Hello, am a 28 year old female I don’t smoke or drink and am at a healthy weight. 3 months ago I started getting bad pains and pressure just under my breast bone then in my chest and has moved to my back and left rib. I have been on omeprazole and lansoprazole which haven’t helped. I got kept in hospital overnight as my ECG showed some arrhythmia so I had an echocardiogram done on my heart and that was gone so they ruled out anything cardiac after that. My other symptoms are also that the pressure and pains seems to get worse come evening and night time, I have a loss of appetite, I have little energy and sometimes I get palpitations. Today I went for an endoscopy they kept me awake (am epileptic and don’t tend to agree to sedatives also I have a 6 year old daughter that i had to get home too) and omg I went in there pretty calm knowing I would gag and it would be unpleasant and am usually really good with procedures I have had 3 lumber punctured, surgery while awake and was fine but this was horrendous! They got it in the oesophagus and it was literally hurting me I couldn’t stop wretching and gagging felt like I was choking the nurse was pinned over me which didn’t help and I was bringing up bile against it so he took it out I literally vomited bile and I let him try a second time to no success. Was really traumatising! So not he said I could get a barium test? A ct scan (but he wasn’t to keen on that with radiation) and a stool sample. Am absolutely fed up I have changed my diet I have lost so much weight (unintentionally) and nothing is helping. Also I can’t seem to shake the feeling of that it might be my heart. I feel back to square one am sitting here crying in pain and feel so guilty on my little girl that she had to see me so unwell for so long and she’s been amazing with it all. Had anyone else had symptoms like me and what was it? Sorry for long post x
Haven’t been well for 3 months, and endoscopy t... - Thyroid UK
Haven’t been well for 3 months, and endoscopy today was horrific! Does anyone else have these symptoms? Really can’t suffer anymore!
Yes arrhythmia and gut issues can be symptoms of a thyroid problem. They can also be symptoms of other things.
Have you had thyroid blood tests?
If you post the results we can comment.
Thank you for the reply,
And am not sure? I’ve had a blood test done but don’t know what they were checking for but said I had low folate after that was it. Am going to ring my GP tomorrow and will ask if I can have a copy of my last blood test and will post it. I will also ask for them to do a thorough blood count to check for everything. My life right now is so debilitating I can’t carry on like this as I know anxiety isn’t going to help but I am depressed form being in pain and sick constantly for so long.
We understand that as many on here have had times of being very ill. When you post your blood results put the ranges (numbers in brackets) after each result. Without the range we can't say much about your result.
Vitamins are worth looking at too. Have they been tested?
No I have just had blood test, echo on heart and a failed endoscopy today, am going to ring my GP first thing and say look I want a plan please I want everything testing and for you to actually see me as a person not just a statistical otherwise I think I will change GP as I feel like he’s not listening too me. I will post everything on my blood test il get it tomorrow and post it as soon as.
Also low levels of vitamin D (but I think that might be from lockdown and being on the couch/bed most the time unwell)
Low vit d can cause a lot of symptoms. Post the result and folks will say how to supplement.
You are legally entitled to printed copies of your blood test results and ranges.
The best way to get access to current and historic blood test results is to register for online access to your medical record and blood test results
UK GP practices are supposed to offer everyone online access for blood test results. Ring and ask if this is available and apply to do so if possible, if it is you may need "enhanced access" to see blood results.
In reality many GP surgeries do not have blood test results online yet
Alternatively ring receptionist and request printed copies of results. Allow couple of days and then go and pick up.
Important to see exactly what has been tested and equally important what hasn’t been tested yet
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies 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
How low was vitamin D ?
Are you now prescribed supplements from GP?
You may need to get full Thyroid testing privately as NHS refuses to test TG antibodies if TPO antibodies are negative
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 .
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins
List of private testing options
thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...
Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin
medichecks.com/products/thy...
Medichecks often have special offers, if order on Thursdays
Thriva Thyroid plus vitamins
Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes vitamins
bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...
Autoimmune thyroid disease frequently linked to gluten intolerance ...H Pylori also more common
Hopefully the endoscopy will have checked for coeliac, H pylori and other gut issues
Thank you so much for the reply! Was so informative and am not sure how low but I got a vitamin D and folic acid supplement. I will ring my GP tomorrow see if they can print it out and I signed up to GP access online is that it? What you said register for? It’s so hard with this pandemic as I can’t see my GP face to face he seems quite dismissive over the phone like he’s not really thinking it’s much serious, I only got the echo as I went to a and e because I was so unwell so tomorrow am hoping he will actually listen to me and put a plan in action.
Yes online access to your own medical record ....though it doesn’t necessarily give access to blood test results (yet)
Will have a little look at it now I signed up but not sure how to use it really but will have a lil look through it now.
I had 4 1/2 years of real upper stomach pressure and bloating and was sure it was connected to thyroid. I had every test for everything!! Terrble endoscopies too. I finally found a GP who said she treats the person and not the TSH numbers. She put me on a starter of 25mc Levothyroxine and in a couple of days all bloating went together with many other symptoms of Hypothyroidism. I had palpitations too. TSH of 4.99 and Tp/antibodies of 200. I have been on Levo for three months now and some symptoms are creeping back so my GP has upped meds to 50mc. I am expecting to feel better once I get the meds right but it does prove that it is thyroid linked for me. I can't tell you how relieved I feel to be free of bloat and severe discomfort daily.
It could be IBS. Try taking a magnesium citrate tablet when the pain comes on, crush it in your teeth and hold it in your mouth for a minute or two then swallow. This will get some of the magnesium into your bloodstream quicker. See if that helps.
Could IBS cause pain and pressure that high up in the chest and back? Thank you for the reply.
Acid reflux can cause this ...common hypothyroid symptom...usually due to low Stomach acid
That could explain why the lansoprazole doesn’t seem to be helping actually am just getting worse 😩
Hundreds of posts about Low stomach acid on here
healthunlocked.com/search/p...
Some links
articles.mercola.com/sites/...
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
stopthethyroidmadness.com/s...
How to test acid levels
Possibly, the stomach is located high up on the LHS. If the pain is from trapped wind in the duodenum it will press on the pyloric sphincter causing pain near the LH ribs. I'm not saying it is this and you must continue with the investigations. If it is this then the magnesium citrate will relax the gut, release trapped wind and produce relief.
Thank you for this very helpful reply! I’ve had a really bad migraine attack the past 4 days on top of all this 😩 am truly exhausted and done with being in so much pain and sick all the time! I have decided to totally change my diet to low sugar and gluten/dairy free to see if that helps.
Migrane can be due to low magnesium levels.
Yes I’ve ordered a supplement of magnesium and B vitamins I’ve read it’s meant to help.. Also hoping the diet change helps.. I am changing GP as well and also putting in a formal complaint, I rang my GP yesterday asked to book in for an app just to discuss everything am going through to maybe get some extra tests to find out if it could be my thyroid or an autoimmune issue or some sort of root cause and his answer was ‘well your tests are fine’ I said ‘what test?’ He said ‘your endoscopy’ and I was like omg is he serious I told him well that’s impossible as the endoscopy never got completed as i was awake and it was horrible so I never got any results.. He then went quiet and his reply was ‘oh yes ok then we’ll we can’t do any further investigations at the moment and do you have anxiety?’ I was in shock I couldn’t believe he lied to me about a test that never got complete then has the cheek to throw in the anxiety! 😩 So first thing Monday am ringing some doctors up after I’ve had a good lil search this weekend and moving surgery ASAP!
I had a barium meal for upper stomach bloat and the specialist told my GP there was nothing wrong and all normal. I had heard the barium specialist say that I had a slow emptying stomach and just a little reflux. I queried it with GP and she wrote to the specialist. He then did confirm there was a problem with my gut......Why do we bother eh?!!! Good luck Riri - make sure you get a full panel of tests done for thyroid and not just TSH and ask for a copy of results too!!
OMG 😩 these are meant to be medical professionals whom we put our faith in! It’s so disheartening when you’ve not been well for a while and you know there is an issue but you feel like your just not getting listened too.. Thank you! Am on the hunt tomorrow for a good GP practice.. seeing as my GP said the results of my non test is all fine but am currently sleeping with 4 pillows and feeling like my breast bone is about to explode and throat is burning. 😭
If you ever have to have endoscopy in future...insist on mild sedation ....Not then even aware it’s being done
Oh yes if I have to have it again I want max sedation I would want to be asleep 😭 I just have to be careful as sometimes sedation doesn’t agree with my epilepsy and I’ve had breakthrough seizures after it 😩
That would be nice.... when i got to the appt for endoscopy i was wobbly and having difficulty stringing a sentence together, from doing the bowel prep the night before ( i always ' crash' quite badly if i get hungry or cold .... it's 'normal' for me)
I told em not to worry , i get like this often , i'll be ok again later, and no, i dont drink... no i haven't had a drink ....... no i dont drink often etc .etc ! But please can i be sedated cos i'm a bit scared i will freak out.
The consultant wasn't prepared to sedate me in that state. The nurses were really reassuring though ,so i agreed to do it without sedation anyway.
Actually it was a lot less horrible than i'd imagined previously , and the 'holdy hand' nurse really helps.
The nurses said does your doctor know you get like this ? I could have laughed/ cried...... i've been telling them since 2008 every time we discuss my dose of Levo !
Goggle suggests thyroid issues and epilepsy may be linked....or anti epilepsy medication may affect thyroid
My doctor is waiting on the report back from the Gastro doctor he said it takes upto 5 days so he’s going to ring me back Wednesday and have a good talk about everything then and see what steps to take next. I feel like my dr hates me 😩 but am sick of being sick and really want some answers but I feel like I have to be really pushy with him and insist on everything.
Hi Riri91
So sorry about what has been happening to you. It is worth mentioning that because of your epilepsy, you are likely on medication for that and I believe that some types of meds can affect the thyroid. Might be worth investigating?
Levothyroxine and leg pains
Does anyone else have symptoms of bloated face and intermittent limb weakness ?
Hyper and really fed up
cocodamol
Zoledronic acid infusion for osteoporosis- I have to consider this
