Hi, RebelGirl: I'm sorry about so scary a time. My mom has hypothyroid for years and she is great. She works full-time, runs, and always busy, busy, busy. Before she received thyroid medication she was tired and felt bad. Then she was normal with only one time she needed increase in her medication.
Maybe you read this website?
From EndocrineWeb.Com: Hypothyroidism - Too little hormone
This is part about how serious underactive can be:
Potential Dangers of Hypothyroidism
Because the body is expecting a certain amount of thyroid hormone the pituitary will make additional thyroid-stimulating-hormone (TSH) in an attempt to entice the thyroid to produce more hormone. This constant bombardment with high levels of TSH may cause the thyroid gland to become enlarged and form a goiter (termed a "compensatory goiter"). Our goiter page goes into this topic in detail, and outlines that a deficiency of thyroid hormone is a common cause of goiter formation. Left untreated, the symptoms of hypothyroidism will usually progress. Rarely, complications can result in severe life-threatening depression, heart failure or coma.
AND
From MayoClinic.Com:
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland)
Complications
Untreated hypothyroidism can lead to a number of health problems:
* Goiter. Constant stimulation of your thyroid to release more hormones may cause the gland to become larger — a condition known as goiter. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is one of the most common causes of a goiter. Although generally not uncomfortable, a large goiter can affect your appearance and may interfere with swallowing or breathing.
* Heart problems. Hypothyroidism may also be associated with an increased risk of heart disease, primarily because high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the "bad" cholesterol — can occur in people with an underactive thyroid. Even subclinical hypothyroidism, a more benign condition than true hypothyroidism, can cause an increase in total cholesterol levels and impair the pumping ability of your heart. Hypothyroidism can also lead to an enlarged heart and heart failure.
* Mental health issues. Depression may occur early in hypothyroidism and may become more severe over time. Hypothyroidism can also cause slowed mental functioning.
* Myxedema. This rare, life-threatening condition is the result of long-term, undiagnosed hypothyroidism. Its symptoms include intense cold intolerance and drowsiness followed by profound lethargy and unconsciousness. A myxedema coma may be triggered by sedatives, infection or other stress on your body. If you have symptoms of myxedema, you need immediate emergency medical treatment.
* Birth defects. Babies born to women with untreated thyroid disease may have a higher risk of birth defects than do babies born to healthy mothers. These children are more prone to serious intellectual and developmental problems.
Infants with untreated hypothyroidism present at birth are also at risk of serious problems with both physical and mental development. But if the condition is diagnosed within the first few months of life, the chances of normal development are excellent.
BUT please read this part:
The good news is that accurate thyroid function tests are available to diagnose hypothyroidism, and treatment of hypothyroidism with synthetic thyroid hormone is usually simple and effective once the proper dosage is established.
I hope these articles aren't so scary for you but I wanted to answer your question "
How serious can underactive be?".
P.S. I love your avatar - it is my favorite!
