I'm a 34 year old mum of 3. After having my twins 2 years ago I developed postpartum thyroiditis. My hair was falling out, I lost loads of weight, had a goitre, and was very unstable emotionally with marked irritability (or rage as my hubby called it), tearfulness, struggling to cope. When I finally though this can't be the usual stress of life with new babies I saw gp and discovered at the time that I was hyperthyroid. Shortly after that I had a period of hypothyroidism- characterised by tiredness, feeling the cold a little and mood changes again. I was discharged from consultant in August 2015. From about oct 2015 onwards I haven't felt right. I feel like I have a slightly enlarged gland again and have some other vague symptoms- sluggishness especially in the afternoon, menstrual problems, slight weight gain say 1/2 stone. However, the massive factor that's happening is my mood isn't right again. Feel very I edge and getting angry and upset around children especially, have felt a bit low since Christmas. So I went back to go to request blood test and I've had itchecked twice- march with tsh 4.58 and may 4.57. Both t3 and t4 are normal but I'm awaiting a thyroid scan. I just don't know if how I feel is because of life in general or if the thyroid is to blame? I know the figures are only very slightly raised but without knowing what is 'normal' for me it's hard to say. Has anyone else felt like this with such a potential small raising in levels? It's worth pointing out that my dad is hypothyroid since his 40s and also my paternal grandmother in old age.
Sorry for long post, just don't feel myself and as someone who is usually very together this is unsettling for me. Feel like I'm going crazy!!!!
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CRG81
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Once you get nutrition sorted out your thyroid meds work better and many symptoms you thought were thyroid will be much improved. Your GP may be able to do some tests. Ask for tests for Vit D, vit B12, iron, ferritin and folates.
For further testing you can find a nutritionist near you from the BANT website at
Hyper. Followed by hypo, then back to hyper, with a swollen thyroid gland, and your dad has thyroid problems too..... It rather sounds like you may have thyroid antibodies.... Meaning you have either hashimotoes disease or auto immune thyroiditus..... If you have there is little point in delaying treatment with replacement thyroid hormones as it wont get better on its own.
Most countries will treat you with a tsh of 2.5 or 3. A normal tsh is 1. Sadly the uk is years behind in its treatment, so you need to be very direct with your doctor in asking for medication.
Definitely get the antibodies tested... Your doc can arrange it, or you can diy for less than £100 for a full thyroid profile. Details under testing on the home page..... thyroiduk.org.uk
I felt like death warmed up when my tsh rose to 0.1 from its usual 0.02 so a raise to 4.6 is no small rise, its quite a significant one .
T4 and t3.. How normal are they? Top, middle or bottom of range?
You seem to know a lot about tsh range.... My doc in France said my ths needs to be 1.0. I am also fallowed in Italy ( and there, let me tell you it is quite anarchic all the ranges and everything....). Currently, I live in the USA and the GP I saw 2 weeks ago totally ignored me not feeling good. I asked him if I can take 100mg Levothyrox, just to see if I would feel better... He refused... Why? According to you?
Hi Galathea. I've had antibody tests before once when I was 19 and again around the time postpartum thyroiditis was confirmed. I've never had any treatment. Both times I was told antibody tests were negative. Does that mean ill never get hypothyroidism though? Or does it just mean at that particular time there was no problem? Too confusing!! I've posted my t3 and t4 results below perhaps you could have a look and see what you think if you don't mind? Thanks .
Thyroid disease is as much a neurological illness as its many other manifestations. It affects our brains, I had Graves' disease and wear a T-shirt that says 'Graves' Rage It's a Thyroid Thing' I got it from the US. There was a time we were put in lunatic asylums!
No none. Thyroiditis I was told corrected itself. So not sure if this recent slight elevation is my thyroid still trying to get back to normal or if it went right back down and has started going up again?
Yes I've had that done twice- once when I was 19 and again about 1.5 years ago. Both negative?
We're all mad here, don't worry. get the antibody test. Galathea completely right. It's not a small level, especially with your history and symptoms. They won't start you on 100, they'll start you on 50, and if they continue to ignore you, and changing drs doesn't help, then you can always treat yourself, monitoring yourself carefully. But really you shouldn't have to do that. If you prove the antibodies, it is one more argument for them to treat you.
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PS There are savvy thyroid MDs in the US, it's just a question of tracking one down.
I feel for you CRG81 that is exactly what happened to me. It took me and my family seven years of hell before I was diagnosed. I was too scared to go to the doctor because I thought they'd put me away and there would be no-one to look after the children. I'm on T3 only now but Thyroxin worked well for me for many years. Like you, I was hyperthyroid at first though. It sounds as if your TSH is too high so your meds probably aren't balanced properly yet. Someone else on here might tell you what your TSH should be as I can't recall the exact figures now. Good luck in the future. x
Bless you, glad you got sorted in the end. I guess for me I don't know if I'm just finding things difficult as it's so full on being a stay at home mum of 3 children under 4 or whether I'm just really sensitive to slight changes in thyroid function. It's hard with not knowing what is 'normal' for me as my usual could be 1.5, so 4.58 I'm guessing is a lot higher. I find it all very confusing as it seems lab results that docs follow does not necessarily match with how you feel.
Thank you so much for all your replies! Clearly a lot of experts on the matter on here :)).
So in answer to some of your questions:
I've had antibody tests in the past once when I was about 19 (had a b12 deficiency, vitiligo and 'borderline' under active thyroid at the time) and again post my last pregnancy when problems first started- both times test was negative.
I've never been on any thyroid treatment even during that very tough year after my twins were born. It was a wait and see and as far as I know it corrected itself.
This time currently gp is reticent as my tsh is only slightly above reference range which upper limit here is 4.2, my tsh only 4.58. Plus other levels 'normal'. I'll post those in a bit when I can get them (twins going for a nap soon!). She keeps talking about not treating until it goes above 10 being the norm.
So plan at mo was to retest which she has done and wait for thyroid scan which is on 13/06.
I only had two children under four when I thought I was going mad but we moved to a much larger house when the youngest was five weeks old so I seemed to have a reason.. That's the thing with the thyroid: there always seems to be a reason. It probably is your thyroid so don't delay and leave it for years like I did. Good luck. I really feel for you. x
Thank you mstp. I think I'm going to be playing a waiting game unless the scan throws up something obvious. Funny you should say that- we moved house just before Christmas to a much bigger house. Who knows!! Perhaps I am just dealing with other stuff, it's just coincidental that I feel as I do plus enlarged gland again and other physical things. So nice to be able to talk about this properly! X
Hi not sure if this bumps my post again or not...but I had my thyroid scan today finally and the doctor scanning me said I have hasimoto's from the look of my thyroid gland. I'm going back to gp with his report and they have my most recent blood results as above. I'm assuming I can't get a formal hashimotos diagnosis on scan result alone and expect I'll have to have more blood tests? Antibody testing? Just wondering what people think they may do with any treatment given that my blood results aren't too bad. Thanks x
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