> Robin <[log in to unmask]>
>  Subject:
>
 I greatly suspect that my problems are not only related
>  to my thyroid condition but to my general female hormone situation as
>  well.

It may be.  But there is a balance between the endocrine system and the
female hormones, low thyroid generally means low estrogen. (Not unusual for
someone with low thyroid to be treated with birth control pills to regulate
their period and cover up that symptom.) Therefore it is not uncommon for a
female to be real tired, yet not nap and stay up late because she can't sleep
too well.   Low thyroid causes many female problems like irregular periods,
heavy periods, infertility.

Just visited the doctor today for the 3rd time for this awful rash
>  that I developed.
Itching and rashes are common with low or undertreated low thyroid.  I itched
so bad one time I went to a dermatologist, he called what I had "writing on
the skin" whatever that means and prescribed Claritin.  Claritin worked fine
and I could take it for a day or two and the itching would stay away for a
while.  But I haven't needed it since my thyroid is treated.  I think
"writing on the skin " might be what Broda Barnes ("Hypothyroidism: The
Unsuspected Illness") called winter itch.  The dermatologist showed me if the
skin was rubbed, you could see the marks from it afterward and that's why it
was called writing, his solution claritin and a moisturizer for the dry skin.
 (Dry skin = hypothyroid symptom of which there are a multitude and doctors
only recognize a few.)

Did he see the mites or did he just guess?  My mother used to think she had
some kind of allergy to detergent, at one time I thought I had fleas because
they were awfully small but something must have been biting me and since I
had dogs, it must be microscopic fleas.  Haven't felt like that in years, not
since thyroid treatment.

Also, you think the hard part is the diagnosis, especially if you looked up
her symptoms the first time you were ever on the Internet and found the
diagnosis in about an hour, and the doctors failed because they suspected it
but they believed the labs over their clinical acumen.   So, getting
diagnosed is a first, some do fine afterward, they get enough Synthroid and
have no complaints.  Others like me and my wife need doses larger than the
doctor we went to for 5 years wants to give.  And when we get those larger
doses symptoms like hypertension, asthma, costochondritis, and many others
disappear.   The dosage of Synthroid you are on is a very small dose.  It's
what I call a "placebo" dose because you don't know enough your doctor can
now say when you have a problem, "It couldn't possibly be a thyroid problem,
your labs are fine and I'm treating it."   The first thing a hypothyroid
person should think about when they have any health problem is how can it be
related to thryoid and do I think I'm on enough medicine?  Snoring, sleep
apnea, plantar fascitis, costochondritis, speech problems, are all things
that went away because I sought different or increased meds.

Skipper Beers

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