Your Story and Levels?
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jennb1459
Posts: 3
I am new to this board and so far have enjoyed reading the different stories and journeys ya'll have posted. I would love to hear more stories about what triggered your quest for a diagnosis as well as the levels you had when attempting seek treatment. Here is my story written of the last few months. I am very new to this and still trying to understand a lot. Sorry the post is long, but it started as a personal rant just to vent to myself. Please let me know if any of you have had increased symptoms of Hashimoto's/hypothyroid during your menstrual cycle. Thanks for reading!
**** At a loss…. I really have no idea or very little idea what is going on with me. So here I am throwing it out to the internet just in case it strikes a chord with someone else. For a little over a year now I have been spotting in between periods. It typically happens during my fertile days before ovulation is supposed to occur. I have never had ovulation bleeding before this and according to when I am supposed to ovulate, the bleeding and ovulation do not directly coincide. I am 35 years old and run anywhere from a 30 to 33 day cycle. My luteal phase is on average 13 days. I am not pregnant and never have been.
Back in February 2014 I went to the Gyn. and had a sonogram, Transvaginal ultrasound, and some blood work done. The results of that test showed no abnormalities, polyps, or fibroids. My blood work returned normal for TSH and other hormones. The Gyn. said to just wait a few months, track what was going on and if it didn’t change then she would like to proceed with a D&C to clean things out.
In June 2014 and I was still experiencing the same issue and sought out a new Gyn. due to some billing procedure inconsistencies found at the original Gyn. (Basically instead of my $15-$35 Co-pay I was charged an extra $200 for services. Long story short, they gave me a “credit” that they never told me about. I had to request a check for the $200 of which they did issue me after several discussions with the owner of the practice. Problem solved financially, but I am not going back due to their inconsistent billing practices. Nothing against the doctor.) Anyway … The new Gyn. seems great despite a hard accent. She put me on 10mg of Medroxyprogesterone to essentially reset my cycle and ordered a thyroid panel per my request.
I requested the thyroid panel because I have a family history of thyroid issues which supposedly can cause irregular bleeding, sometimes fibroids, PCOS, and fertility issues. Real quick touch on the fertility issues… I have tried in the past to conceive via a fertility clinic. One time they had me come back in for blood work because my TSH levels 3.73 and they want to see it below 2.5 to conceive. The subsequent test was 2.07 so we proceeded with back to back IUIs. Four cycles with back to back IUI attempts later, including a medicated one with a trigger shot, yielded nothing.
The recent (June 2014) thyroid panel returned the following results: (my results are in between the *'s then the range and Unit)
Test *** Result *** Range *** Unit
Antithyroglobulin (ab) *<1.0* 0.0-0.9
Progesterone *11.8* 1.7-27 (luteal) ng/mL
Thyroxine (T4) *6.6* 4.5-12 ug/dL
Leptin, Serum *19.5* 5.9-32.4 ng/mL
Thyroid Peroxidase (Tpo) Ab *11* 0-34 IU/mL
Triiodothyronine, Free Serum *2.7* 2.0-4.4 pg/mL
Thyroxine (T4) Free, Direct *1.07* 0.82-1.77 ng/dL
T3 Uptake *31 * 24-39 %
- Free Thyroxine Index *2.0* 1.2-4.9 l
Triiodothyronine (T3) *92* 71-180 ng/mL
Ferritin, Serum *27* 15-150 ng/mL
TSH *3.27* .450-4.500 uIu/mL
Sex Horm. Binding Glob. Serum *28* 24.6-122.0 nmol/L
The ranges for TSH vary from lab to lab; some say .500-5.00 where others say .300-3.00. Depending on which one you want to use I am either “normal” or hypothyroid. Add in other “symptoms” such as scalloped and geographic tongue, weight gain in abdominal area, increased sensitivity to cold (hands/feet) (Temp in the house is at 74 F and I still wear jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and under a blanket in the evening.), fatigue, pains and aches in joints, need to exercise more than usual (NAH check list), can’t get enough sleep, bruise easily, itching (mainly at night and yes clean sheets ;-) ), mood swings that change easily, wake up frequently through the night, wake feeling tired, frequently exhausted, PMS symptoms seem to be getting worse, and the family history of an aunt with auto immune thyroid disorder (diagnosed in her late 40’s), and her mother (my grandmother) had her thyroid removed in her twenties. My grandmother’s sister also had thyroid issues.
As you can see it is all over the place hence why I am at a loss. The joint pain I experience is really starting to wear on me. If I sit for a half hour then get up to let the dogs out I hobble around like I am 80. There are times my ankles and legs hurt so bad and feel so weak that I fear I will fall down the stairs if I’m not careful. Add to that the pelvic pain and discomfort I am having and I am at wits end. My pelvic area has a constant pulling and stretching sensation unlike menstrual cramps. I used to get them for a few seconds or minutes around the same time I would bleed prior to ovulation, but lately the pain has been constant. Maybe it was the Medroxyprogesterone? But a list of the side effects doesn’t say a thing about pelvic pain. I just feel broken and brittle.
Lately I have managed to figure out that my “symptoms” greatly increase when I am about to get my period. 08/13/2014 I hit a huge wall! I could barely move my legs hurt so badly. My ankles, knees, shins, calves, hips, and lower back just feel like someone was crushing them. My ankles by far were the worse they have ever been. Normally they take a while to feel “normal” and for me to be able to trust putting weight on them, but this month… wow!!!! I avoided any stairs because I truly felt like I would fall down them. This is the first time pain has brought me to tears since I was a child. I am not crier or a whiner… I am the suck it up and keep moving type; so accepting the fact that this pain is getting the best of me is extremely hard. Once I started my period the “symptoms” began to decrease a bit day by day but they never go away entirely.
I recently started feeling good about running again and was doing about 3 miles (walk and run) and then the pain took over and BOOM, I hurt so bad I don’t want to run. Then I feel awful about my body weight, know I need to work out but can’t. The vicious cycle sets in: I want to work out, but hurt too badly, I see myself in the mirror and get pissed at how much weight I have put on, then get depressed, and of course when I am depressed I want to eat more!
I count calories, try to eat well and exercise, and no weight loss. I was 152lbs a year ago and now I am 168lbs. I hate it and all the weight is in my mid-section like I am wearing a flotation device. My right side “love handle” is twice the size of my left. My legs are fairly solid, my back is fairly solid, and my arms are average, but I feel disgusting and I am tired of all of this mess. I just want to know if there is something medically wrong with me or if I just need to suck it up as “life” and work out harder and eat better to get into shape. I feel like I am too young to feel this achy and stiff all the time. ****
Thanks in advance for any feedback!
**** At a loss…. I really have no idea or very little idea what is going on with me. So here I am throwing it out to the internet just in case it strikes a chord with someone else. For a little over a year now I have been spotting in between periods. It typically happens during my fertile days before ovulation is supposed to occur. I have never had ovulation bleeding before this and according to when I am supposed to ovulate, the bleeding and ovulation do not directly coincide. I am 35 years old and run anywhere from a 30 to 33 day cycle. My luteal phase is on average 13 days. I am not pregnant and never have been.
Back in February 2014 I went to the Gyn. and had a sonogram, Transvaginal ultrasound, and some blood work done. The results of that test showed no abnormalities, polyps, or fibroids. My blood work returned normal for TSH and other hormones. The Gyn. said to just wait a few months, track what was going on and if it didn’t change then she would like to proceed with a D&C to clean things out.
In June 2014 and I was still experiencing the same issue and sought out a new Gyn. due to some billing procedure inconsistencies found at the original Gyn. (Basically instead of my $15-$35 Co-pay I was charged an extra $200 for services. Long story short, they gave me a “credit” that they never told me about. I had to request a check for the $200 of which they did issue me after several discussions with the owner of the practice. Problem solved financially, but I am not going back due to their inconsistent billing practices. Nothing against the doctor.) Anyway … The new Gyn. seems great despite a hard accent. She put me on 10mg of Medroxyprogesterone to essentially reset my cycle and ordered a thyroid panel per my request.
I requested the thyroid panel because I have a family history of thyroid issues which supposedly can cause irregular bleeding, sometimes fibroids, PCOS, and fertility issues. Real quick touch on the fertility issues… I have tried in the past to conceive via a fertility clinic. One time they had me come back in for blood work because my TSH levels 3.73 and they want to see it below 2.5 to conceive. The subsequent test was 2.07 so we proceeded with back to back IUIs. Four cycles with back to back IUI attempts later, including a medicated one with a trigger shot, yielded nothing.
The recent (June 2014) thyroid panel returned the following results: (my results are in between the *'s then the range and Unit)
Test *** Result *** Range *** Unit
Antithyroglobulin (ab) *<1.0* 0.0-0.9
Progesterone *11.8* 1.7-27 (luteal) ng/mL
Thyroxine (T4) *6.6* 4.5-12 ug/dL
Leptin, Serum *19.5* 5.9-32.4 ng/mL
Thyroid Peroxidase (Tpo) Ab *11* 0-34 IU/mL
Triiodothyronine, Free Serum *2.7* 2.0-4.4 pg/mL
Thyroxine (T4) Free, Direct *1.07* 0.82-1.77 ng/dL
T3 Uptake *31 * 24-39 %
- Free Thyroxine Index *2.0* 1.2-4.9 l
Triiodothyronine (T3) *92* 71-180 ng/mL
Ferritin, Serum *27* 15-150 ng/mL
TSH *3.27* .450-4.500 uIu/mL
Sex Horm. Binding Glob. Serum *28* 24.6-122.0 nmol/L
The ranges for TSH vary from lab to lab; some say .500-5.00 where others say .300-3.00. Depending on which one you want to use I am either “normal” or hypothyroid. Add in other “symptoms” such as scalloped and geographic tongue, weight gain in abdominal area, increased sensitivity to cold (hands/feet) (Temp in the house is at 74 F and I still wear jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and under a blanket in the evening.), fatigue, pains and aches in joints, need to exercise more than usual (NAH check list), can’t get enough sleep, bruise easily, itching (mainly at night and yes clean sheets ;-) ), mood swings that change easily, wake up frequently through the night, wake feeling tired, frequently exhausted, PMS symptoms seem to be getting worse, and the family history of an aunt with auto immune thyroid disorder (diagnosed in her late 40’s), and her mother (my grandmother) had her thyroid removed in her twenties. My grandmother’s sister also had thyroid issues.
As you can see it is all over the place hence why I am at a loss. The joint pain I experience is really starting to wear on me. If I sit for a half hour then get up to let the dogs out I hobble around like I am 80. There are times my ankles and legs hurt so bad and feel so weak that I fear I will fall down the stairs if I’m not careful. Add to that the pelvic pain and discomfort I am having and I am at wits end. My pelvic area has a constant pulling and stretching sensation unlike menstrual cramps. I used to get them for a few seconds or minutes around the same time I would bleed prior to ovulation, but lately the pain has been constant. Maybe it was the Medroxyprogesterone? But a list of the side effects doesn’t say a thing about pelvic pain. I just feel broken and brittle.
Lately I have managed to figure out that my “symptoms” greatly increase when I am about to get my period. 08/13/2014 I hit a huge wall! I could barely move my legs hurt so badly. My ankles, knees, shins, calves, hips, and lower back just feel like someone was crushing them. My ankles by far were the worse they have ever been. Normally they take a while to feel “normal” and for me to be able to trust putting weight on them, but this month… wow!!!! I avoided any stairs because I truly felt like I would fall down them. This is the first time pain has brought me to tears since I was a child. I am not crier or a whiner… I am the suck it up and keep moving type; so accepting the fact that this pain is getting the best of me is extremely hard. Once I started my period the “symptoms” began to decrease a bit day by day but they never go away entirely.
I recently started feeling good about running again and was doing about 3 miles (walk and run) and then the pain took over and BOOM, I hurt so bad I don’t want to run. Then I feel awful about my body weight, know I need to work out but can’t. The vicious cycle sets in: I want to work out, but hurt too badly, I see myself in the mirror and get pissed at how much weight I have put on, then get depressed, and of course when I am depressed I want to eat more!
I count calories, try to eat well and exercise, and no weight loss. I was 152lbs a year ago and now I am 168lbs. I hate it and all the weight is in my mid-section like I am wearing a flotation device. My right side “love handle” is twice the size of my left. My legs are fairly solid, my back is fairly solid, and my arms are average, but I feel disgusting and I am tired of all of this mess. I just want to know if there is something medically wrong with me or if I just need to suck it up as “life” and work out harder and eat better to get into shape. I feel like I am too young to feel this achy and stiff all the time. ****
Thanks in advance for any feedback!
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Replies
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Well hello Jenn!
welcome to our group!
I have to admit, I know nothing about fertility and female sex hormones and trying to get pregnant. SO I wont even pretend to know lol.
As for your thyroid hormones, in my opinion (which doesn't mean much), your TSH could come down a bit and your T4 need to come up some. Most people feel their best when TSH is between1-2 or around there, some even feel best with it below 1. That can be a trial and error thing. As for T4, having it in the upper 1/4 of the range is best. I bet your T3 could use some work, but they didn't test for that that I saw (not the T3 uptake). TPO antibodies are at a good level to be optimal which would be less than 20, so that indicates you don't have Hashi's, so yay!
For all of your stiffness, soreness, and pain - I suggest taking magnesium at bed time, I take 500-600 mg as I'm about to go to sleep. Also, taking tyrosine in the morning could be an easy thing to try getting your thyroid hormones straightened out. Tyrosine si essential fro proper thyroid hormone support and conversion. I take two 500 mg capsules as soon as I get up in the morning and I swear it's been a godsend!
I hope someone else can chime in for the female hormone stuff for you. :flowerforyou:0 -
I hear your frustration and am sorry you are going through so much.
I can empathize a little having gone through thyroid issues, infertility and joint pain too. I have had hashimotos for over a dozen years maybe more but not until I gained weight suddenly and I felt extreme fatigue did I start looking for answers. I felt cold all the time, depressed but I was dismissed by doctors and endocrinologists. My joint pain is an autoimmune disorder, just like my thyroid problem - hashimotos. I felt like a 90 yo at times where every joint would be so painful I couldn't face going up and down stairs. Thankfully it has reduced and I am pain free thanks to adopting a gluten free diet. Other issues also resolved after removing gluten from my diet. I have experimented by eating bread again and the pain came back in my fingers so bad that I couldn't open and close my fists without pain. I don't know if it will work for you, but I tried an elimination diet and removed milk and gluten from my diet. I feel so much better. If you have a big tummy compared to the rest of you it sounds like metabolic syndrome. I have that too so I know I am at high risk for diabetes. I actually do have prediabetes now.
Additionally, I was infertile for many years, I had PCOS, but am now a mom of 3. I wish you all the best. Keep searching for answers and good doctors to help you.0 -
Thank you both for your feedback and support. I have an appointment next Friday and I am hoping for some answers or at least guidance. It is all very frustrating. The irregular bleeding, joint pain, and localized weight gain are by far my biggest concerns. I did read on a medical journal site that Hypothyroidism can cause mid-cycle/irregular bleeding, and even PCOS. I'm interested to see if any other women have experienced the same?
After my appointment/pending outcome, I will most definitely look into the diet and Magnesium supplements. At this point I am ready to try anything!!!!
Thanks again ladies!
Jenn0 -
Thank you both for your feedback and support. I have an appointment next Friday and I am hoping for some answers or at least guidance. It is all very frustrating. The irregular bleeding, joint pain, and localized weight gain are by far my biggest concerns. I did read on a medical journal site that Hypothyroidism can cause mid-cycle/irregular bleeding, and even PCOS. I'm interested to see if any other women have experienced the same?
After my appointment/pending outcome, I will most definitely look into the diet and Magnesium supplements. At this point I am ready to try anything!!!!
Thanks again ladies!
Jenn
The biggest thing is making the lifestyle change to support what your body needs now that you have thyroid disease..and the hardest part of that is giving up food you shouldn't eat anymore. That can be very individual for folks - but a huge commonality for the majority of us is gluten. Some people also have to ditch dairy and soy. Some even have to go further and eliminate other food items. But you gotta start somewhere so your body can heal 0 -
Hi Jenn,
I too had difficulty conceiving. I found years later, after I had a succesful pregnancy, that in addition to PCOS, I also had a pituitary microadenoma or prolactinoma that caused my pituitary to secrete excess prolactin that simulates breast feeding and impedes fertility. Have you ever had yours tested?
I also had gestational diabetes and later full-blown diabetes. Have you been tested for insulin resistance?
BTW my ex had a low sperm count too which was a contributing factor to my infertility but think the clinic would have ruled that out?
I think it is very positive that you have been able to lower your TSH. I too have heard that below 2.5 is optimal for conception.
I am sorry for the pain you are feeling. I only recently discovered thyroid abnormalities as I was only tested for TSH and T4 in the past so I can't speak to whether it caused the PCOS. I also went 7 years without a menstrual cycle from my mid 20s to 30s. I did not care because I was not trying to conceive again.
Do they say you have thyroid disease? Your levels look really good to me from what little I know.
Good luck. I know it is very hard but try not to stress and just take care of yourself.0 -
Finally went to the doc in late August. I have a "sluggish" thyroid, my adrenal glands are off, and I am vitamin D deficient. On top of that, I also have Lyme's Disease which seems to have accounted for the majority of the joint pain. I am still on meds for all of the above, but I will say I am feeling much better and getting back into the grove. The irregular bleeding didn't occur this month and I am hoping that will be a permanent change. Still unsure if the thyroid was causing that or the Lyme's Disease. Thanks again for the support.0
