Tinnitus which started the same time as hypothyroidism diagnosis

[Roacher10]

Can I ask does anyone get tinnitus as a symptom of their hypothyroidism? My doctor says it’s not related, but am sure it is.

[shaws Administrator]

I also think it might be but it only mentions hyPERthyroidism but you can print-out the following for your GP to read and absorb:-

Conclusions: This large population-based study suggests patients with diagnosed hyperthyroidism was more prone to develop tinnitus. Our findings suggest evaluation for comorbid vertigo, insomnia, anxiety and/or hearing loss may identify patients who are at high risk of developing tinnitus in patients with hyperthyroidism.

tinnitusuk.co.uk/what-is-ti...

This might be the better link:-

palomahealth.com/learn/hypo...

[Phil865 in reply to shaws]

Thank you.

That Paloma health article is actually about hypo and tinnitus.

[super1]

When I first got Hypo, I was under medicated for a long time. I had tiredness and fuzziness along with tinnitus. As soon as my medication doses were sorted out to just under optimal levels, I notice it went away. It was such a relief.

[Roacher10 in reply to super1]

My GP tells me everything is reading fine now with regards to my thyroid, I still don’t feel right though. Am 12 stone 6ib so I reckon I should be on 125mg of Levo. But I’ve been kept on 75 for over a year now. Latest readings posted below.

Thyroid function test

[FancyPants54 in reply to Roacher10]

Oh dear, you have a TSH obsessed doctor. Even so, he's wrong. Once on Levothyroxine replacement therapy your TSH should be around 1 or less. Most people feel better below 1. You are way too high. Little wonder you don't feel right.

Go back and say that you understand that your result is within range, but you don't feel well yet and would like to try an increase in dose to 100mcg, and that you want to aim for a TSH of 1 or just below. That lets him know what you are thinking.

And yes, hissing or ringing in the ears is a hypothyroid symptom. I get it. I am not optimally dosed because I've had real problems with Levo and am currently transitioning to T3 treatment. I increased my dose of T3 on Monday and this morning, at the time I take the most T3, for the first time in ages, the hissing in my ears was a lot quieter. It's picked up again now because my dose is wearing off. I'm obviously going to need a further increase or two before I get where I need to be.

Here's a link to a handy tick box list of the extensive hypo symptoms for you to print off and tick and show your GP when you ask for more medication. It's from Thyroid UK so he can't argue.

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

I use this list to mark off successes for myself too. Things that were an issue and now aren't.

Believe your body when it tells you. And if your GP is unmoving ask to see another at the practice. Keep trying. You have to fight for what you want. And remember that a GP/patient relationship is supposed to be a collaboration not a one-sided dictation.

[Lulu2607 in reply to FancyPants54]

I agree with your reply. I have also found the clinical pharmacist at my surgery very knowledgeable and helpful. Drs seem focused on tiredness and weight gain as the main symptoms when there's so much more.

[FancyPants54 in reply to Lulu2607]

So much more.

[Baggiesfan in reply to FancyPants54]

Just printed this list, omg I have at least half the symptoms on it! Hope things improve soon because all my doctors say is it must be anxiety, are you sure you don't want to try some meds? I so wish they would read this groups conversations, we can't all be anxious hyperchondriacs.

[FancyPants54 in reply to Baggiesfan]

And of course anxiety is on the list of symptoms. Definitely not antidepressants. You need thyroid treatment that is optimal for you. That's not a lab range based on thousands of people. Just you. And you are obviously not optimal given the list.

[Baggiesfan in reply to FancyPants54]

Thank you, I certainly don't feel it today. Ectopic heartbeats as bad as ever and I am definitely not anxious which is what my gp keeps saying. I've had enough now and don't know what else to do. I did fingerprick bloods 2 days ago, awaiting results then zoom meeting with private endo next week again. I'm fast losing faith as I've been on T3 since last September and expected to be much better by now. Sorry for rant on someone else's post 😥

[FancyPants54 in reply to Baggiesfan]

How much T3 are you on? It's probably not enough. Also, ectopic beats are a symptom of menopause if that might apply. Mine went away when I started HRT.

[Baggiesfan in reply to FancyPants54]

Thank you for replying, I'm only on 10mcg split into 5mcg twice a day. I started on 15mcg but he lowered it because of the ectopics. I think I need more T3 not less too but I do tend to follow their advice, not sure I will this time, I've really had enough of feeling this crap. I'm 65 so not menopause, hysterectomy when about 35, for very heavy periods.

[FancyPants54 in reply to Baggiesfan]

I would suggest that you keep a diary for a few weeks. Measure your temp and BP and heart rate when you get up (before the T3) and 2 hrs after it and again in the afternoon when you take the second dose. You can use those numbers to talk to the endo with. If the T3 isn't raising anything too much you can ask for more. 10T3 is very low in my view. (I'm on 55mcg a day now and still not well). I can't cope with doses less than 10mcg a time. Nothing improves at all with 5mcg doses. So you could also try that, taking it all at once. See if you feel a bit better for a few hours after the dose and then get tired again later.

[Baggiesfan in reply to FancyPants54]

Thank you so much. I did monitor temp, bp, pulse but only for 3 days as nothing changed much, sometimes bp was a little higher before but well within normal range. Temp and pulse stable. I've been keeping a diary but it seems to be just moaning how poo I feel. Seriously I do feel better for a while but then I dip and feel as if I've ran out of fuel if that makes sense. I take my levo and T3 together about 06.30 and don't usually get up till an hour later so I can eat and drink. Then 2nd t3 about 5pm. I could try earlier but was trying to space it out over the day. I'll try taking it all first thing but I'm nervous I'll get more ectopics, having said that it is a small dose so worth trying. Thanks again for your time and suggestions.

[FancyPants54 in reply to Baggiesfan]

If your BP rose a bit before your dose was due that's telling you that you are needing it. If it drops again 1-2hrs after the T3 that's good. You need to keep a diary for longer, but just keep it to the stats. And a brief list of symptoms such as "woke up with headache, faded mid-morning." or "feeling achy and stiff as soon as I got up and no relief through the day". That sort of thing.

Before you take the T3 all together, try moving the afternoon dose back. We need more T3 earlier in the day. It takes 1-2hrs for the T3 to start to be effective and it peaks at 4 hours for 2 hrs (approx.) and then starts to drop. The trick is to try to put the second dose in so that it's rising and peaking before the first dose drops too much.

Try an 8hr space first. And if that's at all helpful, but you still slump a little before it's due, move it to 7 hours etc. I'm now dosing my T3 4 hrs apart to see how that feels for me. Somehow running low overnight never feels as bad as earlier in the day.

[Baggiesfan in reply to FancyPants54]

Brilliant thank you that's sounds like it would work for me as I feel I've crashed about mid day . I'll try taking it earlier this afternoon. Once again thank you, I feel there's hope for me yet. Hope you continue to improve too, I'm sure you will x

[Roadrunnergreg in reply to FancyPants54]

If anyone is on levothyroxine, and felt better for a while then the fatigue returns they need their iron levels checked out Levothyroxine depletes iron stores. And some of the less common symptoms of iron deficiency are, ringing p, hissing and other war related issues on top of the more common symptoms inc chronic fatigue... udally your iron needs to be around 75% of the range

nhs.uk/conditions/iron-defi...

Hope that helps...

[super1 in reply to Roacher10]

I am also 12st 6lbs and male. I was on 75mcg of Levo T4 for a while. Really was all over the place especially with the tinnitus. It really affected me badly. They put me on 15mcg of T3. This gave me more energy but still the tinnitus remained. Its only when I got off T3 and pushed my Levo T4 to above 100mcg that the tinnitus started to disappear but I still felt tired. Once I got up to 125mcg of T4 for about 3 months I saw my life turn around and tinnitus disappeared and I could then exercise and not be dead to the world for the following 3 days. Hope that helps.😀

[Roacher10 in reply to super1]

Thank you for this post, it really gives me hope! Got an appointment face to face on the 22nd of Feb. Going to insist the GP tries me on a higher does for a while. My TSH is still at 3.5 and a lot of people on her say it needs to be near or below 1, so am guessing there’s room for improvement with me. Can I ask what your TSH reading got to when your symptoms started to ease? Thanks

[super1 in reply to Roacher10]

So I was on 75 mcg of T4 and 15mcg of T3 before going back to T4 alone. Looking at my excel sheet of my results, the best way to condense the info is as follows. Is that T3 supresses the TSH so that might not be the best guide. But when I was on 75mcg of T4 alone my TSH was initially 4.94 and 6 months later went to 12.9 and my FT4 levels were then 13.9. Then at 100mcg of T4 it went to TSH 4.22 and FT4 levels of 15.9. I felt slightly better with no tinnitus but still suffered from tiredness. After 6 months of 125mcg of T4 my TSH was 0.61 and FT4 was 19.44. The longer I stayed on this level the better I felt. And I have been on this dose for 8 years. The higher the level of FT4 18 to 21 (Range 12 – 22) is key and optimal so your body has enough to work with. I hope you get well soon and that I have given you enough info to help you. 😀

[amelirom in reply to super1]

Can I ask you for how long you had the tinnitus? I have tinnitus for more than 10 years I’m tired all the time , I have insomnia barely get 3-4 hours of sleep and anxiety.

I got my thyroid tested 3 years ago but I feel that my doctor she’s not that good.

[super1 in reply to amelirom]

Hi, I already had some sort of hearing defect from birth. Where they discovered, I had some sort of nerve damage to my left ear. The result of this was I had say 50% less hearing in one ear and I was told over time it would get worse. I really adapted to it. In general, most people would not know unless I told them about it. So it did not affect me that much growing up. However, as I soon I knew something was wrong with myself due to my Thyroid. Tinnitus appeared and was one of the first symptoms. Probably the most annoying ones. I never really put it down to Hypothyroidism as at the time in 2006 it was not really on the list of symptoms anywhere on the internet.

Probably the best thing you can do is sometimes bypass your doctor. Go to Thriva blood test site and get one done for about £70. Full Thyroid, Folate, Iron, Vitamin D and Vitamin 12 (active) and see what the results as they have ranges etc. Then go back to the doctor if something isn't right. Arm yourself with knowledge and go back and make your point and get something done about it. Hope that helps 😀

[amelirom in reply to super1]

Thank you , I appreciate your response 😘

[amelirom in reply to amelirom]

I’m in US though but I’ll try to find another doctor.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Please reread your first post and my detailed replies

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

75mcg is only one step up from starter dose

Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

ALWAYS Test as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

Have you had folate, B12, ferritin and Vitamin D tested…..

Low vitamins are EXTREMELY common, especially when under medicated

Low vitamin levels tend to lower TSH

Tinnitus frequently linked to low B12

Are you vegetarian or vegan

Have you had thyroid antibodies tested yet or coeliac blood test

Come back with new post once you get FULL thyroid and vitamin results

[Lulu2607]

Hi. Before being diagnosed I suffered from tinnitus and even some hearing loss. I'm sure it's on the extended list of symptoms on the thyroid website and it is very much a symptom of hypothyroidism . At the time I was sure it was all permanent , but once diagnosed and starting levo it gradually went away and my hearing returned to normal thankfully. I started levo last May. I was very very hypo though before being diagnosed. TSH over 160 and no T4 detected by which time I had just about every symptom. Do you think you might be undermedicated if the tinnitus isn't going away? 75 seems a very low dose. I'm currently on 100mcg and I'm smaller than you. Drs are supposed to take symptoms into account, not just the TSH result, but many don't unfortunately.

[Roacher10 in reply to Lulu2607]

Thanks for your reply, I am going to TRY and get a face to face appointment. Everyone I’ve had so far has been done over the phone coz of Covid. Am going to insist on trying a higher dose. Thanks everyone for your comments

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Roacher10]

Request/insist on vitamin testing, thyroid antibodies and coeliac blood test

[Lulu2607 in reply to Roacher10]

Hi Roacher10. When I ring to reorder my prescription at the Drs, that's when I request an increase in dose of some change to current dose. This request is passed on to either the Dr or for me, it has been the Drs pharmacist, and someone rings me back to discuss it. I was wondering if that might be an option for you, rather than wait until 22nd Feb? I'm sure an increased dose of Levo could help with a lot of your symptoms and in the grand scheme of things an increase from 75 is not a big deal given your current readings. The Dr checks how it's going via a blood test six weeks of so after changing a dose anyway. Although your readings are 'in range', that would be fine for someone not on levo, but once you're on Levo the clinical guidance is to keep TSH low. Mine is now just above 1. Given your build 75mcg is low. My dad is very small and elderly and eats very little, and he's currently on 100 mcg a day. Hope you get sorted. Be confident and show them you know what you're talking about!

[Roacher10 in reply to Lulu2607]

Thank you so much for this. I feel empowered now following everyone’s advice to insist on an increase. A lady in work told me to try and aim to get TSH to nearer 1. Also she told me that for my weight, she would expect me to settle on about 125mg of Levo. She too had years of battling with her gp, but has been fine following being properly medicated. Onwards and upwards!!

[amelirom in reply to Lulu2607]

Can I ask you for how long you had the tinnitus? I terribly suffer from it ,also some hearing loss . Thank you

[Lulu2607 in reply to amelirom]

Hi. I started levo 9 months ago. My hearing improved and was much better by about 3 months later. Now I feel it's back to normal. The tinnitus symptoms also improved. I only really get a brief episode now and again which soon passes thankfully.

[amelirom in reply to Lulu2607]

Thank you !!

[LeiL]

Yes, but my Endo denied it was related. I went to ENT doctors, had ultrasounds….nothing. It come and goes.

[fiftyone]

If I drop my levo dose by even a very small amount I get a form of tinnitus and it can take a month or so to go once I put up my dose again.

[Ebx_design]

Hiya, I have this occasionally, and read it can also be a symptom of low iron (which it probably is in my case). So, how's your iron? When low that can cause tinnitus as much as being undermedicated and hypo can.

Take care,

[SarahJane1471]

Oh yes! Buzzing in my ears 👂 and definitely a symptom of hypothyroidism

[alexandra07]

Yes I do and muscial ear syndrome as well which the Doctors don’t know anything about It drives me mad

[holyshedballs]

Tinnitus is a known symptom of HYPOthyroidism. Unfortunately it is symptom of many other conditions.

One of the other conditions of importance to thyroid patients is Vitamin B12 deficiency which often but not always accompanies low thyroid hormones.

correct replacement therapy often resolves the tinnitus.

The problem experienced by members of this forum is getting the doses of thyroxine and B12 that is right for you.

[LouisThyroux]

I've got tinnitus which definitely got worse with my diagnosis of hypothyroidism. I always had it slightly since my 30s but really notice it now.

[Alanna012]

Anecdotally, when undertreated,or, I have found, an NDT or brand of levo which doesn't quite suit me physiologically, I develop hypersensitivity to noises and sounds which becomes very painful. Dropping a pan is excruciating. Phone calls after a few minutes make my inner ears ache.

Mild tinnitus, a high pitched scrreeeeeeeee in my ears all night or a continual ear worm that goes on for days with music I hate, are all symptoms I get when overtly hypothyroid, along with a myriad of other very strange symptoms.

I think it's part of a hypersensitivity of the nervous system and nerves that control senses like smell, taste, touch but due to the brain not getting enough T3. I imagine it's making cost efficiency savings.

There are tons of symptoms doctors don't know about. Tons.

In fairness it must seem just rather bizarre when a patient like me is rocking up with sensitivity to sound, touch, noise, chemicals, tinnitus, chronic pain, achy limbs, chronic fatigue, cramps, falling hair, allergies, chronic sinusitis, dermatitis, eczema, gastric reflux, dry mouth, chronic thrush, chronic bacterial vaginosis, painful teeth, bleeding gums, IBS, brain fog, chronic blepharitis *all at the same time*

Actually they have developed a phrase for it: Central Nervous System Sensitisation Syndrome. That's my official diagnosis.

[Roacher10]

Thank you for your reply - I too have chronic sinusitis, my face around my cheeks and eyes feels slightly numb and my nose is dry as a bone!! Plus the intense brain fog almost constantly. Does this describe how you feel? Have they been able to give you anything to help ease these symptoms.

Thanks

[HMBradley53]

This was my problem....If you lack B12, communication between your nerves may begin to deteriorate, a damaged mechanism that leads to tinnitus. ... Their findings, which were published in the American Journal of Otolaryngology, revealed that tinnitus is linked to vitamin B12 deficiency.

Tinnitus Linked to Vitamin B12 Deficiency - Innovative Hearing ...innovativehearingservices.com › latest-news › tinni...

[flo-jo100]

I had terrible tinnitus and headaches till I was fully medicated.

[Baggiesfan]

I too have very annoying hissing and ringing in my ears, my dr too said it's not connected 🤷‍♀️. I definitely think it is. I insisted on my B12 being tested, it came back near the top of the range but I had only stopped B complex a few days. According to Paul Robinson we need to be off for a few months for an accurate result so it was useless. When will we be listened to, I'm tired of fighting to get better?

[Hidden]

Hi Roacher10 Yes to tinnitus, chronic sinus/ horrible ear fullness. But these symptoms got better when my Levo dosage is more in line. All back at the moment as they are not, but I know this will alleviate when I am back to better levels.

[Phil865]

Yes. They say its not connected yet they also call the thyroid the "Master Gland". So doesn't that make it related to EVERYTHING? That article from Paloma Health that Shaws posted is about hypothyroidism and tinnitus.

[Shaf3938]

I have never had Tinnitus until I had my Thyroid killed off and went hypo and on Levo!