Since 1995 - Non Profit Healthcare Advice

Help Me Please

08/17/2011

Question:

Am 17 and I get overheated too easily. Last year I was bed ridden because my vitamin D levels were almost non existint. My thyroid was checked a couple moths ago and they just said it was borderline. Thyroid issues run in my family (Hashimoto) and it just keeps getting worse. When it is 45 degrees here in washington with low humidity I feel like I am on fire, my face turns bright red, I sweat horribly, I feel sick to my stomach and dizzy. I hope someone can help because it just keeps getting worse. I have had to stop school and now go to a ged class but had to leave after 20 mins today because I got so hot and sick and faint.

Answer:

If your thyroid blood tests are only borderline then I think it is unlikely that giving you treatment aimed at the thyroid gland will change your symptoms. Depending on how “borderline” the values are it might be reasonable to give you a few months of an anti-thyroid drug to see if you felt better, but I think it is unlikely that this will help. I think you and your primary care doctor need to look for other possible causes of these symptoms besides thyroid disease. Your question gives no indication of your age or sex. Hot flashes related to menopause could certainly cause these symptoms. There also some very rare diseases that could cause these symptoms – pheochromocytoma, systemic mastocytosis,and carcinoid. These are so rare that it is unlikely you have them, but they should be considered.

For more information:

Go to the Thyroid Diseases health topic.