# My Hashimoto's story



## Kandinicole (Nov 29, 2017)

Around February of 2016, I started having problems remembering things and was constantly tired. Shortly after that started, I began breaking out in hives and didn't know why so I went to my family doctor and consulted him. He ended up doing blood work that came back normal so I accepted it and went on. I continued to break out in hives all the way up until the beginning of July. One day towards the beginning of June I broke out in huge hives so badly they were all over my body and hurt a lot. My mom was so worried about my pain that she ended up taking me to the ER to see if they could do anything.
Around mid-June 2016 I went back to my family doctor who wrote a recommendation for an allergist. I started going to the allergist who recommended I take Zyrtec and Zantac to help the hives. He also did blood work which came back a few weeks later stating that my levels were off. I continued taking Zyrtec and Zantac and eventually the allergist came up stating that he thought it was my thyroid. We got a recommendation for an endocrinologist and scheduled an appointment. 
The endocrinologist ended up doing blood work and officially diagnosed me with Hashimoto's. I started on 25 mcg of synthroid told I had a vitamin D deficiency. They tried taking me off of Zyrtec and I would just break out in hives so I stayed on it. I occasionally still break out in hives if I don't take my Zyrtec everyday so I've become dependent on it. Some of my symptoms are pretty evident like my dry skin for example being so bad that my hands literally crack if I don't put lotion on them everyday and my face gets patchy dry spots every now and then. I started having depression back in April of this year, I would get really sad and even cry for no reason. My depression seems to go in and out at times but recently has been gone. The last time I went to the endocrinologist I told her about my depression and she told me to write what I'm thinking and feeling. In the past 3 months, my fatigue has gotten to the point that if I'm sitting around then I easily fall asleep. Occasionally in the mornings when I get on the bus I catch myself falling asleep. 
I don't seem to have many friends anymore because they truly don't understand what I'm going through. The only reason I decided to tell my story was because my dual credit college biology teacher has Graves' disease and she told me that discussion boards help her.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Welcome to the board!!

Do you have any recent blood work and ranges you could share?

I have found the only way to effectively dial in thyroid hormone replacement is by keeping a lab log with doses, lab results and ranges along with notes on how you feel.

BTW... Vitamin D deficiency is very common, not only with thyroid patients.

If you have a monthly cycle, you might also consider asking for a ferritin test and note when in your cycle the lab is drawn as levels will naturally be lower just following a cycle.


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## Kandinicole (Nov 29, 2017)

I do not have recent blood work results. The last time I had blood work done was back in May. 
I do not usually have a monthly cycle because I also take birth control. (Lo loestrin fe)


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

> I started on 25 mcg of synthroid told I had a vitamin D deficiency.


So you have not had any lab's since beginning 25mcg of Synthroid or beginning the D?

How much vitamin D do you take?

When is your next scheduled lab?


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## Kandinicole (Nov 29, 2017)

My labs back in May had them up it to 50 mcg. 
I take 1000 IU everyday of vitamin D. 
I am actually going to my endocrinologist tomorrow so I should have blood work done.


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## Kandinicole (Nov 29, 2017)

I had probably 2 labs done after the initial 25 mcg script.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

> My labs back in May had them up it to 50 mcg.
> I take 1000 IU everyday of vitamin D.
> I am actually going to my endocrinologist tomorrow so I should have blood work done.


When starting on thyroid hormone replacement its a good idea to lab every 6 weeks until your dose is set and your levels maintain. Labs to run must include Free T-4 and Free T-3.

1000 IU daily of vitamin D is not likely enough to raise levels, nor maintain 3/4 range levels. Many need at least 5 K IU daily to maintain. Vitamin D levels should be tested at least annually.


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## Kandinicole (Nov 29, 2017)

They test vitamin D every time I go to check them. I donate blood and when they check my iron level, it's usually lower or just barely at the mark to donate. I am having labs done for iron and to see if my dosage of synthroid needs to be upped. I go to the endocrinologist every 4 months to check on my levels. This past time they told me if I feel bad then we can go to get labs done at anytime to see where I'm at.


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