Help please thyroid symptoms and goiter.

[Munchlet]

Hi

I posted a while ago now because I'd had some blood tests done at Blue Horizon results were as follows

Free T4 12.94 12 - 22 pmol/L

Free T3 4.85 3.1 - 6.8 pmol/L

TSH 2.25 0.27 - 4.20 IU/L

T4 Total 95.1 64.5 - 142.0 nmol/L

Immunology

Anti-Thyroidperoxidase abs 10.3 <34 kIU/L

Anti-Thyroglobulin Abs 75.7 <115 kU/L

At the time of my post some of you said that my results looked like I was hypothyroid but I've struggled on with numerous symptoms which have now got progressively worse.

In addition to the fatigue, irregular periods, zero sex drive, depression/anxiety, weight gain, inability to lose weight uness i do a crash diet and then I end up putting on more weight when I go back to eating normal healthy meals, freezing cold hands and feet (although the rest of me is ok), I've now developed puffy fingers (can't get rings on), gained more weight, had trouble fighting off viruses and constantly got post nasal drip and now everything aches, my muscles feel so tired in the morning I feel like I've spent hours lifting weights. In addition to this I've now been told I have a goitre which I'm really hacked off about as a year ago I mentioned to one of the GP's at our surgery that I thought my thyroid felt swollen and she wouldn't even check it, she just said "If your thryoid was swollen I'd be able to see it". Fast forward a year and I saw a different gp who said " yes you have a goiter, I'm not worried there's no obvious lumps or bumps but you generally shouldn't feel your thyroid and yours is enlarged".

So needless to say I now have to go for the usual NHS thyroid tests and she has said even if they come back normal she will want to keep a close eye on me as goiters normally mean the thyroid is struggling in some way.

The reason for my post is I've got a horrible feeling that my tests will come back in range again and if that happens I don't know what to do so I was just really hoping for some guidance on this and whether this sounds like hypothyroidism to any of you.

I feel absolutely awful to the point I want to cry and I've had most symptoms for a few years now and initially I just put it down to ageing or possible early menopause (I'm 43) but it just seems to be getting worse and I seem to be gaining more symptoms by the week!

Sorry for the long rambling post, I'm having blood tests tomorrow and the GP said results will be back in 3 days.

[greygoose]

Have you got an appointment for early in the morning? That's when the TSH is highest. And as that's really all they look at, you want it as high as you can get it. Also, fast over-night, because eating lowers the TSH.

But, cross your bridges when you come to them. You never know what will happen. If the worst comes to the worst, you can always self-treat. You certainly do sound as if you have a thyroid problem - goitres develope when the gland is struggling to make hormone. And your FT4 was certainly low last time. Could be even lower, now. And, at least your doctor has said she will want to keep an eye on you. That's more than you get from most of them!

[Munchlet in reply to greygoose]

Hi greygoose thanks for the reply, I've booked for 7.20am as it was the earliest they had and I thought it would be better to get checked first thing. That's the other weird thing is my symptoms seem to ease slightly as it gets towards the end of the day/early evening! Not sure if that is to do with the TSH dropping?

[greygoose in reply to Munchlet]

No, TSH doesn't make you feel anything whether it's high or low. It's low T3 that causes hypo symptoms. But that would be all through the day. Feeling better towards evening is often due to struggling adrenals. So, ask if they can do an early morning serum cortisol test, see what it's like.

[Munchlet in reply to greygoose]

Ok thank you will try and push for that test as well.

[greygoose in reply to Munchlet]

You're welcome.

[Munchlet]

Hi Sandy I have a history of Depression/Anxiety but nothing else stands out from the diseases you've mentioned. I just googled THR and it came up saying that in these instances hormone levels are normally elevated and TSH is not suppressed whereas my FT4 was on the lower end of normal. Someone on here did say that last time I posted my results that sometimes the FT4 is lower because it's converting like mad to give you the T3 you have. Not sure if I've got that right as I'm not really familiar with how it all works.

[Kalicocat]

Munchlet, I found the same thing happened to me, and if you read the studies they say it's normal to have TSH rise, T4 drop and T3 rise when the thyroid is struggling. When my TSH doubled, my T3 was much higher than it normally is, I don't know where it is now, because I think someone called my doctor and told her she couldn't order T3 tests anymore cause that was the last one.