More Pieces To The Puzzle?

[ohsotired]

I'm still researching and trying to gather more info to take with me to my next doc's appointment.

Here are a few other things that are plaguing me, that I'm wondering if they could also point to thyroid issues......

• High(er) body temperature - I typically see right around 98.6 when I get out of bed in the morning, but when I take my temp in the evening, it's often 99.9 - 100.3 (with a digital scanner thermometer - it's all I have atm). My face often feels flushed at the end of the day, yet my hands and feet are almost always cold.
  
• Daily Headaches - This is what really started me on my road to dx a year ago, and at the time the doc I was seeing sent me for an MRI (of which I know nothing except "normal" - I never saw the films). I went to the eye doc around the same time and my prescription had changed, and that seemed to make a difference with the headaches........BUT, now I feel pressure behind my eyes. Doesn't really feel like sinus pressure, and it's not terribly noticable unless I rub my eyes (which usually feel 'gritty' when I do this - I thought maybe it was allergies, but uhm, it's NOVEMBER now.......)
  

I posted a few days ago about some other plaguing symptoms (along with results from my thyroid tests), but as I research thyroid issues, I've seen some of these things pop up in some old threads. Coincidence? I've also taken those online quiz things to try and see what my symptoms fit, and I scored high on both the hypo and the hyper quizzes. Would that point to something like Hashi's or Graves?

I'm just trying to be as well informed as I can before I march into the doc's office and request more tests..........

Thanks all!

[Mother of Jibril]

Do you have other symptoms of Graves' disease... sweating, palpitations, anxiety, insomnia?

A slightly high body temperature could also indicate chronic infection.

If your temperature changes a lot throughout the day, you might have an adrenal problem (autoimmune or caused by chronic stress)... have you been checking your temperature throughout the day?

[Rachel--24]

I had these symptoms with Graves Disease. The headaches and pressure behind my eyes were the worst symptoms....but I also had:

sweating

huge appetite

shaky hands

anxiety

heart palps

felt wired all the time

and a little OCD

I did not have cold hands and feet while I was hyperthyroid.

[ohsotired]

Do you have other symptoms of Graves' disease... sweating, palpitations, anxiety, insomnia?

A slightly high body temperature could also indicate chronic infection.

If your temperature changes a lot throughout the day, you might have an adrenal problem (autoimmune or caused by chronic stress)... have you been checking your temperature throughout the day?

I don't have those specific symptoms (except for the anxiety, which is not constant). I do have other symptoms (irritability, fatigue, gritty feeling eyes, unexplained swelling of eyelids - although it's been a long time since this has happened, constantly thirsty, difficulty concentrating or remembering things, brittle breaking nails, jumpy eyes, ) but a lot of these can probably be symptoms of other things too.

I do NOT have insomnia, quite the opposite - the instant I sit down or lay down, I'm falling asleep and could sleep for 12-14 hours a stretch if allowed to do so. Not sure how to answer the sweating part.....I typically feel very cold, but my skin feels like it's giving off a lot of heat (that flushed feeling). But I also have 'hot flashes' in that I will suddenly go from cold to HOT in an instant, triggered by things like standing under a heat vent or near a refrigerator that is running and giving off warm air.

I don't know if my temp changes a lot throughout the day - it's difficult for me to check it at consistent times during the week while I'm at work, and I wasn't too consistent with it over the weekend. I'm going to try to do the temperature chart, but think I need to get my hands on a non-digital thermometer first........

Incidentally, I just checked it a little while ago, and it's at 98.4, yet I still feel very cold and my skin feels hot.

I really have more symptoms that seem to fit with hypothyroid than with hyperthyroid, I think.

Rachel--24 - a question about your headaches and pressure behind your eyes........did taking an NSAID help alleviate it for a little while?

Or was it a constant, no matter what you tried for it?

[Mother of Jibril]

What if you have an infection (like candidiasis) AND your thyroid is a bit low? That could explain the normal body temperature and abnormal symptoms. Your symptoms do sound more like hypothyroid... fatigue, dry eyes, irritability, brittle nails. Have you noticed any hair loss? Heavy, irregular periods? Not everyone has exactly the same experience, but www.stopthethyroidmadness.com has a long list of possible symptoms.

The constant thirst makes me think of either Sjogren's or diabetes... or your body healing from celiac.

Personally, my body temperature hovers around 97.5-98.0 (a digital thermometer is great... I bought a cheap one at Target that works in eight seconds). Over the last couple of weeks I've noticed that I'm not feeling so cold all the time... maybe the Gluten-free Casein-free diet and thyroid medication are finally doing some good. The interesting thing is that my body temperature hasn't really changed, just how I feel.

[ShayFL]

Malfunctioning adrenal glands can also disrupt normal body temperature. Shoot for as many endocrinological tests as you can get. I have read that you CAN have Hashi's and Graves at the same time. And some people swing back and forth. So make sure they test you for both antibodies. Have them check your cortisol, aldosterone and renin while at it.

[Jestgar]

What are your ferritin levels? When my were low my face was very flushed.

[ohsotired]

Mother of J - I have noticed what I think is abnormal hair loss. It's not coming out in clumps, but it's certainly not a 'normal' amount. My periods have always been on the heavier side, and last 7-10 days. Just recently I've noticed my cycle is a little out of whack (last one was right at 21 days) but I just blamed that on the celiac disease.

The thermometer I have is one of the forehead scanners - is that good enough? Or should I go get one of the cheapie digital under the tongue ones?

RE: constant thirst - diabetes does run in the family, along with hypothyroid and celiac disease. I've looked at symptoms for Sjogren's, and I do suppose that's a possibility as well, although the last round of blood work showed an ANA of 57 (<100 neg) and a Sed Rate of 2 (0-20). Oh, and I wouldn't say my eyes are DRY dry, as they do tear up (allergies) but they feel gritty a lot of the time.

ShayFL - I have thought about the malfunctioning adrenals as well, and had thought I'd bring that up too. Thank you for mentioning the additional things to have them check - I'm doing the research and reading the same things, but unless I write it down immediately it's just not sticking. So I wrote those down too.

Jestgar - I wish I could tell you! So far in all of this, my ferritin levels have not been checked. That's on my list for this next visit as well.

Something else I should mention, as I'm sure it has an impact on all of this..........I am a smoker, and have been for 15+ years.

I'm not proud of it, so please, no lectures. I'm determined to quit before the end of the year, and for good this time.

I also have some previous blood test results I could post up if anyone thinks they're important here (folate/b12, cbc panel), but they're from July of this year.

Thanks so much for your patience and your help, everyone. It's appreciated, and hopefully I'm on the right track with all this.

[ShayFL]

My sister just quite smoking in March after 30 years. She got dx breast cancer and decided to turn her life around. So Im rootin for you.

BTW smoking inhibits thyroid function.

Dry eyes was one of my symptoms of hypoT and my Mom's too.

[julirama723]

My Graves Disease symptoms (keep in mind I was diagnosed at 13 but had symptoms for 4 years prior to that and did not tell a soul):

extreme appetite

extreme thirst

extreme weightloss

huge growth spurt (I grew 10" over the course of one summer)

fatigue AND insomnia (The fatigue was possibly a by-product of the insomnia. I would fall asleep everyday after school for at least 3-4 hours. I would go to bed at 10 or 11 but not be able to sleep until 2 or 3am.)

heart palpitations (I felt like I was having mini heart attacks.)

migraines (I would get serious migraines [nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to smell, light] at least once a week, sometimes "residual" headaches often as 2-3x)

shaky hands

strange episodes of being disoriented like I was in a dream, couldn't control what I said or did (sort of like an out-of-body experience.)

cold hands and feet (I have had this since I was a kid, and still have this, might be Raynaud's???)

VERY "hormonal"

[Mother of Jibril]

Mother of J - I have noticed what I think is abnormal hair loss. It's not coming out in clumps, but it's certainly not a 'normal' amount. My periods have always been on the heavier side, and last 7-10 days. Just recently I've noticed my cycle is a little out of whack (last one was right at 21 days) but I just blamed that on the celiac disease.

The thermometer I have is one of the forehead scanners - is that good enough? Or should I go get one of the cheapie digital under the tongue ones?

RE: constant thirst - diabetes does run in the family, along with hypothyroid and celiac disease. I've looked at symptoms for Sjogren's, and I do suppose that's a possibility as well, although the last round of blood work showed an ANA of 57 (<100 neg) and a Sed Rate of 2 (0-20). Oh, and I wouldn't say my eyes are DRY dry, as they do tear up (allergies) but they feel gritty a lot of the time.

My hair loss was like that too... no clumps, but a LOT was coming out in the shower. The first time it happened I was 17 and studying abroad in Germany. My host mother was horrified at the amount of hair I was losing all over the bathroom floor... she told me I better ask a doctor about it. Ditto for the periods, but things improved after my first pregnancy.

I've read that the forehead scanners are not very accurate... not because of the device, but because your skin temperature can vary a lot more than your internal temperature.

I had an ANA of 33 about a month ago, so I've been doing a little reading about it. Doctors order that test when they suspect lupus or RA, but thyroid antibodies can show up too and can give you a "false positive."

My eyes also get dry... that could be related to my thyroid disorder and/or the LASIX surgery I had in 2000. I'm going to ask about it the next time I have my eyes checked. It's annoying! Air conditioners and fans drive me crazy.

[ohsotired]

My sister just quite smoking in March after 30 years. She got dx breast cancer and decided to turn her life around. So Im rootin for you.

BTW smoking inhibits thyroid function.

Dry eyes was one of my symptoms of hypoT and my Mom's too.

I have hope! I know I can do it, and I think I'm finally ready - I've tried several times before and it didn't go so well.

julirama - thanks for sharing your symptoms. The only thing that really fits me (listed in your symptoms) is the thirst, and the cold hands/feet. I don't think I would consider my headaches migraines, but they certainly are annoying! I remember having worse headaches in high school, just before I was dx'd with TMJ (btw, is that related to all this? It went away, but it's back.).

Mother of J - I'll look for a cheapie digital oral thermometer next time I'm at the drug store.

Yes, my doc ordered the ANA (and something else) looking for RA or Lupus, but that was negative.

Thanks for all the input gals! If you have more wonderful knowlege, please chime in.......I'm going to try to call tomorrow to set up an appointment for next week.

[ShayFL]

My Sis did use Lame Advertisement. You might ask your Doctor about it.

[ohsotired]

My Sis did use Lame Advertisement. You might ask your Doctor about it.

I'm glad she was able to quit using Lame Advertisement! I've tried it before, but unfortunatly had some very unpleasant side effects (similar to being glutened, for me; hmmmm.........).

I think I'm going to try Wellbutrin this time around. Maybe it will help with not only quitting smoking, but also help with the mild depression I can't seem to shake.

Thanks again!

[Live2BWell]

Have you had your fasting blood glucose tested? Also, have you ever been diagnosed with TMJD/TMJ?

I have TMJ, and if I dont wear my nightguard regularly, my head/eye/sinus symptoms are increased ten fold.

The thirst is what struck me in your post which is why I asked about having your fasting blood sugar tested.

(( Hugs )) Hang in there, you'll figure out the puzzle come h*ll or high water

[ohsotired]

Hey Jess!

I haven't had my fasting glucose tested recently (it's actually been a looooooong time since that was checked), so perhaps that's something else to consider. None of the doctors I've been to seemed at all concerned about the possibility of diabetes, even though there is a family history of it.

Yes, to the TMJ. I was dx'd with that when I was 17 and wore braces for almost two years to help it. I wore a retainer for probably six years after I got the braces off, but then it broke and I haven't worn one since, so of course the TMJ is coming back. But the headaches I'm getting feel nothing like the headaches I used to have - they used to be almost migraine like, and could hit me at any time of day. THe headaches I'm getting now hit so consistently between 2-4pm, you can almost set your watch by it. I do suppose the TMJ is a possible culprit though, and will mention that as well.

[Ms. Skinny Chic]

My Graves Disease symptoms (keep in mind I was diagnosed at 13 but had symptoms for 4 years prior to that and did not tell a soul):

extreme appetite

extreme thirst

extreme weightloss

huge growth spurt (I grew 10" over the course of one summer)

fatigue AND insomnia (The fatigue was possibly a by-product of the insomnia. I would fall asleep everyday after school for at least 3-4 hours. I would go to bed at 10 or 11 but not be able to sleep until 2 or 3am.)

heart palpitations (I felt like I was having mini heart attacks.)

migraines (I would get serious migraines [nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to smell, light] at least once a week, sometimes "residual" headaches often as 2-3x)

shaky hands

strange episodes of being disoriented like I was in a dream, couldn't control what I said or did (sort of like an out-of-body experience.)

cold hands and feet (I have had this since I was a kid, and still have this, might be Raynaud's???)

VERY "hormonal"

I have your exact symptoms.... heart palpitations, being overly emotional( hormonal) headaches, irregular body temperature,shaky hands is a good indicator of thyroid disease.

I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in 1992

Now, I am euthyroid and my issues are still persistent.

I also have pernicious anemia B12 deficiency and Iron deficiency. My hands and feet would feel like needles and they were cold all the time... I am not saying you are anemic, but you could be.

The growth spurt sounds like something with your adrenal glands. That isn't a indicator of thyroid disease.

Extreme thirst could be a sign of diabetes. I have pre-diabetes.

The out of body experience is a sign of migraines.. I have those too... You could go to a neurologist and get a MRI scan of the brain. If you have lesions on your brain.. That would be an indicator of migraines or MS

I am not a doctor .. I ONLY VISIT THEM...lol