# Insomnia, TSH, chest pains



## curious (Nov 21, 2011)

Over the last five months I've had insomnia/middle-of-the-night insomnia as well as a whole bunch of other stuff: left side chest pains at random times, twitching, appetite changes, brain fog. At least once at work I caught my left hand having tremors. It didn't happen to my right hand. However my TSH ranges from .36 to .5, with T4 being 1.6-1.8 and T3 being normal. The doctor, who I'm a little skeptical about, suggested that normally people do not feel any symptoms until their levels are much worse. My labs have been posted in the lab forum, I'm due for a radioactive uptake scan tomorrow.

Am I barking up the wrong tree in thinking that this might be caused by my thyroid? Anyone else out there a borderline case with a bunch of weird symptoms? I do not consider myself a very anxious person and yet these things are still happening to me. Something "clicked" and I haven't been the same since.

Thanks again!


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Your uptake scan should be insightful, but I don't necessarily think you're barking up the wrong tree.

Your doctor may be right about "normally, people don't feel any symptoms" but we are all individuals, and our bodies respond differently, so we don't all fit into the "normally..." category.

Let us know what the scan shows...


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

curious said:


> Over the last five months I've had insomnia/middle-of-the-night insomnia as well as a whole bunch of other stuff: left side chest pains at random times, twitching, appetite changes, brain fog. At least once at work I caught my left hand having tremors. It didn't happen to my right hand. However my TSH ranges from .36 to .5, with T4 being 1.6-1.8 and T3 being normal. The doctor, who I'm a little skeptical about, suggested that normally people do not feel any symptoms until their levels are much worse. My labs have been posted in the lab forum, I'm due for a radioactive uptake scan tomorrow.
> 
> Am I barking up the wrong tree in thinking that this might be caused by my thyroid? Anyone else out there a borderline case with a bunch of weird symptoms? I do not consider myself a very anxious person and yet these things are still happening to me. Something "clicked" and I haven't been the same since.
> 
> Thanks again!


Let us know how the RAIU goes; I am thinking hyper so I am curious! LOL!!

Sounds like you are on the right track for diagnosis and medical intervention.


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## nikkij0814 (Jul 13, 2011)

Your TSH indicates hyper ... I also one day "clicked" and then began the roller coaster. I felt perfectly fine for years with a TSH level at 0.02, even though that's clearly in the hyper range. (Doctors didn't change my medication levels because I felt "fine") Then one day, my body couldn't take it anymore. I also had tremors, brain fog, insomnia, shortness of breath... among other things. Anyone who has not had thyroid problems can easily underestimate what appears to only be "slightly" off from the desired lab result, and how that can actually feel. If you don't have 110% confidence in your doctor, find a new one. I should have 5 years ago and would have avoided a year of mess if I had.


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## Gwen1 (Sep 3, 2011)

Nikki that is my exact story. Something "clicked". I was age 44 at the time.
And 5 rollercoaster years later, I too, am looking for a different doctor.


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## curious (Nov 21, 2011)

Thank you all for all of your support. I got my lab uptake results back today.

From the lab:
Thyroid Scan with Multiple Uptakes

Clinical information: Thyrotoxicosis

Following oral administration of 0.273 mCi of I-123 sodium iodide, the
4-hour thyroid uptake of iodine is 14% (normal 3 to 13%) and the 24-hour
thyroid uptake is 30% (normal 10 to 35%).

Image of the thyroid in the anterior projection was obtained. The thyroid
is generally enlarged. The sizes of the thyroid lobes are nearly
symmetric. No focal areas of increased or decreased tracer activity are
identified in the thyroid lobes or isthmus. The thyroid is in a normal
anatomic location. A pyramidal lobe is not seen. No aberrant functioning
thyroid tissue is seen in the area scanned.

Impression: Normal to minimally elevated 4-hour and 24-hour thyroid uptakes
of iodine. Abnormal thyroid scan.

1. The scan and uptake findings are consistent with the clinical diagnosis
of diffuse toxic goiter.
2. There is no evidence of nodular thyroid disease.
3. The patient is a suitable candidate for radioiodine treatment of
hyperthyroidism. Because the patient's thyroid uptake is only normal to
minimally elevated, a slightly higher dose of radioiodine would need to be
used for treatment."

You all have more experience than I. Any offers of insight? My first inclination is try to treat this with medicine before going thyroid-killing.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Are you thinking methimazole or tapazole? Something like that?


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## curious (Nov 21, 2011)

Yep. I figure I may as well try other treatment before resolving to do anything drastic.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

curious said:


> Thank you all for all of your support. I got my lab uptake results back today.
> 
> From the lab:
> Thyroid Scan with Multiple Uptakes
> ...


As I suspected. I can only give my opinion; if I could do it over, I would never take the med route. 18 months of wasted time and intense physical suffering.

We will support you in whatever decision you make. The majority of us if not all are non-biased. We are here to help; bottom line.

You have a "right" to try what you think might work for you!


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