Overview of full range of symptoms: Question for... - Thyroid UK

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Overview of full range of symptoms

Gophe profile image
13 Replies

Question for the moderators of this community:

Many of us seem to be constantly discovering thyroid related symptoms that we didn't realize were related to the condition. It would seem to be really useful to have a resource (either one the community members could populate ourselves or that moderators put together) that lists all the symptoms and, where possible, the typical reasons for them.

I know there are lots of resources online that list thyroid symptoms, but they don't seem to be thorough. Since this is a massive community of people who have bits and pieces of that information, it would seem useful to aggregate it.

In one thread from today, for example, someone raised the issue that tingling in extremities (which a number of us have) is linked to low b12 (which in turn is linked to Hashimoto's). I also found several years ago that I was able to reduce tingling with magnesium (although that's not helping me this time around). So all of those bits and pieces of information compiled onto a sheet could be quite helpful. (There's the risk of improperly substantiated claims getting on such a list and causing harm, but some kind of source-review, where we check for clinical trials/articles in peer-reviewed journals, etc before adding something, could help there.)

This whole thyroid experience is just such a massive puzzle, and I feel like I've been trying to figure it out for years but am still discovering puzzle pieces I didn't know where involved ...

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Gophe
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diogenes profile image
diogenesRemembering

This is copied from Paul Robinson's blog on the subject. You can see how many symptoms there are. No person will have them all, but a selection, and it's up to the doctor to decide what the individual symptoms mean vis a vis thyroid problems.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism (this may not be complete)

Abnormal or painful menstrual cycles.

Acne and skin infections.

Allergies.

Anaemia.

Anxiety, tension and low stress tolerance.

Appetite low.

Blood pressure high.

Blood pressure low.

Blood sugar low (hypoglycaemia) – can cause dizziness, hunger.

Bone loss (osteoporosis, osteopenia).

Brain fog (see Cognitive Impairment).

Changes in voice (slower, rougher).

Cholesterol high.

Cognitive impairment (brain fog, not thinking clearly).

Cold hands or feet.

Concentration poor.

Constipation.

Decreased libido.

Depression.

Digestive system issues, e.g. absorption of nutrients, bloating, IBS.

Eyebrows – loss of outer eyebrows.

Fatigue, tiredness- can be severe.

Feeling cold, cold intolerance.

Feeling hot, heat intolerance.

Fingernails – thin, brittle or cracked.

Hair – dry or coarse.

Hair loss – body, head, legs etc.

Headaches or migraines.

Heart disease.

Heart palpitations.

Heart rate high.

Heart rate low.

Insomnia.

Irritability, mood swings.

Joint pain or muscle pain or fibromyalgia.

Memory poor.

Miscarriages (and difficulty in becoming pregnant).

Muscles weak or cramping.

Myxoedema (swollen skin especially on the face, eyelids, upper arms and hands) – see note below.

Pain – or aches, in muscles, joints, fibromyalgia.

Reflex responses poor.

Relaxing is difficult.

Shortness of breath, laboured breathing.

Skin dry, rough or pale, itchy.

Sleeping a lot.

Slow movement.

Sore throat.

Swallowing problems.

Sweating reduced.

Temperature low.

Tinnitus.

Tongue swollen.

Vertigo.

Voice slower or rougher.

Water retention.

Weight gain

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

List from Thyroid UK main site

thyroiduk.org/wp-content/up...

Thyroid UK run this forum

Another good list

stopthethyroidmadness.com/s...

Longer list here

sarahwilson.com/2014/07/300...

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle

I'm starting to think it would be shorter to compile a list of things that are NOT related to thyroid........

Appendicitis

Broken leg

C.....

(i've got a weird blistering problem on palms and soles of feet called Pompholyx........ for years i thought it was unrelated to thyroid, and never found a single person who had it apart from me....... I now know it IS associated with thyroid trouble and have found 5 or 6 others on here with it.)

Gophe profile image
Gophe in reply to tattybogle

I actually had acute appendicits right when my apparently-Hashimoto's related reflux kicked off :)

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to Gophe

And actually , the closest i've ever come to a broken leg is when trying to cross the road whilst on one of those brain dead/lead limbed walks to the shop, when you can't even think where the shop is , let alone what you need to buy, and when you get there you just stare at carrot's (sorry again jimh111 ) ........which i'm sure is a 'thyroid thing'

Gophe profile image
Gophe in reply to tattybogle

Haha!

crabapple profile image
crabapple in reply to tattybogle

I'm another one with Pompholyx; just occasionally and not severe. Thank goodness. So that's 6 or 7. ;)

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to crabapple

Hi crabapple Welcome to the Bubble Club :) Glad it's not too much of a problem, same here usually, but currently it's making a real mess of the skin between my index finger and middle finger on one hand only, and every time i think its finished ,it starts over again on the same bit and it's getting larger . 3 months non stop! it's never been like this before. Maybe all the extra handwashing we are doing nowadays, don't know ? Now it's starting in a symmetrical place on my other hand, but less bad........ have you ever noticed the 'symmetrical 'thing?........ how does it even know how to do that.... ?

I've had this for well over a decade, but this is the first time it's worried me. I've seen some really nasty photos online of bad cases all over hands, so i really hope i'm not going there.

You never know ... it might turn out to be related to my recent adventures into 'GP reduces levo' land. If i decide to increase dose again it'll be interesting to see if it clears up.

crabapple profile image
crabapple in reply to tattybogle

I think of it as being along the seam between front and back. It's weird for certain.

humanbean profile image
humanbean

I think these links are two versions of the same list.

There is quite a bit of repetition within them i.e. same condition but different names :

hypothyroidmom.com/300-hypo...

hypothyroidmom.com/300-hypo...

Gophe profile image
Gophe

One thing I'm curious about: Does anyone else who's hypo keep accidentally biting their lip or tongue while chewing? Only started happening with me recently and drives me nuts.

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to Gophe

Puffy tongue is a hypo sign. It's bigger .so you bite it by accident ......

probably

Gophe profile image
Gophe in reply to tattybogle

Just as often, it's my inner lip.

Also, eyelid twitches: I was having them really badly before my recent levothyroxine does increase.

I think I read somewhere that both these things can be related to low magnesium, so maybe it all comes back to digestion ...

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