Is there anywhere I can find an idiots guide to all the facts and figures. I'm not too sure what T4 TSH etc really mean.
I really feel a bit of a fraud as until I went on your website, I wasn't even sure I had any symptons.
I've been having blood tests for about 18 months because I was borderline for an underacitve thyroid. I only had the first blood test because my bowels were sluggish.
7 weeks ago I saw a locum doctor to talk about my then most recent test who said I must start taking thyroid supplement. I wasn't given any figures at all, he seemed to imply that the testing had been going on for long enough and it was time to start treatment. I've been taking 25mg levothyroxine per day. I'm not a pilly person.
I had another test last week and insisted on seeing my own doctor to discuss the results.Quite reluctantly she gave me the figures for my last 3 tests. I didn't write them down idiot that I am. I am now prescribed 50mg per day because one figure is still to high ( think it's the one showing how well my body is dealing with the thyroxine.
I looked at your website detailing the symptoms and all the digestive ones are relevant, but other than constipation I never knew of any of the others. I've just put my symptoms down to age.
I am really interested in deafness as a sympton.
I have a profound hearing loss which became suddenly much worse about 3 years ago. No-one was able to offer any explanation why. Could it have been to do with hypothyroidism??
When I saw my doctor yesterday and queried why I was on these tablets, she asked a bit crossly whether my symptmns had improved? I told her that the only change I had noticed that I was seemed to be slightly less deaf in my left ear.
I am seeing my audiologist soon and I will mention this to him/her.
Are there any other hearing impaired hypothyroid people who have noticed a change in their hearing???
The website, blogs and questions are all really interesting if a bit incomprehensible and scary
thanks,
Written by
Elaines
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A link between deafness and hypothyroidism has only been documented since at least 1888!!!!!
Don't worry about understanding it all - simply read the underlined bit below. ("Myxedematous" really means hypothyroid in the modern world.)
Hypothyroid associated deafness
DM Comer & EM McConnell
A 49 year old man presented with a 6 month history of new onset truncal ataxia and vertigo. Further enquiry revealed a 6 year history of erectile dysfunction, low energy levels, depression, significant weight loss and a 3 year history of sensorineuronal deafness confirmed by audiometry. His past medical history included ulcerative colitis requiring a colectomy 11 years previously. On clinical examination he was a thin and well tanned patient with relative hypotension (98/40 mmHg).
Endocrine testing revealed a testosterone 6.9 nmol/l, FSH <0.5 U/l, LH <0.5 U/l, Prolactin <40 mU/l, IGF1 5.0 nmol/l, growth hormone <0.2, free thyroxine 3.2 pmol/l and TSH 1.27 mU/l. A synacthen test showed a suboptimal response to ACTH (Cortisol 1.9 nmol/l pre ACTH, 18.6 nmol/l 30 minutes post ACTH). An insulin tolerance test for growth hormone reserve is awaited. An MRI scan of his pituitary gland was normal. After commencing hormonal replacement his mood improved, with higher energy levels, weight gain and resolution of his impotence. Interestingly, his requirement for his hearing aid diminished. He reported being able to manage with only one hearing aid, instead of two, during conversation. A lower volume was adequate for daily tasks and overall he felt that overall his deafness was less severe, concordant with an improvement on repeat audiometry.
Bircher was the first to describe the association of hearing impairment in patients suffering from a goitre, only later to be recognised by the myxedematous Committee of the Clinical Society of London in 1888 in a study of 69 hypothyroid patients, 38 of which were deaf. Since then a series of authors have provided reports of improvement in the hearing defect on correction of the hypometabolic state. This case illustrates the need for vigilance in assessing cases presenting with sensorineuronal deafness for systemic disease.
elaines, dont ever worry about being 'a medical idiot' i myself allude to the same condition ---but we are all sensible people ....please keep a constant check on this site .you will gleen some very important info [ that we can relate to] that will be relevant to your own situation. And this will help you in the future----of that i am certain-----but always remember the info is only as good as when and how YOU use it ...lol
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