Hypothyroid/adrenal/or what???

[nickis]

I'm sorry if this ends up lengthy... I started having issues such as weight gain, hair loss, edgy feeling, throats closing, chest zaps, constipation etc when my daughter was about 7 mo old. Went to doc. Hormones checked... all levels good. Went to GI doc being I have reflux. Well scope showed ulcers from esophagus to sm intestines plus H Pylori. Ok on meds for that. Took blood work TSH levels were off a little. Watch it for a few months. Made an appt at a GP he said give it 2-3 months then come back. In meantime I saw my OB doc. She did a full panel of all kinds of test. All thyroid levels and antibiotics testing were normal this time. My cholesterol was a little high but not much so all of my rest were pretty much good. She recommended a low carb diet. Well in meantime while I was taking antibiotics for H Pylori I ended up w thrush in my mouth. Took diflucan. Cleared it up. Felt awful still though. So I started researching of course. Read about candida. Figured well I will try it being I have all symptoms. Bought candiclear5 started that process w candida diet. Have lost 31 pounds and that's wonderful! Felt great for 2 months now I feel awful again. Have chest zaps, just want to cry for no reason sometimes which is not my personality at all, itchy ears, fingers tingle and toes tingle and the list goes on. Researching again leads me to adrenal fatigue. Which could cause hypothyroid from what I understand, but I am not a doctor. I am also taking my temp and heart rate morning, afternoon and night. Its all ok yet heart rate drops a little sometimes but nothing drastic. So I am at a stand still. Feel like total crap, there aren't many docs who won't just send me with thyroid scripts and send me on my way. I so am sick of feeling like this! has anyone else had these symptoms? I also have esophagus spasms. But reading on chest zaps it says anxiety.... I'm at a loss so I don't even know. I am hoping to get some insight if anyone has any!

[Katepots]

Hi,

Poor you that doesn't sound nice at all.

Can you get a copy of your bloods and post on here. What the Dr says are normal levels may not be, their ranges are huge.

I'd suggest getting your B12, Vit D, folate and Ferritin checked.

Symptoms sound like a B12 deficiency although the others mentioned can all cause similar symptoms.

If it's is anxiety when you feel an attack coming on (this sound weird) but run for a minute or two or do something very physical. This uses up the excess adrenaline being sent around for body so should stop the symptoms if it is anxiety.

Find a yoga class too, helps lots.

Definitely post your blood results though.x

[essdobs]

Before anything else, I would ask for B12 levels to be checked because the tingling in your extremities and itchy ears could well be low B12.

Ask for iron/ferritin levels too, however post partum thyroid problems are common, sometimes they go after the first child only to reappear with the second (and in my case, stay forever).

Good luck with it all and have fun with your baby

[shaws Administrator]

If your doctor has taken blood tests get a print-out from the surgery, with the ranges and put them on a new post for comments. Re 'hormone' - all good doesn't mean they are optimal.

[eeng]

If a doctor said that your thyroid levels are 'off a little' then you should definitely get another test 2-3 months after the first one you had done. Go first thing in the morning. The range doctors use to diagnose hypothyroidism in the UK is much wider than many other countries. For example most people with healthy thyroids have a TSH reading between 0.5 and 1.5, but in order to be diagnosed as hypothyroid we typically have to get two readings 2-3 months apart which are over 5, and some doctors won't give medication until we are over 10. Some other countries will give treatment at TSH over 3.

Anxiety and depression can be symptoms of hypothyroidism, and those of us who are hypothyroid often find their Vitamin B, D and Ferritin levels have become very low. Taking thyroid hormone replacement and vitamin supplements usually makes us feel much better.

You say "...won't just send me with thyroid scripts". Getting a thyroid script might be the very thing you need. 90% of hypothyroidism is caused by your own immune system attacking the thyroid gland, which causes it to gradually stop working. Why would you not want to be given a thyroid script? Plenty of people on this forum would love to be given a thyroid script but aren't considered bad enough yet.

Having said all this, have you ever tried going gluten free? Some people find that their thyroid isn't the cause of the problem but that they feel much better when they go gluten free. You might want to try it for a couple of months and see how you feel.

[Confused01]

Hi there,

If ever a post mimicks my symptoms and not being able to get help,it's yours, to the point of eary.

I experience all of what you've stated.Also suffer pain, severe sinus problems, puffiness, slight eye pain/strange sensation, head tingling, skin changes, considerable fluctuating weakness, extreme mood swings, no concentration, reduces word finding, get very down, anxious and a bit paranoid and more. Its ruined my life tbh. Also at the start of all some five years ago, sudden collapse.

I've seen Endocrinologist, under gastro, maxifacial, had some cbt/talk counselling, neuro, scans, Rheumatology, Dermatologist, awaiting vascular and gallstone consultantsc(large stone). I have three monthly blood tests, including hormones. They fall mostly in nhs normal, apart from low red blood cells and ferritin. One time dangerously low adrenal result, checked again in afternoon (which since learnt should always be pre 9am). Colonoscopy, endoscopy (erosive lining/ulcers).

Four years ago discovered have only half a thyroid gland (no surgery) apparently rare with little studies on, and a micro pituitary adenoma (consultant said thinks functioning!! Not specialist in area).

My gp is good but there's nowhere much he can go for me.

Dr's will stick strictly to there own area, no interactions between them. No looking at the bigger picture.

I so hope you get more sorted than I have.

X

[irme]

I'm so sorry to read that you are going through such a rough time. I can only share what I have discovered while going through the same as you and @Confused01. I had the same symptoms as you two plus ataxia & aphasia, yellowish-greyish skin and the sensation that I was full of toxins. As if I was poisoned. In July 2015 that I collapsed ,my TSH was 2,3. That;s not great but it's not that bad either to cause such a major collapse(physically and emotionally). I was tagged as hypochondriac until december 2015 that a random dr. ran a scan on my thyroid and noticed that it was enlarged. I then had a blood work on my adrenal hormones which showed just a slight rise in adrenaline and a flat line in cortisol but adrenal blood tests are known to be inaccurate. I was then put on thyroid meds without proper testing of my adrenal function and I reassure you that it was way worse than the 2015 collapse. Within 2 weeks of medication use,I started suffering sudden bouts of unreasonable rage out of the blue and was sure that I was going crazy/. Took me 3 weeks to go back to almost previous state I was. Took me 5 months to restore my mental stability.I was told that I had a bad reaction to levothyroxine,I think that its my adrenals that caused my hypothyroidism and not the other way round.Meanwhile I was like a yo-yo gaining weight and then losing it suddenly.

After serious testing in 2017,I appear to be very low on B12,folate,Vit D,ferritin and FT3. Symptoms subsided somewhat after I started supplementing daily but I'm nowhere near to how I used to be. I went gluten and sugar free and tbh saw some significant improvement.If I were more informed back then,I would have taken one of those adrenal tests that you can find online. Before doing or taking anything else.

Apologies for the extended reply and my best wishes to you

[nickis]

Thank you so much for all the replies. I have researched the adrenal glands a lot lately. I have most of the symptoms, (which in my original post I failed to include weak muscles **not sore or aching just weakness*, nasal congestion and nasal drip, see spots sometimes, face kinda feels full and achy, migraines at times and only Duexis helps these type migraines.... Duexis is prescribed ibuprofen but has something in it that helps the gut). My symptoms mimic hypothyroid as well and also candida. I have been taking supplements, but think maybe it is too much now. I have taken more B12/B6/Folic Acid than recommended (3 per day) due to my GP telling me to keep taking them even though blood test came back as a high level of B12. I am guessing he said take them Due to malabsorbtion being I have acid reflux. However, My OB doctor told me not to take any supplements at all only to eat healthy. She was probably right! I know I let myself go big time after my pregnancy being I just started feeling worse and worse. I was working very long hours and dealing with a lot of stress most days, plus I bring my children to work with me.... Not to mention eating out for lunch and dinner almost daily. It killed my digestive system. Now I am at a crossroads because some doctors want to throw prescriptions at me (especially for thyroid) and say take it you will feel better. Whereas I know I am fortunate to received the scripts I want to get to the root of the problem because those scripts do not make me feel better at all. I actually felt worse taking the levothyroxine and my hair feel out in gobs! I felt so much better taking the candiclear5 (not prescribed I had to get it from Alaska) for candida which I was never diagnosed for, but figured being it helps H Pylori as well it was worth a shot. Then I felt like I had a liver toxin overload, which may have been the problem and now with the supplements I am taking I could be making it worse. I have researched with Dr. Axe, of course.... watched and listened to his presentations online. I also have watched Dr. Justin Marchegiani. He's not in my area, but he does skype and he does blood work etc from wherever you are. I haven't actually done that part with him, but I have spoke to his office and followed him online. He is a great resource being he's functional medicine as well. I just cannot find doctors here in my area to test things "outside the box" so to speak and get to the root cause. I know it was my diet along with pregnancy, work and stress more than likely, which I have been doing the candida diet for a few months now and I think that is how I have lost so much weight and bloating (31 pounds)... It is actually really good recipes as well. I am going to make the appt with Dr. Justin get some labs done and see what he comes up with. I am spinning my wheels and I am definitely not a doctor. Everything I read on the internet leads to a million different things that it could be, etc. I am going to stop taking supplements now so that my blood work will be accurately read (which I was only taking B12 the last time). That's the only thing that I know to do other than staying on my diet. My thyroid TSH was high for several months (4.75 and 5.25) then all the sudden all thyroid tests leveled out and were under the range that is considered "normal" (3.95 TSH) and that was from a full thyroid panel. (I had stopped eating out for a month before my test per recommendation from my OB doc). My LDL Cholesterol was high at 113. I did have a thyroid ultrasound as well. It was fine. No nodules or goiter. However my thyroid was slightly enlarged, but they said nothing to treat being it could be bacteria of some sort which lead me back to H Pylori and the Candida. So aggravating!

This has just been a rollercoaster.... When older people tell you that you start to fall apart as you age they are definitely right! Especially eating food that is awful for you like I did. I will post some follow ups after I speak with Dr. Justin... I am praying he has answers.