# To all thyroid patients...do these things happen to you?



## rogo89 (Dec 3, 2013)

Hi everyone. I am a new member here at ThyroidBoards and I have a question for you all.

Regardless if you are hypo or hyper thyroid or have an autoimmune disease dealing with thyroid, I would like to know if you experience any of the following. These symptoms are a part of my life daily and I am not sure if they are thyroid related since I haven't heard anyone talk about them.

*1. Extreme dizziness.* I will walk my dog and the entire time feel like I am going to fall over. It feels like my equilibrium is completely off. Just driving and having to look past my blind spot is stressful since it makes me head spin.

*2. Anhedonia.* I'm sure that all of you know what it is, but just in case, here is the definition:

"In psychology and psychiatry, anhedonia is defined as the inability to experience pleasure from activities usually found enjoyable"

I experience this symptom every day and I am not sure exactly why. Firstly, if I watch a TV show I used to love a few years ago, it's extremely hard for me to follow the plot and understand what the characters are saying. So I have to put in extra effort just to be able to watch TV! The anhedonia that occurs is while I am watching it and something funny happens, it just goes right past me. I understand the humor, I can tell I would think it's funny, but I don't laugh, don't react, don't get an pleasure out of anything. I don't fall in love anymore, or even become attracted to men. If someone is into me, I don't really feel flattered, or much of anything. It's like a numbness. I don't feel like I have the "reward" part of my brain anymore. This is the worst symptom I have, and it happens even when I am not in a low mood.

The anhedonia actually CAUSES hopelessness for me since I don't get enjoyment out of anything.

*3. Racing thoughts.* Although I feel very lethargic, exhausted, and incredibly foggy, I get so many racing thoughts that I can't really "tell" what they are. It just feels like a bunch of static in my brain and I'm trying to organize all these feelings but never can. I think they might be related to my brain fog, which prevents me from being able to think clearly. Which leads me to feeling...

*4. Restlessness.* I FIGURED I was hypothyroid because of my labwork (or at least slightly hypo,) but I never thought of restlessness as a hypo symptom. It's like an inner restlessness.

*5. Social anhedonia. * I don't really care about hanging out with anyone because I get no pleasure from interacting with others. Maybe this is because I can't keep one thought in my head for long enough to even talk about it, and all the thoughts I do have, I think, "what's the point in sharing? Who cares." I just don't really desire to hang out or socialize, although of course I force myself when I am feeling well.

*6. CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING!!* Oh my gosh! Someone will be talking to me and it's like I just can't comprehend what in the world they are saying. My own cognitive skills are so bad in return that I limit my responses to things like, "oh, that's great!" or "oh, that's no good." Just simple replies so I don't have to try to come up with an intellectual response. I experience disorientation and confusion ALL DAY. I feel like I am seriously losing it.

*7. "Good" days where I am able to be fairly active...followed by a few days of recovery where I can't do ANYTHING.*

*8. Dissociation/depersonalization/derealization.* I know that this is usually an anxiety thing but I feel like this 24/7 even when I am not anxious. It just feels like I could drive my car into a tree and I wouldn't even get hurt because I don't really exist.

*9. Brain zaps.* I can't really explain what they feel like...but if you've ever taken anti-depressants and then withdrew from them, you know what I am talking about. Although I am on a small dose of an AD now, I get horrific brain zaps even when NOT on an AD! I hope this doesn't mean that I will need to take ADs for life since they don't help me???

Do any of these things happen to you? I realize that many of them sound psychological/psychiatric but I have been seeing a mental health specialist for a long time and no matter what therapies I've done/what anti-depressants I have tried, these things usually do not change, so I am wondering if they are possibly related to a thyroid problem.

Also - one last question - everyone knows BRAIN FOG is a very "famous" hypothyroid symptom, and it's probably the one I have most severely. *Can I please hear some success stories from those of you who have overcome the fog???* I need to hear that this isn't permanent


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## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

The symptoms you list are very common. If you ask 1000 patients who have rheumatoid arthritis, about 999 will tell you they have those symptoms. And these patients have normal thyroids.


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## Ginav (Jun 7, 2013)

I can relate to all of the above. I had a TT on Nov 1 and started Armour on Nov 4th. A lot of the symptoms you mentioned are getting better. I was put on AD which did not help and after my thyroid was taken out the depression went with it and most of the other symptoms, I still have some lingering but they are getting better so I know that once they get the meds titrated correctly I will feel better. You didn't mention anything about your thyroid if you have been diagnosed with hypo and are you on thyroid meds?


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## rogo89 (Dec 3, 2013)

*CA-Lynn* - Very interesting. I was recently tested for RA by my PCP and she said the results came back negative. Is there a link between RA and thyroid problems?

*Gina *- I'm so happy to hear that your symptoms are already getting better after only a little over a month of starting treatment!! I have also been on lots of ADs (duh) and although some of them helped in certain ways (concentration was great on Effexor and Zoloft) they just ended up making me more lethargic, depressed, and apathetic. This could possibly just be because my thyroid/something in my body isn't "working" right and therefore the ADs weren't working right, who knows. Anywho, I haven't really been formally diagnosed with a thyroid problem - still in the process of figuring everything out. I just turned 24 and I have been having fatigue problems that have worsened over the years. I feel foggy ALL THE TIME which is one of my least favorite symptoms. I do have a sensitivity to cold, always have a flaky scalp, dry skin on my hands, dizziness, lethargy, etc. Mom and grandma have both been dx Hypothyroid in their early twenties, so it runs in my family. I have had bloodwork done by my PCP and after she said the numbers were normal I asked for a copy of the results myself so I could look at them and hand them over to my psychiatrist, who I see waayyyyy more than I ever see her, since he has been trying to help me figure out everything. She was right that all my numbers were within normal range but apparently my Ft3 and Ft4 are on the low end of normal AND I am presenting with clinical symptoms so my psych prescribed me Levothyroxine and insisted I see an endo. So...I guess for now, you could say I am hypothyroid?

Anyone else with these symptoms, feel free to post!

arty0045:


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

This is my personal opinion and not based on fact. By the time some people are diagnosed with thyroid problems, they are so worn down and just don't feel well, that doing anything becomes a chore. I crashed and burned with the whole thyroid business, picked up a couple of autoimmune disorders, got treatment and I feel pretty good. Finding the correct health care provider and educating yourself go a long way to help in feeling better. Hang in there!


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## Prudence (Oct 30, 2012)

Your list is basically what I've experienced both hyper and hypo. dizziness and brain fog are huge problems for me. If something is off just a bit, I have problems concentraiting and often feel super dizzy.


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## burdette2004 (Oct 29, 2013)

There are other things not related to thyroid that mirror these symptoms too. I have had many of these same symptoms with hypothyroidism, but recently got to the point where I was barely functioning. I could barely get out of bed, felt dizzy all the time, couldn't concentrate, huge brain fog. I found out many of those were actually caused by my adrenal not functioning properly. Try typing several symptoms into a search engine and see what pops up. Find a good doctor who will listen and work with you too. I hope you find some answers soon.


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## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

Rogo,

thyroid disease is very common, so it's not uncommon for a rheumatoid arthritis patient to also have it. Is there a link? Not that we know of. There are far too many RA patients who do NOT have thyroid disease.

Regarding the Rheumatoid Factor test: many RA patients, including me, are "sero-negative," meaning that in spite of repeated tests, we always come back with negative results. This does NOT mean we do NOT have RA. There are other diagnostic criteria for RA that a rheumatologist is able to use.


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## mouthy83 (Jul 18, 2012)

I have suffered with everything u have listed.... BUT i have hashimotos, arthritis and Addisons (adreanal) so could be any of those, just like others have mentioned. Sorry i cant be more help.


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## amyding (May 27, 2015)

I have all of the same symptoms. I have been on Armour for over 20 years and am just now feeling brain fog. I also had brain zaps but have never been on an AD. I have been on Humira for about 5-6 years and was wondering if anyone else with these symptoms are on or have taken a TNF inhibitor or methotrexate.


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