Newly diagnosed and feeling puffy and bad

[HeidiBR]

Hi all -

I was just diagnosed with Hashimoto's last Friday. I have a family history of the disease (Mom, sister, brother, aunt, cousins) and tons of classic symptoms. Cold intolerance. Can't lose weight despite exercise 7 days a week and a 1200 calorie per day diet. I'm not overweight (5'7" and 145 lbs) but I have been trying to get down to my normal weight of 135. I quit smoking last summer and gained some :party0009:. I have been exhausted, foggy, and puffy for months. Overall, I feel like crap and like I am barely functioning.

My labs are:

TSH = 3.42 (.45-4.5)
Free T4 = 1.21 (.82-1.77)
Free T3 = 2.9 (2.0-4.4)

I don't know what my antibodies test said other than it was positive.
I am Vitamin D deficient.

So, I started taking Synthroid yesterday; half of a 50 mcg pill for a few days, and then I am supposed to take 50 mcg daily. I understand that it will take a while before I feel any improvement, but boy, do I feel rotten.

My face and neck are so puffy that I am actually a bit embarrassed to leave the house. Does this decrease with treatment?

I am so tired all I want to do with sleep all of the time. I have a low grade headache and I feel half asleep when I am not sleeping.

Is there ANYTHING the doctor can prescribe to help while the Synthroid kicks in? I don't know how I am going to function for the next 8 weeks until I go back to the doctor.

Thanks for any help you can give!

[Andros]

Hi all -

I was just diagnosed with Hashimoto's last Friday. I have a family history of the disease (Mom, sister, brother, aunt, cousins) and tons of classic symptoms. Cold intolerance. Can't lose weight despite exercise 7 days a week and a 1200 calorie per day diet. I'm not overweight (5'7" and 145 lbs) but I have been trying to get down to my normal weight of 135. I quit smoking last summer and gained some :party0009:. I have been exhausted, foggy, and puffy for months. Overall, I feel like crap and like I am barely functioning.

My labs are:

TSH = 3.42 (.45-4.5)
Free T4 = 1.21 (.82-1.77)
Free T3 = 2.9 (2.0-4.4)

I don't know what my antibodies test said other than it was positive.
I am Vitamin D deficient.

So, I started taking Synthroid yesterday; half of a 50 mcg pill for a few days, and then I am supposed to take 50 mcg daily. I understand that it will take a while before I feel any improvement, but boy, do I feel rotten.

My face and neck are so puffy that I am actually a bit embarrassed to leave the house. Does this decrease with treatment?

I am so tired all I want to do with sleep all of the time. I have a low grade headache and I feel half asleep when I am not sleeping.

Is there ANYTHING the doctor can prescribe to help while the Synthroid kicks in? I don't know how I am going to function for the next 8 weeks until I go back to the doctor.

Thanks for any help you can give!

Yes; your Free T4 and Free T3 are both below mid-range and AACE recommends TSH range to be 0.3 - 3.0 so you are creeping up there. Lucky you to have gotten the FREES. Most docs won't run them.

What antibodies?? TPO (antimicrosomal) or any others? Good for you on the smoking. I am going into my 4th. year w/o smoking. I feel great and wonder why I ever smoked.

All of the above should go away w/ treatment. It will take a while though as doc has to continue to see you every 8 weeks for labs and keep on titrating your thyroxine replacement until you feel well (euthyroid.)

How about all your family members? Do they feel well now after years of treatment?

It takes about 8 weeks for the T4 to build up in your system. So, doc has you on the right amount for starting and I am glad to see that he/she is taking you through the titration process slow and easy.

You may not feel so great at first during the titration process but hang in there and do as the doctor tells you to do.

Try and get about 5 to 10 minutes of sun per day.

[daisy_ysiad2002]

You have to get used to the starting dosage so your system gets used to it otherwise a higher dose too soon can BACKFIRE on you side effect wise. Hang in there...and if after 4 weeks you still feel that aweful beg for a TSH test and they should be able to do one then for you if you can still barely function. I know its not fun....I too am at a certain dosage JUST WAITING for it to build up in my system. Every day I'm tired and achy and want to just sleeep at times. Its sooo frustating but there is nothing you can do, just eat healthy and wait.

[HeidiBR]

Thank you both for your reassuring words. They mean ALOT to me.

I am scared of this disease because honestly, I have never really had a disease before. I have been mostly healthy my entire life and now - WHAM.

It is good to know that I am on the right course, and that my doctor is doing the right thing taking it slow.

I do need to get my actual lab results - they are being mailed to me. I want to know which antibodies were tested, and what was the number.

I made a decision today that I am going about my regular life and I am not going to let this thing beat me down. I refuse:party0009:

I just wish I wasn't as puffy as the Pillsbury Doughboy. It is really heinous.

I am a librarian so of course I have been reading every book and website related to Hashimoto's and hypo. I am indeed educated myself, but I am scaring myself to death.

As for my family, the ones who are still alive have been successfully treated on synthetic T4.

Thanks again. Really, really, thank you.

[hillaryedrn]

You have the right attitude!! I'll be thinking about you and hoping you feel better. Be sure to post those labs when you get them.

[HeidiBR]

Thanks - I sure will post them. They supposed to be mailed to me.
I got on the scale - big mistake. 5 pound water gain in one day. At least I hope it is water!

This is the first time since I've had symptoms that I have puffed up like this. I assume it is coincidence that the water retention started the very day I started Synthroid?

[Lovlkn]

Thanks - I sure will post them. They supposed to be mailed to me.
I got on the scale - big mistake. 5 pound water gain in one day. At least I hope it is water!

This is the first time since I've had symptoms that I have puffed up like this. I assume it is coincidence that the water retention started the very day I started Synthroid?

I think there is a definite connection between thyroid hormone movements and fluid retention. Once your levels are more in line the fluid retention should resolve.

[HeidiBR]

I really hope so. Because I really don't think it is coincidence that I retained all that water so quickly once I started the pills. I never had an issue retaining water before, not even around my period. I itch all over and I am very depressed. I don't know how long I should wait to see if these are side effects of the Synthroid?

[Andros]

Thank you both for your reassuring words. They mean ALOT to me.

I am scared of this disease because honestly, I have never really had a disease before. I have been mostly healthy my entire life and now - WHAM.

It is good to know that I am on the right course, and that my doctor is doing the right thing taking it slow.

I do need to get my actual lab results - they are being mailed to me. I want to know which antibodies were tested, and what was the number.

I made a decision today that I am going about my regular life and I am not going to let this thing beat me down. I refuse:party0009:

I just wish I wasn't as puffy as the Pillsbury Doughboy. It is really heinous.

I am a librarian so of course I have been reading every book and website related to Hashimoto's and hypo. I am indeed educated myself, but I am scaring myself to death.

As for my family, the ones who are still alive have been successfully treated on synthetic T4.

Thanks again. Really, really, thank you.

You are very very welcome and hang out w/ us when you can. I would love to see your labs and results when you get them; especially the antibodies.

It won't beat you down; attitude "is" everything!! It's just a bump in the road and you will get feeling good and I hope soon.

A mild potassium sparing diuretic such as Maxide may benefit you. Did you speak to the doctor about the "puffy?" That is a lot of water gain; if it continues,I would be concerned as one could get pericardial effusion.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/LuLu1471/flower.gif[/IMG

[HeidiBR]

I called the doctor about the water retention, the sleepiness, nausea, and depression. I was told to skip taking the med tomorrow, and then take 50 mcg the next day (I am currently taking 25 mcg) every other day to see if it helps.

They are supposed to email me my labs and ultrasound report.

They said no to the diuretic.

They said the symptoms are probably related to my body getting used to the meds.

It doesn't make sense to me. I felt not great before the meds, but I was certainly functioning. Then I start meds, which should be giving me hormone that I am missing, and therefore I should eventually feel better. Instead, I feel much, much worse.

[HeidiBR]

Here are my labs re: antibodies, cortisol and CBC. Ranges are in parentheses:

Thyroid Peroxidase 36 (<35 IU/ml)

White blood cell 5.3 (3.8-10.8)
Red blood cell 4.14 (3.8-5.10)
Hemoglobin 12.8 (11.7-15.5)
Hematocrit 38.7 (35-45%)
MCV 93.6 (80-100)
MCH 30.9 (27-33)
RDW 14.8 (11-15%)
Platelet Count 234 (140-400)
Cortisol, A.M. 13.2 (4.0-22)

Ultrasound was normal.

So... maybe I am not sick enough to treat, and the treatment is making me sick? I am so lost on this one.

[Andros]

I called the doctor about the water retention, the sleepiness, nausea, and depression. I was told to skip taking the med tomorrow, and then take 50 mcg the next day (I am currently taking 25 mcg) every other day to see if it helps.

They are supposed to email me my labs and ultrasound report.

They said no to the diuretic.

They said the symptoms are probably related to my body getting used to the meds.

It doesn't make sense to me. I felt not great before the meds, but I was certainly functioning. Then I start meds, which should be giving me hormone that I am missing, and therefore I should eventually feel better. Instead, I feel much, much worse.

Sometimes you do feel worse because the thyroxine has to take you places you would rather not go in order to get you to where you are going. Sad, but true.

Try to be brave and hang in there with this.

Make sure you drink plenty of water for to deny yourself of hydration causes the body to retain even more water. It gets scared.

Don't know why doc would not want to offer you relief from the edema. Harumph.