I work at a high school and my office is always around 70 degrees. Students come in complaining it's warm while I'm sitting there in a cardigan.

Been dealing with hypothyroidism for years. Switched levothyroxine brands earlier this year and I'm starting to feel some of the old symptoms creeping back. Mostly brain fog and being cold all the time.

I take my medication at 5:15 every morning with water. Wait before having coffee or breakfast. I've been pretty strict about it because I don't want to keep wondering whether I'm taking it wrong. My latest TSH was in range so my doctor was happy with it. I mentioned how I've been feeling and asked about free T4 but she didn't think it was necessary. I ordered TSH and free T4 through goodlabs so I can bring them to my next appointment. I'm obviously not changing medication on my own.

For those who've had normal TSH but still felt awful, how did you approach the conversation with your doctor?

I always leave thinking I should've explained things differently. It's getting frustrating having numbers that look fine while I feel like I'm dragging myself through the school day.

Hi everyone! I’m a 22 F & I recently had bloodwork done and found out my prolactin was 54 ng/mL. I also found out I have Hashimoto’s & subclinical hypothyroidism, and my TSH is 7.49 MCIU/mL.

My OB-GYN wants me to get an MRI of my pituitary gland because of my prolactin, and it’s honestly making me really nervous & I wasn’t expecting it. I’ve been reading that thyroid problems can cause prolactin to be elevated too, so I’m wondering if the hypothyroidism is the cause. I went to my PCP for a check up & he went through my thyroid levels & I go back in 3 months to recheck thyroid & go on medication then if it hasn’t improved. He didn’t mention my prolactin but my OB saw it & sent me an order for an MRI. I asked my PCP doctor if I should definitely do the MRI or if starting medication sooner would be a good idea & I’m waiting on a response. Just wondered if anyone has had a similar experience.

I'm newly diagnosed with a TSH 7.7 and on day 2 of meds. I'm not looking for medical advice and of course I'm not expecting to feel better after 2 pills but this fatigue is killing me.

When did ya'll actually feel like you've slept after starting meds?

No matter how much sleep I get I feel like I got none. I'm heavy and dragging and so tired. I'm so exhausted.

Went to the doctor at 8/9 months postpartum and my thyroid levels were BAD and was put on levothyroxine…ever since starting it I almost feel numb when it comes to feeling deeply. I can feel joy but before starting the meds I felt all sorts of emotions and was able to cry (which feels good to let it out that way)
Has anyone else felt this way?!

An interesting read about the connection between hypothyroidism and liver issues like fatty liver and gallstones.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10860496/

I have subclinical hypothyroidism. TSH 5.96, normal T4, T3, and TPO. I have hypertension, PVCs & PACs, and Tachycardia controlled with metoprolol succinate er 50mg 2 times daily, and stenosis of the liver. I have several of the symptoms of hypothyroidism (cold intolerance, weight gain, fatigue, muscle aches, etc). Endocrinologist put me on 12.5mcg Levothyroxine daily. I started taking it Monday morning (4+ hours before breakfast and my morning meds). Last night (day 3 of taking it), my resting bp got high (hypertension stage 1), and I got insomnia pretty bad. Today my BP has been high off and on and gets high any time I do anything other than sit still. My heart rate hasn’t been high, but I believe that is because of the metoprolol. I also showered for the first time without feeling exhausted after. I am also 52 and perimenopausal. I have not had a period in 102 days and today I was spotting.

I know that 4 days is not very long for the medication to have built up in my system, but I have anxiety about medications. Is this a sign the dosage may be too high or is this just an initial reaction that will get better with time? I am not sure if I should wait it out or call my endocrinologist tomorrow or not.

Any advice or personal experience welcome. I am not taking anything anyone says as medical advice, just would like to hear what experiences others have had.

Is anyone doing all three of these at the same time? Just want to know what’s possible, side effects, issues with clashing medication…?

Hi! I’m 25 and I just got bloodwork because I’ve been gaining weight, needing more sleep, and feeling down. Hypothyroidism runs deep in my family and my mom was about my age when she got diagnosed with it.

TSH: 7.64
Free T4: 1.1 (within range)

My doctor wants to just monitor it (not start me on meds), but I feel off. I guess those symptoms could be caused by a million other things. Would you guys recommend that I schedule an appointment to talk with the doctor about starting medication or should I just continue to monitor it?

Thanks :)

Hi guys, I'm mid-20s, have had Celiac since I was a child and also have had hypothyroid since around the same time. I take Levothyroxine but have been experiencing significant brain fog, exhaustion, low moods, inability to concentrate for years, worsening recently. My TSH came back normal last week, but I've never had T3 or T4 or antibodies related to Hashimotos checked.

Wondering if anyone has been through a similar process and if Hashimotos came up for you, and if that diagnosis was helpful? I'm already on Levothyroxine, so I'm not sure what else a diagnosis would elucidate.

*Possible Diagnosis\*

Hey everyone! I have been silently going through this thread for some time now, but I thought it’s time to talk about my experience too.

I (23 F) was diagnosed with Covid back in January of 2022. I was an extremely healthy athlete that was going to college for D2 sports prior. Since then, my life has drastically changed for the worse. I developed longterm COVID, and it took 2 years to get into a clinic because I was a “young healthy female” (and yes, the clinic literally said that to me over the phone verbatim). Since then, I have been to almost every -ology doctor you could think of going through all of my symptoms, which was literally a page in a binder I kept (there were over 40 symptoms on the list).In 2023, my mother and I thought of hypothyroidism as a possible route. I had just been cleared of it being lupus and lyme’s and we were so convinced it was autoimmune. Yet, no doctor believed me. Since 2022, I have been diagnosed with POTS and IBS. They told me they wouldn’t pursue a thyroid test until my Gastroenterologist cleared EVERYTHING, and I finally finished getting pretty much every test you can think of from gastroenterology a few months ago. So, they let me run my thyroid tests, almost 5 years later. I put my results on the bottom, and that’s where I am now. My new internal doctor has been so incredibly kind to me thus far, and I really hope that I am able to finally get to the bottom of whatever has happened to my body.

Whatever it is, I’m going through the worst flare up of my life. I haven’t slept a full night in almost 2.5 weeks. I have pain everywhere, I constantly feel like I haven’t slept in a year. I can’t think or focus and I get nauseous every single time I eat. I have pounding headaches and my hair has become so unhealthy. I can’t really eat much food anymore, since about 5 days ago I started feeling like I have a brick in my throat and someone hit my throat 24/7. Food gets stuck now. I can’t sing, my voice has gone hoarse. Idk what is happening but I’m finding each day it’s harder and harder to do mundane tasks. I get an ultrasound of my thyroid on Monday, and I didn’t get into endocrinology until mid November. My internal medicine doctor prescribed me 25mg of Levothyroxine and I start tomorrow morning. I hope this constant battle of the unknown is wrapped up soon, but until then I will have to figure it out. I added my most recent test results from last week too. For reference, my awful family doctor has left my antibody test results since they came out and hasn’t commented on them, and I had to ask her multiple times to run them again because they were in the 250s back in January. During that time, my TSH was also 4.9.

I just want a label on all this. Just like so many of you guys. Until then, I’ll be still “silently” reading other people’s stories while getting updated. Hope to have answers soon, and remember never stop advocating for yourself. Ever.

Thyroid Antibody: 754.4 IU/mL
Free T4: 0.8 ng/dL
Ferritin: 44.9 ng/mL
TSH: 4.23 mclU/mL

I have been on levothyroxine 25mg for less than a week. I get throat / chest tightness and a globus sensation in my throat. I was told this would pass in a couple weeks, keep taking the medicine, because it is a common symptom when starting Levo for many patients.

I would love to hear some success stories to ease my anxiety 😕 it feels hopeless like it won’t go away.

For reference. TSH 6.5 Antibodies 189. Was told it is Hashimotos. I’ve been asymptomatic. Found it on a random work blood test.

Hi, I started taking 50 mcg of Levothyroxine on Aug 12, and I started to feel great. I actually digested my food and my anxiety and other mental problems had also greatly improved. However, within the past 2-3 weeks, I feel awful again. I feel persistently full like I did before my diagnosis, with bad heartburn. My anxiety is back too. I got my blood drawn on Sep 26 (T4 Free was 0.82, TSH was 2.09, and Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody was 76). My doctor called and said the medication is working, just slowly, and that I may have Hashimoto's. Is it normal to feel great for a while and then go right back to how I felt pre-medicated? Is it my body getting used to it? Should I call my doctor? Sorry if it's a ridiculous question, I'm just new to this.

I am 23female years old. I have a Cogenital disease that's really rare. It's called panhypopituitarism. I didn't get diagnosed with it till I was 14 and I still can't say that I'm properly treated. Because even though my referencees are in the range, I still feel like something's wrong with me, with my body, how am I functioning.

I had a really rough Childhood. I feel like I am really unlucky. We were poor. My dad was and still alcoholic and absent most of the time. And my mother had mental issues. My brother had mental issues. All of my family had that. And because I was very different, I had no energy for anything in life. I couldn't make friends. I couldn't get to improve myself in anything. I couldn't do sports. I couldn't socialize. I didn't want to study. So I grew up like this till high school. I was a very unfortunate student, but in high school I was a little more better, but still nothing much changed . I was and still am very insecure of my body because because of hormone issues, I have a very short stature. I look way too young for my age, and it's making my daily life way more difficult than it should be. Everything is so awkward. People police me everything because they think I'm a child. They think they have a say to do so, and it's really hard to get people to believe my age. I constantly have to prove or explain my existence. Because of that, I was very depressed and socially isolated in high school, and after that I was still so insecure. I'm so insecure about everything: my body, my height, my brain, because I really have a heavy brain fog, and I think I'm dumb. I'm a dumb person. I am 23. I should have accomplished A little by now, or at least I should have something going on for me. But I didn't go to university. I didn't get a job, and I still don't have a job. So no working experience, no social skills, So in those 23 years, I didn't improve myself in anything. I don't have anything going on for me, and I don't know how to wake up from this. How do I turn my life around from this? And I don't know if I'm getting treated properly medically, because I don't feel like it, and when I talk to my doctors, they don't care, or there's nothing they can do. I don't know. Help me, help me, help me out. I also go to a psychiatrist, and I am getting treated for social anxiety, and it's better than when I started, but I still am a very shy, introverted person. Hi. I really don't have any attention span. It's really hard for me to have attention to something. My brain is all scattered.

Too long to read: I wasted 23 years of my life, some my mistakes, some destiny. But how do I get up from this?

I've been realising that I have a lot of signs. Difficulty losing weight, constant low energy, problems with concentration and finding words, brain fog, mildly depressed mood, feeling cold way more easily that I used to and some other ones. I also found out recently that my grandma and great grandma both had thyroid issues.

But

Many of these symptoms have been there for a long time and only very gradually got so worse that I thought there could be a medical problem. Like I'm talking multiple years because I'm pretty sure the tiredness started after I had covid in 2022, because I considered of I could have long covid, but the symtoms didn't quite fit. Is it possible that it's hypothyroidism if it's progressing this slowly?

I saw a new provider recently for some chronic fatigue, brain fog etc. and she did comprehensive bloodwork which showed low normal free t3 (2.4, end range is 2.0) but normal tsh and t4. Ferritin was 55 and vitamin d was 43 so not amazing but not terrible.

She started me on a low dose of armour thyroid (30mg/day) which did help with the fatigue. We checked levels again after 8 weeks and free t3 at peak was up to 3.2.

She wants to bump me up to either 45 or 30 mg per day. I’m having some anxiety about doing so and as I’ve read more about thyroid health I’m wondering if it is smart to treat my low t3 with medicine when I don’t have other obvious thyroid issues.

I had some heart palpitations when starting the meds but they’ve settled down. I’m definitely experiencing health anxiety at the moment with the increased dose (currently at 30mg in the morning and 15 in the afternoon).

Curious as to opinions on whether medication makes since here? I do notice a benefit - I don’t need caffeine the way I used to throughout the day - but just don’t love committing to life long medicine if it’s not necessary.

Hi everyone! I'm trying to understand my thyroid results and would appreciate hearing from people who have experienced something similar.

My bloodwork showed:

- Elevated TSH: 6.5

- Normal free T4

- Normal total T4

- Normal T3

- Normal thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies

- Normal thyroglobulin antibodies

My doctor diagnosed me with subclinical hypothyroidism and prescribed levothyroxine 50 mcg daily.

My thyroid ultrasound showed:

- Thyroid gland: Smaller than normal,

- Cervical lymph nodes: Two small, oval lymph nodes interpreted as reactive.

I'm particularly curious about the combination of elevated TSH, normal thyroid hormone levels, negative thyroid antibodies, and a thyroid gland that appears smaller than normal with a reactive thing?

Has anyone had similar results? Did you eventually find out what was causing your elevated TSH or reduced thyroid size? Could this be seronegative Hashimoto's, or are there other possible explanations?

I'd appreciate any experiences or insights. Thank you! My doctor's appointment is in two weeks and I am anxious as hell

so I got put on levothyroxine 50mg at the start of July and it wasn’t really working, making me feel worse (nausea, tiredness, fatigue, headache, weak muscles etc) so I asked to be dropped down to a lower dose of 25mg.

This Friday just gone they asked me to stop taking them completely and they’ll review my bloods in 3 months. I was like what the hell? So of course I stopped taking them, last few days I’ve felt okay, I still have a slight headache and that’s been consistent for the past 3-4 days but it’s getting better. but these last two I’ve felt awful, just drained constantly and my eyes are killing me, getting more than 3-4 hours of sleep, but to note I do grind my teeth in my sleep too. But I usually don’t feel this bad. I’m just asking what should I do or what do people recommend? It’s super hard because I took 3-4 weeks off from work (for content I’m a HGV Driver for Amazon) and I work away so it’s hard for me to get to the gp till Friday😤

Hello! I am 33. I have discovered an interesting pattern by accident. So my tsh tests high in luteal like 5.19, 6.24, 5.48 on 7 days post ovulation and lower in follicular like 3.27. I have no idea what to do at this point. My progesterone was a 12.7 on 7 days post ovulation too. I get pregnant extremely easy and cannot keep them (tried 3 times). Anyway does anyone have an advice? Does levothyroixne really help? I really don't want to go on thyroid med. But I am also sick of this journey and the mental load with the losses.

Anyone else seen similar patterns where their tsh has been spiking in luteal? I am just at a loss. I've been working with a functional med practitioner since May and currently don't have insurance to go to an OBGYN or endocrinologist or fertility clinic lol I really wanted to heal naturally but idk nothing is helping. Was on birth control for 9 years. Everyone is pregnant around me and on social media and mentally I'm having a hard time bc I want a baby so bad but yet can't have one. How do people who are on drugs and really unhealthy have kids? I exercise. I eat really healthy. I don't drink alcohol. No weed. I walk daily.

Thank you!

Hello all. I will try to keep this short. Title says most of it, to be honest. I have a strong family history of autoimmune disorders, including thyroid issues (hyperthyroidism in my grandmother) and type 1 diabetes and Celiac's disease in a sibling. I have to get tested regularly for several autoimmune disorders because my family history puts me at such a high risk.

I've on-and-off looked at the symptoms of hypothyroidism before, and it could be confirmation bias, but more and more often do I think I'm starting to display a lot of symptoms. I deal with fatigue, mood swings, and depression pretty often. I get very sluggish if I get anything less than a full eight hours of rest. I have gained a little weight over the past couple years, not a ton but it's been hard to lose. I haven't noticed dry skin at all, but my hair has been incredibly dry recently no matter how much I condition it. I have a lot of the mental symptoms like brain fog, memory loss, and slowed processing, but I also have an ADHD diagnosis, so I don't know if I can really attribute that to this. I have always had thick eyebrows my whole life, but they've started thinning so much around the edges people have been asking why I decided to slit my eyebrows (I didn't).

But the main thing is that I'm just so cold all the time, so much more than everyone around me. It's the main thing that actually made me research this disorder. I sleep with a space heater on all night, and am under multiple blankets even throughout the summer. I have been wearing multiple sweatshirts to work recently because it's just so ridiculously cold. Nobody else ever seems bothered by it but me. I'm always the only person in the room wrapped up in a blanket. The temperature of my room is so high that people don't even like being in there for more than a few minutes, but it's the only way I can feel comfortable. With such a strong cold intolerance, which basic Googling says is a pretty key symptom to hypothyroidism, and a family history of these disorders, it's got me a little worried.

But then again, I'm 20. Most women who are diagnosed are in their late 30s at the very least. Isn't this a bit young to be diagnosed? But then again, I can't find any other disorder that explains why I feel so damn cold all the time, and I match a lot of other symptoms, too. Is it worth it to at least get my levels checked? Can anyone here diagnosed at a young age relate to any of this? Please let me know.

EDIT: I decided to talk to my mom about this, and turns out I have three aunts/uncles who were all diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease, from both sides of my family. One of them was my late aunt who died at 20, so she must've been diagnosed with Hashimoto's very young as well. I guess my family history is a lot deeper than I thought. I'll be calling my doctor later to ask for an appointment, so we'll see how it goes.

Please do go through the post and advice thank you so much.