The Beginning With No End in Sight

Starting around fall 2012, I began to experience bouts of vertigo. It usually only happened when I would go to bed and turned over on a certain side. The room would spin violently, the right side of my head would feel weird, and I would grip onto the bed and shut my eyes to prevent myself from feeling sick. At first it only happened a couple of times maybe about six months apart. 

Around this time, my second ex-husband and I had started to start drifting apart. I don't know if it was the stress from trying to deal with the situation, but I started not to feel well. I was eating less, feeling more tired than I had been in YEARS since getting Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, and bruising more easily than I normally do. I would be full after five minutes of eating, then my stomach and chest would hurt from the full feeling. I think this is what caused me to start eating less. My heartbeats were becoming more irregular. It is normal to get skipped beats here and there, but I was feeling then more often, and it really got to me. 

In February or March of 2013, I ended up getting sick, felt fullness in my left ear(which has kind of been there for a year or so), then my ear began to ring and hasn't stopped sense. It was driving me nuts! I ended up finally confronting my ex-husband about our situation and asked if he wanted a divorce. He said that he did. I couldn't understand how it got to that point, but then I put two and two together, and discovered that he had been cheating on me for months. I think even though our marriage was not going well the last couple of years, there are better ways to handle it than cheat. I do take my share of the blame in the destruction of the marriage as I just didn't want anything to do with him the last two years. I think that came from a combination of being sick with my thyroid issues and partly how he was towards me. Even if I wasn't getting what I wanted or needed from the marriage, I didn't do what he did. I do need to write about the experience at some point to help me. But I digress.

Spring 2013 brought on major allergies for me, and the vertigo started again. This time it wasn't just from lying down, it also happened to me standing up. I was at Walmart shopping for a few food items and such, when all of a sudden, I was hit with major post-nasal drip. My nose would not stop running. I had already felt a little dizzy, akin to rocking-on-a-boat feeling, and I knew I had to hurry up and get out of there or I wouldn't be able to drive home. Once I got home, I leaned over to put something down, and the room started spinning even worse than usual. This was the first time I almost fell from the vertigo. I tried just sitting down, but keeping my eyes open, and seeing the room spinning so fast, started to make me feel sick. I had to shut my eyes, because it's one of the only things you can do to make yourself feel better. It took me a bit longer to recover from that bout. 

I ended up going to the doctor, and even though I only felt things in my left ear, the doctor said that I had fluid in the ear...mostly in the right one. I was still getting dizzy after that and got the same thing from another doctor. My regular doctor, at the time, scheduled an MRI of my brain and left inner ear,  and hearing test. The MRI came back negative, but the hearing test showed high frequency hearing loss. I didn't get a hearing aid at the time.

Here I am, two years later, and I still get bouts of dizziness. The vertigo has only happened maybe once or twice, but only when lying down. I have had MRIs, bloodwork, x-rays, ultrasounds, etc., but no one can find anything to cause my dizziness other than thinking it's either Meniere's Disease or cervical stenosis. This week I've had the dizziness. I am grateful for the times that it goes way, and really hate when it comes back. I can't focus as well as I would like, and I pretty much become useless, because I don't like the feeling when I stand up.

One thing that was discovered in all these testings. outside of the hearing loss and cervical stenosis, was my low vitamin D levels. This can happen to people who have thyroid disease. My level was at 5ng. The cardiologist, that I saw for the irregular heartbeats, said that he wasn't surprised that I wasn't feeling well, and started me on vitamin D therapy to see if it would help. At this time, because I felt so crappy after taking thyroid medication, I started to not taking them regularly. I'm sure this didn't help. I have more to say on this, but I will save it for another time.

Wow....It's Been Three Years Since I Last Posted.

I can't believe it's been three years since I last posted to this blog. So much has happened since including having thyroid surgery. I want to start this blog back up, because I think it will help me deal with some of the things I have been feeling especially since the surgery. Maybe it will help others, too, I don't know.  

A Change in Meds

When I was first diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, I was put on a small dosage of Levoxyl.  It helped for a short while, then I started to not feel well again.  I was then put on a higher does of Levoxyl, which helped some, but not much more.  I was also without medical insurance, trying to see the endocrinologist, and paying for thyroid medication.  I didn't see the endo very often, and when I did, I was lucky enough that he would work with me on paying for labs and such.  This was my life until I married my current husband.

I moved to California, and I finally had health insurance with Kaiser through my husband's job.  My medication was then switched from the Levoxyl to Levothroid.  I had been on Levothroid ever since...until now.  

Recently, the Kaiser pharmacy sent out a letter stating that it would no longer carry Levothroid but would substitute it with another generic equivalent.  I have been taking it for the last two months, and I've been awfully tired lately.  I know that part of the reason for my sluggishness is due to the fact that I've become more forgetful, which turns into me forgetting to take some or all of my required pills for the day (137mcg of generic T4 and 5mcg of Cytomel twice a day).  If anything though, I remember to take the T4 meds.  I know that I can't survive the day without at least one Cytomel, but between being super tired and the forgetfulness, I may often go a couple days or more without.

I guess for me to truly know if the new T4 medication is working as properly as it should, I probably should try to make more of an effort to take all the pills correctly and daily.  I have tried alarms, pill boxes, putting it by my bed, etc., but I eventually fall out of the routine.  Anyways, tomorrow I'm going to start taking them like I should, see how it goes, and get some thyroid bloodwork done after I think there's been sufficient time to see if it makes a difference.

Womenshealth.gov Hashimoto's Disease Facts

Most of those who know me, know that I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. I thought I would share these facts that

put out in regards to Hashimoto's Disease.

What is Hashimoto's disease?

Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. It also is called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (theye-royd-EYET-uhss). The thyroid is a small gland in the front of the neck. The thyroid makes hormones called T3 and T4 that regulate how the body uses energy. Thyroid hormone levels are controlled by the pituitary, which is a pea-sized gland in the brain. It makes thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which triggers the thyroid to make thyroid hormone.

With Hashimoto’s disease, the immune system makes antibodies that damage thyroid cells and interfere with their ability to make thyroid hormone. Over time, thyroid damage can cause thyroid hormone levels to be too low. This is called an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism (heye-poh-THEYE-royd-ism). An underactive thyroid causes every function of the body to slow down, such as heart rate, brain function, and the rate your body turns food into energy. Hashimoto’s disease is the most common cause of an underactive thyroid. It is closely related to Graves’ disease, another autoimmune disease affecting the thyroid.

What are the symptoms of Hashimoto's disease?

Many people with Hashimoto’s disease have no symptoms for years. An enlarged thyroid, called a goiter, is often the first sign of disease. The goiter may cause the front of the neck to look swollen. You or your doctor may notice the goiter. If large, it may cause a feeling of fullness in the throat or make it hard to swallow. It rarely causes pain.

Many people with Hashimoto’s disease develop an underactive thyroid. They may have mild or no symptoms at first. But symptoms tend to worsen over time. Symptoms of an underactive thyroid include:

• Fatigue
• Weight gain
• Pale, puffy face
• Feeling cold
• Joint and muscle pain
• Constipation
• Dry, thinning hair
• Heavy menstrual flow or irregular periods
• Depression
• A slowed heart rate
• Problems getting pregnant

Who gets Hashimoto’s disease?

Hashimoto’s disease is about 7 times more common in women than in men. It can occur in teens and young women, but more commonly shows up in middle age. People who get Hashimoto’s disease often have family members who have thyroid or other autoimmune diseases. People who get Hashimoto’s disease sometimes have other autoimmune diseases, such as:

• Vitiligo (vit-ihl-EYE-goh) — a disease that destroys the cells that give your skin its color
• Rheumatoid arthritis — a disease that affects the lining of the joints throughout the body
• Addison’s disease — a disease that affects the adrenal glands, which make hormones that help your body respond to stress and regulate your blood pressure and water and salt balance
• Type 1 diabetes — a disease that causes blood sugar levels to be too high
• Graves’ disease — a disease that causes the thyroid to make too much thyroid hormone
• Pernicious (pur-NISH-uhss) anemia — a disease that keeps your body from absorbing vitamin B12 and making enough healthy red blood cells
• Lupus — a disease that can damage many parts of the body, such as the joints, skin, blood vessels, and other organs

What causes Hashimoto’s disease?

Many factors are thought to play a role in getting Hashimoto’s disease. These include:

• Genes. Some people are prone to Hashimoto’s disease because of their genes. Researchers are working to find the gene or genes involved.
• Gender. Sex hormones also might play a role. This may help to explain why Hashimoto’s disease affects more women than men.
• Pregnancy. Pregnancy affects the thyroid. Some women have thyroid problems after having a baby, which usually go away. But about 20 percent of these women develop Hashimoto’s disease in later years. This suggests that pregnancy might trigger thyroid disease in some women.
• Too much iodine and some drugs may trigger the onset of thyroid disease in people prone to getting it.
• Radiation exposure has been shown to bring on autoimmune thyroid disease. This includes radiation from the atomic bomb in Japan, the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, and radiation treatment of Hodgkin’s disease (a type of blood cancer).

How do I find out if I have Hashimoto’s disease?

If you have symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease, your doctor will do an exam and order one or more tests. Sometimes, routine screening of thyroid function reveals a mildly underactive thyroid in a person with no symptoms. Tests used to find out if you have Hashimoto’s disease include:

• Thyroid function tests. A blood test is sent to a lab to see if your body has the right amount of TSH and thyroid hormone (T4). An above normal level of TSH is a sign of an underactive thyroid. When the thyroid begins to fail, the pituitary makes more TSH so as to trigger the thyroid to make more thyroid hormone. For a while, the thyroid can keep up, and the blood test will show slightly higher TSH levels with normal T4 levels. This is called subclinical hypothyroidism. But over time, the damaged thyroid cannot keep up, and T4 levels will drop below normal while TSH levels are high.
• Antibody test. A blood sample is sent to a lab to look for antibodies that suggest Hashimoto’s disease. Most people with Hashimoto’s disease will have specific antibodies that people with other causes of an underactive thyroid do not have. Some people have the antibodies seen with Hashimoto’s disease, but have normal thyroid function. Having only the antibodies does not cause any symptoms.

Hashimoto’s disease can be harder to diagnose during pregnancy. For one, Hashimoto’s disease has many of the same symptoms as normal pregnancy, such as fatigue and weight gain. Yet untreated underactive thyroid during pregnancy may affect the baby’s growth and brain development. So make sure to tell your doctor if you have symptoms of thyroid problems.

How is Hashimoto’s disease treated?

Hashimoto’s disease responds well to treatment. It is treated with a single daily tablet of levothyroxine (lee-voh-thye-ROKS-een). This is a manmade form of T4 thyroid hormone. It also is called thyroid replacement therapy because it restores back to normal the T4 that the damaged thyroid can no longer make. It almost always needs to be taken for the rest of a person’s life and in the same manner each day.

Thyroid replacement medication comes in different amounts. The exact dose depends on:

• Age
• Weight
• Severity of the underactive thyroid, if present
• Other health problems
• Use of other medicines that can interact with levothyroxine

When you start treatment, you will need a follow-up TSH test so your doctor can fine-tune your dose. Thyroid hormone acts very slowly in the body, so it can take several months after the start of treatment for symptoms to go away and goiter to shrink. If the dose is too strong, thyroid hormone levels will become too high. This is called hyperthyroidism. Too much thyroid hormone can cause heart problems and bone loss. So finding the right dose is important.

Once the TSH level is normal, your doctor will need to see you less often. Most people have a thyroid checkup and TSH test once a year. Usually, the same treatment dose works for a long time and often does not need to be adjusted until a person’s 70s or 80s. Yet, the dose may need to be changed in some cases, such as with pregnancy, heart disease, or if using menopausal hormone therapy.

Whether to treat a mildly underactive thyroid without symptoms is an area of debate. Hashimoto’s disease is the cause in most cases. Many doctors feel that treatment can help these patients. Treatment will keep symptoms from starting. Also, some studies have shown that a mildly underactive thyroid can increase the risk of other health problems, including heart disease. We don’t know yet if treating a mildly underactive thyroid will lower these risks. But some studies have shown thyroid hormone treatment might protect against heart disease. If a screening test reveals you have a mildly underactive thyroid without symptoms, talk to your doctor about your options.

What would happen if Hashimoto’s disease is not treated?

Without treatment, Hashimoto’s disease may progress and symptoms of an underactive thyroid can get worse. An untreated underactive thyroid can cause further problems, including:

• Infertility
• Miscarriage
• Giving birth to a baby with birth defects
• High cholesterol

Severe underactive thyroid called myxedema (mik-suh-DEE-muh) can very rarely lead to:

• Heart failure
• Seizures
• Coma
• Death

Does pregnancy affect the thyroid?

Normal hormone changes during pregnancy cause thyroid hormone levels to increase. The thyroid may enlarge slightly in healthy women during pregnancy, but not enough to be felt. These changes do not affect the pregnancy or unborn baby. Yet, untreated thyroid problems can threaten pregnancy and the growing baby. Symptoms of normal pregnancy, like fatigue, can make it easy to overlook thyroid problems in pregnancy. So if you have symptoms of an underactive thyroid or notice a goiter, make sure to tell your doctor.

Thyroid hormone is vital during pregnancy. The unborn baby’s brain and nervous system need thyroid hormone to develop. During the first trimester, the baby depends on the mother’s supply of thyroid hormone. At 10 to 12 weeks of pregnancy, the baby’s thyroid begins to work on its own. But the baby still depends on the mother for iodine, which the thyroid uses to make thyroid hormone. Pregnant women need about 250 micrograms (mcg) of iodine a day. Some women might not get all the iodine they need through the foods they eat or prenatal vitamins. Choosing iodized salt — salt that has had iodine added to it — over plain table salt is one way to ensure you get enough iodine. Also, prenatal vitamins that contain iodine are recommended.

Some women develop thyroid problems in the first year after giving birth. This is called postpartum thyroiditis (theye-royd-EYET-uhss). It often begins with symptoms of an overactive thyroid, which last 2 to 4 months. Mild symptoms might be overlooked. Most women then develop symptoms of an underactive thyroid, which can last up to a year. An underactive thyroid needs to be treated. In most cases, thyroid function returns to normal as the thyroid heals.

Do I need a thyroid test if I become pregnant?

Experts have not reached agreement on whether all pregnant women should be routinely screened for thyroid problems. But, if an underactive thyroid with or without symptoms is found during pregnancy, your doctor will treat you to lower your risk of pregnancy problems. An underactive thyroid without symptoms occurs in 2 to 3 in every 100 pregnancies. If you want to become or are newly pregnant, talk to your doctor about thyroid screening.

I have Hashimoto’s disease and want to have a baby. What should I do before I try to get pregnant?

Women being treated for Hashimoto’s disease can become pregnant. But make sure your pregnancy is planned. Thyroid function must be well-controlled before you get pregnant.

Untreated or poorly treated underactive thyroid can lead to problems for the mother, such as:

• Preeclampsia (pree-ee-CLAMP-see-uh)
• Anemia
• Miscarriage
• Placental abruption
• Postpartum bleeding

It also can cause serious problems for the baby, such as:

• Preterm birth
• Low birth weight
• Stillbirth
• Birth defects
• Thyroid problems

Talk to your doctor about how to prepare for pregnancy or about birth control if you do not want to become pregnant.

How is Hashimoto’s disease treated during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, you may need to see both your OB/GYN and an endocrinologist (en-doh-krih-NOL-uh-jist), a doctor who treats people with hormone problems. Levothyroxine is safe to use during pregnancy and necessary for the health of the baby. Women with Hashimoto’s disease or an underactive thyroid who are taking levothyroxine before pregnancy may need a higher dose to maintain normal thyroid function. Thyroid function should be checked every 6 to 8 weeks during pregnancy. After you have your baby, you will likely go back to your pre-pregnancy dose.

Can I breastfeed if I am using thyroid replacement therapy?

Levothyroxine does pass through breast milk. But it is not likely to cause problems for the baby. Also, you may not be able to make breast milk if your thyroid is underactive. Your doctor can help you decide what is best for you and your baby.

For more information

For more information about Hashimoto’s diseases, call womenshealth.gov at 800-994-9662 or contact the following organizations:

Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Information Service, NIDDK, NIH, DHHS
Phone: 888-828-0904
Internet Address: http://www.endocrine.niddk.nih.gov

American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Inc.
Phone: 586-776-3900; Toll-Free: 800-598-4668 (for literature requests)
Internet Address: http://www.aarda.org

American Thyroid Association
Phone: 800-THYROID (849-7643)
Internet address: http://www.thyroid.org

The Hormone Foundation
Phone: 800-HORMONE (467-6663)
Internet address: http://www.hormone.org

New York Thyroid Center
Phone: 800-543-2782; 212-305-0442
Internet Address: http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/thyroid

Reviewed by:

David S. Cooper, M.D.
Professor of Medicine
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

***This was taken from Womenshealth.gov. included is the original copyright disclaimer from the website page: "All material contained in this FAQ is free of copyright restrictions, and may be copied, reproduced, or duplicated without permission of the Office on Women's Health in the Department of Health and Human Services. Citation of the source is appreciated."***

Is My Heart Rate Being Affected by My Thyroid?

Mini-Me was laying up against my chest one day when she said, "Mommy, you're heartbeat is slow."  Then she proceeds to make sounds and use hand gestures to mimic the way her heart and then the way my heart sounds.  After that, she tells Miss La-Di-Da-Di listen to it as well.  She's surprised, too.  I guess the only person that isn't surprised is me.  I often feel like my heart rate is a little sluggish.  These are the times where I also find it difficult to breathe once I get to the top of the stairs in my home.  Sometimes I feel a little lightheaded after exercising, too.  I know it's the strain of the weight that my body carries around, but I also know it's the thyroid.  My thyroid is what got me here; to this unhealthy weight.  I know it's causing a lot of the things that go on with me.  Is it any wonder why those with thyroid disease have more chance of having a heart problem as well?  I think I'm going to research the correlation a bit and see what can be done to make things better.

November Update

I've been off of the generic Cytomel for awhile now and back on brand only. It has made a big difference. This week I'm still feeling a little more tired than usual, but I think it's because it is 'technically' my cycle despite not having one. I've noticed differences in how I feel since switching back, along with the make up of the two pills, and some other issues. I hope to do a post here in the next day or so in regards to these discoveries.

I try to post my experiences, so that others can learn something from it. Perhaps it might help in getting to the cause of some of their symptoms. I hope that what I post helps in some way. I want to get back to blogging about my life with Hashi and other thyroid subjects on a daily basis. Between school, family life, and the exhausted feeling I've had of late, it's been kind of hard to keep up. I will prevail though. :0)

Ten Days In....

I have been on the generic form of Cytomel for almost two weeks now. I still feel rather lethargic, and I've been requiring naps. I'm trying to see if this medication is what is causing this. My husband has also noticed that I have been, what he calls, "A lot bitchier." I do see that about myself. I feel a lot more irritable than usual. It's not good for me, because it causes stress on my mind and body. It's definitely not good for my family as they've been taking the brunt of it. I'm trying to wait this week out to see if my body is going to ever function the way it did with brand. I just have a feeling in a few days, I will be emailing my doctor to put me back on brand to function at least somewhat normal!

Thyroid Awareness Month

This was first written at my new blog One Weigh at a Time. I'll be writing about thyroid disease there for the rest of this month as well as including stuff here.

Some of you may not know that part of my weight problem stems from having Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is when your immune system attacks your thyroid as it thinks it's a foreign body. I have been dealing with this disease about 10+ years now. It's said that about 60 million people are afflicted with thyroid disease. It often goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed because a lot of the symptoms of the disease are also symptoms of other diseases such as diabetes, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and various other diseases.

Have you heard that Oprah Winfrey had to see FOUR doctors and gained forty pounds before she was diagnosed? I know what that is like considering it took me four YEARS to get diagnosed. Lot of doctors only know of the thyroid what they learned in medical school. There's vast information out there with plenty of doctors who can deal with thyroid disease properly. Unfortunately, I have not found one yet, but then I have been dealing with an HMO. I've already switched primary physicians about five times. But I digress.

January is Thyroid Awareness Month. So this month my posts will be dedicated to thyroid disease. This is the first. One site that I visit often is http://thyroid.about.com It's a blog ran by patient advocate Mary Shomon, who herself has Hashimoto's. It also have lots of information in regards to thyroid disease and information in regards to other sites on thyroid disease.

This year's logo for Thyroid Awareness Month is Check Your Neck, Change Your Life. Mary Shomon has created a campaign along with a free ebook that you can download. Simply click on the banner.
This informative site will tell you some of the symptoms of thyroid disease, how to check your neck, what you should look for in a clinical exam, and how to find a doctor.

Here are the steps for doing a thyroid self-check: **important note: This will not rule out thyroid disease or thyroid cancer. For accurate diagnosis, please see your physician**

1. Stand in front of a mirror

2. Stretch neck back

3. Swallow water

4. Look for enlargement in neck (below the Adam's Apple, above the collar bone)

5. Feel area to confirm enlargement or bump

6. If any problem is detected, see a doctor

I've posted this particular item on my thyroid blog Life with Hashi, and you can find it on the site mentioned above. Stay tuned for more thyroid information.

Brrrr....It's Cold in Here

I started off with a stomach bug, and got runny nose, congestion, etc., to boot! I think I'm on day five of this whole ordeal. The last two or three nights I had my freezing moments...teeth-chattering kind. The first time was due to a slight fever, the last two was due to a drop in body temperature. One was 97.4, and last night was 97.1 which is the lowest I've been in awhile. It felt like I was out in some freezing cold snowy place. I don't like freezing cold snowy places. lol

Guess it's good to laugh about it. I don't want to be serious all the time in regards to my thyroid disease, because it's something that I live with everyday. I am SERIOUS about it when I need to get my TSH regulated, finding a doctor who knows more than the basic medical school crap and actually LISTENS. It's proven difficult so far as I have changed primary physicians about five times in the last four years. But, I digress.

These low temps are why many people with hypothyroidism are cold when no one else is. You can read about my little basal temperature experiment here. If you have Hashimoto's/hypothyroidism, and you take the basal temperature experiment, let me know your results. It will be interesting to see how many are or aren't like me in regards to the temps and overall wellness.

Top Ten Thyroid Symptoms Explained

As I mentioned in the previous post, I wanted to expand on the symptoms that signal thyroid disease and my own personal experience in regards to these symptoms. I want to mention that some people may get one or two symptoms. There are those who get a little more. Then there is someone like me who gets a whole slew of them even ones not included in the list. I will address the first five. I will address the last five in my next post.

The first symptom we'll talk about is fatigue. This is a common one, and a lot of times it can be due to lack of sleep, however, those with a thyroid condition don't necessarily have a lack of sleep. They, in fact, can have eight to ten hours of sleep, but still feel like they need more. Some need a nap to get through the day. It is also possible to be hyperthyroid (I'll delve into that at some point in another post) as well as hypothyroid which causes sleep problems.

This was one of the first symptoms to strike me. I was tired all the time. I was working at the time this symptom appeared. I would always complain that I was so tired. My coworkers thought that I was just having 'extracurricular' activities. NO, that wasn't it. I would get plenty of sleep, but I could barely keep awake. Until I was put on medication, I felt almost comatose at times. I was happy that I never fell asleep at the wheel which I felt like doing a LOT. I actually became a bit hyperthyroid, too, and now I'm up until 3 AM some nights. I don't require a nap as much now. I'll get into the reason for that later.

Weight Changes-Those with thyroid disease suddenly gain an excess amount of weight without eating, eating very little, and regardless of exercise (Hypo). Some may eat the same or more, but lose a lot of weight (Hyper).

This was another prevalent symptom for me. I was gaining weight so rapidly and hadn't changed my diet in the slightest. When my ex-husband and I used to work out at the gym everyday, I only lost ONE pound in a month whereas he had lost a few. It's funny how a lot of people who didn't really know my situation, and still don't, said that I would lose weight if only I didn't eat a lot. They never saw me eat. If they did, they would see I ate maybe one, two at the most, meals a day. My current husband used to comment how I would eat like a bird just pecking at things. I get full within five minutes of eating. Then I turn around and get hungry again a few hours later. Though I have the hunger, I don't feel in the mood to eat.

Depression and Anxiety: Depression that doesn't respond to antidepressants can be a sign of thyroid answer.
In my case, I went between being very down, to feeling anxiety about life, to being easily irritated, and back again. The moods changed from day to day. I was going through a separation at the time when I was given a prescription for Zoloft. I knew that depression wasn't the problem. I never got that prescription filled. I'm glad I didn't. I still have my days, but it's much better than before when I hadn't gotten the right diagnosis.

Cholesterol Issues: thyroid disease can cause increase in cholesterol. If it doesn't respond to dieting, medications, exercise, etc., it could indicate a thyroid problem.

I never really had an issue with these, but like I said, symptoms vary from one person to another.

Family History: From the research I did for a paper in my college health class, it was said that they weren't sure if it was genetic. I believe it's more likely to have a thyroid problem if there is a family history.

As far as I know, no one in my family has had a thyroid issue. I have several relatives that I don't know or who have passed long ago that I know no medical history of. I do know I'm the first in my immediate family.

(to be continued...)

Taking It Off Together Tuesday Week #17

Well, I haven't gotten the official report from Leigh yet in regards to everyone's weekly weigh in, but I thought I would go ahead and post my own right now and add the rest when available.

This week I am down one pound! Do you know what this means? This means that I am finally at my mini goal of being 210! W00t! Woot! Holla! It's amazing that I lost weight without exercising, but I'm going to chalk it up to my eating habits. I really don't eat a lot of junk food anymore. Every once in awhile I do get cravings, and I'll satisfy them. I just don't go overboard.

I really need to get back into my exercise groove. I didn't do any this week with the exception of when the family and I went out for a day of bowling. Later that night my legs were killing me. That always happens if I'm doing more activity than normal. When I was a keno runner in vegas, I would go to break, sit down to have my meal, then when it was time to go back, I'd have problems getting up. My legs were both numb and sore. Never thought that could be possible, did you? My legs never did this, nor the rest of my body, until I got Hashimoto's. To this day, no matter what I do in regards to physical activity, this is how my body reacts. I'm o.k. with it now. It used to be really bad until my medications got changed. It's a lot more manageable.

One thing that's been going on lately, and probably the reason I haven't been exercising, is that I'm having trouble sleeping again. I am going to bed at around 3 AM every night. Then I'm up early to get the kids off to school. If I can get a good solid eight hours, I can usually function well through the day. If I'm sleeping like I've been, I require a nap during the day which I really hate to do. Hopefully I can get myself on a schedule of some sort. It's probably the only way to deal with this.

***Edit***This week our contest is sponsored by Julie! She is offering a copy of the Biggest Loser Cookbook as a prize this week! If you’d like to sponser a prize, let me know! We are currently out of prizes!

The names of this week’s “losers” were dropped into a coffee cup and this week’s WINNER is Grace!

Congrats to Clara for being this week’s biggest loser of 2 pounds!! Be sure to cruise over to her blog and congratulate her!

Chris - 3.5 GAIN
Tammy - 0.5 GAIN
Life With Hashi-Thyroid Blog - 1.0 LOSS
Grace - 0.2 LOSS
Leigh - 0.5 LOSS
Clara - 2.0 LOSS
Dette - 0.5 LOSS
Julie - 1.0 LOSS
Cheryl - No Change
Audrey - 0.8 GAIN
Christy - 0.6 GAIN
Tina - no report
Danielle - 1.0 LOSS
Jessie - No Change
Steph - no report
CYN - no report

This week’s total - 0.8 LOSS!

My Thyroid Story Part 1

Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) is a thyroid disorder. This happens when the thyroid does not produce sufficient thyroid hormone for the body. The thyroid is responsible for a lot of things. It helps to regulate our bodies and controls metabolism. It affects millions of people, a majority of them being women, and most don’t know they have it. I was one of those people for about four or five years before finally being diagnosed in 2003.

Hypothyroidism usually goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. This can be attributed to a lot of factors. One is different labs can have different ranges. The American Thyroid Association has suggested that labs lower the TSH ranges to .3-3.0 which would mean that far more people would be diagnosed with a thyroid disease. Even with the suggested change, some labs still have the TSH range of .5-5.0. This is where the problem begins.

Some of the symptoms of an underactive thyroid include fatigue, mental fog, depression, increased menstrual flow, dry hair, brittle nails, feeling cold when no one else does, unexplained weight gain, and a few others. Here’s how the problem starts, because a lot of these symptoms are also symptoms of other diseases.

For me, I suffered all these symptoms and more. I was in a myxedema coma, though I was never thought to be in one or to be suffering from any thyroid disorder, because my TSH levels were in the ‘normal’ range. With myxedema coma, you don’t necessarily slip into a coma, but I will get more into that at a later date.

One of my first signs was the inability to swallow. Every time I would eat, I would struggle to swallow. It felt like if I didn’t chew enough or cut the food into small enough pieces, I would choke. The choking sensation didn’t stop there. I would get these feeling at night and would be awakened, coughing, by it. I was also quite fatigued. I was forgetting bits of conversations, where I placed things, etc.

I had separated from my ex-husband in 2002, and I had already been living with all these symptoms about three or four years by this point. I was told that perhaps it was due to depression and was given a prescription for Zoloft. I never filled that prescription, because I KNEW that wasn’t it. I wasn’t feeling like myself.

Of course, you will have those who say you are a hypochondriac, or the weight gain you’ve incurred would be solved if only you didn’t eat so much. This isn’t limited to your friends and family, some doctors say these things.

Luckily for me, the doctor who gave me the prescription for the Zoloft suggested that I go back and have my thyroid checked in a couple of weeks. When I was ready to do that, they no longer took my insurance. I was dealing with a PPO at the time, so it was easy just to book an appointment with an endocrinologist.

At the first appointment, he examined my neck, asked about my symptoms, then had me start on a low dosage of thyroid medication until the extensive thyroid labs he had done, came back. The second appointment was the one that changed things for me. FINALLY! I had a diagnosis: Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is named after the doctor who discovered it. Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disorder. The body treats the thyroid like it’s a foreign object. The immune system attacks the thyroid in response, thereby causing the thyroid to produce little to no hormone.

My doctor told me that I would need to be on thyroid medication for the rest of my life. He then increased it, and I started to feel better. But that feeling didn’t last long.

A Song About Hashimoto's....Check It Out! LOL

One of my favorite sites that I visit and also receive newsletters from is thyroid.about.com. It is a very informative site in regards to thyroid disease. The newsletter is written by Mary Shomon. She is a patient advocate and suffers from thyroid disease herself. In one of the newsletters I received to day it mentioned this: (You can find the full article here)

"Dallas, Texas endo Dr. David Feinstein, and his friend/colleague, Canadian family physician and stress management expert Dr. Mel Borins, believe that there's a place for humor in medicine. And now, thanks to them, thyroid patients can enjoy a truly hilarious song: "Ode to Hashimoto's Thyroiditis," written and performed brilliantly by Dr. Borins. I don't want to spoil the surprise of the lyrics -- it's really funny, and if you have ever been hypothyroid, you will totally relate to this song!"

You can find the song here. Take a listen. It's really rather funny and highly accurate! LOL