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Could I have an adrenal issue?
Hi, I am a 28yr old girl and I have recently been diagnosed for what appears to be Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. These are the results of all blood tests I have had done:
January 2013
TSH: 0.69 (0.27-4.2)
Anti-TPO antibodies: 84,000 (<34)
May 2013
TSH: 22 (0.27-4.2)
FT4: 10.9 (12-22) - Thyroxine was started at 75mcg per day.
August 2013
TSH: 4 (0.27-4.2)
FT4: Not tested - Thyroxine increased to 125mcg
Ferritin: 15ug/L (30-400) - Iron supplements were started at 210mg.
November 2013
TSH: 4.3 (0.27-4.2)
FT4: 15.3 (12-22) - Thyroxine increased to 150mcg.
FT3: 5.5 (3.1-6.8)
December 2013
TSH: 4.6 (0.27-4.2)
FT4: 15.6 (12-22)
Anti-TPO antibodies: 41,000 (<34)
Ferritin: 21 (30-400)
Vitamin D: 43.6 (<75) - Started Vitamin D supplements.
Folate: 4.1 (4.6-18.7)
My doctor has referred me to an endocrinologist as they have diagnosed me with hypothyroidism due to me having mainly raised TSH levels, however I have not gained any weight - if anything I've been losing weight and I have not experienced hair loss or a goitre. I have had a goitre in the past but it went down on its own. I suffer from constipation, fatigue, weak and achy muscles and a recent question that was answered by a very helpful person on here suggested I could have adrenal issues.
I also think I have adrenal issues as I've been getting aches and pains in the back of my flank areas, nausea and a feeling of weakness/fatigue. I already feel fatigued anyway but it's more pronounced when I get the flank pain and nausea. Looking up adrenal fatigue on other sites I decided to test my blood pressure once when sitting and once when standing to check for a drop in blood pressure. I've only tested it once but I do occasionally get postural and orthostatic hypotension when standing from a sitting/lying position.
These are the results:
Test 1 - sitting
Systolic: 143
Diastolic: 84
Pulse: 73
Test 2 - standing
Systolic: 138
Diastolic: 87
Pulse: 60
Other things that have been ruled out include diabetes and celiac disease, both of which have come back negative.
The only other thing that has come back positive is Anti-Nuclear Antibodies but my doctor is not concerned about this as she believes it's down to the autoimmune response I have going on at present.
Would an endocrinologist check for adrenal issues? Have I got any adrenal issues at all or should I give the blood pressure measurements a few more tries? I really don't know what else I can do about this as I've been gorging on a lot of food and my body gets rid of it somehow. I'm 5'3" and weigh 7 stone 10/108lbs/49kg.
Thanks for any help and merry Christmas.
Jo x
January 2013
TSH: 0.69 (0.27-4.2)
Anti-TPO antibodies: 84,000 (<34)
May 2013
TSH: 22 (0.27-4.2)
FT4: 10.9 (12-22) - Thyroxine was started at 75mcg per day.
August 2013
TSH: 4 (0.27-4.2)
FT4: Not tested - Thyroxine increased to 125mcg
Ferritin: 15ug/L (30-400) - Iron supplements were started at 210mg.
November 2013
TSH: 4.3 (0.27-4.2)
FT4: 15.3 (12-22) - Thyroxine increased to 150mcg.
FT3: 5.5 (3.1-6.8)
December 2013
TSH: 4.6 (0.27-4.2)
FT4: 15.6 (12-22)
Anti-TPO antibodies: 41,000 (<34)
Ferritin: 21 (30-400)
Vitamin D: 43.6 (<75) - Started Vitamin D supplements.
Folate: 4.1 (4.6-18.7)
My doctor has referred me to an endocrinologist as they have diagnosed me with hypothyroidism due to me having mainly raised TSH levels, however I have not gained any weight - if anything I've been losing weight and I have not experienced hair loss or a goitre. I have had a goitre in the past but it went down on its own. I suffer from constipation, fatigue, weak and achy muscles and a recent question that was answered by a very helpful person on here suggested I could have adrenal issues.
I also think I have adrenal issues as I've been getting aches and pains in the back of my flank areas, nausea and a feeling of weakness/fatigue. I already feel fatigued anyway but it's more pronounced when I get the flank pain and nausea. Looking up adrenal fatigue on other sites I decided to test my blood pressure once when sitting and once when standing to check for a drop in blood pressure. I've only tested it once but I do occasionally get postural and orthostatic hypotension when standing from a sitting/lying position.
These are the results:
Test 1 - sitting
Systolic: 143
Diastolic: 84
Pulse: 73
Test 2 - standing
Systolic: 138
Diastolic: 87
Pulse: 60
Other things that have been ruled out include diabetes and celiac disease, both of which have come back negative.
The only other thing that has come back positive is Anti-Nuclear Antibodies but my doctor is not concerned about this as she believes it's down to the autoimmune response I have going on at present.
Would an endocrinologist check for adrenal issues? Have I got any adrenal issues at all or should I give the blood pressure measurements a few more tries? I really don't know what else I can do about this as I've been gorging on a lot of food and my body gets rid of it somehow. I'm 5'3" and weigh 7 stone 10/108lbs/49kg.
Thanks for any help and merry Christmas.
Jo x
Different labs have different ranges - but every lab puts their ranges on the slip.
Can you *do* without the salt - or would you feel awful without it? Liking it may be the craving.
Were you feeling well when the tests were done in May?
An endo *should* test for adrenal issues, but few of them are good at it. Were you by any chance tested for Grave's as well? You seem more hyper-thyroid than hypo, and I do know of others that have had both antibodies.
Any other pituitary testing, or auto-imune?
Can you *do* without the salt - or would you feel awful without it? Liking it may be the craving.
Were you feeling well when the tests were done in May?
An endo *should* test for adrenal issues, but few of them are good at it. Were you by any chance tested for Grave's as well? You seem more hyper-thyroid than hypo, and I do know of others that have had both antibodies.
Any other pituitary testing, or auto-imune?
Hi, I had sodium and potassium done as part of a complete blood test back in May and this has come back:
Sodium - 141 mmol/L
Potassium - 4.40 mmol/L
No reference ranges are given for either result so I don't know what is high or low.
I don't have very many complete blood tests done, I have more tests done on thyroid-related things and I thought that because I'm not gaining any weight despite being hypothyroid might mean my adrenals could be struggling. Maybe I've come to the wrong place to ask this question.
I do like a lot of salt. Not sure if having a lot of salt on my food is the same as craving it.
Thanks
Jo x
Sodium - 141 mmol/L
Potassium - 4.40 mmol/L
No reference ranges are given for either result so I don't know what is high or low.
I don't have very many complete blood tests done, I have more tests done on thyroid-related things and I thought that because I'm not gaining any weight despite being hypothyroid might mean my adrenals could be struggling. Maybe I've come to the wrong place to ask this question.
I do like a lot of salt. Not sure if having a lot of salt on my food is the same as craving it.
Thanks
Jo x
None of the tests done show any adrenal function.
Have you had an sodium or potassium done? Do you crave salt? AI is a salt wasting disease, so you would have tests of those that would be off.
Lots of fatigue and things can be the low iron, D etc so once you get those levels back up to normal, then you can see if it is something else.
It would take a few sets of testing and a stim test to see if you have an adrenal issue.
Have you had an sodium or potassium done? Do you crave salt? AI is a salt wasting disease, so you would have tests of those that would be off.
Lots of fatigue and things can be the low iron, D etc so once you get those levels back up to normal, then you can see if it is something else.
It would take a few sets of testing and a stim test to see if you have an adrenal issue.
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