# Finally some answers...



## Inkslingerboi (Mar 4, 2017)

Hey folks, I just wanted to share the news, as I am finally finding some answers to my complicated situation. And, since my tests always came back 'normal' I know I'm not the only one. So here's my story:

It started in 2015 with the fatigue. Not your average 'so tired after working all day' fatigue, this was 'I just single-handedly moved a 4 bedroom house without the use of a dolly' kind of fatigue, where my limbs were so heavy that I nearly tipped over when I walked and my head felt like a 50 lb sack atop my neck, and I could sleep 13 hours and need a nap 4 hours later. I complained to the doctor at my walk-in clinic and he ran the basic tests, iron, b12... of course, I've been anemic or borderline anemic for 20 years with no real explanation, so when they came back low he cited deficiency and told me to take supplements and that I must just be having heavy periods and that was why. I was given iron pills, B12 shots, then iron shots when the pills weren't working and told to eat more meat, more blood tests, more pills, and so on.

Fast forward to early 2016 and the fatigue wasn't better but I was managing. I was promoted at work and it was suddenly very stressful, and I was going a bit insane from the chaos of a relationship ending after my partner cheated, and then moving houses, and in the middle of the move my mother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and passed away.

My little fatigue problem turned into a full on war inside my body and sh*t hit the physiological and psychological fan. Firstly, I got shingles. Then my memory virtually disappeared. I could barely focus, I always felt I was slightly asleep (for lack of a better explanation) or in a tunnel, and would frequently feel so cold that my skin hurt and I would shiver in bed unable to get warm no matter how many blankets I piled on. And then, I had migraines, severe mood swings, anger problems, and anxiety. And the body pain, I felt like I had the 'flu aches' all the time.

"You have depression," they'd said. Well, my Mom had just died so I thought this must be true.They increased dosages of anti-depressants and fed more supplements down my gullet. My hair started falling out, the strands falling on my shoulders tickling me as I sat at the computer, lots in the brush, in the shower, randomly. I had suffered constipation that became so bad I would not move my bowels for 2 weeks at a time, so they sent me for a lower GI which came back normal. The gastro told me 'Take osmotic laxatives every day.' as if more drugs were a solution. Plus I'd been on proton pump inhibitors for GERD for at least 10 years already but he took no notice of that.

I asked about Hashimoto's, my doctor said he didn't think that was the issue because my TSH was normal. I said "what about the presence of TPO?" he shrugged. I asked if I could try Synthroid and "your TSH is normal." was all he'd say.

My doctor ran more tests at my persistence, he wrote a requisition for ANA (autoimmune) this time, stating 'If this comes back normal I don't see any reason to continue testing you...' and the ANA came back abnormal.

Rather than allowing my doctor to choose, I made the mistake of requesting an endocrinologist I had seen years prior for another issue, I thought a past history might help my case. I showed up prepared with a list of symptoms and onset as long as my arm. Sitting in her office, she said: "tell me the highest priority issue you're dealing with.." so told her of my fatigue. She replied "well there are lots of reasons for fatigue. It says you're anemic, do you have heavy periods?" I told her about the change in menstrual pain (it had become insanely painful over the previous 5 periods) but that I had actually measured and found it was not especially heavy. She scoffed and said, "Well, you should get an IUD."

I tried to share about my weight gain. I had put on a whopping 45 lbs in 6 months despite no change in diet. She explained that my lack of activity because of fatigue was why I had gained and that I should be more active and push past the fatique. At this point, I was choking on my words. I showed her the photo of the grooves in my tongue that I would wake up with nearly every morning. She said, "you must grind your teeth when you sleep then."

I was practically spelling out thyroid disease for her and she was turning her nose up at me because I seemed to be a lazy fat woman with no motivation. She sent me down the hall to see her Rheumatologist about my abnormal ANA. He poked at me for 5 minutes and asked some questions, ran some tests and at the follow up he said "you have Raynaud's and your vitamin D is too low. Wear gloves in the winter and take vitamin D every day. See you in 6 months." and that was that. Now, if you're not familiar with Raynaud's it's basically an autoimmune condition where your hands change color in the cold and you get prickly sensations. I don't have those symptoms. At all.

At their combined advice I took up swimming and walking. 30 minutes of laps, 3 times a week, and 20 minute walks twice a week. I was passing out at 3 pm and missing dinner because I was too tired, suffering severe leg cramps and backaches and then one day, I fainted in the street on the way home. So, no more swimming.

I returned to my doctor, and thankfully he was patient and willing to listen. I asked for a second opinion. He sent me to another Rheumatologist, this time a fellowship doctor with a great review.

She spent a good hour examining me, she asked questions the previous doctor hadn't asked and told me without hesitation that I was suffering from fibromyalgia.... "but, you have some other things going on and I need to check that out." she thought I might have a pituitary tumor due to my low hormone levels and low parathyroid, and she asked if I had ever had an ultrasound on my thyroid. I said no, of course, because I had barely had a doctor listen to me let alone send me for specialized testing. She put me on Synthroid, 25 mcg once a day, to help with my weight gain and energy. I've been taking it for a month and lost only 2 lbs but my energy level changed and I am actually able to climb stairs and walk up hills, go out more than once a week, and even started cooking meals again.

The MRI showed no pituitary tumor. However, the ultrasound on my thyroid showed nodules which the radiologist interpreted to be 'mildly suspect' of malignancy. The rheumatologist connected me with a fibromyalgia clinic, and referred me to an endocrinologist she respected, who will review my nodule situation asap, and decide how to proceed. And at the end of the appointment, she told me the abnormal ANA's and blood tests were likely caused by my thyroid, an autoimmune thyroid disease, which, if the nodules are not malignant would mean I may need additional Synthroid to feel better.

I honestly could have kissed her. Although I had started pointing out the likelihood of a thyroid disease about 2 years ago, but because my TSH was normal the doctor turned his nose up at the suggestion.

I persisted despite my own doubts and listened to my body. I am so glad that I did. Even after being scoffed at by a specialist I kept on pushing for answers. We're supposed to be able to trust our doctors, but I guess in this case I learned that modern medicine is very limited when it comes to thyroids, which is terrible considering how common thyroid disease is proving to be.

Whether or not my nodules are malignant I don't yet know, but I'll face that when it comes. I have read that Hashi's patients are way more likely to develop nodules anyway. In the meantime, I've been reducing gluten, sugar, and dairy, and started making healing green juice in my juicer every day. I'm not happy to think that I have Hashimoto's, but I am happy to not be wrong about what my body was saying to me all along, and it's been going on for probably for at least 5-10 years now that I think about it.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Glad to hear you have found what is likely causing your issues.

The labs you posted on another thread were clearly in hypo range - unfortunately, many doctors feel " in range" is good enough which is often not true.

You also had thyroglobulin which is a tumor marker and back in 2015 it needed to be further investigated, although TPO antibodies are normally elevated as well so hopeful that it's just hashi's - glad to hear you are now having this looked into further.

I'm posting your labs for others to see



> 2015 Thyroid Function
> 
> *TSH*
> *3.2*
> ...


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