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Hypothyroidism - new symptoms. Should I be worried?
Hi there I am a 28yr old female and I've been diagnosed with hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's). TSH was 22 (0.27 -- 4.2) and FT4 10.9 (10 -- 23). TPO Antibodies were raised at 84 (normal is below 34).
The reason I'm posting a question in the Undiagnosed forum is that I've been getting pain and swelling in my right clavicle. When I feel around that area it's a little more bulky than on the left. It's not red, just painful and a little swollen. Partner has had a look and said it looks fine but I'm aware of this constant dull pain.
I've been taking T4 replacement (Levothyroxine) coming up to 5 weeks and so far I've done ok with them. Initial dose was 25mcg for two weeks and now I'm on 50mcg until this Saturday but I'm worried that the hypothyroidism has been found a little too late.
Previous doctor in Nov 2011 said my TSH was 5.2 but they didn't act on the blood test result and so it was just left. The doctors I'm now with have found this out much quicker, within three months, whereas the previous one took more than a year.
I've read that Hashimoto's can cause Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma but I don't want to go to my doctor in case they can't find anything and the bulky clavicle is simply the way I've been made and I've only just become aware of it!
Can anyone help me out with this?
Thanks!! :)
The reason I'm posting a question in the Undiagnosed forum is that I've been getting pain and swelling in my right clavicle. When I feel around that area it's a little more bulky than on the left. It's not red, just painful and a little swollen. Partner has had a look and said it looks fine but I'm aware of this constant dull pain.
I've been taking T4 replacement (Levothyroxine) coming up to 5 weeks and so far I've done ok with them. Initial dose was 25mcg for two weeks and now I'm on 50mcg until this Saturday but I'm worried that the hypothyroidism has been found a little too late.
Previous doctor in Nov 2011 said my TSH was 5.2 but they didn't act on the blood test result and so it was just left. The doctors I'm now with have found this out much quicker, within three months, whereas the previous one took more than a year.
I've read that Hashimoto's can cause Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma but I don't want to go to my doctor in case they can't find anything and the bulky clavicle is simply the way I've been made and I've only just become aware of it!
Can anyone help me out with this?
Thanks!! :)
Glad to hear that you have been to see your doctor and that you are showing improvement with regard to your hypothyroidism.
A temperature of 36.6C to 37.2C is not drastic at all. Normal temperature is 37C, but some people will have it a little lower or a little higher. So your temperature only went up by 0.6C. I wouldn't worry about that at all.
Now if your temperature rose from 36.6C to 39.0C or more then I would be worried. If you get a viral or bacterial infection the temperature can go up and down by a few points.
With you saying that you are experiencing swollen and uncomfortable breasts, this symptom is quite common in Premenstrual Tension, sometimes called Premenstrual Syndrome and can begin from 10 days before a period. Because the thyroid gland controls the hormones, it is likely that this is due to a hormone balance problem. If you have never experienced this before, it may settle down once your thyroid levels are normalised.
Keep a menstrual cycle chart and jot down how you are and how you feel. You may find a pattern of when these symptoms start and go. Evening primrose oil is good for PMS if you find that you start to get these very month.
When you say you feel an ache/heaviness in your chest, did the doctor listen to your chest to rule out a chest infection?
Sometimes your may experience a heaviness in the chest and it can go away after a few days. Other times it may get worse and you start to feel more ill and the temperature may fluctuate by more that 0.6C. If that starts to happen it would be reasonable to assume that you have an infection.
If you do start to feel worse, take the advice of your doctor and go back to see her.
Take care,
Best wishes. xxx
A temperature of 36.6C to 37.2C is not drastic at all. Normal temperature is 37C, but some people will have it a little lower or a little higher. So your temperature only went up by 0.6C. I wouldn't worry about that at all.
Now if your temperature rose from 36.6C to 39.0C or more then I would be worried. If you get a viral or bacterial infection the temperature can go up and down by a few points.
With you saying that you are experiencing swollen and uncomfortable breasts, this symptom is quite common in Premenstrual Tension, sometimes called Premenstrual Syndrome and can begin from 10 days before a period. Because the thyroid gland controls the hormones, it is likely that this is due to a hormone balance problem. If you have never experienced this before, it may settle down once your thyroid levels are normalised.
Keep a menstrual cycle chart and jot down how you are and how you feel. You may find a pattern of when these symptoms start and go. Evening primrose oil is good for PMS if you find that you start to get these very month.
When you say you feel an ache/heaviness in your chest, did the doctor listen to your chest to rule out a chest infection?
Sometimes your may experience a heaviness in the chest and it can go away after a few days. Other times it may get worse and you start to feel more ill and the temperature may fluctuate by more that 0.6C. If that starts to happen it would be reasonable to assume that you have an infection.
If you do start to feel worse, take the advice of your doctor and go back to see her.
Take care,
Best wishes. xxx
Glad to hear your lump is a cyst. I also have a lump in my breast that is a cyst. I am sure you can imagine my fear when I found it. They have followed it for a year and it is fibrocystic breast. It is quite sore too. Hopefully, your next test will show that the TSH is starting to go down. Are you having trouble losing weight too and feeling tired? I never have had trouble with weight loss or being able to eat anything I wanted until now. It is frustrating. I hope we both get this straightened out soon. I assume with Hasimotos they have to monitor it more because it is autoimmune. I'm not sure about the thyroid and your menstral cycle but the temperature fluctuation is not that far off and varies with the time of day. If you take it in the afternoon or evening it will be higher than in the morning and this is normal.
take care,
mkh9
take care,
mkh9
Hi there MKH9 thanks for your response.
Well, the doctor has said it's a cyst in my breast associated with cycle changes - my clavicle just seems to be a bit more enlarged because of where the cyst itself is. I did have a blood test done in May (23rd) and the only thing that came back abnormal aside from the TSH and low T4 was a high plasma viscosity. The doctor made no mention of this when I was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism but I guess it's one of those things they would probably like to keep an eye on, especially since my next blood test is due in August.
Although I do usually get cysts in my breasts around the time of my cycle, this particular cycst is quite big and is making my breast ache a little.
My cycle has not yet started either and is actually late. I can only assume that the thyroxine is throwing everything off, seeing as my temp is fluctuating. I checked it first thing this morning and it was 36.6C/97.8F and now it's something like 37.2C/98.9F!
Thanks and take care xxx
Well, the doctor has said it's a cyst in my breast associated with cycle changes - my clavicle just seems to be a bit more enlarged because of where the cyst itself is. I did have a blood test done in May (23rd) and the only thing that came back abnormal aside from the TSH and low T4 was a high plasma viscosity. The doctor made no mention of this when I was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism but I guess it's one of those things they would probably like to keep an eye on, especially since my next blood test is due in August.
Although I do usually get cysts in my breasts around the time of my cycle, this particular cycst is quite big and is making my breast ache a little.
My cycle has not yet started either and is actually late. I can only assume that the thyroxine is throwing everything off, seeing as my temp is fluctuating. I checked it first thing this morning and it was 36.6C/97.8F and now it's something like 37.2C/98.9F!
Thanks and take care xxx
Hi Jemma thanks for your response.
No, I haven't fallen on it or done anything to injure it. There is a history of rheumatoid arthritis in the family - my nan has it, but I had a hip problem going back a few years and I was tested for the Rheumatoid Factor but that came back negative.
The doctor asked me how I was getting on with the thyroid meds and I said I seem to be doing ok on them. I end my 50mcg course on Saturday and my partner has said my eyes look better however I had a bout of diarrhea today and my temperature has gone up dramatically from this morning to now. (it now stands at 37.2C/98.9F from 36.6C/97.8F) I don't feel hot or feverish so I'm not sure what it's all about. I go for my next blood test on the 23 August (so I would be into my treatment at around 8 weeks) and the doctor said that was fine.
The doctor said that it was a cyst associated with changes in the breast during the menstrual cycle, but I have not yet started my period and I've had swollen breasts for over a week. I can only think that the meds I'm taking have made everything go a bit off, seeing as my temp is fluctuating a lot. No other symptoms apart from the ache/heaviness in my chest, but I've been asked to come back if things haven't changed.
Thanks and take care xxx
No, I haven't fallen on it or done anything to injure it. There is a history of rheumatoid arthritis in the family - my nan has it, but I had a hip problem going back a few years and I was tested for the Rheumatoid Factor but that came back negative.
The doctor asked me how I was getting on with the thyroid meds and I said I seem to be doing ok on them. I end my 50mcg course on Saturday and my partner has said my eyes look better however I had a bout of diarrhea today and my temperature has gone up dramatically from this morning to now. (it now stands at 37.2C/98.9F from 36.6C/97.8F) I don't feel hot or feverish so I'm not sure what it's all about. I go for my next blood test on the 23 August (so I would be into my treatment at around 8 weeks) and the doctor said that was fine.
The doctor said that it was a cyst associated with changes in the breast during the menstrual cycle, but I have not yet started my period and I've had swollen breasts for over a week. I can only think that the meds I'm taking have made everything go a bit off, seeing as my temp is fluctuating a lot. No other symptoms apart from the ache/heaviness in my chest, but I've been asked to come back if things haven't changed.
Thanks and take care xxx
Hi Hollus thanks for your response.
I spoke to my GP last night and she said by the feel of it, it seems like a cyst associated with changes in the cycle. The thing is my period hasn't yet started even though it's now due and it took her a while to find it because I'd been checking it over and over again I actually made it move position! She has said it's quite moveable but if there's any other change within two weeks she'd like me to come back.
There's no history of cancer in my family but because the cyst has been creating pain/pressure it was worth going to make sure all was well.
Hope you are well and take care xxx
I spoke to my GP last night and she said by the feel of it, it seems like a cyst associated with changes in the cycle. The thing is my period hasn't yet started even though it's now due and it took her a while to find it because I'd been checking it over and over again I actually made it move position! She has said it's quite moveable but if there's any other change within two weeks she'd like me to come back.
There's no history of cancer in my family but because the cyst has been creating pain/pressure it was worth going to make sure all was well.
Hope you are well and take care xxx
I would recommend getting it x-rayed but I understand not wanting to. I sometimes feel that ignorance is bliss. Any kind of mass scares me though because I have lost several family members to cancer! In fact, my grandmother just passed away from cancer but it was preventable and if she'd gone annually to her screenings the doctors would have found it and been able to remove it. Because she never went to the doctors, the cancer spread and was stage 4 and very painful before they caught it. All this to say, even though it is frightening, go get it checked out! I hope and pray it is nothing more than stressed muscles from falling on your shoulder wrong or your body's reaction to your TSH leveling out. In any event, my thoughts are with you!
Well, I will say that it takes several months to stabilize your thyroid results. I have just become hypothyroid also but was negative for TPO. The doctor said it takes months for the brain to get used to not pumping out thyroid hormone (TSH) so you should stabilize at some point. I'm getting my three month blood test soon and he thinks it should be stabilizing by then. And, yours was higher than mine. They didn't catch mine for several months at least either. As for the swollen clavicle, it is best to have it checked despite your fears. Preventive medicine and/or catching something early is better than waiting too long due fears. If there was a tumor most bone tumors are benign. It doesn't have to be Non-Hodgkins Lymphona. Didn't they do a complete blood count lately? If so they would have seen it on that test. I hope all is well.
take care,
take care,
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If not, it may be a rheumatic problem.
But either way, I would go and see the doctor to refer you for xrays.
I can't remember exactly whether you can go directly to A&E only within 48 hours.
With regard to your underactive thyroid, the doctor should tell you when you need to go back for blood tests to find out how you are getting on with the medication dose. It can take some time to get the dosage adjusted to the right amount for you.
With Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma you would have painless enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, armpits and groin. Other symptoms which are more rare are sweating at night, losing weight, and having high temperatures for no apparent reason.
If you find any of those symptoms, they you should go and see your doctor about it straight away.
But as you are concerned anyway, it is better to go and speak with your doctor with regard to your concerns so that he can put your mind at rest one way or the other.
Best wishes.