Many people who have hypothyroidism do not even know it. I was one of those people. It started with a little weight gain after the holidays. I was a little concerned but of course everyone gains some weight during the holidays. I continued on with my life, not even considering that I might have hypothyroidism.

Over the next few months I started to feel more and more depressed. I am not usually an unhappy person. In fact my friends say that I am one of the happiest people they know. When I started feeling depressed I became very concerned. I went to my doctor who said it was just stress and that it is common for women to get depressed at some point in their lives. He did not even consider that I might have hypothyroidism.

My doctor gave me some antidepressants and sent me on my way. The antidepressants helped but it was not enough. I started having stronger mood changes. I started feeling angry for no apparent reason at all. This not only disturbed me but also worried my friends and family. I went back to my doctor who again said it was just depression. He changed my antidepressant and sent me back home.

This continued for another six months.

One day I decided to search online and see if anyone else had similar symptoms. I found a wealth of information about hypothyroidism. I also found other women who were misdiagnosed like me. I decided to make another appointment with my doctor. This time I asked him if it could be hypothyroidism. He insisted that I was just suffering from depression. I pushed for a hypothyroidism blood test just in case. He agreed and gave me the test.

The results came back a few days later along with an apology from my doctor, who was ashamed that he had not considered the possibility of hypothyroidism earlier. He gave me some thyroid hormone and I took the medication for about two months before I started seeing results. As of today I am able to stop taking the medication and I am symptom free.

The worst part of having hypothyroidism was dealing with the misdiagnoses by my doctor. The symptoms were pretty bad but they were not nearly as bad as thinking that I might have to deal with my new anger and depression for an indefinite amount of time. When I got my diagnoses of hypothyroidism, I was actually happy. I knew that there was a good chance that hormone medication would make my anger and depression go away.

If you ever find yourself suffering from any of the symptoms mentioned above please ask your doctor about getting a test for hypothyroidism. It is worth the extra money to at least find out if you have hypothyroidism. Women are especially prone to the disease. If you are a woman or a person with type
1 Diabetes, it is quite possible that symptoms such as weight gain and mood change could be hypothyroidism. Remember if you are showing symptoms, ask your doctor for a hypothyroidism test.

Do you think you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis? That sounds scary and it actually can be cause for concern. Hypothyroidism is very commonly caused by what is know as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis which is a malady that allows the body’s defense system to create antibodies which will, over time, destroy a persons thyroid tissue. When this occurs the body cannot make enough of its own thyroid hormones.

Hypothyroidism occurs when your body does not make enough thyroid hormone and this governs how your body uses energy. The thyroid gland is a small butterfly shaped gland residing in the frontal area of a person’s neck. When these hormone levels are low they can affect the entire body and all of its functions. Low levels of these hormones can not only raise cholesterol levels but can increase the likelihood of having a stroke or heart attack.

Hypothyroidism is easily treated, especially when detected early. The primary symptoms of this disease include:

• Weakness and feeling tired all the time
• Weight gain
• Depression
• Dry skin, hair, and brittle nails
• Hair loss of the outer one third of your eyebrows
• Irregular menstrual cycles
• Constipation
• Problems with memory or thinking clearly

Many of these problems arise slowly, over time, and may not be noticeable initially. But they build up and cause overall tiredness and fatigue that cannot be overlooked.
The problem is often confused with menopause because of similarity of many of the symptoms. But there are tests for hypothyroidism that can rule out other issues.

When Hashimoto’s thyroiditis occurs, it causes ones immune system to attack the thyroid gland and its tissue. Radiation treatments for cancer and surgical removal of the thyroid gland can also cause hypothyroidism to occur.

Testing for hypothyroidism is relatively easy and involves a blood test to determine levels of certain hormones in the body.

When diagnosed, there are pills to be taken daily. The dosage will be set and can be adjusted depending on how effective it proves to be. It may take weeks or months to truly determine the exact level needed to eliminate the symptoms, and most likely the medication will need to be taken for the rest of ones life as this disease tends to stay around for a lifetime.

Who should be tested for Hypothyroidism?

• Pregnant women
• Those with diabetes
• Those who have rheumatoid arthritis
• Mature adults, especially those over sixty years of age
• Those with family history of thyroid related problems

Mild cases of hypothyroidism may not even require medications or treatments but should be watched carefully in case symptoms worsen. A case of severe hypothyroidism may require hospitalization because it may become dangerous and involve a condition they call myxedema coma, a rare disease.

Hypothyroidism may occur in infants and teens and can be quite severe at younger ages. Infants may develop the disease if their mother was treated with radiation for cancer or Grave’s disease while pregnant. Infants who develop hypothyroidism in the early months may need to be on medications for the rest of their life but can be successfully treated.