Anna Richardson celebrates 50th in 2020
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Anna Richardson recently split with partner of six years Sue Perkins. Although “devastated” at the split the pair disagreed over adopting children – a source told the MailOnline. In the past Anna spoke of how supportive the former Great British Bake Off presenter was when her health declined.
In 2018, Anna started to experience ‘brain fog’, which made it more and more difficult for her to remember seemingly simple things.
Names, words and daily items escaped her brain, and then came the weight gain and irregular periods.
Thinking it was signs of menopause, the presenter tried hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
This is taken in tablet form which aims to alleviate typical symptoms including hot flushes, night sweats and mood swings.
However, when the HRT did not seem to have any effect and as a result the presenter became increasingly anxious.
In an article for The Belfast Telegraph she said: “I’ve been struggling with what my gynaecologist and I thought were menopause symptoms.
“I have weight gain around my middle, irregular periods, aching joints, dry skin and awful brain fog where I can forget the words for the most everyday things.
“That’s a nightmare with my job.”
She continued to say that the worst part of her symptoms was just generally feeling under the weather.
“Even after 12 hours of sleep a night, I’m still tired,” Anna added.
After suffering with these mysterious symptoms, the presenter found out through a blood test that her thyroid was under-active.
She was then diagnosed with secondary hypothyroidism in December 2019.
This condition occurs when the hypothalamus (in the brain) produces insufficient doses of a specific hormone and as a result causes symptoms such as an enlarged thyroid, fatigue and weight gain.
Continuous use of antibiotics still didn’t seem to make a difference for Anna and a further diagnosis pointed that the problem may be in the master gland in the brain.
She said; “But recent further blood tests are now indicating the pituitary may be causing the problem, but it may not.”
Medical experts came to this conclusion due to Anna’s thyroid hormone level.
A normal thyroid hormone level should be at 12 – 20.
For Anna her levels changed from 19 in 2011 to 12 in 2018.
The level should not change this dramatically, so for Anna it was clear that the source of her health problems were something to do with this.
If you experience any symptoms such as this is it important to seek advice from your GP.
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