My eyes also feel uncomfortable when this happens. If I was't hypothyroid I would say I was having an allergic reaction to something. This has been going on for some time now and I hoped when I switched from Levothyroxine to Armour, it would abate. Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated. I did mention this to Dr P and he said he had no idea what could be causing it.
Thanks
Ann
Have you been tested for other autoimmune diseases? It could be an autoimmune flare-up of some kind.
When my thyroid swells I do feel like my neck is a bit constricted, a bit like a big lump around my windpipe, which makes it feel uncomfortable when I swallow. This got much better when I switched to t3, as did my general health. I just wasn't getting enough thyroid hormone from dessicated because of the t4, which I seem to have a real problem with at the moment.
Antibody tests may be a good idea but otherwise I don't know what it could be.
Carolyn x
Hi I would suggest that you ask for an ultra sound, just to be sure. Common with autoimmune thyroid disease to have enlargement and nodules, usually not significant but if nodules found, you need a fine needle biopsy by radiologist under another ultra sound, just to be sure.
Bsst wishes,
Jackie
Hi there. I have been hypo for 20 years now but before I was diagnosed I had a couple of episodes of feeling of a lump in my throat - like someone was pressing on the front of my neck. I felt I had to keep swallowing to get rid of it. Lasted about 18 months and was very uncomfortable. I have since found out it was probably something called " Globus Hystericus" - brought on by severe stress. Strangely - once I found out what it was - it began to subside. It could of course also have been a sign that my thyroid was not happy. Hope you find out what it is.
This makes sense. I was diagnosed as having pharyngitis. When I found out it was often caused by stress it disappeared! Paid £180 to go private as I didn't believe the NHS Dr. He pulled my tongue out of my mouth until I was baulking.
I needed reassurance I wasn't about to die.
I often get it now, as though I am wearing a scarf too tightly. I mentioned it to my Consultant and she looked at me neck, saying 'well you dont have a goitre!'
Btw I have Hashi an hypo.
I have hashimoto's and my eyes often feel 'strange'. I know they are there when surely we shouldn't be aware of them. They are dry twitchy and all sorts. As this is the least of my problems I haven't never remembered to ask why!
Thanks for the input. Problem is, once you have thyroid problems, one tends to ascribe all ailments and sensations to it. I have been plagued with tms for a big part of my life and it does move tension around the body. Tension myostasis syndrome. Shows up when I am under severe stress and caught in a no win no win situation.
Dear Sandysnow
If the pain is like mumps, then would it be your parotid glands?
You could try homeopathic parotidinium (I think it is called) Best to do that with a homeopathic consultation though.
I have had this and also get cramp in my tongue when it happens. It gets worse at certain times of the day along with a variety of other symptoms and eye problems and it does feel like an allergic reaction. Dr S thinks it is part of my hypo symptoms and although not gone completely has certainly improved as my dose of Armour has increased. It is much worse when I am tired. I have read that hypo symptoms can sometimes appear like allergic symptoms (can't remember where though as have read so much) but it is of course important to ensure they really aren't an allergy to something. I hope it improves for you as it is very unpleasant.
I too have a current feeling of tightness swelling in my neck! I've got Hashimotos diagnosed 5 years ago and have never felt well since. I've recently had bloods taken and my tsh is 2.9 but I don't feel like that and as its in normal range the lab won't process a t4 or t3 level! Managed to get my gp to prescribe some t3 to start whilst I wait to see endo specialist I'm hoping this is gonna be my miracle cure but gonna demand a scan too for reassurance! Nice to know other people have same problems sometimes I think people think I'm a hypochondriac as half the symptoms you can't physically see... Not like a broken leg or something!
Exactly right. Yesterday evening I met some friends I hadn't seen for a while. They complimented me on how well I looked. Little did they know how I really felt (awful). Still feeling rotten today....after so many years I still find it hard to accept
A private GP who is also a homeopath, who i rate highly, told me that the tight neck feeling is common with Hashimoto's. Recently i got a mouth abscess and had to rinse and gargle with salt water - the gargling was almost impossible - my throat felt totally constricted.
This Dr told me people with Hashimoto's also find it really uncomfortable to wear scarves and high collars.
Oh dear - now trying to find a naturopathic doctor. Thanks Ann
Ann, I had the same about two months ago but it seems to have gone away completely now over the last month. Back then I'd had it for about 6 weeks and it was getting worse by the day. Do you know if yours feels worse if you have a lot of sugar? Mine got so bad one day 2 months ago and I felt so constricted that I was struggling to breathe so much that I almost passed out and my boyfriend called the paramedics! I'm not sure if the constricted feeling caused me to panic as I thought it was gradually closing up. I know that high sugar intake causes the thyroid to become overworked when it's underactive and the day I had that episode, I had 4 marshmallows(you know the pink and white ones) about an hour before so I wonder if it was to do with that. I had a throat scan which was okay although the scan was only recent after I had been on the medicine(doc won't give me anything as TSH normal so I take natural meds recommended by naturopath) for a month so it might have already calmed down by then. Try keeping an eye on your sugar intake and see if that makes any difference. C
Thank you, I am now wondering if it has anything to do with my morning coffee. I only drink one cup per day, but I am starting to think my body is reacting against it. However, sugar could be an issue as it does spike the insulin as does coffee!!!
The trouble is, it is all smoke and mirrors. I find myself chasing down a path that I am sure will lead to the solution, only to find myself at a crossroads that fills me with doubt and then chasing down another path. All information is useful as I believe if we all help each other, there is just a chance solutions can be found. It would help if there was massive financial input into the endocrine system, but that might solve too many problems and take money from the pharmaceuticals!! I think this thyroid is making me deeply cynical. Ann
Its such a comfort reading a message like yours Ann, I feel exactly like you do (every point you just made) with my hashimotos. I am also always apprehensive about asking my GP for anything that I read about on here e.g. taking T3 along with T4. I'd give anything to feel better eh? With total empathy! Sheila
Ann, my naturopath advised me to cut down sugar, caffeine and alcohol during the healing period as all three put a strain on the thyroid when it has to process them. I have starting having decaf coffee now, have stopped drinking alcohol for 6 months and always look at the sugar content of food. Drinking normal coffee or orange juice and eating really sweet food has made me feel yuk in the past but I didn't realise until someone told me that's what it was! If you are on Twitter, look through @the_naturopath tweets as he is really knowledgeable about all things endocrinology
Thank you, very kind to take the time to help me sort this out. I really feel isolated as my doctor believes only in the miraculous TSH test and Levothyroxine. I have taken a walk on the wild side and visited Dr P and am self treating with Armour. My bp elevated and my doctor wanted me on Ramipril and I refused. He is just going to carry on treating symptoms and not what is causing the problem. Thanks again and will keep you posted.
Ann
Ann, how much does Armour cost to buy privately? Do most GPs not prescribe it in the UK anymore?
I did ask my doctor what he thought about the t4 t3 issue and he was dismissive saying the 'gold standard' was Levothyroxine. He ignored my low level cortisol tests that I paid to have done and just droned on about the need for me to take bp medication. I was borderline hypo two years ago and wish I had never taken any thyroid supplements. In answer to your question, yes gps can script armour but are under terrible pressure from their associates not to. I think Levo costs roughly £1 to script against £20 per month on armour. Yes, it is costing me a fortune. I pay for all of my supplements nutri adrenals and Armour from the states. It costs roughly £50 and then roughly £8 for customs. It is disgraceful what is going on here and our NHS is under serious threat. I wish they had implemented the 50/50 scheme, but we are where we are. Many thanks Camilla for your input, it is greatly appreciated.
Ann
I get this too, coupled with, and sometimes overshadowed by, unbearable tension in the two large muscles that run down the sides of my neck, like they've gone into spasm. I feel I've tried so much to fix it - osteopaths and chiropractors in case something was misaligned, special neck pillow and neck support, acupuncture, an NHS physio, taking supplements (I read that it could be caused by a lack of certain minerals - potassium, selenium, magnesium...) Even a stupid massage chair. Whatever I try, it always comes back. It's very disheartening.
Believe me, I feel for you. There are times when it is not so bad, but it is always there. I started for me in the first year I was diagnosed with a failing thyroid, which is now two years + . I am being led to believe that it is due to under treatment with my Amour but I am trying to line up an appointment with a naturopath in London, and hopefully they will be able to get hold of the reason and treat me. If I get any form of success, I promise I will let you know what has worked. I have taken just about every supplement on the planet and some that have dubious and tenuous promise of result. When you are desperate, you are desperate. My eyes get very tight when my neck is bad and feels as though my head is swelling. Fingers crossed somebody will find the reason for this. Take care Ann
I get that too! It feels like being slowly strangled, eye sockets and sometimes ears feel very pressurised! I guess it's a positive thing at least that we can record our experiences together, and know that it is a real genuine problem connected to our thyroid disorders, and maybe someone out there has the answer...
When I read all this (I am in the same boat as you all!) and just how many of us are suffering with some kind of thyroid illness, I am even more mystified as to why more money isnt put into the whole problem and we start being treated more succesfully like patients are in the U.S.A. And the fact often mentioned on here, that it would reduce the cost to the NHS in the long run. Sheila
Just picked up the thread for you Shelia. It is quite long, but worth watchingMaking a Killing: The Untold Story of Psychotropic Drugging - Full Movie (Documentary)
Well I know this will sound paranoid and or cynical but........... if they solve these problems there will not be the spin off to further drugs that are needed when everything goes out of whack. Pharmaceuticals are so very powerful and my good friend the homeopath said 'it is not in the drug companies interest to make you better'. Look up how much is spent on anti depressants, bp medication, thyroid, antibiotics used for clearing up infections due to the low immune from dis-eases like thyroid. Why on earth would they want to sort that out. They help fund and sustain schools of endocrinology - their influence is huge. Once upon a time, our doctors treated us in a more holistic way and in a more basic way. There is a terrifying report on you tube that shows first hand just what the drug industry is capable of. I think it is called psychotropic drugs. People these days turn up at their doctors surgery expecting/demanding a pill to fix just about anything that is going wrong. This is entirely wrong and 'we' all need to take a look at diet (this is more to do with how our food is being produced rather than bl...dy statins) and how our society has changed from being a social interactive to the now pseudo real world of mobile phones and twitter. Facial interaction, support and love from and to is a huge cure all. I know it sounds all rather airy fairy, but it is true. Go look at the few societies who still have and live among the caring and sharing; they do not experience the ailments that are with us. I truly hate the pharmaceuticals. Sorry for the rant. Ann
Hiya,
I have these symptoms too and it feels like I'm about to develop a chest infection. I was getting this pain and discomfort for many years and was told it was an upper respiratory infection on so many occasions that I accepted this diagnosis without question. It also felt like there was a lump in my throat and I had difficulty swallowing from time to time plus I would wake up choking. It turns out I had thyroid cancer (diagnosed Feb 2013) and I've had the right side of my thyroid removed but I still have these symptoms. I think it's a symptom of being hypothyroid and that I probably had sub clinical hypothyroidism before the cancer developed. I was told by my endo surgeon that I had had the cancer at least 4 years and possibly longer and it could have been picked up a lot earlier by my GP who said it was laryngitis.
Try not to worry about it and if you don't feel any better in a few days get your GP to organise an ultrasound scan of your neck. My cancer was found by chance after I insisted on investigations for a pain in my left side. The sonographer said I was wasting his time when he did an ultrasound of my left side but I told him that it felt like a lump on my left lung and the pain was similar to when I had pleurisy. He requested a CT scan and it found a calcified nodule on the right side of my thyroid and a goitre on the left. You might have a goitre and it's best to get it checked out because it can go cancerous. This is what probably happened to me and was more than likely caused by not being diagnosed as hypothyroid and this condition caused lesions and lumps that went bad. Also, thyroid related goitres can develop in other parts of the body, namely the lungs. Hence, the possible link between the two for me.
Good luck and I hope you get it sorted out soon.
T.T.
That was very kind of you to share that with me. I hope you are better now. Ann
Hi Sandysnow,
I'm not getting better yet because of these horrid hypo symptoms and my dosage of levothy is still low. Fingers crossed I'll get better but I too think I'll need T3 like others on this forum. I've just got to wait and see.
Take care,
T.T.
I wasn't going to post this sandy, but you seem to have been stuck with neck discomfort.
On Levo low dose a month ago I had been having quite a nasty sore neck like a crick for weeks [about 4]. Not like me to have this symptom and I've been low physical activity too, due to Levo knocking me back.#
it was painful to turm my head when driving etc and a real bore to live with.
The only thing that stopped it was an attack of gout, also due to meds change[Sulfinpyrazone to Adenuric] kicking off old sites. A good thing in the long run but painful. [3 in a row 
]
I think it was the Levo that caused the neck pain and others but no idea why an immune reaction episode would clear it up.
Maybe next blood test get Lymphocytes,Easoniphils checked etc on the immune side if neck pain persists.
Homeopathic masseur said it was glandular when dealing with it later, but it was at the back of the neck, 3/4 way round not the thyroid area.
Hope this helps,anyway.
Thanks for the information and support. I am on Armour now, but I think the dose is too low. However, if you increase Armour too quickly, it has a nasty kick back so it is slowly slowly catchy monkey. I am so fed up with me it is not true. What happened to just jumping out of bed and attacking the day? Hope you found the miracle of the tsh test funny; it cheered me up no end. Going to have to admit to my doctor that I have switched meds without his say so. I am sorry that you are having a domino effect with your meds. My doctor tried to put me on Ramipril for raised bp but after three days, it had kicked off my gastritis again. So I am not on any bp at the moment with elevated bp. I think elevated bp is another one of the symptoms from hypo. Levothyroxine does not suit everyone and there is a chap who wrote a book (brain fog) that just settled down with T3. I think I might get a full blood panel done when I can next afford it. Stay sane.
Ann
yeah- the Miracle was too true to actually make me laugh, but well done!
I was meaning for you to take note of Lymph results, though. I wrote like it might be me.
[I've got fed up with begging for extras on tests.]
Hope the Armour goes well and good luck with the Doc..
I'm on low dose BP meds ,three of them after mega doses failed before.That seems to work better, but it's best to find what suits, as Hypertension is bad news long term ,as you know.
High Uric acid can cause it ,too- I wouldn't be surprised at a HypoT link either.
Cheers - if you put in fibromyalgia and hypothyroidism on youtube, it comes up with some very interesting interviews. Two doctors lay fibro firmly at the door of hypothyroidism and say that dessicated thyroid hormone (armour) is the only way to go. Go kick A with your doctor I think I am going to, my problem is I really like him and I know he is restricted by his fellow doctors. Keep you up to speed.
Ann
I know it's been 4 years but did u get any better did u figure it out I could really use some help
I wonder if anyone can help me. Nhs says my thyroid is ok but Dr P says it is too low so i take adrenal and thyroid sups from Nutri,england. I only get a sleep for about half an hour to an hour just b4 my husband gets up for work.I think my cortisol levels going up at wrong times. I have tried melatonin and other herbal remedies but none work. I am exhausted. I take sleeping tabs sometimes to get a bit of relief. I dont go out,cant read or watch tv as too tired,my eyes hurt as does the side of my neck.I experience crawley sensations in my head which is quite awful.
Not sure If I should increase T3, feel like the hair loss has doubled this last week:(
i am 16, i was diagosed with hypo when i was 11, and am currently on 75mg of levothyroxine, but lately feeling awful* but my intake is fine?
I would like to hear if anyone has had success with their thyroid meds ONLY by splitting the dose - up to 4 times a day please?
Why stay on Levo when changing to T3?
Endo redeemed, a good consultation and outcome...
