Thyroid underactive - I cant believe it !!!

[MoG]

Some of you may have read in the commuting section how I was knocked off my bike near Castle Donington a week or so ago. Thankfully x rays showed no more than whiplash type injuries, and the details are with a solicitor already!

Anyway, I had to go for a follow up gp appointment on Monday to check on my injuries and the doctor also took a blood sample.

I thought no more about it until yesterday afternoon when the doctor called me at home and asked that I attend the surgery straight away.

The long and short of it is that my thyroid gland is massively under active. The doc explained that a normal activity count is between 1 and 5, whereas mine is showing a reading of 95!! Obviously the lower the figure the higher the activity).

So yesterday morning I was nursing back and hip muscular pain - by 5pm I had taken my first dose of Levothyroxine, a thyroid hormone replacement, which I will have to take for the rest of my life. At least I now get free prescriptions!

 

[fossyant]

My wife has just been diagnosed. Felt rough the last few weeks and hasn't been able to shift a chest infection.

It's pretty common, but will take a while to get the dose correct for you. Have yu felt any 'effects' before - e.g. tired etc.

 

[chillyuk]

Be prepared to put some weight on if on Thyroxine. I have been on the stuff for years since having my thyroid removed. If you can afford it you will be much better on Armour Thyroid. As Fossyant says it takes a while to get the dose correct, not helped by so many doctors who only go by the blood results and disregarding how you feel. I am supposed to be on 200mcg but do better on 150mcg, so I take 200 one day and 100 the following day which works for me. No good telling the doctor, all I get is "your bloods are OK" Have you been referred to an endocrinologist?

 

[MoG]

Thanks for advice guys.

Is it pretty common? Doc told me that it was only 1 in 1000 males who suffer from underactive, but have not really researched too much so I am not sure.

No, I havent been referred to any specialists as yet. More blood tests next Tuesday for antibody levels or something. They have started me off with two months at 50mg per day.

Weight gain? Dammit. Dr told me ( and the enclosed leaflet also says) to expect weight loss ( as the metabolic rate increases with the stimulated thyroid I think)

Am I tired? Yes, to be honest. However, I had put that down to the fact that Mon to Fri, the alarm goes off at 0230 so that I can set off at 3am on an 18 mile cycle to work in time to get ready for a 5am shift start, and then the 18 miles home starting at 4.30pm. (I do spend my lunch hour sleeping!!)
I should also point out that I am a 48 yo male, and have three little girls aged 6, 4 and 3 at home and OH is expecting number 4 in Nov - so surely tiredness is only to be expected! lol.

Anyway, thanks for the good wishes. I know there are loadsa folk worse off than me - just had the week from hell and feeling a bit sorry for myself! Time to MTFU!!

 

[summerdays]

Good luck for getting the levels correct. My friend had the opposite to start with until it all went mad when she had a reaction to the medication 17 months in resulting in her having them removed. She has found it a struggle controlling weight and energy, but she just tells us if she isn't up to doing something and prefers a rest. Whereas my aunt seems to control her levels of thyroid better.

 

[chillyuk]

Many, many people who are hypothyroid put on weight regardless of the thyroxine.

May I recommend this thyroid group HERE. There is much to read and to help you understand your condition.

 

[MoG]

Many, many people who are hypothyroid put on weight regardless of the thyroxine.

May I recommend this thyroid group HERE. There is much to read and to help you understand your condition.

Brilliant! Thanks, much appreciated.

 

[Dan B]

I've been hypothyroid since approximately forever, and on medication between the ages of 8 or 9 and about 20, when I got to the end of the bottle during a particularly low period at university, couldn't be bothered to get another, and wanted to see what would happen.

Since then I've had blood tests a few times - still hypo each time - but never really pursued treatment for any length of time because the results (there was no discernable difference) didn't seem worth the faff. But: having met my aunt at a party a few weeks ago, she very helpfully told me what the last three doctors failed to: that it can take upwards of three to six months to notice any change. So, another blood test next week to tell me what I already knew and then it's back on the pills again.

Bit sceptical about all this "natural pig thyroid twice a day" stuff, though: it's all very well talking about "how you feel is more important than bloods", but have these people never heard of the placebo effect?

 

[chillyuk]

Snipped:

Bit sceptical about all this "natural pig thyroid twice a day" stuff, though: it's all very well talking about "how you feel is more important than bloods", but have these people never heard of the placebo effect?

I wasn't suggesting that medication dose should be dependant on how you feel, but it has been demonstrated by numerous studies that blood test results are not set in stone when determining optimum doses. Unfortunately the majority of GP's know little about thyroid disorders and place far too much emphasis on blood results. Before I changed my dosage I became depressed and like a zombie spending half the day sleeping on the dose prescribed. Now I am much better with more energy and my bloods remain within acceptable levels even though I am not on what would be considered an optimum dose of thyroxine.

I would dispute this is anything to do with "placebo"

 

[gb155]

Humm, I have been on thyroxine for 6 years....maybe THATS why I was 40 stone ?

 

[tyred]

My thyroid is enlarged but apparently functioning okay. Has been for years and seems to hereditary in my family. They check up on it occasionally, the last checkup last month revealed normal thyroid function but high cortisol levels so I don't know what that's all about and I am awaiting further tests

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I have the same thing though not as under-active as yours. I am on 50micrograms a day and am struggling to lose the weight I gained whilst it went undiagnosed

Best of luck and the collision had a silver lining

 

[Sharky]

It's an old thread, but any updates from sufferers?

I had a routine blood test a couple of weeks ago and the GP just rang me to say I've got a slightly underactive thyroid and wants to put me on meds to address the deficiency.

Have to have another blood test in about 6 weeks.

With all these tests I've been having, covid jabs, flu jabs, cystoscopies, I seem to have cured my fear of needles!

 

[fossyant]

MrsF on two meds for hers, her type of thyroid issues is called Hashimotos. Blood tests make it difficult as GP doesn't understand the results. She's under a specialist's at Manchester Royal. Took a few years to get it sorted properly.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

It's an old thread, but any updates from sufferers?

I had a routine blood test a couple of weeks ago and the GP just rang me to say I've got a slightly underactive thyroid and wants to put me on meds to address the deficiency.

Have to have another blood test in about 6 weeks.

With all these tests I've been having, covid jabs, flu jabs, cystoscopies, I seem to have cured my fear of needles!

I was once over-active (Grave's disease) and losing weight fast despite eating eg 5 jam doughnuts some nights!

Long story short; I had my thyroid zapped with radio-iodine and it no longer functions.

I am on daily Levothyroxine, have been for over a decade now. It works fine and with no side effects.

As @fossyant alludes above, GP's do not always interpret the results correctly and I sometimes have to question any suggested changes in dosage following my annual blood test.