Symptom Qs

[Greenwall]

I’ve been looking at the thyroid uk hypo symptom list. It mentions joint stiffness and foot pain. Can that include joint aches in fingers and toes?

Are hot flushes symptoms of hypo too?

Re blurred vision: Is that near and far vision, or either or?

Poor focussing: Is that just in morning, or all day?

Plus, can the symptoms be intermittent, or have they to be all the time to be counted as hypo?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Gluten is often the culprit with joint pain and varying levels of symptoms

Or low vitamin D for joint pain

Hot flushes at night, "night sweats" can be low B12

bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g52...

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4, TT4, FT3 plus TPO and TG thyroid antibodies. Plus very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have money off offers.

All thyroid tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. If on Levothyroxine, don't take in the 24 hours prior to test, delay and take straight after. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, GP will be unaware)

[Greenwall in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you SlowDragon. All results of the things you mention are within optimum range at present, but been stoking up vit d today!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Greenwall]

Don’t wash it all off in the shower later ☀️

[Kimmie4 in reply to SlowDragon]

Sorry to butt in but is that true...washing off vit D?? I've read that cat's lick their fur after sunning themselves and absorb vit D that way. So does showering reduce vitD

after sun exposure??

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Kimmie4]

Yes looks possible

Not been researched in recent years but here's a link about it from Vitamin D council

Our obsession with washing may we'll be yet another reason for low vitamin D levels

Always wearing Sunscreen too obviously is cause

vitamindcouncil.org/washing...

[Kimmie4 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thankyou for the interesting link. Makes sense.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Kimmie4]

So delay shower until the next morning, not straight after sunbathing

[Marz in reply to Kimmie4]

There was an old saying - too much washing weakens you. 😊 Now we know why ! ...

[Greenwall]

Thank you Reallyfedup123. I was aware that symptoms can go in cycles, but I wondered how long they cycles could be, and if they could vary during the day. Plus is the eyesight issue simply a need for specs, although they are worse first thing?

[penny]

Before being diagnosed I hurt from the tips of my fingers to the ends of my toes. It was pain but I could live with it. I’m still in pain but manage to live ‘normally’ except for muscle weakness and lack of stamina. I put that down to the 30 years I was undiagnosed.

[Greenwall]

Thank you all you provided information and education, especially about the vit d !