# Can I ease my thyroid symptoms while I wait for diagnosis/treatment?



## heyhc (Aug 27, 2014)

Hello! I'm new to the board, and started an account because I have a time-sensitive question. Sorry to immediately launch into my life story in my first post, but I hope you can lend me some of your wisdom!! 

Despite "normal" test results a year ago, I've become convinced that I have a thyroid problem (details on why I think this below*). I've made an appointment with an endocrinologist. The problem is that the appointment is in two weeks, and I am going on a trip during that time where I'll be doing LOTS of walking, eating, drinking, etc. Normal vacation/touristy stuff, plus a bit of jet lag.

The trip has the potential to be strenuous, and I feel really awful. Everything I've felt for the past 7+ years is snowballing into a thyroid-symptom-explosion at the WORST possible time.

Without a diagnosis or medication, but with the strong suspicion of underactive thyroid,* is there anything natural, nutritional, or behavioral that I can do to ease symptoms and get me through the next two weeks? *

*---*

Probably not helpful, but just in case, these are test results from 1 year ago...T3 not tested.

TSH
0.35 - 4.94 UIU/mL
*2.34*

T4,FREE
0.70 - 1.80 ng/dL
*1.04*

*Here are the symptoms I'm experiencing:
(many of these have been going on since I was 19 -- I'm 26 now -- and are snowballing now!)

Constant fatigue and desire to sleep

Losing outer 3rd of my eyebrows

Brain fog
Poor concentration, forgetfulness

Sensation of a "lump" + tingling in my throat

Dizziness/vertigo

Heart palpitations

Cold hands, feet, knees

Tender and achy all over

Stiff knees

Stiff hands/fingers

Depression (under control right now with bupropion)

Anxiety (better now, panic attacks in the past)

Gradual weight gain/inability to lose

Itchy, flaky scalp
Extremely dry skin (like, extreeeeemely)
Acne

Eczema

Thickened and cracking heels
Ridged nails

Alcohol intolerance (suddenly one beer makes me throw up)

Daily headaches

Headaches accompanied by nausea in the morning, NOT caused by hangover or pregnancy

Constipation

...good lord, sorry for the huge long list! But you can see why I have a strong suspicion of hypo.

Thanks for your thoughts!!


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## heyhc (Aug 27, 2014)

I suppose I should ask, if you have any rave reviews for Minnesota doctors, shoot me a PM? 
Thanks again, all


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

SUGGESTED TESTS
TPO (antimicrosomal antibodies) TBII (thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin), Thyroglobulin and Thyroglobulin Ab, ANA (antinuclear antibodies), (thyroid hormone panel) TSH, Free T3, Free T4.

You can look this stuff up here and more.........
http://www.labtestsonline.org/
(Copy and paste into your browser)

Trab
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17684583
(Copy and paste into your browser)

It sure sounds like you have some very real thyroid issues here.

Welcome to the board, by the way!

Sadly, there is no panacea to get you through.

Please try to get more testing and a diagnosis so that you can be properly medicated if need be.

Info above which may be helpful to you!


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## heyhc (Aug 27, 2014)

Thanks so much for the info Andros. I suppose I knew there wouldn't be one magic solution, but wondered if anyone would have any self-care tips, even small ones. Ibuprofen? Avoiding certain foods? Vitamins? ...Maybe it's all common sense stuff, but thought I'd ask nonetheless.


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

It might sound tough to do, but you need to hold off on any kind of self-treatment until you can see the endo. If you do any kind of treatment, it might skew your numbers when your endo has you do labs and that could mess up any potential treatment options he may consider.


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## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

Strongly urge you to resist self-treatment, which will only confound the REAL treatment.

Behaviorally, tell yourself that this, too, shall pass once you see the doctor and get appropriate treatment.

Be smart about how you spend your energy. Try to manage high energy activities so that you don't do everything all in one day.


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## Snowflake (Jul 12, 2014)

I would listen to Jenny and Lynn - they know what they are talking about. But I would make one observation that might help you. I find that caffeine offen makes my symptoms worse. It seems counterintuitive because we associate caffeine with giving us an energy boost, and when you're fatigued, wouldn't caffeine help? But for me, I get the opposite effect. You might try avoiding caffeine and limiting sugar while on your trip. These steps shouldn't effect your blood tests when you finally have them.


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## heyhc (Aug 27, 2014)

Thanks for your responses, guys. I really appreciate it. I didn't end up attempting to change anything for my trip, and the trip was so busy and exciting that I was actually pretty distracted from my various complaints.

Then I came home and felt significantly better than I did when I left, which is usually the POINT of a vacation, but I'm worried about feeling better! I went to the doctor two days ago and got blood taken for labs, and now I'm just waiting and crossing my fingers that something turns up abnormal. It's so funny to go to the doctor thinking "I hope they tell me I'm sick!!!"

It felt like I was having some kind of particularly bad episode before the trip, and it has now subsided, leaving me with the usual exhaustion, fogginess and aches. I know so little about this stuff that I don't even know if you CAN have an "episode" and then fluctuate back to feeling a little better. And I've spent so much time convincing myself that all of this is "nothing," so anytime I feel better, part of me says, "see, nothing is wrong, you're just being a hypochondriac."


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