Re: So, what's the real deal with TSH (and symptoms list?)

[Guest guest]

>Feeling enlargement or like there's not enough room in my neck

anywhere, feeling " tight " to my left side of my neck, yet not really

seeing anything protruding or anything like that. Also, when I touch

where the front of the thyroid is on the lower part, it feels like it

is harder than it was over the yrs, somehow (My TSH was kept by

different doctors at a 5.5 for yrs on end). Also, feels harder to

swallow, and all this has been in the last yr and a half, way after I

did my own antibody levels..<

Oh, I can relate to this! Some days are a little better and some,

worse. It seems worse around/on my period.

Does your ear on your left side ever bother you?

The anatomy of the neck, in my opinion, is quite complex. Considering

everything in there...has some room for inflammation (nodes/muscles)

but I do believe that space is limited.

You have nerves, muscles, tendons, nodes, blood vessels/arteries,

spine, trach & esophagus.

I know that if the thyroid compresses the throat there will be

problems but wonder if it's possible to cause problems if it happens

to too close to a nerve/artery or a muscle for that matter.

I can't recall but is it not true that nodes can/do swell when the

thyroid is diseased? If so, the tonsils (Palatine & Lingual) and

adenoids are part of the lymphatic system and thus, if the former is

possible/true, could it not be sending error messages to

tonsils/adenoids?

It's been my right side that has been giving me all the grief. I

dealt with the tonsils but that was in April. Sometimes my swallowing

seems uncoordinated. Sometimes food (particularly dry (er) stuff)

won't " kick back " far enough or if it does, falls in the space just

below my epiglottis.

I know this because early on, I was told it was a " sensation " . What

the heck, was this in my head? So, I purchased a dental mirror and

investigated the situation. Nope, it wasn't simply a " sensation. "

Sometimes, it was food stuck on my linguals or in that space.

There are possibilities here but before I visit my ENT...want to get

other things squared away with my GP.

>He then put me on my first rounds of tranquilizers, antidepressants,

antipsychotics, and the like, changing them, as I would have

complaints about rashes and other symptoms that I thought were from

these meds.<

My former doc gave me a rx for Paxil. I didn't fill it. While I was

experiencing a chronic attack for a month long, didn't/don't feel

that is where the problems are stemming from. I don't want to be on

any medication that isn't [possibly] necessary.

After taking some anti-biotics, I experiences a rash of sorts. 2

areas under my eyes, just above my cheek-bones puffed up, developed

little red dots/some acne. After a few months, the redness

disappeared but in looking closely, the areas are a little discolored

and still a little puffy. Not noticeable to those who don't know my

face, so-to-speak.

>I brought up thyroid to him, when I finally started reading the

Merck about it, he didn't test it. I changed doctors, he wouldn't

test it. I changed doctors again, he wouldn't test it.<

This makes me angry. It's an outrage, really. I think every community

should have a patient advocacy group. A place to also discuss

concerns and experiences.

I would like to get on the hospital/clinic board. I didn't apply as

it was too close to elections when the desire came to me.

>I had one female doctor who was handling my progesterone loss,

with long long heavy periods that never stopped, who also told me

that I still had a load of estrogen, at least at that time. She

never tested the thyroid.<

Ah! What the heck! How old were you during this time?

My periods have changed. Currently, my system is acting like it's

trying to stop. It had gone from heavy, to heavy (large clots)but

shorter, to lighter (more like bits of bloody tissue, with some blood)

and shorter. No real " flow. "

>Then, within a period of a few months, my hair went nylon dry ALL at

once, my eyes drooped, my skin got dry, I suddenly gained around 15

to 20 lbs within a couple of months, my eyes itched ALL the time.

Then, within a two day period, I began to shake periodically, as

something that would remind you of a cerebellar attack, for several

hrs. Then it would suddenly stop, as though it had never happened,

then begin again in about 4 hrs, then stop again suddenly. (Turns

out, that was my pituitary TSH haggling the life out of my thyroid

and kept doing it because it couldn't " shake " any thyroid hormone out

of my thyroid any longer.)<

So, essentially in just a few short months you looked in the mirror

and wondered what in hades was going on.

The irritated eyes, did that stop? I read about Sjorgens and later,

read that those with auto-immune disorders are prone to having more

than one.

I used to have silky hair. Then it started becoming dull, breaking

and falling out a-lot! With my long hair, after each shower, I had to

clean out the drain. In vacuuming, I would have to cut the hair out

of the beater bar. Now that I've essentially " butched " it, it goes

down the drain more easily.

My hair & face feels " rough " ...almost dirty like. No more shine. I

don't curl/blow dry or process my hair. I also take a good multi

w/mineral.

Throughout the year, periodically I've had irritated eyes. Lasts

about 3 days during each bout.

All last year, I would take my temp swearing I was running one. I

first notice a fever when my eyes bother me. Nope, no temperature. I

couldn't figure it...still can't.

As for shakes, I've had them. When they strike, seems to occur during

the first part of the day. Again, bouts but infrequent though.

>I believe I've posted that before, but I will again, for those that

are more new here, over this past yr or so. I think it's called

something like " Psychological Aspects of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis " ,

and it was a HUGE doctor study.<

I'll give google a shot.

Do you feel like you have your thyroid well managed, for the most

part?

~Kate