Aa
Help pls
Hi,
In May I started experiencing weight loss, heart palpitations etc. The most concerning symptom was my left eyes started to protude.
I was lucky my dr took this seriously straight away, I went to the clinic with my eye and they could find nothing wrong at all. They were extremely confused, I would also loose my vision as well.
Then my eye went back to normal. It has happened twice since and is currently normal and my vision is normal.
My Thyroid results were:
May - TSH 0.35 (Ref range 0.55 - 4.78)
T4 15.3 (Ref range 9.0 - 23.0)
June - TSH 0.5 (Ref range 0.55 - 4.78)
NO T4
July - TSH 0.6 (Ref range 0.55 - 4.78)
T4 16 (Ref range 9.0 - 23.0)
August - TSH 0.9 (Ref range 0.55 - 4.78)
T4 15 (Ref range 9.0 - 23.0)
Now my Tsh is normal range again but my T4 has always been normal and has not fluctuated. I am feeling ill again and have another dr appointment. Is there anything I should be asking for. They are saying it just a blip in my thyroid and its normal for it to sometimes go out of wack.
I just havent felt right since May and dont know how long i can cope i feel ill and dont know how much longer i can carry on working like this...please any opinions welcome.
Also any ideas on my eyes, is it true that thyroid eyes wouldnt come and go like that? Im terrified of it happening again.
Thanks in advance x
In May I started experiencing weight loss, heart palpitations etc. The most concerning symptom was my left eyes started to protude.
I was lucky my dr took this seriously straight away, I went to the clinic with my eye and they could find nothing wrong at all. They were extremely confused, I would also loose my vision as well.
Then my eye went back to normal. It has happened twice since and is currently normal and my vision is normal.
My Thyroid results were:
May - TSH 0.35 (Ref range 0.55 - 4.78)
T4 15.3 (Ref range 9.0 - 23.0)
June - TSH 0.5 (Ref range 0.55 - 4.78)
NO T4
July - TSH 0.6 (Ref range 0.55 - 4.78)
T4 16 (Ref range 9.0 - 23.0)
August - TSH 0.9 (Ref range 0.55 - 4.78)
T4 15 (Ref range 9.0 - 23.0)
Now my Tsh is normal range again but my T4 has always been normal and has not fluctuated. I am feeling ill again and have another dr appointment. Is there anything I should be asking for. They are saying it just a blip in my thyroid and its normal for it to sometimes go out of wack.
I just havent felt right since May and dont know how long i can cope i feel ill and dont know how much longer i can carry on working like this...please any opinions welcome.
Also any ideas on my eyes, is it true that thyroid eyes wouldnt come and go like that? Im terrified of it happening again.
Thanks in advance x
COMMUNITY LEADER
I'm sorry you had such a horrible appointment. We do see this quite often in U.K.
The doctor is right though that your labs don't add up to hyper at all; they really are hypo, even though you had low TSH... Symptoms of hyper and hypo are often the same. I had many hyper symptoms when I was very hypo. When you put anxiety into the mix, symptoms can really seem hyper, because anxiety can cause the heart palps, weight loss, etc.
One thing many doctors miss is Central hypothyroidism, which could very well be your problem. It's marked by low TSH "and" low Free T3 and Free T4, which is what you have. Doctors, particularly, in U.K. tend to look only at TSH and if that's in range they look no further so they don't see the full picture. You'd still need the antibody tests to rule out autoimmune conditions, though.
Please keep us posted on how you do.
The doctor is right though that your labs don't add up to hyper at all; they really are hypo, even though you had low TSH... Symptoms of hyper and hypo are often the same. I had many hyper symptoms when I was very hypo. When you put anxiety into the mix, symptoms can really seem hyper, because anxiety can cause the heart palps, weight loss, etc.
One thing many doctors miss is Central hypothyroidism, which could very well be your problem. It's marked by low TSH "and" low Free T3 and Free T4, which is what you have. Doctors, particularly, in U.K. tend to look only at TSH and if that's in range they look no further so they don't see the full picture. You'd still need the antibody tests to rule out autoimmune conditions, though.
Please keep us posted on how you do.
Hi Barb,
Well what a waste of time it was this morning, the dr refused to give me another blood test for my thyroid as the last 2 have been within normal range. Apparently even when it was out of range it wasnt enough for concern. They also said that they never usually give this many thyroid test, so i have been lucky but i wont get another one now. I am suffering with anixty and have to take stonger beta blockers. They also said it was never over active if anything it was underactive and my symptoms do not match up to that. When I tried to argue that it was showing a slight over activness they said no i was wrong and they are the dr.
They made me feel like I was making it all up. I know what I am feeling and I know I am not alone with being treated like this. Here in the UK the treatment is vile for thyroid sufferers.
Anyway ill go private and see a specialist, it will have to wait till January though.
Thanks for all your help.
Well what a waste of time it was this morning, the dr refused to give me another blood test for my thyroid as the last 2 have been within normal range. Apparently even when it was out of range it wasnt enough for concern. They also said that they never usually give this many thyroid test, so i have been lucky but i wont get another one now. I am suffering with anixty and have to take stonger beta blockers. They also said it was never over active if anything it was underactive and my symptoms do not match up to that. When I tried to argue that it was showing a slight over activness they said no i was wrong and they are the dr.
They made me feel like I was making it all up. I know what I am feeling and I know I am not alone with being treated like this. Here in the UK the treatment is vile for thyroid sufferers.
Anyway ill go private and see a specialist, it will have to wait till January though.
Thanks for all your help.
COMMUNITY LEADER
We've had a lot of members in U.K. who have had to go private in order to get the testing/treatment they need.
I wondered if your T3 and T4 might be Frees; they look like what we sometimes see from U.K. They aren't horrible, but symptoms of hypo can often show up long before the labs indicate a problem; that's why you need the antibody tests to tell you what's really going on.
Yes, diabetes really could be a possibility.
Let us know how you turn out tomorrow.
I wondered if your T3 and T4 might be Frees; they look like what we sometimes see from U.K. They aren't horrible, but symptoms of hypo can often show up long before the labs indicate a problem; that's why you need the antibody tests to tell you what's really going on.
Yes, diabetes really could be a possibility.
Let us know how you turn out tomorrow.
Hi
Yes I am in the UK. I am waiting till my next blood test then when I have those results I am going to go Private and see if they have any more ideas.
I have just checked my print outs and they are for Free T3 and Free T4, how can I get these into a higher range? Will I feel better if I can get them higher?
I did wonder about diabetes, Ill mention it tomorrow.
Once again thank you for your response, I appreciate it more than you know.
x
Yes I am in the UK. I am waiting till my next blood test then when I have those results I am going to go Private and see if they have any more ideas.
I have just checked my print outs and they are for Free T3 and Free T4, how can I get these into a higher range? Will I feel better if I can get them higher?
I did wonder about diabetes, Ill mention it tomorrow.
Once again thank you for your response, I appreciate it more than you know.
x
COMMUNITY LEADER
Are you by any chance in U.K or Canada under guidelines of NHS?
Do you know if the T3 and T4 are Free T3 and Free T4 or if they are Total T3 and Total T4? Tests for Frees and Totals are not the same thing and don't give the same information.
That said, it's recommended that Free T4 be maintained at or about mid range; your T4 is at 43% of its range, so it's somewhat short of the recommended level. It's also recommended that Free T3 be maintained in the upper half to upper third of its range; your T3 is right at 50% of its range, so that's not "horrible", either. Neither one of those really indicate hyperthyroidism...
You really do need the antibody tests I mentioned above to confirm or rule out the autoimmune conditions, Graves (I doubt that seriously, at this point) and Hashimoto's (more likely).
Looking at your symptoms, I have to ask if you've been tested for diabetes, which could cause the hunger, heart palpitations, exhaustion, weight loss, diarrhea, vision problem and headaches.
Hypothyroidism can also cause heart palpitations, exhaustion, late (or light) periods, brain fog, etc.
Vitamin B-12 deficiency can cause brain fog, exhaustion, etc...
Any or all of these can be symptoms of anxiety, which by itself is a symptom of hypothyroidism.
I agree that it's probably not as simple as anxiety, but without adequate testing to rule out or confirm other conditions, there's simply no way of knowing.
Do you know if the T3 and T4 are Free T3 and Free T4 or if they are Total T3 and Total T4? Tests for Frees and Totals are not the same thing and don't give the same information.
That said, it's recommended that Free T4 be maintained at or about mid range; your T4 is at 43% of its range, so it's somewhat short of the recommended level. It's also recommended that Free T3 be maintained in the upper half to upper third of its range; your T3 is right at 50% of its range, so that's not "horrible", either. Neither one of those really indicate hyperthyroidism...
You really do need the antibody tests I mentioned above to confirm or rule out the autoimmune conditions, Graves (I doubt that seriously, at this point) and Hashimoto's (more likely).
Looking at your symptoms, I have to ask if you've been tested for diabetes, which could cause the hunger, heart palpitations, exhaustion, weight loss, diarrhea, vision problem and headaches.
Hypothyroidism can also cause heart palpitations, exhaustion, late (or light) periods, brain fog, etc.
Vitamin B-12 deficiency can cause brain fog, exhaustion, etc...
Any or all of these can be symptoms of anxiety, which by itself is a symptom of hypothyroidism.
I agree that it's probably not as simple as anxiety, but without adequate testing to rule out or confirm other conditions, there's simply no way of knowing.
Hi,
Thank you for your reply.
In May my bloods were
tsh - 0.35 (ref range - 0.55 - 4.78)
t4 - 15 (ref range - 9.0 -23.0)
t3 - 5.0 (ref range - 3.5 - 6.5)
They havent tested my T3 since then and wont as my tsh is now 0.9 and my T4 is either 15 or 16 when they have tested it.
I have many other blood results back lots of which are in the normal and others such as my Esoinophil. Basophil, Calcium and Aniema are at the lowest they can be without being classed as unnormal. Because of this they keep saying I am fine. I am going back tomorrow morning, I now cant sleep at all hot flushes, periods late and very light, hunger, heart palpitations, brain fog, exhaustion, shaking, weight loss, diarrhoea, vision coming and going, headaches. I am on beta blockers which they seem to throw at me. And I would be quite happy to accept it is anxiety but I just dont feel it is, I know something is not right.
Do you have anymore thoughts?
Thank you once again.
Thank you for your reply.
In May my bloods were
tsh - 0.35 (ref range - 0.55 - 4.78)
t4 - 15 (ref range - 9.0 -23.0)
t3 - 5.0 (ref range - 3.5 - 6.5)
They havent tested my T3 since then and wont as my tsh is now 0.9 and my T4 is either 15 or 16 when they have tested it.
I have many other blood results back lots of which are in the normal and others such as my Esoinophil. Basophil, Calcium and Aniema are at the lowest they can be without being classed as unnormal. Because of this they keep saying I am fine. I am going back tomorrow morning, I now cant sleep at all hot flushes, periods late and very light, hunger, heart palpitations, brain fog, exhaustion, shaking, weight loss, diarrhoea, vision coming and going, headaches. I am on beta blockers which they seem to throw at me. And I would be quite happy to accept it is anxiety but I just dont feel it is, I know something is not right.
Do you have anymore thoughts?
Thank you once again.
COMMUNITY LEADER
You should be asking for Free T3, along with Free T4 and TSH. Free T3 and Free T4 are the actual thyroid hormones the body uses, with Free T3 being the one that correlates best with symptoms, while Free T4 and TSH do not.
That "blip" in your thyroid could be caused by either Graves Disease or Hashimoto's, which are both autoimmune thyroid conditions, so you should also ask for thyroid antibodies to determine whether or not you have either one of those. Graves Disease is always associated with hyperthyroidism. Hashimoto's is associated with hypothyroidism, but is often characterized by periods of hyperthyroidism in the beginning stages, swinging to hypo, and normal.
Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI) is the definitive test for Graves Disease. Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb) are the tests you need to determine if you have Hashimoto's.
That "blip" in your thyroid could be caused by either Graves Disease or Hashimoto's, which are both autoimmune thyroid conditions, so you should also ask for thyroid antibodies to determine whether or not you have either one of those. Graves Disease is always associated with hyperthyroidism. Hashimoto's is associated with hypothyroidism, but is often characterized by periods of hyperthyroidism in the beginning stages, swinging to hypo, and normal.
Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI) is the definitive test for Graves Disease. Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb) are the tests you need to determine if you have Hashimoto's.
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get more sleep at night. this will automatically reduce much of hyperthyroid symptoms. ex: less sleep at night can lead to weight loss.
for reducing over thinking and leading to anxiety and palpitations try eating egg white with potatoes, corn, beans like carbohydrate foods this will increase serotonin in brain also serotonin is needed to make melatonin for getting good night sleep.