. Within a matter of just a few days to weeks I went dramatically downhill which caused all of the symptoms above to multiply ten fold (gained 50 lbs in 4 months, cried practically all day, and my muscles were so sore it felt like someone was punching me if they just lightly tapped me and they felt hard as if I was constantly flexing, and I started having panic attacks with my resting heart rate going from my normal of 53 to over 80-100 most of the time). I got off the Synthroid and went back on the Armour but I only was able to get the hard and sore muscles to go away and the weight kept coming on etc despite moving my way to 3 grains of Armour. I finally found a great doc who realized I have resistance to thyroid hormone and need to be on mostly t3 so am switching my armour to cytomel but I still have these symptoms and cannot figure out why I have this abnormally high heart rate while the rest of my symptoms are indicative of hypothyroidism. The weird thing is that after taking my morning dose within 30 min my heart rate goes down and stays down until the end of the day. In the middle of the night it seems to get the highest and wakes me up. I am scared and don't understand what is happening. I have had to go on med leave since all this started and just want to get my life back. I have the healthiest diet most people will ever encounter (organic, high in fruits and veggies and lean protein, no sugar or salt-triggers high heart rate, and take high quality supplements). I also have been very active my entire life and have tried to keep my exercise up even through the fatigue and heart issues but have had to substitute my running to walking unfortunately. I have become prediabetic and went from stellar cholesterol levels to low HDL and high LDL w/triglicerides. I have started getting pains down the sides of my legs recently and has just scared me even more. I don't understand why all of this could happen when my thyroid was under control at one point. I don't know where else to look for answers sometimes I don't know if this is even my thyroid since I have so many other symptoms that I didn't have the first time I got sick. Sorry to be so long I am just sooooo frustrated and can't understand what is happening. My thyroid numbers are not even in question b/c they didn't actually really change from when I was feeling good to now since I have resistance to thyroid hormone. Can anybody give me any advice on where to go from here?
Thank you!

[chel 81]

I understand completely what you are going through you are not alone. Family and friends are great support but when they haven't gone through your struggles they just can't understand no matter how hard they try. I am always looking up information from what others have to say and it seems to help knowing that others have battled through this too and were able to get through it. I actually battled an eating disorder myself and putting on weight is probably the biggest nightmare for someone who has gone through that. When I was gaining weight again it was very difficult not to revert back to my old ways but when I realized that I couldn't ever go back there I made it through. I went from a size 2/4 to a 12/14 in just a matter of a few months. I was probably overworking out myself but I always loved the high I got from exercise. I kept up my routine through the first 25 lbs but then my body just wouldn't let me anymore.
Were you doing ok on the synthroid/cytomel mix before? Why did they decide to switch you to Armour? I'm wondering if you are having the same issues I have with the t4 and really just need more of the t3 and to lower the t4 (this goes against most endo's thinking unless you have a good doc who sees outside the box). I've heard of some people having problems absorbing the Armour too if they have Hashimotos- something about the immune system attacking the armour the same way it is attacking their natural thyroid hormone production which is rare but I know it has happened to a few people. Do you have autoimmune thryoid disease?

[percysmom]

hi Chel and anyone else reading....

After reading your post, I got chills.  I am literally going through the same issues you went through (or are still going through).  I switched to Armour from synthroid/cytomel about 1 1/2 months ago.  The endo that switched me had me way to low, so next endo bumped me up to 2 grains.  I have been on the increased grains for almost three weeks.  In that time, I have put on weight (I try, but am not often able to eat even 1300 calories-I am in therapy for an eating disorder which I believe has been brought on by hypothyroidism and I see a nutritionist-I sent her daily food logs), feel depressed (I was before though) and weak.
I was controlled for many years and SUPER active and healthy and a beautiful, healthy size 6.  I am now weak, tired, in pain and a pudgy, puffy size 8-barely-most likely moving into the 10 range, which really upsets me.
I used to over-workout which I have no stopped doing because endo # 1 (I am onto # 3 and going to Mayo in 2 1/2 weeks) says I burnt out my adrenals.  I am trying to get 9-10 hours of sleep a night and I am eating 50% essential fatty acids, lean proteins and lots of veggies.  Nothing makes any difference.  As a side note, my hypo symptoms came back at me full force after I resigned from a terribly abusive three year high stress job.  I left with no job lined up (it was THAT bad), while living in a foreign state (hometown Chicago, was living in LA for that job).  So, I think once I finally resigned, my body went into healing mode or something, from three years of survival mode?

Do you have ANY suggestions for me?  I feel so alone.  My friends and family loves me, but no one really understands the hell I am in.  I need a support group so badly for my issues.  Can anyone help???

[chel 81]

I think you might have something there with the auto-immune disease idea estrelinha. The more and more I research we're beginning to think it is actually from the mono I had when I was 19. Apparently the Epstein-Barre virus that causes mono always stays in your system once you have it (I had it at 19 and w/in 2 months ended up hypothyroid). It is very rare but I guess during times of extreme stress etc people can relapse. Within a matter of a few months of EXTREME stress that I went through last summer I ended up with my thyroid going out of whack again and all the symptoms piling back on. My WBC count was off when they checked it initially when my symptoms returned but I didn't think to even be concerned with that at the time- now I'm thinking that should have been a red flag. My thyroid itself doesn't seem to be much of a problem it is actually more of how my body uses the thyroid which would make perfect sense if this was caused by the mono. I have liver damage from mono the first time which is what we think triggered the thyroid issue since my body will not convert properly T4 to T3. I'm weaning my way off of the Armour and onto the Cytomel and have finally experienced some relief in a few symptoms but it is such a slow process it will take me a least another 6 months to make the switch but am hoping it will be worth it and my symptoms will be gone finally when I get to the right dose.

Annette, I'm so sorry you're having to battle this too. I've heard many people who have had thyroid issues after having children so don't feel alone. High BP is definitely a symptom of being hypo. My sister is like you and refuses to take thyroid meds because of how they make her feel but the problems caused by not taking them can leave you at huge risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc. Trust me I feel the same way about the weight thing- my husband and I went on the same diet, the Low Glycemic Index diet back in November (except he was aloud to eat a little more) and he lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks while I continued to gain 10 lbs in those same 2 weeks. When your thyroid is off nothing in the world can make you lose weight for some people. Have you tried several types of thyroid meds? A lot of people don't do well on certain meds but feel a world of difference on others. For me I cannot take Synthroid or any type of T4/Levothyroxin. My body doesn't convert properly so I have to take Cytomel which is a T3 drug. Some people do great with a combo of the two and others like Armour which contains both and is a natural choice made from pig thyroid. I'm not sure if this is available where you are but worth a try. If you haven't tried anything beyond one type of med I hope you would consider trying the others- you may find one that will work great for you and finally give you relief from your symptoms including losing weight. I'm sorry about your child. Is the problem related to thyroid? If so I know someone who was having lots and lots of heart problems and the docs were considering open heart surgery only to find out that she had Grave's disease and didn't need it at all- she just needs to get her thyroid in check. I think there is a heart forum on here that you might want to check out to see if anyone can help. Hope you will find some answers and both you and your child will get to feeling better soon!

[Annette3]

I understand what u mean.. I am also having the same problems as u have.. and I was also 19 when my thyriod went all out of wack.. But mine was said to have been to to my children.. No one will help nor exsplane any of this to me either... I have been off my meds for almost 3 yrs now.. I refuse to take my meds due to the way they make me feel and now I am having proplems with high blood pressure.. But I am hypo... I do however smoke and after so much wieght gain I can hardly move without my legs and arms going numb.. the doctors tell me I need to lose wieght and i promise I have tried..It seems like all I have to do is smell food and I gain 10 pds... and for the mpst part it is in my abs.. People still ask me to this day when I'm due.. My youngest child is 3 and My husnamd is fixed so we can no longer have children.. Our frist children are one yr apart.. they are now 7 and 6.. I just got news that my oldest may have a heart problem.. so someone please help.. I am 26 and currently living in South Korea. My husband is in the Military..
Thank you...

[estrelinha]

Check for other auto-imune diseases, like I'm doing. Go to an internal doctor (internal medicine) or rheumatologist, may be you have something else....