Hi everyone, I am a bit confused about symptoms I have. They are
Cold feet
Cracked feet
Brittle hair and nails
Fluid retention
Decreased urine flow
Low energy
Sugar craving
I believe they're all because of low levels of thyroid hormones because after every increase in dose of levothyroxine I feel great for awhile but doctors keep telling my these symptoms have nothing to do with hypothyroidism and are caused by depression😔
Are they really symptoms of depression?
Any help is appriciated...
sunsetalley
Best to post your latest thyroid test results, with reference ranges, then members can tell you if you are optimally medicated. That list doesn't look like symptoms of depression to me. If my doctor tried to palm that diagnosis on me I'd be asking for a "depression blood test" 
Thank you SeasideSusie for your reply, as I've been feeling really awful lately I added 50 mcg to my dose of fridays so I have to wait 1-2 weeks for my new blood test...
I know I'm depressed but I'm sure like my other problems it's caused by hypothyroidism...
Not quite sure what you're saying, there, sunsetalley, but it doesn't sound good. Are you saying you added to 50 mcg to your Friday dose - every Friday? Or are you saying that last Friday you increased your dose by 50 mcg every day? Neither would be a good thing to do. And testing 1-2 weeks after any sort of change of dose would not give you accurate levels.
Depression is also a hypo symptom. But I'm pretty sure depression doesn't cause your feet to crack! lol 
Thank you so much greygoose for your reply, I was waiting for it😊
I added 50 mcg only to my fridays dose since four weeks ago... I know it was a silly deceision but I really wanted to bring back those beautiful days I experience after every dose increase, wanted to be myself again for another couple of weeks... I am talking like a fool, don't know what should I do anymore...
OK, so a test in 2 weeks should be alright. But, I don't think taking an extra 50 on Friday is a good idea. Couldn't you spread that 50 out through the week? It might be better. Then again, it might not. 
But, one think is certain, your doctor knows nothing about symptoms! And, he should be ashamed of himself trying to convince a hypo patient that her problem is depression, when in fact, she needs greater care taken of her thyroid! However, he will get funding points for prescribing antidepressants, and nothing for levo. So, there's a slight chance that that might be influencing his 'diagnosis'!
Then again, it's so much easier to just repeat the prescription for antidepressants and dismiss the patient, than it is to actually interpret her blood test results and do his job! Doctors? Don't get me started on doctors! lol
You mean I'd better to add that 50 mcg to all days of the week or just divide it into smaller doses? Sorry I didn't get it...
Four years ago I was reffered to a neurologist by the endocrinologist I started my treatment with because of the numbness in my legs and severe headaches I had. When I talked to that neurologist he asked my mum has she fallen in love? And prescribed lots of antidepressants for me... I was on them for 7-8 months but they didn't help me at all beacause all I needed was just sufficient amounts of thyroid hormones...
When I visited that endocrinologist again I told him I'm not feeling well, he reffered to number of my TSH which was 2.9 and said your hypothyroidism is controlled, my mum told him she's gaining weight, he smiled and said it's good😐
Disgusting! I would have expected better of a neurologist! Why do these damned doctors all think they're psychologists? What makes them think that's a good thing to be?
It seems you heve seen doctors like him so many times... I thought just doctors in my town are interested in psychology!
I've seen doctors like him both in the UK and in France! They're everywhere!
Sorry, forgot to answer your question. I meant spread your extra 50 out throughout the week, rather than taking it all on Friday. Do you have a 50 mcg pill? You could cut it in 4 and take 1/4 on Friday, 1/4 on Saturday, 1/4 on Sunday and 1/4 on Monday. Or something like that.
Thank you for replying...
I haven't seen 50 or 25 mcg pills ever...I buy 100 mcg pills and divide them into 2 pieces...
I see. I don't know what size pills you have in the UK, sorry.
Can you not cut the 100 mcg pills in quarters and at least take 25 mcg on one day and 25 mcg on an other day? That would break it up a bit.
I'm not living in the UK, I'm from Iran...
I can't cut them in quarters with equal sizes, It's very difficult🙂
Something tells me I'll end up taking 150 mcg everyday in the near future...
Well, not too near future. You should leave at least six weeks between increases.
I know even less about Iran than I do the UK! But, it doesn't matter too much with T4 if they're not equal sizes.
Thank you so much for replying to my questions!
I always learn new things from you🙂
You're welcome.
It may sound funny but when my dose of levothyroxine was increased last autumn my feet were as smooth as an infant's feet for several months but they're really cracked now
No, not funny at all. I'm sure a lot of people have found the same thing.
However, it's perfectly normal, when you have an increase in dose, to find that your symptoms disappear for a short while, but then they return. That just means that you need another increase in dose. You will know you're on the right dose when the symptoms don't return. Unfortunately, doctors don't know that, they have been taught to go by the numbers and only the numbers, no matter how the patient feels - they don't give a toss how the patient feels, actually. And, in any case, they know nothing about symptoms.
Neither does depression cause decreased flow of urine (thanks for writing that in your list because I have suffered with this for a couple of years now, can never empty my bladder either, and didn't know how to describe it. Your nailed it.), or fluid retention!
When I went to doc. Exhausted. Tired. . . Cranky Last April. . He is south African and a brilliant doc. . First thing. Off with the runners. . . I Nearly died. As my feet were very shrek like. And I hadn't done my summer peeling. Paring. Sanding and toe painting. As soon as he saw then. He said thyroid. . Was so embarrassed. . But he said they were not the worst he had seen!!! . Cracked heels and a feeling of being plugged out. Started on 75mcg April. My feet have so improved. . . And am feeling better gradually. . . Just dá Feet thing and the whole system slowing down because of under active thyroid the skin collects and isn't shed as quickly. . . Still need to do then every 3werks now compared to every week. . . Not as. Shrek like. . now and have the energy to do them. X. Hope this helps. X
That's brilliant. Such a good description. What a great doctor!
My feet have been really dry and hard and cracked this year. I'm using a big foot sander to keep them in order, especially the right heal. I need to be crazy brutal with the sander on that one every week. Toe nails are hard too. Horrible, but painted so who can tell but me.
The sanding will ease as ur dose is upped. !!!! . . . Sanding is hard work!!!! . My toenails ain't pretty. But painted too. . So not too bad. . . Stick with meds and feet will improve. . . . Yes I have a great doc. He always giving out bout Europe. And the thyroid epidemic. As the European union has banned all iodised food products. Such as salt. That's why we are seeing such an explosion of thyroid here in Ireland 🇮🇪. And the water fluoridation is a thyroid killer too. . We use a filter but the water tastes soo flat. . But at least fluoride is taken out. . . Happy 😊 peeling and Paring. . . It won't last that long once meds are at the right level. Xx
I am due my next blood test on Monday. I can feel I'm really ready for a dose increase now. I've really slowed down and dried out again. The ridges on my thumb nail are very prominent again. They almost disappeared completely when I first started on 100 Levo a day.
I think in hypothyroid patients feet get dry when body is starving for more thyroid hormone...
Yep. . Ur right. X
Sounds like hypo to me. What is your body temp?
Thank you Simba 1992 for your reply...I don't have thermometer now but I'm shivering in 43°C temperature...
Low body temp also a symptom of hypo.
Cold feet
Cracked feet
Brittle hair and nails
Fluid retention
Decreased urine flow
Low energy
Sugar craving
Caused by DEPRESSION?????!!!!!!!! Did you give them the above list? If so they didn't read it, or they are not fit to be doctors. Except for perhaps the low energy/lethargy, even a lay person would never imagine those symptoms could be due to depression!!!
"... after every increase in dose of levothyroxine I feel great for awhile" Yes, I'm exactly the same. Still only on 50mcg after starting on 25 (because I'm older and have high blood pressure) and after a few weeks know I'm ready for another increase.
Thank you Jnetti for replying...
Some doctors are so idiot that don't know hypothyroidism can cause depression...
They have no idea how a slight increase or decrease of hormones can affect a person's life...
Feel like I am going mad
First post
Confused!
How to be taken seriously?? Tsh 2.5 with high thyroid antibodies.
