Treated for Hypothyroidism but still exhausted

[MikeGoodwin]

At 19 I was diagnosed with under active thyroid (was completely fked actually) - dad was diagnosed at so I had to go get checked. Anyways I take 200mcg Thyroxine a day and for many years I was fine (difference was incredible) and yearly blood tests proved fine. I'm now 26 and over the last year or two Ive been fairly tired some weeks, but blood tests were fine and despite mentioning I didn't feel normal the GP insisted I was ok.

Now the last 3 months I have been abnormally tired, and in the last month I have been on the verge of exhaustion as I was before I was treated (feel like Im taking about 0.5mcg Thyroxine a day or something...). I'm going to book a blood test which may turn up 'fine' again but I know this isn't normal. I've added an alarming amount of body fat and noticed my skins got quite dry in places and can I bks concentrate to save my life during afternoons at work. I also suffer when lifting weights in the gym as though I am a heavy smoker that cant breathe and some days I've had to go home early half way through as I'm completely exhausted.

Ive done some Googling (pro research...) and the gist is I may not be converting properly and need to change medication to T3 or something, but need to see an endo as the GP basically wont give a toss.

Has anyone done this? I get the feeling I am going to have to make a real effort to try persuade them to let me live a normal life.

[Rikk]

I've had the same thing with my Dr, they only go by the blood tests where as they should be going by how you feel as the range they use is the average and obviously there are people at either end of this and even well outside.
No amount of talking to the GP made any difference so I ended up seeing a consultant privately, the blood tests they need can end up being very expensive but they are usually open to getting as much done on the NHS and the really specialist stuff done privately if needed.
Do some googling on the thyroid and how it works it's reliant on so many linked things in the body it can be a huge range of things causing the issue.
I found out my vitamin D levels where below the dangerous level so was prescribed huge dose tablets and he also put me on Liothyronine tablets.
Thyroxin gets absorbed into body fat the reabsorbed back into the system that's why it take 6-8 weeks before a dose change is noticed, Liothyronine is MUCH faster acting, I felt it the same day.
Sorry I'm waffling anyone once i'd seen the consultant and taken the results back to my GP she was fine carrying on the treatment and even upping it when I requested.
So, sadly you will probably need to go over your GP as most seem to stick rigidly to standard range, but there are some of us out there that do not fit in that.
If you need any more info feel free to drop me a line [e-mail] and good luck

[calibrax]

If you have shortness of breath, get your heart checked. I had this and I thought it was just due to being unfit, but it turns out I have an irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation) and I'm now on meds which control it. The shortness of breath has gone

[russ turner]

I eventually got diagnosed with this aged 40 after enduring the symptoms for about 15 years previous without any doctor bothering to link the various symptoms and do the blood checks.

Came as a massive shock and to be honest I struggled to come to terms with it all, the why me, what does it mean, how do this happen, what's caused it etc but ultimately I got my head around it. Was on 200mcg per day but now I'm on 150 mcg but out of all of the symptoms, I'm still absolutely shattered every day.

Come 3 PM every day, I'm flagging. Its a bloody uncomfortable feeling sitting in a meeting when you can feel your eyes closing and you're trying to concentrate and feel like you;re loosing the fight.

I'm due my annual blood test and the usual "everything's OK, carry on as you are" but it doesn't address the "knackered" issue.

Any suggestions on how to approach this issue would be really appreciated

[J4CKO]

I am borderline and on 100 Mg a day, I know what I felt like in 2013 before I was diagnosed and treated and I can only imagine what it is like being properly afflicted with it, it is like wading through treacle, you forget what you were doing, you feel about 100 years old and dont know why.

I would say get an appt with a proper Endocrinologist as GP's are not Endocrine system experts and I think some treat it in a simplistic manner, when it isnt as simple as TSH is low, throw a bit more in till its ok.

The endo I saw seemed to be making some of it up as he went along to a certain extent, my GP told me I probably had a pituitary tumour, in the end it was a slightly underactive Thyroid.