Am I Hypothyroid

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Hello everybody.

I am new to this forum and was wondering if anyone out there can help.

I have copied an email I sent to Sheila which should go most of the

way to detailing my symptoms. I have had the fatigue problem for over

10 years;

Hi Sheila,

I hope you dont mind me contacting you again but it is just to say

that I went to my doctor on Monday (27th Jan) and he was not too

pleased with me. I had showed him the email you sent and he responded

by telling me that the endocronologist I had seen around 9 months ago

(Professor Wass of the Radcliffe hospital) was convinced my

Thyroid was normal and that he would have done more tests if he

suspected anything amis. I can't actually remember Professor Wass

doing tests on my thyroid but the result of the last test I has

showed the TSH to be 1.04 and my GP assured me that it was ok.

I don't know what to think now maybe, if you dont mind, I could let

you know my history concerning the fatigue.

Firstly I am male, 53 years old and have Crohn's disease, type 1

Diabetes and Restless Legs Syndrome. I have been taking Prednisolone

now since 1995 without a break.

In 1997 following 2 years of major problems with Crohn's I had major

surgery to remove a stricture in my bowel. For a couple of days

following the surgery I felt comparatvely well then, all of a sudden

(literaly) I started to feel unwell again. I put this down to the op.

and thought it would pass but it didn't, after 4 years complaining of

extreme pain and fatigue I was readmitted to hospital and operated on

again as it was thought that the Crohn's had flared up again. It

turned out that I had an adhesion, not a Crohn's flare up, this was

dealt with but, while in hospital, I couldn't stop being sick and was

told that I would not be allowed home until the sickness subsided,

needless to say, it didn't. I was treated very badly by one

particular doctor who, when I complained that I felt lousy, told me

there were people in there with 'real' complaints (the chap in the

opposite bed had cancer I apologised for not having cancer myself!),

also I asked for my morphine drip to be removed before I got hooked

on it, after a day and a half I removed it myself due to lack of

response. The sickness was so bad I couldn't keep anything down and

was told that I could not go home until it was under control. One

night after being given an 'Ensure' drink I was sick all over the

toilet, I was so worried about anyone finding out and not allowing me

home that I cleaned it all up using 3 rolls of toilet paper! I

eventually discharged myself because I knew I would never get better

there.

When home, the sickness subsided and I eventually regained my

appetite but it was either then, or just after the first op (I can't

really say because of the flareup's etc.) that I noticed I wasn't

regaining my former strength and energy (it was following the first

op I started getting RLS) and I have been like that ever since.

I have tried every avenue including low testosterone, chronic fatigue

syndrome, prednisolone withdrawal and of course low thyroid. All I

know is that I am running at about 25% of my former self and I am

really fed up with it. At the present time I am also being treated

for depression which has come about as a result of my impending

divorce (the thought of being away from my children makes me very

down) along with difficulty in finding accommodation and not being

able to work. This is having a very bad effect on me and I know it

will contribute to my symptoms but, the same symptoms were there when

none of this was happening. My GP keeps telling me that once I am in

a more settled situation the symptoms will subside but, as I said

previously, I had the same symptoms when I wasn't depressed. I am

sure the fact I have never been able to get off the Prednisolone has

something to do with it but I am told by my GP that it shouldn't have

an effect.

One very strange thing happened in 1999 and lasted for about 6

months. I lost control of my speech. What would happen was that I

would have real difficulty getting words out and would stutter like

crazy, I also mentioned this to my GP and to my Crohn's specialist

who did a small test for a stroke, this showed nothing and the

problem eventually went away but nothing like that had ever happened

to me.

Sorry, I have gone on a bit and I do hope I am not taking up too much

of your time. I have not managed to join the forum as yes as I can't

seem to get a connection through the link or even when I manually key

in the address, I will keep trying though.

Kindest regards

Renny