# Thyroid Questionaire



## superodalisque (Jul 22, 2011)

I found this thyroid questionaire and informational slideshow online today and i thought it would be an interesting way for people to acquaint themselves with the issue. something like 3 out of 4 women have some kind of thyroid imbalance so its something that most of us will probably need to consider at one time or another. it affects so much about our general health that its truly amazing. do you have a thyroid disorder? how has it affected you? do you have any advice for people who might have one or think they might have one? any information to share?

here are a couple of helpful links:

http://women.webmd.com/rm-quiz-thyroid-problem?ecd=wnl_wmh_072011

http://women.webmd.com/slideshow-thyroid-symptoms-and-solutions


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## NewfieGal (Jul 22, 2011)

I was diagnosed with a dysfunctional thyroid at 19, you feel tired weak cold just plain awful, you don't wanna do anything so I was labeled lazy but in the almost 12 years I have been on my meds and its all regulated I feel real good...but if you think you may have a thyroid condition get checked out ASAP it could mean your life!!!


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## CastingPearls (Jul 22, 2011)

I had to fight for years to be taken seriously that there was something wrong but my numbers were always okay. Although my chart indicated that my grandmother was diagnosed at 40 so there was a history, I couldn't get anyone to listen to me and I had nearly all the symptoms. 

I had heard there was another test but it was hard to get an answer from anyone. At one point my doctor told me that it existed but insurance companies discourage doctors to mention it because they didn't want to pay, and doctors and labs like to be paid so... 

My sister died in 08 and while it was not the cause of death, her autopsy found that she had Hashimoto's which is a condition of the thyroid. Again I went to the doctor armed with this new information and demanded I be tested.

They did and the tests confirmed mild hypothyroidism. 
At first they put me on .025 mcgs and after a month my doctor called and asked me how I was feeling and if I felt any changes. I honestly told him there was improvement and we discussed upping the dosage because tweaking it has to be done in stages as a strong initial dose can affect the heart adversely. My dosage was increased to .050 mcgs and there was an almost immediate difference.

For the first time in my life I was no longer cold. I do have problems with sleep and appetite (I basically don't sleep or get sleepy unless I take an Ambien CR and have almost no appetite but the benefits far outweigh that) Also, strangely, my circulation improved and my doctor figures that's because heartrate increases so it would makes sense especially since I normally have low blood pressure. 

A few friends have asked me the name of that second, more comprehensive test and sometimes I think it must be some kind of secret because now they're saying it was just the regular test and they don't remember discussing that the other test even existed LOL but I don't care. I know that after years of being my own health advocate and being vocal, insistent but respectful, I was heard and the truth came out. 

Incidentally, the other day my grandmother told me that my mother had also been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid about a year before she died. How I didn't know this is a mystery but it's now in my chart as well. 

My most recent lab work reflects that I'm at the proper dosage and this, with B12 injections I'll be getting soon will, I hope, finally return the energy I haven't had in over 12 years.

If you feel you have a thyroid problem, keep insisting. If your doctor dismisses you, find a new doctor. Get a second opinion, because it's your life and your body and you need to take care of it.


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## superodalisque (Jul 23, 2011)

i was lucky. my internist said that my levels were borderline. but he looked at my symptoms and told me that he definitely thought i had issues. he started me at 30 mcgs. i'm now up to 100 mcgs. it has made a lot of difference in my life. i was always very tired but worked lots of hours anyway with the help of caffeine. i still had very low blood pressure ate well and was pretty active. luckily for me it did not affect my cholesterol levels, which it definitely can. it can also affect your vision. my farsightedness has improved since treatment. these days i have a lot of energy i never had before. i used to fight intermittent depression that i thought was just a function of not sleeping enough.

some symptoms i had were; feeling cold, feeling tired and weak, some depression, dry skin, thinning hair, vision issues, vertigo, constipation. yeah, it got very bad when my symptoms became suddenly magnified. i think that made a huge difference in exactly why my internist was so certain--because he saw a drastic shift in how i looked and felt. i could imagine thinking otherwise if things hadn't changed suddenly--that i was just getting older. the impression i get is that for most people the change is gradual.

treatment is really generally easy for hypo in most cases, just a synthroid every morning or the generic levothyroxine. some people don't respond as well to synthetics because there is a hormone missing that most people with hypo don't need. if you are one of the few that do require that hormone there is an organic version made from pigs that can bridge that gap. i haven't seen any negative side effects from my meds, which is pretty common. i have dropped about 100lbs over the last 2 yrs since i found out. i know my appetite decreased but my doc said its not possible that the entire weight loss was due to my meds. i don't see how it couldn't be since i eat whatever i always have. its true that my appetite is not nearly the same though. but i think mainly its because my metabolism has been revved up. 



i have read where it can be associated with various autoimmune diseases and with pregnancy. does anyone know anything about that?

please do get it checked. long term, unchecked, it can affect everything from your mental health to pretty much all of your internal organs to keeping your hair.

even if a tumor is found on your thyroid, it is usually not cancerous and even if it is cancer it has an extremely good recovery rate. so you shouldn't even be afraid of the very worse diagnosis possible. only 10% of the tumors are cancerous and even then they respond very well to treatment. get her done!


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## one2one (Jul 24, 2011)

An odd thing happened when I asked to have my thyroid checked. The doctor seemed resistant to running the test, and I had to wear him down until he finally did. The results came back, and I was told they were normal. Six months later I was in for an unrelated appointment, and something told me to ask the doctor (a different one) to look back in my chart and check the results again.

They were not within the normal range. I asked why I would have been told the results were normal when they clearly were not, and here's the answer I got, "Some doctors don't like to prescribe thyroid supplements to overweight women because they're afraid they will use them as diet pills."

OMG. 

There is not enough time in the world to explain everything that is wrong with that, but the moral of the story is: If you think there may be an issue, insist on being tested. Ask for the numerical results of the test, ask for a copy of it if you need to, and do not accept being told that everything is fine without more information.


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## superodalisque (Jul 24, 2011)

one2one said:


> An odd thing happened when I asked to have my thyroid checked. The doctor seemed resistant to running the test, and I had to wear him down until he finally did. The results came back, and I was told they were normal. Six months later I was in for an unrelated appointment, and something told me to ask the doctor (a different one) to look back in my chart and check the results again.
> 
> They were not within the normal range. I asked why I would have been told the results were normal when they clearly were not, and here's the answer I got, "Some doctors don't like to prescribe thyroid supplements to overweight women because they're afraid they will use them as diet pills."
> 
> ...



wow that's messed up. what that doc did was definitely not kosher at all. it was sick. but it seems to me that the only people who keep pestering me for my synthroid are people who are pretty much thin anyway. folks are crazy! i tell them no and what damage it can do to healthy people and they still don't care. but why should the rest of us with real issues be made to suffer for what a few nuts do.


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## idontspeakespn (Jul 26, 2011)

one2one said:


> An odd thing happened when I asked to have my thyroid checked. The doctor seemed resistant to running the test, and I had to wear him down until he finally did. The results came back, and I was told they were normal. Six months later I was in for an unrelated appointment, and something told me to ask the doctor (a different one) to look back in my chart and check the results again.
> 
> They were not within the normal range. I asked why I would have been told the results were normal when they clearly were not, and here's the answer I got, "Some doctors don't like to prescribe thyroid supplements to overweight women because they're afraid they will use them as diet pills."
> 
> ...



OMG that makes me so mad. If I wanted to lose weight with a magic pill there is a cheaper and easier way to get it done: ex-lax. Only a moron would use thyroid pills purely as a way to lose weight. And only another moron would even think that's the motivation behind someone demanding being tested, and that's exactly what would have come out of my mouth had that doctor said that crap to me. 

I actually had a very good experience recently with this issue. I went in to the doctor's a few weeks ago and asked for a dietitian's referral because I've been so tired all the time lately and I thought perhaps they might be able to tell me what kind of foods to eat, or stay away from to get rid of the fatigue because my diet has changed dramatically because I'm in a different country, doing different things. Usually I'm an active person but lately, all I want to do is sleep.

But HE was the one that insisted on blood tests for diabetes, thyroid, cholesterol, the works. He asked for family history and because my mom does have an under-active thyroid he really pushed for me to have blood tests done. So blood tests come back in a few days, and I meet with my Dr. again and then he'll give me the referral. 

This is in the UK, I have no idea how this would have worked had I been at home in the States.


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## Jess87 (Jul 26, 2011)

My GP insisted on doing tests when I was a teenager. She was running tests for different things, because of an irregular menstrual cycle. The ultrasound to check for cysts was the worst part. I had absolutely no knowledge of the thyroid or what it did until she called in the results. I went in for that lovely scan and then was put on meds. To this day it's the only pill I've never had an issue with taking. It doesn't have an awful taste and it's really small. I feel awful that some of you had to go through hell to get diagnosed. That's ridiculous.


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## EvilPrincess (Jul 26, 2011)

Thread Relocation - Better suited for the health forum


regards, 

EP-Moderator


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## Miss Vickie (Jul 27, 2011)

Thanks, EP.

There is a sub-group of family practice providers who prescribe thyroid replacement with sub-clinical hypothyroidism when a patient is symptomatic. So in other words, the labs will appear normal, but they have the usual symptoms of thyroid dysfunction -- cold intolerance, slow pulse, hair dry, maybe falling out, bruising easily, irregular periods, weight gain, etc. I think they're realizing that maybe the levels (which, incidentally, the levels of "normal" differ from one lab to another) aren't always truly reflective of a patient's experience and needs. So low dose thyroid replacement can make a huge difference. There is a great book called "The Thyroid Solution" by Arem Ridha, which is a great book and explains it better than I can.

One thing to keep in mind for those of you taking thyroid replacement. Please remember to take it on an empty stomach with water only. Avoid dairy right before or after taking it since it blocks its absorption.

As for me, I'm "none of the above". I had my thyroid out in January 2008. I had Stage I papillary thyroid cancer, the "best" kind to have. They removed it, the 1.3 cm cancerous tumor, and 7 nodules. Then they ablated any possibly remaining cells with I-131, and I've been on replacement thyroid hormone since. My endocrinologist insists on Synthroid because she has found big swings in people's levels with generic so she doesn't trust generic. It's spendy but my insurance covers most of it.


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## one2one (Jul 29, 2011)

superodalisque said:


> wow that's messed up. what that doc did was definitely not kosher at all. it was sick.





idontspeakespn said:


> OMG that makes me so mad. If I wanted to lose weight with a magic pill there is a cheaper and easier way to get it done: ex-lax. Only a moron would use thyroid pills purely as a way to lose weight. And only another moron would even think that's the motivation behind someone demanding being tested, and that's exactly what would have come out of my mouth had that doctor said that crap to me.



Thank you both for the validation. I was furious (when I got over being stunned), and I guess the positive side is that it was in that moment that I learned to trust my instincts and judgment more than I do what a doctor says.* Ultimately, a good thing since there have been plenty of other times when I've needed to do just that.


*I mean no offense to all of the responsible, ethical, caring medical professionals who are not in the least bit responsible for the negligent behavior of those who should be practicing another profession.


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## toni (Jul 29, 2011)

My blood test just revealed I have a hyperthyroid. Based on my symptoms, it doesn't make sense. He is sending me for more tests before he introduces medication.


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## danbsc29630 (Nov 24, 2011)

Tsh 3.570 uIU/mL Taking levothyroxine 88's Probably going to beg the doc for some armor.


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## truebebeblue (Nov 28, 2011)

I have hasimotos so my thyroid does crazy things.. in all my research I have found a few things out... The levels for normal have been update in recent years maybe last 5? TSH level should be .3 to 3 on TSH although some docs prefer you under 2. Until the update its was .5 to 5 that's a big difference.. also some lab do not use the updated levels... you should ask for the actual number some doctor's will just read it as the lab has stamped it normal/abnormal and not look at the number. When I have insurance I like to see endocrinologist for that very reason. Elaine I think you might mean the thyroid antibodies (TPO) testing? That tests more than the TSH. All in all the endocrine system is a great mystery even to experts... a lot of things they can only guess at. I have been really bad with keeping my levels in check because I don't have insurance right now...I would get a new doctor if they suggested the diet pill thing!

True


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## truebebeblue (Nov 28, 2011)

Could be Hasimotos Toni which is autoimmune so you can flux between normal/hyper/hypo...




toni said:


> My blood test just revealed I have a hyperthyroid. Based on my symptoms, it doesn't make sense. He is sending me for more tests before he introduces medication.


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## CastingPearls (Dec 2, 2011)

truebebeblue said:


> I have hasimotos so my thyroid does crazy things.. in all my research I have found a few things out... The levels for normal have been update in recent years maybe last 5? TSH level should be .3 to 3 on TSH although some docs prefer you under 2. Until the update its was .5 to 5 that's a big difference.. also some lab do not use the updated levels... you should ask for the actual number some doctor's will just read it as the lab has stamped it normal/abnormal and not look at the number. When I have insurance I like to see endocrinologist for that very reason. Elaine I think you might mean the thyroid antibodies (TPO) testing? That tests more than the TSH. All in all the endocrine system is a great mystery even to experts... a lot of things they can only guess at. I have been really bad with keeping my levels in check because I don't have insurance right now...I would get a new doctor if they suggested the diet pill thing!
> 
> True


You're probably right, True. Hope you can get insurance at some point and your levels straight.

Oh and the B12 injections are definitely making a huge difference. I have energy for the first time in years.


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## knottyknicky (Dec 2, 2011)

My family suspected thyroid disease my entire life, since I was a small baby but then gradually began gaining weight at around 3 years old, along with other symptoms over time. I've been tested my entire life and out of probably a dozen tests, maybe 3 have come back showing that I'm hypo. I have Hashimotos though, so it fluctuates. I had no idea how serious being hypothyroid could be until I landed in the ER with a serious run of PVCs that just wouldn't let up. Now that's my signal that my medicine needs adjusting (usually that I need more), but my thyroid disease was pretty far gone by the time I realized it. I struggled with depression, anxiety, a diagnoses of ADD (minus the hyperactivity) my entire life, but once I began taking meds, I can say that they all virtually disappeared. I still deal with a little anxiety, but I think its just because years of being hypo totally drained my adrenals, so I take extra care of them. My periods became more normal too, and I resumed ovulating, my facial hair isn't as dark as it used to be, my skin is so much better, my energy levels are hugely improved (they do suffer if I skip on the vitamin D though, which most hypo patients are crazy low in), and I'm much more focused on things in my daily life. I still have little issues from time to time, but looking back on who I was just a couple years ago pre-treatment and now, there's a massive change. I never did lose any weight, though


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## seaturtle71 (Nov 3, 2015)

I have hashis. I was on synthroid and my heart acted up so I found a doctor who prescribed armour thyroid. I love it. It is like I do not even have a thyroid problem.


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## Ruby Ripples (Nov 22, 2015)

I have Hashimoto's and am on 200 mcg Levothryroxine daily. No side effects etc but it did take three years to regulate my thyroid. There is definately another thread on this subject somewhere as I did my whole story on there.

I just wanted to say here that if you feel like you are hypothyroid again and your doctor says your levels are fine after a blood test, it can apparently just be that the level of your thyroxine medication in your body is fine, but maybe your body isn't actually absorbing and using it properly.


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## one2one (Nov 22, 2015)

Levothyroxine is working for me, too, but I do find that it's important to check yearly to see if the dose is still enough. And an endocrinologist, rather than a general practitioner, is much more likely to do comprehensive testing, know what the actual range should be and take it seriously if my numbers are out of range or nearly so.


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