Thursday, May 5, 2011

Thyroid Thursday- Signs and Symptoms


As stated in my last Thyroid Thursday post, I did not realize

that I was having low thyroid symptoms. Probably for several 
years before I was diagnose I was feeling symptoms but I 
think a lot of people get busy and don't realize something is 
wrong until it is really wrong. Even now I am not the best at
recognizing that my medication dose may be off. 

Physical symptoms:
  • Weight gain (due to fluid retention)
  • Dry skin
  • Yellow skin
  • Hair loss, including the eyebrows
  • Swollen face, hands, legs, ankles or feet
  • Feeling cold
  • Aches and pains in muscles or joints
  • Hoarse or raspy voice
  • Constipation
  • Heavy menstrual bleeding or irregular periods
  • Fatigue
Looking back I now see that I had several physical
symptoms:  fatigue, constipation, irregular periods
and aches and pain. Did I have dry skin? Well living in 
New Mexico that is pretty much a given so who knows.
I did have times of weight gain due to water retention
but I actually had lost a lot of weight because college
life allowed me to eat really once a day if I felt like it

Cognitive and mood-related symptoms:
  • Slower thinking
  • Trouble remembering things
  • Slower speech or movement
  • Feeling down or depressed
I normally struggle with the feeling down and depressed.
I have read that people with Hypothyroidism often
struggle with feeling unmotivated and this is often true
for me. Also my endocrinologist will ask me when my 
medication dose is too high if I am feeling anxiety.
I tell him I have 2 children and I work nights and I am 
often sleep deprived and yes I often have anxiety. But
who knows which one it is from.

Symptoms you might not be aware of:

  • Enlarged thyroid gland (your doctor can check for this during an exam)
  • Changes in cholesterol
  • Slow heart rate 
  • Infertility
My thyroid is enlarged and that is how my CNFP initially
found that something was up. Other wise these are
not things I deal with. I have my cholesterol checked 
because this can be an issue for people with Hypothyroidism.
Also I have read many times that women who are having
difficulty conceiving or carrying a pregnancy for any 
length of time will find that they have a low thyroid.
I will discuss in more depth in another blog about 
Hypothyroidism and pregnancy. But it is vitally important
if you have a low thyroid and are pregnant to have your
levels checked often. 

Research I have read says to keep in mind that even if
you have any of these symptoms it does not mean that
you do have Hypothyroidism. AND people can have it
and not have any signs and symptoms. So this is why
getting a yearly check up is important. We come from
a thought process that if it is not broke don't fix it.
But we need to change this lifestyle and be proactive
about our health.

1 comment:

Betty said...

I was using porcine supplements for many years and it greatly helped me. My thyroid is beginning to get back in balance.