Hypo/Hyper Thyroid Check-in

[penguin129]

I hope this is ok if I do this. 

Do you have Hyper/Hypo?

How long have you been Hyper/Hypo?

When were you last labs and what were they?

What # does your doctor want you to be at?

How often do you get your levels checked?

How are you feeling?

[penguin129]

I was diagnosed hypo a year ago.

My last labs were August 3rd. My TSH went up from a .88 to a 1.66.

My doctor wants me to be at a 2.

I've been getting my levels checked every 6 weeks and can't wait until I can go longer between testing.

I'm feeling wonderful. This is the best I've felt since being put on medicine last September. I can't believe it. I finally feel back to my normal self. This past year has been long since being diagnosed and learning I'll have to take this pill most likely for the rest of my life (I know there are way worse things out there). I go back for more labs in just over a week. I'm also starting to get nervous about TFAS with having hypothyroidism. I didn't have anything the first time around.

TLDR: Feeling wonderful back to normal self. Nervous about TFAS with Hypo.

[jubilantsquirrel]

Do you have Hyper/Hypo? Hypo

How long have you been Hyper/Hypo? Diagnosed in March 2012, so about 3.5 years

When were you last labs and what were they? Oh boy, I think last December. I really, really need to get them done again.

What # does your doctor want you to be at? Honestly not sure. I switched doctors about a year ago and I've only gone to see her twice.

How often do you get your levels checked? It was about 3 months, then I got KUd and it was every 4 weeks. Since March 2014 I've only had my levels checked twice, which is not good for me since my levels weren't where they needed to be the last time.

How are you feeling? Tired with a fuzzy brain. I know my levels aren't where they should be, even without having recent labs done. I've been so incredibly lazy when it comes to managing my thyroid and I need to pull my head out of my ass and get back on track.

[Ray]

I hope you guys don't mind that I am crashing your thread. LMK if this isn't ok. I'm going for TSH b/w early next week to see if my thyroid is causing any issues. I know I can (and have) Google machined for symptoms, but I'm just wondering about anecdotes from people with hypothyroidism. What made you/your doc suspect, what are your symptoms etc. I realize your thyroid has no impact etc etc. just curious.

[jubilantsquirrel]

My biggest symptoms were fatigue and weight gain. I was literally falling asleep while peeing at work. Only for a few minutes, but still, it happened more than once. I was gaining weight even though I was eating really well and working out often. I was also cold a lot and my hair was shedding more than usual. I know constipation is a common symptom for hypo, but I didn't really experience that, or the dry skin.

My doctor ordered the blood work after I went in for a physical and told her about the fatigue.

I believe the hyper symptoms are a little different than the hypo ones, but I don't have experience with hyperthyroidism.

ETA Ray

[Ray]

jubilantsquirrel thx. I also am feeling constantly tired. I could easily go to bed at 8 or 8:30 every night and try to sneak a nap at recess or prep. Ditto to no change with diet or exercise and constant chills and hair loss. I always just chalked this up to being overworked/stressed, thinking maybe I wasn't working out properly, just being weird (re temp) and I always just thought my hair loss was "normal". Of course, all of that could be true, and obviously I'm not hoping that's what it is, but I am hoping to get some answers either way. How much hair loss is a lot?

[jubilantsquirrel]

Sept 4, 2015 18:44:51 GMT -5 Ray said:

jubilantsquirrel thx. I also am feeling constantly tired. I could easily go to bed at 8 or 8:30 every night and try to sneak a nap at recess or prep. Ditto to no change with diet or exercise and constant chills and hair loss. I always just chalked this up to being overworked/stressed, thinking maybe I wasn't working out properly, just being weird (re temp) and I always just thought my hair loss was "normal". Of course, all of that could be true, and obviously I'm not hoping that's what it is, but I am hoping to get some answers either way. How much hair loss is a lot?

There were so many times where I would come home from work and take a 3 hour nap, MH would wake me up to eat dinner and then I'd go right back to be and sleep for 12 hours. I also thought I was just overworked (I was working 55 hour weeks at the time). I've always had hair loss but it definitely got worse. I'm not sure how to quantify it, but I would always get a good handful after brushing my hair.

its always nice to have some answers and I hope you get some soon.

[penguin129]

Ray You are certainly ok coming in here and asking questions.

For me it was a little different. Right after DD turned 1 I started having depression really bad and got very worried because I'd been treated for it in the past and didn't want to go back into that world. I also wasn't able to sleep at all. I had major insomnia and also a lot of gas pains. I thought I had PP depression and something else. I lost a lot of weight really fast. Like all my pregnancy weight I gained from having DD then some. The Physician's Assistant I saw gave me Zolfot right away and suggest to have tests run to check my thyroid and see what was going on. Things came back abnormal so they did further testing. After having a talk with my H we decided to wait and see what the blood work results were before going on the anti-depressant. The rest is history. It is also important to point out if you are on birth control (which I was at the time) or certain medicines and have and un-diagnosed thyroid problems you can have really bad side effects. That is what happened to me. Some medicines say "consult a doctor if you have hypothyroidism". Also for me I may have had post-partum thyroiditus (sp) which is a swing into hyper first and then to hypo. I think that is why I lost so much weight so fast.

Sorry for the book. TLDR: Fear of PP Depression led to testing my thyroid.

[Ray]

Don't apologize penguin129. What you are saying makes sense. I'm sorry you had to go through that, that swing must have been difficult. Thanks for your response too danib! I never even thought to check in the past for meds, well I guess I wouldn't have because it wasn't even on my radar at that point. No meds currently but definitely good to know!

[joy]

My TSH was checked as part of a "get to know you" by my doctor. I didn't complain of any hypo symptoms.

When my TSH came back at 13, I realized then that my vague symptoms of no temperature control, hair loss, and really really fuzzy brain were due to hypothyroidism and not a million other benign things that I blamed them on.

I can think much more clearly now but I still don't feel perfect.

[Ray]

Can you elaborate more on the fuzzy brain part joy? What's that like? I've always just assumed that I'm scatterbrained. I'll look at the dishwasher as I'm walking downstairs to grab a drink and think "right, I need to empty that" by the time I come back up I'll have completely forgotten about it. Takes me multiple attempts to leave work every day (gotta go back in for my keys, glasses, wallet, etc) is it like that? Or more just general difficulty concentrating?

I promise I'll run out of questions soon guys lol

[joy]

Sept 5, 2015 8:07:47 GMT -5 Ray said:

Can you elaborate more on the fuzzy brain part joy? What's that like? I've always just assumed that I'm scatterbrained. I'll look at the dishwasher as I'm walking downstairs to grab a drink and think "right, I need to empty that" by the time I come back up I'll have completely forgotten about it. Takes me multiple attempts to leave work every day (gotta go back in for my keys, glasses, wallet, etc) is it like that? Or more just general difficulty concentrating?

I promise I'll run out of questions soon guys lol

For me at least, it felt like I had a dead weight in my brain and I could not think past it. It was too exhausting. I also had a hell of a time following TV shows and stopped reading books all together. The characters would jumble and I'd literally want to cry from frustration and being unable to follow it.

This was not me! But I wrote it off as being tired, overworked, disinterested, etc. In the end, it was a combo of all of it. My head weight is gone and I can follow all the stories again. I still feel a little fuzzy but noooothing like I was.

[Ray]

Thanks I'm glad you're feeling better! It sounds like my scatter-brained-ness is something else/just me then.

joy

[joy]

Sept 5, 2015 8:21:06 GMT -5 Ray said:

Thanks I'm glad you're feeling better! It sounds like my scatter-brained-ness is something else/just me then.

joy

Don't write it off yet - you never know. Things manifest differently in people.

My doctor was really shocked that I hadn't come in complaining of anything yet. I just assumed so much of it was just life.

[penguin129]

Ray There are some really good websites with information about many various symptoms. Like 200 plus. I'll link them when I can.

[Ray]

Sept 5, 2015 9:51:37 GMT -5 penguin129 said:

Ray There are some really good websites with information about many various symptoms. Like 200 plus. I'll link them when I can.

Thanks I've been doing a lot of googling/reading also but I'd be happy to get some good ones passed on:)

[ihatepizza]

. 

Do you have Hyper/Hypo?

hyperthyroidism (graves), I had RAI done to obliterate my thyroid



How long have you been Hyper/Hypo?

About 15 years, I was diagnosed as a young teenager




When were you last labs and what were they?

My TSH is at 20.5, this is good as a month ago it was 25 and a month before that 36. T4 is " normal" but could be improved slightly.



What # does your doctor want you to be at?[

She seems pretty neutral about it all. She raises my synthroid when my labs come back but she is not overly concerned about my levels (or the fact that I'm benched until we can figure this out)


How often do you get your levels checked?Every four weeks but my doctor has recently told me every 8 weeks, I said no and will continue to go every 4 weeks.

Question- what is the generic name and what is the brand name for levothyroixine. Google is giving me different information and my prescriptions seem to be either or

How am I feeling- good, actually, aside from dealings with the emotional aspect of infertility and a new MFI diagnosis I feel so much better than I did after the RAI

[Deleted]

Sept 5, 2015 12:41:04 GMT -5 ihatepizza said:

. 
Question- what is the generic name and what is the brand name for levothyroixine. Google is giving me different information and my prescriptions seem to be either or 

Brand names: Levothroid, Tirosint, Levoxyl, Synthroid, Unithroid, Novothyrox

levothyroxine is the generic. 

[penguin129]

ihatepizza I believe the brand name is Synthroid. The levothyroixine is the generic. I take the generic and that is what my pill bottle says.

[penguin129]

Ray There's a website called Stop The Thyroid Madness. I am linking their list of symptoms for you. Hypothyroid Symptoms STTM

[penguin129]

Ray Here is one more list of symptoms from Hypothyroid Mom. Hypothyroid Symptoms from Hypothyroid Mom