Hashimoto's thyroiditis and swollen tongue/speech problems

[Thyroid4]

Hi everyone, does anyone who suffers from Hashimoto's thyroiditis have tongue issues that has/had an impact on your speech? I have the scalloped appearance to my tongue, a swollen feeling near the back and underneath the tongue which affects my speech. Did the thyroid meds fix the problem and if so, how long did it take?

I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis but my thyroid labs come back "normal" although I'm experiencing typical hypothyroidism symptoms such as cold intolerance and severe muscle fatigue (on top of the tongue issues that I have been going on for the past year). Not on medication yet.

Labs:
TSH: 1.83 (range 0.4-4.5 mIU/L)
T4 free: 1.2 (range 0.8-1.8 ng/dl)
T3 free: 3.5 (range 2.3-4.2 pg/ml)
Thyroid peroxidase AB: 205 (range <35 IU/ml)
Thyroglobulin AB: 92 (range <20 IU/ml)

Thanks


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[Barb135]

My Free T4 was "normal", but very low in the range.  My TSH was quite high, at 55+.  Between that my symptoms, there was no doubt I needed to be on medication.

How soon you would see improvement would depend on the type of medication you were put on.  If you were put on a T4 only med, which is usually what's tried first, it would take approximately, 4-6 weeks for it to reach full potential in your body, though some people notice subtle changes within a couple of weeks.

[toni2251]

My levels showed fine also. I had so many symptoms and was sick for a year and a half before I received treatment and all the while I became more and more ill. Hashimotos is a disease that attacks the thyroid gland causing your thyroid to continuously malfunction, which in turn causes all sorts of symptoms. I needed to be treated way earlier. My body feel apart. Visual disturbances, shin pain, spinal pains headaches, emotional issues, etc.  you would be surprised how many things can go wrong with hashimotos. So yes it could be your thyroid. Be sure you are taking a good multivitamin. It really helps.

[Red_Star]

I have teeth imprints (scalloping) and a swollen/thick tongue due to hypothyroidism. I haven't noted that this has affected my speech but since starting thyroxine, i no longer wake up gasping for air (sleep apnea). My tongue is still very enlarged and i can still imprint my teeth on my tongue with room to spare on either side. I've had an enlarged tongue for decades so it's "normal" for me. :)

[Thyroid4]

Thanks Barb, no I haven't started any medication yet since I'm worried that if my thyroid is actually fine that meds will make me hyperthyroid. We're your thyroid levels normal when you started having symptoms?

How soon would I see improvement if the meds were to work?

[Barb135]

I've not heard of tongue problems being a symptom of Hashimoto's or hypothyroidism, though nothing is impossible.  Have you talked to your doctor about it?  It's possible is could be caused by something else.

Yes, your thyroid levels look good, but with Hashimoto's, it's not unusual for symptoms to be present long before labs indicate an issue.  

Are you currently on a thyroid medication?  If so, which one, what dosage and for how long.  If not, is your doctor willing to give you a trial dose to see if alleviates your symptoms?