I have hashimoto's thyroiditis. I am a 20 year old male.

The main symptoms i experience are chronic fatigue, muscle weakness, tingling in the arms, legs, stomach. Poor appetite, edema of legs, cold hands and feeling unusually cold at times.

I am using a slow release T3 medication only. I found with T4 it made me put on weight FAST! so i dropped it. Armour Thyroid also didn't work so well, The T3 seems to be working the best out of the three.

I am wondering What do other people on this board with hashimoto's experience?

My symptoms are pretty similar. Although I also have a chronic viral infection that contributes to my fatigue and pain. You might also want to look into adrenal fatigue.

I just recently tried the slow release t3 and it did not agree with me. Right now I am using a combo t4 (levoxyl) and T3 (cytomel). Better than just the T4 alone.

The problem with T4 only is that your body may not convert well and if it does not it creates Reverse T3 which can block t3 receptors from getting the real t3 into the cells.

Your body needs good levels of cortisol and ferritin to make sure that it can transport the T3 into the cells.

Oh yes i am well aware. Optimal ferritin and iron levels are necessary for metabolic processes and thyroid hormone function. Cortisol is needed to get the thyroid hormone into the cells if you are low cortisol and you use thyroid hormone the hormone builds up in your blood causing hyper symptoms while your cells remain in a hypometabolic state.

Thats why i'm about do a 4 point saliva test for cortisol while im on Thyroid replacement.

You mentioned you had a chronic viral infection. How did you find out about this?

I suspect i have a hidden chronic infection causing my symptoms but don't know how to locate/test for it. I have had night sweats and liver/kidney pain, difficulty urinating, drinking tons of fluids, low appetite and some temperatures.

Hey sorry I forgot to write back to you.

Well it was pure luck that I pointed out a sore in my ear to my ears nose and thorat doc and he thought a vzv virus. Turned out to be a HSV1 virus but he put me on valtrex and I felt better immediately. It seems to be a chronic virus that I just can't shake.

Also before the doc figured it out Mrsd on this board mentioned a viral cause and I tried some L-lysine and sure enough it really helepd as well.

I just went to a new endocrinoloist and we talked abotu it and he tested me for additional viruses epstein barr and HHv6 which often go hand in hand. Also cytomegalovirus. I came back positive for all of them.

And I learned that while high IGM antibody viral tires inditae a active recent infection if your IGG levels are also high it can mean a chrnic low grade infection.

Let me knwo if you want to talk more.