Clueless

[Rubyphoenix]

 Does anyone feel up to sharing some basic information about thyroid problems with me. I'm dealing with severe mental health issues that keep me pretty isolated. In the past 10 years I've only seen a doctor twice and only because I was giving birth. So at 40 I don't really have a clue what's going on with my body. I do know I have some severe emotional problems that seem to be strongly tied to my hormones/menstrual cycles and pregnancy was a nightmare mentally for me(severe anxiety and mood swings. I know nothing about the thyroid but I have had several people who thought I should be tested for it. And I have had a lot of alarming symptoms for 4-5 months now. Since I had Covid actually. When I check the symptoms I get several recurring possibilities, anxiety, vertigo from low blood pressure, tinnitus, anemia, dehydration,thyroid issues,,stroke, there were a couple more but my memory's shot. ( I have had anxiety, positional vertigo, and anemia in the past, but I didn't feel like Ido now) on't know if Covid is a factor or not, or if my problems were related to a day before I became sick with covid when I gave myself heat exhaustion(walking for hours when it was 106° out). Ever since that week I get severe vertigo every time I stand and have nausea and lightheadedness all day long. I also have blurry vision that comes and goes and had one bad bout with vertigo that caused temperary hearing loss in one ear. I had a dull ache in the ear for a day and I kept feeling like a drop of liquid was running out of my ear. And my head just feels fuzzy and it's hard for me to think. All this may be unrelated, I really don't know what to think about it all. I think I'm needing someone to scare me into going to the doctor so don't hold back if you have an opinion on my problems. thanks for reading

[greygoose]

Anything and everything can be a thyroid symptom - either over-active or under-active. There are very, very few symptoms one can say 'oh, that has to be thyroid', because they're all non-specific and could be due to so many other things. This is because thyroid hormone is needed by every single one of the millions of cells in your body to function correctly. So, if there's not enough, or too much, you are going to get symptoms in whichever part of your body has too much or not enough.

But, which is the most likely scenario: you have 30 diseases with one symptom each? Or you have one disease with 30 symptoms? I think the latter, don't you? So, it's not really about individual symptoms, it's more about how many you have.

However, you're never going to know for sure if you have a thyroid problem unless you get it tested. If you don't want to see a doctor straight off, do a home test - there are quite a few available. Information here:

thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...

If the TSH is high and the FT4/3 low, then you are hypo. If the TSH is suppressed, and the FT4/3 very high, you are hyper. Basically. It can be more complicated than that. But it's a start. And you can post the results and ranges on here so that people can explain them to you. Then, if these tests show there's anything to worry about, then you go and see your doctor.

[Rubyphoenix in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for the info, especially about the home tests. After I wrote my post, I started reading random posts on here and realized thyroid issues are not as clear-cut as I had assumed. Plus I have a hard time expressing everything that I'm going through so I'm amazed anyone was able to make sense of my post in the first place. I have the same problem when I try to talk to doctors and anytime I've tried to get help for something I am usually ignored. So I think I need to have a basic understanding of what I think is wrong with me so I know I can share the right information so they will actually listen.

all I know is I'm very overwhelmed and confused and that I do need help for several things cause I'm just a mess. But I do thank you and the others that took the time to read and respond and post their own issues because everything helps me sort through my own mess somewhat and I think I know where to go from here,or at least where to start. So thank you again.

[greygoose in reply to Rubyphoenix]

You're very welcome. Let us know how you get on.

[PRJ20]

Hi Ruby, Not sure if you're still around to read this but, just wanted to reach out to let you know you're not alone and hope that helps to settle you a bit at least until someone with more experience comes along to maybe offer some guidance later on: it's just gone 05:10am here in the UK, so I reckon everyone/most are probably asleep; and I note from your Bio that you're in the USA.

I've read your Bio before replying and my heart really goes out to you: I read your post and Bio with tears, though tbf I was feeling quite tearful before anyway 😢 Although mine are different circumstances, I can really relate to some of the things you've been through and what you're going through now, as I'm also a Survivor (of CSA, which included physical and emotional abuse too, as well as two seperate rapes in early adulthood - the first time was a Dr colleague when I was doing my nurse training many, many years ago). I've also had other trauma's in my adult life, which included getting caught-up in an armed robbery on my local Post Office when I was the only customer in there and had a gun waved at my head by this crazed masked man 😱 That was at the beginning of 1999 when I was in my late 40's and it was the trigger to get a referral to a specialist trauma centre here in the UK (one of the only ones available here at the time) for an assessment and [possible] trauma treatment. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out as it should have for various reasons (well, one particular reason, which has taken me a long time to identify but, I'll not go into that now...that's for my Bio which I've still to write up!! 🙄) and I only saw the lovely Consultant I saw at the Trauma Centre for two of the three assessment appointments. However, what I will add was that I got a definitive diagnosis of C-PTSD (as a result of the CSA and adult rapes) and PTSD (as a result of the Post Office robbery incidence) and more importantly I was told about EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing), which is specifically a trauma approach to treatment. Having only more recently (4 years ago) managed to get that EMDR treatment here for all the trauma's I've been through, it absolutely makes sense to me that, in response to major trauma we need not only a trauma-approach [to] 'treatment' - whether that be EMDR, Bessel Van der Kolk (?sic) or Peter Levine or any other qualified trauma experts approach - and, just as importantly, we need those around us to be trauma-informed and sensitive. It sounds as if, other than your current partner, you've not only suffered further trauma but, had people around you who have been trauma-reactive instead, which in turn only worsens our own trauma/stress responses and leads us back into the 'reactive' states. So, no wonder you have lost trust and, reading between the lines, don't even trust yourself. In a nutshell, your amygdala is probably firmly in charge! (Yup! I've been there, too, more times than I can mention! 😝🤕)

So much of trauma and stress responses - and, yes, this can include our thyroid, with Grave's Disease - the form of Hyperthyroidism I was diagnosed with when I was 41, which is an autoimmune response and is known to be precipitated by some form of emotional/psychological/physical stress or trauma (not always but, it is prevalent) - create havoc with our systems and a system that is consistently out of whack cannot function properly, as you well know. I could not possibly try to proffer any form of diagnosis - to say whether it's your thyroid or not - but, what I would say is keep talking/posting and encourage you to at least find a doctor you can try to start 'trusting' (after major trauma, you need to do that gradually, like building blocks and prepare yourself properly before any appointment - like write things down - and if you can check-out/research the doctors/GPs in your area or go by a recommendation, even better) so that you can at least get your symptoms checked-out properly, maybe have some blood works done: think of it as looking after yourself and your little girl, as well as sort of giving something back to your partner for all his support, iyswim. Sorry, no "scare tactics" from me, Ruby, just some gentle encouragement, empathy and support.

However, before I end, I'd like to pass on something a former lovely GP of mine - he was the one who diagnosed and started treating my Grave's Disease a few months before he ended leaving the practice and he was also the major source of my own starting to learn about trust because, he was absolutely with me/beside me through alot of major trauma (the return of the repressed) - used to say/remind me of and that was: "You are reacting entirely normal to abnormal circumstances." I really hope you can take that away, Ruby, and apply it to yourself, your circumstances and all you've been through and been put-through. Be kind to yourself (no guilt tripping, ok?!) and take the power back. Sending a gentle hug. x

ETA: Sorry, didn't finish this until 20 minutes ago, as it was too early in the morning here so went to get some more 😴 and didn't notice that greygoose had given a much more on-point (and less-waffling! 🤦‍♀️) response.

[JenniferW]

Crikey, with all that going on you still need persuading to go to the doctors? Yes, you should go to the doctor, it's allowed, you aren't wasting their time or anything.

Not at all technical explanation - covid can mess up your immune system by giving it a big jolt if you aren't lucky enough to fight it off quickly, especially if your vitamin D levels are low. This could certainly have triggered a thyroid problem. When the immune system has been overstimulated and attacks your own body the thyroid damage can be permanent and you need thyroid medicine.

The menopause can also put your thyroid levels out, as can being ill generally.

Where the thyroid levels are out of whack due to the menopause, the thyroid itself is not damaged and the best treatment is probably HRT and patience. A friend of mine (late forties) looked like a balloon last Christmas and had other mild symptoms of an underactive thyroid. The blood test for thyroid came back negative. She won't take HRT but it has all settled down now of its own accord and she looked a much more normal size a few weeks ago.

Covid can certainly cause the tinnitus and dizziness, a colleague of mine had that problem.

Do go to the doctor, please. If there is thyroid damage the sooner you get given thyroid meds the less long term damage will be caused. Get them to test you for vitamin D too.

[jade_s]

Another thing to consider is B12. There are quite a few of us with pernicious anemia (PA), an autoimmune disease where you can't absorb b12 from food or tablets, that had a recurrence of symptoms after getting covid and some even after the vaccines. Symptoms include anemia, numbness and tingling, balance problems, dizziness, tinnitus, visual issues, and anxiety, depression, even paranioa and psychosis in late stage deficiency. I mention this because there was even an article about a lady in the UK who developed PA after covid. Likely the virus triggered a pre-existing condition. There are also at least one running study looking at whether there's a link between covid symptoms & b12 status.

Of course some of these overlap with thyroid symptoms so getting labs is the first step.

It's always good to check with your doctor first. Ask that they run TSH, FT4, FT3, and thyroid antibodues, as well as serum B12 and/or active B12, folate, iron, and vitamin D. People with thyroid problems tend to be deficient. I just realized you're in the US. I will check where you can get labs privately, if your GP is not helpful or you can't go. The one I used to use got bought out and closed down, so I don't know.

And if you can go to the GP, take a relative or friend with you, as an advocate, if you can. Doctors seem to be more attentive and less dismissive when there's someone with you.

[jade_s in reply to jade_s]

Wow well Labcorp own offer their own tests directly to consumers. ondemand.labcorp.com/catalog Their thyroid test isn't comprehensive but there might be other providers available eg Quest or others.

If you want to go this route and you find it affordable, since they're not too cheap, please send me a reply & I can try to help you pick out the right tests. Hopefully there are no restrictions by state - sometimes there are.

Hopefully the admins here will also give some suggestions on which tests to get in case I've missed something.