Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I was always cold, dry scaling skin, and really tired all the time. I have been on synthroid for 6 weeks and although the symptoms are better they are not gone...but I go back for my blood levels next month to see if I need a higher dose. My hair didn't thin, but I was told it grows back once your levels are normal again. If it was from the radiation it will grow back also, so don't worry. Good luck!
I know I mentioned hair loss, because I began loosing alot of hair when it was disovered I had the thyroid problem, after treatment with the thyroid meds, the hair loss diminished quite a bit. Hair loss, weight gain, weight loss, rapid heart rate, hot flashes, becoming cold all the rest of the time, are all symtoms of thyroid desease. Had mine not been treated when it was, I was told I would of had a heart attack because my heart was beating so fast, it was like a gas pedal was stuck to the floor, it was a horrible feeling, I had no idea I had a problem at all, I just thought I had become very nervous all the time. I could feel my heart beating so fast, I became a nervous wreck the week I went to the doctor, and he found the cause almost immediately.
Hello Oregonrain,
I had the same symptoms. My Dr. named it for me. Graves Disease. Hyper-active Thyroid. I lost over 30 lbs in a few months. I ate & ate even waking up at 3am to make pancakes. LOL.. My long blonde hair could hardly hold a ponytail. Hands shook. Anxiety attacks. Insomnia. My Dr. told me I was "off the charts" on the test(TSH, t3 t4) He said I could have a heart attack if I didn't take the Meds. (the ones that slow your heart down) So after 2 years of meds. I'm FINE !!
I refused the RAI (radioactive iodine) Thanks for sharing your story. I never met anyone who had the same thing or close to as I did. BTW: I gained all the weight back + a few more lbs. I'm insisting that I went HYPO-slow b/c thats' what usually happens but all my tests show a normal thyroid.
6 mos ago i was told my thyroid was suddenly underactive. it was 6 mos after quitting smoking.. coincidence? anyway, i felt awful for a long time. take meds for life now but they did straighten this out eventually. my hair was thinning, i was cold all the time, and in general felt bad. now after these months i have lost weight and they say it is normal on medication. i am sort of thin now so hope it stops. does any of this sound familiar to anybody?
Underactive thyroid, hypothroidism, is more common than we realize. It's good that you've been diagnosed, and once your meds are stable you'll feel much better! I was diagnosed in November, and was lucky in that it didn't take long for me to find the right med, and the right level. I'm surprised that you're still losing weight, but maybe it's that the meds are still not regulated. The Drs can tell by your T3 and T4 levels....it's not unusual for your T3 level to stabilize first, then your T4 level. Webmd has some great information about this as well. The thinning hair should stop when your levels are stable. As far as being cold all the time, don't be surprised if that improves, but you find that you go from being chilled to freezing more quickly than you did in the past. It's VERY important that you stay on your meds, and find a doctor who will listen. If you're currently seeing an MD or DO who is a general practioner, don't hesitate to ask for a referral to a specialist if you're not improving. Some situations are more difficult to treat, and you need to make sure that you're getting the best care. I was lucky in that I stayed with my primary care Dr, but that doesn't happen for everyone. Good luck and take care of yourself!
Many labs, including the one that does my bloodwork, still show the "normal" TSH range as .5 - 5.0
Doctors tend to look at bloodwork reports quickly, and if the lab didn't print high or low next to something, they'll tell you you're normal.
However, as of 2003, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists dictates that a normal TSH range is .3 - 3.0. Likely most non-endocrinologists are not even aware of this since the labs have failed to make the change to their reports. This means that many many people who were in the higher part of the old normal range are being told they are fine, when in fact an endocrinologist would consider them to be hypothyroid.
I also have Graves' disease. I accepted the RAI treatment and have a TSH of 1.0. I feel just fine!
Be your own best friend everybody - request copies of all your bloodwork reports and save them!
hopefully you are talking about an overactive thyroid. mine was under and i didnt have any of those problems except the thinning hair and kinda feeling cold, but it was winter so who knows.
Hello Oregonrain,
I had the same symptoms. My Dr. named it for me. Graves Disease. Hyper-active Thyroid. I lost over 30 lbs in a few months. I ate & ate even waking up at 3am to make pancakes. LOL.. My long blonde hair could hardly hold a ponytail. Hands shook. Anxiety attacks. Insomnia. My Dr. told me I was "off the charts" on the test(TSH, t3 t4) He said I could have a heart attack if I didn't take the Meds. (the ones that slow your heart down) So after 2 years of meds. I'm FINE !!
I refused the RAI (radioactive iodine) Thanks for sharing your story. I never met anyone who had the same thing or close to as I did. BTW: I gained all the weight back + a few more lbs. I'm insisting that I went HYPO-slow b/c thats' what usually happens but all my tests show a normal thyroid.
Yes I was told Graves desease also, I was treated with high blood pressure meds to bring the heart rate down, when that was treated, it was found the hyperthyroid condition was now Hypothyroid, and I was treated with levothyroxine, I have been on it I think since 1998. I lost alot of weight 25lbs in really about 5 weeks, I thought it was all from being a life long exercise type of person, or from my diabetes which was controlled. I also developed a shake and felt like I was coming unglued, In my case and it appears yours, we were either in or heading to the final stages to this desease and would have died if not treated, since it had gone after the heart. It just shows how much of the body the thyoid is in control of. My labs are always normal, I have only one time several years ago had to have the hormone adjusted, as it was found I was getting overdosed, I now take a lower dose of the med than in my first year or two on it. I feel fine. If anyone else should get to this stage of thyroid desease, dont wait a second to go for treatment, also high blood pressure meds are used as I mentioned to bring the heart rate down even if one as in my case does not have high blood pressure.
Sent you a pm. Just want to add that I learned not that long ago that people on thyroid meds should avoid soy products as it interferes with the medication. Soy is in a lot of foods, so you need to read the lables.
Also things in the cabbage family should be limited.
I am 44 years old and was diagnosed with goiter disease. I have been on meds since and experienced all the symptoms, hair loss, weight gain, tired all the time and basically felt terrible. I thought since at the time I was almost 42 that perhaps I was perimenopausal. Mentioned this many times to the doctors and they too thought perhaps I was headed that way. After experiencing many bad allergies spells I went to see the allergist who checked my neck and found the tumor. I am now experiencing after two years the feeling of being tired quite a bit and the most noticeable change is major hot flashes. I get them every ten minutes and they last from 3-5 minutes. I am really starting to get worried that this has turned for the worst and who would know with menopause symptoms being the same.....? Can anyone please tell me if they have experienced the same? Also my eyesight has become drastically worse than before and that too is bothersome....please anyone help? My problem is I hate to take anything and have for two years and now wonder if this is one of the side effects or what will be long term side effects. I am neither under active or over active my normal levels of thyroid hormone if fine we use the meds to try and shrink the tumor. Anyone?
typical age of thyroid goiters diagnosis is 38-mid 40's I believe.
Denise I just PM'd you.
I had a total thyroidectomy in April 09
I had toxic multi-nodal thyroid goiter.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Same here
My Dr. named it for me. Graves Disease. Hyper-active Thyroid. I lost over 30 lbs in a few months. I ate & ate even waking up at 3am to make pancakes. LOL..
My long blonde hair could hardly hold a ponytail. Hands shook. Anxiety attacks. Insomnia. My Dr. told me I was "off the charts" on the test(TSH, t3 t4) He said I could have a heart attack if I didn't take the Meds. (the ones that slow your heart down) So after 2 years of meds. I'm FINE !! 
Something else to watch out for...
