Is itching a symptoms of hypothyroidism?

[Wbox]

I have bouts of itching all over my body. No rash or redness . I have hypothyroidism andcwondered if anyone knows if its a symptom?

[joey82]

I am sure I have heard this is a hypo symptom from other sources thyroid related. Not experienced this myself mind.

[TiggerMe Ambassador]

Oh yes, I remember the awful itchiness in my lower legs 😬

[Wbox in reply to TiggerMe]

Yes my legs itch something awful at times. Hoping to find some way of relieving it

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to Wbox]

What are your current thyroid levels? Sounds like they need a tweak

[Wbox]

I'm due for some blood tests soon as its been nearly 12mths. I'm awaiting a partial thyroidectomy atm as I have a suspicious nodule.

[SlowDragon Ambassador]

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

What brand

And what vitamin supplements

is your hypothyroidism autoimmune

please add most recent results and ranges

all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

Post all about what time of day to test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Testing options and includes money off codes for private testing

thyroiduk.org/testing/

Medichecks Thyroid plus BOTH TPO and TG antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes BOTH TPO and TG antibodies, cortisol and vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.

Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test

support.medichecks.com/hc/e...

If you normally take levothyroxine at bedtime/in night ...adjust timings as follows prior to blood test

If testing Monday morning, delay Saturday evening dose levothyroxine until Sunday morning. Delay Sunday evening dose levothyroxine until after blood test on Monday morning. Take Monday evening dose levothyroxine as per normal

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

yes I was very itchy when hypo. Improved as I became more optimally replaced. It may have been Teva Levothyroxine, I’ve switched since to Vencamil (as I have to have lactose free). I feel I was also more ‘allergic’ while very hypo. I found taking an anti histamine helped too.

[Wbox in reply to Regenallotment]

Thank you for your reply. Good to hear other people's stories. Thank you

[PugMama78]

Hello Wbox ,

I did have other hypo symptoms over quite some years but only really got to the bottom of things due to a crazy itchy rash earlier this year that stuck around for over six months and caused me to almost lose my mind, job, house… because I couldn’t exist I was so sleep deprived. I itched all night long. After being diagnosed with dermographism by a private dermatologist, I was put on crazy amounts of antihistamines and other medications that did nothing for my itch and made me feel awful. I did get some relief with Xolair injections, but when I couldn’t get any more of these I found this forum and finally things started turning around for me. I am only on a very small dose of levothyroxine presently, but already my itch is 95% resolved and I am getting my life back. So I feel that my itch was definitely down to my hypo and sure I am not alone!

Hopefully your upcoming blood test will give you some answers and maybe a tweak in your medication will bring some relief. I think the vitamins I am supplementing with also is helping. Good luck!

[Wbox in reply to PugMama78]

Thank you 😊

[Stills]

I’m undiagnosed but itchiness started with the classic symptoms in Feb 22 and continues. I have new itchy eyelids with purple/ lilac rash developing in recent months which is likely something else . A post suggested helitrope rash, possibly DM so I’m looking into that. As as itchy skin goes I tried all the usual ointments and creams and none made much difference. I didn’t try antihistamines though.

[Wbox in reply to Stills]

OK thank you for your reply.

[Eliotf in reply to Stills]

I have had hashimotos since mid ‘90, then 2013 CLL, then treatment 2016, and developed dermatomyositis(dm) in 2017. All are autoimmune disorders. The dm was the itchiest

[Stills in reply to Eliotf]

Thanks for your reply, have you controlled your DM?

edit: interesting about CLL; my father died from NHL and I think my rheumatoid condition makes me more susceptible to that than otherwise.

[Eliotf in reply to Stills]

As of today, my DM is finally calming down. I have had several flares; 2 of them are from Covid & sun. Now I have long covid which brought covid hands and covid feet last year. I could not walk for 4 months. My wife had to cut my food for me. I stayed on the couch except for sleep and bathroom. The internet photos are nothing compared to how bad mine were. Then I got too much sun exposure and ended up in the hospital for 6 days back in April. Since 2017 I have been on IVIG and Plaquenil. Because of the flaring, I was on high dose steroids and am finally working myself off of them. One of the commentaries is that if you have one autoimmune disease, you have multiple. I have about 5 autoimmune disorders. CLL is also considered an autoimmune. Hashimoto's, CLL, DM, Lichen plans; both OLP and LP. and if you did not know the DM crosses over and or exhibits Sjogren's Disease & Raynauds Syndrome issues. DM exacerbates any of the arthritis' or causes them to show up.

[Stills in reply to Eliotf]

I do have other AI conditions and was aware one attracts others, it’s just a shame doctors here don’t seem to know. I was diagnosed with dry eyes in Feb 23 and have numb white cold fingers from time to time but both these conditions have been present for 45 years since Stills (RD) was diagnosed.

Wishing you better days.

Edit: looked up CLL… you have it very tough I see and you have my sympathy.

[Maddyisla]

I don’t know if it’s relevant but whenever my iron levels are low I get terribly itchy legs.

[Wbox in reply to Maddyisla]

Might ask to have my iron checked then. Thank you

[Maddyisla in reply to Wbox]

According to this wonderful group you need to be well above the minimum level stated for iron levels - I have found this to be true, good luck

[Stills in reply to Maddyisla]

Good point

[Singwell]

I get intermittent itchiness and occasional random rashes. A friend who has rheumatoid arthritis says it's a factor of having an autoimmune condition. I use a gentle saline solution to calm mine down. If it's not too sensitive an area, I sometimes use an ice cube to calm things down.

[Wbox in reply to Singwell]

It does seem to be quite common then. How strange some of the symptoms are. Thank you for your reply.

[Emaych61]

I used to get the most horrendously itchy feet. I could always tell when it was going to start because they would begin to tingle, then go very red and then begin to itch - and itch. Scratching just made it worse. The only thing that helped was to plunge my foot/feet into cold water. I used to go to bed with a bucket of water by my bedside to stick whichever foot had begun to itch into it so there were some nights when I was quite sleep deprived. I also ended up with a mild dose of chilblains on my toes of one foot after deciding to keep my foot out of bed during one cold night in winter in an attempt to stop any itching starting.

The local GPs at the time were baffled. As I have allergy history (and plenty of it) that was the immediate suspicion, but nothing they could give me, or any suggestions they made, worked. It went on for some years (summer was better than winter) and then a friend, who had issues with Reynauds syndrome came up with a brilliant suggestion: that I should try to keep my feet at an even temperature - never too hot, never too cold - all the time. That worked and things have been greatly improved since!!

I do still get itching, usually on my abdomen now, but I think that may be more to do with dry skin. Moisturiser helps (I used E45) but nothing like as bad as the maddeningly itchy feet I used to get.

[Wbox in reply to Emaych61]

Horrendously annoying isn't it. Thank you for your reply. Will definitely try some e45 cream.

[kiefer]

Yes. Hypothyroidism causes the oil glands in the skin to have reduced production, and the skin cells themselves don't shed normally.

[Wbox in reply to kiefer]

Ahh right. That answers it thank you.

[Mrsdeepsleap]

I too had itching as a symptom when first diagnosed as hypo. After a few weeks of Levothyroxine, the itchiness stopped, thank god! Like you, no rash or redness to explain why it was itching.