thyroid, hair and skin questions

[trc1962]

I know many on here do deal with a thyroid issue and so I am seeking answers to some of my questions. I was on 50 mg of prednisone and have slowly dropped down to now being on only 3.5 mg. I have loved getting my neck back and loosing the moon face, but under 10 mg the skin issues that have plagued me have returned - seborrheic dermatitis, flushing and very painful scalp. My TSH has been up and down for 2 years from almost 10 to 4.59. I saw an endo last year and by that time I was on the prednisone and he said my TSH would be low and it was. He suggested we wait until under 10 mg and then retest. 7 months later (in March) I was at that point and the tests came back with my TSH at 1.9 so the endo said I didn't need him anymore and my primary could handle things. In June my TSH was at 7.5 so my primary said I could maybe start some meds even though I was "subclinical." The weird thing is I am loosing weight, not gaining as I have read hypo does. My hair is oily and awful and shedding and I sweat just awful lately when I am exposed to heat or I move around much. This to me sounds like hyperthyroid (my sister in law has graves and I saw her changes. Can a messed up thyroid cause the skin, scalp issues? I looked back at some old labs from 2012 and my TSH was 4.59 then (under 5 is considered normal) so I haven't been functioning well for awhile, but still in range most of the time. I am scared to take the thyroid meds as I don't want to get worse with flushing and all and school starts in 3 weeks. I don't have any skin, hair or flushing when on 15 mg of pred or more, but I hope to get off it very soon. I feel kind of lost.

[Way2dry]

I'm having a lot of the same issues you are, except for the prednisone. My TSH was fluctuating up and down but is now steadily creeping up. My latest reading is 5.26 so I have subclinical hypothyroidism.

I developed some hypothyroid symptoms - gained 10 lbs., my skin & hair got even drier, my scalp is so dry it hurts & my hair started falling out. But I am not fatigued, and I sweat a lot if it's warm or I move around too much - just like you. My mother had Graves' disease, and it makes me wonder if you can switch back & forth between hypo and hyper. 

Sorry I don't have any answers, but you are not alone.

Good luck!

[irish]

I think I would be seeing an endocrinologist and getting things checked out. The interesting thing is that it may not be the prednisone at all that is affecting the TSH levels. When we have autoimmune disease it is possible to have Hashimotos and maybe they need to be checking the thyroiperoxidase antibody or T
PO as it is abbreviated.

Hashimotos is when an antibody attacks the thyroid and it can cause the thyroid to have TSH levels that go up and down.....a lot. I had a couple of years where I had to have every 2 month TSH levels and had to have my medication either raised or lowered a lot of the time until nit settled down. I am sort of confused over these doctors having so many changing theories on thyroids. I am wondering if they don't keep up with the latest info. Just my opinion. Good luck. Irish

[Puzzled]

I am also confused on the TSH.  I had my thyroid removed in 2007.  I'm cold, always, unless it hits over 90.  Is there something besides thyroid that can cause you to be cold?  I seem to be getting worse and it isn't because of air conditioning.  My levels are always low, somewhere in the 1.0 range  Is the cold from perhaps something else and would anyone have an idea of what? 

I have also picked up either rosacea or the worst case of acne ever.  Any suggestions?

[Linda196]

The other top possibilities for causing perceived cold (feeling cold when the temperatures aren't) that pop to mind are anemia an/or low protein levels (malnutrition).

[trc1962]

Puzzled, I have a lot of your same questions, however, like you I experience skin and hair issues when my TSH does rise, like seborrheic dermatitis and oily skin. My thought is that when the pituitary keeps asking for thyroid hormone maybe it activates testosterone or DHT? I know too much thyroid hormone can cause acne. I sweat just buckets and I don't remember doing this the last time I was on 3 mg of prednisone. Unlike you though, cold doesn't bother me, heat is my enemy as I flush and sweat. I should add my ears ring. I am avoiding foods high in histamine and am being evaluated for a disorder with the pituitary. My sister in law had graves and she was cold, got skinny and was anxious and after many trials they removed her thyroid and she supplements and does pretty well. I hope you find answres to your issues.

[Puzzled]

Linda,
Thanks, I know my last blood test came out low for protein, but my blood cells were too high.

trc1962,
They took out my thyroid in 2007.  Can your pituitary still be a problem?  I also have ringing ears with the right one being the worst.

I hope you find your answers and fast and that they can be easy to fix.  Why is it new things love to pop up just as something important is happening?? 

This is August, darn it, and it should be hot and instead is rainy and not warm.  For you, though, I'm glad you have the colder weather.

[Fortitude]

Hi.  It is possible to feel cold when it isn't actually cold around you if you have autonomic neuropathy.  If your nerves are damaged, as mine are, from Sjogren's and you have autonomic neuropathy because of that, your automatic body systems go haywire (is that a technical term?).  Your blood pressure can go very low (making one cold and sometimes passing out) or very high.  This can wreak havoc with any automatic/autonomic body system.  Good luck all.

[trc1962]

I also have some nerve issues, p neuropathy and autonomic issues and I can feel like my feet are cold when they aren't and it is uncomfortable. I have slept with socks on my entire life but the Summer have slept barefoot with the heat. I had a new blood panel drawn today to check all hormones and cortisol out put and to recheck my prolactin levels. Autoimmune is so strange and how it effects the body. Wishing everyone a happy Tuesday!