Yet it’s quite a relief to be able to put some kind of label on this. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, So have I” — that sort of thing. Professor Pearce explains: ‘The antibodies that attack the thyroid gland can be present from the teenage years or from the 20s or 30s — and in the initial phase, when the thyroid is still functioning quite well, some people don’t have any symptoms at all.’. Published: 22:24 BST, 26 November 2018 | Updated: 00:57 BST, 27 November 2018. newspaper archive. ‘The brain fog was awful, too — I would keep forgetting people’s names and even the words for everyday things. Speaking in December, Anna revealed she was at the beginning of a journey to find out what’s wrong. I’d end up having to describe them: “You know, that thing you put in the other thing that makes it go round.”. Living with an underactive thyroid gland can be life-changing, as Anna can testify. ‘When you say to people: “Oh, I’m perimenopausal, I’m on a (HRT) patch, but I don’t feel great,” they roll their eyes as if you’re just lazy. ‘It has been a long and expensive journey getting to this point. Tiredness, irregular periods, brain fog and a thickening middle — to TV presenter Anna Richardson and her gynaecologist it spelled one thing: the menopause. THE PROOF IS IN VITAMIN D BEATS COVID - WHY THEN IS IT ALL A... Normal TSH but all the symptoms of Hypothyroidism and I have... Daily Mail article on thyroid treatment being denied, Daily Mail running article about the U.K. cost of T3, Diagnosed hyper but displaying hypo symptoms. Anna Richardson, 48, has been experiencing some mysterious health problems over the last two years. Others will follow and look and then wonder why they wasted their time and bandwidth. Others cause problems such as headaches by applying pressure to the gland. ‘Recently, I had to cancel a couple of charity events because I was too tired and my brain isn’t as sharp.’. She was diagnosed with secondary hypothyroidism, which was initially thought to be caused by Hashimoto’s disease - a condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. Partners: Sue Perkins with her girlfriend, Anna Richardson, who was misdiagnosed as going through the menopause - causing an array of symptoms... ‘I kept going back to the gynaecologist I was seeing privately every few months, saying this HRT still isn’t working — and we would increase the dose again. Did you know? So, each day for the past three years Anna, 48, the partner of former Great British Bake Off presenter Sue Perkins, 49, religiously took HRT in varying doses in the hope that it would alleviate her symptoms. ‘But I was still overwhelmingly fatigued. Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked. Claire King health: ‘I’m falling to bits’ Star's agonising conditions, Lacey Turner health: EastEnders star's ordeal prior baby joy, Anna Richardson health: The presenter has been feeling continually exhausted, Chris Kamara health: ‘It’s worrying’ Football pundit's revelation, Danny Jones health: McFly singer's hidden past condition, Anna Richardson health: The star thought her symptoms were linked to menopause, Anna Richardson health: The presenter said it's possible she could have a pituitary tumour, Another presenter who’s experienced a mysterious illness is Emma Willis, Simon Gregson health: ‘This is awful to live with' Star's condition, Gillian Wright health: ‘The pain was unbearable’ Star's past condition, Kate Ford health: ‘Every month is a struggle’ Star's chronic condition. Please add a sentence to explain. order back issues and use the historic Daily Express Anna Richardson's six-part podcast series, Health Fact vs Fiction, in association with HCA Healthcare UK, is now available on Apple Podcast and all other podcast platforms. It's like being a teenager again, as all I'm capable of is sitting around in pyjamas, watching telly and going to bed. Anna has taken the rest of the year off to give her time to have tests. Fact: Up to 2 per cent of the population have an underactive thyroid and Hashimoto’s disease is the most common cause. Now even Boris Johnson rows back on his top scientist's dire prediction of 50,000 cases a day in October and... What's the TRUTH on curfews? ‘It has impacted on my life hugely, to the point that I avoid socialising much because I am too tired,’ she says. Her gynaecologist ran more blood tests and found the true cause of Anna’s symptoms: an underactive thyroid, where the thyroid gland — a small, butterfly-shaped organ that sits on either side of the windpipe — doesn’t produce enough of the hormones, such as thyroxine, needed to maintain a normal rate of metabolism.