Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
393685 tn?1425812522

Who are you with THYROID???

As a refresher for members and an invitation to ALL -

How did you come to the thyroid board here at Med Help?  Let us know what conditions you have and what you went through so far.

Do you have a parathyroid disorder? Do you - or did you - have cancer and have had your thyroid removed? Are you autoimmune and struggling?

So many - visit here and a thread like this is so important to know what's up.

We as Leaders and members would like to know what has brought you to this board so we and others can direct you to the best resources available.

Thanks and Happy Health!

NikkiP/Stella
289 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
17568 tn?1424973559
Hi Laura!

Thank you so much for the warm welcome and also for the suggestion to search through the health pages - they are very helpful for basic information. The most compelling information is that being shared among all the thyroid patients who visit this forum!  People like you, who reach out to newly diagnosed people like me is wonderful!

Other helpful tools I've found are:   MedHelp's autoimmune tracker (for Hashimoto's) and the blood pressure tracker, because my doctors want me to keep track of my BP for at least a month.

Thank you again for reaching out and making me feel welcome!

Cindy

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm one of the rare male hypothyroid patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Just this year, I was finally tested for vitamin deficiencies and my D was also deficient @"17" ng/mL (range 30 to 100). My B12 was lower-normal, so I'm treated for both it and the D with replacement mega-dose vits.

I went to a neuro specialist due to longterm muscle weakness and easy fatiguability - that I was convinced since 2004, was CFS, comorbid to my thyroid disease. He had the forethought to also check my vitamin E, since my D was deficient and B12 was insufficient and "Presto!" it was deficient too @ "0.4" (range 3.0 t0 15.8) - in fact, at less than half a point was likely my worst deficiency.

I've been active as a patient advocate since diagnosis and my 'sometimes' difficulty with some doctors - such as my current overtreatment (my blood work showed my T3 to be more than double highest normal range). ---Little things like that (LOL).

Anyway, I mainly try to dispell the imbalanced opinion (kindly, diplomatically and politely) that suggests that thyroid hormone replacement is perfect in all cases and fixes all the problems thyroid patients have within weeks of being adminstered. Don't get me wrong - I thank God for thyroid hormone therapy and for doctors but without patient proactiveness in their treatments, things can most certainly go wrong, regardless of a doctor's expertise or a thyroid hormone brand's effectiveness.

So---- My message since 2003 to other patients is to become self-educated, best possible, via good, reliable sources and to be proactive in treatment and to partner with their doctors if at all possible!

Bessings to my fellow-patients
Helpful - 0
499534 tn?1328704178
Welcome Cindy! I am so glad to hear you are getting good treatment adn on your way to recovery. Please take some time searching through our health pages here in the thyroid community and search out any questions you may have.
Please feel welcome to always post your questions and fears, as you are not a lone here!
I myself am a Hashimotos survivor! lol.......yes a survivor because it is such a hard difficult rollercoaster ride!  :)
Helpful - 0
17568 tn?1424973559
Hi,

My story is not yet a long-term success story, but it is about finally getting the right diagnosis/treatment and beginning to feel better!

11 years ago I underwent surgery, chemotherapy & radiation therapy for breast cancer.  Ever since that time my health has slowly deteriorated until it got to the point I could barely move, due to severe muscle pain and cramping, along with a long list of other symptoms.

Over the 11 years, we had many changes in our insurance and had to keep changing doctors.  Each new doctor made sure I had annual mammograms, pap smears etc., but no one ever ran a TSH.  

About 2 months ago, I had my first appointment with a new PCP, who ordered a bunch of tests, including a TSH.  The report was sent to the PCP in early June.  My next appointment with the PCP was not until the end of July.  I had a business trip scheduled for July 14th and was in so much pain that I called to see if I could get in to  see my PCP to get something for the pain. The scheduler said they would call me back after checking with the doctor. About 15 minutes later, the doctor’s office called and said they wanted to see me immediately and added that some of my tests were “abnormal”.  30 minutes later I was in their office looking at a report that showed that my TSH was 94 and my cholesterol was 546.  

My PCP was on vacation, but the covering doctor was visibly upset over the test results and apologized that they had not called me in earlier.  She also asked if it was OK for her to share my report with her medical students, because she had never seen numbers this high. She sent me over for an ultrasound, which was negative for cancer.  She immediately started me on 75mg of Levothyroxine and suggested I see an endocrinologist for a "2nd opinion" to completely rule out thyroid cancer.  Last week I saw an endocrinologist who ran another ultrasound, which was negative for cancer.  He diagnosed me with Hashimoto's and upped my dosage of Levothyroxine to 150mg.

After researching Hashimoto's, I was literally dancing around the room because every symptom I have been suffering with all this time was on that list!  The worst symptom of all was the fear I was losing my mind, which used to be so sharp and clear.  The numbness and tingling in my hands, legs and feet have been with me since chemotherapy.  The severe muscle cramping was a mystery to my doctors.   Every time I mentioned it they just kind of shrugged as to what might be causing it. One doctor sent me to a neurologist for nerve conduction tests.  The neurologist told me I had neuropathy and gave me Neurontin for the pain.  The memory problems, weight gain, dry brittle nails/hair, dry skin, puffy face and concentration problems were written off to either chemotherapy or normal aging.  The hoarse voice was attributed to a sinus infection for which I've had three Z-paks and several other antibiotics - none of which worked.

Since starting the Levothyroxine,  I am beginning to notice small improvements almost every day.  The endocrinologist I saw last week said that it will probably take 4-6 months before I feel really "good" again. However, I have to say, it was just a RELIEF to learn that all the symptoms were related and that there is a TREATMENT!  For all these years I thought I was just getting old and remembered my Grandmother (and many other elderly)  saying things like  "old age is not for sissies", so I thought I just needed to suck-it-up and keep going.

This forum is such a wonderful place and is filled with supportive and knowledgeable people, who give so much of their time to helping others!  I am really looking forward to not only sharing my story, but also to learning from other members who have been battling thyroid disorders, or who have been where I am today.

Cindy
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi! I was diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism (parathyroid tumor) that was corrected surgically after getting the "blow off" from my Dr for 4 years. (7 kidney stones, hypercalcemia with all of its symptoms, etc.) That surgery lead to a diagnosis of hepatitis C (probably not related to the tumor) which I went through a chemotherapy-like treatment (interferon, ribavirin) for 6 months. The interferon jacks up your immune system which caused my body to attack my thyroid -resulting in thyroiditis. I had two thyroid storms and it finally "flipped" to hypothyroid for several months. It's been two years since I've finished the treatment and my thyroid is back to normal. I'm happy to say my calcium levels, female hormone levels, thryoid/parathyroid levels, and liver enzymes (hep C is gone!)  are all back to normal! -There is hope!!! ~MM
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Has there been any changes in the use of TSH?  Anything I can show my doctor that he can see from a reputable source.  He still thinks it is the "gold standard" and uses the old ratio for test.  My T4 was .05 and my TSH was .034 and he thinks my T4 is still in the range but he believes it is probably too high because my TSH is telling him otherwise.  Before he used the TSH he kept my T4 around 10.5 and I felt wonderful.  He won't even talk to me about that now because of the TSH.  I can't find a doctor that does not use TSH but I do feel it should be thrown out especially for me.  Since he let my T4 drop I have gained a lot of weight and sleep a lot and have severe joint and muscel pain.  I am on a 1200 calorie diet and have been for 3 years now and still am gaining weight.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Thyroid Disorders Community

Top Thyroid Answerers
649848 tn?1534633700
FL
Avatar universal
MI
1756321 tn?1547095325
Queensland, Australia
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
We tapped the CDC for information on what you need to know about radiation exposure
Endocrinologist Mark Lupo, MD, answers 10 questions about thyroid disorders and how to treat them
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.