[darkeyes]

For more than 10yrs I kept telling my doctors my symptoms and suspicion of thyroid disorder,and most of those yrs. they said bloodwork was within in normal range (I don't believe in one size fits all) while I really had a gradually growing problem.
About 2 yrs ago the tests revealed hypothyroidism,was put on low dose of Synthroid (25mcg) and it helped a little and for only about 2yrs. still doc would say the typical variations I've heard for so long, "it's stress,depression,exercise more,and all the other generic stuff.
Well,since last yr I had on and off low grade temps. but no signs of cold,flu,etc.
Finally a Pysician's assistant "listened,re-examined thyroid region and felt nodulars,sent me for ultrasound which confirmed I did indeed have something going on.
Today I went to endocrinologist (3rd one I've seen in this 10yr. span) and her further tests, and "listening",diagnosed me with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (sp?), this now explained and confirmed what I felt was my problem all this time.
Okay,I'm happy that I proved not to be hypochondriac,and finally something is being done. She increased my dose of Synthroid,which I had practically begged my GP to try,and she would say, "your tests show your function is normal",and would brush things off or send me for the usual Lyme's disease tests,I've had so many over the yrs. due to always living in areas with heavy deer tick population,even had been put on antibiotics periodically,that docs thought,"just in case", tests were always negative,I could of told them that too!
Point I want to make,don't ever feel a Physician's assistant may not be as qualified as the GP.
It saddens me that all these yrs wasted,suffering hair loss,weight,fatigue,joint pain,edema,skin disorders,etc.
It saddens me that so many women go through this too,while unecessary, doctors need to "listen" more closely to their patient's health complaints.
I read one out of ten women develop Hashimoto's,many are undiagnosed to being really ill. Grrrr!
Wow!! so common I read,it's an uncommon disease and yet many docs will feel more inclined to hand out unecessary meds not related to the real issue.
Okay,sorry for this long vent,but just needed to release some steam of frustration.
Thanks so much.

[(JD)]

Good for you!!! Yes, to know we were right in this kind of situation feels good for more than the basic reason I'm sorry it took so long, but glad it's finally diagnosed! (I have functional hypoglycemia...just dx'd and it took my T to put his foot down (so to speak) to get me to stand up to my MD..as functional hypoglycemia does NOT show up on their tests, only in the test of symptoms!!!!)

I hope this will help you be treated more effectively, and that you feel much better very soon as you deserve it!

Well gee!!! It's about time someone listened!!! So sorry you had to go through all those unnecessary struggles.

If you have any questions I will try to help you... I was diagnosed in my mid-twenties with Hashimoto's thyroiditis-- almost 20 years ago. The medication I take though.... don't think it's the proper dose..... I'm on 88mcg and because I'm underweight my doc thinks it's a good enough dose-- but the fatigue and depression I have keep me from accomplishing what I wish I could, daily.

I hope you find the right dose for you and that you start to feel so much better. That's great you've finally been heard!

Hooray!!! Hooray!!!

mandy

[January]

((((((((((( DE )))))))))))))

I have Hashimoto's, too and it's been a real pain in the patootie! I'm glad you've got your Synthroid and can now start to feel better.

Hugs,

Jan

[darkeyes]

Thanks, I kept telling them to increase my dosage,but no,they had me go through all this and then they realized, "duh, an increase may be benefit you,as well as follow up with another ultrasound in 6 months, and bloodwork.
This explains all the ills I've been dealing with,and that I am not a hypochondriac like my husband and former Internist sort of round about way implied. Instead handed out AD's (SSRI's) like candy,while that was not what I needed, this long story can go on and on,but I'll spare all you kind,supportive people of my ragging on.
But anyone who replied, I thank you y'all for listening to me.

[darkeyes]

I've been on the increased dose of synthroid (went from 25mcg to 50mcg) since 8/29? I do not feel any better, even more fatigued.
I'm to get the routine blood work done this week, but no appt for follow up till March 2007, after another ultrasound in Feb will be done to see if nodules have shrunk or stopped growing, and bloodwork one week before that March appt.
I'm going to call them meanwhile and tell them I feel no better, even possibly worse, am I being impatient?
It may be they need to change the type of thyroid med for another or prescribe a combination regimen, but what good is waiting till 2007, and continue to feel crappy to find out,eh?
I know when I first was put on Synthroid a couple of years ago, in a month's time I saw improvment, over the years the dosage needed upping, for it seemed to peter out, which I know is very common.
Here I thought after 2 months, now with my increased dose I'd be feeling better, like I did back then.
I don't know I just feel so beat, I can barely function, starting to make me depressed and feel like I have some terminal illness (exaggerating) or something.
Has anyone here with Hashimoto's and nodules experience the increase in synthroid still not doing the trick?
I'm so disgusted at this point, but will still persue my appts., even ask for one sooner than March 2007, which is ridiculous in my eyes. Especially when this has been going on for so long, last Dec up to present day I occasionaly get a low grade fever and then it goes away, weird, no symptoms of a cold, or anything, just a fever.
All tests had shown alright, January was WBC imbalance but then after another workup it was normal again,may have been from the Hashimotos, who knows anymore.
I'm appraoching 50 in Jan. so I'm sure pre-menopause is not helping matters.
I feel like a mess.
So if anyone here has had a similar situation with Hashimotos and/or nodules (hypothyroidism) and can share what it took to get it under control and take one out of the "want to sleep all day feeling" please share your experiences, I'd appreciate some real life success stories about now, help me to keep faith.
Thanks in advance.

DE

[Perna]

Darkeyes, Columbia University's New York Thyroid Center says you need to get any nodules (if they're true nodules) biopsied because "you are at increased risk for a special type of thyroid cancer called a lymphoma" if you have Hashimoto's.

http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/thy...yroiditis.html

[darkeyes]

Well that will be next if the next ultrasound warrants it, I am so mixed on that too, cause I have a cousin who had thyroid cancer, they removed the thyroid and he is permanently on thyroid replacement meds.
Almost all the women in my mom's side of the family (and 1 out of every 4 women) have thyroid disorder(s) and are on Synthroid, I do not see them much so I do not know if any of them have nodules, too.
The endocrinologist told me, the ultrasound report suggested in the future the test where the radioactive dye is used to trace stuff. But my doc prefers to go right to needle aspiration,and have sample analyzed, then if suspicious go in and biopsy,surgery.
She assured me the nodules were so small that they really didn't warrant any quick action, but start seeing what upping dose of meds do.
Duh, is me. I am at the point I will look into going to a University hospital if I do not get any satisfaction in the next couple of months, I'm so tired of years of feeling unwell.
Thanks for the reply and info, I really appreciated it.

DE

[wisewoman]

Hi, My daughter has Hypo thyroid and complains of so many of the same symptoms as you even if her blood tests are showing normal. I wondered if some people just need more tyroid then what the doctors numbers know? I would be curious to see if anyone took over the recommended dose by a small fraction if it helped. I have been tempted to suggest this to my daughter but I would want her doctor's approval. Also, should people with thyroid disease eat differently?

[darkeyes]

Don't know when, but the standards(range) that hypothyroidism is DXed, which should help many get the medical attention, that has been slipping by due to the "range" being tightened, presently it's too broad, patients get misdiagnosed or under diagnosed being left to suffer one very common and treatable disease, untreated or undertreated leaves one in a living hell.
So sad too, cause many of us are put through unecessary tests and given anti-depressants instead of what is really needed, thyroid meds.
There needs to be more public awareness of this common,treatable disease, it leads to many other autoimmune diseases,one that is growing in percentages happens to be diabetes. Arthritis,fibromyalgia and mental disorders are being linked to this too. Oh too many symptoms,illness,etc. to list, and it is a crying shame cause almost all docs ignore looking into this in their patients.
Talk about depression? Heck, so many DXed with depression are actually suffering from hypothyroidism, which symptoms are depressing in themselves.
Okay, my rants over for the evening, I'm sure many of you understand my frustration of late.
Thanks for listening.

[wisewoman]

i really want to learn the numbers and see if Doc will let her go on the high side to see what happens.

[Perna]

I have to have the TSH test; my blood tests showed I was a tad low in March but my doctor didn't want to rush things, said it could be from the winter when things go down a bit it seems. So we wanted to see if it was left over from my hibernating :-) or a low reading. The thyroid is such a tricky thing. I would be worried, wisewoman, if she took too much whacking it out in the other direction which is equally as bad. I'm not thrilled with the whole supplement thing when it's not really clear what's going on. My father's sister did have to have her thyroid destroyed and do life on synthroid too and she turned 85 this year.