Forums >Health and Nutrition>Running and possible Hypothyroidism
Not new to running but new to possibly having Hypothyroidism. I have read ALOT on this subject and what I find is... I have the side effects but I my blood tests are all over the map and so with that being said my primary states "I AM FINE". My last comment.. I don't believe that.
These are the symptoms:
muscle fatigue/weakness
always cold ( have always been)
dry skin ( always have had)
hair is falling out
almost 20lbs gained in a year
on and on
i have made an appt with a specialist but I have been waiting for almost 3 months now. I feel like some days I have am ok and maybe made it up i. My head and then other days I struggle to get out of bed.
Any information you have is appreciated.
Help!
hi
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Are you female? low progesterone levels can mimic hypothyroidism and explain your symptoms but also explain why your blood tests are coming back the way they are. Have you had your hormones tested recently? Have you had your iron levels checked as well??
runktrun
What Christirei said, and check the full spectrum of thyroid stuff, not just TSH:
total or free t3
free t4
TSH
thyroid antibodies
Normal range for TSH is now (I think) between 0.4 - 5.0, however, some people feel like shite at the upper end of that range.
Not running for my health, but in spite of it.
These are the symptoms: muscle fatigue/weakness always cold ( have always been) dry skin ( always have had) hair is falling out almost 20lbs gained in a year on and on
The problem with thyroid disease is the symptoms are so non-specific, like this. I'm not a doctor, but off the top of my head I can think of about 10 common diseases that would cause these symptoms.
However, I will say that gaining 20 pounds in a year is pretty extreme for hypothyroidism. ~10 pounds would be more typical in an average sized person; ~5 pounds if you're short. Makes me think something else is going on. Go see that specialist!
Only 26.2 miles more to go.
When you say your labs are all over the map, what does that mean? Give us some numbers. Your TSH should be between 1 and 2 generally. Readings outside that range may indicate a problem. If you have an elevated but "subclinical" TSH (between 2.5 and 4.5) AND test positive for thyroid antibodies (TPO Ab, Tg Ab), that indicates Hashimoto's thyroiditis, a long-term and typically irreversible decline in the gland's function. A thyroid ultrasound that shows significant enlargement (thyroiditis) or a number of nodules (goiter) also indicates dysfunction, and may help to confirm or rule out the thyroid as the root cause. If thyroid dysfunction is suspected, a family practitioner can order all of the tests that an endocrinologist would: TSH, T3, Free T4, TPO Ab, Tg Ab, thyroid ultrasound.
justrundan
Internist here, agree with seilerts, though ultrasound won't add much if all the lab tests are normal, that is, in the range seilerts mentioned, not necessarily the labs normal range.
TSH alone isn't always enough.
Dan
Thanks Dan for the helpful comments. My own case of thyroiditis was discovered as an incidental finding of enlarged thyroid from a neck ultrasound -- large enough that I was offered a thyroidectomy. Subsequent blood work confirmed the enlargement to be caused by Hashimoto's. My TSH at the time was 3.6. I feel very fortunate that I was able to get diagnosed and put on treatment in the early stages of the disease, as it could have taken many more months of symptomatic misery to get an overt TSH reading.
jfa
I found out that I have Hashimoto's from a routine check up. I had no symptoms other than I was running a lot, eating nothing but yogurt and salads, but could not lose weight.
That finding allowed me to lose my extra 10-15lbs, and qualify for Boston. Not to mention all the other very bad stuff that can happen if it was undiagnosed.
My TSH was very high but is now normal.