The thyroid disease with the "H" name is Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroid Disease. There is an blood test for the antibodies for it. It can start affecting your thyriod - causing it to enlarge years before (could be as much as 10-20) your hormones become "out of range" or hypothyroid. Many people will be hyperthyroid for a time before they become hypothyroid. Most will develop a goiter (enlarged thyroid) with multi-nodules. Most nodules will be benign. Some nodules can produce thyroid hormones too - usually T3 - if that is the case then they usually surgically remove it. With a TSH of .75 is leaning toward the hyper end but not there yet and the Free T4 of 1.3 is really very good - I'd jump for joy to have that number, but haven't seen that on a test result forever. The highest mine has been in eons has been 1.1 and to get it there my TSH drops to nothing and my big shot endo says I am overmedicated and I have a battle on my hands to stay at that dosage where I start to feel human again, but he just looks at numbers, urggggggg!!!
I have never heard of facial hair assoicated with Hashimotos, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen :)). I think ?? it is more of an adrenal problem (adrenal fatigue or insufficiency due to prolong stress on the system), which usually goes hand in hand with long term untreated or undertreated thyroid disease. I am starting to be tested for this now - by my GP, not the big shot endo. There is a great book on it - Adrenal Fatigue - the 21st Century Syndrone by Dr. James Wilson? brain fog today (I think that is the exact title - it also has a website, but the site does push some "products" so take the site with a grain of salt!!) Here is another site that has a chart with a list of thyroid and adrenal insufficiency symptoms and you can go down it and see what is what - http://www.drrind.com/scorecardmatrix.asp. Most of my remaining symptoms are in the adrenal column.
I have read some on the thyroid boards that many people now believe that endometriosis is also a form of autoimmune disease and if you have one then your are at higher risk for others. How true this is I have no clue. But it is interesting. You need to make sure your doctor test for thyroid antibodies, for Graves, Hashimotos and Anti-thyrogobulin. Any of these can account for the enlarged thyroid with Hashimoto's the likely candidate.
Let me know if you have any more questions - when is your scan - or did you have it already and what are/were the results. I have had about 5 Ultrasound scans so far.
MJ - glad you like the name - with having the pituitary tumor, thyroid disease & nodules (with one they're watching) and now maybe adrenal problems it really is "the pits".
-----Original Message-----
From: Marty8582 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Feb 18, 2004 6:55 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: Enlarged thyroid w/non-functioning
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Enlarged thyroid w/non-functioning
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| From: Marty8582 |
Hello Itsthepits2!
I think you have the best chat room name!!
So far I haven't been diagnosed with thyroid problems though it
appeared as though I had problems several years ago but was not
medicated. My latest freeT4 levels back in 11/13/03 showed my level to
be normal at 1.3, however, the TSH, Ultra sensitive level is at .75
which shows in the chart area to be on the very low side of normal.
What is the disease that starts with the letter H (the name now escapes
me- sorry) but I wander if that is the disease that there is excess
(facial especially) hair growth? Could you answer that for me please?
I had to take a medication nearly 20 years because I had a severe case
of endometriosis and the doctors told me I needed to have a
hysterectomy and at that time a drug called danocrin was being used to
help deter further growth of endometriosis. I was told then that
danocrin could cause facial hair growth which I've always battled with
since that point in time. I am also wandering if I could really have
the disease starting with H and it wasn't diagnosed because every
doctor felt the hair growth was caused by my taking danocrin instead?
This raises an important question and thought I would clarify what the
H disease really is (I hope you aren't laughing at me by now with the
lack of the name of the disease )and maybe that will put some pieces
into my missing puzzle. I really appreciate your insight and
understanding on this subject. Please respond.
Marty
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