Untreated hypothyroidism

[Mitomie]

What will happen if I keep not taking my meds? Will I stay the same or get worse? I know things usually get worse and stuff. I just wished I knew what I was in for...

[Hidden]

Hello Mitomie,

Low thyroid hormone has to be treated or can lead to goitres, high cholesterol & BP, heart conditions, infertility & birth defects, mental health issues, etc, etc, the list is endless .... and eventually serious irreversible organ damage.

If you stopped your thyroxine two years ago, how are you feeling.?..

Levothyroxine is usually a life long medication but in some rare cases can be stopped if the thyroid gland were to resort back to making enough hormones. This sometimes happens after pregnancy, surgery, trauma, etc as thyroid hormones are hugely influenced by physical & mental stress levels.

If you feel well then you may have enough thyroid hormones .... As members advised in a previous post.. strange symptoms regarding your hands & feet could be down to other causes. However, Raynauds is commonly associated with hypothyroidism as is cold intolerence.

The only way to know if you have enough thyroid hormones is to have them blood tested. There is a Health unlocked Reynaulds community. .. Click on the "my communities" button in top green strip of page and browse communities.

Flower

endocrineweb.com/conditions...

Evidence of link between hypothyroidism & reynauds.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/738...

Reynauds

raynauds.org.uk/raynauds/ra...

[Mitomie in reply to Hidden]

Honestly.... If I were to be honest I feel really bad... I feel worse then when before I was on meds. With headaches to depression of feeling like a lazy bum even though I want to do things...i feel like I'm fighting all the time. And my memory is getting really bad and quickly too. There is just so much that I know I need to go see a doctor. But it's hard hard to get to one.

[Hidden in reply to Mitomie]

Oohs Mitomie, poor you.

It appears like a monumental task because you feel so unwell and have several things wrong.

As explained before low thyroid hormone can have far reaching effects and could quite possibly be accountable for many of your symptoms.

Therefore if it were to be treated you may find a lot of your symptoms will improve.

Your first step is to get a blood test & seek help from a doctor. Also post results here complete with ranges ( numbers in brackets) for members to comment.

Flower

[Angel_of_the_North]

Some people's thyroids do start working again apparently. If you have felt OK without meds for sometime, that might be the case for you.

The worst outcome would be myxoedema coma and death. But probably your symptoms would just get worse until you were confused, so you wouldn't remember why you felt ill, and possibly bedbound. If you were lucky you might just be really tired and forgetful all the time, with possible breathing and heart problems. It depends on the cause of your hypo.

[Hidden]

Hi, Obviously go get tested and take replacement thyroid hormone if needed

Look after yourself. Don't get ill or be suffering.

Take care

[Mitomie]

It's not like I don't want to see a doctor or take my meds. It's all about money... There just wasn't the money... I've been saving up to just go see a doc... Let alone all the tests... I was just wondering what could happen that's all......... Sorry if this question was to obvious for everyone.... And that it annoyed people...

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Mitomie]

This forum is a part of Thyroid UK. Therefore, unless posters say otherwise, most readers tend to assume that you are in the UK.

Here in the UK, despite its problems, we do have a National Health Service and most people can get to see a doctor, and get medicines, without having to save up.

Therefore, when someone says they stopped taking medicines, it is usually a choice. And that makes people respond with "well just start taking some again".

Inadequate funds to even see a doctor is another matter.

The sad answer is that not taking the thyroid hormones you require will most likely see you feeling worse and worse. The damage caused by being severely hypothyroid for years accumulates. And recovery becomes more difficult.

You night consider adding some information to your profile and, when you post, making it clear where you are.