A couple of months ago I (32, Male) had a blood test for something unrelated to my thyroid and everything came back OK except the Dr picked up that my TSH was 5.1, so wanted me to have it checked again in 2 months time.
I had it checked again yesterday and called the Drs to get the result and it was 4.67 and they said this meant that "no further action was required".
Now, the Dr doesn't know I have been having the following symptoms for a while as when I went to see him it was for something else. I didn't even know these could be symptoms of an underactive thyroid until recently anyway, and just thought it was my body failing me!
My symptoms are:
- Depression and a lot of anxiety (especially health anxiety)
- Swollen lymph nodes that go up and down
- Fatigue
- Pain around the base of my neck
- Joint pains
- Feet pain
- Heart palpitations occasionally
- Sensitive to cold
- Sore throat that seems to not want to go away
- Super dry skin and scalp
- Ridges on my nails
- Scalloped tongue (this started about 3 months ago)
After I put the phone down from hearing "no further action required" I thought I'm not having that and then rang back to book an appointment with the Dr in two weeks.
I'll go see the Dr and explain my symptoms.
What should I be looking to achieve? Do I need medication? Can I expect them to just say it's my anxiety/depression?
Thanks!
Written by
Griffo_
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Welcome to the group. If you could complete your profile it helps members understand your thyroid journey so far and offer recommendations better. Click on your image icon to start.
Do you have the reference range for our TSH test? Ranges vary from lab to lab so this is important. You are legally entitled to a printed copy of your results, ask at GP reception. In England you can get the NHS app and ask for permission to see your blood results on that by asking at GP’s reception.
To get a diagnosis and treatment for hypothyroisidm you need 2 consecutive NHS tests with TSH above range. It looks to me like your second result was very close to that depending on what the range is in your area.
What time of day were each test taken? This makes a difference as TSH runs on a circadian rhythm and is highest at around 9am. If your test was taken much later than this your result will be lower and you could miss out on a diagnosis.
When hypo we get low stomach acid which means we cannot absorb vitamins well from our food, regardless of a great diet. For thyroid hormone to work well we need OPTIMAL levels of vitamins. Have you recently or could you ask your GP to test levels of ferritin, folate, B12 & D3? Private tests are available, see link for companies offering private blood tests & discount codes, some offer a blood draw service at an extra cost. thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...
There is also a new company offering walk in & mail order blood tests in Crawley, Hove and Reigate areas. No charge for blood draw in clinic. Check to see if there is a blood test company near you. onedaytests.com/products/ul...
Recommended blood test protocol: Test at 9am (or as close as possible), fasting & no biotin containing supplements for 3-7 days (Biotin can interfere with thyroid blood results as it is used in the testing process)? Testing like this gives consistency in your results and will show stable blood levels of hormone and highest TSH which varies throughout the day.
One thing to be aware of is that hypothyroidism "dries the body up". So people might often end up eventually with dry eyes, dry skin, and also lower levels of stomach acid than healthy people.
Lower stomach acid than normal means that food is poorly broken down in the stomach and gut, and digestive problems begin. But also, the body can't extract nutrients from food as well as a healthy person could. So, some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism are caused by low vitamins and minerals. As a result many of use have to take supplements to feel well.
It isn't a good idea to take a multivitamin or multimineral product. They are usually made of very poor quality ingredients that are hard for people to absorb, and some things e.g. iron and calcium can block absorption of other nutrients, so the whole thing becomes pointless.
Also the timing of when supplements need to be taken depends on everything you are taking, whether prescribed or not. So, with a few exceptions e.g. B Complex, most supplements need to be for single nutrients.
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My symptoms are:
- Depression and a lot of anxiety (especially health anxiety)
- Swollen lymph nodes that go up and down
- Fatigue
- Pain around the base of my neck
- Joint pains
- Feet pain
- Heart palpitations occasionally
- Sensitive to cold
- Sore throat that seems to not want to go away
- Super dry skin and scalp
- Ridges on my nails
- Scalloped tongue (this started about 3 months ago)
.
Depression/anxiety and fatigue - could be low thyroid hormones/low iron/low B12
Foot pain could be plantar fasciitis - it's a very common symptom of hypothyroidism that few doctors recognise. Don't try to exercise it away or do anything for it really - it doesn't work and some of the official suggested treatments can cause damage. But if you are hypo and start getting treatment then having more thyroid hormones will probably make it go away quite quickly.
Ridges on nails - Could be one of several nutrient deficiencies, also could be lots of other things e.g. fungal infection, psoriasis. It makes a difference if the ridges are vertical or horizontal.
Don't just buy supplements randomly. For a start, if you don't need it you'll waste money. Secondly, to make the most out of every penny you need to know the best form of supplement to buy. (You could ask on the forum before spending money.) Did you know, for example, that vitamin B12 comes in four different forms and some are better than others in certain circumstances?
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