# Thyroid/Synthroid



## largenlovely

Or the generic ffor synthroid which is levothyroxine or something anyway...

My thyroid finally went kaput  it has been on the verge of going out for years. I'm surprised it hasn't fully went out sooner being that I have little tumors on both sides. Anyway...I started the meds 2 days ago. Any advice? Thoughts? Helpful information? Anything would be helpful lol

Thanks in advance


----------



## Diana_Prince245

largenlovely said:


> Or the generic ffor synthroid which is levothyroxine or something anyway...
> 
> My thyroid finally went kaput  it has been on the verge of going out for years. I'm surprised it hasn't fully went out sooner being that I have little tumors on both sides. Anyway...I started the meds 2 days ago. Any advice? Thoughts? Helpful information? Anything would be helpful lol
> 
> Thanks in advance



You should start of feel like you have more energy in about a week. Make sure you get your levels retested in about 6-8 weeks, you might need a higher dose. I did, even though I felt a bazillion times better on the lowest dose. Make sure you take it first thing with lots of water, and wait an hour before you eat if possible. You'll lose more hair when you first start taking it, but my hair loss is back to normal after 6 weeks.


----------



## Miss Vickie

largenlovely said:


> Or the generic ffor synthroid which is levothyroxine or something anyway...
> 
> My thyroid finally went kaput  it has been on the verge of going out for years. I'm surprised it hasn't fully went out sooner being that I have little tumors on both sides. Anyway...I started the meds 2 days ago. Any advice? Thoughts? Helpful information? Anything would be helpful lol
> 
> Thanks in advance



My endo has me take Synthroid -- period -- because she's seen wide variations in results with people who take the generic form. it's more expensive but I feel pretty well stuck.

Just remember that with thyroid medication you take it on an empty stomach, and certainly away from calcium or antiacids.. I keep it by the side of the bed with a glass of water and before my feet hit the floor in the morning, I've got in me. I've had pretty stable levels, despite gastric bypass and having my thyroid removed in 2008.

Good luck!


----------



## largenlovely

Yikes, the hair loss thing sounds scary!!! Glad to hear it comes back though. I'm glad to hear I will get my energy back too. I have been sleeping 10 hours and still wake up groggy. I knew something was wrong cuz I was working out a whole lot and not losing any weight at all. In fact, I was gaining at times, which was crazy. Gotta letter saying my blood work was off and I figured that must be the problem. Will I ever be able to lose weight again? Lol



Diana_Prince245 said:


> You should start of feel like you have more energy in about a week. Make sure you get your levels retested in about 6-8 weeks, you might need a higher dose. I did, even though I felt a bazillion times better on the lowest dose. Make sure you take it first thing with lots of water, and wait an hour before you eat if possible. You'll lose more hair when you first start taking it, but my hair loss is back to normal after 6 weeks.


----------



## largenlovely

A girlfriend told me to take it with water, avoid milk and take it before eating too. My doc didn't mention all that!!! So last night I put a glass of water by my bed too and did the same thing. He put me on 75mcg to start with so hopefully it's the right number



Miss Vickie said:


> My endo has me take Synthroid -- period -- because she's seen wide variations in results with people who take the generic form. it's more expensive but I feel pretty well stuck.
> 
> Just remember that with thyroid medication you take it on an empty stomach, and certainly away from calcium or antiacids.. I keep it by the side of the bed with a glass of water and before my feet hit the floor in the morning, I've got in me. I've had pretty stable levels, despite gastric bypass and having my thyroid removed in 2008.
> 
> Good luck!


----------



## Miss Vickie

largenlovely said:


> A girlfriend told me to take it with water, avoid milk and take it before eating too. My doc didn't mention all that!!! So last night I put a glass of water by my bed too and did the same thing. He put me on 75mcg to start with so hopefully it's the right number



Yeah I'm pretty amazed at what people aren't told about taking thyroid meds. I had another nurse tell me to take how the way I do -- and it's made a huge difference. By the time I shower and get breakfast ready, it's been at least 30 minutes so I do very well with my absorption and then subsequent levels.


----------



## largenlovely

I've been taking them early in the morning. So I will jump right back into bed so I won't be tempted to have coffee lol



Miss Vickie said:


> Yeah I'm pretty amazed at what people aren't told about taking thyroid meds. I had another nurse tell me to take how the way I do -- and it's made a huge difference. By the time I shower and get breakfast ready, it's been at least 30 minutes so I do very well with my absorption and then subsequent levels.


----------



## Miss Vickie

largenlovely said:


> I've been taking them early in the morning. So I will jump right back into bed so I won't be tempted to have coffee lol



I usually do well if I put off coffee about a half hour, until I've had my shower and gotten ready. Even with a gastric bypass, I can absorb coffee (with milk).

Or, if you happen to wake in the middle of the night to pee, so much the better!


----------



## CastingPearls

I take 50 mcgs before I even get out of bed and I don't eat anything for an hour. My hair falling out was a sign that I had hypothyroidism and it did continue to fall out for a while after I started taking levothyroxin but it definitely did stop and I began to have more energy. I was also low in B12 and D which I'm taking supplements for, and have been taking high doses of iron and potassium for a few years as well. I take the iron (because like calcium, the thyroid med can hinder absorption) halfway through the day or before I go to bed so they're at least 8 hours apart.

EDT: I started at a lower dose and they tweaked it after labwork. My doctor said they often don't give you the dosage you're going to stick with because of possible heart damage.


----------



## largenlovely

I don't usually do milk in my coffee but I'm lactose intolerant. I do drink lactose milk from time to time but it's ok to drink it as long as it's not first thing in the morning right





Miss Vickie said:


> I usually do well if I put off coffee about a half hour, until I've had my shower and gotten ready. Even with a gastric bypass, I can absorb coffee (with milk).
> 
> Or, if you happen to wake in the middle of the night to pee, so much the better!


----------



## largenlovely

I haven't noticed any of my hair falling out. Maybe we caught it before that happened. We had just done a blood test a few months ago where they tested me and everything seemed to be ok I guess. Then bam, my cholesterol and thyroid were off. I read that high cholesterol can be a symptom of hypothyroidism and since they both freaked out at the same time I'm guessing they're related




CastingPearls said:


> I take 50 mcgs before I even get out of bed and I don't eat anything for an hour. My hair falling out was a sign that I had hypothyroidism and it did continue to fall out for a while after I started taking levothyroxin but it definitely did stop and I began to have more energy. I was also low in B12 and D which I'm taking supplements for, and have been taking high doses of iron and potassium for a few years as well. I take the iron (because like calcium, the thyroid med can hinder absorption) halfway through the day or before I go to bed so they're at least 8 hours apart.


----------



## largenlovely

D'oh...just noticed u addressed the milk question. I'm gonna blame brain fog on having missed that lol



Miss Vickie said:


> Even with a gastric bypass, I can absorb coffee (with milk)


----------



## HDANGEL15

largenlovely said:


> Yikes, the hair loss thing sounds scary!!! Glad to hear it comes back though. I'm glad to hear I will get my energy back too. I have been sleeping 10 hours and still wake up groggy. I knew something was wrong cuz I was working out a whole lot and not losing any weight at all. In fact, I was gaining at times, which was crazy. Gotta letter saying my blood work was off and I figured that must be the problem. Will I ever be able to lose weight again? Lol



*I totally feel ya....i was the same way and about a month ago I doubly tested to make sure it was not in error....and thankfully....I was told it was my LOW THYROID & to take 75 mg LEVOTHYROXINE....and I must say immediately I felt perkier!!! *


----------



## largenlovely

Oh sorry I just woke up and misread ur pm. I see u have already got it checked. He put me on 75mcg too. I'm on day 3 now and I think I may be starting to feel Kinda better. I hope anyway lol *fingers crossed*



HDANGEL15 said:


> *I totally feel ya....i was the same way and about a month ago I doubly tested to make sure it was not in error....and thankfully....I was told it was my LOW THYROID & to take 75 mg LEVOTHYROXINE....and I must say immediately I felt perkier!!! *


----------



## Diana_Prince245

Miss Vickie said:


> Yeah I'm pretty amazed at what people aren't told about taking thyroid meds. I had another nurse tell me to take how the way I do -- and it's made a huge difference. By the time I shower and get breakfast ready, it's been at least 30 minutes so I do very well with my absorption and then subsequent levels.



My mother, who's been on thyroid meds for 50 years, was the one who told me how to take it. It's weird that prescribers and pharmacists aren't fully doing their job when it comes to how to take thyroid. Every time I get my birth control filled, I get informed how to take it, but they hand me the thyroid pills and send me on my way.


----------



## HereticFA

If you become aware of _any_ changes in how your heart feels or unusual increases in pulse rate not typical for your activity level, notify your doctor immediately. It could be the beginning of a irreversible heart damage. Especially be aware of any feelings that your heart is struggling to beat (or beats extremely HARD) or even that your heart doesn't slow down much after exertion or exercise. 

I was on synthroid from age 9 to 12 (prescribed to help me lose weight). At age 12, I was awakened one night at about 2AM with a pulse rate of 175 to 190. Unfortunately I didn't tell anyone at the time. I just stopped taking the synthroid on my own. (I'm not sure whether or not anything more meaningful could have been done in the late 60's.) For the next few decades I learned to work with the feeling of discomfort in my heart and was even given an "all clear" by the cardiologist who saw me in my thirties but didn't do a stress test, just used a Holter monitor. I eventually went on to be diagnosed with ventricular tachycardia (VT) and had to get a pacemaker & defibrillator (ICD) installed at age 51. I later found the usual protocol for diagnosing heart problems at a NIH website that shows a stress test is not typically required for those under 50, which explains why I didn't receive one in my 30's when I went to the cardiologist the first time.

Apparently VT is a well known side effect of synthroid. If you're under the age of 50, you may not be given a stress test but a Holter monitor instead. Insist on the stress test. Even though the protocol doesn't include a stress test for those under 50, insist on it if you have taken synthroid and have heart palpitations or arrhythmias.


----------



## largenlovely

That's really scary!! They tried to put me on 25mcg's about 10 yrs ago when they first found all the tumors on my thyroid and I started having that happen. I did the same thing and took myself off of it after about a week or two. I told my doc here about it and we have been checking my thyroid ever few months or so. This time, I could tell my thyroid freaked out even before I went in to find out why they sent me a letter saying my blood was off. I was surprised he started me off at 75mcg's right out of the gate but I will totally be looking for those symptoms because it scared the crap out of me years ago when it happened. I'm so sorry that u had to go through all that and nobody knew to tell you what was going on. I hope those 2 weeks years ago didn't do any damage. 




HereticFA said:


> If you become aware of _any_ changes in how your heart feels or unusual increases in pulse rate not typical for your activity level, notify your doctor immediately. It could be the beginning of a irreversible heart damage. Especially be aware of any feelings that your heart is struggling to beat (or beats extremely HARD) or even that your heart doesn't slow down much after exertion or exercise.
> 
> I was on synthroid from age 9 to 12 (prescribed to help me lose weight). At age 12, I was awakened one night at about 2AM with a pulse rate of 175 to 190. Unfortunately I didn't tell anyone at the time. I just stopped taking the synthroid on my own. (I'm not sure whether or not anything more meaningful could have been done in the late 60's.) For the next few decades I learned to work with the feeling of discomfort in my heart and was even given an "all clear" by the cardiologist who saw me in my thirties but didn't do a stress test, just used a Holter monitor. I eventually went on to be diagnosed with ventricular tachycardia (VT) and had to get a pacemaker & defibrillator (ICD) installed at age 51. I later found the usual protocol for diagnosing heart problems at a NIH website that shows a stress test is not typically required for those under 50, which explains why I didn't receive one in my 30's when I went to the cardiologist the first time.
> 
> Apparently VT is a well known side effect of synthroid. If you're under the age of 50, you may not be given a stress test but a Holter monitor instead. Insist on the stress test. Even though the protocol doesn't include a stress test for those under 50, insist on it if you have taken synthroid and have heart palpitations or arrhythmias.


----------



## Miss Vickie

I remember, back in the day they used to give people synthroid to help them lose weight -- even if they have no hypothyroidism symptoms. They did that to my mom. It's dangerous to be hyperthyroid -- because I'm on high doses my endocrinologist asks me a battery of questions each time I see her. We need to keep me on a high enough dose to keep my TSH levels crazy low to prevent recurrence of my cancer, but not so high that I get sick from it.

So for those of you who are on thyroid replacement, watch for racing heart, skipped beats, tremor, sudden intolerance to heat, inability to sleep, diarrhea and agitation. These can all be signs that your thyroid levels are too high. This is dangerous not just for your heart but also affects bone metabolism, leaving you at risk for osteoporosis.


----------



## HereticFA

Miss Vickie said:


> I remember, back in the day they used to give people synthroid to help them lose weight -- even if they have no hypothyroidism symptoms


It was in 1968 when they did that to me. Plus my Dr. was pretty "old school". The only testing I actually remember being associated with the diagnosis of low thyroid was a strange reflex test he performed on the Achilles tendon of my foot and was recorded by a chart graph recorder that sensed the displacement of a small horseshoe magnet taped to my heel. If there was a blood test to check T3 & T4 I don't remember the blood being drawn. (And I still remember a lot of times I was "stuck" around that time. I was very needle-phobic back then.)

Ironically I still remember him counseling me on losing weight saying that if I didn't I'd develop heart problems. Yeah, from his treatment of my obesity.


----------



## HereticFA

largenlovely said:


> That's really scary!! They tried to put me on 25mcg's about 10 yrs ago when they first found all the tumors on my thyroid and I started having that happen. I did the same thing and took myself off of it after about a week or two. I told my doc here about it and we have been checking my thyroid ever few months or so. This time, I could tell my thyroid freaked out even before I went in to find out why they sent me a letter saying my blood was off. I was surprised he started me off at 75mcg's right out of the gate but I will totally be looking for those symptoms because it scared the crap out of me years ago when it happened. I'm so sorry that u had to go through all that and nobody knew to tell you what was going on. I hope those 2 weeks years ago didn't do any damage.


If any damage had been done you'd already be aware of it from the symptoms described elsewhere in this thread. It probably takes at least several months for new nerve pathways to be created in the heart to establish the shorts that cause VT.



largenlovely said:


> I'm so sorry that u had to go through all that and nobody knew to tell you what was going on.



The main irritation I've had is too many doctors shrug their shoulders and label a problem as idiopathic if you don't fit a preconceived notion for that problem.


----------



## largenlovely

Thanks for talking me through this y'all. I was less than thrilled that it went out, as I'm sure you all are too. I'm starting to get some energy back and the scale dropped 4lbs today. I'm glad they're already showing signs of helping. Tuesday will be a week. I guess the levothyroxine was just what I needed


----------



## BBWTexan

Glad to hear it's making you feel better! Just make sure to take it everyday and it will make all the difference in the world.

I've been on levothyroxine for about 7 years now and I'm on a pretty high dosage. Up until about 3 months ago, I was taking 250mcg per day (two 125mcg pills), but was just reduced slightly to 237mcg (one 125 and one 112). I'm pretty diligent about it, but there have been times in the past when I got lazy and I would notice the difference almost immediately.

Hope you keep getting good results, but make sure to get re-checked frequently because it will probably take a few adjustments before you find the exact dosage for you.


----------



## largenlovely

BBWTexan said:


> Glad to hear it's making you feel better! Just make sure to take it everyday and it will make all the difference in the world.
> 
> I've been on levothyroxine for about 7 years now and I'm on a pretty high dosage. Up until about 3 months ago, I was taking 250mcg per day (two 125mcg pills), but was just reduced slightly to 237mcg (one 125 and one 112). I'm pretty diligent about it, but there have been times in the past when I got lazy and I would notice the difference almost immediately.
> 
> Hope you keep getting good results, but make sure to get re-checked frequently because it will probably take a few adjustments before you find the exact dosage for you.



I am wondering if I may find it's not enough. It's definitely helping and maybe in another few weeks my energy levels will improve because they have improved over the last couple days, albeit slowly. And I may just need more time (which is likely) to get a regular amount in my system too but years ago when they put me on 25mcg I knew immediately that I didn't need to be on the meds yet. Right now I feel that It's helping but maybe I could stand going up to 100mcg. I guess the standard wait time is 4-6 weeks. I will make sure to go back and get re-tested and if I still feel sluggish and lethargic will let him know that as well. It sucks having to depend on meds for the rest of your life but I sure am glad they have them!!! Cuz being *that* tired was just horrible.


----------



## NewfieGal

It takes a few weeks to get in your system but when it does you'll feel like a new person... I've been taking it since I've been 19 I'm on the max dose of 300... take it the same time everyday on an empty stomach for the best results


----------



## largenlovely

NewfieGal said:


> It takes a few weeks to get in your system but when it does you'll feel like a new person... I've been taking it since I've been 19 I'm on the max dose of 300... take it the same time everyday on an empty stomach for the best results



Thanks Newfie...I'm so glad to hear everyone has done well on the meds, for the most part. It's comforting. So far so good for me  glad everything seems to be improving day by day.


----------



## Miss Vickie

They really need to adjust thyroid meds slowly because of the potential for a thyroid storm, which is pretty serious. So they tend to start low, and go slow, and it can take weeks before you really know how well it's working. Even with me -- who has no thyroid due to cancer -- any changes they make are made incrementally and very slowly, with no further adjustments until weeks after the last adjustment was made and my labs have come back.

So just because you don't have a spring in your step now doesn't mean it's not working. It takes time, and believe me -- you want them to progress slowly with this stuff.

Hang in there.


----------



## Ruby Ripples

Miss Vickie said:


> They really need to adjust thyroid meds slowly because of the potential for a thyroid storm, which is pretty serious. So they tend to start low, and go slow, and it can take weeks before you really know how well it's working. Even with me -- who has no thyroid due to cancer -- any changes they make are made incrementally and very slowly, with no further adjustments until weeks after the last adjustment was made and my labs have come back.
> 
> So just because you don't have a spring in your step now doesn't mean it's not working. It takes time, and believe me -- you want them to progress slowly with this stuff.
> 
> Hang in there.



Hi Melissa! I was about to say what Vickie has above. My GP told me that I may not feel any difference for up to eight weeks. He was right, I didn't. I was started on 50mcg and was told that I would more than likely need a higher dose but that they couldn't start me on higher than 50mcg. They kept checking my bloods and increased it to 75mcg after three months - I was told I couldnt have my dosage increased any earlier, it was dangerous. Then three months after that it was increased to 100mcg. I have Hashimoto's which means my body destroyed my thyroid bit by bit, so over the last several years I've had stages where I was falling asleep whenever I sat down and realised my dosage needed increased again due to more of the thyroid having been destroyed. Cut a long story and several incidences like that short, I'm now on 200mcg per day and have been stable on that level for about four years. My numbers would show me to be slightly hyperthyroid now but I have absolutely no symptoms of that, and my GP said that I obviously sit at the higher end of the normal thyroid scale. I've had no problems with the medication and it's second nature now to take my tablets as soon as I get up. 

You might feel better sooner if your results weren't bad, my levels were dangerously low by the time mine was discovered. I was sleeping 16 hours a day, was freezing all the time, had dry skin, hair falling out, swollen ankles, and a hundred other things. Hooray for Levothyroxine! lol

I love your Marilyn Monroe hair!


----------



## largenlovely

That kinda makes me nervous that he started me out on 75mcg then.....

I'm still lacking energy (thought I was coming down with something at first) but that's my worst symtpom. My cholesterol did jump up too, it went out at the same time on the same blood test that indicated my thyroid was out of normal range. I saw that can be related, so I'm assuming it is. I also noticed dry skin but I chalked it up to swimming a lot. I had excuses for everything until I was busting my ass at the gym 5-6 days a week for 1.5 hours and then going to my sister's and swimming laps for an hour in her pool and only consuming around 1400-ish calories a day and was losing zero pounds....zero. that's when I knew something was wrong.

My nails have also been very weak so I'm guessing that's related. It was actually the first thing I noticed a couple months ago. I chalked that one up to lots of surgeries the last year. Sooooo all signs pointed to a crappy thyroid. I just didn't put 2 + 2 together until I wasn't losing weight. The thing I want back the most is my energy though. Gah that sucks ass. It's getting better but it's not where it should be yet. But from what y'all say, there's still plenty of time for it to improve so that's good.

Thanks for the hair compliment lol...I never ever thought I would like short hair on me but I totally love this hairdo. I got it cut again yesterday so I think I'm gonna keep it forever lol


----------



## Ruby Ripples

largenlovely said:


> That kinda makes me nervous that he started me out on 75mcg then.....
> 
> I'm still lacking energy (thought I was coming down with something at first) but that's my worst symtpom. My cholesterol did jump up too, it went out at the same time on the same blood test that indicated my thyroid was out of normal range. I saw that can be related, so I'm assuming it is. I also noticed dry skin but I chalked it up to swimming a lot. I had excuses for everything until I was busting my ass at the gym 5-6 days a week for 1.5 hours and then going to my sister's and swimming laps for an hour in her pool and only consuming around 1400-ish calories a day and was losing zero pounds....zero. that's when I knew something was wrong.
> 
> My nails have also been very weak so I'm guessing that's related. It was actually the first thing I noticed a couple months ago. I chalked that one up to lots of surgeries the last year. Sooooo all signs pointed to a crappy thyroid. I just didn't put 2 + 2 together until I wasn't losing weight. The thing I want back the most is my energy though. Gah that sucks ass. It's getting better but it's not where it should be yet. But from what y'all say, there's still plenty of time for it to improve so that's good.
> 
> Thanks for the hair compliment lol...I never ever thought I would like short hair on me but I totally love this hairdo. I got it cut again yesterday so I think I'm gonna keep it forever lol



Things change all the time, i'm sure he wouldn't have started you on 75mcg if he felt it would be dangerous!

Yes I had raised cholesterol too. It went right back to normal when my thyroid levels stabilised. And the weak nails too, though mine are pretty crappy and weak anyway but they were positively bendy. 

You will definitely feel better in the next several weeks, so try to be patient, I know it's hard when you feel like poo. 

Ooh you need to post another pic of you with your shorter hair again!


----------



## largenlovely

Ruby Ripples said:


> Things change all the time, i'm sure he wouldn't have started you on 75mcg if he felt it would be dangerous!
> 
> Yes I had raised cholesterol too. It went right back to normal when my thyroid levels stabilised. And the weak nails too, though mine are pretty crappy and weak anyway but they were positively bendy.
> 
> You will definitely feel better in the next several weeks, so try to be patient, I know it's hard when you feel like poo.
> 
> Ooh you need to post another pic of you with your shorter hair again!



Well I'm just glad to be feeling a little less like poo I guess lol

I posted another pic in the lounge...a more casual one


----------



## largenlovely

Just an update...so far I love thyroid pills!!!! Lol


----------



## Ruby Ripples

Good! Me too :smitten:


----------



## CastingPearls

That makes three of us. Make a wish!


----------



## largenlovely

I can see the new fingernail growth that is more healthy than the older nails...wow, it's nice to see that physical confirmation of improvement.

I wish for smaller pours, less wrinkles and fewer gray hairs lol


----------



## largenlovely

Grrrrr so mad today. I went to the gym after some time off and I pulled a muscle pretty bad and every muscle in my body hurts and is burning.

I thought I threw myself into an asthma attack and just read that thyroid can cause exercise induced beathing problems. 

Today sucks  I'm gonna have to go back in and get this checked again.


----------



## sparkee1958

largenlovely said:


> I can see the new fingernail growth that is more healthy than the older nails...wow, it's nice to see that physical confirmation of improvement.
> 
> I wish for smaller pours, less wrinkles and fewer gray hairs lol



Dont worry Melissa, there are a few here that wouldnt mind a few of your minor imperfections .


----------



## largenlovely

sparkee1958 said:


> Dont worry Melissa, there are a few here that wouldnt mind a few of your minor imperfections .



Lol thanks hon...but I'm starting to rack 'em up lol


----------



## CastingPearls

Due to increasingly debilitating chronic fatigue, my doctor has increased my dosage of levothyroxin another 25 mcgs and is having me take multiple B-12 injections. Additionally, I'm to get new labs which will concentrate on cortisol levels because they can be a sign of adrenal fatigue which also causes thyroid issues. 

If the increased dosage of levothyroxin doesn't increase my energy levels then he wants to put me on T3 Cytomel, which boosts the levothyroxin (T4). He says my levels indicate that my absorption may be off and it could be the answer. If that doesn't work then he wants to try a non-artificial, natural thyroid med, like Armour Thyroid which he's reluctant to do because it's basically a derivative of pig thyroid glands and he doesn't like how much pigs and their by-products are carriers of disease. 

Overall, I'm glad he's not taking this lightly, takes me seriously and is pro-active in working with me on finding some relief for this fatigue because I want to join a gym and can't do that if I'm hitting a fatigue brick wall every afternoon if I so much as go on a few errands.


----------



## largenlovely

I had wondered what happens if you hit a wall like that. I mean, there's only so much thyroid meds u can take ya know. The fatigue with it is horrible though. I sure hope y'all get it figured out. I'm definitely interested in what y'all find out and what winds up working.


----------



## indy500tchr

largenlovely said:


> I had wondered what happens if you hit a wall like that. I mean, there's only so much thyroid meds u can take ya know. The fatigue with it is horrible though. I sure hope y'all get it figured out. I'm definitely interested in what y'all find out and what winds up working.



My doc just upped mine to 136? I know such an odd number. I went from 125 to this new one. I hope it works. I have been so pooped lately.


----------



## CastingPearls

This site is giving me a lot of food for thought:

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

I'm rethinking starting the Cytomel (T4) as a booster to the Levothyroxin (T3) and just going on dessicated thyroid. I've been doing a lot of research and it seems that real thyroid is better by far than synthetic.

Also, am starting to take adrenal supplements as soon as they arrive via mail order.


----------



## Diana_Prince245

Just as a warning, CP, my mom's been on dessicated thyroid for, oh, 50 years. Sometimes, they run out or the factory shuts down (profit margins are really low on it), and you wind up having to use synthroid again. Once you use the dessicated thyroid, the synthetic stuff doesn't work anymore and life is really difficult until they get the supply re-established.

Her symptoms seem to be way less severe than my sister's (and mine, but I don't count since they're still trying to figure out my dosage) though.


----------



## CastingPearls

Diana_Prince245 said:


> Just as a warning, CP, my mom's been on dessicated thyroid for, oh, 50 years. Sometimes, they run out or the factory shuts down (profit margins are really low on it), and you wind up having to use synthroid again. Once you use the dessicated thyroid, the synthetic stuff doesn't work anymore and life is really difficult until they get the supply re-established.
> 
> Her symptoms seem to be way less severe than my sister's (and mine, but I don't count since they're still trying to figure out my dosage) though.


Good to know, thanks. All the research I've been doing on it, it seems that it works far more efficiently than the synthetics but there is the possibility of less availability. However, it can be found in other countries, so if one is willing to get meds from Canada and elsewhere, then it's possible that during a shortage it might not be the end of the world. I've already gotten one med from Canada when it wasn't available here for a while (B12 injections) but that definitely is a consideration.


----------



## Miss Vickie

CP, have they ever tried Provigil or Nuvigil with you? As you guys were saying, there's just so much you can do with thyroid meds and ultimately if it's the Chronic Fatigue, sometimes you need to focus on just the fatigue itself.

My provider put me on Nuvigil (which has been FDA approved for MS and its' accompanying fatigue) and it makes a huge difference. I wonder if something like that would help for you?


----------



## CastingPearls

No, Vickie, but I'll mention it at my next visit. HOWEVER, the adrenal supplements I'm taking are amazing. It's only been two days but I haven't hit the fatigue wall once! Very promising.


----------



## TearInYourHand

Hey, Castingpearls, what are they called? Do you have a link?


----------



## CastingPearls

TearInYourHand said:


> Hey, Castingpearls, what are they called? Do you have a link?


I take these, TearInYourHand, and so far so good:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0036THML2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


----------



## Miss Vickie

I'm so glad those are helping you, CP! Adrenal fatigue is something we've known about in the alternative community for a long time; it's only recently that western medicine providers have picked it up and run with it. (Not unlike probiotics -- I've been using and recommending acidophilus et al for decades - literally - but you'd think they were brand new the way they're marketed. )

Keep on keepin' on, and thanks for the information!


----------



## largenlovely

Miss Vickie said:


> (Not unlike probiotics -- I've been using and recommending acidophilus et al for decades - literally - but you'd think they were brand new the way they're marketed. )



I can't say enough good things about acidophillus. I turned my sister and her husband onto it.

*****Warning this is really gross lol do not proceed if you have a weak stomach

They told me at the health store that if you take the liquid acidophillus every couple hours if you are coming down with a stomach flu, it would stop you from getting it. All 3 of my sister's kids got the stomach flu and were throwing up. My sister was cleaning it up and some splattered in her mouth somehow..blech lol, anyway, she got scared and ran to the health store and got the acidophillus and was taking it every couple hours. Later that evening her stomach started turning and she knew she was trying to come down with it but the acidophillus worked. She never threw up and wound up just having some nausea and a tummy that just was kinda mildly angry lol that's much better than what the kids dealt with. Which, she wound up giving small doses to the kids too but we kinda worried about giving them too much of it. Wasn't sure if it would be ok for little bodies. So maybe it helped them some..I dunno.. 

But anyway, I'm a huge fan of the stuff though because I'm almost to the point of having a phobia of throwing up lol.


----------



## Tad

Interesting, LnL, I've never heard it used that way before--I'll keep it in mind! Although I'd guess it might matter if you were dealing with a bacteria or a virus?

(I always have it on hand, it is the only thing that seems to keep my IBS to a manageable level while eating fairly normal foods)


----------



## largenlovely

Tad said:


> Interesting, LnL, I've never heard it used that way before--I'll keep it in mind! Although I'd guess it might matter if you were dealing with a bacteria or a virus?
> 
> (I always have it on hand, it is the only thing that seems to keep my IBS to a manageable level while eating fairly normal foods)



It's good for female health in general but I also have IBS and it works well for that too. 

I'm not sure if it matters whether or not it's a bacteria or a virus...it sure worked for my sis though. I'm so scared of throwing up that I will damn near try anything lol


----------



## largenlovely

Has any female noticed they're more symptomatic around that time of the month, even if you're taking your meds like normal?


----------



## 1love_emily

I've been taking Levothyroxine for as long as I can remember. Admittedly, I'm terrible about following the rules for taking medicine. I need to get better at it. 

But once your thyroid gets back in sync, you feel amazing.


----------



## Ruby Ripples

largenlovely said:


> Has any female noticed they're more symptomatic around that time of the month, even if you're taking your meds like normal?



When your thyroid levels are low, everything slows down as you know, periods can get less etc. So when your meds are getting you back up to normal you really notice your symptoms again, as you hadn't had them so bad while your levels were low. That was my experience anway.


----------



## largenlovely

Ruby Ripples said:


> When your thyroid levels are low, everything slows down as you know, periods can get less etc. So when your meds are getting you back up to normal you really notice your symptoms again, as you hadn't had them so bad while your levels were low. That was my experience anway.



Maybe that's what it is. The symptoms are so aggrivating that any sign of them drives me crazy lol


----------



## fritzi

If I read this thread correctly, then it's all about hypothyroidism. 
Since it seems to be "the" thyroid thread, I decided to post with the opposite diagnosis anyway.

Well - I have been having recurring episodes of hy*per*thyroidism due to Hashimoto Thyreoiditis (inflammation of the thyroid) for the past almost 18 years by now.

Doc's always get a weird look on their face that someone who isn't rail thin has it - they all immediately assume it must be in the phase where it turns to hypothyroid - but so far all symptoms and blood tests show full-fledged hyp*er*thyroidism.
That means a racing heart beat, heating up quickly, a slight tremor in the hands, not being able to sleep, weight loss and queasiness.

I'm taking thiamizol again for it - so far with very slow progress. And I'm also taking selenium and B12 to support the healing process.

Does anybody else on here maybe have any similiar experiences, maybe some advice on what to do, any other therapy suggestions?
Thank you.


----------



## CastingPearls

fritzi said:


> If I read this thread correctly, then it's all about hypothyroidism.
> Since it seems to be "the" thyroid thread, I decided to post with the opposite diagnosis anyway.
> 
> Well - I have been having recurring episodes of hy*per*thyroidism due to Hashimoto Thyreoiditis (inflammation of the thyroid) for the past almost 18 years by now.
> 
> Doc's always get a weird look on their face that someone who isn't rail thin has it - they all immediately assume it must be in the phase where it turns to hypothyroid - but so far all symptoms and blood tests show full-fledged hyp*er*thyroidism.
> That means a racing heart beat, heating up quickly, a slight tremor in the hands, not being able to sleep, weight loss and queasiness.
> 
> I'm taking thiamizol again for it - so far with very slow progress. And I'm also taking selenium and B12 to support the healing process.
> 
> Does anybody else on here maybe have any similiar experiences, maybe some advice on what to do, any other therapy suggestions?
> Thank you.


I don't have any experience with it, except that I recall Barbara Bush has it, and isn't thin either. 

Both forms, hyper and hypo, I've been told by my doctor are caused by or can lead to Hashimoto's. My sister had undiagnosed Hashimoto's. 

So far my symptoms of hypo are in check with levothyroxin and B12 injections.


----------



## EMH1701

I've been on it a couple of months. One thing I have learned is to set my alarm clock earlier because of the having to wait to eat anything part. I read that coffee also should not be taken with it, as it interferes with absorption. So, water only until the time limit is up.


----------



## CastingPearls

EMH1701 said:


> I've been on it a couple of months. One thing I have learned is to set my alarm clock earlier because of the having to wait to eat anything part. I read that coffee also should not be taken with it, as it interferes with absorption. So, water only until the time limit is up.


I wake up in the AM to go to the bathroom, take it with a full glass of water, then snooze for another half hour so when I get up I can eat something and keep up the metabolism. It's worked well for me this way for over a year.


----------



## EMH1701

CastingPearls said:


> I wake up in the AM to go to the bathroom, take it with a full glass of water, then snooze for another half hour so when I get up I can eat something and keep up the metabolism. It's worked well for me this way for over a year.



Sometimes I get insomnia and wake up way early, like 4:30 AM. I take it then, but the nights I don't get insomnia and wake up when my alarm goes off at 6 are the nights I rush around. I wish my company had a better cafeteria, but the food is mediocre and overpriced. Otherwise, I would eat breakfast there. As it is, the only thing I buy there is coffee because my company chose to be cheapskates and took away the free stuff.


----------



## one2one

EMH1701 said:


> Sometimes I get insomnia and wake up way early, like 4:30 AM. I take it then, but the nights I don't get insomnia and wake up when my alarm goes off at 6 are the nights I rush around. I wish my company had a better cafeteria, but the food is mediocre and overpriced. Otherwise, I would eat breakfast there. As it is, the only thing I buy there is coffee because my company chose to be cheapskates and took away the free stuff.



I'm usually on my way to work by the time I can eat breakfast, too. That's why most of my breakfasts are a piece of fruit and a Kashi granola bar, often eaten while logging in at work and reading my email. It's boring, but it works.


----------



## squeezablysoft

*I too have IBS, Hashimoto's hypothyroid, and am intermittently low on vitamin D, B-12 and/or iron. I remember vividly being diagnosed with Hashimoto's because I was diagnosed on the day the Boston Marathon bombing happened. And they are still adjusting my medication, the dr who diagnosed me put me on 0.25 grains of Armour thyroid, then decided I was getting a bit too much and told me to take one of those every other day instead of daily. 

Last year I moved and started with my current dr, who said I was low taking the Armour and switched me to 25 mcg of levothyroxine. Now she says I'm still low and upped it to 50, going back in June to check blood again. I've been taking 50 for about 5 days now and I'm wondering if we've overshot again. I have been feeling unusually warm, not like I feel like I'm hot, but my skin feels warm to the touch, if that makes sense (before I've always felt like I'd been stored in the fridge). The weather is starting to warm up now, but I don't remember feeling this way last spring (or ever). I also think I'm noticing an increase in my appetite, which is cool since I want to gain but kinda annoying right now since living with my family is pretty much like living in the Food Police station. And, here I go TMI-ing again, but my sex drive has gone crazy too, I mean it's always been high but it's off the charts this week. My heart won't give me any clues since I have tachycardia and palpitations anyway since before the thyroid thing. *


----------

