How do I know if I have hypothyroid?

[lisaaw]

I hope you have dumped that doctor with the condescending attitude and I also hope you let her know why you were no longer going to keep her as your physician.

Any doctor who doesn't take the concerns of a patient seriously isn't worth your time or money.

Lisa

[lisaaw]

My thyroid was tested several times 5 or 6 years ago but the results came back normal. I've had many of the symptoms of hypothyroidism such as dry skin and hair (which used to be oily), my eyebrows have thinned out so much I no longer have to tweeze them, I frequently have heart palpitations and I'm cold all the time. I had never been overweight in my life but suddenly gained 80 lbs. in one year. I recently heard something about a more accurate throid test that checks T4 to T3 conversion. Is anyone familiar with this?

Lisa

[iyamamaschke]

Ya Doctors really piss me off I got extremely depressed after I had my second. Well, they didn't even bother to check my thyroid he put me on antidepressants which made everything worse. I gained 40 pounds in 3 months and then we moved I felt extremely lethargic and was constantly tired and moody. Well, I went to the doc right away he said I didn't look good sent me for a thyroid test. Well, what do you know my thyroid was really low. He immediately put me on meds and weaned me off the antidepressants I felt so much better it was like I was a new woman it took only days to feel better. And about 4 weeks to feel totally human again. Now I know when my levels are off I start to gain really quick and I get depressed I feel like the world is over. Thnat's when I go in and get tested and almost every time it has been low.

Sarah

[2big4mysize]

Originally Posted by lisaaw

My thyroid was tested several times 5 or 6 years ago but the results came back normal. I've had many of the symptoms of hypothyroidism such as dry skin and hair (which used to be oily), my eyebrows have thinned out so much I no longer have to tweeze them, I frequently have heart palpitations and I'm cold all the time. I had never been overweight in my life but suddenly gained 80 lbs. in one year. I recently heard something about a more accurate throid test that checks T4 to T3 conversion. Is anyone familiar with this?

Lisa

that have much more comprehensive testing then just the screening TSH tsting is what that T4 to T3 testing is about. DIscuss your symptoms with your doc and ask for a complete Thyriod panels. there are many types of hypothyriod. you can have normal TSH and T4 but not beconverting it to T3 too. Primary hypo id thyroid gland related. secomdary is hypothalmus related

the endocrine society lowered the threshold levles for screening to THS of 3.0 in 2002 so you might be hypo now even based on your old test levels.

Talk with your doc.

[lisaaw]

I was actually trying to set up an appointment with a doctor last week but after 3 hours of making phone calls, I just gave up. I don't have insurance so I was prepared and expected to be told that I would need to pay cash for the office visit up front but that part didn't even come into play. I was told (1) they weren't accepting new patients or (2) they only saw referrals from other doctors or (3) they couldn't see me because I haven't been to a doctor in the past year. It sounded like the HMO crap some of my friends go through but I let them know I had no insurance of any kind and was just told there was no exceptions to their guidelines regarding new patients. I know it's been awhile since I went to a doctor but there was none of this hoo haa going on back then. It's like communism has taken over the medical society. It sounds like pure insanity to me. Does anybody else understand this system? Also, does anyone know of a site on the internet where I can look up doctors in my area?

Lisa

[lisaaw]

After reading about the depression so many of you have struggled with, I wasn't aware of that being something that goes along with hypothyroidism but I've had a huge problem in that area also, especially this past year and it's gotten really bad in the last couple of months. I have been crying a lot and haven't a clue as to why. There are days that I'm just so overwhelmed with sadness and feel so utterly hopeless and there's no justification for these emotions.

Lisa

[lunazul]

Lisa,

You might use http://my.webmd.com/pages/dir/toc.asp to search for a doctor. It sounds like with the depression you are experiencing, you need to find a good doctor soon. Make sure to keep up with your exercise, because it will help with the depression too. Let us know how it works out.

Debby

[2big4mysize]

Lisa when you have hypotyroid every cell in your body slows down whatever itis supposed to do as our cells use T3 in their metabolism and if they are all working in slowmotion you don't get the chemicals you need produced at the rate you need them. This happens in the brain and many many times low thyroid in the past was misdiagnoised as Depression and attempts to treat it with depression meds didn't help.

It was so misdiagnoised that it it now standard proceedure in all suppected new depression cases to test for low thyroid as part of the battery of tests done to diagnois.

So if you think you have it go see your doctor and get the blood tests done. There are other medical problems like anemia that can cause depression too.

[lisaaw]

After another few hours on the phone today, I finally got an appointment for later this week. Not with a doctor but a "practioner." I'm not even sure what that is.....someone a little more qualified than a nurse but less qualified than a doctor maybe?

I dug out a copy of my lab results from one of the thyroid tests 5 or 6 years ago. I'm going to take this with me to my appointment and let the "practioner" see it but maybe some of you guys could comment on these results and let me know what you think.

TSH 1.11
FREE T4 1.25

Lisa

[2big4mysize]

those are excellent numbers for normal thyroids indicating you didn't have primanry hypothyroid when that testing was done.