Been lurking for a while ...

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Been lurking for a while ...
4
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 10:10pm
Hello!

I've been lurking around the board for a while and really enjoy the posts and information provided so I thought I'd take a chance and introduce myself.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism about 8 years ago and have been on levoxyl for that time, 100 mcg at the present. My last levels were taken in December (TSH = 4.93, T4 = 1.5) and I'm getting ready to have them checked again because I've been so tired the past few months and, even though I've been sticking with my diet/exercise program that has been working well, no weight is coming off so I have the feeling I might need an increased dosage.

I have been recently diagnosed with pulsatile tinnitus and have been having lots of tests done to try to determine its cause and will hopefully find something to either cure or manage it because I've been losing a lot of sleep. I actually questioned the ENT if it might be possible for my thyroid to be causing the problem but he was hesitant to venture that way. I'm scheduled to see a neurologist next week and if that does not prove productive, I'm going to an endocrinologist and have the thyroid checked out more thoroughly. I have been treated by my family practitioner since diagnosis with no problems but she had no clue how to work with the pulsatile tinnitus and referred me to the ENT.

Personally, I'm single (always have been) and live in Georgia with my cat Tillie. I just turned 45 last month and am entering "that time of life" otherwise known as perimenopause with all the joys that brings with it.

I look forward to being more a part of this board as everyone seems to support and encourage one another which is something I need right now.

Thanks for listening!

Sue

http://home.earthlink.net/~shinderlider/

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 11:04pm
Hi Sue - thanks so much for your post! It's so nice for you to just jump in and introduce yourself!! I'll bet you're right about your medication. Let us know what you find out about the pulsatile tinnitus. Is that an unusual condition? It must drive you crazy!!! Cathy :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-22-2004
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 11:16pm
Hi:

That TSH sounds high, and I think you're right about increasing the meds, too. I would expect you to have symptoms at that level.

Let us know what your Doctor says.

Dee.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-20-2003
Thu, 09-09-2004 - 3:17pm

Hi Sue, welcome to the board, glad you came out of


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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2004
Thu, 09-09-2004 - 4:44pm
Hi Sue!

I'm so sorry about your pulsatile tinnitus. I do know a lot of people with tinnitus but they are also deaf. I take it you are not deaf? I'm deaf by the way. :-) I have a cochlear implant and when I take it off, I have low-level tinnitus! It's masked by my implant so I don't hear it when it is on.

There are masking devices for tinnitus if you are not deaf. They look very much like hearing aids but they are designed to mask the tinnitus. You might check into that thru an audiologist.

Good luck! I know tinnitus is crazy. I am one of the lucky few since mine is low enough to be like "white noise" but that is unusual. Some of the people I know wear their maskers to bed. Oh- there's also CD's you can buy that are masking CD's, you can play them while you sleep, etc. and it will help you sleep thru the night. Masking CD's work by creating other sounds so you don't hear the tinnitus as much.

Hope that helps.