Where do I start - really worried

[Bellar]

I'm 36 and am about 3stones overweight. I don't smoke or drink.

I have so many aches and pains at the moment I'm just really worried that there is something sinister wrong with me.

1) I am so tired some days, it's a struggle to make it to lunchtime without a sleep. I get exhausted just walking up stairs and the other day, got out of breath reading my daughter a story! I wake up with pains in my legs (the back of my thighs are very sore) and various other places. I do have a goiter and have my thyroid checked every year and though it always come back on the low side of normal limits, the doc does not feel I need medication.

2) My stomach is severely bloated. If you look at me sideways on, I look like I'm carrying twins full term. There is no abdominal pain but i'm worried it's a tumour or something, it just looks huge and also feels quite hard to the touch. Again, I did have this checked a couple of years ago and doc said it was fat and nothing sinister.

3) I have pain in my armpit for over a year now. Saw the doc last year who didn't think it was anything to worry about. Sometimes it's a sore pain, other times feels really deep inside, but the pain is more or less constant and to a lesser degree in the other armpit.

4) I often have pain under the left ribs and in the centre of my breastbone, feels like maybe an ulcer or something.

I'm just really worried that all these symptoms are connected and that it's something serious. Help!

[countrygirl]

first of all can I say I know just how you feel thinking that all the things yu have wrong with you must be connected and coming up with something life threatening.

Individually - I would ask you Dr to do thyroid blood test every 6 mnths not every year - I am hypothyroid and trained as advisor for thryoid support group so well up on this. You said your thyroid results were borderline low which would mean that you would be overactive - if the tsh result is high then you are underactive - not sure which one you mean but you can work it out from there. The advice we give is that is your results one way or other are anywhere near the border then insist something is done or that you get a referral to endocrinologist. Alot of your symptoms could be caused by your thryoid misbehaving.

Your swollen stomach - do you mean the area around your waist or below your waist?? some people are very apple shaped some pear shaped.
If you have had a pelvic and abdominal ultrasound then you can assured its not a tumour, if not ask your Dr for one to put your mind at rest.

The getting out of breath - are you aneamic at all??? have you had blood tests in last 6 months???

Why don't you go to your Dr and be a real pain and ask about all the above and explain your worries even if he is a po faced misery of a Dr:winks:

Being involved in the thyroid support group we come accross so many people whose Dr's fob them off with your results are borderline when they do need treatment and suffer with loads of symptoms and feel dreadful so push your Dr. Thryoid trouble makes you feel really ill but is treatable.

[Bellar]

When I lived in London (I'm in the East Midlands now) I had a lovely private doctor who I could spend lots of time explaining things to. Now I don't have him anymore, my gp barely spends 5 minutes with me and I'm worried that if I go in there with a big long list of things, I will forget what I want to say.

My thyroid is borderline underactive, I've put on about four stones over the last few years, am constantly hungry and find it really hard to lose weight. My abdomen is swollen from pretty much under breasts right down to pelvic area, with the main swelling right in the middle, just as if I were pregnant.

I'll make an appointment next week, I guess I'll just have to be firm!

[countrygirl]

Go for it - when you ring for your Dr's appt can you ask for a longer appt because you have alot to discuss - this should warn him whats coming:D

Good luck