Sounds like she's onto it. The treatment for the growth hormone deficiency has to be special ordered, and that's something I start a regimen on next week.

Sounds like I can look forward to feeling better soon.

Yes, I am on GH injections as well. Have they actually diagnosed you with hypopituitarism? Did you have the L-Arginine stim test for the GH deficiency?

Do they know why your pit isn't functioning? Have you had an MRI to check for a tumor or cyst? or even empty sella?

No MRI - My insurance won't cover the "creative" treatment approach nor would they approve the T3-T4 blood tests, or the testosterone, HGH or other blood work up that she does. So everything I do is out of pocket. And an MRI is out of reach for me.

If you go to an endo will they cover it? It might be because she isn't an endo?

How is this "creative treatment"? Once you get a diagnosis of hypopit (which might only be able to come from an endo), your insurance should cover it.

All of your meds will be covered as well once you get this diagnosis. Might be worth pursuing. I've never had one problem getting my meds covered once the diagnosis of hypopit came through, and that's a really good thing since GH injections alone are around 2 grand/month.

Ugh. Every doc on that list in MA is either not accepting new patients or has a waiting list over a year long.

OH, it would probably be worth it to get your name on every one of those waiting lists...one may come up sooner as people drop off or find another doc because they don't want to wait. No harm getting on the list in case you don't find another good doc in the meantime.

Been having night sweats and dizzy spells and increase in aches and pains. My asthma has gotten a lot worse and I have been short of breath (even just using the hairdryer this morning)

So went back to doc thinking I might be taking a dip but she decided I had labrynthitis and has given me sea sickness pills. Side effect: sleepiness - so that will work really well with the fatigue!!

Explains why my temp was just in the normal range though the other morning.

She did also take more blood to check my thyroid, earlier than planned, which I'm pleased about.

Any of you take Rhodiola - it boosts the thymus. Oddly j has been taking it to help him deal with stress and tiredness form working shifts and seen an improvement.

I thought it most odd that anther supplement that we use in this house is also recommended for thyroid probs.

I've had labrynthitis before...never had those symptoms. I basically couldn't tell what was up and what was down,.

MF...I went down the list as you suggested. Thanks. Found two docs who could take me in July. One even took my insurance. Made the appointment and just got off the phone with my primary care doc and got the referral squared away. I'm looking forward to this appointment. They are sending me an entire nutrition package which I need to complete as well as some other information. The doc had a great and informative website.

The receptionist at my primary care doc said that endo has been going nuts lately. I guess a lot of us aging boomers are going through thyroid issues.

Now researching supplements. A friend who just got indoctrinated into the Shaklee cult...I mean...organization, was talking to me last night about some supplements. I want to do my own research, but I think the idea has merit.

Also, some books on the Thyroid Madness website look interesting. Just went online and reserved them at my local library.

Its because of the Armour debacle last year...last spring Armour was reformulated and most everyone started feeling crummy again, it just didn't work like it used to.

THEN there was an Armour SHORTAGE so everyone panicked...and even now many of us still don't have it straightened out so we keep going back to our endos to see what can be done to get us feeling good again.

Do your research on Armour/dessicated thyroid and go in to the endo armed with information. Many endos don't deal with natural thyroid and will try to put you on Synthroid/Levoxyl alone and many people do not feel good on that. Keep reading STTM and you will get more info.

Thought I'd do a little update here and some quizzing.

My thyroxine has now be increased. My blood test results showed back to "normal" at TSH 3.55, T4 14 and so she was going to leave my thyroxine treatment as was.

I said "yeah but, what about these xxx symptoms that I still have" and she agreed to increase it.

I think I stand very little chance of getting any natural thyroid replacement prescribed soI think I'll have to stay as is.

Those of you who are feeling well treated, what are your "healthy " bloods?

Anyone have Gilbert's syndrome? I keep going yellow and apart from bilirubin levels my liver function tests are normal. I see GI/liver specialist in July. Thing is they say that there are no symptoms yet many people with it report similar symptoms to Hypothyroid.

I don't know about the liver problem, but here are the things to watch for if your thyroid levels are getting too high:

Heart rate during exercise - watch this. Use the same machine at the gym and get a baseline now for when you get to the sweat zone - for example - I use the elliptical and the handles have heart rate monitors on them. I used to be able to go 68 RPM and keep my heart rate around 140 BPM. When my thyroid levels got too high I couldn't go over 40 RPM without my heart rate zinging up to 160-165 BPM - which is way too high if you're over 25!

When you lay down to sleep at night, do you feel your pulse all the way through you and is your heart rate over 70 or 80 BPM, even at rest?

If either of these situations comes up, get your blood drawn.

My thyroid, according to the nurse who called, is really low. I asked to make an appointment to talk to the doctor about it. From what I have read, the longer I take lithium, the lower it will get, until it is just nonexistant one day. My hands and feet look like fat baby hands and feet. And we won't mention weight - we do not speak of it.

I HATE BIPOLAR DISORDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any good thyroid dr/endocrinologist will know that a TSH of 3.55 is WAY too high and you won't feel good if it's higher than a 1 or 2. Did she test your FREE T3 and FREE T4? If not then she doesn't know how to properly treat thyroid problems and you'd be better off finding an endo.

Read here~~~~> Thyroid Problems Persist Even on Thyroid Meds

Continuing hypo symptoms are par for the course when on Levoxyl/Synthroid alone, unfortunately.

Well my GP upped my Thyorxine and I am due another blood test soon.

She did try to leave it as it was.

I have to say that until today it has really really made a difference.

Today though I am having a lot more eye tirednes and muscle aches and lumpy throat.

Now I did eat a packet of peanuts the other day and hey are supposed to inhibit thyroid function/ Plus it has been very hot and we haven't been sleeping so well.

What things trigger your bad thyroid days?

Great article on the STTM website about EP virus and Synthroid/sub-par thyroid treatment.

I'm seeing a new endo on Friday. Hoping for some postive outcome.

Thanks OH

Keep us posted on your endo appt.

My eyeballs have gone slightly yellow again.

Hi staytogether....my last labs showed my TSH at 0.05...very low...if one didn't know it they may THINK I am hyper thyroid BUT I am not....I have Hashi's/low thyroid....and am on EFRA from Canada...I take 120mg's per day and suspect I need to up this another 1/4grain or 15mg's even.

You see Armour or EFRA really is a wonderful TSH suppressor...my Internist at frist thought perhaps my pituatary gland was not working but all test confirm it to be functioning normally so the EFRA works so well by lowering my TSH...which is where it must be for myself...I must have a very low TSH to get rid of the muscule pain...I would hurt from the top of my head to the soles of my feet otherwise and have extreme fatigue/brainfog going on.

This works for me farily well...but I am going into perimeno so I notice the week before my period my fatigue is intense and my brainfog come back...I would like to raise it some to see if it will go away entirely to be honest...BUT I may need to go another route...into bio-identical hormones as this could very well be the beginning symptoms of that.

Please find another docotor that isn't hung up on lab results and TSH ....I have fired many over this....if they are stuck on the lab ranges for TSH then don't go back to them...they will never change.

What you want is a doctor who says I am not so caught up on labs but rather on how your symptoms are....better or worse...and that they are open to upping your meds and trying other meds until you have quality of life.

I used to by my own online for several yrs as I couldn't find anyone like this....until this last yr....and my Internist is great about it...they are out there you must keep looking...and ask others when out for referrals and so on this is how I found mine...was in Vitamin Shoppe and the clerk & I got talking...next thing I know she is telling me all about her awesome internist. The rest is history...there are "gems" out there..you gotta dig them up though LOL! and then hold on to them as they don't come along everyday!

Get your antibodies tested also + Free T3 + Free T4...this will let you know what's really going on...a TSH of over 1 and I would be still sick....but a TSH of over 3 and well I WAS extemely ill back then. HTH

Health services are so different over here and form talking to other people locally my GP is actually very good because she actually tells me what my TSH levels are and discusses the results with me.

My aunty is a manager at one GP practice here so I'll ask her about the Gps where she is and whether any of them are more open to a non-test way of thinking. I'll take anopther look at the thyroid UK website.


I'm not sure how it works. My dose was upped a month ago and for the last 3 weeks I've felt great. I'm just beginning to notice things slide again - bowels not so regular, eyes not focussing quite so well and a few aches and pains slipping back in.

Could this be because I have upped my activity levels and the thyroid isn't quite up to that yet?

MY resting pulse rate is normal now - sat here now it's 73 before I started treatment it was 60.

I don't think my TSH is low enough. Especially with perimenopause, (confirmed)I think mild depression has set in. With having nodules, especially, I think my TSH should be suppressed more. I intend to see an endocrinologist soon, and will likely make an appointment this week.

I don't want to slap a band aid on this with an AD. I want Armour. If he or she won't prescribe it, I'll ask my new DO if she'll work with me. If she won't, I'll keep looking for an endo who will.