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[notsure61]

Hello- I'm looking to get some advice on this. For years I have struggled with physically getting up out of bed. I attributed it to being a teenager who liked to sleep. But I would feel tired all day and despite playing sports would constantly feel tired and sore with aches and pain. I went into university and found that I had trouble staying awake (again I figured I was a typical student slacker) and noticed that my hair was thinning and falling out at age 21. Fast forward to today where I am now 32- this past year has been hell as I have put on 10-15 pounds while working out 3 times a week. The worst part is that as soon as I start to lift weights- all I want to do is sleep. My skin has become more dry (I've had dry skin all my life) and flaky especially around one eye which has started to become puffy. The aches and pain have gotten to the point now that I am considering giving up the sports that I used to love (I just assumed I was getting old). I often take long, hot showers to overcome feeling cold all the time (I live in Canada- come on, I just assumed) and I have a reputation among my friends as being the one with no expression and no sense of humour. I have always gone with the notion that these things were unrelated. Am I crazy for wanting to go to the doctor and asked to be tested? Any suggestions on what to say? Sorry for the long post, but I feel like I could be on to something...

[Brigee]

Make sure they also check your thyroid antibodies, because you could have Hashimoto's, in addition to hypothyroidism.  

[goolarra]

No, Graves is  HYPERthyroidism.  You're showing classic symptoms of HYPOthyroidism.  Get the basics:  TSH, free T3, Free T4.  go one from there.

[Marpo1]

I agree.  Get your blood tested for Graves' Disease.  At least you will know one way or another.  Mean time coat your eye's with Patrolium jelly before bed.  It helps with the dryness around the eye's.  Also put a frozen bag of peas over eye's for the puffyness.  Will make them feel better anyway

[goolarra]

Haven't you heard?  If you're Canadian the "always feeling cold" symptom doesn't count! :-)

Seriously, though.  Have you thought of getting your thyroid hormones, or at least your TSH, tested by an online lab.  I had good luck going that route.  At least when you go in to see your doctor, you have something concrete to base your request for thyroid labs on.  I found the online lab reliable, but I'd definitely have further testing if their results came back anywhere even close to abnormal.