Hi there. I'm hoping you have some advice for me as I feel like I've come to a bit of a dead end. Please bear with me as I may waffle!
I'm a 36 year old mum of 3. I have always been healthy, active and look after myself. Up until now my body has rewarded me with little illness. In January I had a chest infection and perforated an eardrum. I still have tinnitus on one side at night in bed but can deal with this. A short while after this my eyelids swelled up. One swelled so much I could t properly see out of it. After a trip to the gp they diagnosed blepharitis. I wasn't convinced but used the cream they gave me and the antihistamines. I had a few more of these episodes with nothing seeming to trigger it then nothing for months. Until today. My eyeballs feel so sore.
I then had a bad dose of the flu in May like debilitating and it took me about a good month to get over and fully recover. I have picked up various sore throats etc since then as obviously my immune system has taken a battering.
I had a few days also of feeling really grim, dizzy and generally unwell. Came out of nowhere and coincided with a visit from my inlaws (small mercies huh)
About 2 months ago my hair started to fall out in what I would call clumps. I'm to depressed about it but I'm very anxious about how long this will go on for. The skin on my face is red and flaky, doesn't matter how much or what moisturiser I put on it. I have experience perioral dermatitis in a small amount and the dr gave me Canesten. It's just making it worse. I currently have some chest thing, coughing and tight chest. I think it's getting better though.
Recently had blood tests to check thyroid. I did ask specifically what they were testing and they said kidney/liver function and thyroid and probably ferritin as that has been low and treated with iron tablets after the birth of all 3 of my kids. Tests came back as normal. I feel really confused now.
I don't feel unwell, I'm not stressed, obviously I'm concerned about my health. I feel I pick up all bugs going. My periods were massively heavy but that has been controlled by a merina coil for the past 2 years so never ever notice a period until now. It's not heavy but I know it's there and that's unusual for me.
I'm going to go back to the dr's as my eyes have flared up. My husband is concerned and wanted me to ask for my thyroxine levels to be checked but I'm all confused. He also mentioned asking her about Graves' disease. Is ther eanything else I need to cover/ask as 10 minutes is so very quick.
Pic is of my eyes earlier in the year when I first saw the dr about the swelling.
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Hd7481
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Hi H, could you post the exact tests you had with the results and the ranges (the numbers in brackets). This will give a better picture as to what is going on. You are entitled to a copy of these under the Data Protection Act. If your doctor asks what you want them for, tell them it's for your personal records. Being told the tests are normal is not helpful when you are feeling unwell.
That depends on their inclination. A lot of surgeries don't like giving results at all. But, it is your legal right to have a print-out, if you live in the UK, so don't be fobbed off!
So I have had my results back and all looks normal with my Thyroid.
THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE 4.11
FREE THYROXINE 16.1
TOTAL THYROXINE(T4) 82.1
FREE T3 4.48
THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODY <10
THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODIES 9.12
Went back to the Dr after my eyes swelled up at the weekend and to take in my bag of hair. Basically they think after having the flu in May/June I have just been wiped out and this is my body's response. She suggested Multivitamins and that there is nothing else they can do/suggest. She said she has never seen anyone whose hair has continued to fall out so I have to find a way to not let it get to me (yeh right) as it will stress me out and cause me more anxiety.
Could you put the results on a new post, not forgetting to put the ranges in (the numbers in brackets after the results). Different areas have different ranges. You'll get some good advice about what might be happening. On the face of it, you haven't got autoimmune thyroid disease as you have no antibodies.
New post as requested. I am pleased there is no autoimmune thyroid disease. Started special hair loss recovery shampoo today and hopefully in a few weeks i will see some benefits from the multi vitamins. That's if I don't pick up the cold that my children have right now....
TBH I'm still raging about my last visit to the GP. I told her my chest hurt and my throats was sore as well as all my other symptoms. Didn't listen to my chest, take my blood pressure etc or in fact do any checks. Told me that hair worked on a cycle and does shed every so often and of course the first question I was asked was if I am stressed at work. Assuming I work really grates on me. I'm a stay at home mum and it's the hardest job I've ever hand (I used to work as a speech therapist in the NHS).
Why do they feel the need to make you feel like you're wasting their time and resources?
Because it costs too much effort, time and money to properly investigate. In my experience if they can't prescribe a pill for it (blood pressure, anti-depressants, statins etc), they are not interested. Collect the 'clumps' of hair to show to your doctor as it doesn't sound like normal shedding.
I know it's a pain to suggest but as you see for example in dr in the house for all 'difficult to diagnose things' the starting place is to eat a really clean diet. Meat fish veg water. It only takes a few days to see if this will make a difference. When your body or gut starts being mean to itself it takes a lot of effort to get it back to a good state. It's my starting point when I don't feel well. Given your poor immune state I'd dose at least with vit c too.
Oh dear. You are taking a battering. Well your immune system is anyway !
Your eye looks like a sty. My hubby gets this when hes run down.
He takes hayfever tabs take swelling down & this also rules out any allergies EG: pollen, Animal fur, new reaction to washing powder etc.
Then he bathes it under hot water with a flannel everynight. This reduces the swelling.
With you saying it was right after an ear infection. This could be because your system is already down. So its flared up.
I have thyroid and soon as your ill body can't cope. So we have these secondary reactions. Best to get a blood test done every 6 weeks especially if hairs falling out, as that was my first symptom years ago.
I was border line and im on 50mg now and feel much better
Hi there, thanks for your reply. It wasn't a sty as both eyelids were eventually swollen. It wasn't an allergic reaction either as I am not allergic to anything I don't think. This was when I was diagnosed with blepharitis.
Dr is convinced this is just my body telling me to slow down. Told me to ask my husband to take over! He is as busy as me as 3 kids under 10 is hard work but we love it. I am not stressed out and I am coping with day to day life so I don't buy that everything is down to stress all the time.
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