Levothyroxine skin indentions

[CrazyLady4U2]

can any one tell me what’s with the skin intentions. Caused by Levothyroxine ?!!!! Anything how do they go away just take more?

[radd]

CrazyLady4U2,

Welcome to our forum

You’ve replied to an old post that the addition of T3 has made you pee lots, so maybe your skin is suffering mucin accumulation.

Common areas of the body for mucin excess to collect are face, lower legs but it spreads progressively throughout connective tissues until deficient thyroid hormones are replaced.

[CrazyLady4U2 in reply to radd]

Okay what’s mucin?

[radd in reply to CrazyLady4U2]

Errr … had to look up the up the exact biology 😬. Mucin (aka myxoedema) is when glue-like hydraulic acid and neutral mucopolysaccharides accumulate under the skin which binds water so resulting in a type is water retention. The skin might look normal but resembles swellings and is difficult to pinch.

Sound familiar?

[CrazyLady4U2]

well if I like sit on anything or lay down I’m just covered with intentions so I guess so but will it go away further into treatment?

[radd in reply to CrazyLady4U2]

Yes, hopefully. I had the moon shaped face pre-diagnosis and was larger all over but never experienced indentations on my skin, although the ends of my fingers and toes are never plump any more.

Re extra peeing maybe the T3 increased metabolism is just expelling previous fluid build up. How long are you been medicating T3?

What is your Levo & T3 dose?

Do you have any labs to share?

Ps- to allow the other person to be notified of your response you need to reply via the blue ‘reply’ button. 😊

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Many disorders result in swelling - oedema (or edema).

If you press a fingertip on the swollen limb (this is usually easiest part to check), you will either see a depression form or the tissue simply doesn't want to give and no depression forms. That is, when you take your fingertip off the tissue, does the skin bounce back? Or does it leave a depression that takes a little while to smooth over?

Pitting or non-pitting oedema.

There are only a few causes of non-pitting oedema. Lymphedema. Myxedema. Lipedema.

Myxedema (myxoedema) is a principle symptom of hypothyroidism and is sometimes used as a synonym for hypothyroidism - at least, quite severe hypothyroidism.

Most oedema is pitting and there are many causes.

If you are hypothyroid and suffer myxoedema, and you take sufficient thyroid hormone (whether levothyroxine, liothyronine or a combination), you can expect that to resolve over time. Definitely not instant - over months.

But if you have an issue which causes pitting oedema, then it could seem like the non-pitting oedema has mutated into pitting oedema.

If that is where you are, you need to find out why you have that. And, of course, make sure you really are adequately treated for hypothyroidism.

This is quite a long and detailed article about oedema of both types - with pictures. Not an easy read but many of the easier articles are very sketchy.

Edema: Diagnosis and Management

aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/20...

[CrazyLady4U2]

yea it’s not edema cause I don’t have an indention when I press just when I sit on things for a li g time and there slowly going away daily further into the medicine my doctor just tells me there sheer lines but I didn’t have sheet lines before so it’s obviously something the Levo did first.