New here just diagnosed..

[Kymybear]

Good morning everyone. This is all new to me and my head is spinning. I went in to the gyno 2 weeks ago to see if once again they could figure out what was going on with my horrible monthly cycles. She called me two days later and said my thyroid was so out of whak that she could/would not treat it and had already made me an appt with a Endocrinologist. Since I was very suprised I did not ask what my labs showed. I really thought I was just low on iron and that was why I felt so horribly tired.

Anyways I went to my appt with the Endrocrinologist who put me on 50mcgs of Synthroid for the next 6 weeks. He did not take any labs and did not have anything but a couple of numbers that were sent from the gyno's office which he said he thought were wrong anyways. He did feel my thyroid and said it was swollen but he felt no nodules. He also said he is 97% sure I have Hashimoto's, but when I come back in 6 weeks he would do the full labs and ultrasound to find out or sure. He also told me to go on a low carb diet and only eat 120 carbs a day.

Some background: My monthly cycles have been out of whack for years. Probably since I had my youngest 13 years ago. They last 9 days and are extremely heavy, where I can not even last an hour without finding a bathroom. I have been horribly exhausted for years. I can sleep 10-12 hrs a night and 18 hrs on the weekend. My boss at least 2 times a week for probably the last 6 months has told me that he is not sure what is wrong with me but I'm not all there lately, not as sharp as I have been for the previous 2 years I've worked for him. I find myself in the middle of sentences and totally lose what I even talking about. This has been horrible since I am in a very fast paced work environment and have to make decisions on the fly and I also am in school. Weight has been up and down over the years, but I have gained almost 80 lbs over 2 years. My husband was about at his wits end with my emotions being all over the place (I have been off and on depression meds for years) and I think he seriously thought about either having me locked up or leaving.

It is funny now that I know what is causing it I can look back on things over the past couple of years and say wow that explains a lot. I seriously think I have been suffering from this for years and my primary care physican just never did the right blood tests to find it.

So I have now completed my first week of the synthroid. I have noticed several differences but, also during this week my monthly cycle came and I have had the worst cold for 5 days. The scale has dropped about 4 lbs, which could be due to my monthly water retention, I have not changed anything about the way I eat, although I have been trying to count carbs but not worrying if I go over. I think I feel a difference in my energy level but since I have been so sick I have wanted to sleep but when I lay down I can't sleep. The carb thing is very hard for me since I have been a Weight Watchers follower for years. I love fruit, breads, and fiber.

Does anyone have any suggestions on the low carb thing? Or just anything that I should watch out for or ask my doctors about?? Thank you all so much in advance!

[Andros]

Good morning everyone. This is all new to me and my head is spinning. I went in to the gyno 2 weeks ago to see if once again they could figure out what was going on with my horrible monthly cycles. She called me two days later and said my thyroid was so out of whak that she could/would not treat it and had already made me an appt with a Endocrinologist. Since I was very suprised I did not ask what my labs showed. I really thought I was just low on iron and that was why I felt so horribly tired.

Anyways I went to my appt with the Endrocrinologist who put me on 50mcgs of Synthroid for the next 6 weeks. He did not take any labs and did not have anything but a couple of numbers that were sent from the gyno's office which he said he thought were wrong anyways. He did feel my thyroid and said it was swollen but he felt no nodules. He also said he is 97% sure I have Hashimoto's, but when I come back in 6 weeks he would do the full labs and ultrasound to find out or sure. He also told me to go on a low carb diet and only eat 120 carbs a day.

Some background: My monthly cycles have been out of whack for years. Probably since I had my youngest 13 years ago. They last 9 days and are extremely heavy, where I can not even last an hour without finding a bathroom. I have been horribly exhausted for years. I can sleep 10-12 hrs a night and 18 hrs on the weekend. My boss at least 2 times a week for probably the last 6 months has told me that he is not sure what is wrong with me but I'm not all there lately, not as sharp as I have been for the previous 2 years I've worked for him. I find myself in the middle of sentences and totally lose what I even talking about. This has been horrible since I am in a very fast paced work environment and have to make decisions on the fly and I also am in school. Weight has been up and down over the years, but I have gained almost 80 lbs over 2 years. My husband was about at his wits end with my emotions being all over the place (I have been off and on depression meds for years) and I think he seriously thought about either having me locked up or leaving.

It is funny now that I know what is causing it I can look back on things over the past couple of years and say wow that explains a lot. I seriously think I have been suffering from this for years and my primary care physican just never did the right blood tests to find it.

So I have now completed my first week of the synthroid. I have noticed several differences but, also during this week my monthly cycle came and I have had the worst cold for 5 days. The scale has dropped about 4 lbs, which could be due to my monthly water retention, I have not changed anything about the way I eat, although I have been trying to count carbs but not worrying if I go over. I think I feel a difference in my energy level but since I have been so sick I have wanted to sleep but when I lay down I can't sleep. The carb thing is very hard for me since I have been a Weight Watchers follower for years. I love fruit, breads, and fiber.

Does anyone have any suggestions on the low carb thing? Or just anything that I should watch out for or ask my doctors about?? Thank you all so much in advance!

Welcome to the Board. You sure sound like you have been having a go of it and I am so sorry for this.

I wonder why this doctor did not run labs "before" putting you on Synthroid so as to see what is "really" going on. That has me quite flummoxed.

That said, here are some labs that I personally recommend to get to the bottom of things.

TSI (thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin),TPO (antimicrosomal antibodies) TBII (thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin), Thyroglobulin Ab, ANA (antinuclear antibodies),TSH, Free T3, Free T4.

You can look this stuff up here and more.........
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/conditions/thyroid.html

it is very very important to see if any antibodies are detectable and if so, where they are at.

We will love to look at your labs and when you do get them, we will need the ranges also as different labs use different ranges.

Thyroid problems in fact cause depression. And mood swings.

[prettynikki5]

Hi there Kymybear!
I am pretty much new here too, recently diagnosed Hashi's around October of last year.These boards are great, chock full of caring ,supportive, experienced angels :) I must say, my story mimics yours. I too, just started Synthroid 6 weeks ago-I am getting labs done today for my follow up next week to see how my levels look. I had alot of the same symptoms as you and many many more. It was the symptoms that took me to my doc's for an explanation. From there they found positive antibodies against my Thyroid, referred me to the Endo. My TSH and other levels have always been normal-but I have an enlarged Thyroid with nodules. (The doc cannot always "feel" nodules, so it is interesting that your doc would not assess that with an ultrasound first ) Since my levels were normal, yet I had so many symptoms that my Endo couldn't positively say were related to my Thyroid, he wrote me a script for 50mcg Synthroid to "see if it made me feel better". So, 6 weeks in, and I feel AWESOME, hard to believe now how bad I was feeling before. Also, I have cut out mostly ALL carbs and sugars during this 6 weeks on my own accord. My doc never mentioned eating a low carb diet to me, wonder why yours did? This has me curious as to how it is related to our thyroid. I believe my new way of eating (and drinking) has helped ALOT. It is a challenge for sure. Having to shop for and prepare food completely differently. But the more I have adapted, the easier it has become and less cravings I have. My body has respoded so wonderfullly to this new way of eating. I am also taking Cayenne pepper pills a couple times a day, Vitamin D and Calcium. I want to see a nutrionist to see exactly what supplements would be best to for me to be taking. In just 2 months I have lost quite a bit of weight- maybe 15 pounds or so...My oldest is 12 yrs old and looking back, I too, have possibly been having these issues a long, long time. I also have been emotioanlly unstable to some degree the past few years, I feel a bit more even-tempered now, still have my moments though :) I am still searching for answers as to how this all came about, but I am VERY serious about healing myself no matter what it takes. Please continue to update how you are feeling on the Synthroid and results from your Endo, Andros left some VERY good info above. Welcome!

[Kymybear]

Hi guys! I was a little confused on why the endo didn't do labs but I just called my gyno office and requested they fax the labs they did on the 1st of March. It is a pretty bad copy but here is what I can make out:

TSH, 3rd Generation 8.02 *Ref Range 0.4-4.5
T4, Free 0.8 *Ref Range 0.8-1.8
Hemoglobin 11.5 *Ref Range 11.7-15.5
Hematocrit 34.6 *Ref Range 35.0-45.0
FSH 4.4

So it looks like my TSH is extremely high, and the T4 is just barely in the normal. Not even sure what these numbers mean, anyone have any thoughts?

[Lovlkn]

Hi guys! I was a little confused on why the endo didn't do labs but I just called my gyno office and requested they fax the labs they did on the 1st of March. It is a pretty bad copy but here is what I can make out:

TSH, 3rd Generation 8.02 *Ref Range 0.4-4.5
T4, Free 0.8 *Ref Range 0.8-1.8
Hemoglobin 11.5 *Ref Range 11.7-15.5
Hematocrit 34.6 *Ref Range 35.0-45.0
FSH 4.4

So it looks like my TSH is extremely high, and the T4 is just barely in the normal. Not even sure what these numbers mean, anyone have any thoughts?


Kymybear,

Welcome to the board - I would suggest going forward you ask for paper copies of all lab work for your own records.

Your lab's indicate that you are hypo and putting you on 50mcg of Synthroid was the correct thing to do. If I am hypo I tend to hold fluids and I also hold them when I eat alot of carbs so your weight loss could be tied to either of those.

With the heavy periods you are most likely ferritin deficient or anemic so if your periods do not lighten up with the addition of Synthroid you may want to request tests for either of those as they too can cause heavy periods.

[Andros]

Hi guys! I was a little confused on why the endo didn't do labs but I just called my gyno office and requested they fax the labs they did on the 1st of March. It is a pretty bad copy but here is what I can make out:

TSH, 3rd Generation 8.02 *Ref Range 0.4-4.5
T4, Free 0.8 *Ref Range 0.8-1.8
Hemoglobin 11.5 *Ref Range 11.7-15.5
Hematocrit 34.6 *Ref Range 35.0-45.0
FSH 4.4

So it looks like my TSH is extremely high, and the T4 is just barely in the normal. Not even sure what these numbers mean, anyone have any thoughts?

Wow; they mean you feel very very tired, barely functional and probably very upset.

It would be interesting to get a Ferritin test to see how low your iron stores are. Did doc comment on your CBC?

According to the thyroid labs, you are in a very hypo state.

Hope you get some antibodies' testing somewhere along the line.

TSI (thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin),TPO (antimicrosomal antibodies) TBII (thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin), Thyroglobulin Ab, ANA (antinuclear antibodies),TSH, Free T3, Free T4.

You can look this stuff up here and more.........
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/conditions/thyroid.html

[Kymybear]

Thank you all for your replys! I'm glad to know that I am not losing my mind after all. Wish they would have found it years ago though!

Prettynikki - I have all kinds of other symptoms too. One of the bigger ones is an irregular heart beat where it feels like my heart skips a beat then when it starts again it slams into my chest. The first couple of days on the meds I also felt this alot, but not the past few.

I have also been dealing with kidney problems for a few years that I believe may also be related to this. I have kidney pain that wakes me up at night. My primary care physician would put me on antibotics and then finally said it was probably a stone and gave me muscle relaxers, after that I just learned to live with it. But since I started the meds I have not had the pain. Anyone else ever have any experience with kidney problems related to thyroid??

[Andros]

Thank you all for your replys! I'm glad to know that I am not losing my mind after all. Wish they would have found it years ago though!

Prettynikki - I have all kinds of other symptoms too. One of the bigger ones is an irregular heart beat where it feels like my heart skips a beat then when it starts again it slams into my chest. The first couple of days on the meds I also felt this alot, but not the past few.

I have also been dealing with kidney problems for a few years that I believe may also be related to this. I have kidney pain that wakes me up at night. My primary care physician would put me on antibotics and then finally said it was probably a stone and gave me muscle relaxers, after that I just learned to live with it. But since I started the meds I have not had the pain. Anyone else ever have any experience with kidney problems related to thyroid??

Well; I do know that kidney stones are common with thyroid disease because the metabolism is skewed.

■Do not take vitamin C if you have a history of kidney stones or of kidney insufficiency (defined as having a serum creatine level greater than 2 milligrams per deciliter and/or a creatinine clearance less than 30 milliliters per minute.

http://www.lef.org/protocols/metabolic_health/thyroid_regulation_01.htm

[prettynikki5]

I am VERY prone to UTI's. Not sure if related to Thyroid or not, what does your urine culture say? Maybe if you haven't had a complete unrinalysis there may be a clue there. Kidney problems are no joke, please get this checked out.

[Andros]

I am VERY prone to UTI's. Not sure if related to Thyroid or not, what does your urine culture say? Maybe if you haven't had a complete unrinalysis there may be a clue there. Kidney problems are no joke, please get this checked out.

That too!! With autoimmune thyroid disease, ALL systems are down. Nothing works right.explode

Pooey!

[Kymybear]

Ok so today was day 9 of the 50 Synthroid and I have a question for you.

Before I was diagnosed with Thyroid issues (we'll call it that since not formally diagnosed with Hashi) I noticed fullness in my neck, when I was sitting down watching TV it would be very uncomfortable in that area, almost like a fat roll that touched my collar bone and chin.

Now though most of the fullness in the neck appears to be gone however something in that area feels strange like it keeps drawing my attention there and I've noticed my voice is becoming raspy sounding. Has anyone noticed this after starting the meds?

[Andros]

Ok so today was day 9 of the 50 Synthroid and I have a question for you.

Before I was diagnosed with Thyroid issues (we'll call it that since not formally diagnosed with Hashi) I noticed fullness in my neck, when I was sitting down watching TV it would be very uncomfortable in that area, almost like a fat roll that touched my collar bone and chin.

Now though most of the fullness in the neck appears to be gone however something in that area feels strange like it keeps drawing my attention there and I've noticed my voice is becoming raspy sounding. Has anyone noticed this after starting the meds?

I have noticed it but not necessarily coincidental to starting thyroid meds.


Stand in front of a mirror, take a sip of water and tilt your head back, swallow. See if you see anything such as a bulge or explode the butterfly formation.

Let us know the results of that and if this persists, by all means do consult w/your doctor.