Thyroid Q and A or Running Hot and Cold

1

Update (Read 421 times)

    Met with my doc today to get the results of the thyroid uptake scan and all the thyroid/metabolic/ pituitary labs: Everything looks good. Thyroid uptake is normal. FT4 and FT3 are normal. TSH is still low (0.036), but she says with a normal T3 and T4, she's not worried about the TSH number. It has risen a little since a few weeks ago, so it's possible it is just a slow climber. Hormones are all normal, so it seems the pituitary is fine too- no secondary/ central hypothyroidism! The only thing that triggered an alarm was the cortisol, which was high. (Like a dummy I forgot to get a copy of my labs so I don't know the exact number- I'll get it next month). In another symptom of that, I have put on some belly fat in the past few months, an area I have never had a problem with gaining weight in before. I don't think I'm under a lot of stress, but if I am that could be the cause of high cortisol levels. If it's not, there is a possibilty that it is Cushing's. She wants me to do a 24 hour urine collection to test cortisol (peeing in a big jug for 24 hours). It has to be during a time when you aren't stressed, so I can't do it until Spring Break (mid-March). Plus you can't leave the house all day, since you'd have to lug a jug of pee along. If levels then are high, we worry. If not, she doesn't want to see me again for 6 months! I'm feeling pretty good. The majority of my hypo symptoms have diminished, except for the weight gain around my middle and feeling like my head is in a fog all the time. I told her the sluggishness/fog has gotten worse recently, and that I have no motivation to do anything and often forget what I'm thinking about/doing in the middle of it. It doesn't seem to be a memory problem, since I still remember stuff, just like a head fog. She has no idea why I'd feel like that with a low TSH. She also mentioned that maybe my birth control is interfering and causing the low TSH somehow. I told her it's the same kind I have been on for the past 5 years- through the hypo diagnosis and all the normal TSH readings while I was taking Levoxyl, so there's no reason for a sudden change. She's still completely at a loss as to why I was hypo for so long and now have normal thyroid function and hormones without a supplement. She did say that with elevated thyroid antibodies there is a decent chance I will have thyroid problems in the future, so we will always have to watch it. I asked about the dialysis T4 reading, but she doesn't think it's necessary now. There's a possibility that I am hypo, went hyper for some reason temporarily, and will go back to being hypo. Or I could level out in the middle. I'm so glad that I read that book Cheryl recommended, because I feel like I have a much better understanding of the whole see-saw effect and how the leveling out works. Great book... thank you Cheryl. Smile Anyways, that's it for now. I'm relieved that there isn't anything wrong with my pituitary or thyroid and am pretty optimisitc that the raised cortisol was just due to some stress that my body was reacting to, even if I didn't know it.
      I've been thinking of you, Shaunna - thanks for posting the update. Great news that all the levels are normal. You sound like you have a good endo there. Yeah, the 24 hr urine is a pain, but it gives much better readings than just a random sample. if it does come back high, hopefully she will do testing throughout the day. I'm waiting for saliva cortisol levels to come back - I had to collect specimens at 4 different times to see the ebb and flow. I am really curious as I have been very tired lately - but not really brain fog. For once, I think my thyroid levels are OK. What's going on with the quad? How long are you benched for? Sad

      Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away...(unkown)




      Go With The Flow
      Thyroid Support Group

        Thanks Cheryl. I am so glad I switched endo's, I really like how willing this one is to look into everything. Keep us updated with the saliva results. I also hear you about being really tired. I have been falling asleep about an hour before normal and sleeping an hour later every day. I'm just exhausted.Afirst I thought it was from the cold I had a few weeks ago, but it's still going on. It could be due to not being able to work out, since I always feel like I need less sleep when I'm running- but I'm getting 9+ hours now and still tired. The quad isn't healing as quickly as I thought. The school doctor said 2-3 weeks off would heal it, but I'm still getting pain after walking or while going down stairs. I'm trying to walk every few days, and I can go up to about a half hour without pain, so at least that's something, but my attempt at running last week didn't go well. I'm also in pain after a few minutes on the elliptical. I haven't tried biking or swimming yet. I don't know, I'm just not that motivated to excercise if I can't run. Undecided I think I need to see an ortho doc, but I haven't gotten around to making an appt yet.
          Are you sure it's just your quad? Yikes - I don't like to hear that you are still having pain with walking and stairs. If things don't settle down soon, I definitely think you should see an ortho. Have you tried gentle stretching? Good luck, and (((((((hugs))))), Shaunna.

          Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away...(unkown)




          Go With The Flow
          Thyroid Support Group

            Yeah, that's my worry too (that it's a knee problem not just the quad). I have been stretching and icing every night. I think I will make that ortho appt. though- one of the (many) docs I saw for my foot is supposedly a great knee guy, so I'll give him a call.
              Glad to hear it, keep me posted.

              Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away...(unkown)




              Go With The Flow
              Thyroid Support Group

                Here's my lab updates from a few weeks ago: FT4- 1.08 [range 0.61-1.76] FT3- 3.0 [2.3-4.2] We didn't even bother testing TSH since my endo feels that if these are normal than it doesn't matter what the TSH level is. I am pretty smack in the middle of normal now for both levels and I've been feeling really good so that's exciting. She felt my neck and said it felt good. Next up is another sonogram and more labs in 6 months just to make sure things are still good. Still no clue why I was hypo for 5+ years and maintaining with medicine and then stopped being hypo for no reason this year. One weird thing did show up in my labs. I have always been on the very low end of the range for white blood cell count but now I have fallen even below the range with that and with my Netruophils (Absolute). It could signify somehting autoimmune, but is more likely just genetic that I am low since I checked with my mom and she's always been low too. I am going to follow up with my primary care in a few months just to make sure though. A great checkup to report and I am very happy about it!
                  Awesome news, Shaunna!!!! This stuff can be so weird at times, just glad you are feeling so well Smile

                  Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away...(unkown)




                  Go With The Flow
                  Thyroid Support Group