What were your hypo/undermedicated symptoms?!

[Carrie97]

Everyone's are different.

Just out of curiosity

[Fruitandnutcase]

First time I needed my levo increased it was mainly palpitations, second time I was so cold I was wearing my duvet coat in June along with a vest, scarf and gloves - ok the weather wasn't great then but I was still colder than everyone around me. Soon as my levo was increased my temperature went back tnormal.

[Hennerton]

My biggest symptom has always been aching muscles and joints. As I became more hypo, (I was on Levo, following TT) I suffered from odd infections, which I had never had before, such as urinary tract and another time, pleurisy. Later, I had no stamina. It took me a week to recover from my daughter's wedding. It was then that I asked for a T3 test and it was below the ref range. Since then I have been on every combo of meds possible, all including T3 and now beginning to improve,( I hope!)

[Hidden]

Lately my hypo symptoms have gotten worse, mainly feeling the cold more, napping during the day and heavy, short and early periods. I am on 125mcg Levo from 75mcg.

Before I was diagnosed I had difficulty swallowing and my neck swelled. How my former GP missed this and not connected it with thyroid problems is beyond me.

[Jaye4 in reply to Hidden]

Hello has the feeling in your neck gone now since on medicatiom?

[sazzles6]

For me the main reason for visiting my gp was terrible joint pains. That felt like my bones where a mix of burning on the inside but heavy and 'dead' (sorry to use such a harsh word but nothing quite describes it) on bad days I.e very cold days I couldn't get out of the bath unaided or get up of the floor that's if I could get down! One day I fell over at a playgroup with my dd and struggled to get up. My gp suspected rhumertoid arthritis so had tests done which revealed an under active thyroid. Most people have said. That's good much better than arthritis, or it could have been worse.......hmmm could it. Lots of people don't realise this is a life long disease and which for many gets worse with time. Other symptoms include, fatigue, abnormal menstral cycle, hair loss, digestive issues, over weight, brain fog, forgetfulness, headaches(due to being tired), l am sure there's more but I'v fogotten! Lol.

[Carrie97]

Thank you guys this is really interesting!

[jaxnbreeze]

I have recently watched the film 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly' which was very moving true story about a man trapped in his stricken body and it occured to me that living in diving bell pretty well sums up how I felt before I was diagnosed with sub-clinical hypothyroidism. A tired, aching, heavy body; dull mind, social isolation and looking at life through a pane of thick glass. Thankfully I have been able to metamorphasize back into a butterfly. Jean-Dominic Bauby 'wrote' his story using eye-movements after suffering a massive stroke and dedicated it to his family with the words ..'I wish you many butterflies' - I just love those words which I think is an appropriate wish for all hypo. sufferers too.

[Hidden]

Mine was tiredness and it was like I was in a fog. I also had bouts of sickness that just came on out of the blue.

[snowinok]

Lots of the above, like unbearable exhaustion, lethargy, muscular pain, unbelievable brain fog, hair loss (that never seems to recover), weight gain.

I note that some people feel cold a lot but in my case it's like my thermostat is broken...if I get cold it takes forever to feel warm. If I get hot, it take an age to feel cool. My old GP in the UK told me this was a symptom of hypothyroidism.

Just got diagnosed with arthritis in my back and about to go for tests to look at my heart for damaged heart muscles....not sure if this has any thing to do with my thyroid issues.

Xx

[Clarebear]

Mine were quite varied as follows:

Anxiety and panic attacks, out of body sort of feeling, dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus, palpitations, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, dark vision, feeling very cold, feeling that cold water was being poured on my head, memory problems (still have these a bit ), but thankfully the other symptoms are much better/gone xx

[Alli1 in reply to Clarebear]

The symptoms you describe are very similar to what I'm experiencing at the moment and ones that in my experience are not mentioned so much re hypothyroidism i.e headaches and cold water trickling on my head, sometimes my legs and lots of vertigo. What medication are you taking? I was on Erfa 90 mgs daily with Levo 25mcgs but was over medicated and now reducing my dose of Erfa as FT3 was on the high side but it's such an effort to get my dose ok I'm gradually increasing my Levo and just taking a small amount of Erfa but I'm experiencing more hypo symptoms now.

[Carrie97 in reply to Alli1]

I'm on 125mcg levo

[Clarebear in reply to Alli1]

I'm taking 2.5 grains of Armour 6 days a week and 2 grains on the other day. I am pretty good most of the time, but do sometimes feel a bit over or under medicated.

The under medicated headaches are in the top of my head but over ones are more general.

It's taken me a long time to get to the right dose. I did try going up to 3 grains but felt dizzy and racey anx generally not good.

Vertigo is definitely under medicated/adrenal for me.

Have you checked your adrenals with a saliva test? I had low cortisol bug have rectified it with CT3M per Paul Robinson.

Also wondered why you are taking levo as well? What were your latest thyroid test results? Xx

[Carrie97 in reply to Clarebear]

I'm taking levo as I am hypothyroid. Have been since 2007.

[Clarebear in reply to Carrie97]

Sorry - my reply was to Alli (see above). X

[Alli1 in reply to Clarebear]

Hi Clarebear thank you for your response. My hypo journey is a long one but just to giv you a snapshot! I was diagnosed about 12yrs ago after 2yrs of trips back and forth to the GP with horrible hypo symptoms but it was the last test they did! I am a nurse and actually I didn't think of a thyroid problem straight away, but did ask for a test a few times and my then GP said "you don't have a thyroid problem because you don't look like a thyroid patient!" I was slim, had shiny healthy thick hair and normal skin!( we never got taught much about the thyroid gland in my training- don't suppose much has changed today) anyway my TSH came back very elevated( can't remember the correct figure but something in the 100's) I was commenced on Levo 150, then 125 then was stable on 100mcgs for about 10 yrs although my health was never as it was before I became hypothyroid. A couple of yrs ago I became unwell with hypo symptoms as bad as before diagnosis. My TSH became elevated in the 20's the GP questioned if I was taking my meds. I saw a private Endo at that time as was very confused as to what was going on . He increased my dose of Levo to 125 and changed the brand. I began to feel better but then about 6/12 later got v unwell- anxiety, slow pounding heart extreme fatigue, I was off work for 6/12. I found out that my the. Endo had blood result info that showed I was over medicated but he didn't share that info with me for 4/12. I found a new Endo who told me I was over medicated. I found this info hard to believe as all my symptoms seemed to be hyper but he informed me that hyper and hypo can interchange( so confusing) he gave me a trial of T3 which I could not tolerate and eventually he put me on Erfa 90 mgs with Thyroxine 25 to bring my FT4 up a bit. I found it very difficult to increase the Erfa but I did and felt better for about a year. Then I noticed I was getting lots of frontal headaches, an increase in migraine attacks and withdrawal symptoms when the T3 left my body- I don't think T3 agrees with me very much , my last labs FT3 was at the top of the range ( which doesn't suit me) so with the support of my Endo I requested to trial thyroxine again and see how I get on. ( I may be mad!!) It's early days I'm up to 75mcgs of Thyroxine with Erfa 45mgs. I may end up needing to take a combination of half and half, or I may decide to go back onto a lower dose of Erfa, it's a rocky time but I hope that I get through ok and get the correct combination. I have all adrenal tests etc done over the year and al fine. Sorry this post is so very long- it's hard to be short to the point with this condition!

[Clarebear in reply to Alli1]

Quite a story I have found that hypo and hyper symptoms do overlap quite a bit which is confusing. Good luck with trying T4 again. Xx

[Hidden in reply to Clarebear]

You have described my feelings in a nutshell Clarebear. Thankyou. 😊

[meli06jags in reply to Clarebear]

Did they have to increase your meds? I’m feeling the same symptoms very forgetful and sometimes confused.. but they took me off synthroid and I’m now not taking anything... I have hashimotos

[nicolajane]

Chronic fatigue - to the point of sleeping up to 20 hours a day

Poor temperature regulation

Arthritis-like joint pains

Depression

3+ stone weight gain

Tension headaches and migraines

Visual problems - poor focusing, eyes feel strained

Dizziness and feeling spaced out

Poor (zero) concentration

Hair falling out, dry, bad condition hair

puffy face

palpitations

I could go on..................!

[Carrie97]

Brilliant guys! Really appreciate u taking the time to reply.

[maryfran33]

My main symptoms are: fatigue, sluggishness, coldness, lack of appetite, increased joint stiffness. I had an unplanned TT almost 4 years ago. Went in to get an adenoma removed from one of the parathyroid glands. The surgeon removed 2 1/2 parathryoid glands and did a total thyroidectomy. No cancer. He said my thyroid was small and friable (fragile). My remaining parathyroid glands barely function and I still struggle with having no thyroid. It seems that every six or eight weeks I start feeling hypo again. When this happens, I "jumpstart" by increasing my thryoid dosage for a few days. I am currently on 1 grain Naturethroid and 44 mcg (I split 88 mcg tablet in half) Synthroid.

[gracegirl78]

cold, weight gain, constipation, air hunger, carpal tunnel, but the worst for me are the paranoia, mood swings, depression and anxiety.

I dont really get fatigue, well a little before diagnosis but not like some people do on here...

its the mental/emotional side which i find tough.

and the weight. of course...

[Carrie97]

This is so helpful!! You guys are amazing.

[Stourie in reply to Carrie97]

Since my son was born I had had terrible constipation then 7 years ago I stopped smoking and within 6 months I was diagnosed hypo. My son is now 36. That is how long it took to be diagnosed.

Jo xx