# Effects of long standing untreated hypothyroidism?



## Fissy (Sep 20, 2011)

Hi everyone, first I'd like to give a thank you for all the information and support this board has offered. It's made my thyroid journey a lot less of a stressful one than it could have been.

I'm a 27 year old female and I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism early August 2011 with a TSH of 274.10 (0.50-4.00) and a FT4 of 0.2 (10.0-19.0). In short, I didn't notice any symptoms of a thyroid disorder until they were bad enough to send me to an emergency room and afterwards my GP requested that I have a short stay in hospital to be monitored for a myxedema crisis. These symptoms hit me during the course of a couple of days and were a mix of both hyper and hypothyroid symptoms. I've since found out that my thyroid has been destroyed by Hashimoto's disease. I'm on thyroxine and feeling much better!

I had previously thought that I had no hypothyroid symptoms prior to my 'attack' of hypothyroidism but after being on thyroxine for a few months I'm starting to think that I've had it for a very long time. I now feel like I have almost endless amounts of energy and no longer need 8 hours+ of sleep to be able to function properly. Everything seems clearer and my appetite is the best it's ever been. One doctor suggested that I could have been born with a bad thyroid and didn't know any different and another said that I may have just pushed through my symptoms and my body learned to cope until it was too much. I'll probably never know how it got so out of control without me realising but as I'm getting better, I guess it doesn't really matter.

My question is, are there any effects of long standing untreated hypothyroidism? I'm a bit worried about what this could have done to me. So far it's caused some inflamed nerves in certain parts of my body and perhaps some very minor brain damage and would like to know what else I should be looking out for. I'm not due to see my endo again until next month. Thank you for your time!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Fissy said:


> Hi everyone, first I'd like to give a thank you for all the information and support this board has offered. It's made my thyroid journey a lot less of a stressful one than it could have been.
> 
> I'm a 27 year old female and I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism early August 2011 with a TSH of 274.10 (0.50-4.00) and a FT4 of 0.2 (10.0-19.0). In short, I didn't notice any symptoms of a thyroid disorder until they were bad enough to send me to an emergency room and afterwards my GP requested that I have a short stay in hospital to be monitored for a myxedema crisis. These symptoms hit me during the course of a couple of days and were a mix of both hyper and hypothyroid symptoms. I've since found out that my thyroid has been destroyed by Hashimoto's disease. I'm on thyroxine and feeling much better!
> 
> ...


Thank God; you sound soooooooooooooooooooooo much better and it is good to hear from you again.

Yes; it would be wise to have heart, lungs, kidneys, liver checked. Kidneys and liver, simple lab tests. Heart, see a cardio and get a pulmonary check,

Untreated thryoid disease either way (hyper or hypo) can cause a lot of damage.

You might consider taking 2 to 3 grams of a good quality Omega III for the inflamed ganglia. Stay away from krill oil; it is high in iodine and I have reason to believe it may be a goitrogen as well.


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## Fissy (Sep 20, 2011)

Andros said:


> Thank God; you sound soooooooooooooooooooooo much better and it is good to hear from you again.
> 
> Yes; it would be wise to have heart, lungs, kidneys, liver checked. Kidneys and liver, simple lab tests. Heart, see a cardio and get a pulmonary check,
> 
> ...


Thanks Andros, I'm feeling great! Still a few random aches and pains but it's nothing I can't handle if I don't push myself too hard. The amount of energy I have now is incredible, I've just come back from a two day hiking trip. 

I've had my kidneys and liver tested and thankfully they seem to be in good shape. As for my heart, I've had a few ECGs and a chest xray but I haven't seen a cardio so I will see if I can get an appointment set up. Recently, my heart feels like it's racing too fast sometimes so I better get it checked out.

Omega III, got it! I'll stay well away from the krill oil. My thyroid does a good enough job of swelling on it's own and doesn't need any help from goitrogens, lol.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Fissy said:


> Thanks Andros, I'm feeling great! Still a few random aches and pains but it's nothing I can't handle if I don't push myself too hard. The amount of energy I have now is incredible, I've just come back from a two day hiking trip.
> 
> I've had my kidneys and liver tested and thankfully they seem to be in good shape. As for my heart, I've had a few ECGs and a chest xray but I haven't seen a cardio so I will see if I can get an appointment set up. Recently, my heart feels like it's racing too fast sometimes so I better get it checked out.
> 
> Omega III, got it! I'll stay well away from the krill oil. My thyroid does a good enough job of swelling on it's own and doesn't need any help from goitrogens, lol.


Boy, am I glad you are feeling so much better. You can just "feel" the enthusiasm in your writing!!!

Where did you hike at? I love to be outdoors. I really don't need a house! LOL!!


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## Fissy (Sep 20, 2011)

Thank you. I imagine my TSH is finally nearing normal ranges by now, woo! The gluten and soy free diet I've been on has done wonders too! I might stay gluten free even if my endo clears me of celiac. 

I went hiking at a beautiful place called Cradle Mountain.
Yeah, I feel the same about the outdoors even though I live in a very urban area. It was sooo good to get away after being ill and stuck inside for so long.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Fissy said:


> Thank you. I imagine my TSH is finally nearing normal ranges by now, woo! The gluten and soy free diet I've been on has done wonders too! I might stay gluten free even if my endo clears me of celiac.
> 
> I went hiking at a beautiful place called Cradle Mountain.
> Yeah, I feel the same about the outdoors even though I live in a very urban area. It was sooo good to get away after being ill and stuck inside for so long.


I would not dream of eating gluten ever again. I have been gluten-free for so many years I don't even remember!!

The name is beautiful. I presume there is a cradle (crevice) somewhere in the mountain? Glad you had a good time. You deserve to get your life back!


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Off topic..

Is the Omega 3 make with sardines and anchovies OK?


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## Fissy (Sep 20, 2011)

Andros said:


> I would not dream of eating gluten ever again. I have been gluten-free for so many years I don't even remember!!
> 
> The name is beautiful. I presume there is a cradle (crevice) somewhere in the mountain? Glad you had a good time. You deserve to get your life back!


I'm glad I had the chance to get away as I'm an inpatient again! Unexplained tachycardia is the culprit this time. Doctor was worried about thyroid storm as soon as I mentioned my thyroid but tests showed that I'm hypo still, weird! Beta blockers giving me some relief though. Hopefully get it sorted soon!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Lovlkn said:


> Off topic..
> 
> Is the Omega 3 make with sardines and anchovies OK?


I sure don't know; all my research has pointed to cold water fish sources as being the best. I think Sardines, yes.

Here is some info:

Living Longer by Eating Fish
Populations that eat fish regularly live longer and have less chronic disease than populations that do not. Whether this is because fish displaces meat or because it has positive attributes of its own is not clear. Certainly, fish provides high-quality protein without the saturated fat present in meat and poultry. And some kinds of fish - specifically, fatty fish from cold northern waters - also provide omega-3 fatty acids, the special, unsaturated fats our bodies need for optimum health. Wild salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines and bluefish are rich in them, as is - to a lesser extent - albacore tuna. Omega-3 sources other than fish are few: walnuts, flax seeds, hemp seeds, and the oils extracted from them, and, to a lesser extent, soy and canola oils and specially fortified eggs.

Rest of the article is here:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02049/facts-about-fish.html


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