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...
Hey everyone. New to the group and wanted to introduce myself.
I am from Pa and just got diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I went to the doctors complaining about my long history of migraines (the last one before I went lasted over a week). My doctor is very kind and listened and spoke with me about a fellow doctor who had a patient who was also suffering from migraines and eventually they found out she was hypo. So just to rule anything else out, he wrote me up a lab to get blood work done. It comes back and my TSH number was 5.11 (blood work done at a Quest lab).
I've been trying to educate myself on the disease, reading all I can. I am currently taking Sythroid and in the past few days, I've noticed the brain fog, the most debilitating of my symptoms, lift some. The fatigue is still there and I'm hoping with time it will go away some.
For anyone to answer: was your diagnosis an "a ha" moment for you; Stringing together ailments that were a mystery to you and your doctors?
What I hope to get from here is more understanding of what's been happening to my body and ways to stay motivated on staying healthy.
I am from Pa and just got diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I went to the doctors complaining about my long history of migraines (the last one before I went lasted over a week). My doctor is very kind and listened and spoke with me about a fellow doctor who had a patient who was also suffering from migraines and eventually they found out she was hypo. So just to rule anything else out, he wrote me up a lab to get blood work done. It comes back and my TSH number was 5.11 (blood work done at a Quest lab).
I've been trying to educate myself on the disease, reading all I can. I am currently taking Sythroid and in the past few days, I've noticed the brain fog, the most debilitating of my symptoms, lift some. The fatigue is still there and I'm hoping with time it will go away some.
For anyone to answer: was your diagnosis an "a ha" moment for you; Stringing together ailments that were a mystery to you and your doctors?
What I hope to get from here is more understanding of what's been happening to my body and ways to stay motivated on staying healthy.
Sorry for the reason you're here but, glad you found us.
And, congrats to you for being proactive with your care, getting a diagnosis and started on treatment!
I'm glad you're feeling better. The meds titration process can be painfully slow and full of bumps and stalls along the way. However, if you can be patient with the process, you will be rewarded with freedom from thyroid symptoms.
There are some really good books out there, if you are interested.
Thyroid for Dummies
Complete Idiot's Guide to Thyroid Disease
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Hypothyroidism
After participating on several thyroid forums for almost 5 years now, I can tell you that many people have suffered for too long before getting a proper diagnosis/treatment.
Hypothyroidism creeps up insidiously and many doctors just don't seem to recognize the symptoms.
Partnering with a thyroid-savvy doctor is more than half the battle.
And, learning to understand your labs is a vital part of the path to wellness. Hopefully, your doctor is checking more than just pituitary hormone TSH.
Since we are not dealing with hyperpituitary issues (high TSH) and instead hypothyroidism (low thyroid), your doctor should be testing your actual thyroid hormone levels - FreeT4 and FreeT3.
His treatment goal for you should be to achieve the types of levels healthy people have: FreeT4/T3 in the upper half/upper third of the range.
Best of luck to you moving forward!