Hypothyroid symptoms

Tiredness
Loss of Interest and/or Pleasure
Dry, coarse hair
Forgetfulness
Loss of Lateral Eyebrow Hair
Puffy face and Eyes
Depression
Muscle aches
Hair Loss
Headaches
Brittle nails
Constipation
Heavy menstrual periods
Weight Gain
Dry Skin
Slow Heartbeat
Goiter

Endured by weary patients and ignored by doctors, the common warning signs of hypothyroidism - weight gain, moodiness, fatigue, hair loss, fertility or menstrual problems, muscle aches/pains -- are all too often attributed to stress, depression, age, lifestyle, "female problems," or simply dismissed as "all in the patient's head." Even when diagnosed, hypothyroidism is frequently treated improperly, preventing millions from feeling and living well.

Some people believe that everyone who has a thyroid condition must have weight problems, usually weight gain, or difficulty losing. That is not the case. Some people will have a thyroid condition and no change in weight. There are even people who have an underactive thyroid, who lose weight. Alternatively, if you are overweight and gaining, or having difficulty losing, you are not automatically hypothyroid. A percentage of people with weight problems do likely have undiagnosed thyroid problems, but not all. So it's not safe to assume that if you have a weight problem, you also have a thyroid problem, unless you have been diagnosed by a practitioner or valid testing has identified your condition.

Some experts feel that everyone should be tested at 35, and every 5 years thereafter, and more frequently when symptoms are present.

Other experts believe that any woman considering pregnancy should have a thyroid test before becoming pregnant, and that all women should have thyroid tests in each of their three trimesters of pregnancy.

Some experts believe that everyone who is bein prescribed an antidepressant should first have a thyroid test.

Learn -- Find out more about thyroid disease. Start with the articles about different types of thyroid problems, at this site's Articles section.

Find a Doctor -- If you want to find a doctor particularly recommended by your fellow thyroid patients, see the Thyroid Top Docs Directory. But most general practitioners can run basic thyroid tests.

See Your Doctor -- Bring your Checklist to the doctor for an evaluation, and request a thyroid test. A Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) test is a simple blood test, it's not particularly expensive -- a basic TSH blood test typically runs from around $30 to $100, depending on the lab where your doctor sends tests, plus the cost of your doctor's visit. (If your doctor is reluctant to test, you can do a home TSH test, see Home TSH Test. The TSH test can diagnose many cases of thyroid disease. For others, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies testing may be necessary to identify a more subtle or borderline problem.

Understand The Diagnosis and Results -- Get your test results from your doctor, and find out your doctor's interpretation and diagnosis.
source-thyroid-info.com

People who have thyroid cancer, goiter or nodules may have no symptoms at all. In other cases, symptoms of hypothyroidism and/or hyperthyroidism may appear with thyroid cancer, goiter, and nodules. Typically, growths or enlargement in the thyroid may also present with difficulty swallowing, feeling of a lump in the neck, soreness in the neck, sensitivity to neckties/turtlenecks/scarves, and unusual sensations in the throat and neck.

___ My family (parent, sibling, child) has a history of thyroid disease
___ I've had a treated or untreated thyroid problem (i.e., hyperthyroidism, Graves' disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, post-partum thyroiditis, goiter, nodules, thyroid cancer) in the past
___ A member of my family or I have currently or in the past been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease
___ I am over 60
___ I am female
___ I am perimenopausal or menopausal
___ I have recently had a baby
___ I have a history of infertility or miscarriage
___ I am currently a smoker, or was a heavy smoker in the past
___ I am currently taking lithium, amiodarone (Cordarone), iodine, kelp, bladderwrack, bugleweed, or soy isoflavone supplements
___ I have had radiation treatment to my head, neck, chest, tonsil area, etc.
___ I had "Nasal Radium Therapy"
___ I consume substantial quantities of any of the following foods, frequently raw: brussels sprouts, rutabaga, turnips, kohlrabi, radishes, cauliflower, African cassava, millet, babassu, cabbage, kale, soy-protein supplements (i.e., protein powders)
___ I live, lived, work, worked or grew up near or at a nuclear plant
by Mary Shomon

___ I am gaining weight inappropriately or unable to lose weight
___ My "normal" body temperature is low, and/or I frequently feel cold
___ I feel fatigued, exhausted more than normal
___ I have a slow pulse, and/or low blood pressure
___ I have high cholesterol
___ My hair is rough, coarse dry, breaking, brittle, or falling out
___ My skin is rough, coarse, dry, scaly, itchy and thick
___ My nails have been dry, brittle, and break more easily
___ My voice has become hoarse, husky or gravelly
___ I have pains, aches, stiffness, tingling in joints, muscles, hands and/or feet
___ I have carpal tunnel syndrome, arm or leg tendonitis, or plantar's fascitis
___ I am having irregular menstrual cycles (longer, or heavier, or more frequent)
___ I am experiencing infertility, or have had one or more miscarriage
___ I feel depressed, restless, moody, sad
___ I have difficulty concentrating or remembering things
___ I have no or low sex drive
___ My eyes feel gritty, dry, light-sensitive
___ My neck or throat feels full, pressure, choking, lumpy, larger than usual, and/or I have difficulty swallowing
___ I have/may have sleep apnea
___ I have puffiness and swelling around the eyes, eyelids, face, feet, hands and feet

_____ I have a family history of thyroid disease (parent, grandparent, brother, sister, child)
_____ A doctor has said that my thyroid should be monitored
_____ I previously was diagnosed with goiters or nodules
_____ I currently have a goiter, enlarged thyroid
_____ I currently or in the past have had thyroid nodules
_____ I have been treated in the past for hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
_____ I had a thyroid condition (i.e., post-partum thyroiditis, hypothyroidism, or hyperthyroidism) during a previous pregnancy
_____ I have had temporary thyroid problems ("transient thyroiditis") in the past
_____ I have now or in the past been diagnosed with another autoimmune disease, i.e., lupus, psoriasis, Raynaud's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, endometriosis, multiple sclerosis, alopecia, etc.)
_____ I am currently pregnant now
_____ I had a baby in the past nine months
_____ I have a history of recurrent miscarriage
_____ I have a history of infertility
_____ In the past, I had radioactive iodine (RAI) for Graves' Disease/hyperthyroidism treatment
_____ In the past, I have taken anti-thyroid drugs for Graves' Disease/hyperthyroidism treatment
_____ In the past, I have had surgery for Graves' Disease/hyperthyroidism treatment

_____ I'm having heart fluttering, skipping beats
_____ My heart is racing
_____ I'm having heart palpitations
_____ My pulse rate is fast
_____ My pulse, even when I'm resting or in bed, is unusually high
_____ I have shaky hands or tremors in my hands and arms
_____ I feel unusually hot
_____ I am feeling hot when others are cold or comfortable
_____ I'm perspiring more
_____ I am losing weight despite following my normal diet/exercise
_____ I am eating substantially more, but losing weight or staying the same weight
_____ My appetite has increased greatly
_____ I have a lot of nervous energy or I'm fidgety
_____ I am experiencing loose, more frequent and/or diarrheal bowel movements
_____ I feel nervous or irritable
_____ My skin looks or feels thinner
_____ My muscles are weaker, especially my arms and thighs
_____ I am having difficulty falling asleep
_____ I'm waking frequently
_____ I'm having insomnia
_____ I feel tired
_____ My hair is coarse and dry
_____ My hair is breaking, brittle
_____ My hair is falling out
_____ My skin is coarse, dry, and scaly
_____ I have a hoarse or raspy voice
_____ I have pains and aches in my joints, especially my hands and feet
_____ I am having irregular menstrual cycles
_____ I am not getting my period, or getting it infrequently
_____ I am having trouble conceiving a baby
_____ I have had one or more miscarriages
_____ I feel depressed
_____ I have had what seem to be panic attacks
_____ I've been diagnosed as having panic disorder or anxiety disorder
_____ My eyes are popping out, I have a "bug-eyed" look
_____ My eyes are dry, scratchy, sensitive to light
_____ My moods change easily
_____ I have feelings of worthlessness, depression
_____ I find it difficult to concentrate or focus
_____ I am feeling sad at times
_____ I am losing interest in my normal daily activities
_____ I'm more forgetful

What is hyperthyroidism?

Hyperthyroidism is an overfunctioning of the thyroid gland. This overfunctioning results in the production of too much thyroid hormone. Because the thyroid hormone controls many bodily functions, this increase in the thyroid hormone level causes these bodily functions, such as heartrate, or in some cases blood pressure, to increase, sometimes to very dangerous levels.

Is it contagious?

No. It's not thought to be contagious. (But one has to wonder, when George and Barbara Bush both came down with Graves' disease at the same time, and then so did their dog Millie.)

What causes hyperthyroidism?

Hyperthyroidism can be caused by:

Graves' disease, which is an autoimmune disease
Toxic nodules or goiters on the thyroid
Excessive thyroid medication given to hypothyroid sufferers
Iodine excess
Thyroiditis (an inflammation of the thyroid)

Graves' Disease is the most common type of hyperthyroidism. In Graves' Disease, the condition is caused by a generalized overactivity of the entire thyroid gland. Graves' disease is named after, Robert Graves, the physician who first described this form of hyperthyroidism.

I've heard Graves' Disease described as an autoimmune disorder. What does that mean?

It means that the disease is caused by a malfunctioning of the immune system of the body - the very system which also protects us from such unpleasant things as bacteria and cancer cells. The immune system works by producing antibodies (also known as immunoglobulins or lymphocytes) which attack and destroy many bad elements in the body, such as virus, bacteria, etc.. The problem is that sometimes this good defense system gets confused and starts attacking good cells. In Grave's Disease, antibodies are produced that attack some of the proteins on the surface of thyroid cells. In response, the thyroid cells produce too much thyroid hormone, which, in turn, overstimulate the thyroid.

How common is an autoimmune problem that results in some form of hyperthyroidism?

This condition is not common. About 10 percent of the population inherits an immune system that can make problems for the thyroid and only one in ten of these will ever have a problem.

Just what causes this problem in the immune system to occur?

It is believed that the environment somehow makes the immune system go haywire. The disease does seem to run in families, but science does not know why. In general, understanding autoimmune diseases is an issue that researchers focusing on extensively.

How does the environment make the immune system go wrong?

The jury is still out on this one. Severe emotional stress is the most commonly suspected culprit, but it is possible for someone to develop the disease without experiencing this stress. Still, reducing stress in life is always a healthy idea. Other factors the can trigger Grave's disease are smoking, radiation to the neck, medications (such as interleuken-2 and interferon-alpha), and infectious organisms such as viruses.

Even if you have Graves' disease, it can take weeks, or even months, before you suspect you are sick because the symptoms build very gradually. You may think you are just experiencing stress, or feeling extra anxious. Or the disease may actually make you happy in the short term, as one of the side effects of speeding up the thyroid can be weight loss. However, in the longer term, less desirable symptoms, such as muscle weakness, insomnia and trembling can also result. The pulse will likely increase, along with an inability to tolerate heat and abnormally high sweating. You may experience hair loss and diarrhea is common. Women may find that the menstrual flow will lighten and the time between periods grow longer. Depression can also enter the picture. And, as mentioned above, blood pressure and heart rate can increase to dangerous levels. But Graves' Disease often has the most visible impact on the skin and eyes. source- thyroid-info.com

Graves' disease is associated with inflammation of the eyes, swelling of the tissues around the eyes, and bulging of the eyes. However, 99% of the time, this inflammation will not cause serious or permanent trouble. Early signs of Grave's Disease affecting the eyes include:

bulging of the eyes due to inflammation of the tissues behind the eyeball (the medical term is exophthalmos)
blurred or diminished vision
red or inflamed eyes
double vision
It is believed that the swelling is caused by antibodies attacking the tissues of the eye muscles. There may also be a sensitivity to light, and a continual feeling that there is something in the eyes.

Such symptoms usually appear within six months of when the diagnosis of Graves' Disease is made.

Thyroiditis is inflammation of the thyroid gland. It generally occurs after a viral illness (which is known as subacute thyroiditis) or a pregnancy (postpartum thyroiditis). No specific virus or bacteria has been identified as causing the condition.

This condition is temporary, but runs through a cycle of about six to three months. First, the thyroid will release too much thyroid hormone, resulting in hyperthyroidism. Then, because the thyroid gland is depleted of the hormone, too little thyroid hormone is released, resulting in hypothyroidism.

Diagnosis of thyroiditis is usually made by means of a thyroid scan, as discussed above. Thyroiditis will reveal itself because the thyroid will take up very little of the RAI.

Thyroiditis is rare as a cause for hyperthyroidism. Because it is largely self-curing, patients are usually only given beta-blocker for relief of symptoms, rather than any additional treatment. They may also be given anti-inflammatory medicine, such as aspirin to decrease the pain of the inflamed thyroid gland. If the thyroiditis is adequately severe, a corticosteroid may also be used to reduce gland inflammation.

Regardless of the method of treatment eventually used, a doctor may initially recommend a beta-adrenergic blocking drug - also known as beta blockers - such as atenolol (Tenormin ), nadolol (Corgard ), metoprolol (Lopressor ), or propranolol (Inderal ) to block the action of circulating thyroid hormone on your body tissues, slow your heart rate and reduce your nervousness. These drugs can be useful in rapidly reducing these potentially dangerous symptoms until your treatment has taken effect.

However, they should not be used if you have asthma or heart failure, as they can worsen these conditions. Diabetic patients taking insulin should also take care because the beta-blocking drugs may mask the warning symptoms of low blood sugar.

Finally, these drugs are not a substitute for treatment, but they will normally make you feel better - sometimes in as little as a few hours.

What is the initial treatment for Graves' Disease?

The first course of action - when the disease is mild, or occurs in children or young adults, or needs to be promptly controlled (as with elderly patients whose heart disease puts them at risk from the increased heart rate associated with Grave's Disease) - is a course of antithyroid drugs, such as propylthiouracil (PTU) and methimazole (Tapazole ). These drugs make it more difficult for your thyroid to use the iodine it needs to make the thyroid hormone, resulting in a decrease in thyroid hormone production. Although both drugs can be used during pregnancy, PTU is preferable.

In about 5% of cases, a skin rash will result. In about 0.05% of cases, patients will develop a low white count, thereby increasing the risk of serious infection.

How successful is this drug treatment of Graves' Disease?

It only works for about 20 to 30% of patients. In these patients, antithyroid drug treatment for 12 to 18 months will result in prolonged remission of the disease, particularly if the disease is relatively mild when treatment is begun. This is another reason to see your doctor early if you suspect you have the disease.

Are there any side effects to antithyroid drugs?

In about 5% of cases, antithyroid drugs cause allergic reactions such as skin rashes, hives, and sometimes fever and joint pains. A much more serious potential side effect is a decrease in the white blood cells that are a part of the immune system - thereby resulting in a decrease in your resistance to infection. In very rare cases, these cells may disappear entirely (a condition called agranulocytosis) - which can be potentially fatal if there is a serious infection.

If, while taking these drugs, you experience an infection, stop taking the drug immediately and get a white blood count that same day. If the white count has been lowered and you continue taking the drug, the infection could become fatal. However, a lowered white count will return to normal once you have stopped taking the drug.

Hypothyroidism can result from the use of antithyroid drugs, although it is far less likely to result from this treatment than from surgery or radiation.

Most hyperthyroid patients wind up being treated with radioactive iodine, otherwise known as RAI. This RAI is administered by mouth, by means of a capsule or a liquid. What happens then is that the RAI goes from the stomach into the bloodstream and eventually into the thyroid gland. The RAI lodges there because the thyroid gland needs iodine to produce the thyroid hormone and therefore the thyroid gland will readily pick up the iodine from the bloodstream. In the thyroid gland, the radiation destroys some of the thyroid cells, thereby reducing production of the thyroid hormone.

Surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid gland (known as a thyroidectomy) will permanently cure hyperthyroidism. However, several things need to happen before surgery takes place.

1. First, surgery can be risky unless the hyperthyroidism is already being controlled by an antithyroid or a beta blocking drug, described below. Therefore, you will take either propylthiouracil or Tapazole to lower your thyroid hormone levels. You should reach normal levels in about six weeks

2. Often , for several days prior to surgery, you will also take some drops of nonradioactive iodine (either Lugol's iodine or supersaturated potassium iodide). This has the effect of reducing the blood supply to the thyroid gland, thereby making surgery easier and safer.

The goal of the surgery is to remove just enough of the gland so that thyroid production is back to normal. As with many things medical, determining how much of the gland to take is part science and part art. If too much is taken, than the patient can become hypothyroid.

There can also be other complications resulting from the surgery. One is vocal cord paralysis. Another, is accidental removal of the parathyroid glands, which are located in the neck in back of the thyroid gland. Because the parathyroid glands regulate the amount of calcium in the body, their removal will result in low calcium levels.

Surgery is now reserved for special cases, including:

pregnant women who cannot tolerate antithyroid medication
people who do not want RAI but do want a permanent form of treatment

What is hyperthyroidism?

Hyperthyroidism is an overfunctioning of the thyroid gland. This overfunctioning results in the production of too much thyroid hormone. Because the thyroid hormone controls many bodily functions, this increase in the thyroid hormone level causes these bodily functions, such as heartrate, or in some cases blood pressure, to increase, sometimes to very dangerous levels.

Is it contagious?

No. It's not thought to be contagious.

If you experience some anxiety symptoms when starting thyroid hormone replacement for hypothyroidism, your case is not unusual, in fact was my experience when being started on thyroid hormone therapy about five years ago. Patients sometimes get hyperthyroid type symptoms as their body adjusts to thyroid medication and can feel worse when anxiety is already there to begin with. Some Doctors help patients through this adjustment period, by giving them an as-needed anti-anxiety medication, for use short-term. I say short-term because these as needed anti-anxiety medications can lead to dependency upon them, if taken for more than a few weeks.

Strangely, hypothyroidism can cause anxiety symptoms and some patients seem to experience anxiety when it is at the level between normal and sub-clinical. The hormone therapy actually takes a patient to that point between euthroid (normal hormone levels) and sub-clinical hypothyroidism before it goes on to correct the hypothyroidism. This is due to the fact that as the thyroid medication is brought into your system, from the outside (orally), your own thyroid begins to shut down any of its own production of thyroid hormone. Some refer to this as suppression of the thyroid gland or in causing it to atrophy (dwindle down). Once a patient gets past that break-even point on thyroid hormone therapy, they can then see improvement in symptoms as the hypothyroidism is corrected from that point forward. It is a strange but interesting phenomenon and is why it is referred to as hormone "replacement".

This is just my theory as a well studied layperson on the thyroid disease subjects but I believe that in-between point of sub-clinical hypothyroidism and that of becoming euthroid, causes adrenal surges, much like people get with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). The body has an incredible system of sensors, which are the neurotransmitters and the hormones and it knows how to compensate for hormonal changes. My belief is that when the body senses small downward fluctuations in thyroid hormone, especially when a person it teetering between being euthroid and sub-clinically hypothyroid, the body tries to compensate for the hormone fluctuation, by releasing more adrenaline, as an alternative source of energy and to keep the body better kick-started. I also believe this is why hypothyroid patients at this point of sub-clinical hypothyroidism, will feel these adrenaline surges upon waking in the mornings. As soon as the patient is awake and ready to start the day, the body senses the need to compensate for inadequate thyroid hormone metabolism, for getting them through the day, so sends the adrenaline to help out.

This theory of mine comes from corresponding with literally 100s of thyroid patients, in addition to my own experience with this. It also comes from the reading of a number of medical research articles that clearly state that anxiety and anxiety disorders, can be related to hypothyroidism, especially the autoimmune type (Hashimoto's thyroiditis), which is the most common type. Some research also associates anxiety with sub-clinical hypothyroidism.

You may need help in getting through that in-between stage with the thyroid hormone therapy and if needed, take an as-needed anti-anxiety med, to help you get there. Also, by self-educating yourself, you will lend towards better treatment for yourself as well by becoming a partner with your Doctor in working toward getting your hypothyroidism treatment optimized for you as an individual and unique patient.