Swollen, painful glands for five months, fatigue, muscle pai

littlelady329287 · Newbie Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 11

I need Help! I am a 20 yr old female.
Here is a list of my symptoms:
-Swollen glands in neck, which are also painful, and have been swollen since before christmas. Doc said they aren't hugely swollen.
-Fatigue that isn't relieved by rest.
-Sleeping for long periods of time, when I wake it feels like I have a brick in my head its so heavy. The sleep is also really deep. needing a nap in the middle of the day.
-Having energy for a few hours and then it feels like someone has pulled the plug.
-pain under arms and in my lower abdomen.
- Poor short-term memory and concentration problems.
-Regular feelings of dizziness, and when I'm walking sometimes it feels like the ground is rising up to meet me, and I feel like my legs aren't really there.
-weight gain, ( I had lost weight and its all back on plus some)
- regularly light-headed.
- regular headaches
- thinning hair, dry skin.
-diarrhoea at least once a week, (i'm not eating anything different, and there doesn't seem to be a specific food that sets it off.)
- stiff muscles and muscle pain, occasional numbness espec in hands,
I also had a tremor in my right hand the other day, it only lasted a few minutes but my arm remained weak for hours afterwards.
- really heavy painful periods (although I have had these for quite some time), also my cycle is getting longer.
I first went to doc in jan where they ran bloods everything was normal except TSH was 8.96 normal range is between 0.5 and 5.
I was told that I had an underactive thyroid but that they had to wait 6 weeks and recheck it, because my t4 was 15.1 and was in normal range as was T3. Second blood test showed TSH had come down to 5.96 however t4 had dropped to 11.1 normal range is between 9 and 20. So it is still normal. The doctor wanted to keep seeing me and test again in 2-3 months time which will be the beginning of may.
The doctor told me the last time I was there that my Tsh alone wouldnt be causing my symptoms and that she doesnt now what is wrong with me, she just said that every time she sees me its another piece of the puzzle.She said that perhaps we have just jumped to the wrong conclusion because of the Tsh and maybe it isnt the thyroid that has been causing the symptoms, and it was just the obvious assumption because of th abnormal TSH and the fact that hypothyroidism runs in the women in my Father's family.
But to be honest I don't know how much more of this I can take, everyone seems to have an opinion whats wrong with me aside from the doctors, and I have noticed mood swings which really isn't like me. I had to take time off work, and then had to go back because the isolation on top of feeling so wretched was beginning to get me down. I don't drink alcohol very often (less than once a month) and I don't take drugs, nor have I ever dabbled, I don't smoke (although both my parents do), I've been so tired I haven't been able to go out with my friends, or if I do I always have to go home really early. They have been really understanding but it's hard because in the surface I don't really look sick, tired most of the time but not gaunt. I've had friends ask if it could be in my head, I've even wondered that myself but in my heart of hearts I don't believe that it is, I just want my life back! I have went from someone who was rarely sick to someone who is attending the doctor once every two weeks, and no offence to the doc but I'm sick of the sight of her.
I've been missing uni and am finding it almost impossible to keep on top of the work load, I'm frightened this is going to cost me my career.
I have tried everything I can think of from multivitamins to herbal supplements ,to trying to limit the amount of sleep to allowing myself to waken naturally, tried only sleeping in 4 hour blocks, eating really healthily, drinking lots of water.
I also can't seem to cope with a lot of heat but I am really intolerant of the cold, I feel cold when my friends all think its not.
I really hope someone out there can tell me they know how I feel. and have some idea what might be wrong with me.

efelbab · Newbie Joined: 21 Feb 2008 Posts: 11 Location: wisconsin

I am 19 years old and had basically all of those symptoms. I was sick on and off for a year and the docs could never figure out what was wrong because my levels were in the 'normal' range. In January I had an ultrasound on my thryoid area and a biopsy and they finally determined that I had thyroid cancer. I am well on my way to recovery... Not to scare you, but I would get a second opinion from another doctor. Hopefully they can determine whether its a goiter or nodules or whatever else. Maybe ask for an ultrasound or biopsy on those hard spots in your underarms and neck (which probably are your lymph nodes reacting to whatever is going on in your body). I had painful swollen glands as well but they weren't cancerous, they were just reacting. Keep your head up and good luck!!
-Emily

littlelady329287 · Newbie Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 11

Sorry to bother you but did you have a noticable lump in your neck? if so whereabouts? How do you know which lumps and bumps are supposed to be there and which arent?
I've got another doctors appointment tomorrow maybe she'll be able to shed some light on that.
I have went from someone who had energy by the bucket load, to having none most of the time. I'm just at my wits end.

efelbab · Newbie Joined: 21 Feb 2008 Posts: 11 Location: wisconsin

I didn't notice it until I went for my annual PAP and my doctor pointed out that I had a couple of lumps... one where my thyroid is and one higher up on my neck. About a month later they began to become painful. I have many health professionals in my family so they told me that it was very important to get several opinions. ( the first 2 docs I went to told me it was nothing to worry about and the 3rd confirmed that it was cancer) Now that I look back a year or so ago of pictures I can see the lumps in my neck.

If those lumps are painful it def. isn't suppose to be there. Even if you have an infection they can prescribe meds.

Good luck tomorrow! Very Happy

littlelady329287 · Newbie Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 11

I just don't know, the past couple of days especially I've had pain in the back of my neck as well. how did you go about getting a second opinion?

efelbab · Newbie Joined: 21 Feb 2008 Posts: 11 Location: wisconsin

yea my whole body was achy and I was a super figity person and then almost over night I became lathargic.
My uncle is a sugeon and he recommended me to a friend of his that specializes in endocrine surgery. He is in Madison, WI. Dr. Herbert Chen is his name if you are in the midwest, he's wonderful.

littlelady329287 · Newbie Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 11

I actually live in the uk. Northern Ireland to be precise, I just don't want to get the doctor's back up either, and I'm not sure how to go about getting a second opinion. guess I'l just have to see what tomorro brings. I think the swelling on my neck is prob just my glands. but i'm no expert. lol! the joys!

efelbab · Newbie Joined: 21 Feb 2008 Posts: 11 Location: wisconsin

hehe I guess you aren't even close to here! I found the second doc that I went to through my insurance company. There was a site that showed which specialists were covered and then I contacted one. Otherwise I don't know how else to get another opinion.

I'm sure the doc tomorrow will give you a little bit of insight. All I can say is ask as many questions as you can... no question is stupid when it comes to your health.

You are young and I'm sure you will get well soon enough!!

littlelady329287 · Newbie Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 11

thanks for the support. I'l let you know how it goes tomorrow.
x

littlelady329287 · Newbie Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 11

just back from the doctors. she asked me lots of questions to try and determine if I was suffering from depression or anxiety. They both came back in the normal range so she doesn't think thats whats causing my symptoms. she did feel my thyroid but said she doesn't think there is any change in it. she wants to see me at the end of may/ beginning of june, to try and take the focus off being sick, and let me just go with it and see what happens. She said that if i'm not feeling any better by then, she is going to refer me to the hospital to see a doctor who specializes in people suffering myalgia and fatigue and things like that, and does sleep studies etc she says that often he doesn't find anything different from her but his findings can help with a diagnosis. She still wants me to go ahead with the blood test next week, but she says unless the thyroid shows up as being low she won't need to see me for the results I can just ring up for them. but she is writing a letter to the faculty at uni to make them aware that I am still unwell, and that it may affect my performance in the exams.
I'm just finding this whole thing so frustrating.

Swollen, painful glands for five months, fatigue, muscle pai

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