Hi all. Sorry if this is lengthy and weirdly formatted, obligatory I’m on mobile warning.
So I’ve been struggling with doctors now to have them listen to my symptoms. I have a family history of endocrine disorders. My mom was diagnosed and treated for both Graves' Disease and Cushing's Disease (due to an adrenal adenoma which she had removed). Her thyroid was fully removed. My great-grandmother also had a thyroid disorder and had hers removed as well, but I don't know what exact condition she had.
I've been dealing with a laundry list of symptoms for about two years now getting worse over the past 5-6 months.
Body temp issues. I am always feeling cold, but when I begin to feel hot there is no gradual transition. I start sweating and cannot make myself comfortable unless my entire body can be "exposed" to a colder temp. My feet are also always ice cold, no matter how many socks/blankets/etc. I use. I can go 5 min being hot, 5 min being cold, back and forth for hours at a time.
Occasional chest pain. It is hard to describe but I will experience an ache on the left side of my chest, "behind" my breast. Almost as if it is between the chest wall and breast. This happens maybe 2-3 times a month. Recently this has turned into a feeling of heaviness near the top of my chest when laying down. I describe it as having a 5 lb bag of flour across my chest. This will last anywhere from 1 min to 30 min, with the longer durations being more infrequent. Not always, but I will also experience the feeling of not being able to take a full breath and I sound like my breathing is really labored.
My calves ache on a daily basis. I will wake up in the morning feeling like I walked 10 miles in my sleep, and last all day. It can prevent me from getting to sleep and will sometimes wake me up. Weight gain. I've gained about 30 lbs over two years. I'm not distributing it evenly either, mostly just on my chest (next point) and a small amount on the front of my stomach.
Changes in breast size. I have been on birth control for about 3.5 yrs so I’m wondering if hormones are wonky.
Difficulty sleeping. My normal bed time is around 8-8:30, but some nights I will feel awake until around 11. Most commonly I'll fall asleep at my normal time but wake up around 2 or 3 AM and not be able to fall back asleep. If I record a good night of sleep (usually 9 hrs or more for me) I will not feel rested. Recently it has been routine to not fall asleep until 10, spend 20 minutes awake every other hour, and naturally wake around 3:30 feeling like I could get up and start my day.
Bowel movements. I have gone four or five days without one. It will feel like I need to pass gas, but even straining will not release it.
“High” resting heart rate. I wear a Fitbit daily and my resting heart rate can fluctuate anywhere between 72 and 78. I typically only see this as I am about to fall asleep. Any other time, while doing no activity and just sitting down, it will be between 80-95. Mild physical activity (ex. getting up and walking to the kitchen) will put it above 100. It will also take a while for me to "cool" down again. I get occasional flutters and racing/pounding sensations - sometimes painful, sometimes just annoying.
Eye pain/straining/pressure. I've worn glasses for 15 years and regularly saw an ophthalmologist until I was 18. Now, I will get these headaches right behind my eyes that will knock me down for the rest of the day. It is worsened by exposure to light, and I can't wear my glasses during these - it will seem like my prescription is too strong. It will hurt to look to the extremes of my vision (left/right/up/down) almost like I am straining my eyes by turning them. I also will have a physical sensation of my eyes being "puffy" if I press on them.
Brain fog. This was not as bad until recently. I've noticed that I cannot comprehend or understand things as well as I used to. I've always been relatively smart and did not struggle with new ideas or concepts. Now there are times I cannot understand how to do simple math, or being tasked with organizing something will overwhelm me to the point of crying.
Other symptoms I would call bothersome but less intense and self-explanatory are back/shoulder pain, acid reflux, vaginal dryness, decrease in sex drive, occasional dizziness/lightheadedness, shakiness in hands, anxiety, irritability, and more frequently occurring headaches. My last two periods have been considerably lighter than my usual cycles. I've also gone from having my period during the last week of "inactive" pills, beginning at the first inactive ending at the first active, to starting my period on either the second to last or last inactive and going into the first few active pills.
I am now on my third doctor for this. I haven't seen the new one because of COVID but the first two brushed me off as issues with my birth control. I've been told that since Mircette specifically is such a low dose, I couldn't possibly be having symptoms due to hormone imbalances. Like many of you from reading in this sub I have also been asked if it’s anxiety/depression. I asked for my thyroid to be tested because of my family history and the fact that my symptoms are exactly what my mom was going through before she was diagnosed. My TSH came back 1.110 uIU/mL (0.270 uIU/mL - 4.320 uIU/mL) and T4 Free 1.29 ng/dL (0.58 ng/dL - 1.64 ng/dL). I had a CBC panel done as well but I was told everything looked fine by two doctors.
I’m having my TSH pulled again but have to wait and jump through hoops to get it done because of COVID. Can anyone give advice or ideas if this really is a thyroid issue? Or similar experiences? I’m mostly mimicking what my mom experienced except for a few symptoms being opposite and she feels palpitations more frequently.
Hi all. Sorry if this is lengthy and weirdly formatted, obligatory I’m on mobile warning.So I’ve been struggling with doctors now to have them listen to my symptoms. I have a family history of endocrine disorders. My mom was diagnosed and treated for both Graves' Disease and Cushing's Disease (due to an adrenal adenoma which she had removed). Her thyroid was fully removed. My great-grandmother also had a thyroid disorder and had hers removed as well, but I don't know what exact condition she had.I've been dealing with a laundry list of symptoms for about two years now getting worse over the past 5-6 months.Body temp issues. I am always feeling cold, but when I begin to feel hot there is no gradual transition. I start sweating and cannot make myself comfortable unless my entire body can be "exposed" to a colder temp. My feet are also always ice cold, no matter how many socks/blankets/etc. I use. I can go 5 min being hot, 5 min being cold, back and forth for hours at a time.Occasional chest pain. It is hard to describe but I will experience an ache on the left side of my chest, "behind" my breast. Almost as if it is between the chest wall and breast. This happens maybe 2-3 times a month. Recently this has turned into a feeling of heaviness near the top of my chest when laying down. I describe it as having a 5 lb bag of flour across my chest. This will last anywhere from 1 min to 30 min, with the longer durations being more infrequent. Not always, but I will also experience the feeling of not being able to take a full breath and I sound like my breathing is really labored.My calves ache on a daily basis. I will wake up in the morning feeling like I walked 10 miles in my sleep, and last all day. It can prevent me from getting to sleep and will sometimes wake me up. Weight gain. I've gained about 30 lbs over two years. I'm not distributing it evenly either, mostly just on my chest (next point) and a small amount on the front of my stomach.Changes in breast size. I have been on birth control for about 3.5 yrs so I’m wondering if hormones are wonky.Difficulty sleeping. My normal bed time is around 8-8:30, but some nights I will feel awake until around 11. Most commonly I'll fall asleep at my normal time but wake up around 2 or 3 AM and not be able to fall back asleep. If I record a good night of sleep (usually 9 hrs or more for me) I will not feel rested. Recently it has been routine to not fall asleep until 10, spend 20 minutes awake every other hour, and naturally wake around 3:30 feeling like I could get up and start my day.Bowel movements. I have gone four or five days without one. It will feel like I need to pass gas, but even straining will not release it.“High” resting heart rate. I wear a Fitbit daily and my resting heart rate can fluctuate anywhere between 72 and 78. I typically only see this as I am about to fall asleep. Any other time, while doing no activity and just sitting down, it will be between 80-95. Mild physical activity (ex. getting up and walking to the kitchen) will put it above 100. It will also take a while for me to "cool" down again. I get occasional flutters and racing/pounding sensations - sometimes painful, sometimes just annoying.Eye pain/straining/pressure. I've worn glasses for 15 years and regularly saw an ophthalmologist until I was 18. Now, I will get these headaches right behind my eyes that will knock me down for the rest of the day. It is worsened by exposure to light, and I can't wear my glasses during these - it will seem like my prescription is too strong. It will hurt to look to the extremes of my vision (left/right/up/down) almost like I am straining my eyes by turning them. I also will have a physical sensation of my eyes being "puffy" if I press on them.Brain fog. This was not as bad until recently. I've noticed that I cannot comprehend or understand things as well as I used to. I've always been relatively smart and did not struggle with new ideas or concepts. Now there are times I cannot understand how to do simple math, or being tasked with organizing something will overwhelm me to the point of crying.Other symptoms I would call bothersome but less intense and self-explanatory are back/shoulder pain, acid reflux, vaginal dryness, decrease in sex drive, occasional dizziness/lightheadedness, shakiness in hands, anxiety, irritability, and more frequently occurring headaches. My last two periods have been considerably lighter than my usual cycles. I've also gone from having my period during the last week of "inactive" pills, beginning at the first inactive ending at the first active, to starting my period on either the second to last or last inactive and going into the first few active pills.I am now on my third doctor for this. I haven't seen the new one because of COVID but the first two brushed me off as issues with my birth control. I've been told that since Mircette specifically is such a low dose, I couldn't possibly be having symptoms due to hormone imbalances. Like many of you from reading in this sub I have also been asked if it’s anxiety/depression. I asked for my thyroid to be tested because of my family history and the fact that my symptoms are exactly what my mom was going through before she was diagnosed. My TSH came back 1.110 uIU/mL (0.270 uIU/mL - 4.320 uIU/mL) and T4 Free 1.29 ng/dL (0.58 ng/dL - 1.64 ng/dL). I had a CBC panel done as well but I was told everything looked fine by two doctors.I’m having my TSH pulled again but have to wait and jump through hoops to get it done because of COVID. Can anyone give advice or ideas if this really is a thyroid issue? Or similar experiences? I’m mostly mimicking what my mom experienced except for a few symptoms being opposite and she feels palpitations more frequently. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J https://ift.tt/2Al7LMI
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