Blessed4Life
12-30-2006, 05:20 PM
Does anyone have MS and Hypothyroidism? If so, do you take synthroid? How does your dr determine what is MS related and what is thyroid related when it comes to symptoms. I have not been diagnosed with MS but I have alot of MS symptoms. Some of them come and go while others seem to always be there. I am am sure that most of my symptoms are not thyroid related. Particularly the cognitive symtpoms.
Any help is appreciated.
Michelle
Any help is appreciated.
Michelle
Sponsor
duttin
12-31-2006, 01:27 PM
Michelle,
How are you doing ? Missed you here.
Keep in mind that it is not uncommon to have more than one disorder occuring.
My suggestion which is only a suggestion is to research the symptoms from both disorders and cateroragize each one and when they happen and how often they occur.
Research the side effects of the synthroid and see if they match any of the symptoms you are experiencing.
Michelle,
I got so angry with my last neuro he didn't want to start any disease modifying meds,just treat my symptoms,I was a zombie all day long.
It just so happened that a new neuro came to our local clinic and I went and seen him,took him 3 inces of test , med records and a CD of all my MRI's.This neuro explained all the test results,which no neuro had done before.He looked at me and stated your MS is chronic progressive,he sent in all the paper work for rebif and will be starting steroid IV's at home next week.
Keep searching,keep copies of all test results,ask for more test.It will come a point to where you'll get angry and aggressive with your neuro and insist.when I first started my quest for answers to my symptoms I excepted the Drs Dx's.But I was not getting any better,the explanation of well your 40 things start to fall part was the last straw.
I hope you have a happy New Year and a productive one with your Drs.
How are you doing ? Missed you here.
Keep in mind that it is not uncommon to have more than one disorder occuring.
My suggestion which is only a suggestion is to research the symptoms from both disorders and cateroragize each one and when they happen and how often they occur.
Research the side effects of the synthroid and see if they match any of the symptoms you are experiencing.
Michelle,
I got so angry with my last neuro he didn't want to start any disease modifying meds,just treat my symptoms,I was a zombie all day long.
It just so happened that a new neuro came to our local clinic and I went and seen him,took him 3 inces of test , med records and a CD of all my MRI's.This neuro explained all the test results,which no neuro had done before.He looked at me and stated your MS is chronic progressive,he sent in all the paper work for rebif and will be starting steroid IV's at home next week.
Keep searching,keep copies of all test results,ask for more test.It will come a point to where you'll get angry and aggressive with your neuro and insist.when I first started my quest for answers to my symptoms I excepted the Drs Dx's.But I was not getting any better,the explanation of well your 40 things start to fall part was the last straw.
I hope you have a happy New Year and a productive one with your Drs.
bonleepsw
01-24-2007, 11:10 AM
Michelle:
This is my first time to this site, what a great source of information. Anyhow, I don't have a Thyroid and take Eltroxin .20mg daily. I had cancer of the Thyroid when I was 20 and they took it out. I always thought that my MS symptoms were because I did not have a Thyroid. As the years went by the symptoms got worse and I suspected it was more than not having a Thyroid. Being a nurse I justified a lot of the symptoms I was having. Until I could not hide them any more. Falling at work several times was the final blow. I went to my doctor told him what was going on and had MRI right away and got a confirmed diagnosis Oct 2004. Took Avonex injections for two years, had typical flu like reactions, but developed necrosis, an infection under the skin from the injections. I am trying Copaxone now, but having the same problem. The MS Nurse at the clinic says that reaction is not supposed to happen with IM injections. I aksed her if it was because I don't have a Thyroid, they don't have any patients without a Thyroid and don't know. Keep pursuing your health problems, you have to be proactive, Bonnie:wave:
This is my first time to this site, what a great source of information. Anyhow, I don't have a Thyroid and take Eltroxin .20mg daily. I had cancer of the Thyroid when I was 20 and they took it out. I always thought that my MS symptoms were because I did not have a Thyroid. As the years went by the symptoms got worse and I suspected it was more than not having a Thyroid. Being a nurse I justified a lot of the symptoms I was having. Until I could not hide them any more. Falling at work several times was the final blow. I went to my doctor told him what was going on and had MRI right away and got a confirmed diagnosis Oct 2004. Took Avonex injections for two years, had typical flu like reactions, but developed necrosis, an infection under the skin from the injections. I am trying Copaxone now, but having the same problem. The MS Nurse at the clinic says that reaction is not supposed to happen with IM injections. I aksed her if it was because I don't have a Thyroid, they don't have any patients without a Thyroid and don't know. Keep pursuing your health problems, you have to be proactive, Bonnie:wave:
Blessed4Life
01-24-2007, 11:23 AM
Thanks, Bonnie
I unlike you, I still have my thyroid. It just doesn't work thanks to a radioactive iodine treatment that "killed" it. My frustration has been that because of my thyroid health, that has been the easy answer the dr's come up with. But thank God for that new guy I saw the other day. He was wise enough to think that if I am seeing a thyroid specialist on a regular basis and my THS levels are good than it can't be my thyroid. Plus this has been going on for years. My thyroid was killed in 2004. This is 2007. But thanks to this Board and the great people like you, I am motivated to not take this thing sitting down. I have had the occasional tripping and stumbling, too. My legs sometimes get really weak not to mention the wobbling that comes from fluttering muscles. I didn't mention that. I forgot once I heard, "we believe this is serious". I probably looked like a crazy person because I was smiling. But I needed to hear those words. It felt good telling my husband, it isn't in my head. I have a prescription! :wave:
I unlike you, I still have my thyroid. It just doesn't work thanks to a radioactive iodine treatment that "killed" it. My frustration has been that because of my thyroid health, that has been the easy answer the dr's come up with. But thank God for that new guy I saw the other day. He was wise enough to think that if I am seeing a thyroid specialist on a regular basis and my THS levels are good than it can't be my thyroid. Plus this has been going on for years. My thyroid was killed in 2004. This is 2007. But thanks to this Board and the great people like you, I am motivated to not take this thing sitting down. I have had the occasional tripping and stumbling, too. My legs sometimes get really weak not to mention the wobbling that comes from fluttering muscles. I didn't mention that. I forgot once I heard, "we believe this is serious". I probably looked like a crazy person because I was smiling. But I needed to hear those words. It felt good telling my husband, it isn't in my head. I have a prescription! :wave:
rilsam
01-25-2007, 01:22 PM
I haven't been dx with MS yet but I was told it was a matter of time. I do have subclinical hypothyroidism (and take synthroid) and fibro so I understand how hard it is to figure out what symptom goes with what disease. My doc basically feels that if my thyroid levels including my Free T -3 and Free T -4 are normal than the symptoms aren't the thyroid. I've been very stable for three years on meds but that was the first thing he checked. Fibro is a great mimic of MS so that was a bit harder but since I've been living with it for 5 years I knew something was way different. If I have questions to what is what I go to a rheumy who specializes in fibro but I've been good at telling things apart. I say trust your instincts. No one knows your body more than you do. If you think it's not the thyroid then there is a great chance that it's not. But any knew symptoms your doc should really know about even if it's just a call to inform him.
Blessed4Life
01-25-2007, 02:32 PM
Thank you. Do you think I should be going back to the rheumy? I haven't been back to him since my thyroid disease was diagnosed. I do still have arthertic pain but I haven't been back to the rheumy in about 3 years.
Michelle
Michelle
rilsam
01-25-2007, 02:42 PM
A rheumy is as good a place to start as any. Since there are alot of mimics to MS he should be able to eliminate alot of them. If he doesn't believe it's a rheumy problem, see if he'll give you a referal to a neuro. When I went to my rheumy she was very adament ?sp? that it was neurological. When I was started to have my strange symptoms my GP refered me to both the neuro and rheumy. Don't give up. Like I said, it's your body and you know when something isn't right even though docs like to make it seem like we're crazy.
Blessed4Life
01-25-2007, 02:48 PM
I'm seeing a neuro now. I just thought that I might need to go back to the rheumy. I guess I will see how things go with the neuro. Back when I was seeing the rheumy he thought it was Lupus. Once I got the thyroid test, I was refered to the endo and that was that. It is sad that there are so many "specialist" for these diseases that are so much alike. I am 34 years old and I currently see on a routine basis a GP, endo, and neuro doctor. Now that I think about it, I don't want to add the rheumy back into the mix. At least not if I dont' have to. :wave:
rilsam
01-25-2007, 02:54 PM
I see my GP who I love. My neuro who I'm looking to change and my rheumy who I only see once a year as long as I don't have any problems. I'm sick of docs and of not feeling good but we do what we must to find answers and to have a healthier life. I don't blame you for not wanting to add another doc. I wouldn't either. By the way my GP follows my hypothy.
Blessed4Life
01-25-2007, 02:57 PM
I don't know why I still see the specialist for my thyroid. I guess it is because I had the radioactive iodine treatment instead of my thyroid being removed or just conking out.
Michelle
Michelle
mnewhall
01-25-2007, 05:19 PM
hi,
i had hyperthyroidism turned hypothyroidism and now take synthroid and my levels are always fine according to my GP and neuro.
i have a 95% possibility of MS. All MRIs and LP were normal. We are in the wait and see phase and doc is treating muscle spasms/twitching with Flexeril and chronic pain with Elavil.
hope this helps! wishing you well days.
michelle
i had hyperthyroidism turned hypothyroidism and now take synthroid and my levels are always fine according to my GP and neuro.
i have a 95% possibility of MS. All MRIs and LP were normal. We are in the wait and see phase and doc is treating muscle spasms/twitching with Flexeril and chronic pain with Elavil.
hope this helps! wishing you well days.
michelle
Blessed4Life
01-26-2007, 04:33 PM
mnewhall,
We have similar medical backgrounds - hyper turned hypo. I haven't been told anything about possible MS just that I have an "irritated nervous system". What does that mean?
Michelle
We have similar medical backgrounds - hyper turned hypo. I haven't been told anything about possible MS just that I have an "irritated nervous system". What does that mean?
Michelle
KrisT
01-27-2007, 12:52 AM
Yep..hypothyroid, too.
Kristi
Kristi