Confused! hypo symptoms, hyper results

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-07-2006
Confused! hypo symptoms, hyper results
3
Thu, 03-15-2007 - 2:04pm

I was so happy to see this message board! Ivillage helped me through my pregnancy, so I'm hopefully another wonderful group of people can help me understand this.

I have symptoms of hypothyroid, but my doctor was shocked when my test results came back this morning showing hyperthyroid. Yet, my t4 is normal. My TSH was 0.12. I can't remember what the t4 was. She's sending me for more tests--t3, scan, and to see an endocrinologist. I'm really nervous and not sure what to expect. I am overweight after having my second child and my weight is not coming off despite cutting calories to 1400 a day and exercising. I am 33 years old. I am tired all the time, my blood pressure is running low/normal, my heart rate is slow/normal, I am constipated all the time, my joints hurt, my head is spinning, I have headaches. For most of my life, I was intolerant of cold--couldn't get warm enough, but since pregnancy I am hot all the time and sweating a lot and my legs are swelling. Sometimes I wake up with a swollen face. Also, my weight has steadily climbed (pregnancy notwithstanding) over the past few years. I gained 20 pounds between 2004 and 2005, despite taking on running and exercising much more intensely. I got pregnant in late 2005, had the baby August 2006, but now weigh 15 pounds more than I did when I got pregnant, so I am now 35 pounds heavier than a little more than two years ago. I have a whole closet full of clothes I can't wear.

My doctor thinks perhaps I could have had pregnancy-induced thyroiditis and that my body is trying to normalize. But she is bewildered as to why my weight is not "falling off," as she said, considering my very low TSH level.

She said one possibility was Grave's disease, which my mother has, but again, I am not losing weight, and my heart rate is not fast at all.

And did I say I'm tired all the time? My baby is sleeping through the night, and I am going to bed by 9:30 each night and getting up at 6 a.m., but I still feel like I need to sleep constantly. I'd like to take a nap right now.

I hope someone can help me understand this. I've been doing internet searches since I got back from my appointment this morning, but nothing is helping.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-03-2007
Thu, 03-15-2007 - 5:45pm
Hi...
Though I don't have all the answers to your problems, I was diagnosed with Graves with little weight lost. I was tired all the time, I felt like I was on fire. I would keep the heat down and my family would be freezing. Weight loss is very common however, it doesn't always happen. In fact I teased my doctor that I was the only overweight hyper person out there. My eyes, face and legs where swollen, and I hurt everywhere. I've since been treated with RAI and am now hypo and ironically some of the symptons are very similar. Fatique, muscle aches, mood swings etc. Good Luck with your testing and know your not alone.
Trish
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-07-2006
Thu, 03-15-2007 - 8:37pm

Thank you. That means a lot. My mother has Graves but she doesn't know much about it. She was diagnosed back in the 70s but the doc decided not to treat it and she has not really thought about it too much since then, even though looking back she has had all these symptoms. She was told she was in early menopause but I wonder if it was her Graves disease instead. Now she is having atrial fibrillation and is frustrated that the cardiologist is disimissing her when she tells him she has a thyroid condition. He won't even check her levels! So after talking to her tonight and telling her about my tests, she has decided to get a second opinion and demand that her thyroid be checked. They have her on some potent meds for afib and she suspects she might not need them.

I am totally new to all of this, so any perspective helps. Thanks again!

Avatar for cl_calley7
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Sat, 03-17-2007 - 5:48pm

Hi southernbelle_1,


Welcome to our board.


From your description, it does kind of sound as though your pregnancy could have triggered the thyroid problems.

 

Calley7