Underactive thyroid: any experiences of this?

After a couple of years of feeling constantly tired, grumpy and achey, I have been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. Only running at 25% apparently. Pretty happy with this, as the alternative looked like Osteoarthritis. Thyroxin tablets started today.

Anyone else have any experience of this and how long it took to get back to 100%?

AFAIK – you'll always need to take the Thyroxine

I'm on 200 micrograms daily – I'm certainly a lot less tired & my heart rate is higher
Other than that, I don't have any side effects

I'm on Thyroxine 150mcg a day due to having thyroid taken out.
Annual blood tests (probbly more frequent at start) to make sure level is OK, but been on the same dose since op 10 years ago now

Feel fine probably more even energy/lethargy than prior to operation, few weeks took to perk up but I guess a 3 hour operation would do ha whatever it is.

From what I know thyroxine treats it well – it might take a while to get into balance but you will start feeling better quite quickly

a friend had the same problem and was later diagnosed with a very rare condition which was only because her specialist had done his dissertation on it. Has your skin darkened as well (all over including bits that don't get the sun)?

I've been on 125mg a day for donkeys. Once you get in the habit of taking them you'll be fine. If I miss them for anything over 3 days I really start noticing it a bit (I once, stupidly, went for about 5 and started to feel like I was working in slow motion).

I'd say the only bad thing is whenever you get tired/grumpy/achy you'll think it's to do with not having the dosage right, when you are infact just being tired/grumpy/achy. 😉

If you're in England, you'll also qualify for free prescriptions from here on in too – all prescriptions, not just the Thyroxine

I've often heard it say that the longer you've been undiagnosed the longer it will take to feel normal.

I saw improvements very quickly (mainly not feeling cold 100% of the time), not sure about back to 100%, I don't feel the same as I used to but I think that's just because I'm getting old!

Should be pretty quick to get back to normal levels – if the dose is right you should be back to normal levels in a few weeks.
You'll probably be called back to clinic in 4 weeks, with repeat blood tests.
As has been said – keep taking the meds regularly (blood tests will show if you've been missing them….!!), and expect to feel better!
You're probably being investigated for why the thyroid is low – someteimes thyroid dysfunction can be transient, so you may not need to always take, but can never be sure…

DrP

Cheers all.
Uplink, any more info I need or do i just fill in the prescription as a freebie?

Mostly looking forward to getting in longer rides, losing weight and having a bit more go!! Glucosamine has helped with aches recently.

mrmichael, I'm fairly dark caucasian skintone, so any more info on your friends condition?

You need to fill in a form from the doctors to get a Medical Exemption Card/Certificate

DrP, have had to give more bloods yesterday. One thing i did casually notice on my notes was something about having high markers (28) regarding inflamatories in my blood (can't remember exactly, 3 letter code ERM???), but will be discussing with GP next week.

as ebygomm said

You can even claim back any you've paid for once diagnosed but before they sent you the exemption certificate

Even though you could place a spirit level on my level headedness and it will be spot on, for reasons I won't go into I was feeling pretty rubbish for a bit a few months ago and I couldn't get in to the GP's for love nor money (well OK, I was riding my bike round NZ's South Island).
I thought I had the answer, up my dosage from 100mg per day of Levothyroxine to 150mg per day.
Didn't quite work out like that as the pills are so small so I thought "What the hell. What would a Kiwi do?"….two weeks of 200mg per day….not a good idea, I'm not doing that again!

Oh, excellent reminder, I'm due another blood test for this next week! I was diagnosed with this last July, and the doc's have been trying to sort out my dosage since.

The weirdness (I think, I don't pay much attention) is that I don't actually have an underactive thyroid, but I produce thyroid antibodies that counter the thyroxine I produce. And it seems these antibodies are awfully unreliable. The results of my last test showed a lower thyroxine level than the previous test, even though the prescription dosage had been raised. And I've also had a wee bit of an overdose too, which was interesting.

I'd heard it was more common in women than men. Certainly both my grandmothers had it and both my sisters have it, whereas I'm the only bloke in the family known to have it.

I have been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. Only running at 25% apparently. Pretty happy with this, as the alternative looked like Osteoarthritis.

I have arthritic pain & swelling in my finger and toe joints that medical professionals have been completely at a loss to explain. If you don;t mind, please could you elaborate on your symptoms?

What's the diagnosis on this, presumably a blood test? Browsing the good old internet doctor sites I'd say I fit most of the symptoms, but I wonder just how many illnesses you have most of the symptoms of anyway!:

* feeling tired and sleeping a lot
Yup, though never at the right time and never good sleep.
* feeling the cold easily
More so than a couple of years back.
* dry and/or pale skin
Yup
* coarse, thinning hair and brittle nails
sort of, but could be age.
* sore muscles, slow movements and weakness
plenty of muscular back issues.
* a hoarse or croaky voice
No
* a change in facial expression
? That happens every few seconds!
* depression
? Borderline
* problems with memory and concentration
Very much
* weight gain
Yup, despite careful eating
* constipation
Nope
* a slow heart rate
Always had a heart rate of 50 or less, and low blood pressure, irrespective of fitness. Doctors told me it was normal and fine.

Symptoms can vary massively between individuals. I had my thyroid levels tested because they thought i was hyper not hypo based on symptoms.

Get Pregnant. My missus did twice (with me) and since then her thyroid level has been perfect, she gets regular checks but thats been four years now and she was on the for ten before

Coffeeking. Lots of bloodtests at the GP (7 samples!). I read the Bupa stuff as well. It's a bit like the old medical dictionaries that proved you were either dead or had a cold.

finbar. History of lupus in the family, which has crossover symptoms with osteoarthritus. Have felt tired, depressed and coulden't sleep properly for a minimum of 18 months. Also have had joint ache in wrists and hands, with fingers being quite tender. My sister is an ITU Sister and mentioned about Gramps having lupus.

It was only caught with me from a blood test for everything else, as the only symptom I seemed to have was the depression. Like Ebygomm, the rest of the usual symptoms (fat, sleepy and lazy) are so far off the mark for me that everyone kept asking, "Didn't they mean HYPER-active rather than HYPO-active?"

The trouble with self diagnosis of hypothyroid is that so many of the symptoms (weight gain, lethargy..) in 99% of cases are due to the stresses of modern life and lifestyle, rather than a medical condition!

The elevated figure you speak about is probably ESR – a non specific marker of inflammation/inflammatory conditions. 28 isn't massively high, and can be normal depending on age (i.e. would be fine if you were 50 odd years old…), but can be raised in autoimmune conditions.

Thyroid antibodies and hypothyroid – can get autoimmune conditions causing this (see Hashimotos…)

Of course, visiting a doctor again in real life may be beneficial again (say's he, typing this after finishing an endocrine clinic!)

DrP

Not to make things even more confusing, Thyroxin can work very well for some people, others not so. Thyroxin only replaces some of what your thyroid produces so in some cases other medication is also needed or natural Thyroxin rather than the synthetic is used. As you are having blood tests done also see if you can get your adrenal system checked as long term under active thyroid can cause problems for your adrenal system. If that’s the case you will also need to get that functioning back to normal which will then help your thyroid function..

Also I couldn’t recommend this book or chap enough,

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Thyroid-How-Keep-Healthy/dp/190514010X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268928954&sr=1-1

He is a bit controversial to some GP's but his treatment does work and can get you back to normal.

Diagnosed last year after slowly getting worse over couple of years. Usual symptoms no energy, memory loss, beer belly, freezing all the time etc. Ended up collapsing and going unconscious for about 14 minutes luckily doctor present came round to hear the machine they had attached to me saying 'stand clear' , thought they were going to shock me but only taking heart trace. Everything better after going on tablets, side effect is higher cholesterol so doctor has put me on statins. Here are some web sites but as usual take everything with a pinch of salt (not literally) as most people will have some symptoms.

http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068762/

http://www.btf-thyroid.org/

* feeling tired and sleeping a lot – No
* feeling the cold easily – No
* dry and/or pale skin – – No
* coarse, thinning hair and brittle nails – No
* sore muscles, slow movements and weakness – sometimes after crashing
* a hoarse or croaky voice – No
* a change in facial expression – say what ?
* depression – No
* problems with memory and concentration – since birth
* weight gain – No
* constipation – No
* a slow heart rate – No

diagnosis – overactive thyroid 🙁

I was diagnosed about 10 years ago and have been taking 100mcg a day since then. From what I recall I started to feel a lot better pretty quickly, but it was a long time ago, so not 100% sure.

I have never experienced any side effects from the Levothyroxine that I am aware of and I have never had any problems resulting from missing an odd dose etc.

For me free prescriptions are a huge benefit!