Could it be my thyroid?

[redem7576]

Over the past few months I've been getting numerous symptoms. I have been feeling tired throughout the day, no matter how much sleep I get.

A feeling of being literally heavy headed. Have had a some loss of strength in my left hand and experienced some fumbling at times lasting only a few seconds.

I have had a blocked/stuffy nose for most days (sometimes it clears by lunchtime). Have been getting more headaches and my eyes sometimes get a bit blurry and quite often hurt if I touch them. Also have been more irritable and seem to hear noises a lot more as if hearing is heightened.

Also had bouts of dry flaking skin (looking like dandruff on arms). Incidences of brain fog, sometimes when I'm typing I can just lose the flow of what I was writing and it takes a while to get back again. I can also be speaking and will totally forget a word and take a second or two to remember.

General muscle aches up and down both legs and arms, (the almost constant burning type sensation you get when your leg/arm falls asleep) seems to be worse in thighs and biceps. Some joint aches/pain all over. Numbness/pins and needles(ish) sensation in feet, especially when in bed.

Most recently been having periods of unsteadiness when stood up, can be walking and suddenly start falling to the left, I don’t necessarily feel dizzy I just tilt. In fact last night I was stood checking my phone and the next thing I knew I was stopping myself from hitting the floor (had turned almost fully around to the left). I have noticed that it is always to the left, not sure if that indicates anything! Also on a night I sometime have trouble walking, feeling as if my knees are giving way so it looks like I am drunk.

Finally, I have read about the basal temperature test etc so have been checking that for a few days. My morning temp as soon as I wake has been 35.3 degrees C for the past 5 days and doing the every 3 hours test it is 36.3 for the past few days. I used a braun ear thermometer, so not sure if that affects anything.

Some background, I’m a 38, male, I had growth hormone deficiency (hypopituitarism) when I was younger, then didn’t see a doctor for 20 years until last year when I was diagnosed with Diabetes and sent straight to hospital in DKA. Initially diagnose type 1 then reclassified type 2, then back to type 1 then 2 again and now think type 1.5! I have carpal tunnel syndrome and get acid indigestion both of which were blamed on the diabetes. I’m on a low carb diet to deal with the diabetes and lose weight, which I started to when I first started earlier this year but have totally stopped loosing weight now (on the one weekend I had off the diet last month I put on nearly half a stone). Doctor originally thought I was in constant borderline hypoglycemia so cut back some of my medication but this hasn’t helped.

Thanks for taking the time to read and any thoughts would be welcomed.

[gabkad]

You have some complicated situation going on. Neurological problems can be caused by chronic high blood sugar (untreated diabetes. You don't say how long you were diabetic before getting treated but if you were a medical emergency, then possibly for quite some time).

B12 deficiency also causes neurological problems and if you have stomach issues, possibly you don't absorb this from your food. You don't mention that you take any supplements. Diabetes reduces function of the gall bladder for example. It has a large effect on gut function in general. If diet is not managed, you can easily become malnourished. Your doctor should refer you to a diabetic nutrition counsellor.

Poorly controlled diabetes also causes extreme fatigue.

Talk to your doctor. B12 should be above 500 pmol/L. Get a full work up done, including thyroid. You don't want to go blind and get kidney failure on top of everything else. Thrice weekly dialysis is no picnic.

[Duchy82]

It is possible to be your thyroid but as gabkad said b12and diabetes can cause similar symptoms its is also worth having your ferritin checked.

ask your gp to do a thyroid function test, vit b12, ferritin and check your diabetes(although i assume you keep a tight check on it yourself).

Difficulty losing weight can be thyroid or diabetes as insulin causes glucose to be stored, carpal tunnel could also be caused by b12 deficiency and unfortunately if it is type 1diabetes (not sure what they mean by type 1.5) it is an autoimmune disease and makes it more likely that you could have hasimotos as there is a likely hood that if you have one autoimmune disorder that another would rear its ugly head so there isnt a simple answer unfortunately and i would say for peace of mind to have antibodies tested (tpo and the other one sorry i cant remember the name).

So sorry no clear answer but its definitely worth having it checked out.

[faith63]

Just the fact that you have had a growth hormone issue, shows that something is / has been going on with your pituitary, so ..it is possible you have secondary hypothyroidism now and really worth pursuing. Have you had a scan of your pituitary? Have you had any thyroid testing?

[redem7576]

Thanks for the replies. With regards to my diabetes, I was only symptomatic for a few months before diagnoses and they can't estimate how long I had it before. My blood sugar is very well controlled now due to the low carb and my readings are in a non diabetic range. I saw the diabetic dietician on my last visit to the endo and she was happy with my diet. Type 1.5 is used for late onset type 1 when the pancreas may still be producing insulin but not fully functioning and the onset is slower (think I've described that correctly). They stopped my insulin last year when they first reclassified me to type 2, opting instead to use type 2 drugs that stimulate the pancreas to produce more. It only worked for a few months and got worse at Christmas which is why I went low carb.

I haven't been taking any supplements.

I haven't had any tests or scans yet, as the doctor wanted to rule out hypoglycemia as being the cause.

I am seeing him on Thursday morning so I will ask the questions about the different tests you have all mentioned, and will take my temperature readings as well as I was extremely surprised at how low they were.

Thanks again for the replies.