Hypothyroidism Support Group
Hypothyroidism is the disease state caused by insufficient production of thyrohormone by the thyroid gland. There are several distinct causes for chronic hypothyroidism, the most common being Hashimoto's thyroiditis and hypothyroidism following radioiodine therapy for hyperthyroidism. Advanced hypothyroidism may cause severe complications, the most serious one of which is...
First, here were my last two labs:
June
T3 (2.5 - 3.9) 3.2
T4 (0.6 - 1.7) 0.9
TSH (0.4 - 3.0) 1.41
September
TSH 1.52 (0.40 - 5.80)
T3, Free 3.0 (2.3 - 4.2)
Free T4 0.89 (0.70 - 1.20)
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody 134 (0 - 35) IU/mL
So in a nutshell, the endo said there's nothing wrong with my thyroid. He said everything is perfectly normal, and couldn't explain why my thyroid swells or why I'm having so many symptoms. He was really nice and I liked him, but he was quite emphatic that my thyroid is fine and something else has to be going on with me.
Then he did a general exam, and when he listened to my heart he got a little upset and brought in an EKG machine. The EKG came out normal, but my "resting" heart rate is 111bpm. Then he did several tests on my blood pressure (laying down and several standing). When I stand my blood pressure plummets over 30 points and is really slow at going back up. And he said he can barely hear my blood pressure when I'm standing, but can hear it fine when I'm laying down.
He suggested POTS syndrome but doesn't really know. I'm going in tomorrow for more labs to check my adrenals and cortisol levels but he said he suspects they'll be fine. He just wants to rule those out before he sends me on my merry way without any diagnosis or help.
Bah. But you guys warned me to expect that.
June
T3 (2.5 - 3.9) 3.2
T4 (0.6 - 1.7) 0.9
TSH (0.4 - 3.0) 1.41
September
TSH 1.52 (0.40 - 5.80)
T3, Free 3.0 (2.3 - 4.2)
Free T4 0.89 (0.70 - 1.20)
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody 134 (0 - 35) IU/mL
So in a nutshell, the endo said there's nothing wrong with my thyroid. He said everything is perfectly normal, and couldn't explain why my thyroid swells or why I'm having so many symptoms. He was really nice and I liked him, but he was quite emphatic that my thyroid is fine and something else has to be going on with me.
Then he did a general exam, and when he listened to my heart he got a little upset and brought in an EKG machine. The EKG came out normal, but my "resting" heart rate is 111bpm. Then he did several tests on my blood pressure (laying down and several standing). When I stand my blood pressure plummets over 30 points and is really slow at going back up. And he said he can barely hear my blood pressure when I'm standing, but can hear it fine when I'm laying down.
He suggested POTS syndrome but doesn't really know. I'm going in tomorrow for more labs to check my adrenals and cortisol levels but he said he suspects they'll be fine. He just wants to rule those out before he sends me on my merry way without any diagnosis or help.
Bah. But you guys warned me to expect that.
They are SO stuck on numbers as a result of treating diabetics - blech!
You have "normal" (aka in-range) labs in their eyes and they are just not able to recognize classic symptoms of hypothyroidism (POTS syndrome can be a manifestation of hypothyroidism so, I guess the endo forgot his basic medical training as well).
"Whole-body" doctors such as GP's, DO's, internists and/or holistic doctors are usually much better at recognizing thyroid conditions.
However, that's not a guarantee. My beloved yet, unfortunately, now-former GP of 20 years (a DO) couldn't understand why I had over 30 symptoms with "normal" labs.
Please don't give up until you find a thyroid-savvy doctor. It is very much worth the effort. Your health depends on it.
Good luck in feeling better.