# Hashimoto's Thyroiditis? Anyone?



## knottyknicky (Sep 14, 2008)

Im just wondering if anyone around here has any experience with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, since I know I've read a good bit about thyroid and other related issues around here. Basically, my doctors have always checked my thyroid throughout my life, and sometimes its up, sometimes its down, and sometimes its normal. I've only ever had one doctor actually treat me for it, years ago, and when I mentioned that my tests were sometimes normal and sometimes not, she mentioned the possibility of Hashimoto's and reccomended I get checked out by an endocrinologist...especially since I was being treated for PCOS as well. Makes sense, right? But of course, I shrugged it off, didn't see an endo, and now I'm un-insured and experiencing some very, very strange symptoms that I never would have assosciated with thyroid issues had I not made some random connection last night, searching around on the internet. I've been having heart palpitations lately, my blood pressure has gone up a bit recently for no apparent reason, and one day at a Barnes and Noble, I had this really bizarre "attack" that at first I thought was a heart attack, but no, then realized, maybe its an anxiety attack, but even still, not everything matches up. I discovered with Hashimoto's you can actually have "thyroid attacks"...periods where your thyroid is OVER active, even if you normally have the under-active thyroid associated with Hashimoto's...where basically, a ton of adrenaline is released and you go hyper-thyroid for a brief time. After reading about all of this, I'm absolutely convinced that this not only explains my recent symptoms, but also strange symptoms and ups and downs that I've had off and on over the past five years or so. 

So, I'm just wondering if anyone has experience with this. I'm not just talking about the regular hypo-thyroid symptoms like losing hair, being cold, gaining weight, etc, I'm talking about major menstrual changes, mood swings, severe anxiety/depression, etc. I had absolutely NO idea just how much the thyroid can affect all of these things...but I'm almost convinced this is whats going on with my body.


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## No-No-Badkitty (Sep 15, 2008)

knottyknicky said:


> Im just wondering if anyone around here has any experience with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, since I know I've read a good bit about thyroid and other related issues around here. Basically, my doctors have always checked my thyroid throughout my life, and sometimes its up, sometimes its down, and sometimes its normal. I've only ever had one doctor actually treat me for it, years ago, and when I mentioned that my tests were sometimes normal and sometimes not, she mentioned the possibility of Hashimoto's and reccomended I get checked out by an endocrinologist...especially since I was being treated for PCOS as well. Makes sense, right? But of course, I shrugged it off, didn't see an endo, and now I'm un-insured and experiencing some very, very strange symptoms that I never would have assosciated with thyroid issues had I not made some random connection last night, searching around on the internet. I've been having heart palpitations lately, my blood pressure has gone up a bit recently for no apparent reason, and one day at a Barnes and Noble, I had this really bizarre "attack" that at first I thought was a heart attack, but no, then realized, maybe its an anxiety attack, but even still, not everything matches up. I discovered with Hashimoto's you can actually have "thyroid attacks"...periods where your thyroid is OVER active, even if you normally have the under-active thyroid associated with Hashimoto's...where basically, a ton of adrenaline is released and you go hyper-thyroid for a brief time. After reading about all of this, I'm absolutely convinced that this not only explains my recent symptoms, but also strange symptoms and ups and downs that I've had off and on over the past five years or so.
> 
> So, I'm just wondering if anyone has experience with this. I'm not just talking about the regular hypo-thyroid symptoms like losing hair, being cold, gaining weight, etc, I'm talking about major menstrual changes, mood swings, severe anxiety/depression, etc. I had absolutely NO idea just how much the thyroid can affect all of these things...but I'm almost convinced this is whats going on with my body.





I don't have a clue as to what to tell you but I can tell you this. I sympathize. And now that I have read your post I have to wonder if I have had something similar going on. 
For YEARS I have experienced strange symptoms, weight gain, painful to the touch, hair not growing, scaley skin, mood swings, irregular heart beat, even "panic" attacks. And despite going to the doctor and having thyroid tests done no one ever assumed it was thyroid. My experience in dogs however kind of made me think that that might be exactly what my problem was. I finally found a doctor that would humor me (but only after we tried his methods first) and put me on thyroid meds. After a month I feel great, I feel normal for the first time in over five years. I feel like I am 16 again. 
I have not had any type of anxiety attacks, I am sleeping for the first time in YEARS, and I have energy, a sex drive, I am not depressed...etc. I go tomorrow for a blood test to check my levels and then I might wind up with an endochrinologist as well we shall see...but so far I feel really good.
So I don't have an answer to your question only that I can vouch that your thyroid can and does reek havoc on your emotional as well as physical state.


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## knottyknicky (Sep 15, 2008)

It sounds like you're dealing with the exact same thing I am. 

Hashimoto's is the leading cause of underactive (hypo) thyroidism. I've always known about the symptoms of hypo-thyroid, never concerning myself with the symptoms of hypERthyroid, because of course, look at me...im a walking hypo case. If I had an overactive thyroid I'd probably never have had a weight problem. What really surprised me however was that with Hashimotos, your thyroid has bursts of activity that actually pump too much thyroid into your body, giving you what feel like panic attacks...BINGO. It all makes SO much sense now and I can't freaking wait to see an Endo in two weeks. 

No-No, what kind of meds are you taking? I took Levoxyl for a while but didn't keep up with it...and all of the reading I've done actually indicates that while synthetic hormones will bring your t-4 levels into the normal range, they don't always do anything for the actual symptoms, because thats a whole other ballgame. I'm seeing a very well-known endo at the end of this month, and the hormones he uses are natural and 'bio-identical' to our own hormones, which have a greater success rate. I'm wondering if this is what you're on?


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## No-No-Badkitty (Sep 15, 2008)

I am on synthroid.


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## Ruby Ripples (Sep 18, 2008)

I have Hashimoto's Disease. I had a bad spell for the first half of this year, with just about every symptom that Hashimoto's has, including a 14 week long period with five weeks of flooding in it. I'm feeling a lot brighter at the moment thank goodness, although not back to normal yet. 

I am on Levothyroxine 200mcg a day, and I'm going to be referred to a specialist, because it clearly isn't doing the job it should and Im on the maximum dose now. I've read too about how with Hashimoto's, the synthetic thyroxine often doesnt work, so your numbers appear correct, but in reality you still have the condition, with all the symptoms. A doctor in England realised that synthetic thyroid wasn't working for a lot of his patients , so he sourced some desiccated pig thyroid, which is what people used to be given for hyperthyroidism. Most of his patients that didn't respond well to the synthetic thyroxine, have thrived on the animal thyroid. That doctor was struck off for supplying his patients with it. I want to discuss this issue with a specialist and see what is available legally here. 

I've never experienced a hyper phase though, or the "panic" type of attacks you've had, although during a hospital stay some weeks ago, my blood pressure flucuated dramatically from one reading to the next, actually giving one poor nurse a fright. 

I hope you get some relief soon, if you'd like to pm me, feel free, as I don't really like going into much detail on the open forum.


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## No-No-Badkitty (Sep 18, 2008)

Ruby Ripples said:


> the synthetic thyroxine often doesnt work, .





Yeah, I wrote the wrong stuff, sythroid is what the dog is on, not what I am on 

Sorry about that.


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## Miss Vickie (Sep 18, 2008)

Hey, Rubes. Just wanted to be sure you're taking your synthroid on an empty stomach? I'm taking 200 mcg too for my total thyroidectomy and because of my WLS I'm not absorbing it as well as I could.  But they told me you should definitely take it on an empty stomach with lots of water, and then don't eat anything for at least 30 minutes afterward. I hope you don't mind me jumping in, but it seems like lots of people don't know that you have to take thyroid hormone that way.

Good luck. I hope they find something that works better for you.


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## Ruby Ripples (Sep 18, 2008)

Miss Vickie said:


> Hey, Rubes. Just wanted to be sure you're taking your synthroid on an empty stomach? I'm taking 200 mcg too for my total thyroidectomy and because of my WLS I'm not absorbing it as well as I could.  But they told me you should definitely take it on an empty stomach with lots of water, and then don't eat anything for at least 30 minutes afterward. I hope you don't mind me jumping in, but it seems like lots of people don't know that you have to take thyroid hormone that way.
> 
> Good luck. I hope they find something that works better for you.



Hi Vickie, jump in any time!  Yes I take it when i get up in the morning and leave at least thirty mins after it, before I eat. if I forget, i'll take them later in the day half an hour before a meal, so that my stomach is as empty as it can be. i didn't know that i should be taking lots of water with it though. I am not the best at swallowing tablets so i probably take about 4 oz of water, maybe I should be taking more. Thanks Vickie for that info.


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## No-No-Badkitty (Sep 18, 2008)

I got my blood work back today. I am at the high end of "normal" on .5 thyroid meds, and my cholesterol is normal, my glucose is normal, all my other blood work normal too...so, yay me.


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## knottyknicky (Sep 18, 2008)

No-No-Badkitty said:


> I got my blood work back today. I am at the high end of "normal" on .5 thyroid meds, and my cholesterol is normal, my glucose is normal, all my other blood work normal too...so, yay me.





Just wondering if they told you what your TSH was? I've been reading a lot of articles that say that "Normal" ranges when it comes isn't always where hypo-thyroid/hashimotos folks should be. I think clinically "normal" is like around 4 or 5 but really, you should be closer to 1 or 2. I noticed in another thread you mentioned your sex drive is out of control since starting thyroid meds...which is a symptom of hyper-thyroid, which happens sometimes when using the synthetic thyroid meds.


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## No-No-Badkitty (Sep 18, 2008)

knottyknicky said:


> Just wondering if they told you what your TSH was? I've been reading a lot of articles that say that "Normal" ranges when it comes isn't always where hypo-thyroid/hashimotos folks should be. I think clinically "normal" is like around 4 or 5 but really, you should be closer to 1 or 2. I noticed in another thread you mentioned your sex drive is out of control since starting thyroid meds...which is a symptom of hyper-thyroid, which happens sometimes when using the synthetic thyroid meds.




I'm not on synthroid, that was a typ-o, I am on the regular stuff but it isn't synthetic.
And yes, my thryoid is a high normal (which is probably the reason why my sex drive is high) but that is actually where the doctor wants it. Normal, but a higher normal...so we shall see.


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## knottyknicky (Sep 18, 2008)

No-No-Badkitty said:


> I'm not on synthroid, that was a typ-o, I am on the regular stuff but it isn't synthetic.
> And yes, my thryoid is a high normal (which is probably the reason why my sex drive is high) but that is actually where the doctor wants it. Normal, but a higher normal...so we shall see.



Ah okay  glad you're feeling better. I'd love to have a higher sex drive right now, mine all but disappeared within the last two months.


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## No-No-Badkitty (Sep 18, 2008)

knottyknicky said:


> Ah okay  glad you're feeling better. I'd love to have a higher sex drive right now, mine all but disappeared within the last two months.




Well that's what happened to me. And I was in constant pain, all over. So bad I didn't even want to be touched. My Dr. tried treating me for fibromyalgia and it didn't work...so we tried this and it did. 
I do feel great.


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