Tough year of random symptoms!

[Butterfly_lady]

2016 was a difficult year. It dtarted march when I came of the pill as we wanted to try for a second child. My little boy was nearly 2 at the time. However between then and the end of the year I suffered so many problems that at the time I had no idea were linked.

Im sure a lot of you can relate to the sentiment of just accepting that your body is never the same after children. After a few months though I started getting panic attacks and suffering from anxiety. This was completely new yo me and nothing I had experienced before. It was really difficult because things I used yo do without thinking about becamereally hard. SSocialising and going out filled me with dread. I also had irrational thoughts that my family and friends didnt really like me. I had to stay away from social media as it made this worse. I didnt realise at the time properly but I was also having trouble concentrating and staying focused.

After a few months of these symptoms I started to get more physical changes in addition to mental ones. Here is a list as there was a lot:

Irregular periods

Fertility problems

Dry skin

Hair loss

Sadness

Anxiety

Panic attacks

Brittle nails

Muscle aches

Tiredness

Lethargy

Then in December one evening my hands started to shake. It lasted 3 hours then stopped after rest. I went to gp the next day and they ordered blood testbfor thyroid problems and a scan for pcos due to fertility problems. Unfortunately I never got to these appointments as the shaking came back and I my hands and legs were shaking allover soni went to a&e.

Ina nutshell I ended up in hospital 3 times in a week and due to blood tests being labelled incorrectly it took 3 visits before I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Tsh over 150. Started levothyroxine straight away.

Thats the end of the initial drama but thr start of my thyroid journey.

[Clutter]

Welcome to the forum, Butterfly_Lady.

I hope you're feeling a bit better now. Have you had a follow up thyroid test since starting Levothyroxine?

[Butterfly_lady in reply to Clutter]

Yes. Had full blood work up end of january after 8 weeks on levo. All results were in normal range but could be better. Im on 100mg at the moment. I got diagnosed with hashimotos last week that why ive decided to come on forum and get some support. A lot to understand.

Butterfly_lady x

[Clutter in reply to Butterfly_lady]

Butterfly_Lady,

Can you post your results with the ranges (the figures in brackets after the results).

[shaws Administrator]

You poor thing. First - to have things happening to you that even doctors cannot explain is very scary. They should have diagnosed you much more quickly. Hypothyroidism is a 'whole body' experience from head to toe and such a wide variety of clinical symptoms which doctors appear not to know.

Your TSH is very high indeed but many women become hypo after childbirth but sometimes the connection is not made. PCOS can also be due to hypothyroidism and as your dose is gradually increased (about every six to eight weeks) you should begin to feel better.

To get the best out of your blood tests, they should be at the very earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow 24 hour gap between last dose and test and take it afterwards.

Also levothyroxine is taken with one full glass of water either first thing and don't eat for about an hour or at bedtime, with one full glass of water.

Always get a print-out from the surgery of your results, with the ranges, for your own records and post if you have a query.

Levothyroxine is T4 the inactive hormone which should convert to T3 the active hormone needed in all of our receptor cells, so as you levo is increased you should gradually feel better. The aim is a TSH of 1 or lower.

[Butterfly_lady in reply to shaws]

Thank you for your reply. Doing everything I can to eat healthily and I'm trying to cut out as much refined sugar as possible and do regular exercise. I'm feeling much better than I was but still a way more to go. X

[shaws Administrator in reply to Butterfly_lady]

Until you get onto an optimum dose, exercise gently as vigorous exercise can deplete our T3 in the cells which may not bring about the relief we want. T3 is the active hormone required in all of our cell. T4 is inactive and has to convert to T3.