so it turns out my thyroid is the cause of all this!!

[Kirst24]

Just wanted to post this to make people aware of doctors' incompetancies when it comes to thyroid problems. For the past 6 months I have been back and forth to docs with various symptoms - pains in my head, dizziness, tiredness, breathlessness, pains in muscles..the list goes on. I also started to develop a goitre(swollen thyroid gland) so the bottom of my neck looks quite swollen. Despite the fact I had this along with all the symptoms I was given blood tests which came back normal so was told what I had was anxiety/stress and prescribed beta blockers.

I was back numerous times as I felt that it wasn't just anxiety. Eventually I was made to feel that I was bothering the doctors by keeping going back until eventually I went back and asked what blood tests they had actually done. Having read about thyroid problems I am aware that many doctors fail to do all the tests and rely on what they call the T4 and TSH tests. I saw a female doctor this time(the others had all been males) and she said that they hadn't actually tested for thyroid antibodies. I asked why not and she just shrugged her shoulders. Anyway, it turns out my thyroid antibodies are over 900!!! You shouldn't really have any at all. This means that my thyroid will go underactive eventually and at the moment is failing and is being attacked by the antibodies, it is quite likely I have something called Hashimotos thyroiditis.

I am getting an ultrasound of my neck tomorrow to check for any nodules etc on thyroid but doc said she wasn't too worried as it felt fine. The next step after that is to see an endocrinologist. My problem now is getting them or my GP to prescribe me medication for it before it actually shows up on the first type of blood tests they did, it seems like some doctors just want to wait until it has stopped working until they do something. Apparently if it is hashimotos if they treat it when it is the stage of failing it can actually slow down the thyroid going underactive/overactive. Oh and guess what one of the first symptoms of a thyroiditis is - anxiety and panic attacks!! Explains why this has been happening to me for a while.

Anyway, sorry for such a long winded story but I just really wanted to make people aware of this, and that if you have a swollen neck like I did and lots of symptoms to insist that your doctor does all the thyroid tests. If this had been discovered before it could have been treated a long time ago and would have meant I didn't have to leave the great graduate job I had in France :-(

My health anxiety is pretty bad right now trying to deal with the prospect of living with this for the rest of my life but it is treatable and I just really wanted to make other people aware and that just sometimes our health anxiety can actually go in our favour. My constant worrying about what was wrong with me actually made the doctors listen.

xxxx

[meg86]

So sorry to hear about your bad experience :( when i was first diagnosed my doctor told me that thyroid problems can cause the same symptoms and sent me for tests straight away, i think i have had about 5 blood tests in total, i had most of them straight away as they wanted to rule anything else out.

I would be surprised if any of the posted hasnt had these checks as it is usually the first thing they test, if not its worth asking your doctor.

Take Care xxx

I also want to state aswell that alot of people who have health anxiety do worry for no reason and not all doctors make this mistake, when i read the thread myself i had to think back and i felt a bit panicky and had to think if i could remember having these tests done, i know that with the sensitive nature of health anxiety sufferers there may be alot of thyroid posts on the near future xx

[Bellar]

I'm so glad you've posted this. I've had a goiter since I was about 19 (I'm 36 now). I've put on four stones over the years which I can't shift, I have terrible anxiety/panic attacks, tired, breathless and all the other symptoms and on top of that, just recently my hair has started to thin on top which has been very upsetting as I'm only young and have always had long dark hair.

I go for regular blood tests, most recently in June this year which came back normal. They only did T4 and TSH though, so I think I'm going to go back and insist that they do one for thyroid antibodies. I know it's not normal to feel this ill all the time, I just want the doctor to take it seriously!

[brisaya]

Hi hun.

When you say swollen neck where abouts do you mean? I've had a swelling on the side of my neck (clavicle area) for ages now which I've been told is just fat?

Kirsty xxx

[Kirst24]

Bellar you have exactly the same symptoms as me!! Definitely ask them to do the antibodies test. I am currently awake in middle of the night having just had a horrendous panic attack and apparently that is when thyroiditis can flare up and cause really bad anxiety. I'm so sorry you have suffered so long with these symptoms and I'm not saying that anxiety can't cause these symptoms on its own but if u have a swollen thyroid plus all the symptoms its very likely there is a treatable thyroid problem going on. Brisaya, the swelling is at the bottom of my neck at the front, that is where the thyroid gland is. The last thing I want to do is panic people more as I know what it is like to constantly worry about health so hope I haven't done that!


Kirst x x x

[Bellar]

Hi hun.

When you say swollen neck where abouts do you mean? I've had a swelling on the side of my neck (clavicle area) for ages now which I've been told is just fat?

Kirsty xxx

Yes, mine is all around the bottom of the neck at the front. My doctor called it 'Euthyroid'. I had a scan a couple of years ago and they said my thyroid was slightly enlarged, but nothing to worry about.

I'm so fed up of feeling like this.