# newly diagnosed Hashimoto-swollen legs



## donnaduck3 (Nov 1, 2016)

Hi,

I was diagnosed 1 week ago as having a hyperthyroid condition the doctor called Hashimoto's disease.

The doctor gve me my results which are as follows:

TSH <0.5 mU/L

Anti Thyroglobulin Ab 220 U/ML

Anti thyroid peroxidase Ab <15 U/mL

Free T3 25.1 pmol/L

i was put on neo mercazole 5mg 3 times per day and Metrol 50 2 X per day

I was told that if i didnt trust him he could refer me to an Endo.....i dont know what an Endo even is-i dont really even understand what has happened for this to occur when for the last 18 months i have had painful joints and muscles and terrible stomache problems but normal range thyroid results

My doctor said to start googling...ll i have gotten is quite afraid and more concerned

Since taking these mdications (1 week today) i get terrible headaches, gut aches worse and my legs have swollen up like an elephant

is this normal? will the swelling and stomache pains reduce? can anyone help me find dietary or lifestyle methods which will help reduce the symptoms and give me my life back.

I live in rural Queensland...choice of doctors is poor and we have a five hour drive to a specialist of any kind.

My quality of life seems somewhat lost-i struggle to go to work and just trying to walk.

Sorry to enter this forum whinning....i seriously need to know there could be a light at the end of the tunnel

Cheers,

Donna


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Do you have the ranges for those labs? If so, could you edit your post and include them?

Did your doctor do a thyroid ultrasound? You should have one. Was this doctor your regular primary care physician?


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## donnaduck3 (Nov 1, 2016)

Hi-thanks for replying,

I had a thyroid ultrasound-this showed a number of nodules, the ranges for my results (which th doctor said are the ranges a healthy thyroid would fall in are:

Test my result range

TSH <0.05 (0.40-4.00)

Anti thyroglobulin Ab. 220 mU/mL (<60)

anti Thyroid peroxidase Ab. <15 U/mL (<60)

Free T3 25.1 pmol/L (2.8-6.8)

This doctor was not my primary care physician-i chose to try another doctor as my regular doctor has been telling me that the multiple symptoms i have been experiencing (such as a resting heart rate of 120 were normal for a women 1 year after surgical removal of ovaries, along with hair falling out, stomache hell, migranes, aching muscles, weak legs, dry skin and the hot flushes. She also prescribed strong opiates for the stomache pain which i was concerned about taking and estrogen patched my Gyno had warned me i could not use....so after a decade i tried the only other doc in town.

On starting meds dry skin has begun to clear in first week and hot flushes are gone along with the racing heart which felt like it would jump out of my chest. Unfortunately the rest are still here but i'm only one week in.


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## donnaduck3 (Nov 1, 2016)

sorry...pressed post early....

the swollen legs are concerning me, do you know if this is normal?

how long do the meds take to work

do you really have to take them for the rest of your life?

My mother, a heavy smoker, had her thyroid removed, she died two years later of lung cancer from smoking and i was only 16 so not clear on the full story-the doctor said this was probably the cause.

I just dont get how this came on so soon and how it could cause all the stomache, muscle pains and headaches-will these ever go away....i am in constant pain

Again, thank you for replying, this is a pretty lonely journey and i dont know if i have just been given lots of meds or i am being treated corrctly...what if this is just menopause?

I would be grateful to learn from your experience


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Is that free t3 number correct?

If so, you are very, very, very hyper. VERY hyper. It's going to take a long, long time for things to regulate.

Does this doctor specialize in thyroid conditions? You really should see a specialist. I think you have Grave's not Hashimoto's. It can have serious consequences for you overall health if not controlled. Others who have dealt with Grave's will pop in shortly, I'm sure...but, again, if that free t3 is correct, take this all very seriously.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Oh my goodness. Please double-check that Free T3 result. If correct, I agree with joplin--you are EXTREMELY hyperthyroid.


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## donnaduck3 (Nov 1, 2016)

yes-the free T3 is 25.1.......he is not a Thyroid specialist, he does have a number of females with Thyroid problems but our nearest specialist is 5 hours away....now im nervous!

Thank you so much for your advice-i will try to get an appointment this week, unfortunately we can wait up to 10 days to get an appointment to see our Gp here


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Please do find a specialist. The biggest concern with being hyper - especially someone so very hyper - is cardiac damage. It's really important you get someone who knows what they are doing so your heart is protected.

The fact that your doctor said Hashi's and not Graves gives me pause. I don't think s/he is the right person to treat you.


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## BurntMarshmallow (Feb 26, 2016)

Hi Donna,

It is the hyperthyroidism causing the lower leg swelling. What hyperthyroidism does to the body is similar to what would happen if you ran a couple marathons every day - even though you are just sitting on the couch. Your body uses up stores of energy and nutrients in the muscles, the liver, and heart. Nutrients are used up many times faster than normal, and faster than they can be replaced. Deficiencies of many nutrients are the result. After a while, the metabolism starts and stops, because you no longer have enough nutrition to keep it going.

Your meds are intended to slow down your thyroid. Which is good. But you won't see your symptoms improve until you replenish the nutrients you've used up. This is going to take time. You can speed up the recovery process by eating really well, and taking supplements. Like any athlete, you need protein, and you should avoid sugar and alcohol. You need electrolytes (potassium, magnesium, calcium, etc). Low potassium will make you swell up. And you need vitamins and minerals, most importantly the water soluble B-vitamins and vitamin C, which we do not store much of in the body. Low thiamine, a b-vitamin, will cause your lower legs to swell.

Most healthy people do not need to take vitamins, but if you have a thyroid problem, you fall into one of the categories where vitamin supplementation is necessary. The sooner you replenish what you've lost, the better your long term recovery will be.


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## donnaduck3 (Nov 1, 2016)

Thank you so much for the advice, i cant believe people i have never met offer more support and advice than my GP-thank you.....seriously, I do appreciate the advice

I've just grabbed Vtamin B, C & D in fizzy tablets from the local supermarket-these dont make my headaches worse-also grabbed half a dozen litres of coconut water and a big bunch of bannans and a Magnesium spray. I'm going to try good old fashioned milk to chase my calcium-the milk here is lush and i now have an excuse to guzzle it!.

Thank you for the advice about the 'marathon' effect-this makes a lot of sense-i do the slightest exercise and i am exhausted and starving-weight has been coming off with ease, i dehydrate very quickly and my body is aching all over-just like after running a marathon.

My doctor cant fit me in for a couple of weeks but i can take some relief knowing my meds have slowed my maniac heart down-seriously, you could see it pounding through my clothes and hitting 120 bpm at rest. I'm going to ask to see a specialist-what is an Endo, this is what he said he would refer me too?

Again, thank you, your patient explanations and concern mean a lot to me and are sincerely appreciated


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

An endo is an endocrinologist, who specializes in the endocrine system (which the thyroid is part of). Do NOT exercise at all right now, take it as easy as you can. You are very, very hyper and that can be dangerous.


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## visc (Feb 22, 2014)

You should see a cardiologist and get on a low dose beta blocker or perhaps an ace inhibitor if your blood pressure is more concerning. This should protect your heart while you turn down the firing taking place in your thyroid.

Sounds like the doctor meant to day graves disease btw. In which case you'll want to check out the Grave's Disease section of Thyroid Boards.


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