THYROID DISEASE

Read and learn more about symptoms of thyroid problem. For more, visit the Thyroid Disease website ThyroidDiseaseWiki.com.

Q: What are the symptoms of thyroid problem?
are any of these associated with it?

diaroea
nausea
dizzy
tremors
palpitations
headaches
hunger
depression
hair falling out (not in clumps but strands)
fatigue and sometimes insomnia

I’ve had these symptoms for coming upto 3 years and have can i point out i have a severe needle phobia which is being worked on by a therapist…which is the reason i haven’t had any tests done.

I also have had agoraphobia for 3 years.
thanks

A: It is possible that you have a hyper thyroid yes. I suggest asking your doctor for a blood test to put your mind at ease. I went to my doctor 5 years ago with all those symptoms and more. I was diagnosed with Graves Disease and stayed on PTU tablets for 3 years. 12 months ago I had radioactive idodine to kill off my thyroid which didnt work. 3 weeks ago I had a total Thyroidectomy. Best thing I ever did in my life . I now feel normal (despite the side effects which I am experiencing). If I were you I would go to the doctor soon for blood tests as if it is a thyroid problem you really need to do something about it before you end up like I did. It caused alot of panic attacks for me also, and I had never had before I was hyper. As for the needle phobia, Take a couple of panadol before you go, and take a book to read while they are taking blood. It helps to take you mind off it all. Let me know how you go Chin up

Q: Are my problems all symptoms of a thyroid problem?
Doctor had a blood test done today because irregular periods and fatigue. I also have acne that just started last few months, losing alot of hair, trouble losing weight, mouthful of canker sores, twitchy eye, blurry vision that comes and goes. Now I’m curious, is all this related? I’ve just been ignoring it, because everytime I go to a doctor for the canker sores they just say it’s stress.

A: to me i think you should take a muliti vitimains.eat healthy meals and yes stress will cause a lot of your problems.but is he checking your thyroids?because if your thyroid count is low that will make you gain weught. but if you are so call dieting it will also cause your problems too. you see if you don’t get the nutrirets your body needs it goes wild.so take vitimains,eat right,stay away from things that will stress you out.good luck.

Q: symptoms of thyroid problem but negative blood test?
Recently had tests for thyroid problems, runs in my family on both sides and have been really cold all the time, putting on weight really quicklyand suffering total energy crashes. Blood tests came back as negative and doctors reaction was to put me on diet pills ….! Do reasonable amount of exercise (netball & rugby) and eat ok so don’t think weight is the problem, anyone know something else that causes these things?
Am getting fed up with wearing jumpers and sleeping all the time!

A: You should have your cortisol, blood sugar and insulin levels checked also.

Q: what are signs or symptoms of a thyroid problem or disorder?
Hello, I have not had mine checked yet, but one of my doctors (for anxiety) told me to because I have anxiety and night sweats. I am in the process of finding a doctor to do blood work for me to get it checked. In the meantime though, can you tell me what other signs or symptoms are associated with thyroid?

Thanks

P.S.. I am 27 year old female, if that makes a difference.

A: hypothyroidism/Hashimotos disease:
fatigue
weight gain or inability to lose weight even when dieting
high (bad) cholesterol
low (good) cholesterol
high triglycerides
joint pain
light sensitivity
dry skin
depression
anxiety
arrhythmia’s
cold hands and feet
low blood pressure
fibromyalgia
tingling hands & feet
sleeping too much
heavy periods
infertility
cold intolerance
low body temperature

hyperthyroidism/Graves disease:
anxiety
heart palpitations
weight loss
bulging eyes
eye problems
aggression
trouble sleeping/inability to sleep
weight loss/inability to gain weight
fatigue
heat intolerance
elevated body temperature
high blood pressure
tacchycardia

Q: Is there any reason for having symptoms of a thyroid problem, but having normal blood levels?
I have a lot of the symptoms, but I got my blood tested and it came back normal. My mom had hyperthroidism and had her thyroid removed. Problems in this area are hereditary, but I cant figure out why I have all the symptoms and no reason for it…. Help me?

A: You probably have what is called “Subclinical Hypothyroidism”. Basically, with this condition, the pituitary gland, which is in charge of regulating the thyroid gland, produces extra amounts of TSH to stimulate the thyroid to maintain a normal circulating level of thyroid hormones. While with “Subclinical Hypothyroidism” you technically are not Hypothyroid (thyroid hormone levels are normal), your pituitary is working hard at keeping your thyroid hormone levels within the normal range. In a significant number of patients, the TSH levels must climb in order to continue to stimulate the thyroid gland. Eventually, over the course of months to years, the thyroid gland no longer responds. At this point, “Subclinical Hypothyroidism” turns into overt Hypothyroidism. With Subclinical Hypothyroidism you will have Hypothyroid symptoms. Some doctors refuse to treat Subclinical Hypothyroidism and wait until you become fully Hypothyroid. I think this is a huge mistake. Treating Subclinical Hypothyroidism early on not only helps the patient so they don’t feel horrible, but also lessens the extent of how bad the Hypothyroidism can get. I had a doctor who refused to treat my Subclinical Hypothyroidism and I got so bad that I couldn’t hold down a job and spent most of my time in bed. I searched for a new doctor and found one that was willing to treat my Subclinical Hypothyroidism. Unfortunately, going for so long without treatment caused other problems…I ended up with heart damage, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lost most of my hair for a while and when it grew back it turned completely gray (it wasn’t before) and many other bad things happened. So it’s important to get treated right away.

I suggest you find yourself a good “thyroid doctor” called an Endocrinologist and have a simple blood test including an antibody test (sometimes called an ANA test) to see if you have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (an auto-immune disease of the thyroid which often starts out as Subclinical Hypothyroidism). Here is a good Endocrinologist locator:

http://www.armourthyroid.com/con_phLocator.aspx

I highly recommend you get the book, “Living Well with Hypothyroidism” by Mary J. Shomon. It is an easy book to read and you will learn a lot. You may buy it cheap at Amazon.com for as little as $6.05 used

(http://www.amazon.com/Living-Well-Hypothyroidism-Doctor-Revised/dp/0060740957/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1249143075&sr=8-1)

or you can get it at a book store (if they don’t have it, have them order it for you).

Once you find a good doctor that is willing to treat you have him/her put you on Armour Thyroid (a type of medication for Hypothyroidism). I was first placed on Synthroid (Levothyroxine) and although it got my thyroid levels in the normal rage, I still had the hypo symptoms and felt awful. It wasn’t until I went on Armour Thyroid that I felt like my old self again. The difference is a hormone called T3. Synthroid doesn’t have T3 in it only T4. Many in the medical field think that Hypothyroid people only need T4 and that your body will convert T4 to T3, but many people’s bodies don’t convert T4 to T3 well and that’s why they still have hypo symptoms while on Synthroid. The human thyroid gland naturally produces hormones T1, T2, T3, T4, T5…etc. Synthroid is a synthetic hormone replacement with only T4. Armour Thyroid is a natural hormone replacement and it has all the hormones your thyroid naturally produces so it stands to reason that treating a disease as naturally as possible is best. Synthroid has a huge marketing campaign with medical schools and doctors’ offices and they try to tell everyone Armour Thyroid isn’t any good. Don’t believe that. Armour Thyroid has been around for over 100 years and is very reliable and is regularly tested and approved by the American Food and Drug Administration. Because of all the negative marketing from Synthroid about Armour, you may have a difficult time getting a doctor to prescribe Armour. However, if you go to the Armour Thyroid web site and use their doctor locator you should be able to find a doctor in your area and state that is willing to prescribe Armour. Believe me it is well worth it to go out of your way to get Armour.

http://www.armourthyroid.com/

Print this out. Take it to your doctor. If your doctor poo-poos this, then fire your doctor and go to that doctor locator I gave you and find a doctor that will help you. I cannot stress enough how important it is to get treated right away. Good luck!

Q: What would you say the chances of me are of having a thyroid problem with these symptoms?
1. My neck feels swollen outwards, but muscular and in the bone structure.
2. My Adam’s Apple is about 2x the size of the average male’s and I don’t have an extremely skinny neck.
3. Two small lumps (under my skin, feel like lymph notes) have formed under my chin and are always visible.
4. My lymph notes are ALWAYS swollen.
5. When bending my neck back it feels like I’m lifting weights and the strain is directly under my Adam’s Apple.
6. It’s hard for me to touch my chin to my chest.
7. It feels like I’m lifting a weight when I swallow and sometimes at the end of the day my neck will be sore (especially directly under my adam’s apple).
8. Half the time my adam’s apple and directly under it hurts.
9. Sometimes my adam’s apple will spasm and move violently up and down against my will.
10. Light pressure against my neck (even a hug) can make my adam’s apple and under it hurt for a long time.

Also, is the thyroid test a simple blood test? Could a naturepath doc help me?

A: Don’t walk, *run* to your doctor. Your lymph nodes should never be swollen for any length of time unless you have an infection or other illness, and when coupled with these other symptoms, I would absolutely put you in the hands of any doctor as quickly as possible. There’s more to a neck/throat than just the thyroid, but a blood test can indicate deficiencies easily, though sometimes a second test may be necessary. A doctor should also feel around and note unusual formations. You ought not let this go any longer and see for certain. Any doctor- just go.

Best of luck!!

Q: What are the first signs/symptoms of a thyroid problem?
I don’t feel well and my dad and 2 auntys have had their thyroids removed.

A: The “signs and symptoms” of a dysfunctional thyroid can be easily confused, and some patients will present no overt “symptoms” at all.

Since you have a family history of thyroid issues, I’m surprised your family practitioner hasn’t given you a proper blood test to check your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone).
This is the only way to determine your thyroid function.

Make an appointment asap and ask to have the tests done.

Good Luck.

Q: Does anyone know what the symptoms of thyroid problems are?
My sister told me see was having blood work done because her doctor thinks her symptoms may be explained by a thyroid problem. What are some common symptoms? She says one of her symptoms is her hair falling out. I can’t find anything about that symptom as related to thyroid problems!

A: The thyroid gland, which is in your neck, sets the rate at which you produce energy from your body’s stores by the release of thyroid hormones.

Hyperthyroid
If you’re producing too much hormone, and the gland is overactive, you’re said to be hyperthyroid. You’ll have too much energy, lose weight, feel warm and may have symptoms such as palpitations.

There are many causes of an overactive thyroid and you may need blood tests and scans to find out what’s responsible.

The most common reason is when your body’s defences falsely recognise your own tissue as an invader and begin to attack it. This is called autoimmune disease and it stimulates the thyroid to produce more hormones.

If you have a cyst or growth in the thyroid, it may also produce too much hormone.

Hyperthyroidism symptoms may include:

weight loss
rapid heartbeat
tremor
excessive sweating
heat intolerance
anxiety
muscle weakness
goitre
irregular periods

Hypothyroid
If your thyroid is underactive – not producing enough hormone – you’ll have too little energy and will feel slow, tired and lethargic. You’ll become hypothyroid.

Again, there are many causes, but for some it seems to be part of the ageing process. Hypothyroidism is especially common in women after the menopause. Look for the following symptoms:

exhaustion, tiredness, sleep problems
difficulty concentrating or remembering
weight gain
dry hair, skin and nails
depression or anxiety
constipation
poor libido
breathlessness and swelling of feet
hoarseness
cold intolerance
face swelling and puffy eyes
in women, heavy periods

How many people are affected?
Hyperthyroidism affects up to one in 50 people and is ten times more common in women than in men. It can occur at any age but is most common between the ages of 20 and 50.

Hypothyroidism is ten times more common in women than in men and usually occurs over the age of 40.

What’s the treatment?
It’s difficult to prevent thyroid illness. Hypothyroidism is treated with thyroid hormone medication. Treatment of hyperthyroidism may involve medication to reduce the production of thyroid hormone, radioactive iodine therapy or a thyroidectomy (removal of part of the thyroid gland).

This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Rob Hicks in July 2006

Q: What are the symptoms of thyroid problems in dogs?
My Schnauzer is shedding quite a bit and he’s hyperactive. I’ve read that dogs with a thyroid problem can be lethargic or hyperactive but I’d like to hear from someone who has experience with this.

A: 90% of thyroid problems in dogs are caused by a hypoactive thyroid, meaning that the thyroid gland is under functioning. Symptoms that the owner usually notices is that the dog is usually overweight (and not just slightly), lethargic, exercise intolerance and usually has patchy hair or the hair coat isn’t as thick as it used to be. To diagnose this, it’s a very simple blood test and the condition is easily controlled by daily oral medication, but has to be monitored by more blood testing to find the right dosing of the medication. Easiest thing to do for your little guy is to just call your Vet for an exam and ask for some blood work! Best of luck.

Q: Are these symptoms of slight thyroid problem?? ?
Recently i realised i have been eating ALOT. i cant stop eating and never feel full. Or if i do, i usually start to feel hungry again half an hour later. And the amount that i eat is… um, more than what my parents eat add together, plus the fact that i’m a 15 year old girl, it just makes this entire thing super scary. (Recently, i eat like, in one day, 5 chocolate doughnuts, 2 bananas, 2 tubs of yogurt, 1 extra humongous beef burger with cheese and two thick slices of meat, 5 granola bars, and dinner and lunch that consists of main dishes and lots of rice, and i’ll feel like eating another 2 grapefruits. BUT I NEVER USED TO EAT THIS MUCH!!!!) It’s scaring me.

And recently i have really frequent defecations, like, right after i eat something. And my mensus didn’t really come. And my hair has been dropping so much i’m afraid i’ll turn bald. Like if i just run my fingers through my hair, a huge bunch of hair will fall off….

i checked online to see the symptoms of thyroid problems, but i dont have ALL the symptoms, so i’m just wondering if i do have some thyroid disease or something. Like, i don’t think i have a problem with sleeping, my neck isnt changing size, and my skin is the same as ever. But i’m quite surprised that my weight remained at around 50kg all these while. (i’m 164 kg, so that’s fine right?)

please tell me what’s wrong with me….!

and yeah, i realised these days i have really bad concentration.

A: Not to say this is what you have but check out the symptoms of PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome).

What are the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?
Not all women with PCOS share the same symptoms. These are some of the symptoms of PCOS:

- infrequent menstrual periods, no menstrual periods, and/or irregular bleeding
- infertility (not able to get pregnant) because of not ovulating
- increased hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes—a condition called hirsutism (HER-suh-tiz-um)
- ovarian cysts
- acne, oily skin, or dandruff
- weight gain or obesity, usually carrying extra weight around the waist
- insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes
- high cholesterol
- high blood pressure
- male-pattern baldness or thinning hair
- patches of thickened and dark brown or black skin on the neck, arms, breasts, or thighs
- skin tags, or tiny excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area
- pelvic pain
- anxiety or depression due to appearance and/or infertility
- sleep apnea—excessive snoring and times when breathing stops while asleep

Q: What are the symptoms of a thyroid problem. Is it just hair loss only or other signs?

A: I am one of these sufferers of a thyroid disorder, called; Hypothyroidism. The doctor took four years to correctly diagnose me!

Here are the symptoms for an over-active thyroid;

1: Putting on weight without eating any more, whilst having a healthy diet.

2: Feeling lethargic, no matter how much sleep you have had.

3: Mood swings.

4: Feeling cold.

5: Hair loss!

Untreated, a multi-nodular goitre can form in the thyroid, but the eyes do not become prominent as with the over-active thyroid condition.

The patient will feel more lethargic as the time goes by, and might be unable to have the strength to get out of bed.

—————————————————————–

If it is Hyperthyroidism, over-active thyroid;

1: Feeling hot even when the weather is cold.

2; Rushing about, not able to relax, tense.

3: Palpitations.

4: Feeling irritable all the time.

5: Unable to sleep.

If this condition is left untreated, the thyroid could swell, and so can the eyeballs, which is called; Goitre

A blood test can easily ascertain, which thyroid condition the patient has. Treatment is difficult to get the correct level of thyroid hormone needed in to regulate the body, but if you have a good specialist, called an; Endocrinologist it may take only 6 months to a year, depending on the severity of the case.

But, you will have to go back for regular three monthly blood tests to keep an eye on it. I found that if I had a weight gain, or managed to lose some weight, it affected the dosage I was on. So keep an eye on that too.

Donni-Jay

Q: are these symptoms of thyroid problems or something else?
recently ive been veryyy hungry and veryy thirsty all the time (therefore going to the bathroom often) and also for some reason, even though im eating a lot more…im loosing weight. when i had my period it was so light, basically nothing except for the first day. im tired all the time, taking naps constantly. i have an enlarged thyroid and they told me if i was having problems with my period i should see them again..but i dont know if this is a thyroid problem or something else. please help me!

A: Very much sounds like hyperthyroidism.

Q: Thyroid problems, symptoms the same as depression?
Hi again…I was talking with a lady and she had very similiar symptoms as me with my “Burn-out: Depression”. She said that her thyroid was ‘out of wack’. I have had my thyroid checked this year (about 1 month before I was diagnosed) and the blood work indicated that my thyroid count was normal. Is it possible that other blood work would indicate otherwise?
I have had previous problems with thyroid count and I was sent to a specialist and then the number was normal (without meds.). That was 3 weeks after the original blood work. How can the count be off (a crazy amount) one day and then normal the next? Is there a possibility that I am being treated for a wrong illness? Has anyone had thyroid problems in the past? I would really enjoy reading your answers. TY. Have a great weekend.

A: Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) can cause symptoms of depression and fatigue, which may be what you are experiencing.
If you think that this might be an issue for you, see a different doctor than the one you saw last time and get your levels checked again.
I have hypothyroidism and it is an easy thing to manage once you get it diagnosed.

Go here for a list of symptoms. Good luck with everything.

http://www.webmd.com/hw/thyroid_disorders/hw145669.asp?pagenumber=2

Q: what are some signs and symptoms of thyroid problems?
what are the symptoms of thyroid problems…basically,how do you know you have issues with you thyroid (male)..what happens to you…do you lose appaetite,hairloss/balding???etc…what happens?

A: Hypothyroidism is an underactive thyroid. Symptoms would include; weight gain, difficulty losing weight, fatigue, constipation, depression, dry thinning hair, dry skin, low body temp, brain fog, decreased sex drive, muscle and joint aches

Hyperthyroidism is an overactive thyroid. Symptoms may include; weight loss, diarrhea, anxiety, excessive sweating, headaches,

Q: what are all of the symptoms of a thyroid problem?
what are the long term effects if not treated?

A: Thyroid is a gland in the neck which produces a hormone thyroxine which basically increases the metabolic rate.So there may be two possibilities.
(1 ) You have less thyroxine. The symtoms will be.
You are sluggish.
You cannot stand cold.
You have a loss of appetite.
Your heart rate is low.
Your blood sugar will drop.
You will get fatter.
(2)You have more thyroxine. The symptoms will be opposite those of the above.
Goitre is a condition where your Thyroid swells up. Some goitres prouce less thyroxine. some produce more and some may even be malignant.