feeling terrible and need help

[alicea]

I have had a few blood tests in the last twelve months and told I am 5.5 for one test and 11 for the other the doctor told me it was unusual something about my piturity gland and said she would try me on 25 mgs of thyroxine for a couple of months , as I am only just needing medication ,i am having a blood test next week to see if it as helped. I dont feel any better yet .

I have arthritis in most joints and have had a knee and hip replaced , over the last 4 years life as gone from bad to worse I feel terrible all the time and always in pain , shoulders knee , hands , feet , shoulders etc . I have been helped by the pain clinic with injections and pain killers but i know there is something else going on. I go from really cold to sweating all the time and feel really ill .

One thing that is really driving me mad is my voice it is very low and horse and i have trouble getting people to hear me . The doctors said it was something to do with the arthritis but reading about thyroid is seems it could be my thyroid . I have almost lost my eyebrows and my skin is really dry . I also have a really dry mouth all the time and feel so upset all the time . I really am so fedup with my life . I am also forgeting things I know I am 60 but i have always had a good memory .

Is there anyone else feeling like this and will the tablets sort me out ? Doctors dont seem to help they just want me to have my other knee replaced but i am not up to it at the moment . thanks for listening ...Alicea

[Chippysue]

Oh my word, how awful for you! Your doc needs to go back to med school! You have classic hypo symptoms and need to gradually increase your meds until your tsh is under 1 and your free t4 (your result that's 11) to be at the top of the range.

Can you see a different doctor?

[alicea in reply to Chippysue]

thanks for your advise it helps to know i am classic for the symptoms I was have found it hard to find out what the numbers meant . My doctor is new to the practise, i think she is newly qualified , she rang through to someone else to ask what bloods she needed tested . I have more tests next week i will ask her to put the dose up and see what she says. thanks again .

[RedApple Administrator]

Your test results and several of the symptoms you've described are very definitely indicative of hypothyroidism. I'm amazed that your GP is not aware that hoarse voice is a classic hypothyroid symptom!

Thank goodness your doctor had finally seen sense and started you on thyroid medication. 25mcg is a typical starting dose. How long have you been taking it?

Some people start to see small improvements quite quickly, even at this low dose. For others, it can take much longer. If you do not see any significant improvement after a month on this dose, I suggest going back to your doctor to discuss an increase. She will want to do another blood test first. As Suze said, ideally someone on replacement thyroid medication needs their TSH to be quite low in the range. My guess is that you will need to go up to at least 50 mcg before you start to see any significant improvement in your symptoms.