Hyperthyroid

[boiler55126]

Does anyone one here know much about thyroid disorders? The reason I ask is because I'd like to know peoples personal experiences rather than what's on the internet as far as symptoms. From what I know, thyroid disorders are very much hereditary. It's run in my family. My dad has it pretty bad as well as my grandfather, great grandfather, great aunt etc.

 

I know it would be so easy to just get a blood test run but I have my reasons why I don't want to go. To make a long story short, I've just lost pretty much all trust in doctors. I have many reasons for my lack of trust but I'll state my most recent reason. I went to the doctor back in December because I couldn't sleep. I had no idea why I couldn't sleep either. Well, the doctor asked what had been going on in my life and I told him and he diagnosed me with depression. I disagreed. I told him I simply couldn't sleep. This sleep problem started back in May 2005 and by December I had enough and finally went to the doctor. Anyway, he insisted it was depression and told me he would prescribe me Effexor XR and Ambien. I didn't know much about either drug at the time. He said that the Effexor would calm me down and help me sleep and when I couldn't sleep I should take the Ambien. So I started taking 37.5 mg of Effexor and after 2 weeks he bumped me up to 75mg. I took the Ambien when I couldn't sleep and it got me to sleep but I'd wake up after about 2 or 3 hours and couldn't get back to sleep. Pretty much what I had been dealing with for the past 7 months anyway. So I went back to the doctor and told him the Ambien didn't work too good and he gave me Trazodone. That has seemed to work but it has some side effects I don't like. It gives me a horribly stuffy nose and little white dots on the inside of my cheeks. Since it gives me a stuffy nose, to the point of not being able to breathe out of my nose at all, I sleep with my mouth open which give me a terribly dry mouth as well as dark eyes from the constant nasal congestion. So now I'm weaning myself off the Effexor the only way I can. I'm not going to get into the horror stories of that but I will say that if you go to the doctor and he prescribes you Effexor, DON'T TAKE IT. Your depression will go away much easier and with less problems than it will if you take this stuff and then try to get off it.

 

To get back to the hyperthyroid issue. I've done a lot of reading about hyperthyroid and I have almost every symptom of it. I believe I was misdiagnosed as having depression and anxiety due to my personal life when it has really been due to hyperthyroidism. Insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, depression, increased allergies (which I've noticed a lot this year) excessive bowel movements, restlessness, you name it, I have it, which are all associated with thyroid disorders. So all the while, I'm starting to think I may be suffering from a thyroid disorder and not what these misleading doctors have told me.

 

I'd just like to know if anyone else has gone through these symptoms and then been diagnosed with a thyroid disorder. Thanks.

[Hope75]

Hey There,

 

My mom has a thyroid disorder, and I am in nursing school so know a bit about thyroid disorders.

 

Yes, some of your symptoms could be contributed to hyperthyroidism. Others are tachycardia (fast heart rate), sweating, weight loss, and tremors. In short- many of your body's processes (including metabolic) are sped up.

 

However, you cannot diagnose yourself based on symptoms alone. You may not have faith in that particular doctor, but a simple blood test is the only way to confirm if your thyroid is overactive- could you make an appt. with another doctor?

 

I would recommend an endocrinologist should your be diagnosed with hyperthyroidism- they specialize in such disorders and could give you direction in how to treat it- (generally with methimazole- but sometimes they will irradiate the thyroid in an attempt to slow it down - but this can also cause hypothryoidism as a side effect.)