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What Causes Weight Gain, Vertigo And Brain Fog With Normal Thyroid Results?
Question: Hi, I am in search of finding an answer to my health problems. I don't know when to search for a specialist or if I need dr. Referred. I have suffered from weight gain, vertigo, brain fog just to name a few. My doctor tested T-3, T-4 and came up normal. He put me on Armour just to see. I am in my 2nd month and have gained 10 pounds more. I am a letter carrier and walk 8 miles a day. I have cut out bread, grains and nuts. I have had h.pyloi, ulcers and gerd. Now I have become very irritable. This started last July and I have gained 40 pounds. Thank you for any advice u can give me
Brief Answer:
Many possibilities remain.
Detailed Answer:
The most common cause of what you described his depression. Depression doesn't always manifests itself is decreased energy. I think it is worth exploring with your primary care physician. Other common problems you might consider include lactose intolerance. Give them any other dietary changes and I think a trial without dairy for just two or three days maybe beneficial. I will assume that you had routine laboratory and that there's no indication for diabetes, B12 or vit D deficiency. Finally I do not know when your last menstrual period was. Your 57 average age of menopause is 51. If you were somebody who's recently ceased to have periods in the last 1 to 2 years then I think you might want to consider that this is menopausal related. The same goes if you were on hormone therapy for a few years and have recently stopped. Hormonal therapy can alleviate the symptoms you describe if the symptoms began with the cessation of hormones or the cessation of menses. If there has been a five-year gap without significant symptoms and I do not think hormones will help.
finally if you've suffered from Gerd and IBS and both of those have significantly improved than that may account for your weight gain. And of course has no relationship to brain fog. If none of this pans out then perhaps more than one issue is in play and I recommend that you see the very smartest internist in your town or in a neighboring town. You might consider seeing someone associated with the medical school. My best wishes for your feeling improved shortly. It must be very frustrating given your high level of physical activity.
Many possibilities remain.
Detailed Answer:
The most common cause of what you described his depression. Depression doesn't always manifests itself is decreased energy. I think it is worth exploring with your primary care physician. Other common problems you might consider include lactose intolerance. Give them any other dietary changes and I think a trial without dairy for just two or three days maybe beneficial. I will assume that you had routine laboratory and that there's no indication for diabetes, B12 or vit D deficiency. Finally I do not know when your last menstrual period was. Your 57 average age of menopause is 51. If you were somebody who's recently ceased to have periods in the last 1 to 2 years then I think you might want to consider that this is menopausal related. The same goes if you were on hormone therapy for a few years and have recently stopped. Hormonal therapy can alleviate the symptoms you describe if the symptoms began with the cessation of hormones or the cessation of menses. If there has been a five-year gap without significant symptoms and I do not think hormones will help.
finally if you've suffered from Gerd and IBS and both of those have significantly improved than that may account for your weight gain. And of course has no relationship to brain fog. If none of this pans out then perhaps more than one issue is in play and I recommend that you see the very smartest internist in your town or in a neighboring town. You might consider seeing someone associated with the medical school. My best wishes for your feeling improved shortly. It must be very frustrating given your high level of physical activity.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
No I had hysterectomy in 1989. I went through night sweats 10 years ago during the winter and loved it! I have done my own reading and all points to thyroid except all normal. Now same symptoms as adrenal glands. Is this gland related? I am now 90 pounds overweight and in a lot of pain. So hard to do my job. Milk does not bother me. In fact I eat cottage cheese with grapefruit so my stomach doesn't burn. I gained 10 pounds while so sick with ulcers and EE that I puked every bite I tried to eat over a 1 month period. Very little nutrition.
Brief Answer:
A few thoughts
Detailed Answer:
Please forget how long it's taking me to write and if they reply. I had some technical I have a few ideas.
- Please consider seeing an endocrinologist who can evaluate you for some of the more obscure thyroid abnormalities such as reverse T3. A good endocrinologist can also evaluate your adrenal function. Be careful of alternative practices that exploit complaints of unexplained fatigue calling it adrenal exhaustion and providing a supplement which is a precursor to the adrenal performance, DHEA. I would recommend against this practice. I would also recommend against Armour Thyroid without a definite abnormality in the laboratory.
-I would also recommend continuing under the care of a good internist. Many chronic diseases such as autoimmune diseases or Parkinson's for example can have a long 5 to 10 year run-up of unexplained symptoms including weight gain and fatigue.
-Meanwhile even if your symptoms are somewhat atypical an antidepressant which is activating and not associated with weight gain such as a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor the most commonly prescribed is called Wellbutrin, may help ease some of your symptoms. I am not saying that you have classic chronic depression. If you did you'd be unable to hold down a full-time job. But many of the symptoms that you describe overlap with depressive symptoms and an activating antidepressant may be of great help to you.
I sincerely hope that you feel better soon. And I sincerely hope that you avoid exploitive practices which load you up with expensive compounded or over-the-counter supplements and vitamins. I do not think that will be a satisfactory answer and can become quite expensive.
Regards.
A few thoughts
Detailed Answer:
Please forget how long it's taking me to write and if they reply. I had some technical I have a few ideas.
- Please consider seeing an endocrinologist who can evaluate you for some of the more obscure thyroid abnormalities such as reverse T3. A good endocrinologist can also evaluate your adrenal function. Be careful of alternative practices that exploit complaints of unexplained fatigue calling it adrenal exhaustion and providing a supplement which is a precursor to the adrenal performance, DHEA. I would recommend against this practice. I would also recommend against Armour Thyroid without a definite abnormality in the laboratory.
-I would also recommend continuing under the care of a good internist. Many chronic diseases such as autoimmune diseases or Parkinson's for example can have a long 5 to 10 year run-up of unexplained symptoms including weight gain and fatigue.
-Meanwhile even if your symptoms are somewhat atypical an antidepressant which is activating and not associated with weight gain such as a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor the most commonly prescribed is called Wellbutrin, may help ease some of your symptoms. I am not saying that you have classic chronic depression. If you did you'd be unable to hold down a full-time job. But many of the symptoms that you describe overlap with depressive symptoms and an activating antidepressant may be of great help to you.
I sincerely hope that you feel better soon. And I sincerely hope that you avoid exploitive practices which load you up with expensive compounded or over-the-counter supplements and vitamins. I do not think that will be a satisfactory answer and can become quite expensive.
Regards.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Answered by
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