Fearfull Shannon

[shannondawn]

Hello I'm new to this site. I'm 39 years old and I'm experiencing all the systems of having thyroid,but don't know what kind. I stopped growing hair everywhere,my muscles and joints ache all the time,but mostly in my legs. I am bipolar. I don't get my menstrual period anymore. I also have insomnia. I got weight gain. I'm tired all the time,there's times where I don't sleep at all. I also have arthritis all over my body,shoulder,knees,hands,fingers,my lower back. I feel I'm falling apart and it's making me more depressed. I thought I had restless leg syndrome but now I'm not for sure. Can someone give me some advice. I need a lot of helpfull suggestions. Thank you for taking the time to read my health problems and understanding them.

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have you seen your gp with this list of symptoms, and have you had any blood tests?

[shaws Administrator]

Welcome ShannonDawn

First thing to do is to make the earliest appointment for a Full Thyroid Function Test. Fast also (you can drink water). If you were on thyroid hormones you'd allow 24 hours between the last dose and the test.

Always get a print-out of your blood test results with the ranges and post if you have a query.

Also ask GP to test Vitamin B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate.

Your symptoms certainly sound hypo plus Bipolar.

hypothyroidmom.com/mental-d...

Some doctors only test the TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) and maybe T4 but the TSH doesn't show the whole picture and they'll only diagnose when the TSH when it is around 10. Some do if it is slightly over the range (around 5) but it will be a learning curve for you as it has been for everyone on this site. We can get well. Doctors don't know symptoms nowadays (before the blood tests we would have had a trial of thyroid hormones (Natural Dessicated Thyroid Hormones) due only to our clinical symptoms.

TSH = Thyroid Stimulating Hormone which is from the Pituitory Gland which pumps out hormones when the thyroid gland is failing to try to stimulate it.