Why do I have these fluctuations? Is this probably hashimotos?

Question

Sometimes cold and low body temp

Sometimes get hot flashes and can't tolerate heat

Sometimes normal and even low heart rate

Sometimes racing heart rate with palpitatins

Sometimes low BP can't feel my pulse

Sometimes normal or even elevated

Most of the time fatigued

Get spurts of energy

Sometimes calm without meds that day (for anxiety)

Sometimes very edgy and anxious and panicky

Constipation

Diarrhea

Sometimes oversleep

Have trouble sleeping at night

I have recently been diagnosed hypothyroid and got a script for 25mcg synthroid to start. My symptoms lately have been more severe as far as feeling cold and very tired. I start the meds tomorrow morning. I think I need to request an antibodies test to see if I am actually hashi's which can produce hyper like symptoms at times until your thyroid completely burns out.

If so, shouldn't my blood levels be checked more frequently or a while in case I swing into hyper? tried asking my doctor why do i get hyper symptoms too sometimes, and he didn't have an answer at the time, He said, "maybe you have anxiety too."

I will start the synthroid regardless because I am so sick and I have to but I need to be aware if this is hashimoto's or not because my levels would have to be adjusted up and down more frequently.

The occasional racing heartbeat concerns me the most because this is not a purely hypo symptom, it is just the opposite which is hyper.

I was in the ER recently with an episode and that's when I found out about my thyroid, but was told that would not increae my heart rate and that if it continues, a beta-blocker would help.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

What reallly, realllllly sucks about thyroid problems is that no two people are the same.  There is NO absolute set of hyper or hypo symtoms.  I get horrible anxiety attacks when I'm hypo, that's how they know I'm not taking the right dose. The endocrinologist I saw said it was either a) I have an anxiety problem too or b) it's my body frantically trying to keep up with what I'm telling it to do when it can't.  Most people have some "symptoms" of hyper and hypo at the same time. (My grandfather's TSH was a 70, and he had significantly dropped weight)   Unless your regular bloodwork comes back as being hyper, I wouldn't get too worried....  I had pretty much the exact symptoms you're describing, and they've subsided completly now that I'm on the correct dose of meds.

Synthroid takes 6 full weeks to effect your system. Testing any more than that is probably useless because it's you're not going to be able to see what the medicine is doing in your system. (Make sure every 6 weeks you go to the dr. and get a TSH, free T3, and free T4 test - they need to keep adjusting your medicine until you're feeling pretty good and the numbers are steady and good on the blood work)   I always advocate testing for Hashi's only because it gives you the cause - you can have massive thyroid problems without it and it's good to know what is causing the problem, and how it will progress.  

I'm putting up some good links for info - the forum on about.com has several VERY knowledgable people that are very helpful. Good luck! :)