My major symptom for Hashimoto's thyroiditis was extreme tiredness. I always had tons of energy, but I found myself taking two-hour naps each day of the weekend. I was probably mildly depressed as well because I was always so sleepy and lost my “energizer bunny” personality. My secondary symptoms were dry hair and nails. I was 43 when I was diagnosed. I'm 49 now.

I dropped my daughter off at school and fell asleep only to wake up right before it was time to pick her up! This happened three days in a row. The fourth day I was in the doctor's office. I knew this was not normal: Most people have enough energy to make it through the day. I found out that Hashimoto's thyroiditis in my family all over the place. I've been struggling with it for years and didn't know. With three pregnancies, my thyroid was wacky afterward, but I just didn't know that at the time. I thought maybe it was my hormones adjusting. I also had muscle cramping, chest pain that landed me in emergency room, a muscle ache in my arm pit area, and aching finger joints as if I had carpal tunnel syndrome. Depression was mild, but it was there. I also felt as if I were in a mental fog. I could not recall names, or titles of books, or authors. I could not concentrate and wondered why I felt so foggy. The only way to focus was with caffeine, but it would wear off right away. Now that I'm on Synthroid, my symptoms are all starting to fade, thankfully. I did gain 20 pounds, which have not come off yet but hopefully with some time and work, I can shed it.

I experienced extreme depression, fatigue, and muscle cramps. I was just diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. My treatment is to take supplemental dose (30 mg) of Armour Thyroid each day and we'll check things in a month. I ended up at a neuropsychiatrist because, though I was extremely depressed, I knew it had to be physical. He ran 20 labs and diagnosed me. My primary doctor, who I've gone to for years, ran only the basic thyroid and iron tests but nothing more and wouldn't have detected it. So ... for two years I have been searching. It does matter who you go to. This doctor did say that many times endocrinologists will not prescribe anything for the Hashimoto's but that he has found that just a small dose will make the autoimmune attack stop.

I'm tired a lot, feel depressed, and cry about how I look at times, even though people say I'm beautiful. On the weekends, I go to sleep at midnight and wake up around 1 p.m. It kills to wake at 5 a.m. when I go to bed 11. My nails are starting to look dull. I also get lots of blood work done and I hate needles! When I have a fever, I really swell all over. My doctor wanted to remove my tonsils if I continued to get strep throat, but it stopped. My uvula swells and it hurts to eat. Two years ago I got an EpiPen, but I who prescribed it to me retired and they took me off the pills.

I was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto's after seeing the doctor with extreme pain in my fingers and hands. I would wake up all through the night with pain on the insides of my knees and elbows so severe that I would have to get up and walk around. I was also having muscle cramps very badly. My doctors first thought was rheumatoid arthritis and ordered lab work and X-rays. Labs came back fine for RA but did show high elevation of antibodies for Hashimoto's. I'm now on levothyroxine and am doing much better. I still ache at night and have muscle cramps but nothing nearly like I had been. I'm glad to have a great doctor who listens and doesn't think I'm crazy when I tell him all my odd little aches and pains. I had told my OB/GYN exactly how I was feeling six months prior and he ran normal thyroid tests and said everything was fine, and that my aches and pains were just from lack of rest and exercise. It's a good thing that my GP took me seriously.