What's the root cause?

[Rachel4]

I'm a 26 year old female and have been searching for years for answers. I know the endocrine system is connected and relies on gastrointestinal functions (specifically absorption of vitamins and minerals) to work properly. I'm looking for a root cause. I've been treating symptom after symptom for over a decade.

I've never had regular menstrual cycles and have been on birth control for nearly a decade to regulate them. I've also suffered with anxiety, depression, and insomnia (and have been treated with a variety of antidepressants, sleep aids, and anxiety pills as well as given up caffeine). The medication helps, but has never entirely relieved the symptoms. I've had seasonal allergy problems since I was in third grade that just keep getting worse. Just recently I went back to the doctor because I was still tired after sleeping 12 hours a day,  I have an invisible itch all over my body (that has been treated with antihistamines and steroids), my sex drive stinks, and I've been bloating up increasingly more.  

I've been treated with herbs and vitamins for adrenal fatigue and that didn't help.
My thyroid was tested and the hormones were too low. I started synthroid (not currently taking) and within a few days all the lymph nodes in my neck and my thyroid were swollen and sore. I had an ultrasound that revealed an enlarged heterogeneous thyroid. My family doctor sent me to an endocrinologist. She is retesting my thyroid hormones and looking for antibodies.
I've been tested for food allergies (including celiac) and everything came back negative. My endocrinologist is retesting me for celiac.
My family doctor did vitamin testing and found deficiencies in iron (treated with supplement), vitamin b12 (treated with injections), vitamin b3 (multivitamin), zinc (multivitamin), and vitamin d (supplement)

I can't afford to commit to another daily pill for life. I'm too young to have all these symptoms. There must be a problem. Could years of taking antibiotics for throat and tonsil infections as a a child and then years of daily antibiotic treatment for acne (or the accutane) have caused damage that needs to be reversed? I have felt some relief after starting a probiotic and the vitamins.

Help. I'm looking for a really big stone to hit all these birds!
What other tests or things should I look into? Where can I find quality information about multisymptomatic diseases that could be causing all of these symptoms?

[Rachel4]

Actually now that you mention it and now that I experience today....

Does the thyroid volume fluctuate? There are some days that I feel like my lymph nodes and thyroid are so swollen (and sore) that they are pressing on my throat and make it sore. Today is one of those days it just hurts to swallow it's happened once before for a few days but I thought it was allergy related, but today is definitely not a bad allergy day so I have no idea what's causing the increased pressure and lymph node swelling.

[898]

Thanks for posting results!
the thyroid volume is 23 cu cm, > then max 18 cu cm and ave 13 cu cm
The TPO is 11 that means it may not be Hashimoto's; thyroiditis can be of the different origin such as subacute thyroiditis [usually follows the respiratory infection]; in case of it the ESR is elevated and RAI uptake is low.

[RavingMad]

I share your frustration. I have had undiagnosed period problems/bleeding for about 6 years. I fell pregnant & bled through my pregnancy. Since then I've been dxed hyperT, had a TT & now I'm hypoT. Been on thyroxine & now I'm on NTE. I've had ultrasounds, internals & papsmears - all clear. S/B Drs, an endo & a gynae/obs. My current GP suspects a zinc/copper imbalance, eostrogen dominance & possibly Coeliac disease &  adrenal problems. I'm being tested for all these plus RT3, insulin, iron studies, Vit B12, Vit D, TFT & fasting homocysteine. Like you, I was also on RoAccutane for severe acne when I was younger & spent atleast 10 years on the contraceptive pill.

Rach

[stella5349]

Hopefully the meds will help.

Completely empty stomach means it probably is best to take your meds first thing in the morning.

That is very common amoungst thyroid med users.

[Rachel4]

I just feel pressure.

[stella5349]

Are you feeling sort of thick or a choking feeling in that area?

[Rachel4]

Dimensions from the ultrasound:
Right Lobe: 5.8x2.2x2.0 cm
Left Lobe: 5.1x2.1x2.0 cm
Isthmus: 7mm thick

Okay, but is this weird?  The endocrinologist said that bilateral heterogeneous enlargement and the pain it's causing was probably Hashimoto's.

But I get more lab results today:
Free T4 0.95
TSH 8.7
Free T3 3.0
Thryoid Peroxidase AB 11 (expected range <35)

Negative for Celiac (second negative test)
Cortisol (AM blood test) 14 (expected range of 7-25)

So no thyroiditis? Just hypo?

She's recommending Levoxyl 0.075 mg. And what is a completely empty stomach? Two hours okay? She wants me to wait 45 minutes before eating after I take it which is going to be a challenge with my morning routine. I'm trying to figure out if I can take it right before I got to sleep if I haven't eaten in two hours.

[898]

" bilateral mildly enlarged, diffusely heterogenoeous with an abnormally thickened isthmus" souds like thyroiditis; did report mention any dimensions?

[Rachel4]

Finally got some of my lab results:

T4 (free) 0.9
T3 (free) 254
TSH 5.5

Ultra sound report bilateral mildly enlarged, diffusely heterogenoeous with an abnormally thickened isthmus.

Waiting up updated labs with antibody reports. The endocrinologist has reviewed them and put a report in the mail.

[stella5349]

Many things "could" have effected some hormone levels in your body to whack out.

Birth control is speculated to effect thyroid function for one.  I see you had an aray of testing already but as asked - there is no thyroid testing to be looked at.

Until I had my whole hormone panel of testing - nothing guiding me in any successful treatment. It was known I had thyroid disease so I was only being treated for that and still suffered badly.

Until I really had a full blood work up and saliva test on everything like female hormone balancing - cortisol - vit - minerals and thyroid panels nothing was put together. Also with the help of my doctor wanting to treat the "whole" cause instead of bandaiding one particular thing at one time was extremely beneficial.

I did have a few other issues going on and actually were working against my thyroid medication.

Until I started to resolve those issues - I was in a crazy circle of symptoms. It has taken almost a year - but finally - I am now headed in a good direction of feeling pretty well all around.

and I am thankful

[barrettsark]

so your not taking synthroid right now?  Have you had your Thyroid tested again and what are the Labs,  Post them.  There are alot of great people here that can help.  Just put more information on.  If it was not for this site I'm not sure where I would be.  
I have hypothyroidism which has been out of control for about two months now.