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[Penelope]

Hi Birdy yes it is very interesting especially how well it worked with me for a year.
Funny thing was my Specialist said straight up.
Changing your diet will not help your thyroid.
And natural supplements will not help either,BUT I would stop taking the iodine if I was you......
I had to laugh 🤭

[Foxylady]

Thanks for the Birdy, I've put it in favourites will check it out later! x

[shoppingqueen]

Hello everyone
Quick question, Stellajane (I don't want to hijack the conversation by the way) I was interested that you said your TSH not changed- am I right in thinking you are on Levo? And. If the TSH stable, did you still manage to get increases based on symptoms alone?
My GP will only do TSH even though I asked for T4 and T3. Grrr! And as it's in normal range so wouldn't increase. However, I'm seeing a private Endo as a follow up this week. As I'm Hashi she did say I may not be on enough at 50mcg, even though TSH dropped to 2.9.  I honestly feel like I need more as still symptomatic. I'm hoping she?ll do this and write to GP with a treatment plan that they?ll be happy to follow. Otherwise, I?ll just pay to see the Endo every 6 weeks. I'm that desperate to get this sorted.
Wrensong, I hope all is well with you? Ladies, your kind words last week sustained me when quite honestly I was in despair, full of fear and just felt like giving up. 😘 sending love

[Penelope]

Yes yes yes shopping queen I have said so many times my TSH tests were normal rang for 26 years.
But my free T4 and free T3 were not now it takes years of ill health to register this in a blood test.
On your symptoms alone you should be diagnosed!
Do you have family history!
If you have Hashimoto's you must be aloud to have these tests done including the thyroid antibodies blood test that clearly show how much your thyroid is attacking itself and that Intern tells you how badly your symptoms will be.
Pleas push honey I know it's hard when they look at you like you are mad for asking.
The other thing to watch out for is when the results come back you want a copy sent to you and follow that up so you can read your own results or put them on here.
it's just awe full you have to be this way but it's true if you don't they won't do anything.
Good luck fingers crossed for you honey.🌹

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies

Shoppingqueen -  A quick question for you if you don't mind. When you say you are still symptomatic what do you mean exactly? I am trying to work out if my new diagnosed Hashimoto's is causing my symptoms or continuing lack of HRT. It  would be good to hear from someone who knows how all this feels.

Thank you and take care.

K.

[Artmouse]

Hi
Does anyone know if underactive thyroid is always due to Hashimoto's?  Mine was found to be underactive but the Doctor has never said anything about Hashimoto's.  I'm on 75mcg levothyroxine and a recent test at the doctors found my tsh was 2.45. 

This is within normal range but the last 4 weeks or so I've been having symptoms of being cold, especially hands and feet, horrible depression and constipation.  I feel like a switch has been thrown and something has changed.  I'm really suspicious it's a thyroid issue but also stopped taking hrt 5 months ago so don't know if it's hormonal, aaaarrrgghh!! 

I've ordered a private thyroid test which does antibodies as well so maybe I'll find something out but really confused.

[Kathleen]

Hello again ladies.

Artmouse  I am no expert but I believe it is possible to have an underactive Thyroid for reasons other than Hashimoto's however that is by far the most common reason. I also think that you can expect a low TSH when taking Levothyroxine as your pituitary gland doesn't need to produce the stimulating hormone because you are already ingesting thyroxine.

I have your symptoms of cold hands and feet and depression ( I could cry at the drop of a hat). I also take 75 mcg of Levothyroxine and gave up HRT eight months ago. We could be sisters lol!

I think it's a good idea to get a test.  The range for TPO antibodies is 0.00 - 60.0 and mine was 480. 0 when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's eight weeks ago. My latest blood test was 350.0 after five weeks on Levothyroxine.

I completely understand your confusion and hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along soon.

Take care and wishing you well.

K.

[Kathleen]

Hello again ladies


Birdy -   Thanks for that. I've been trying to learn as much as I can about thyroid problems but I am very new to it all.

Take care.

K.

[Artmouse]

Hi Kathleen,

It may be that my symptoms are due to hormone levels falling after stopping HRT but they just seem very thyroidy.  The depression is very strong, really don't feel like myself at all. 

Have to wait until I've gone 7 days without any B12 supplements then will get the private test done. 

I've looked online but can't find any reason other than Hashimoto's for underactive thyroid.  Anyone?

[Artmouse]

Thanks.  This is quite informative if anyone has the same issue:

http://www.thyroiduk.org/tuk/about_the_thyroid/hypothyroidism.html

[shoppingqueen]

Hi ladies (excuse long post and I clearly did hijack the thread so sorry)
Penelope, thank you for your advice and encouragement. I do not have family history as was adopted- I’ll be getting my daughter checked though that’s for sure!)
Kathleen- symptoms? Where do I start? Ok, here goes- got seriously poorly in Dec- I thought it was viral- literally feet and hands like ice. Heating on full, under blankets and hot water bottles and still shivering. It felt like my core temp inside but no increase in temperature??  Terrible pressure headache then for weeks, head spinning on inside, continual nausea, tingling all over but pins and needles, horrid dreams (if I could sleep) and I cannot articulate the exhaustion- bone tired and incapacitated. Wobbly legs etc I am a busy lady as we all are so this was distressing. Oh and v bad constipation as if everything was impacted. Sorry for the TMI
Was given 25mcg as my TSH has been climbing all year up to 5.8 in Dec.
2 weeks later begged for more and increased to 50mcg. Slowly, and I mean slowly, with slightly better days then back to v poorly again- beginning to improve.
I had enough going via GP and in desperation paid for private GP appt who was amazing- had a head and neck MRI and he did the antibodies, hence diagnosed Hashi.
I then decided on a referral from him to a private Endo (all not cheap but I actually felt so ill was convinced there was something very sinister going on- not health anxiety I assure you- I had just never felt so ill) I saw her last week- she was brilliant and she has done bloods to confirm the Hashi ( if the Endo is happy it is  will give me more Levo as she said Hashi need more), checking adrenals (thinks I also could have post viral fatigue/ CFS and that an initial virus attacked my thyroid triggering the extreme response in Dec as actually my TSH is no where near as high as some people she sees but she said everyone responds differently) issued me with Vit D mega doses as I am on the floor with this, and is screening for other autoimmune including diabetes and B12 etc. She is also a meno 
Specialist and wants to look at my HRT with a view to a change.
Art mouse- having done some homework on thyroid U.K. that 90% hypo are Hashi, but not all think Stellajane/ Birdy mentioned this. My current TSH at 2.9 but am still symptomatic, not as severe but I’m not me yet still having some bad dip days- so I want to be at low end of TSH and upper for T4 until I stop increases in Levo- this is mentioned by the BMA and also cited on thyroid U.K. apparently this is where most hypos feel well.
Honestly, I could not care less what NHS GPs deem as within normal range and no further action needed/ review in 1 year (saw this in my notes ) I have had to be absent from work for 2 months (a job I love)- never off- and just surviving not living or functioning- I will decide what is normal thank you . I know my body and This illness felt like nothing I have ever felt before. To maintain health, I will eat beans on toast forever and stick with my private Endo for now. I know this is not an option for many- I am not loaded I promise you, but never in my life have I felt so scared/ terrified xxxx

[shoppingqueen]

Ps
I did not mention that Hashi people can switch between hypo and hyper so this might explain spikes in severe insomnia and anxiety and panic.
ditto re getting onto thyroid U.K.- a fantastic network like this life saver here!
As many of you have said here it’s clear thyroid complicates meno- and like getting on top of meno symptoms, it can take months to restore equilibrium  to the thyroid hormones I’m learning.
I never heard about thyroid before any of this  who knew? Xxx

[Artmouse]

Hi ShoppingQueen,

I really sympathise with you and can totally relate.  Similar story...I got ill every 6-8 weeks for about 10 years!  It felt like flu and I usually had head pressure/spinning feeling with it.  Looking at my records online, at least the ones I can see, my TSH was right at the edge of the normal range whenever I had a blood test.  I had no idea what the problem was, and no one mentioned anything as I was in 'normal' range.   Went to the GP time and again feeling desperate and was told I had a virus.  Sometimes they did a full blood count 'to check'.

Eventually I was threatened with capability procedure at my job due to absence.  I had an NHS wellness check and they called me at work and said you need more thyroxine!     

Since then my thyroxine has been gradually increased and I no longer get ill - at all!  At least until this latest bit of trouble.  Good luck with it all!

[shoppingqueen]

Hi Artmouse
I'm sorry you have had this nightmare but it's reassuring to hear I'm not the only one! And great news you have had good periods of health-even though you having an issue now. It restores faith. Yes I agree- I also, like you, think I've had latent problems for years. Doctor treating lots of symptoms separately but not taking an overview to link to the big picture eg thyroid. That normal range is so mis-leading. And as we know- some don't convert T4 and the docs never seem to check T4 it T3. Crazy.
My dream is that once I'm sorted I?ll look back and say oh my goodness, I've been ill for years and this is actually how I'm supposed to feel. Well and healthy. I've blamed so much on meno and age. You give me hope 🤗 xxx

[Penelope]

I am so please a lot of us are reading this post just remember ladies when you are not feeling well do not let your doctor say everything is fine.

BECAUSE there is a problem with that statement.

YOU are not feeling well or fine.

So they need to keep looking.

Remember read your own blood tests or put them on here even if the doctor says they are fine.🌹