Trying to figure how long I've had Hashimoto's symptoms? Grateful for any help.

[kittenmittens]

Hi there lovely people,

I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism in May 2015 with these results:

TSH 74.02 (Range 0.3-5), FT4 5.3 (Range 9-21)

I had my anti-bodies tested and they showed my Hypothyroidism was cause by Hashimoto's.

Since then I have been wondering how long the Hashimoto's has been affecting me.

Short questions: Can Hashimoto's affect you before becoming Hypo, and in what way does it affect you?

( I can only seem to find symptoms for Hashimoto's after becoming hypo, can anyone give me/direct me to information on how it can affect health before that?)

Do you have spikes and dips with Hashimoto's before becoming Hypo? ( I know I had a big spike a couple of years before being diagnosed, but could it have been affecting me on and off for many years?)

Could it have been affecting me over a 20 year period?

................................................................................................................................................

Some more information for those who have the time/inclination to read it :

When I was a teenager I developed shaking hands and excess sweating, I had terrible insomnia, and was extremely tired all the time. I also developed depression which has been with me everyday until I began taking T3 this year.

I had thyroid tests over the years and got the Dr's to give me the results. I was hoping someone could help me to figure out if my interpretation of them is correct.

So,

1995 (aged 14), when I developed all the symptoms I described above:

TSH 1.4 (Range 0.1-5), T4 96 (Range 72-151)

These results seem okay to me, and not indicative of a thyroid problem. Would others agree?

1999 TSH 0.76 (Range 0.1-5) (This was the only thing they tested)

This looks a bit low to me, could I have been going through a 'hyper' phase?

2012 TSH 4.1(Range 0.3-5), T4 12 (Range 9-21)

To me this seems as if the Hypo problems were beginning, what do you think?

So,

If I'm correct in thinking my Hypothyrodism didn't really begin until sometime after 2012, could Hashimoto's have been causing the other symptoms even though it hadn't yet begun to destroy my thyroid?

I can't seem to find much information on Hashimoto's symptoms before becoming Hypo, can anyone shed some light on this?

Thanks so much for reading my long winded post, I'm afraid I'm not great at keeping things short. xx

[Clutter]

Kittenmittens,

It can take years/decades for Hashimoto's to cause hypothyroidism.

I was very unwell with euthyroid Hashimoto's but thyroid surgeon and GP said symptoms were non-thyroidal as I was euthyroid (normal) not hypothyroid. Symptoms initially were hyper massive weight loss, palpitations, racing heart and dizziness and GP thought I was thyrotoxic until results came back showing euthyroid with elevated antibodies. Symptoms then began to swing between hyper and hypo. I've since read that euthyoid Hashimoto's can be symptomatic.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/resear...

medscape.com/viewarticle/76...

After thyroidectomy symptoms resolved pretty much immediately probably because there was no longer a target thyroid to attack.

TSH 0.76 in 1999 was euthyroid. It was no where near suppressed so you weren't hyper. I would say that TSH 4.1 in 2012 means you were becoming hypo prior to 2012.

[kittenmittens in reply to Clutter]

Thanks for the information Clutter, I think I have been having Hashimoto's symptoms for a long time before become hypo. I wish I had been tested for antibodies so much sooner.

[shaws Administrator]

When your blood tests were taken, I doubt you had any for thyroid antibodies which should have alerted that your gland was under attack and that you'd eventually become hypothyroid.

I think, due to the guidelines, which state that only when the TSH reaches 10 you can then be diagnosed as hypo and a prescription issued so it could be a few years before that happens.

You were diagnosed with a TSH of 74 which showed you are clearly hypo and probably don't have antibodies any longer.

New members who think they have hypo symptoms but are told by GPs 'normal' are recommended to have their antibodies checked as the advice now is that if antibodies are present, levothyroxine should be prescribed to 'nip things in the bud' even if TSH hasn't risen.

As you were gradually becoming more unwell particularly when the antibodies were in attack (they wax and wane) so sometimes you might have felt hyper and then hypo.

[kittenmittens in reply to shaws]

Thanks Shaws, I really wish they'd checked my antibodies a long time ago and that I would have known what was going on with me. But, that's not a thing that Dr's seem to do.