Hypothyroid and other neuro conditions??

[LIZARD]

Hey, everyone. :)

I am a BT longtimer, typically on the autism (for my son), Arnold-Chiari (for my son), epilepsy (for me) and hydrocephalus (for me) boards. Now, over the past 18 mo or so, I have noticed gradually-worsening symptoms of dry and itchy winter-like skin (even in July!), extreme physical fatigue and exhaustion, disturbed sleep, increasingly poor memory and concentration, dry eyes, dry scalp and hair (used to be very oily), hair loss, worsening hypoglycemia, loss of eyebrow hair, very annoying muscle pain in my left arm (like I slept on it, but apparently I haven't), annoying post-nasal drip-like frog in the throat, extremely cold extremities (and nose) during winter (even in a 70-degree house) with cold feet persisting into July heat, and sudden difficulty losing weight.

Intense research has led me to be concerned about my thyroid, and I have an endo appt--for 8/6! :rolleyes:

So...my question--finally! :o Anyone already have neuro conditions in addition to this? I'm really concerned about how treatment might affect the stuff I have always had, particularly the epilepsy, which, I understand, it might. I s'pose it's remotely possible that it could be something else, but with all those symptoms, I doubt it. :(

Actually...another question as long as I'm here: I have been involved with Weight Watchers for 23 months and have lost about 95 lbs. :) I know I should feel energetic and feather-light in spite of about 60 to go, but the reality is that I feel like $h!t all the time. :( Could losing all that weight that quickly possibly have contributed to the thyroid going on strike?? Will treatment wake it up and help me start losing again?? (I have played with the same couple of lbs for about 4 months.)


TIA for any input at all!

LIZARD :o

[rumpled]

Hello!
Congrats on the weight loss... but not feeling good... ack.
Hmmm. I am not a doc but I have been in a situation close to your only without weight watchers... I lost about 50lbs without trying but was so tired.
I thought it was a thyroid problem, as well it could be... but in my case it was Cushing's disease. I did not have all the hallmarks - I have wonderful cholesterol and no diabetes, but had the purple stretchmarks and the humps. But I had a cyclical form which odd most docs seem to think does not exist as if you have a normal test, you cannot be sick even if you are falling apart right in front of them. I could not sleep, my weight would drop off but then pile on - with no change in diet or activity. My hair changed color and texture. Nice with a little curl now but... bizarre. And I ached all over - turns out that is the cortisol coming and going. When it goes, you are in withdrawel and it hurts. Bad. After all, cortisol/cortisone is used to treat arthritis and a variety of ailments as it is an anti-inflammitory. Your own body gets you addicted and then does not give you a consistent dose - and gives it to you when you need to sleep when a normal body would have none and then have none when you need it (loss of diurnal rhthym).
So it can be thyroid but your combo of symptoms are both hypo and hyper... that is odd...
Hope your doc checks out all your hormones!

[LIZARD]

Thank you, Jennifer! :)

I'm so sorry to take so long. I didn't really have anything to say until my appt, and now, we're waiting on my bloodwork, but my endo thinks I have secondary hypothyroid from hypothalamus and (maybe) pituitary damage from a rough high forceps birth and my hydro. She also said my numbers might be skewed by my phenobarb :rolleyes:, but if they're even borderline normal, she'll probably call in treatment so I can start right away, even though I don't go back for 3 months.

Honestly, I feel like complete crap. :( It's really sad, especially since I lost all that weight. (That's another thing: I have essentially stopped losing. My weight has been within the same 4 lbs since October. :( ) I never feel rested, and I thought I was senile before...:rolleyes: Geez!! I'm lucky to remember what planet I'm on most days. Thank God my son only has 2 more days of his summer program so I can sleep in for a couple of weeks before school starts again. Word is I'm probably ACTH-deficient, so I might initially gain while I'm on it (and maybe not), but if it makes me better, who cares??!! I just worry about how it'll affect my other med issues. Only time will tell...


Thanks, hon'!

LIZARD :)

[rumpled]

Three months! That is sad... Look up "sheehan's syndrome" as that is what pituitary damage from childbirth is. Another lady I talk to has it. But that is giving birth so I may be mistaken in how I am interpreting your post.
I don't understand why the docs wait so long when patients are suffering... I had to do that for years. Does she think you can start a thyroid med now? Weird as your symptoms all scream hyperthyroid and she says you are hypothyroid.
ACTH defiencient would mean you are addison's - and that would lead to weight loss - and is also rather dangerous to leave you without emergency medications, kit, instructions and a medic alert braclet (all that I have since I have the condition... ) so that is not something that she should leave you with for 3 months untreated as it can be life threatening if you have an adrenal crisis.
Er, what tests did she run and hope she gets back to you soon as if she is just going to start you on cortef/hydrocortisone/prednisone or something without guidance, she can mess you up bad and shut down your adrenals or give you exogenous Cushing's disease. I was on the cushing's side and had my adrenals removed so now on the other side. Both are... well... not fun. Read up a bit before you start taking large amounts of steroids. If not done properly, you can do damage to yourself and an inexperienced doctor well... is more harm than good... please read up.

[LIZARD]

Thanks, hon'. :)

Sorry...my birth, 40 years ago. :) As far as my symptoms, the inability to lose weight; dry, straw-like hair; dry, itchy, winter-like skin (even in August! :eek: ), extreme exhaustion and fatigue...that's not hypo?? :confused:

I'm also wondering if my losing the 90 lbs could have made my already screwed up brain and endo system say "HUH??!!" and bring on the symptoms?? Make any sense?

I'll keep looking. She said she'll call something in right away if I have obvious results indicating the need for treatment, but probably even if they're borderline, on acct of the 'barbs screwing with the results.

Thanks so much!! I'll keep you up to date! (I should hear from them this week.)


((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))),

LIZARD :)

[rumpled]

Oh man...
Well, I went digging around on some sites and gosh... itchy is either on some sites... hyper on one said wet skin... I got all discombululated when you lost all the weight and then stopped. So I stand corrected. I got messed up... I am feeling hyper with my dry skin but maybe I am really hypo! It must be that brain fog! ha ha.
I have had both and I got confused so I apoligize so I will put links so others can look... there is overlap and at times, I know people feel like both at the same time (makes the doc feel better when he ignores it...)
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/basics_starthere/a/hyperchecklist.htm
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/basics_starthere/a/hypochecklist.htm

I hope thyroid treatment helps... just be careful with the adrenal stuff. I have to be more awake when reading posts.

[LIZARD]

Hey, Jennifer. :)

Thanks so much for trying to help me. :) I was given these by someone else before my appt and went through the list ahead of time. Dr. G put it in my file. I noticed that some of the signs are common to both hypo and hyper. Curious...:confused: I s'pose Dr. G will have some thoughts on that after my bloodwork comes back. I just hope it's soon!! I'm going nuts...:o


Thanks again!

LIZARD :)

[sarahin]

Hi,
I have Graves Disease which causes hyperthyroidism and had it treated and now have hypothyroidism. When its hyper you are always hot, nervous, and wore out. Hypo makes you depressed, cold, sleepy. Both will cause memory problems. I developed Graves at 12 yrs old and was the only teenager I knew that put cold cream on my face at night. Although weight loss is often a symptom of hyperthyroidism, its unexplainable weight loss. Don't think that losing weight could ever cause thyroid problems. Send me a message if you have any question for me. Good luck getting this taken care of.
Sarah

[LIZARD]

Thanks, Sarah! :)

My symptoms largely seem to be indicative of hypo, but I'm gonna call tomorrow and see if they know yet. It's driving me insane. I'm always exhausted, apathetic, easily annoyed, cold extremities, horribly itchy and dry skin (very eczema-like), "frog" in my throat, very dry eyes, stiff joints, can't lose weight anymore...and the list goes on. :( I just hope to God treatment helps without jeopardizing my other med issues.

I'll be back after I hear what they found out...


'Preciate it!

LIZARD (big sis to a "Sarah" :D ) :)

[ms1128]

Lizard,

has any doctor thought of a mitochondrial disease or myopathy? I have many differant symptoms...so many of which that I don't like to say, but one is over active thyroid. Sometimes you can feel a little nutty.

[LIZARD]

Lizard,

has any doctor thought of a mitochondrial disease or myopathy? I have many differant symptoms...so many of which that I don't like to say, but one is over active thyroid. Sometimes you can feel a little nutty.

UGH...just what I need to add to my medical baggage! :rolleyes: Thanks for the suggestion, though. ;) I finally got my results 3 weeks ago--low T3. I'm on 15 mg of Armour 1x/day, and although I'm definitely not back to myself, I am considerably better, especially re the outrageous exhaustion. So far, so good with the neuro nasties. :) Now...if my skin would stop being so winter-like and my knees would stop stiffening. I'm only 40, for God's sake! :( When you lose 90 lbs, you're s'posed to feel awesome, not $h!tty! :( Time will tell, I s'pose...

LIZARD :)

[Shown]

Morning Lizard,

It has been ages since you and I have chatted. But I was reading your comments on the sudden weight loss. Last February I began working out at Curves and in May I went on their diet. By June I had lost 30" and 16 lbs, I was working out there 30 minutes a day 4 days a week plus I walked every day for at least 30 mintues. Then one day I woke up and I had no energy, I thought maybe it was a woman thing since it happened to be coinciding with that dreadful time of the month.

Well after months of Ms Jaybird (from chat) harping on me to actually take care of myself and not worry about the hubby (who is finally found a med that is giving him some life back) I made that dreadful Dr. appointment. Well to make a long story short my dr sent me for the usual blood work and ultrasound. Blood work has came back great everything normal including thyroid, but I have several small mass on the left side of my neck and a larger cyst type on the right. So off to nuclear thyroid scan, which came back stating the ones on the left are Cold Nodules, so biop is scheduled. Staying positive here, go to the endo today and biop should be first part of next week.

But back to my original comment to you: I keep thinking all of mine is diet related also because the diet I went on was to stimulate my metabolism and what controls that you guest it the thyroid. So you and I are thinking on the same line here whether we are right or not I dont have a clue but just letting you know you are not alone with these thoughts.

This is tough on me, I am lucky I am never sick.

Shown

[LIZARD]

((((((((((((Shown)))))))))))))). :(

I'm sorry to hear this, hon'. UGH. I should update and clarify, though: The 90 I lost came off as I worked WW like a mule. I haven't lost $h!t since...and even gained some back. :rolleyes:

The update: My D is nearly non-existent. :( Apparently, both the hypothyroid and my frickin' frackin' phenobarb worked together to suck it out of me. :( Can you even fathom my SAD symptoms up here in the nasty North Pole??!! :( :rolleyes: I started megadoses of D in December and am slowly coming back up, but it may be months before I'm even close to normal. I have made a pledge to read my paper out in the sun as soon as it's warm enough. (He said May-August.) That should give me enough time, even if I'm not able to get out during the rest of the day (which I probably can). As far as I know, the D deficiency is the big problem. Thyroid is allegedly back to normal, but we can't know for sure, because the phenobarb can monkey with the numbers. :rolleyes: I hate being such a medical enigma!! :mad: :(

Good luck with the biopsy, and please let me know...


*hug *hug *hug


LIZARD :)

[rumpled]

Good luck Shown.. with *several* masses, that significantly lowers that chances of any cancer as a single cold nodule is usually the highest risk (I had that and mine was benign so that is not even for sure). Still, all the tests are a bummer with all the waiting and wondering. Mine was a follicual adenoma. I had colliod nodules on the other side.

Lizard... whatever D you are taking - make sure it is D3. Get a good brand, take 1000iu or more a day and even a good gel cap is magnificent. There are some threads on this board - read them.

Yeah, being an enigma bites... I hope my neuro solve my mito/atrophy thing next week and finally gives me a name to my *thing* so I can move on...

[vheadley]

Just to let you know Im hypothyriod and have been for 13 years and sometimes flip-flop to hyper depending on the stability of my body and dosage of my medicine (you know how that works) just to let you know, I have the same horrible symptoms whether im hypo or hyper!!!!!! yea I know sucks dont it. My doc says thats just the way it works sometimes, my body forgot to read the book, maybe yours did too!!! just something to think about..... hope it helps.