hey all,
back story
have had crohn's for years but was diagnosed in jan 09
was on prednisone first, had bad withdrawal because i think i tapered off too fast and then i was on imuran and now i'm only on remicade.
the crohn's symptoms have generally improved, though once in a while i'll have obstruction like symptoms and so, i have an mri coming up and my GI is considering surgery for me, because of my stricture.
but i'm concerned about some other ongoing symptoms, that i suspect are due to hypothyroidism...so i had some bloodwork done last thursday and i'm waiting for the results. i hope i figure it out because something isn't right.
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why i suspect hypothyroidism
risk factors
- my mom has hypothyroidism but she was diagnosed at age 50 and my grandma's sister has hypothyroidism. Then on my dad's side, my grandmother's sister and neice have had hyperthyroid....but on both sides of my family there are lots of autoimmune diseases, plus i already have crohn's....
- also, i read that prednisone can cause hypothyroidism and i do notice these symptoms after pred...
symptoms
- puffiness/swelling - in my face especially around my eyes (it got so bad it looks like i had an allergic reaction) it's worse when i wake up in the morning but doesn't completely go away.... also my ankles are puffy and i've been told my hands are puffy (the nurse who was inserting the iv for my remi infusion mentioned it|)
- general edema - drinking water but still not peeing enough, though recently i stopped drinking as much water and i've been urinating more and the water weight is coming off again.
- weight gain - i've gained over 80 pounds in about a year, most of the gain was less than a year. i have been working out almost everyday and cutting calories, i slowly lose 15 pounds but the minute i take a break, my weight is up 5-7 pounds and i'm puffy.
- constipation - thought it was because of my stricture, maybe not?? or maybe crohns and thyroid
- i often wake up with tingling and kind of numbness in my fingers... and i'm very cold at night... thought it was poor circulation... my b12 is said to be ok too... but yeah it's a weird feeling in the hands
- lethargic
- my hair texture has changed and i thought it was from remicade...it just looks dry and dead.... my skin sometimes has flakiness (especially on the chin)
- general stiffness and soreness in my body (i did have joint inflammation in the past with my crohn's but that's calmed down|)
- hoarsness in my voice...i lose my voice very easily. especially at night. but i've had a weak voice since i was a kid due to allergies so that's hard to know if it's just allergies or another symptom
does anyone else experience these symptoms? anyone with hypothyroidism and crohn's have any feedback or advice please?
i just hope my bloodwork shows something because i'm not crazy i know this isn't normal at all.
back story
have had crohn's for years but was diagnosed in jan 09
was on prednisone first, had bad withdrawal because i think i tapered off too fast and then i was on imuran and now i'm only on remicade.
the crohn's symptoms have generally improved, though once in a while i'll have obstruction like symptoms and so, i have an mri coming up and my GI is considering surgery for me, because of my stricture.
but i'm concerned about some other ongoing symptoms, that i suspect are due to hypothyroidism...so i had some bloodwork done last thursday and i'm waiting for the results. i hope i figure it out because something isn't right.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
why i suspect hypothyroidism
risk factors
- my mom has hypothyroidism but she was diagnosed at age 50 and my grandma's sister has hypothyroidism. Then on my dad's side, my grandmother's sister and neice have had hyperthyroid....but on both sides of my family there are lots of autoimmune diseases, plus i already have crohn's....
- also, i read that prednisone can cause hypothyroidism and i do notice these symptoms after pred...
symptoms
- puffiness/swelling - in my face especially around my eyes (it got so bad it looks like i had an allergic reaction) it's worse when i wake up in the morning but doesn't completely go away.... also my ankles are puffy and i've been told my hands are puffy (the nurse who was inserting the iv for my remi infusion mentioned it|)
- general edema - drinking water but still not peeing enough, though recently i stopped drinking as much water and i've been urinating more and the water weight is coming off again.
- weight gain - i've gained over 80 pounds in about a year, most of the gain was less than a year. i have been working out almost everyday and cutting calories, i slowly lose 15 pounds but the minute i take a break, my weight is up 5-7 pounds and i'm puffy.
- constipation - thought it was because of my stricture, maybe not?? or maybe crohns and thyroid
- i often wake up with tingling and kind of numbness in my fingers... and i'm very cold at night... thought it was poor circulation... my b12 is said to be ok too... but yeah it's a weird feeling in the hands
- lethargic
- my hair texture has changed and i thought it was from remicade...it just looks dry and dead.... my skin sometimes has flakiness (especially on the chin)
- general stiffness and soreness in my body (i did have joint inflammation in the past with my crohn's but that's calmed down|)
- hoarsness in my voice...i lose my voice very easily. especially at night. but i've had a weak voice since i was a kid due to allergies so that's hard to know if it's just allergies or another symptom
does anyone else experience these symptoms? anyone with hypothyroidism and crohn's have any feedback or advice please?
i just hope my bloodwork shows something because i'm not crazy i know this isn't normal at all.
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