# Thyroid Chest and Breathing Symptoms



## JAYQ (Aug 4, 2010)

I want to get everyones experience with these symptoms if possible, because i am not sure on if i should get looked at again or not.

I was working out a lot, bench pressing etc so i do not know if i have actually injured my chest or not, or if something else is wrong. Sometimes the pain and pressure in my chest will just come all over and without movement. Othertimes i feel it with movement. The pain i feel is tolerable most of the time, it just always comes and goes, but one feeling that is always there is the pressure and tightness feeling.

This affects my breathing sometimes, its like i cant get normal breathes, they are always short, then my mind is always focused on it making it not involuntary and i hate that!!! I can not get my mind off it at times either. Then i will be working at my desk and it will literally make me fall asleep with a snap of a finger like i am a narco or something. Get extremly fatigued from it. My EKG and echardiogram a few months ago checked out fine the doc just mentioned i had palputaions at times.

I am just wondering if i should get an MRI on it or something, its so hard ot determine if its cause my thyroid or some other condition.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

JAYQ said:


> I want to get everyones experience with these symptoms if possible, because i am not sure on if i should get looked at again or not.
> 
> I was working out a lot, bench pressing etc so i do not know if i have actually injured my chest or not, or if something else is wrong. Sometimes the pain and pressure in my chest will just come all over and without movement. Othertimes i feel it with movement. The pain i feel is tolerable most of the time, it just always comes and goes, but one feeling that is always there is the pressure and tightness feeling.
> 
> ...


Sounds like anxiety to me -

Have you been diagnosed with a thyroid problem and what medications are you taking?

Do you have any current labs with ranges you can share?


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## JAYQ (Aug 4, 2010)

Lovlkn said:


> Sounds like anxiety to me -
> 
> Have you been diagnosed with a thyroid problem and what medications are you taking?
> 
> Do you have any current labs with ranges you can share?


I dont have any labs to share but have been seeing my endo for a year now. My last labs my TSH was 8.5 and my TPO count was high, dont know the number thou. So he said i had a autoimmune disease. He did not give me meds yet he wants to wait for another blood check for the end of sept.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

JAYQ said:


> I dont have any labs to share but have been seeing my endo for a year now. My last labs my TSH was 8.5 and my TPO count was high, dont know the number thou. So he said i had a autoimmune disease. He did not give me meds yet he wants to wait for another blood check for the end of sept.


If TSH is all you have and it's 8.5 you need to be on some sort of replacement - fire this doc and find another. A GP would prescribe replacement if you brought in your lab work - your endo isn't addressing your issue and what are they waiting for? Have they given you a reason?.

Sounds like you are having hypo induced anxiety issues.

If you have any of your previous lab work please post along with ranges - I am curious to see why your doc would be with holding medication for a clearly hypo patient.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

JAYQ said:


> I want to get everyones experience with these symptoms if possible, because i am not sure on if i should get looked at again or not.
> 
> I was working out a lot, bench pressing etc so i do not know if i have actually injured my chest or not, or if something else is wrong. Sometimes the pain and pressure in my chest will just come all over and without movement. Othertimes i feel it with movement. The pain i feel is tolerable most of the time, it just always comes and goes, but one feeling that is always there is the pressure and tightness feeling.
> 
> ...


I think your doctor needs to address this. You know your body. Something is not working right. See a cardiologist/pulmonologist.


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## JAYQ (Aug 4, 2010)

Lovlkn said:


> If TSH is all you have and it's 8.5 you need to be on some sort of replacement - fire this doc and find another. A GP would prescribe replacement if you brought in your lab work - your endo isn't addressing your issue and what are they waiting for? Have they given you a reason?.
> 
> Sounds like you are having hypo induced anxiety issues.
> 
> If you have any of your previous lab work please post along with ranges - I am curious to see why your doc would be with holding medication for a clearly hypo patient.


He was getting ready to prescribe me 50mcg of levo but decided at last minute to wait another 2 months. I think the reasoning is because orginally about this time last year i was diagnosed with Thyroiditis because i had no uptake on my I-1-2-3 scan or it didnt Glow at all.

So my endo said i would cycle from hyper to hypo then i should level back out to normal, (in most cases.) So i was steadily on that path up until my last check up. I slowly over the past year started going toward hypo. In March i believe my TSH was 9 or 10, then in May it went to 5.8. Then my last checkup in July is what threw my doc a curveball because it went back up to 8.5. He was not expecting that and thought i would be close to normal.

So that is why he decided to wait another 2 months to see if indeed i am staying hypo for good before treatment, even though my TPO count was high. When i get there in Sept i am going to ask for copies of all the labs so i can share the other readings over the past year.

I def still have the anxiety, it does not get as severe, but it still affects me and is bothersome. Fatigue for sure, i feel like i am always drugged with a tranqulizer or something and just need to lay down and conk out.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

JAYQ said:


> He was getting ready to prescribe me 50mcg of levo but decided at last minute to wait another 2 months. I think the reasoning is because orginally about this time last year i was diagnosed with Thyroiditis because i had no uptake on my RAI scan.
> 
> So my endo said i would cycle from hyper to hypo then i should level back out to normal, (in most cases.) So i was steadily on that path up until my last check up. I slowly over the past year started going toward hypo. In March i believe my TSH was 9 or 10, then in May it went to 5.8. Then my last checkup in July is what threw my doc a curveball because it went back up to 8.5. He was not expecting that and thought i would be close to normal.
> 
> ...


What antibodies' tests have you had done?

TSI (thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin),TPO (antimicrosomal antibodies) TBII (thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin), Thyroglobulin Ab, ANA (antinuclear antibodies), (thyroid hormone panel) TSH, Free T3, Free T4.

You can look this stuff up here and more.........
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/conditions/thyroid.html

It is not for me to say but im definitely not impressed w/your doctor. I think it is unconscionable to leave you in a situation where you have to fight this out for your self w/o medical intervention.

Your heart and other bodily organs can suffer permanent damage from untreated hypothyroidism. Not to mention your mental health state which suffers also.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

> It is not for me to say but im definitely not impressed w/your doctor. I think it is unconscionable to leave you in a situation where you have to fight this out for your self w/o medical intervention.


Ditto on those thoughts!


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## JAYQ (Aug 4, 2010)

Andros said:


> What antibodies' tests have you had done?
> 
> TSI (thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin),TPO (antimicrosomal antibodies) TBII (thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin), Thyroglobulin Ab, ANA (antinuclear antibodies), (thyroid hormone panel) TSH, Free T3, Free T4.
> 
> ...


Just TPO. I do not know what number it was. If it was easy for me to switch doctors i would, but being in the military i have to jump through a lot of hoops just to get another. My next lab for Sept, he only wants to see FT4 and TSH. He said he didnt need to see the TPO again or any others.

I have always heard he was a good endo but i agree with you as well because it is very aggravating waiting this out for so long and just getting blood work done and thats it. Whos to say that levo will even work too, but it will be better than doing nothing.

I am trying to research what it means when your thyroid had no Glow or uptake at all. This was not explained to me very well either, he just said it was thyroiditis and i would cycle. From what i read it means its hypo, but my TSH levels at the time were very hyper. Confusing to say the least :S


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

JAYQ said:


> Just TPO. I do not know what number it was. If it was easy for me to switch doctors i would, but being in the military i have to jump through a lot of hoops just to get another. My next lab for Sept, he only wants to see FT4 and TSH. He said he didnt need to see the TPO again or any others.
> 
> I have always heard he was a good endo but i agree with you as well because it is very aggravating waiting this out for so long and just getting blood work done and thats it. Whos to say that levo will even work too, but it will be better than doing nothing.
> 
> I am trying to research what it means when your thyroid had no Glow or uptake at all. This was not explained to me very well either, he just said it was thyroiditis and i would cycle. From what i read it means its hypo, but my TSH levels at the time were very hyper. Confusing to say the least :S


Your thyroid gland is turned off and not functioning. Hence, no uptake.

You may find this informative........
http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/thyroid/thyroiditis.html


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## JAYQ (Aug 4, 2010)

Andros said:


> Your thyroid gland is turned off and not functioning. Hence, no uptake.
> 
> You may find this informative........
> http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/thyroid/thyroiditis.html


Thanks for the response. hmmm. Well how come i will get hyper symptoms like anxiety at times. Also does that mean my thryoid is turned off for good or will the levo help turn it back on? If not why wouldnt they just remove it?

Edit: Just read your link. Thanks! I read the anxiety/hyper is result from cell die off at times. Well i guess it is still trying to be active somewhat since cells are still dying off and i experience the anxiety at times. One thing i do not exeperience is weight gain. It has stayed about the same the last 3 or 4months. Also i dont get dry hair either, my hair and face remain oily.


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## desrtbloom (May 23, 2010)

Hi!

First, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE IN THE MILITARY!!! 

Second, I had no uptake either with my thyroid either. I have Graves and Hashimoto's. It definitely sounds to me like you need medication and that you are hypo at the moment. Unfortunately though, it also sounds like you need a full thyroid blood panel to determine what medication you need. I would insist upon a full panel ASAP, not several weeks from now. Waiting around when you feel like you are going to jump out of your skin with anxiety and feeling exhausted all the time truly sucks.

Patti


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## chopper (Mar 4, 2007)

Welcome to the wonderful world of Hashimoto's.

I've got and have had similar results as you and it's been that way for a long time now for me.

Have you had a TSI test?

I too get that "dumping" feeling - I've always described it the same way - it feels like my thyroid is filling up with fresh hormone and letting it all go at one time and then repeating the cycle over and over again. I can go from hyper feeling where Im really up - talk fast, heart palpitations, etc, to sleepy and tired within hours of each other sometimes. I can almost feel the hormones load up, dump and then wear off. Like you, my labs are never far off either.

You absolutely have a thyroid problem that needs to be addressed. Your endo doesn't sound like he or she knows much about thyroid. Is his or her practice mostly diabetes?

You gotta find someone who knows thyroid and you should get a retest with all the guilty parties all at one time so you can get a real diagnosis:

Ferritin
ACTH
Cortisol
TSH
Free T3
Free T4
Total T3
Total T4
Thyroglobin Antibodies (TG Ab)
Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO Ab)
Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulins (TSI)

While they're at it I would have them measure your sex hormones too since the pituitary controls all of that:

Testosterone - Total, Free and Weakly Bound
Prolactin
TIBC - Total Iron Binding Capacity

You get yourself a real good workup focused on the thyroid disorder like I mentioned above and odds are something with surface a bit more definitive for you.

Also you mentioned NO uptake. I assume you meant it was normal or insignificant. If you really had NO uptake that means your thyroid is not working properly. Can you get the actual results of that test and post them?

Also added - TSH and "thyroid" have an inverse relationship - The higher the TSH the less your thyroid is working. A TSH of 8 - 10 is normally very high, meaning your thyroid is half dead. A TSH of 0.2 means you are pumping out more hormone than your body can handle. I read in one of your posts you mentioned your thyroid is very high. I think you were referring to TSH being high which actually means your thyroid has slowed down.


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## JAYQ (Aug 4, 2010)

nasdaqphil said:


> Welcome to the wonderful world of Hashimoto's.
> 
> I've got and have had similar results as you and it's been that way for a long time now for me.
> 
> ...


I know that his care is also in diabetes patients but i am not sure if that is his main practice or not. I have heard good things about him so that is why i am a little puzzled myself on how about he is looking at this. Just like when he said for your next labs i just need Free T4 and TSH, i am like thats it?

I am currently having issues trying to get the results cuz our faxes here at work for some reason will not reach the med clinic there. I got frustrated after trying all day that i said screw it lol. I will get them on my next visit, but i think i am going to talk to my clinic here on base tomorrow about the possibility of switching to the endo here in town. I just hate to start a new relationship with one and back at square one but hell i guess obvioulsy i have not gotten anywhere with this one.

Oh no the only antibody test that was done was TPO.


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## chopper (Mar 4, 2007)

Im sorry but I just can't stand doctors who won't listen to the patient. Here, you clearly have something going on. Why would he dismiss you? That kind of stuff really agravates me.

I think each of these endos need a good dose of Hashi's so they can be a bit more sympathetic to the patient when he tells them something's off. I really think they just don't understand it.

If you are that weary of making a new connection, you can go in armed with information next time and be your own cheerleader. Don't mention you read stuff on the internet - doctors hate that but really ask him why he thinks your case does not justify a full workup given your symptoms. Challenge his logic and be very proactive. If he thinks you are illiterate in all things thyroid, he is going to choose the easiest route for him which leaves you feeling like crap for the next few years. You really need to be proactive and help direct him to cure you.

You need to google some of these tests and terms you've read about here so you can talk shop more effectively with this doctor next time around. Info is key and Hashi's is an often difficult diagnosis. A bum thyroid can screw up a lot of other things.

For instance with me, 40 year old guy, married, kids, etc...I've got Hashi's but also have very high TSI. For 6 years I complained things were not right until one very smart and very expensive doctor ran a TSI test on me and confirmed both Graves AND Hashi's. Lately my thyroid's been burning itself out but 7 years ago it was like one panic attack after another and I felt very hyper all the time. It has affected everything. I have the testosterone of a 90 year old man at this point and something is also screwing up my Ferritin - it's very high. That's why I say to get a good workup. You just never know what kind of crap you will uncover unless you test for it and once they do, then you can sort out what's working properly and what's not but you need the tests.


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## JAYQ (Aug 4, 2010)

nasdaqphil said:


> Im sorry but I just can't stand doctors who won't listen to the patient. Here, you clearly have something going on. Why would he dismiss you? That kind of stuff really agravates me.
> 
> I think each of these endos need a good dose of Hashi's so they can be a bit more sympathetic to the patient when he tells them something's off. I really think they just don't understand it.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for the insight and guidance. I will be talking to my clinic tomorrow about the possible switching endos and also about getting my past years lab results, i am sure they kept them on file there too since i always got them there except for like one. I just came home and took a 2hr nap because i needed it with the fatigue feeling and when i got up i was shaky, like i had nothing in me very weak feeling. It gets so old i hate it. I just know i will feel like this in the morning and i got to be at the gym to run and stuff great! My concern is if all endos main practice is diabetes then who is to say my next endo will be just as useless. I wish there was a straight up and down thyroid only doctor.

Edit: I hardly ate tonight too, just felt really ill and each bite felt disgusting for some reason. Now getting that tightness feeling in throat again. I have had this before, where it feels like its about to pop through your neck, or you got a weight on it. Really uncomfortable feeling. Well i guess none of these thyroid issues are comfortable, its always a freaking nuisance and pain. 
That is a long battle you have had! What is your endo currently doing for you? Are you getting better at all?


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## JAYQ (Aug 4, 2010)

Well i made an appointment tomorrow to see my doctor and talk about switching endos or go a diff direction than the wait it out treatment i am currently on. I am going to request an MRI on my thryoid and chest and another full thryoid blood panel reading. Basically i am going to request as much as i can lol, because i am tired of the basic Free T4 and TSH test only.

Also i can hopefully get all my labs from the past year there tomorrow to be able to share with you all, that way i can get better help from the ones who understand the most.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

JAYQ said:


> Well i made an appointment tomorrow to see my doctor and talk about switching endos or go a diff direction than the wait it out treatment i am currently on. I am going to request an MRI on my thryoid and chest and another full thryoid blood panel reading. Basically i am going to request as much as i can lol, because i am tired of the basic Free T4 and TSH test only.
> 
> Also i can hopefully get all my labs from the past year there tomorrow to be able to share with you all, that way i can get better help from the ones who understand the most.


Good for you on the MRI or at least a radioactive uptake scan of the thyroid. I did not like to read that you are having sensations of the neck and throat. That is very telling in that it suggests thyroid disease.


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## JAYQ (Aug 4, 2010)

Andros said:


> Good for you on the MRI or at least a radioactive uptake scan of the thyroid. I did not like to read that you are having sensations of the neck and throat. That is very telling in that it suggests thyroid disease.


I actually had a I123 scan done last year in oct and the results came back that it had no uptake at all. In which then i was diagnosed with thyroiditis and had TSH levels of hyper at the time.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

JAYQ said:


> I actually had a I123 scan done last year in oct and the results came back that it had no uptake at all. In which then i was diagnosed with thyroiditis and had TSH levels of hyper at the time.


Yes; you did say that so perhaps the MRI is the better choice here. I hope you can get this done and soon too.


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## JAYQ (Aug 4, 2010)

Well today i got referred to see a diff endo that is here in town so hopefully i can get better answers. I will see him on 30 Aug. Will def ask for a full blow thyroid panel done, hoping he will agree. I should be able to get copies of all my lab work for the past year early next week so i can finally share some numbers to you all.

One thing i did get my doctor i seen today to tell me was my TPO count in July. He said it was 23.8 :S ??? According to my endo it was high and said i had an autoimmune thyroiditis. I thought i read on here where anything below 30 was normal so how is 23.8 a diagnose?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

JAYQ said:


> Well today i got referred to see a diff endo that is here in town so hopefully i can get better answers. I will see him on 30 Aug. Will def ask for a full blow thyroid panel done, hoping he will agree. I should be able to get copies of all my lab work for the past year early next week so i can finally share some numbers to you all.
> 
> One thing i did get my doctor i seen today to tell me was my TPO count in July. He said it was 23.8 :S ??? According to my endo it was high and said i had an autoimmune thyroiditis. I thought i read on here where anything below 30 was normal so how is 23.8 a diagnose?


Actually, one should not have any TPO (antimicrosomal antibodies) and if you do, even if it is below the range, that means autoimmune.

In general, their presence suggests that there is autoimmune thyroid involvement and the higher the level, the more likely that is.

You may wish to read the whole thing...........

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/thyroid_antibodies/test.html


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## JAYQ (Aug 4, 2010)

Andros said:


> Actually, one should not have any TPO (antimicrosomal antibodies) and if you do, even if it is below the range, that means autoimmune.
> 
> In general, their presence suggests that there is autoimmune thyroid involvement and the higher the level, the more likely that is.
> 
> ...


Well once again thanks Andros  Hmm well i guess i should be thankful it is not real high? Or does that even matter at this point?


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## peaches (Sep 29, 2009)

As much as we don't like to rely on just TSH anymore, the new standards for TSH range is .3 to 3.00. It sounds like your numbers are consistantly high. I would find and endo who will do more extensive testing immediately and figure out you need.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

JAYQ said:


> Well once again thanks Andros  Hmm well i guess i should be thankful it is not real high? Or does that even matter at this point?


To me; everything matters. But, yes..............it is good that it is not real high.

Many ranges are derived from cohorts done on certain segments of our population and the usefullness of these ranges (if indeed they are derived from carefully monitored cohorts) in many cases serve only the purpose of detecting "movement." That is why it is good to get labs when there is a problem so a "baseline" can be established.


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