Hi all,
I've been having poor circulation problems since just before I was diagnosed with hashimoto's disease. (Raynaud's, cold intolerance, veins in the legs, limbs falling a sleep at night)
My question is, is this something you experience? Is poor circulation related to hashimoto's?
Hi missymistique
I am sorry you are still quite unwell. I have had a look at your profile and see you were diagnosed in January '15. You were put on 50mcg of levothyroxine. Are you still on this dose? or has it been increased. If so, what dose are you now taking and if you have had recent blood tests, please get a copy from the surgery and post on a new question. Ensure the ranges are also stated as labs differ throughout the country as they use different machines.
When you get a blood test do you get it as early as possible, last having taken levo approx 24 hours before it? Take levo after test.
Thank you. i'm still on 50 and my tsh is around 3. I sometimes have fatigue but mostly I'm ok. My biggest complaint is being cold all the time and hairloss. But the circulation issues make me worry about other auto immune conditions.
When I have blood test I take levo 24 hours before yes.
All I will say is, no wonder you are still unwell. Your TSH should be around 1 or even lower. Email louise.warvill@thyroiduk.org.uk and ask for a copy of Pulse online by Dr Toft. Read the question re antibodies, plus his recommendation of a dose and discuss with your GP.
Your GP is another uneducated in the treatment of thyroid gland dysfunctions, and is keeping your TSH 'in range' which very rarely makes the patient well. You also have clinical symptoms which should go when you are properly medicated.
Our thyroid hormone T3 is required in every receptor cell in our body and if we aren't getting sufficient, we will get other symptoms. We also have to convert T4 to T3 but if dose is too low, that wont happen.
We are all different - I have Hashimotos but I expect my symptoms vary from yours. I do not have Raynauds. Have just been reading an article about the things that Magnesium can be used for as a treatment - and Reynauds was one.
drsircus.com/medicine/magne...
Are you optimally treated ?
Hi Marz,
Thanks for the link. I will check it.
My doctors think I am optimally treated because my tsh goes between 2-3 now.
Sorry - but we read here time and time again that when on treatment the result most feel happy with is a TSH of 1 or under. In my non-medical opinion you need an increase in your medication. You still have symptoms - so it is not possible you are optimally treated. Optimal means when all your symptoms have gone away 
Your Doc really needs to go on a Refresher "Course
He is a very well known professor in the biggest hospital in Holland when I told him I want to get pregnant he told me tsh 7 is good enough and I had to beg him for levothyroxine. He also said my b12 was very good (200)
But I completely agree with you there. I think we have to do our own research and not rely on every doctor
Well I am glad I am living in Crete - arranging my own blood tests - and buying my own pills at the Pharmacy. How do I know what to do ? .....have learnt most of it here on this forum where I have been directed to good books/websites/articles from others who know more than me
Yes I know all about Professors of Endocrinology - my daughter saw one in London after having full testing done here with a scan. Apparently her anti-bodies ( raised ) meant that she may - or may not develop hypothyroidism. Oh joy ! Her sister suffered thyroid cancer due to the ignorance of her GP who refused to look at her results from here. I have little faith in Docs unless they are prepared to listen to me and work with me.....
There are advantages to growing old disgracefully - we gather a bit of experience and knowledge along the way
As you have one autoimmune disease already, you need your GP or specialist to run a panel of bloods for you, just to rule out Lupus and also Hughes Syndrome/APS, not saying you have these but they can present like this. These are cheap tests to do... but get them done in the hospital, as they are time sensitive if they hang around in the surgery waiting to be collected for too long. At least if they do some testing if you have anything else autoimmune going on you can nip it in the bud. Do you get migraines? MaryF
Come back to me if you need me to list the blood tests needed.
Hi Mary
Thanks, i've been tested for ana 3 times, 2 negatives and 1 weak positive, and ena panel was negative. I've been checked by a rheumo, he said I'm physcially fine but i will have a nailfold analysis in two weeks. do you have an autoimmune condition? Do you experience any of my symptoms?
Yes I have four autoimmune conditions and it is possible to be sero negative for them, ie you have them and the tests do not show the true picture, but it will show up in the end... what was the weak positive for, which disease? Just insist on regular testing, also make sure your iron, b and d are all running at top levels if you can, as if you D is low it will make anything considerably worse. It does sound like you have a good rheumatologist if he/she are continuing to investigate further, don't let them out of your sight!!! MaryF
Weak positive was for ana but the sub tests were still negative I dont know how it can happen.
I just started supplementing b12 and vitamin d and numbness problem seems to be gone for a while. My main concern is raynaud's since it started at 26 but I only had a few attacks in the last 3 years.
Good idea but also watch iron levels, as that and the B12 go hand in hand.... just to rule it out... get these tests done, Hughes Syndrome/APS is sort of cousin of Systemic Lupus.....hughes-syndrome.org/about-h...
It can cause awful circulation.... I improved on the Aspirin and at other time different drugs... best get tested just to make sure it is not that.
MaryF
Will do Mary thanks!
I have always had cold hands and feet but in the months before being diagnosed as hypo I was cold all over. Now I find my body is mainly warm and just hands and especially feet are cold. Apparently beta blockers ,which I am taking, can cause cold feet so without them would my feet have warmed up ? No idea ,but thyroxine speeds up your system and warms you up so from that it seems to me that hypo and being cold go together.
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