Main cause of hypothyroidism:
There are many causes for hypothyroidism. the most common cause being auto immune diseases such as hashimoto thyroiditis.
I will once again start by restating the initial common symptoms and signs of an underactive thyroid.
Common symptoms:
• Fatigue which can at times causes you to be lethargic because all you want to do is sleep.
• Unexplained weight gain and difficulty losing weight
• Constipation
• Sluggishness
• Depression
• Memory loss, loss of mental cognition or difficulty concentrating (this is huge)
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Pale, dry skin
• Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
• Muscle weakness
• Heavier than normal menstrual periods
• Abnormal periods in general
• Brittle fingernails and hair or hair loss
The myth about hypothyroidism and weight gain:
Yes when you have hypothyroidism you do gain weight however obesity is not one of the medical conditions caused by hypothyroidism.
On average if your hypothyroidism is brought under control and properly maintained, then you really shouldn’t gain more than 10 to 15 pounds. If you do then you should probably re-examine your eating and exercise habits and figure out where the rest of the weight gain is coming from.
Doctors
More than likely a primary care doctor will be the one that will initially test patients with hypothyroidism for and discover your hypothyroidism. From that point forward it’s usually the best idea to be treated by an endocrinologist because they specialize in treating thyroid disease and properly measuring your hormone deficiency.
Check-ups
In order to determine what’s causing your thyroid dysfunction your endocrinologist will conduct blood tests to check your thyroid hormones and they should then conduct a physical examination as well.
During the physical examination the doctor will check the typical vitals, run through the list of symptoms with you asking if you are currently experiencing any of them and last move on to checking your fingernails, your hands and feet for possible bloating then they should feel around on the thyroid gland, with their fingers, checking for any abnormalities.
If they find any suspicious abnormalities on your thyroid gland then they should send you for an ultrasound in order to rule out the possibilities of nodules, goiter, thyroid cancer or any other thyroid disorders.
At first your check-ups should happen every 6-8 weeks until your medication is regulated and after that every 6-12 months for the rest of your life if you have permanent hypothyroidism.
Thyroid Medication
Once you have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism your doctor will prescribe a hormone replacement medication. Your medication is not something to fear. If you properly take your medication, it will help you to get back to functioning normally.
The thing that you have to become and remain aware of is the fact that this medicine is a thyroid hormone replacement medication. It is a synthetic hormone meant to replace what the body is lacking in normal thyroid hormone production. Simply put it’s meant for when your thyroid gland can no longer produce enough thyroid hormone to function on a normal level.
When thyroid medication is not taken as directed it is then that it can cause problems with your health. It is not a diet pill and should never be thought of or treated as if it were.
Thyroid Disfunction: Is Not Always an Issue With the Thyroid Gland
The thyroid gland is not the only gland that can cause hypothyroidism, it can also be caused by issues with the pituitary gland. Again your endocrinologist would be able to figure out if this is the case.
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23. December 2009 at 2:51 pm
i would like to know the numbers for the thyroid.. with the t3-4 ,,my doctor says mine is fine but still gaining weight, he goes by 3 to 5 range and to me that is not correct, if it was i wouldnt be feeling like this at all ,,if someone could help me on this i would be thankful,,
16. January 2010 at 1:21 pm
Hi Carolyn,
I can honestly say that I have never paid much attention to my numbers. I usually leave that up to my doctor. But one thing that I can tell you from experience is that, well first I suffer from Hashimotos disease. This is a thyroid disease where the bodies immune system attacks the thyroid. With Hashimotos Your thyroid levels can definitely fluctuate. Many doctors will disagree with this but I am living proof of this. When I first started to experience multiple symptoms of this disease I had my initial blood tests done. The nurse practitioner told me that my thyroid levels were slightly elevated but not enough to medicate me. Within two to three weeks my symptoms grew progressively worse and my sister who also has Hashimotos told me about the fluctuations and that I needed to insist that they run the tests immediately.
Well the nurse practitioner told me that I was crazy and that there was no possible way that my thyroid levels would change over a couple of weeks and after I insisted that the tests be done again, she was shocked at the results and at the fact that I was right and I definitely needed to be put on thyroid medication. She had never seen such a dramatic change in thyroid levels over such a short period of time but will never question another person who asked for a re-check in that short a period of time again.
The best advice I can give to you is that if you notice your conditions worsening after your doctor tells you that you are fine, either get a second opinion or insist on having a re-check and don’t take no for an answer.
If your thyroid levels are still normal and you are experiencing weight gain and fatigue then have the doctor check for other things like over insulin production or anything else that they can think of.