Anyone with personal experience with hypothyriodism?

Question

What symptoms did u have? how did they diagnose it, and treat it??

no webmd or medical web page links, i want personal experience...

thanks :-)

Answer 1

My personal experience with being hypothyroid goes like this: tired, sluggish, depressed, weight gain, cold, shaky, irritable, long and heavy periods, dry skin, swelling in face and legs, hair became lifeless, hard to focus, forgetful. I have been hypothyroid for quite a few years. I never really understood it until I did start reading websites dealing with hypothyroidism. A lot of doctors just want to throw you the pill and be done. I did have the thyrid scan where you take the iodine. Turns out I have very little left of my thyroid. No known reason for the self destruction. I see an endocrinologist now instead of a family doctor. Make sure you take the medicine everyday and have regular blood tests to make sure you are taking the right amount. Also if you plan to get pregnant make sure your ob doctor knows you are hypothyroid. Low thyroid has caused me to have miscarriages. And yes i have had clinical hyperthyroidism where I was taking too much synthroid.

Answer 2

Feeling sluggish, susceptible to cold, brittle fingernails, tendency to gain weight. Just a general "don't-feel-good". Oh, and off the chart cholesteral. Got the blood test, problem identified, started taking a small daily dose of thyroid hormone extract, problem solved. I have taken it for years, and will have to take it for life. But thankfully the medication is cheap, it works, no side effects, and thyroid hormone level now in balance. All is well.

Answer 3

I get really tired, and gain weight very easily. I get very dry skin and I feel cold when i don't take enough syntroid. you have a blood test and your doctor start you on syntriod, a hormone to get it back to normal

Answer 4

Hi Blondie

Here are some ideas on how to heal the issue.

Cause: Hypothyroidism can be caused by food allergies, excess stress, environmental toxins, insufficient exercise, B vitamin deficiencies, lack of iron, lack of digestive enzymes, liver disease, hormone imbalances, and/or parasites. All of these factors need to be screened for and addressed before lasting relief can be achieved.

Sulfa drugs, lithium, synthetic estrogen, and antihistamines can exacerbate hypothyroidism symptoms. In addition, if you are on thyroid medication, increase calcium supplementation to reduce the risk of bone loss.


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Natural Cures

Broda Barnes Home Thyroid Test: The following simple test was developed by Broda Barnes, one of the first physicians to recognize the widespread incidence of hypothyroidism. Place a thermometer by the side of your bed before you go to sleep. In the morning before getting out of bed, lie still and place the thermometer under your armpit for 15 minutes, then check your temperature. A temperature below 97.5° F may indicate a problem with the thyroid gland. Take the temperature in this manner for three days, except for the first few days of the menstrual cycle and the middle day of the cycle, and calculate the average temperature. If it is consistently low, it is an indicator that your have hypothyroidism. The lower your body temperature is, the greater your degree of hypothyroidism.

Diet: Eat an organic, whole foods diet, emphasizing foods that are naturally high in iodine such as fish, kelp, vegetables, and root vegetables (such as potatoes). Also, increase your daily consumption of foods rich in vitamin B complex, such as whole grains and raw nuts and seeds, and foods rich in vitamin A, such as dark green and yellow vegetables. But avoid foods that slow down production of thyroid hormone, such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, broccoli, turnips, kale, spinach, peaches, and pears.

Herbs: Mild cases of hypothyroidism can be helped by herbal bitters such as gentian or mugwort, while constipation due to low thyroid function can be improved by yellowdock, butternut, or cascara sagrada. St. John`s wort can also be helpful.

Homeopathy: Calc carb. in a dose of 1M once a day is very useful for treating hypothyroidism and improving overall thyroid function.

Hydrotherapy: Hydrotherapy is the application of water, ice, steam and hot and cold temperatures to maintain and restore health. Treatments include full body immersion, steam baths, saunas, sitz baths, colonic irrigation and the application of hot and/or cold compresses. Hydrotherapy is effective for treating a wide range of conditions and can easily be used in the home as part of a self-care program. Many Naturopathic Physicians, Physical Therapists and Day Spas use Hydrotherapy as part of treatment.
*Purified water is essential for any hydrotherapy treatment. Remedies for Treating Chlorinated Bath Water offers clear instructions and recommendations.

Lifestyle: Regular aerobic exercise can play an important role in helping to regulate thyroid hormone production.

Nutritional Supplementation: Organic thyroid glandular extracts can help restore normal thyroid function, but should only be used under the supervision of your physician. Other useful nutrients include vitamin A, vitamin B complex, essential fatty acids, iodine, kelp, calcium, magnesium, and zinc.

Best of health to you.