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Unfortunately, all comments on this post written prior to Feb. 28, 2013 were inadvertently wiped out. Ouch.

i have a positive ANA titer...high, and speckled. a sister who also has lupus, three siblings and a mom with thyroid problems.

i have reynaud's and sjogren's syndromes and recently weight gain without diet change or change in excercise regimen. am losing my hair and have no outer eyebrows left.

my lips are always dried cracked and peeling. my primary suspects hypothyroidism, i suspect auto-immune variety.

thanks for your page and site. i am on a mission to find non-traditional, herbal and diet ways to resolve my issues.

I have Raynaud's and many of the symptoms of Hashimoto. My thyroid tests all come back normal. I am frustrated as my hair is falling out and I know this is abnormal. I am a diabetic, so I take oral meds for that and I watch my diet. I am currently taking my body temperature in the morning. Day 1 was today and it was 96.5. Why am I not surprised. My mother and sister both have thyroid issues. But no one can explain why my nails peal, something which drives me nuts.

Hi Jill,

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's a week ago; however, I have had thyroid symptoms for years. My mom and daughter have thyroid disease (Hyper and Hashimotos). It feels like I have periods of hypo and hyper thyroid, especially two weeks before menstruation. I have also had chronic problems with my digestive system and inflamed nasal turbinates. I am not a compulsive eater, but I have gained a large amount of weight within the last few years.

A few months ago I walked into my primary care physician's office complaining of edema in my feet and wrist and shoulders, chest tightness (around menses), joint pain, forgetting words, fatigue, shortness of breath, digestive problems and sleep apnea. Because of problems with my sinuses and reflux, I have also been seeing an ENT, who upon examination noticed my thyroid was enlarged. He ordered an ultrasound and TSH test, and my results came back normal; however I have a benign goiter. No further explanation or information was given. I explained to my PCP what had happened during my visit with my ENT as the findings were sent to his office, and I was advised to lose a few pounds. I tried explaining to him that my eating habits have not changed. I don't eat excessively and I am a healthy eater. I asked him to refer me to an endocrinologist who basically said the same thing; however, he did some further testing (including an A1C) and a few weeks later called me to advise me that my A1C results came back normal, but my titer was extremely high, indicating Hoshimoto's. That was all.

Please advise what I should do.

Thanks.

I'm glad to hear that I'm not alone. My sister has Sjogrens so I'm somewhat familiar with autoimmune diseases. Your list of symptoms sounds like my life. :/ My doctor has ordered a bunch of blood tests and a thyroid ultrasound and part of me is hoping that I get diagnosed so that I can start some kind of treatment to combat the symptoms. Another part of me is hoping that I'm just having a very long string of bad days and that my thyroid is fine.

I am happy to find this page.I have been gaining weight despite a proper diet and consistent exercise.My hair is falling out and feels coarse like straw,l have two miscarriages ,joint pain and developed acne on my arms even though I never had. Acne as a teen.Food allergies ,and irritable bowel.My doctor pays no attention she finally did a T3 and T4 test says it was in normal range and did nothing else.I need some help. Please.

Hi Mary,

I have hypothroidism (just like my Mother). I take 225mcg of Levothyroxine Synthroid each day (Brand only). I find my symptoms fluctuate and presently I find them getting worse. I know I can go to my doctor and he can adjust my dosage, but in the long run I want to be able to manage my condition better.
My doctor is good at managing my T4 count, but not so good at telling me how I can manage my condition. Do you know of any doctor's in the Washington DC area who may be more helpful? If so, please send me some referrals.

Tired of being tired...

Thanks

Robert

I was told I have hypothyroidism (low thyroid) - my numbers are not bad, 6 something - so my doctor told me to research for myself because she knows how I feel about meds. I'm very sensitive to them and very phobic. I have never heard of Hashimoto's and I don't have hardly any of those symptoms. (I go from hot to cold.) Also I'm past menopause, although I went through it young - so did my mom. Thyroid problems do run in my family. I am on the tired side, but I do have a lot going on in my life. I have 2 special-needs kids, and we're on the road all the time for appts. I was told that diet could not fix me and that whatever I chose, whether it was herbs, natural or meds, it would be for the rest of my life. I want natural.

Do you have any natural treatment suggestions other than diet. I eat exactly how you suggest and have for over a year now. I cook all from scratch with organic whole foods and utilize local farms for properly raised chicken, beef, yogurt, butter, raw milk, etc etc. I have so many of these symptoms as well as 2 young children I'm home with so that makes it even tougher to deal with the irritability and lack of patience. I recently saw an herbalist and have been taking her suggestions of herbs including a probiotic, a vitin d3, a female formula as well as a couple others. I have noticed improvement but i still have the breathing issues, tired in the morning and poor concentration/ focus. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

hi i have hoshimotos and i feel like there is liquid in my lungs and i can't get a good deep breath and sometimes it feels like it gurgles in my lungs. do others complain of this, how can i help this and the ademia?

I have almost everyone of these symptoms and nodules on my thyroid and my labs came back OK?
Do you know of any specialist in the Cincinnati Ohio area? I suffer with migraines on almost a daily basis and I just wonder if there is an association.

Thank You
Lori

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism after my last pregnancy even though I know I had it long before then. I have so many of the symptoms in that list it isn't even funny, and I'm being treated with medication too. They aren't doing the testing correctly. I think that's half the problem with obesity in this country.

My doctor won't increase my meds even though I just went through a bout of Metabolic Syndrome and gained about 50 lbs.  I told her when I was first diagnosed they read the tests differently, then some "smart" doctor went and changed the paramaters for the test. Right now I'm down to 169 from 211  which is what I weighed at my worst. I'm only 5'2 and I also had to have surgery for hyperparathyroid disease, which is what controls how our bodies use calcium. I now have severe osteoperosis and actually have a broken foot and 2 broken vertebrae because my bones lost so much calcium. I would suggest to anyone that has thyroid problems to get their parathyroid checked. Because of the condition of my back and foot it's hard to be active for me. So therefore harder to lose weight.

I have decided to see a different doctor that will listen to me. I'm tired of taking crap about this. AND not everyone falls under the same guidelines, our bodies are different, and that test should only  be used as a guideline and medication adjusted if needed.

Mine went undiagnosed for 2.5 years.  My blood work was "normal" but in the low range of normal.  I finally someone who was willing to put me on thyroid med to get me in the middle of normal.

I am so much better now.

Hello

I have normal labs (TSH, T3, T4, etc) and no thyroid antibodies.  My TSH is 3.7 that some may say is high.  I was diagnosed with Hashimotos vis a thyroid ultrasound and had 2 nodules - 2mm and 4mm.  The said to get the nodules checked out in 6 months.

the endocrinologist does not want to put me on thyroid meds by all blood work normal.  my symptoms:

- random aches and pains that come and go

- high cholesterol being treated by lipitor

- high blood pressure being treated by amlodipine

- can seems to lose weight even though I eat well and exercise regularly.  I have gained 10 pounds in 6 months (140 to 150).  I am a 5' 8 male

-feel a constant lump in my throat 

Please let me know your thoughts.  Thanks!!!

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for sharing information

I was finally after 2 years of being ill, and being told, I was depressed, lazy,didn’t like. School etc I was diagnosed with hypoparathyroidism at age 11.. during those first 2 years every organ in my body started to shut down. I have hypothermia, yellow jaundice, my hair fell out, lock jaw, became partially deaf and blind, couldn’t talk fluently, couldn’t remember things, slept 20 plus hours a day until eventually over night I became covered in hair and was rushed to hospital... the specialist took one look at me and asked if I had ever wanted to commit suicide or throw myself out of a window! He then said how lucky I was as another week and I wouldn’t have made it as my body would have completely shut down.... in hospital I had many many doctors come and see me and groups of training doctors..I had photos taken completely stripped down and was told it was so rare that I would be in all the texts books... once on thyroxine i gradually came back to life but unfortunately a year later I got glandular fever which knocked me right back down again.. it was a long recovery and I virtually missed all of secondary school... my body recovered and now at 53 I’m fine. I never put weight on until I hit menopause and now that I am through that I am having trouble again... I can no longer stand or walk for more then about 10-15 minutes, my hips hurt and my ankle is killing me...doctors have said my ankle is caused by sciatica and I have slight arthritis in my hips, but I don’t accept these answers. I know my body and know whatever this is, it is something to do with my auto immune system.  First I thought it was rheumatoid arthritis as I can’t stand for first 2 hours in the morning. But all tests came back borderline... then I friend told me she had same symptoms and was told to half her thyroxine dose as it counteracts with another chemical...does anyone know anything about this as at present to go out I have to go in a wheelchair and it is really getting me down? 

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto in 2012. The right are was the primary site of my goiter. Two biopsies between 2012-2014 showed that side as benign. However, an ultrasound and biopsy in 2014 showed at least 6 calcified nodules that were inconclusive. Surgery was recommended in early 2015. A more severe illness and put this on the back burner. I finally had a total thyroidectomy in April of this year. Within my thyroid was a 6.3cm stage 3 palpillary carcinoma. There was no evidence that cancer had moved to other parts of my body. However, I opted for RAI. I'm on my last days of LiD and received a low dose of RAI (body scans of iodine uptake only showed a small amount of thyroid tissue in my neck). The stopping of levothyroxine and cytomel has created an extremely miserable experience. I am very hypothyroid with TSH is over 100. I have gained more than 15 lbs in 2 weeks, even on LiD. I am in constant pain in my legs and back, and I feel swollen all over. Fortunately, I can begin levothyroxine at higher dude in 2 days with a 3-day cytomel course. If I ever have to go through RAI again, I'm going to insist on thyrogen injections instead of weeks of hypothyroidism. I laid all this out with such a long post is because when we are hit with do many rounds of diagnosis, it's hard to remember to ask all the way or even knowing what to ask. Sites like these allow us to learn from others. For which I thank you greatly. If anyone would like tips for non/low iodine food ideas, feel free to ask me.

Melissa

I have hosimoto.  I am currently on medication. I have developed a large knot or lump on the back of my neck. I was told it could  be related to my Hosimoto. Is that a possiblity?

I've been diagnosed with Hashi's a little over a week ago and one of the main symptoms I have is air hunger and chest pressure. Since this initially occured during the hay fever season, my pulmologist thought I have postnasal drip which caused breathing issues so she kept me on allergy medicine even though they obviously did not work. Reading other people's stories, I think I was lucky to have found an immunologist that figured out what was wrong with me right away because she asked me to do thyroid blood panel tests after my first visit. I started taking levo over a week ago and my hormones are out of wack but hopefully things will stabilize in the next period. I'm a male so I was surprised to hear that this disorder mostly affects women but the first time I heard about it was when my male colleague was also diagnosed maybe couple of weeks before I have. My female coworker is also hypo and she had thyroidectomy last year. We are all in our late 30's.

Have you been evaluated for polycystic ovary disease?  Some of your symptoms might be from that & not from your thyroid.  Most women don't know they have it until they try to get pregnant.