What are the main symptoms everyone notices with Hashimoto's Disease??

[bethk123]

The whole thing is getting me down and I hate that it is because there are people out there a lot worse off but I cant help it. I have noticed that I find it very hard to shift any weight now and I've started getting a lot more unwelcome body hair/face hair as well as actually losing clumps of hair from my head after a shower and sheading throughout the day. I get really hot easily. I need to do more research into this autoimmune disease but I dont know enough about it. I have regular blood tests and I'm on levothyroxine, which started at 25mg now I'm on 75mg. Anyone have any words of wisdom or interesting facts?

[greygoose]

There are over 300 symptoms of hypothyroidism, which results from Hashi's. Although I don't know that the actual Hashi's causes any particular symptoms of its own. I doubt anyone has the whole 300, but everyone has their own individual selection of symptoms. Hair-loss is one that a lot of people have. But not everyone gains weight. Some lose it, and some find their weight it unaffected.

Another very common symptom is fatigue. Depression and anxiety are pretty common, too. But, there are a lot of obscure symptoms like hard skin on elbows and heels, black circles under the eyes and seemingly unconnected brain symptoms like dyslexia and poor spelling.

And, it's not really surprising that hypothyroidism affects every single part of the body like that, because T3, the active thyroid hormone, is needed by every single cell in the body, and without it, anything and everything can go wrong. So, never accept from your doctor that your symptoms are 'nothing to do with your thyroid', because the odds are that they very much are. All hypo symptoms are non-specific, which is one of the reasons it's so difficult to get a diagnosis sometimes, and could be due to the famous 'something else'. But which scenario is most likely: that you have 10 diseases with one symptom each? or that you have one disease with 20 symptoms? I know which one I'd go for!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

See you had Traumatic brain injury so TSH is likely especially unreliable...and it’s unreliable with Hashimoto’s at best of times

75mcg levothyroxine is only one step up from starter dose

How long have you been left on 75mcg ?

The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose slowly in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2 (many patients need TSH significantly under one) and most important is that FT4 is in top third of range and FT3 at least half way through range

NHS guidelines on Levothyroxine including that most patients eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine.

nhs.uk/medicines/levothyrox...

Also note what foods to avoid (eg recommended to avoid calcium rich foods at least four hours from taking Levo)

For full Thyroid evaluation you ALWAYS need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested.

Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies

Ask GP to test vitamin levels

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .

Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Is this how you do your tests?

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options

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

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin

medichecks.com/products/thy...

Medichecks often have special offers, if order on Thursdays

Thriva Thyroid plus vitamins

thriva.co/tests/thyroid-test

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

If TPO or TG thyroid antibodies are high this is usually due to Hashimoto’s (commonly known in UK as autoimmune thyroid disease).

About 90% of all primary hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto’s. Low vitamin levels are particularly common with Hashimoto’s. Gluten intolerance is often a hidden issue to.

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/t...

Link about antibodies and Hashimoto's

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

List of hypothyroid symptoms

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

All four vitamins need to be regularly tested and frequently need supplementing to maintain optimal levels

[porter5 in reply to SlowDragon]

really helpful post with lots of resources....wow. thanks.

[Marz]

I have read that PCOS can be linked to low thyroid and may account for unwanted bo dy hair. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome ..

[Kacey12 in reply to Marz]

I believe PCOS is another autoimmune condition, so that would make sense.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Kacey12]

PCOS and Hashimoto’s frequently linked

[porter5 in reply to Marz]

what can work with pcos is serrapeptase. also good for fibroids.

[Marz in reply to porter5]

Thanks 😷 I don't have either !

[6957]

What exactly are your symptoms, I have hashimotos, and I cannot tolerate levothyroxine, or synthroid, I get nonstop palpitations and shortness of, nausea, diarrhea, itchy eyes, irritable, can't concentrate, and as far as the nature throid n the armour, I don't do good with pig glandulars, so I slowly weaned off the thyroid meds, and trying a more natural approach, I take a good Bcomplex vitamins , selenium, am on a hashimotos diet, do accupressure points and go to a accupuncturist, so far so good, plus I take a thyroid supplement,and like one good Dr said who works with hashimotos, he said some hashimotos patients don't do well with meds so I'm one of those, hopefully a new med for hashimotos comes out, one I can tolerate, when I feel inflamed from my thyroid I take ibuprofen and I feel much better. Like one Dr said hashimotos is all about inflammation, take care of the inflammation and the flare goes away.

[tattybogle in reply to 6957]

a lifetime of ibuprofen will do your stomach lining no favours. My mum ended up bleeding in A&E, subsequently being told ,by them she must never take NSAID'S again.

[6957 in reply to tattybogle]

Hi tattybogle, I don't take ibuprofen everyday, maybe once or twice a month, but I'm sure the side effects of the levothyroxine are more life threatening for me. The constant palpitations n shortness of breath are more dangerous, can eventually harm my heart. And the swollen throat was also caused by the levothyroxine. So I listen to my body, I'm taking a more natural approach and I'm doing way better. I also no longer have the diahrrea and the nausea.

[tattybogle in reply to 6957]

Thats ok then. It's important people know not to take NSAID's on an empty stomach . or else they damage the lining. I believe my mum was taking it every day for years, and not always with food.

What is in the thyroid supplement you take ?

[sunflower25]

I have hashimoto,s as well my hair has been coming out loads when I was it. Like handfuls.I have dry skin on my eye lids and brows which looks awfull. No amount of cream helps it. I now also have a very high rheumatoid arthritis count. Which is over 5000. Hospital have said I'm extremely vulnerable to civic 19, and I ave to shield at home all the time.I have not yet been put on any treatment yet for ra.I am constantly tired as well as my thyroid is going lower again the ra doctor told me from blood tests.

[tattybogle]

I strongly recommend you learn more about it than your GP (shouldn't take long, sadly !)

And don't accept the antidepressant's that may be the next 'treatment' you if you don't feel good , unless they can prove to you with an FT3 test that you are adequately medicated with Thyroid hormone replacement. UK GP's can get one done,if they want to ,despite what they may say. I've had 5 on the NHS without me even knowing about it (until i got my past medical history )

And Get your old records and all your future blood test results, so you know what's what.

And don't wait 17 years to do it (like i did).

Wishing you 'best health' for the future,

Tat

x