I think I may have a thyroid problem.... What are your thoughts please??

[Sgill80]

Hi all I'm new here and I'm wanting to get some advice and views about my symptoms... Well here goes lol

First of all when I was between the ages of 8-16 I had angeoderma ideoathic (hope I've spelt that right) anyway since having my 2nd child at 23 I'm now 36 I've had an episode maybe 2/3 times a year. I'm led to believe this condition is linked to thyroid disease. 

I've also developed vitiligo which initially started about 10 years ago.

Now after having my 3rd child last year I've put on quite a bit of weight almost 3st I'm having under active thyroid symptoms along with the weight gain. Even though I've been excercising and on a low cal and fat diet but my weight hasn't budged in the 3 months of dieting.

My resting heart rate is between 48-54 is this a factor or a cause for concern?

I think I know I have a thyroid problem and have made an appointment to see my doc, but I feel I'm gonna sound like an hyoacondriac listing all the symptoms I'm having. How did you feel the first time you visited the dr? And if my tests come back norm where do I go from there? 

My friends mum has hashimoto and she has suggested I get tested for that but what test do I request for that?

Thanks guys xxx

Ps I do have family history of under active thyroid.

[Sgill80]

Sorry... I wanted to mention my random leg/ankle jerks.... What's that about?? Any ideas?

[humanbean in reply to Sgill80]

Random leg twitching is known as Restless Legs Syndrome.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restl...

It usually affects the legs and feet, but can also affect the arms, hands, eyelids, fingers...

It can be caused by several things. The ones I know about are low iron, low magnesium and low potassium. There are probably other causes too.

It is vital to test ferritin (iron stores) before supplementing with iron because iron is poisonous to the body in overdose. Your doctor should test this for you if you ask.

Supplementing up to the RDA  of magnesium (400mg per day) shouldn't cause most people problems. I supplement with magnesium citrate. There are lots of other types of magnesium supplements available. Avoid magnesium oxide, the body can't absorb it well. Do your research first.

naturalnews.com/046401_magn...

globalhealingcenter.com/nat...

Potassium should be supplemented very, very cautiously, if at all. You could really cause yourself lots of problems, and it isn't recommended at all for people with kidney disease or those being treated for high blood pressure. Do some research on this. It could be dangerous for you.

[Pastille]

Welcome to the site Sgill80  . When you ask to be tested for thyroid function, your gp may just test your TSH, some test TSH and T4 but rarely do they test T3 but they might do if you request it. You also need to be tested for antibodies to confirm Hashimotos which is the cause of 80% of hypothyroidism. You also need to be tested for Vitamin B12, Vitamin D. Ferritin and Folate. With hypothyroidism comes low stomach acid which means we don't absorb nutrients from our food very well so we need to supplement to get these levels optimal so that if you are hypo, when you begin medication you can absorb it properly. It is likely that you are deficient in at least one of the above. When you get your blood results post them all on here with the ranges in brackets and members here can advise you from their own experiences.  I gained weight, my heartrate slowed down and I too developed Vitiligo ( auto-immune diseases tend to bring a friend, another auto-immune disease ) Are you tired? My gp diagnosed me hypo and put me on a starter dose of 50mcg of levothyroxine for 12 months. I felt terrible. If it wasn't for the support from the people on this site I would still be on 50mcg feeling terrible. As it is I am now on 125mcg, supplementing the required vitamins and minerals and starting to feel better. I suggest you do the same. Good luck    P.S you are not a hypochondriac you have real symptoms, don't let those thoughts delay you because while you are pondering on it the antibodies are attacking your thyroid and doing more damage if you do have hashimotos. See your gp for tests asap and come back for support

[Sgill80 in reply to Pastille]

Always always tired some days I can't get off the sofa. And I feel sometimes anxious about going out and happy to lock myself away. Thank you for taking the time to reply and I will try and get the tests you've suggested and I will update on here my results xxx

[Pastille in reply to Sgill80]

That's what happens, we withdraw, it's awful isn't it? you become a shadow of your former self. You certainly sound hypo to me, I hope you get the help you need soon, keep asking questions. Goodnight x

[Sgill80]

Thank you so much I really appreciate it, my appointment is Tuesday and I will post results as soon as I get them xxx

[greygoose]

The tests you should ask for are TSH, FT4, FT3, TPOab, TgAB - the last two are for Hashi's. You might not get them all, but no harm in asking!

[Sgill80 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you I'll try my best to get them if I can't get them from the doc will I be able to obtain them privately? Xxx

Thanks again 

[greygoose in reply to Sgill80]

Indeed you can. If you look on the main page of TUK, there is information on private testing.