One-sided bloodshot eye and puffy face - Hashi's flare or allergy?

Hi all. Latest unpleasant symptom to hit me is a puffy face and very bloodshot eye, but only affecting the left side of my face. That side of my face has been very slightly swollen since May (but without bloodshot eye at that point) and to be honest I thought it was just a later symptom of the Bell's Palsy recovery, so I figured it would go in time. However a week or so ago my eye started getting irritated and then bloodshot. It is always worse overnight and first thing in the morning, as soon as I get up it starts to be less irritated (but is bloodshot all day). It seems to be getting worse. I am in two minds as to whether it's an allergy (whenever I miss my daily Cetirizine it gets more irritated (as does the other eye), or whether this is part of a Hashi's flare (my antibodies have gone up).

Latest blood test results shown (9th Oct). I'm no longer taking Levo, have been building up on T3 for the past few weeks, taking approx 18 mcg daily at the point of this test. Test done fasting, no T3 for 24 hrs before which is why T3 is so low. I am dismayed at the raised antibodies despite being gluten and dairy free for many months. T3 has really helped with my afternoon energy fatigue, though.

The eye thing is really bugging me and making life uncomfortable - could it be Hashi's related? I have washed every last bit of bed linen (in non-allergenic natural washing liquid with no nasties) plus replaced my pillow.

[greygoose]

Spider bite? My daughter had that, and the doctor said spider bite. He gave her some cream to put on it, and it all disappeared.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Did she have any apparent bite mark, greygoose? I have nothing I can see, nor have I had. Also, spiders... *shudder*...

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

No, she didn't. Neither did I when I got bitten in the neck, just the swelling - I also had a high fever.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Very interesting. I will raise all of that with my GP when I have a phone appt on Monday. Got a lot to fit in, that plus my 'not taking Levo for the past month' decision (which I can explain with adverse reactions to MP and Teva). I'm not going to tell her I'm taking T3, not yet. Rather, I'll ask her what her thoughts are on it in general, even though I know she'll say 'can't prescribe it' I can get a feel for whether she's very against dabbling with it or not, whether she'll give dire warnings of osteoporosis and heart disease. I'll have to see how that goes and whether she'd be open to me self-medicating, if I'm brave enough to suggest it!

How I wish we didn't have to tiptoe round doctors. And figure all this out for ourselves, when really they should be educated to advise us properly and not be restrained by some stupid decision to not consider prescribing T3 or NDT.

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

Yes, it's a topsy-turvy world, alright, when the doctors know less than the patients.