Hypothyroidism?

[Fleur2016]

i was wondering if I could get some advice. II have an abnormal TSH but normal FT4 so I am at risk of developing hypothyroidism. I have regular blood tests which are usually just normal but I do have symptoms and I was just wondering if anyone else has or has had this and what they have done about it. I had a hysterectomy 16 weeks ago and I am sometimes unsure what was causing my symptoms pre op my fibroids or my possible thyroid problem. My mum had hypothyroidism also. I a man gong to ask my gp to repeat the blood test and ask about Hashimoto. Anybody had abnormal TSH and normal FT4 and taken thyroxine and has it helped? Thank you.

[MaisieGray]

You will need to give actual test results with their ranges, as abnormal and normal don't mean much, if anything eg an abnormal result could be one that is either above or below the reference range, and in the case of a TSH result could imply very different things; whilst normal generally means within the reference range but not necessarily that it is right or optimal for you.

[Fleur2016 in reply to MaisieGray]

I don't have them unfortunately. I will speak to my gp on Friday. Thank you for replying.

[MaisieGray in reply to Fleur2016]

It's really important to have our blood test results in order to monitor and have control of our own health, and we are allowed them by law. If you would like some feedback before your Dr's appointment you could phone your surgery tomorrow and take them over the phone to post here, and then pick up a printout when you are at the surgery. Additionally some surgeries allow online access to one's results within our normal patient access info, but not every surgery does that. Have you checked online to see if your surgery provides that? (Sometimes its available but for whatever reason, requires an explicit request to the Practise Manager for access to be granted to see beyond the basic making an appointment and ordering precription-type data).

[Fleur2016 in reply to MaisieGray]

My last test was July before my surgery so I am going to ask for new ones. Thank you.

[cjrsquared]

If your TSH is above range you are suffering from hypothyroidism. Your ft4 may be in ‘range’ but that doesn’t mean that it is normal for you. Your body perceives it is low in thyroid hormone and your pituitary is trying to push your thyroid to produce more. To get a complete picture you should also have ft3, the active hormone tested as it is low levels of this that gives rise to the symptoms of hypothyroidism. It would also be beneficial to have thyroid antibodies tested to see if you have hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune condition which is the main cause of underactive thyroid. Goodluck at the gp.

[Fleur2016 in reply to cjrsquared]

Thank you. This is all new to me and I have learned so much already, I had never heard of Hashimoto's. It is all starting to make more sense.

[greygoose]

I think it's likely that hypothyroidism caused your fibroids in the first place. I'm pretty sure it caused mine. Do you still have your ovaries?

[Fleur2016 in reply to greygoose]

No I had them removed. My surgeon gave me the choice and my mum had primary breast cancer twice so I chose to have them removed. I have struggled with symptoms for a long time. Struggling to lose weight, constipation (thought this was my IBS), pelvic pain which I had joint injections for and fatigue. What you are saying would make perfect sense. Thanks for your reply.

[greygoose in reply to Fleur2016]

OK, so are you on HRT, now?

[Fleur2016 in reply to greygoose]

Yes only 1mg elleste solo so oestrogen only. Consultant ok with oestrogen only as it's bi more than my ovaries were producing.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Is there a list somewhere of all these conditions possibly associated with the thyroid? I had a hysterectomy at 40 because of fibroids. My gallbladder removed, a carpel tunnel operation and I suffer from Dupytrons syndrome and PCOS and still it took a while to find out I am hypothyroid

Di

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

You could google each condition - gall bladder removal and thyroid - for example and add PubMed if you want a research paper. I had fibroids and gall bladder removal before Hashi's diagnosis at 59. In my non-medical opinion your untreated thyroid could well be the cause if all your conditions - sadly.

[Hidden in reply to Marz]

I think so too. Had my gallbladder out at 30, hysterectomy at 40,so it took them a long time to cotton on!

D

[Brad07]

My ft4 was always in range my TSH above range with antibodies. I've had symptoms for years but always accepted the results were 'normal' by doctors. I've just recently had an ultrasound (I asked for one) and was told my thyroid was a normal size but very patchy which indicates hashimotos. I've also suffered with bladder/pelvic pain for years. I think it's all connected. I'm hoping with treatment I will get better.

[Fleur2016 in reply to Brad07]

That's really interesting. Pelvic pain was one of the main reasons for my hysterectomy. I have always just blamed my fibroids. Hopefully seeing my GP at the end of the week and will have a new blood test.

[Brad07 in reply to Fleur2016]

It might not be connected but it's possible. I had no idea how important the thyroid is

[Mary-intussuception in reply to Brad07]

Every cell in the body needs adequate Thyroxine in order to function. No organ or body part can work properly without it. That's why we have so many health problems.

I have a fibroid (despite always being told I didn't have one) ; numerous Gallstones (but have managed to keep my Gallbladder) ; multiple problems along the digestive tract - lots of damage caused by slow motility, chronic constipaton/ fecal retention - slow metabolism. Not to mention damage to joints, circulation, Lympthoedema etc.

My mother had a number of large fibroids.

Hashimoto's is hereditary, although she was never diagnosed. She was only diagnosed with Underactive Thyroid in her late 70's but I was told that her Thyroid was not functioning at all. So IN active not Under.

I wasn't diagnosed with Hashimoto's & Hypothyroidism till aged 58 by which time most of damage done.

[Brad07 in reply to Mary-intussuception]

My gran was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid and I suspect my mum had it too, I knew it was hereditary but i have always been told my blood test was fine, even though I'd had symptoms for years. My thyroid showed considerable damage in a recent ultrasound. If this forum didn't exist I would still be in the dark with multiple health issues in the future. It makes me so angry how we are treated

[Mary-intussuception in reply to Brad07]

Yes, I joined this forum March last year (stumbled across it when looking up something else) and read to have the nutrients levels : Vitamin D, B12, Folate and Ferritin tested. So asked a GP to test. Some might have refused but this one agreed. Tests revealed Vitamin D insufficiency and Folate deficiency.

This was now almost 6 years after Hashimoto's & Hypothyroidism diagnosis, 9 years after severe bowel conditions diagnosis, and 7 years after starting Proton Pump Inhibitor to protect my throat and Oesophagus from further rising stomach acid damage . THREE reasons for malabsorption.

I was so angry I wouldn't go to see GP for a while. Even though this GP was quite new to the practice and not around during my years of struggling to get diagnosed.

I thought that I would be fully cared for from late 2011 when I saw an Endocrinologist - after he wrote that I was "overtly Hypothyroid in 2008". Thought doctors would regret their errors of ommission and do all they could for me now.

How naive of me.