Thyroid disorder.. here are my symptoms?

Hi,

After having a blood test in March, I have been diagnosed with a Thyroid disorder (I'm 24). Yesterday I had more blood taken, so they can run more tests. I've been reading about Thyroid disorders online, and have found that most of the 'health related' issues that have plagued me, are also Thyroid disorder-related symptoms.

Here are my symptoms:

Stuttering; not being able to finish sentences
Feeling very nervious & jittery
Feeling tired; wanting to sleep a lot
Not wanting to do any physical activities
Increased heat rate
Heart palpitations
Difficulty concentrating
Mild depression & sadness
Hair loss
Irritability
Low sex drive
Irregular menstrual periods followed by SEVERE cramps

Has anyone else experienced any of these symptoms? Is there anything to do to make myself feel better? I see my doctor again in 3 weeks, so what should I expect treatment to be? I've been afraid I might die. I HATE feeling this way, I just want to feel good again. HELP!!

<3Mia

Well, it sounds like you have a rather nasty case of Grave's. However, you also have something else in there that I don't recognize. Nervous and jittery, feeling tired, not wanting to do activities, increased heart rate, heart palps, diff concentrating, depression and sadness, hair loss, irritability, and irregular periods are all Grave's indicators. It sounds like you are where I was when mine was diagnosed -- yes, it is nasty, insiduous, and pretty awful, since you are too tired to do anything, eat all the time, and forget everything you did or thought. In 6-9 months, you should feel like a new woman. In about 3 months, many of your symptoms will have disappeared.

That said, you need to speak with the doctor about the stuttering issue if it continues. You may find that with the euphoria that comes from diagnosis and treatment, your depression lifts, you start to feel good about yourself again, and your sex drive increases. And you'll want to get a good package of Motrin and a heating pad, because I have no advice for the cramps. :)

I've been there. Yes, it is horrible, and no one ever seems to address the psychological effect of having this life-altering disorder. Your body is literally making itself sick and then eating the muscles to survive -- not a cool picture for a person operating on reduced cognition since not enough oxygen is getting to the brain! So, yes, you are panicked. You have no idea what is going on. You just want it to stop. What I did was tell my family members all about it and sought their help. My mom literally moved 500 miles to be with me during the worst part of the diagnosis, to hold my hand through the terror of not knowing (I was 22). She was the one to open up the doors to the family home when the doc put me on heart attack medication and told me to take 6 weeks off from work (and I wouldn't have been able to pay the rent). And my brothers helped immensely by not saying "you forgot" when I forgot things ... they understood I was not right cognitively yet. It took me about a month to have many of the symptoms relieved, but it took 9 months for full remission. A year later I gained fat cells, which I celebrated with as much joy as one does a birthday. Don't worry, there IS an end to that road out there -- it'll seem like forever, but get your family and friends in to help you in the interim. That support is key.

I wouldn't put a "tag" on it but would leave that open to a professional. A person could ultimately think they have an answer and not go any further for information. Yak seems to have something serious that needs attention.

I myself have a thyroid deficiency. The likely treatment will be taking a small pill every day called Levoxyl for the rest of your life. This little pill does wonders. As for the sex drive... talk to your doctor/specialist about this. All of those symptoms - or at least most - can be minimized.
The thyroid can throw your whole body out of whack but no you wont die :) Your symptoms are normal for this type of disorder. I myself just had part of my thyroid on my left side along with a non malignant tumor. I know take a lose dose of synthroid and am starting to feel much better. Talk to you Doctor about all your symptoms and ask him to help you with a good diet to help prevent any symptoms. Try not to worry. I'm 37 and since going through this have realized alot more woman than I realized go through the same thing. Best of luck
www.webmd.com is a great resource
Yes, sweetie. I'm 24 and have Graves Disease, a form of Hyperthyroidism. I am a very severe case, partly because mine surfaced alongside Fibromyalgia Syndrome. My heart goes as fast 150 resting! I know what you are going through. It is a horrible feeling. You should see an Endocrinologist. They can help you through many different ways, medicines, treatments, or in rare cases, surgery. I have been seeing one for almost five years and it has really helped me. You need to see a specialist at least once, so you can get an idea what you are dealing with. They will probably want an ultrasound of your thyroid gland, to check if it is enlarged (meaning Graves Disease) or not (Hyperthyroidism). It doesn't hurt. The only annoying part is that damn cold lubricant they put on you, lol! Oh and don't think that Graves Disease is the end of the world. It sounds worse than it is. It sounds like some terminal illness, I have even had idiots who are afraid of "catching" it. But it's real name is Diffuse Toxic Goiter. Hmm, which one do you think is better? DTG sounds like some weird, tropical disease!
I hope this helps, sweetie, and don't worry. You'll be all right. You are not going to die. Just rest and see a specialist, ok?
I'm rooting for you.