Hello, I wonder if someone can advise me on whether my symptoms are typical hypothyroid and what help to get. I became very ill after a vaccination abroad in March 2017…fever, muscle twitches and jerks, fatigue, pain in my butt and abdomen, confusion, anxiety, racing heart. Back in the UK a month later my go put me on sertraline and diazepam for anxiety while we waited for a tropical diseases appointment and a referral to psychiatry . The symptoms eased a little by July but I still felt pretty out of it. In August my GP did a blood screen which showed TSH of 2.55. So not in clinical range and I had no history of thyroid problems. My symptoms began to change from anxious to depressed, my brain fog got much worse, the racing heart stopped but muscle pain continued. The tropical disease specialist ran another thyroid test on 27 Sept 2017 and this time I cam back as TSH 15 and T4 at 11. This was repeated two weeks later giving TSH 16 and T4 at 10. I was confirmed hypothyroid and started on 50 mg of levothyroxine. I got worse at first then began slight improvement. I’ve been on Levo for three weeks now and feel a bit better but still have muscle pain, twitches, fatigue and a brain fog like severe jet lag. In A recent review by a neurologist I was advised the early symptoms were strongly suggestive of adrenegenic symptoms but I don’t know what that means,
Any advice on what medical next steps to take would be really welcome. Many thanks Michael
It can take 6 weeks before levels start to improve and if no change then the dose will be adjusted. Have they tested for antibodies?
Thanks for the reply Pushka, I guess I will need to be patient. I will ask for an antibody test, can you tell me why I need that as well as the TSH? This is all a bit new and sudden for me
Thyroid antibodies can indicate Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and/or Graves' Disease. The treatment for the former may involve some modifications to your diet, but treatment for the latter is quite different and usually requires specialist care.
Your symptoms sound similar to the ones I developed after I had a range of unusual vaccinations in my teens prior to travelling. A predisposition to autoimmune disease can be triggered by vaccinations and there can be adrenal involvement too. I'm not saying this is what happened to you, but it's a possibility.
Thyroid and adrenal problems are complex subjects, so first I'd advise posting detailed blood tests results, along with lab ranges, so that we can advise you. I would ask for a full blood count and tests for iron, B12 and vit D status too.
About 90% of all hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's. Diagnosed by testing thyroid antibodies and/or thyroid scan. Some with Hashimoto's don't ever get high antibodies. Scan would show physical change in Thyroid structure
If you have Hashimoto's, or even ordinary hypo, until it's under control, our gut can be badly affected. Low stomach acid can lead to poor absorption of vitamins. Low vitamin levels stop thyroid hormones working.
Essential to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12. Always get actual results and ranges. Post results when you have them, members can advise
Thank you, these replies have been brilliant, is there anything good I can read?
Various books : one I found that gave a good factual overview is "Thyroid for Dummies" UK edition. that I found in the library .Others often recommended here but I found poorly indexed.:
"Your Thyroid and how to keep it healthy" by Dr. Barry Durant Peatfield ,who retired rather than fight orthodoxy.
"Diagnosis and Management of Hypothyroidism" by Dr.Gordon Skinner who was brought before the BMA disciplinary committee for successfully treating patients by " the wrong treatment " and died early possibly as a result.
From the US " ,Stop the Thyroid Madness" two books. Look up Isabella Wentz and Mary Shoman.
But also look at Thyroid UK and Thyroid Patient Advocacy sites.
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