Respiratory symptoms as a sign of hypothyroidism?
I am currently going through it with regards to a slew of mystery symptoms that began 1.5 years ago. It started with severe itchiness, and then tightness in my chest/throat, and then hives, and then unusually high body aches and fatigue– in rapid succession. I've mostly been living with these disruptive facts amidst a slow diagnosis process in the public healthcare symptom. I have had CAT scans, x-rays, lung function tests, taken oral and aerosol steroids (to manage theoretical asthma), allergy medications, anti acids, tick-borne disease testing, PPIs, and so on. I have systematically eliminated and reintroduced possible "triggers" like cigarettes, foods, environmental factors, etc. but have not been able to find any correlation with anything.
My PCP and a pulmonologist have so much as thrown their hands up, and I finally put my foot down on the piece-meal methodology of tackling each symptom as separate issues because I feel that they are all stemming from the same... something, be it an auto-immune disorder or complex allergy. I'm still going through the motions of scheduling appointments with allergists and gastrointestinal specialists, and just started Singulair to see if it's a mast cell issue.
Hypothyroidism runs in my family. Three of my aunts have been formally diagnosed. One has severe Hashimotos. My mother has not been formally diagnosed like her sisters, but has basically healthed her way out of symptoms through a strict regimen of dietary and lifestyle routine. I, like her, am extremely sensitive to foods and have dealt with IBS since I was literally a baby.
I've always had some tell tale signs of hypothyroidism since I was young– I've been told that my appearance changes rapidly, like some days my face seems wider/puffy than usual, and then other times it is more gaunt. I have also been diagnosed with narcolepsy. Despite being 30+ years old, overweight, a 1/2 pack a day smoker for thirteen years, and on narcolepsy drugs that categorically speed up heart-related function, my blood pressure is often lower than what is considered average, as well as my body temperature. It is not rare that a nurse re-takes my vitals because of how low they present.
I have had my t3/t4 levels checked every two years for the last ten. I also had a basic hormone panel done to address terrible PMS/menstruation and everything was normal.
Basically, I'm putting this out there to see if anyone else has experienced a similar arc of symptoms and (lack of) answers, and, if so, learn what sort of course of action I could take to further explore the possibility of hypothyroidism, or other comprehensive diagnosis.
Posted Aug 5, 2026, 1:30 PM UTC