Finding it hard to adjust

[Adelediaz88]

Hi all,

I'm a newbie here. 28 years old and newly diagnosed with hypothyroidism....I'm having mixed emotions about accepting that I'm on medication for life now. did anyone else find this?

[Fibi1907]

I did!!! Deffo know where your coming from and for what it's worth it's totally normal.

You've come to the best place for support and advise. I too only got diagnosed earlier this year as being hypo.

You will be fine

[jimh111]

In case your doctor hasn't told you, you are entitled to a precription exemption form which gives you free prescriptions.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to jimh111]

Assuming of course that Adelediaz88 is in England UK

[jimh111 in reply to RedApple]

Her profile shows her in the UK.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to jimh111]

It didn't at the time I made the comment though

[jimh111 in reply to RedApple]

Oh, sorry I checked it after your comment.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

I was diagnised when I was in my mid-20s so very similar age to you, but that was over 40 years ago, and to be honest there was absolutely no information about it then so you just took your levo and got on with it. I was just glad to find out what had been wrong for the previous two years and glad to be able to actually function again as I had a baby and a 4 year old so I had no problems about accepting it.

Try not to think of Levo as medication, think of it as the hormone replacement that it is, you can't produce enough of your own so your body needs a helping hand.

[lelin]

Dear Adele Diaz:

Do you know if your have an auto-inmune problem?

Did your doctor check antiperoxydase antibodies?

If he or she didn't check them he should do it!!

Nothing is forever!!

Ismael

[Adelediaz88]

Thank you all for the quick replies. haven't really known where to go to talk to people who understand. as the few people I have tried to talk to, seem to think it will go away after awhile. that the tablets are a quick fix. has anyone else found they have been getting very hot? I seem to be unable to cope with hot environments now. which makes it very hard at work.

[shaws Administrator]

Yes, it comes as a shock to finally know what's wrong with you. Some people take absolutely ages to be finally diagnosed after being given 'other' diagnoses and medication for something they don't have.

We are very fortunate that we have a replacement hormone which, when we get to an optimum, should feel well again. The problem is that many doctors stop the dose if the TSH reaches anywhere within the 'normal' range. We feel best with a TSH of 1 or lower.

Before 1892 people died an awful death as there were no thyroid hormone replacements then.

Welcome to our forum as well and we have to read and learn if we want to get back to as full health as possible.

When your next test is due - should be every six to eight weeks make the earliest possible appointment and fasting (you can drink water). Also allow 24 hours between your last dose of levothyroxine and the test and take it afterwards. This allows TSH to be at its highest (drops throughout the day) and might prevent doctor stopping increases too early or adjusting unnecessarily.

Also ask for B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate to be tested - antibodies too if they've not been done. Always get a print-out with the ranges for your own records and post if you have a query.

[NatChap]

When I was first diagnosed i was relieved as i had thought I had Ovarian cancer! After a while though with no real improvement and lots of research (my GP just said I had an under active thyroid and 1 tablet a day would fix it) it began to dawn on me what a crap thing it was to have and I felt quite bitter for a while. I am 1 year and half post diagnosis and feeling better and more positive. Still scares me a little the thought of being on meds for the rest of my life and I worry about how I will cope if ever I can't get my NDT but forewarned is forearmed and I think if you do plenty of research so you can a get a grip on it and feel more in control it will help x

[Adelediaz88]

Does anyone else find it hard to be in hot offices/places? I seem to have become a walking radiator that is on full power all the time!

[spongecat in reply to Adelediaz88]

Yes!

But I don't know whether some of it is still to do with menopause. I went through menopause 5 years ago but still get "boil overs".

Being hypo I can be cold one minute with that awful chilled to the bone feeling and then 10 minutes later absolutely boiling. I'm forever putting on cardigans or throwing them off and standing outside! I normally hate cold weather but it's bliss when you are boiling hot, I'm even daft enough to stand on the patio in my dressing gown for a minute or so when I get too hot!

I've learn't not to have a shower or bath too close to getting ready to go out for the evening otherwise I just swelter and any makeup just slides off my face!

It's like having a wonky thermostat, which is exactly what it is. So you can tell people that if you want to if they give you odd looks.

I keep a small hand fan by my desk at home and another on my bedside table, just in case.

I do have to say that the frequency has come down a lot since I've been euthyroid and I'm sure there was another lessening when I started self-medicating with magnesium, selenium and Vit D3.