Thought maybe we could start a discussion here.

or continue the one started on 101.

I am very interested to here your experiences with thyroid treatment.

I went to my docs 4 weeks ago with what I thought was side effects form my mirena which I had for heavy bleeding. After 2.5 years with it, about 6 months ago I started getting sore boobs, back pain, really irregular. And also because in the last 3 months I had lost my appetite and was fatigued.

Doc said she wanted to do some blood tests before taking the coil out and my TSH came back at 6.55 but my T4 was just within normal range. Path lab suggested leaving it for a bit but she decided to start treatment.

It all suddenly made a lot of sense to me: the aches and pains all over, straw for hair, days with yellow skin, puffiness, deterioration in my eyesight (due to muscles being so tired I found after an eye test), unable to listen to the teacher in year 6 maths, so much fuzz in my head that holding a conversation was a real struggle. I'd even been missing band practice because of the aches and pains and tiredness and because my playing was declining - loss of co-ordination.

Doc started me 4 weeks ago on 25mcg levothyroxine, which has made a slight improvement as long as I keep life to a minimum - work (19hours), housework and dog walks. If I try to live life properly the brain fuzz totally overcomes me, headaches back etc etc.

My review is in another 4 weeks. Should I go back now and request a higher dose ( or see if I can get a natural alternative to the levo)?

I also would like to ask if my dose could be reviewed based on symptoms rather than blood results. ie taking basal temp and pulse rate morning and evening. Have any of you tried this?

I'd love to draw on all of your experience here and would really apppreciate some help in making the most of the health services available to me.

I used to get headaches at the drop of a hat. I was cold (and mocked for it.) I did not have the energy I should have and working out just got harder, not easier. My hair and skin were dry but hey, I live in a desert so what would you expect?

About three years ago some doc finally thought to check my thyroid. It was way low. They started me on 25 mcg of levothyroxine, then 50, then 75. I don't get headaches nearly as often. I'm not quite as cold all the time. And exercising actually builds my endurance instead of draining it.

It's a simple blood test that any doctor's office can do for you. The meds are very cheap - only $4 a month, even without insurance.

Thyroid deficiency is very common. I type ER and hospital reports all day and there are loads and loads of people taking levothyroxine or Synthroid for it. It seems to be more common in females, but males can be affected, too.

The worst thing about thyroid deficiency is that it can affect your heart. I've noticed that anyone with an unexplained heart problem, especially an arrhythmia, is immediately checked for thyroid problems.

Don't hesitate to ask your family care doctor (or any other health care provider) about this. It's cheap and easy to fix and sure seems to affect a lot more people than we ever realized.

Good that you are taking care of your health. But make sure you get a full blood workup.

Have you had your blood sugar checked? Vitamin D levels?

I take Vitamin D, alpha lipoic acid and CoQ10. The latter two are for my mitochondria (energy levels). I have been having some trouble sleeping, so I'm going to get some melatonin and see how I do on that. My son takes it and says it really helps.

pk

ST, I have had alot of the same symptoms you cite and was also recently diagnosed as hypothyroid. What drove me to the doctor was an unexplained weight gain and my periods just stopped 6 months ago. They started within 2 hours of taking Synthroid. However, I still don't feel good. After 3 weeks on Synthroid [and I understand it takes time to build up] I had done enough research to believe that Armour does a more complete job. I called the doctor and convinced him to switch me to Armour, which he did last week.

Another thing I have been doing is supplementing with high doses of Vitamin D. Did your doctor check your vit D levels? They are usually low in people who have hypothyroid so I am taking a 50,000 iu dose once a week.

I also started taking an iodine pill, but it gives me a terrific headache. Not sure on that one...

THis is the NHS here Mel. I'm quite sure I had the bare minimum of tests , so no vit D - I'm suprised they diagonosed seeing as we get free meds with hypothyroidism - whooppee - I get my asthma inhalers for free now!

The GP I saw was good, I have many q's when I next go.

Mulan, how long were the intervals between your dose increases? Did you have to have blood tests each time?

stay, the increases were all in the first year. They want me to have blood tests about every 6 months. I have been doing somewhat better but I wouldn't be surprised if they upped it to 100.

good topic - I think this affects a lot more people than we know, especially women.

I'm also hypothyroid..have been for years. I take 75mcg levothyroxine. Even though I feel the way many of you here are quoting (aches, pains, fatigue, headaches, etc.), that's come on more recently. Other than weight gain, I was almost asymptomatic about 6 years ago when diagnosed.

I'm arguing with my endocrinologist now about just removing my thyroid so they don't have to constantly jiggle with my med levels.

But I gotta tell you... I don't think this latest round of symptoms is thyroid. I'm going in this week for a Lyme titer. If you live in an area where Lyme is prevalent, you should get checked. I'm almost 100% sure I have it and that my symptoms are due to Lyme, not thyroid.

This is fascinating. Last March, a month or so after starting lithium, I just couldn't get up for work. I was so tired. I had no energy for anything. My hair, which had been smooth and shiny, got frizzy and strawy, and started falling out in the shower. I was either hot or cold. My skin changed - dry elbows, feet, legs, very oily skin. My appetite changed.

But the big thing was ME. I have a huge, creative imagination. I love to write. I dance around the classroom with my students, write my own musicals for my choirs, have great bulletin boards. I went on a cruise that my In-Laws paid for this last summer and had to MAKE myself smile and leave the cabin. No more writing, and a week before school started, I stared at my blank bulletin boards, crying, because I couldn't think of anything to put on them. I went from super accurate typist to "what did she just write???"

Now some of this is just the nature of BP. But I knew I was not right. Now I am thinking that the culprit was not the new BP meds, but the plunging thyroid from the BP meds. This discussion has convinced me to see a real endo. I am working hard to regain some of my real and more interesting self, and I see glimpses, but I am going to get to the bottom of this.

Thank you to whoever started this thyroid stuff!

Another weird thing I would like thoughts on....I sing, or used to. Voice was my major instrument in college. I wasn't Kristen Chenowith, but I was pretty good. The last nine months or so, my voice has also gotten weird, breathy, shaky, uncontrolled, I lost 5-or-6 notes of my high range. I wonder if thyroid could affect this??

Definitely - just before I started on the meds my voice really dropped. The thyroid gland can swell and put pressure on the vocal chords.

Typing!!! Good comment.


I also find it a lot harder to deal with irl people - I think it's because I am always running a monologue in my head and i used to be able to run that monologue and communicate with others. Now I just have the monologue when I've over done it.

Our House, I'm not sure removing the thyroid would help. Your hormone requirement would still change with the temperature, your stress and activity levels etc

I also take Armour and Levothyroxine. I have T4 and T3 issues and take both. My doctor believes dessicated thyroid is better for the body, and easier to absorb and utilize.

When Armour became difficult to find, my doctor contacted a compounding pharmacist in town. The pharmacist agreed to make Armour; he got the materials and compounded it. It doesn't look like the lab-created Armour - it is bigger, in capsule form, clear with powder inside. It works just like lab-created Armour though!

If you can't find Armour, I would encourage you to call a compounding pharmacy and see if they will make it for you!

hormonal fluctuations on vocal cords

I've been trying to keep T3-T4 in balance for a little over 2 years now. I finally went to a woman who specializes in bio-identical hormone therapy after getting nowhere with my regular doc. I was gaining 4 pounds a week, on Atkins and working out at the gym 1 hr daily. Totally baffling and discouraging.

Then I lost 40 pounds once they got the medication right. Now the last three months things are changing again. I had blood drawn last week for my regular check up, but it's just in time. My husband saw first hand what I go through in a day when my energy just crashed during church. I literally could not keep my head up - I had my head on his shoulder and I'm usually more attentive.

When he found out I've been experiencing that kind of crash a couple of times every day at work, he was rather alarmed. I guess I was a bit more out of it than I thought I was.

Tuesday can't come fast enough I guess.

Kayla, this is my experience exactly! I have been on Atkins for 12 years and have been a size 8 all that time until the past year. I have always worked out, so that never changed. But I kept socking on the weight.

I started on thyroid meds 3 weeks ago and have not lost any weight yet. What meds and what strength are you on?

I will remain on atkins no matter what, so I have the diet part down right.

Kayla, have your periods been weird? Mine stopped last November and I just thought "yippeee!! menopause!!" NOPE. My GP ran the tests and said I am not even CLOSE! But within 2 hours of starting Synthroid, it started up. ugh..

I also told my doctor that if he couldn't help me get this weight off I was going to back to MARLBORO'S, dammit! I really hate being overweight.

p.s. I am taking my temperature 3x a day now and the first few times it was around 96, too low.

My temperature averages 96.7 in the a.m.

My periods have been NON stop for the most part - I can take the last 18 months and figure I might have had two periods every month that are a week to 10 days each - and a lot of the rest of the days I'm still spotting.

I'm not close to menopause yet, but I am getting the night sweats and a few hot flashes. I chew crushed ice to chill out. Not good for my teeth.

Kasey and I went for a HIKE yesterday - I feel like I'm packing around 2 or 3 bags of water softener salt everywhere I go. I did manage a four mile round trip hike over rocks and boulders and sand though. Gotta love Spring when it finally gets above 60 during the day.

I'm feeling it a bit today but not as bad as I expected. Just the crash in church was kind of freaky.

I'm on Levothyroxin 200 mcg and 10 mcg of cytomel

I've kind of been wondering for awhile if my thyroid may be going haywire. About 3 months after the baby was born, my hair started falling out. I knew that was normal after giving birth, so I didn't think much of it. Problem is, the baby is 19 months old now, and my hair is still falling out way more than normal. It isn't as bad as it was at first, but it's still pretty heavy. Also, I can't lose that last 10 lbs. no matter how little I eat or how much I exercise. And I've always been super skinny. In fact, I used to have trouble keeping weight on. It's sure not a problem anymore. My energy level isn't great either. For awhile, I thought that was because I wasn't getting much sleep with a new baby in the house. But she's been sleeping 11+ hours a night for a long time now, and I'm still worn down. My insomnia has gotten way worse too. Could all of this be due to a thyroid problem?

I've never had my thyroid checked. I was supposed to go back to my OB/GYN when the baby was 6 months old, but I never went. I guess it's time I made that appointment. Can an OB/GYN handle thyroid problems? I don't really have a GP that I like, though I really should find one.

No harm in getting it checked writer1

KaylaAndy - I have read articles about hypothyroidism being triggered by people doing more exercise than their daily calorie intake really allows for...

This thread is making me cry with relief every time something is added. I have had "Aunt Flo" every two weeks for the past year, and I am sick of it. I can't wait to call this endo.

Maybe I won't be a warbling, fat, straw-headed lump forever after all!

Writer, pregnancy is a major reason women have thyroid issues.

4

lurioosi, I am reading up on this and according to this thyroid doctor, the best way to tell if you are hypo is to take your temp first thing in the morning and if it is under 98.6 then you are probably hypo, and depending on how low it is, the worse it is.

I had my H take his this morning and his was 96.6. He has all the signs of EXTREME hypothyroidism so I convnced him to go to an endo. I made an appt to see one myself on Thursday. i will let you know how it turns out.

THis is what I don't get. My temp first thing is normal. I am frozen all day, have my windproof fleece on at work, when everyone else has shirt sleeves. Then when playing out on the field (because it's warm) I have my puffa Jacket on and several other layers, when everyone else is in shirt sleeves and sweater.

And obvioulsy my TSH levels suggest otherwise. But it just doesn't add up.

I wondered whether it could be because I go to bed in fleecey PJs and have a 13.5tog duvet????

Anyone here have any ideas?

But then J took his temp this morning his was 96.6 too Mel and quite often hypothyroidism is mis-diagnosed as bipolar - so maybe he isn't mildly bipolar.

Just found this:

Scorecard

J fits much better with the adrenal prob column.

How do you guys score? Are your symptoms definitely all hypo or do you have mixed or adrenal fatigue symptoms?

Would hardly be a surprise if a lot of us here had adrenal fatigue symptoms.

I can't get the scorecard link to work. I'll try again later.

I can't post a link that works

a little way back

then click the link to the metabolic scorecard (which doesn't work.

then on the Dr Rind page, click to return home

On this home page

go to "Thyroid Scale" which is interesting in itself.

then in the first paragraph on that page is the link to the scorecard

Are memory problems a symptom of thyroid issues?

I just received a rejection for one of my stories from a magazine I have absolutely no memory of submitting it to. I checked my online submission tracker, and sure enough, I sent them the story in January. I literally do not have any recollection of ever doing this.

I am way too young to be losing my mind.

Yep (symptom)

For anyone who thinks they may have thyroid problems OR are on Synthroid/Levoxyl/Cytomel and still are not feeling good, this website has been a godsend for me:

StopTheThyroidMadness

I am a hormonal mess due to hypopituitarism from a tumor on my pituitary gland...I have had to learn waaaaay more about this stuff than I ever wanted to. I have files 5 inches thick from all of my information gathering and website bookmarked like you can't believe.

I hope some of it helps others...medical problems and getting them fixed are the pits.

Wow, interesting website. I have been on the generic synthroid and honestly feel it's not doing me any good. A lot of the symptoms I see here which I have been attributing to old age and maybe even undiagnosed Lyme, might in fact have to do with my thyroid.

Right...lots of people feel this way, as you can see. You might considering asking for natural thyroid and if your doc won't prescribe it, maybe find another doc?

I never knew how good I could feel until I got all of this straightened out...HUGE difference.

Unfortunately for me, natural thyroid has a sulfa component. The first treatment my NP tried was Westhroid. It worked, for a couple of months. Then things started sliding again. Blood work showed that T3 levels were back down and T4 was off as well. She tried a natural compound T3-T4, but that also has a sulfa component.

Eventually, the only treatment choices left were Cytomel for the T3 and Levothyroxin for T4.

I just had a check up today. T3 starting to slip - but not much. It's some of the other hormones that are slipping. We talked about having a hysterectomy just to get that part over with. We're trying a bio-identical progesterone first. As well as a couple of other therapies.

She's surprised by the lab results that I'm even able to work. No kidding!

Notice the time I'm posting this. I can't get to sleep.

Big problem for someone trying to get over these kinds of problems! Wide awake even after progesterone, Gaba Calm and Melatonin.

I called and made an appointment with my OB/GYN today, but they can't see me until July! Ugh! I don't really have a GP that I like, so not sure what I'm going to do. I need to go back to the GYN anyway to talk to them about my rectocele, cystocele, and prolapsed uterus and discuss whether or not it's time for me to start seriously considering corrective surgery. I was hoping to get everything taken care of at once, but the lack of sleep and energy and hair loss is really starting to get to me.

Getting older sucks.

I'm researching a new endocrinologist and will ask my doc for a referral. I'm worried about the sulfa component that KA mentions though, because I have a bad reaction to sulfa drugs.

Same here! I have the worst time falling asleep.

NT and WT are not dessicated pig thyroid, correct?

Are you certain that dessicated pig thyroid has a sulfa component? I don't have an issue with sulfa so I don't know...you might google Erfa dessicated thyroid and see if it does. I know some people have even had good luck calling Erfa and asking questions. Just a thought.


Please be careful with progesterone...it is known to cause weight gain and have other undesirable side effects.

I go to a phenomenal endo in L.A. He is a researcher and "treats" patients "on the side"....he has found that progesterone really has no benefits AND it has a lot of bad side effects. He may have an article about it on his website: www.goodhormonehealth.com

I'm on a message board where I know women who have actually flown in from across the country to be treated by him, he's THAT good.

I'm having a hard time sleeping right now and I just had my cortisol levels checked...they are soaring at night, and this is why I can't sleep.

Adrenal problems are very common with thyroid issues...they are severely exacerbated by stress. You can go here www.zrtlabs.com and order a saliva cortisol test. Thyroid problems won't be fully resolved unless your adrenals are functiong properly. Many docs are not aware of this but I know it to be true because it's happened to me.

The blood work came back with evidence that I'm producing extreme amounts of estrogen. (perimenopause). My regular doc wanted to put me on YAZ or an IUD. Which would have made things worse, being that I already am over-producing estrogen.

Excess Estrogen

My NP who specializes in getting women through this in a more balanced way is checking thyroid and estrogen/progesterone levels and is prescribing progesterone to try to knock down the over-production of estrogen. She checked kidneys and adrenals as well, and there's some stress there, but her focus in balancing the system is focused on Thyroid and progesterone - along with a few other things as well like vitamin D, a B Complex shot once a week.

Since she's running these tests andyways I suggest you request your testosterone levels be tested as well.

Sometimes if all/many of your hormone levels are high/whacked out it could mean something is going on with your pituitary.

Testosterone is low. HGH is extremely low.

MF, does your endo know of anyone in the Boston area? I'm really looking to see someone who goes above and beyond! My endo is a nice guy, but most of his patients are elderly and diabetic. I thinking he's not really a thyroid specialist.

Kayla, you have a pituitary problem and you need to get dynamic testing done. It could be anything from a tumor or cyst (they're almost always benign) to damage to your pit from a head injury, hemhoragging, etc. The only reason HGH is low is from pituitary problems...I have this so I know this firsthand.

Find a good endo in your area and go see one. You might find one on this website: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com . These are endos people have had good luck with.

My doctor has a lot of good info on hypopituitarism as well: www.goodhormonehealth.com, I believe he recommends some endos there. OH, check that out as well, if not the STTM link above lists doctors too.

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.

More blood results, my TSH was 0.4 and my T4 19. So good good.

But because I still have pain a d very much tiredness, she is running some more tests immune profile and other things, to rule them out beofre she refers me to rheumatology as a ?fibromyalgia.

Any of you guys got that too?

Is this the karma bus?

It's not uncommon to have both. Mary Shomon (well known thyroid advocate) can be found on facebook and has written several books on thyroid disease and one on fibromyalgia.

I encourage you to educate yourself well on both diseases. Her fan page, books, and links are a wealth of information.

I have both hypothyroidism and fibromyalgia....I am on the Guaifenisin protocol with Dr. St. Amand:

http://www.fibromyalgiatreatment.com/

Thanks soolee , I have signed up to the Mary Shomon page.

MF, what on earth do you eat? It's a very interesting site

Sorry, just saw this now...food has nothing to do with the Guai protocol ~ what you need to avoid are certain topical products...and it's easier than one might think.

I finally saw a specialist today, and I am pretty thrilled with the results. I'm getting my medication increased, and he wants to treat my symptoms and not just the numbers. He wants my TSH to be quite a bit lower. I'm also going for B12 and D levels to see if I'm deficient with the fatigue I've been experiencing.

He's also keen on sticking with brand over generic and agrees with that mindset. I expected him to be behind the times, being 73 and all. He surprised me pleasantly, and my only concern is that he'll retire on me now that I found him. lol

Just wanted to share the B12 and D tests with others here. He said the D deficiency is almost epidemic.

Thanks MF. I saw the list and a lot of the products I use seem ok.

Great news Soolee! We have been discussing vit D deficiency around here a lot recently.

My skin is fair to med, so if I am going be outside for a long time (like the lunch duty I do every day) I do wear sun cream.

If I'm going to be in and out I don't but I don't expose loads of skin. I wash it off of my hands and don't apply to feet unless I think they may burn (I wear fitflops permanently).

My red headed daughter has a very olivey skin, so I tend to just do her nose and cheeks and shoulders and chest when exposed - only do all of her if on the beach. My son is like me in complexion so he gets covered up a bit more.

My nieces are exceptionally pale skinnned, the older one more so and she has to be smothered to avoid burning and wears a hat too. My sis is worried that she is vit D deficient.

Since my mum had breast cancer she is making sure she gets her daily quota of sun.
Vit D -interesting


I'm sure I can't be, unless my body isn't absorbing it...

I did just fracture my toe by walking in to my 7yo daughter though - I have a 1/2 pint+ glass of milk nearly every evening and have it on cereal every morning.


My rheumatology appt is in October!!! The first appointment available was 69 days away!! I'm at the GI dept next week for Gilbert's syndrome

All these things have such a lot of the same symptoms

I'm very Vit. D deficient, it's extremely common with thyroid problems. I'm on my 3rd round of 50,000 IUs/week for 2 months and it's only sloooooowly creeping up.

Keeping my fingers crossed that this round will make a difference! Most people cannot get enough Vit. D from the sun alone and need supplementation.

Okay, I'm going to go back and read this entire thread, but I just found out that I have subclinical hypothyroidism. I don't know much about it yet, but apparently it is a precursor to hypothyroidism and is generally asymptomatic, or has much milder symptoms than full-blown hypothyroidism. The only symptom I seem to have is hair loss, which is what prompted me to get tested. My doctor said that I can't take any thyroid replacements for the condition, since my actual thyroid levels are still within the normal range. But the hair loss is still a huge concern for me.

Does anyone know anything more about this. Is there anything I can do on my own (supplements, dietary changes, etc.) that might improve the condition (and the hair loss) and prevent it from developing into hypothyroidism. Any info. would be greatly appreciated. I literally just got off the phone with my doctor 5 minutes ago and don't really know anything about this.

Writer, can you post your lab results for me and include the ranges? I'm interested to see what your doctor considers "subclinical".

Please post TSH, Free T3 and Free T4.

Also check this website: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com . I am going to guess that you are not "subclinical" but that you are truly hypothyroid and CAN be treated.

Just a hunch though.

MF: She read me the numbers over the phone, but I don't remember them. She is sending me the results in the mail as well, but that might take a few days. I can call tomorrow though and get them sooner I'm sure.

Okay, these are the numbers they gave me. TSH: 8.380, T4: 1.00, TPO: 8. I don't know what TPO is and neither did the medical assistant who read me the numbers. She didn't say anything about Free T3 or Free T4. I'm not sure if the hard copy they are sending in the mail will have more info on it. It went out yesterday, so it should be here in a day or two.

I need the range for your TSH. If it's what I think it is your doc is out of his freaking mind to say you do not have hypothyroidism. Just to humor me, can you post the lab's range for your TSH?

MF: I don't have that. I called for the numbers and what I posted above is all they told me. I'm still waiting on the actual results from the lab, which the doctor is mailing to me.

If you call back the HAVE TO tell you the ranges. They cannot withhold that info from you. It should also be on the results when you get those ~ just depends on if you want to wait for those to arrive or not.

I will tell you this ~ I have not heard of a lab who uses a range that goes up to 8. This tells me that you are out of the range, thus hypothyroid. I will be interested to hear what the range is.

Well, they're closed now, and I imagine I'll get it tomorrow or the next day. The doctor isn't far away and they said they mailed the results yesterday.

It was just the medical receptionist who read me the numbers, so that might be part of the problem.

If I don't get it tomorrow, I will call them back. I also found a list of endocrinologists that take my insurance in my area and I'm going to call them tomorrow. I'm not sure if I can make an appointment directly or if I need a referral. I have a PPO, so I'm hoping I can just make an appointment and not have to try to get my OB/GYN to give me a referral, since she already said I didn't need any treatment. I have symptoms, so no matter how she feels about the interpretation of the numbers, I would like to be treated. I'm sick of losing my hair and feeling tired and worn down all the time.

Like MF said - I've never heard of ranges going to 8- sometimes 6 but not 8. Range here was 4.5,mine was 6.5 but I've read of people's that were in the 20s - I'm quite sure I'd have been dead at 10

I'd love to know how it works from person to person, my TSH levels didn't seem to be much over range - but my symptoms were... and it seemed to happen fairly quickly for me.

I guess there is no correlation between numbers and symptoms.

I hope you can find someone sympathetic and on the ball soon writer.

I'm just learning what these numbers mean, but from what I've been reading, 8 seems pretty high. Not sure why my OB/GYN would say I don't need treatment right now. All she said to do was come back in a year for another blood test.

I don't know what all of the symptoms are, and some of the things I've been struggling with I have just attributed to recent stresses in my life. Now I'm thinking maybe they are thyroid related? I've had lots of trouble with hair loss. Lack of energy, feeling tired all the time. Extreme irritability and anxiety. Insomnia. Memory and concentration problems. Occasional tingling in my hands and arms when I'm sitting or doing normal activities. Can all of these be related to hypothyroidism?

All of those symptoms are hypothyroid symptoms. Check out this website:

www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

Wow, that is some list of symptoms. I actually have had trouble with a few other things on the list that I didn't even think about.

I've actually had low blood pressure my entire life. My normal used to be 90/60. Here lately, it's been closer to "normal" around 117/70 the last few times I've had it checked.

Weight-wise, I have been okay. It took a lot longer for me to lose the baby weight this time, but I just attributed that to age. I certainly don't lose weight as easily as I used to and I have to watch what I eat a lot more now. But I am 5'5" and weigh 128 lbs., so I'm not overweight.

I don't have all of the symptoms on the list (I'm sure most hypothyroid patients don't) but I do have at least 8 - 10 of them.

Is an endocrinologist the right person to see then? I didn't get the impression that my OB/GYN was taking any of the numbers from my lab results very seriously. And she pretty much brushed off my symptoms (especially the hair loss), saying it was probably just my age or a hereditary thing.

writer, it is a crap shoot. I figured an endo would be educated about hypothyroidism, but to my surprise, many are not! I am extremely fortunate that my GP is well versed on all things concerning thyroid. His wife is hypothyroid so he has been through all this.

married forever has a great link to good thyroid doctors across the nation.

The most informative book I have found on this subject was Hypothyroid by Dr Broda Barnes. He was a pioneer in thyroid matters.

Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness" Dr. Broda Barnes, M.D., Ph.D here

I looked on the Armour site, but unfortunately, none of the doctors in my area that take my insurance were on there. I have an appointment with an Endo next Thursday. There were only 3 in the area that accepted my insurance, so hopefully one of them will work out. I don't have a GP here that I like. I usually just go to my GYN for everything. Healthcare in my area isn't great. The only hospital system in the area is under threat of being shut down for numerous violations.

I'm going to look for that book and hopefully read up on everything as much as I can prior to my appointment.

Okay. Got the lab results in the mail. The range/unit listed for TSH is 0.450-4.500 uIU/mL. My level came back Out of Range High at 8.380. Free T4 had a range of 0.82-1.77 ng/dL and my level came back at 1.00, so In Range. TPO (Thyroid Peroxidase) had a range of 0-34 IU/mL and my level was 8, so In Range.

At the bottom of the page was this Interpretive Comment:

"An elevation of TSH and a normal FT4 in the absence of anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody are suggestive of Subclinical Hypothyroidism. Similar values have also been associated with Non-Thyroidal illness in severely ill patients."

I have no idea what most of this means, but maybe it will mean something to someone with more knowledge. MF or Melody?

Sorry, we were waterskiing for the weekend, just getting back to you now...


I know what it means, it means your doctor is an idiot.

A TSH out of the range means you have hypothyroidism. Regular T4 doesn't matter ~ it would only have mattered if he/she had run Free T4, and he/she obviously doesn't know enough about thyroid issues to have done that.

Get in to an endo and see what they say ~ you may have to hunt around for a good one but you need to find one to put you on thyroid meds. I highly recommend you do NOT go on Synthroid and instead you go on natural thyroid replacement ~ i.e., Armour, Naturethroid or Canada's Erfa. Some people (like me) do ok when on a higher dose of natural thyroid supplemented with a small amount of synthetic but not everyone does. I know of very few people who do well on synthetic thyroid alone.

Read that whole website that I linked above and arm yourself with info before your appointment.

I have an appointment on Thursday, so we'll see how it goes. I'm going to read over the web site as much as I can before I go. Thanks for all the info.

I've been so tired the past few days I can barely keep my eyes open. I have no energy. This sucks!

I just stumbled across this thread. I thought I'd share my experience as it may provide helpful ideas for some of you. I do believe that everyone's body is unique, though, and that there is no "one size fits all" solution for thyroid.

Thyroid problems run in my family (all the women on my mom's side, plus my brother). When I was around 12, I had a virus in my thyroid that made me extremely hyperthyroid for awhile, and at that time I was also diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and warned that I'd be going hypothyroid sometime in my early 20s. This was no big deal to me - everyone in my family went this route. During college I became symptomatic (hyper), and in my early 20s I became hypo and began taking synthroid. I never learned more about it because I assumed it was straightforward. I did fine on Synthroid.

That was until I was coming up on 40... I was switched to a generic levothyroxine (generics hadn't been available previously) and some months later I developed an awful skin rash - it was essentially eczema and hives combined. After tons of testing for allergies, etc., and eliminating nearly everything from my diet, I discovered on the internet that there can be a thyroid connection with rashes. More digging led my mom to remember the awful rashes her mom used to get (prior to having her thyroid removed). I had my medication switched back to synthroid and made a number of dietary changes... things like eliminating soy (which I'd been eating a lot more of) since it contains goiteragins and cooking with and lubricating myself with coconut oil (one of the few things that made my skin feel better). The hives went away and the exzema was diminished, but it was still there. I also began researching thyroid symptoms and treatments like crazy.

Finally, I came across some information about the thyroid and vitamin A - that people with low thyroid can't convert beta carotene to vitamin A. So, I skeptically tried taking cod liver oil (which covers vitamin D as well) - and the results were as dramatic as the taste (yuck!). Within a couple of days, the rash was entirely gone.

I continue on my synthroid, I take a much higher quality cod liver oil than I used to (a fermented one since I've had some digestive issues), and I eat a fairly pristine diet. I've thought about trying natural thyroid, but I hesitate to mess with my synthroid dose, which seems to work well for me. But I do "mess" with it in this respect - I usually have extra medication (prescriptions get filled before others are empty), and I use the extra to take 25% more in the winter months. This seems to work well for me. At first, I tried to get my doctor's blessing on this, and she was going to send me to an endocrinologist for tests prescriptions, but then I couldn't make the appt., and I realized I had enough meds to do it on my own. Frankly, I prefer my self-monitoring. I just go and get my bloodwork done each year.

I do believe that exercise (not one of my strenths) is very important. My energy seems to be good. My skin tends to be dry and I tend to be cold, which are not great signs. I think I have absorption issues though (B12 related), which I'm working on and which can occur in conjunction with thyroid problems, but it doesn't mean that thyroid hormones are the answer. I'm not really interested in taking "more" medication though... what I'm trying to do is exercise more and nourish the thyroid gland I have. It is still carrying most of my thyroid burden, and it produces all the many factors that I need in perfect balance... I just want to help it keep its job up as well as possible as long as it can. I'd love to go "hyper" and need to stop taking my meds, but this may be a bit much to hope!

I should also mention that levothyroxine (generic) is used by everyone else in my family. No natural thyroid is used (which may be an indication of the kind of problem that runs in my family? My mom, at least, is flourishing on it.). Also, I'm the only one who's been diagnosed with Hashimoto's (because of my virus and the testing then), and it's been many, many years since I've had any antibodies that indicate Hashimoto's show up on any test. So, I don't have it now - though my blood work as an adolescent showed that I did. There's a ton we don't know...

Best wishes to all of you in your own journeys to health! Learning to listen to my body has been the challenge for me.

Here's a question....

My last blood work also showed that one thing was in normal range but the other wasn't, so the doctor stopped the levothyroxine. What with new jobs and moving I was too swamped to do anything about all this, but now that we are settled I need to figure it out. My thyroid stuff is closely tied to the lithium, so it doesn't make much sense to me that I would have needed thyroid meds and then all the sudden not needed them.

I have the dry crackling hair, the low energy, the trouble with weight loss, the swelling....but rather than being cold, I am almost always hot. I sweat more than I ever have. At the HS ballgame last night I was dripping, and all the other nice southern ladies around me were pristine. How embarrassing. I also read about the vitamin A connection, which also is an underlying problem with my oh, so lovely acne.

So, being cold and having dry skin is hypothyroid. Being hot and sweaty and all that isn't. Or is it?

lurioosi, I have read that you can be hypothyroid and still sweat. It is also a sign of being hypER but it can be associated with hypo. The best test according to Dr Broda Barnes is your body temp upon awakening.

When you are hypo, your body temp will be well below 98.6. Almost everything I have read on this subject suggests that one should be diagnosed based on their symptoms and their body temp and not necessarily your TSH, T-3 and T-4 levels.

Can you take a thermometer to bed with you and take your temp upon waking in the morning?

Luri ~ can you post your labs along with the ranges? Post TSH, Free T3 and Free T4.

When my thyroid's been off I have had problems with being cold AND sweating, so yes this is certainly possible.

I read the Broda Barnes book years ago so may not remember it all correctly but I believe it must be a basal body themometer and it must be taken first thing in the morning, BEFORE getting out of bed and you must take it at the same time every morning.

In the meantime post your most recent labs along with ranges, okey dokey?

I'm gonna take a thermometer to bed. My temp tends to run low all the time. 98.7 and I feel like CRAP.

I haven't been to the doc since the end of May. Having a hard time getting in in this new town. But when I do, I'll post my numbers.

I am seriously thinking and praying about changing from lithium to something else. It is causing all this thyroid/acne/weight stuff...and I don't think it is doing a good job with the moods....as evidenced by my recent little......tantrum (how embarrassing).

Luri...I know you're only 41, but have you ever considered that you might be perimenopausal? Something to consider getting checked.

Along with being hypo, that's my new challenge. The other day I was standing in Kmart and the air conditioning in there made me feel very ill. I think what happens is that adjusting to temperature changes is a real challenge for thyroid disease patients and especially for those who have thyroid disease and are also faced with the challenge of other hormones dipping as well.

Luri, I agree with Solee. That is the first thing my doctor checked. He ruled out menopause and found the thyroid problem. But thyroid symptoms often do mimic peri/menopausal symptoms.

Well, phooey! Bipolar, hypothyroid, and hormonal. At least if I go on a crime spree I've got one heckuva defense - ha!

fer sure!

Luri,

I hope you get to the bottom of it.


How long should there be between reviews with hypothyroidism?

I've started to be a bit cold again, my period was much heavier this time, my boobs have started hurting again and I am having night sweats, I'm finding it hard to keep on top of the horrible skin on my feet and I have started to lose my concentration... i've noticed irritability if someone tries to talk to me and I'm doing something and my appetite has changed back to theone that craves junk and only junk and not much of it, as it was before I started meds.

My vision is still ok although one evening when I was driving I was finding it a bit tricky to refocus between mirror and road a head. Concentration on one task is still ok

just been debating whether to go back to the docs but it is only 2 months since my last test, have been on the same dose for 4 months, diagnosed about 6 months ago

whaddya think?

You should wait 4-6 weeks between any changes in your meds.

Sorry you are feeling so crummy, that's miserable! I hope you get it worked out!

My endo ran some more tests and confirmed that I am indeed hypothyroid. I don't have all the numbers yet but I'm going to pick them up sometime next week. She is starting me on 50 mcg. of levothyroxine (I think that's how you spell it). I go back in 2 months to see how I'm doing on it.

I'm kind of bummed, because I've never taken medication on a regular basis, and apparently, I will have to take this for life.

For those with experience, how long will it take before I start to notice an improvement in how I feel? Is this a normal dose? Does the medication cause any sort of side effects?

I haven't heard great things about synthetic thyroid replacement alone ~ I am on both levothyroxine (50 mgs) and dessicated pig/natural thyroid of 150 mgs.

50 mgs is a very small dose. If it's going to work for you, you should notice a difference in 2-3 weeks. It takes 4-6 weeks for it to show up in your blood work, however.

I suggest you get very familiar with this website: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

Good luck!

Thanks MF. Yeah, I've been reading the website. If I don't notice any difference, I will ask about the natural thyroid replacement when I go back in November. I couldn't find any doctors on the list that from the website in my area, so I sort of had to take one of the three endos on the list from my insurance. I'm not sure if this doctor I'm seeing does the natural stuff. I live in a fairly rural area and the selection of health care providers isn't great.

Writer, did they tell you about how to take it? How you take it on an empty stomach and then wait a certain amount of time to eat? That was my biggest annoyance with it. I had to take my BP meds WITH breakfast, so I had to kind of work my morning schedule around when to and not to take pills. Fun. I hope it works for you.

I've never been told to take my Synthroid (Levothyroixine) on an empty stomach, however I do have to take my Armour/natural thyroid that way.

I set it out the night before and anytime I wake up after 4 am (just a time I set for myself), I take it, then go back to sleep. That way I never have to worry about taking it away from food and I can drink my coffee first thing in the morning without having to wait.

Writer ~ you might even be able to find a GP who is willing to prescribe natural thyroid for you ~ it doesn't have to be an endo.

MF, why would you have to wait to drink coffee?? I take my Naturethroid when I first get up in the morning and then have my coffee right away. Am I not supposed to be doing that?

The following labels are on my Synthroid bottle:

*Take on an empty stomach.
*Medication should be taken with plenty of water.
*Take a single daily dose before breakfast.
*The dose of this med will likely need adjustment if you become pregnant. When pregnancy is confirmed, contact your prescriber for adjustment.
*Do not take antacids or products containing calcium or iron within 4 hours of taking this medication.

I know some people who choose to take their thyroid meds at night or their vitamins at night, but never together. I stay away from calcium fortified orange juice and if I want cereal, I have it for lunch instead of breakfast.

I still put milk in my coffee. It's just a concession I make for myself but am aware that the calcium could work against my meds.

I was told to take the Levothyroxine on an empty stomach with plenty of water and then not eat for at least an hour. No one said anything about not taking anything with calcium in it for 4 hours. I always eat cereal for breakfast. Is it okay to drink milk an hour after I take the medicine? I love milk and drink at least 2-3 glasses a day. I also take a calcium supplement at night.

I heard that iron [multi vitamins] was bad to take with thyroid meds because it "attaches" to the thyroid meds and passes out without being asorbed.

I take my meds on an empty stomach but I also drink coffee right after my morning dose. I wonder if that is a problem?

I don't know about Naturethroid, are you supposed to take it on an empty stomach? If so I believe even coffee can interfere with absorption.

When they say Calcium I think they mean in a supplement, not the small amounts you get in food.

I don't take any vitamins so I don't worry about that but I do take calcium and magnesium, I just take them away from my other meds.

Taking them when I wake up in the early morning eliminates all of this trying to plan when to take my meds. It works for me.

I just read over some of the possible side effects, and one that concerns me is mild hair loss. I was already losing lots of hair before I started taking the medication (one of the reasons I suspected I was hypothyroid in the first place). It seems to me that replacing the missing thyroid hormone in my body should make the hair loss better, not worse, but if hair loss is a possible side effect of the drug, this may not be the case. If hypothyroidism causes hair loss and taking Levo causes hair loss, how in the world do you keep from going bald if you have hypothyroidism?

I'd never heard that Synthroid can cause hair loss ~ that seems crazy seeming hair loss is usually a symptom of hypothyroidism!

P.S. I have very thick hair and one of my symptoms recently (before I upped my meds) was thinning hair...it's completely stopped now that I have upped my meds.

MF: It's listed on the info page for levothyroxine. It doesn't make any sense to me either. It also says taking levo with a T3 replacement (natural thyroid) can help alleviate the hair loss. I'm thinking of calling the endo back and seeing if I could get her to prescribe natural thyroid along with the levo.

Is the natural thyroid replacement more expensive than the levo? Is it generally covered by insurance? Is there some reason doctors don't like to prescribe it?

I don't have a GP that I really like. In fact, right now, I don't have one at all. I've had a lot of problems finding good doctors where I live.

ut oh, you are right!! I have been taking it all this time in the morning when I get up and drink coffee. I called the pharmacist and she said nonononono!

And she also said it is a BAD IDEA to split the dose throughout the day. She said your body needs exactly THAT MUCH in one dose.

So I guess I will take it all before I go to bed or at 4am.

I'm on both, maybe that's why it's never been a huge problem for me...slight when my meds got too low but never severe. It's never caused great worry.

It's about the same I believe,depends on what kind of natural you get.

Long story but the gold standard in natural thyroid replacement used to be Armour ~ last year they changed the formula and most of us on it no longer felt good so we've had to find alternatives ~ one of them is Naturethroid (what Mel is on), another is Westhroid, some people have it compounded and others (like me) are getting Erfa's dessicated pig thyroid from Canada.

You can do your research on that website I linked and ask your doc to prescribe one...or, if he's already familiar with natural thyroid replacement he may have on he prefers. However if that is the case he probably would have already prescribed it ~ I have a feeling you are going to have to go back armed with info (printouts from that site might be helpful)and plead your case.

You might check into that ~ I know with the dessicated pig thyroid it is best to take it in two doses ~ it has a short half life so by the afternoons what I took in the morning is just about out of my system. I really need that afternoon dose.

You know, the whole time I have been on thyroid meds, i have taken it with my coffee in the morning! I wonder if thats why they are not doing much good?

Could be, have you had your labs drawn yet? That will help you to know how you've been absorbing it.

My labs haven't changed. I have been going mostly by how I feel and my body temp. I still feel very tired and sleepy all the time.

Then the absorption COULD be an issue for you but I still bet that you need to raise your dose. Have you talked to your doc about that?

Can you post your labs?

I am up to 2 grains per day. Do you think I should raise them more? I don't have my labs but they were no different from what I initially posted.

MF, do you think it would hurt if I took my dose at bedtime? I will make sure I don't have any snacks, coffee, or caffienated beverages for at least 2 hours beforehand.

That way I can drink coffee in the morning!

It sounds like you need more to me but the absorption could be an issue. It might make sense to go 2 more weeks at this same dose making sure you are taking it on an empty stomach and see how you feel.

Right now I wouldn't mess with taking it at night because of the half-life issue. I don't know enough about Naturethroid to know if you should be splitting it up or not.

Do you consistently wake up in the middle of the night or very early morning? If so you could take it then.

Conversely you might be able to take it sublingually (letting it dissolve under your tongue) ~ I do this in the afternoons with my Erfa so I don't have to worry about when I've eaten. Try googling "can I take naturethroid sublingually" and see what you get. I bet you can.

Well, I've been taking the Levo for a month now and the only things I have noticed is that my hair is still falling out far more than normal and my period is late. Has anyone else had any menstrual irregularities while taking thyroid replacements?

I just don't know what to do about the hair loss anymore. I'm about to give up and just accept the fact that I'm going bald. This is so very frustrating. I'm not supposed to see the doctor again until next month, but I don't think it'll do any good even when I do go, since she didn't even seem to think that thyroid problems have anything to do with hair loss (even though it's one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism and a side affect of Levo).

I would love to get in sooner and discuss the possibility of switching to a natural thyroid replacement medication. I don't know how willing she will be to consider it, and my choice of doctors in my area that take my insurance isn't great. Ugh.

"Big problem for someone trying to get over these kinds of problems! Wide awake even after progesterone, Gaba Calm and Melatonin."

Same with me here, i have a worst problem in falling asleep.

"Then the absorption COULD be an issue for you but I still bet that you need to raise your dose. Have you talked to your doc about that?"

Yes, you need to talk to your doctor about the dosage you should take or you have to change what you are taking.

------------
spironolactone prescribed for male hair loss

My hair is falling out again. Bleh. But I am getting one of those brazilian keratin treatments after Christmas. I cannot become Tawandabelle with bad hair!!

For the past 2 days, I actually haven't been losing as much hair. First time in almost 2 years that the hair loss has slowed down some. Could be because I don't have much hair left to lose.

Luri, maybe you and I can form a bald woman's coalition or something.

writer1

hair loss usually occurs a month to 3 months after major stress/illness/birth, so it makes sense that it would take the same amount of time to stop falling out. My periods get heavier and fortnightly when my tsh is high and that is with mirena coil, when my tsh was 0.4 and i felt good, all I had was spotting, which was more normal for someone with mirena.

My hair is coming out again.... I am going through a the grief stage with this at the moment, really missing what I once had...

I'm sick of not being able to think straight, of always having piles of clothes on, of not being able to take the dog for a walk without stretching properly before hand, of horrible blue hands, with having to force my body to do things, even though the me inside me really does want to do them....
I'm sicking of forgetting what I have said to people, I'm sick of forgetting to send the kids to school with special bits for special days - like DSs book swap today...

and my doctor is good....I had a few good weeks in the summer:
my tsh was 0.4 and my t4 19, since then my tsh is just climbing, doc has just prescribed another increase, so I'll start with that tomorrow


I take my generic tabs in bed in the morning, then have a shower and take the dog for a walk, so usually have my branflakes about 1 1/2 hours later



The other thing is, that when my thyroid is more seriously undertreated I get quite serious night sweats, these stop when my meds are incresed and return as my thyroid gets more wacko.



For ref:

tsh t4 dose prescribed as result of bloods
6.5 12 25mg (Marchish)
3.? 14 50mg (Mayish) In "normal" range, treating symptoms
0.4 19 50mg (Julyish)
10.6 12 75mg (October)
5.3 ? 100mg (November)

Always in slow increments, because I get palpitations after about a week with each increase.

I have an appointment with my endo tomorrow, so I'm curious to see what my levels will be now that I have been on the Levo for 2 months. I'm going to talk to her about switching to a natural thyroid replacement either way.

I know hair loss is normal after giving birth, so I wasn't too concerned at first. But my baby turned 2 in September, so I'm pretty sure the hair loss isn't due to that. It has actually been slightly better for the past week or so. I'm trying not to get my hopes up in case it starts falling out again, but this is really the first time it has slowed down noticeably in the past 2 years. If I didn't start out with a head of copious, curly hair, I would probably be bald by now.

OK, resurrecting this for all you thyroid experts. I have had problems with low thyroid in the past, though it has been awhile since I have taken meds because my tests were normal last time.

I had the hair falling out, tiredness, weight gain, etc. But lately my voice has been doing even odder things, It feels like I have on a really tight turtleneck when I lie down, I am hoarse and have a cough even though I am not sick, I am getting more tired, and my moods haven't been as even even though I take my medicine every day. And now I have noticed a sore spot that is like a hard marble on my neck. Could this be related to thyroid? I go to the doc tomorrow for a checkup and want to know what questions to ask.

Yes, this could definitely be related to thyroid. I'm sure you will find answers here:

www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

It's crucial that you have these tests run:

TSH
Free T3
Free T4 (must be "Free")
Ferritin

Post your results here or look on the above website and they will help you decipher them. Thyroid can be very tricky to treat but many docs don't realize this.

This is more of a vent than anything, I suppose, but I'm just really frustrated.

I've been on 50 mcg. of Levo now since Sept. After 3 months, my doctor redid my lab work and said all my levels look good and she was going to keep me on the same medication and dosage.

Fine and dandy, except I still feel like crap ALL THE TIME! My hair doesn't fall out as much, though it's still thin on top. But I just feel so dragged out and generally crappy. I have NO energy, especially at night. I literally feel so lethargic by about 8 o'clock that I can hardly move. I'm constantly freezing. I'm really struggling with depression and feelings of complete hopelessness. I can't lose weight no matter how little I eat or how much I exercise. I can't seem to concentrate on anything at all. Ugh!

I called my doctor a few weeks ago to see if I could convince her to change me over to a natural thyroid replacement, and she never even called me back. Didn't even return my phone call, in spite of the fact that I spoke to someone in the office and left a detailed message about what I was experiencing.

My H is getting frustrated with me because I just can't get up in the evening and do housework and stuff like I used to. I mean, I just CAN'T. It feels like I'm on some sort of drug that's literally slowing down every single bodily process that I have. It takes so much effort just to move.

Oh, and I've been having terrible heartburn the entire time I've been on the Levo. I've never had heartburn before, except when I was pregnant. Now I have it everyday, all day, no matter what I eat. I constantly have this feeling like something is lodged in the base of my throat.

This sucks!!!

Try the maca root! its a natural HRT! Just do some research on it ... many MANY women replace HRT with maca ...

*shrugs*

Okay, MrNiceGuy, I'm beginning to get the feeling that you've started a new business venture here? Just a wild guess.

Nope .. im just excited at the results my wife and I are getting! I can not help but be excited about something when it works ... many ppl say that to me when i explain marriage builders too .. lol .. they think im trying to "sell" it to them.

Sorry if you feel that way .. i can get quite passionate about things if they are a positive experience for me, especially when it effects my daily life lol.

Nothing wrong with being passionate about something. I would like to find my passion, and my energy, again.

I will research the Maca. I'm actually researching a lot of different treatment options. Now, if only I can find a competent doctor who will work with me on getting this thing fixed.

www.macaroot.com
www.macasex.com
www.macatalk.com

www.macasure.com


Theres a few to start with for ya there is also many FAQ's to dig through too .. I hope your issue gets resolved. My wife was having a hard time with fatigue for a LONG time .. along with an assortment of other "womanly" issues ... they have seemed to disappear after the first week of maca .. we are on week 3 now ...

Thanks for sharing that, MrNiceGuy. I went online and ordered some MACA to check it out. Thanks for the tip!

Melody ... please keep me informed of your experience with it .. i will be very interested to hear how it benefits others ... im just is shock that it actually did what it said it was supposed to do ... both my wife and i took it not believing it ... but yup .. it worked.

You may need another doctor. An EXCELLENT endocrinologist doses based on how you FEEL as well as the numbers. Did you get the actual numbers? Or did the doc just pat you on the head and tell you that the numbers look right, therefore you must feel fine.

Kirby, it was pretty much the pat on the head. Actually, it was just a phone call from a medical assistant. I didn't get the actual numbers. The doctor doesn't return phone calls, so there's not much chance of getting them I suppose. I know I need a new Endo, but it seems there just aren't a lot of good specialists where I live.

Anything turn out on this?

I'm no "expert," just a dirt-farmer who hands out medications... but the throat issue sounds like the beginning of a compensatory goiter due to hypothyroidism - as are the rest of the symptoms.


MNG - I needed maca 3 years ago to reduce my drive and increase my wife's... I prefer my current regimen.

HHH what is your current regimen? I personally like my new regimen that Maca is helping create! Maca i believe is only reducing my drive becasue i think i overproduced testosterone. I can always Rise for the occasion .. my wife is very sexeh. I am just glad it does not control my thoughts as much as it used to. I feel much more balanced.

Mr.NiceGuy, do you have some type of financial interest in Maca? I'm just curious - I've seen you posting pretty solidly about this product on quite a few threads. It reminds me of the craze a few years ago, with that acai juice drink that everyone was on a 'pyramid sales team' to sell.

Sounds horrible.

Nope .. no financial interest .. I just really enjoy sharing something that I feel may help others. As i stated in my earlier post I am just passionate about stuff that works.

People somethimes think im trying to sell marriagebuilders when i tell them about it or explain it to them when I get confronted with other peoples problems (which i feel these days that I am everyones marriage counselor in my real life friends and realitives around me as they all see me and my wife turning around from our many years of emotional turmoil) .. i just have positive results with the product. So positive I am passionately sharing it with many .. not just here on the message boards .. i been telling my entire family about it. You can get it in capsuls .. or powder. I prefer the caps cuz the starch has been removed from it.

Sorry if you and others may feel I am trying to sell something .. there is many brands, but the brand I use is MacaSure. As I stated .. the results have been enormous and I cant help but share my experience with it.

*shrugs*

Edit: if you like I can stop talking about it. I just thought people could benefit from it. Especially women. I am working out and My recovery time has been greatly reduced due to maca .. and my muscles are building faster then when i was working out without maca.

Markos ... its not THAT bad ... You dont understand how often my mind wandered to sex ... Too often. MUCH MUCH too often .. I felt i was a sex addict at one point it was sooo bad. I felt frusterated all day .. i was never satisfied ... i could do it 10 times a day and still want more.

Edit: adding that it may not effect someone that has normal testosterone leves .. as it only balances your natural hormones. Does not add or take away anything unless some or all of your hormones are out of balance.

Wellll....okay, then, as long as you're just an extremely happy customer and not one of those creepy, ambush-em-with-a-sales-contract types

Oh no ... absolutely I am just a happy customer! My wife is an even happier customer and becausue of that it amplifies my happiness! Like i mentioned my wife was even more skeptical at first but when the results began to emerge .. she was very surprised! Shes feeling FAR more balanced than she ever has. Its remarkable.

A happy Hunneh is a happy hubby.

I tried Maca once a few years back...it did absolutely nothing but drain my wallet of about $50.

Married .. IM sorry it didnt work out for you. Did you take the reccomended dosage? 3000 - 5000mg a day? did you consume the entire 50$ worth? Reason i ask is that it took 4 - 5 days for the effects to show up.

Yes on the dosage and I took it for a few months...I think I bought two bottles but can't remember for sure ~ it was a few years ago. I kept hoping I would notice a change...

Reminds me of a colon-cleanse I tried once...

Hey! I tried one of those once too!

Gotta make sure its certified Organic. Another issue it may not have worked for you was possibly due to you not having hormonal created issues. *shrugs* I know that macasure works ... i use it and so does my wife .. and now a few others i know are using that brand of caps and they are all feeling it now too .. guess everyone is different.

*shrugs*

Frequent, mind-blowing sex.

Put my drive in the dirt.

No complaints.

For me, they redid blood work and she assured me that my numbers were normal. However, she did ask me extensive questions about heartburn and such. I started taking an OTC acid reducer of all things, and my throat no longer feels closed. She thinks that the acid was causing swelling of my vocal chords, which would also explain the vocal damage.

Funnily, since starting this diet, I have almost zero heartburn. I do have a constant sweet taste in my mouth, but no heartburn.

The doctor also tested my white count. Apparently all my symptoms with the bruises I keep getting had led her to worry about some kind of cancer. Nothing there either. Yay!

I phoned for my latest results and they told me they were NoFurtherAction. So I made an appt to see the GP.

I asked her what they were my TSH was 2.76 (normal range, up to 4.5 Ithink)

So I told her I still had constipation and some other things hanging around which I didn't have in the summer when my TSH was below 1. And I asked if I could increase again. She agreed, but with the threat that she'll take me off if I drop below 1, because of the risk of osteoporosis. - I'm taking the extra 25ug of levothyroxine every other day until my next bloods, to try to keep it as low as poss, without her taking me off it.

It's been about 2 weeks now and the constipation is gone and I'm back on top of house work and things.

I'm having hydrotherapy for all the muscle tension which I have developed - which they think is due to being low for so long.

Just ask if you can trial an increased dose and let them know you'll call them and drop the dose if you start getting hyper symptoms.

I've just had an interview for a magazine article on younger people with hypoT to try to increase awareness.

Hey .. did you get it yet? How is it working for you? Soon as my wife has her period she will be taking a week break from it since it is advised to take a 1 week break after 3 weeks of daily use. We are past the 3 weeks .. but my wife didnt want to stop taking the maca until she has her period becasue it greatly helps her PMS just before. So her "maca break" time will be the start of her period.

Edit: just wanted to also mention that is has greatly reduced her acne aswell and greatly enhanced my recovery from working out (man im looking buff now :P) *flexes* haha

I don't know if anyone has experienced this, but I thought I would ask. I know the doc said my levels were normal, but I noticed today that my throat was sore. My tummy has been messed up for a couple of days or so. My throat has been getting steadily and significantly worse all day, and now swallowing and talking and even moving my tongue is painful...very. But a few hours ago, this lump just suddenly came up. DH felt it and swears it's my thyroid. You can see it, and it is getting bigger as the evening progresses.

Has anyone ever had this weird thing happen, and if so, what did you do? I am taking Tylenol, but it is PAINFUL.

Where is the lump located, Tawanda? You've got a pretty substantial network of lymph nodes running bilaterally on your throat/neck, so I wonder if it could be a standard cold/flu/viral thing.

Do you have any other symptoms generally associated w/ a viral infection?

Does the pain radiate anywhere beyond that lump?

It's below my larynx but right above where your neck ends and meets the rest of your body. It is....maybe ping pong ball size? My stomach has been kind of upset for a few days, but nothing really drastic until this throat pain and swelling. Well, I have had some vivid dreams and not slept well for a few days and sweated through my PJ's for a few nights. It hurts to turn my head or talk.

The simple answer would've been if it was a swollen lymph node. However, if the lump/pain is centrally located and is that severe, I'm more hesitant to chalk it up to a swollen lymph node.

So yeah...about that thyroid thing... You done got me. I'm in over my head on this one.

When were your thyroid levels last checked? I don't recall - are you on any thyroid meds right now?

I, who am totally speaking off the top of my head here and with no legitimacy whatsoever in the realm of practicing medicine, would say you go with your gut (even if it IS feeling messed up !) re: getting this checked out v. a wait-and-see approach.

It sounds like a goiter type thing, but not located properly. That area sounds like tonsillar/sub-mandibular lymph nodes.

Ack. Have more to say, but not sure if it's proper...

Ok, I have no clue what I'm really talking about, so it would be better to talk to your physician/diagnostician, but when you have swelling like that ibuprofen and/or an antihistamine will be a better choice for relief.

Again, I carry no expertise or authority.

HHH, Tawanda said the swelling was located below her larynx - I'm ballparking that's somewhere inferior to the cricothyroids. To me (in, again, my uber-limited knowledge), swelling in that area is almost synonymous w/ goiter (doesn't mean you HAVE it, but that it's a valid consideration worth ruling out). The lymph nodes you suggested are far too superior, though I did wonder if some cervical lymph nodes were the culprit.

Sorry, Tawanda, medically interesting you are.

Got me there. >.<

Golf ball is HUGE for a lymph node, either way. That big, and externally visible rather than only palpable does sound more goiter-ish...

Y'all are cracking me up - especially Vanilla with the Yoda talk. Of course, my internet surfing DH has his sights set on some thyroiditis maned after some Spanish sounding name like Jose Quervos or something

I just went to the doc for a ruptured eardrum a couple of weeks ago. I hate going to the doc again.....like some hypochondriac. Of course, the word goiter made me think of that Seinfeld episode where Elaine went to visit the old lady with the huge goiter.

It felt better this morning until I sat up, got up, and started puttering around. Hmmmmmmm.......maybe I could use this as an excuse NOT to mop today. I hate mopping

I done did overlook this part right here. Get thee to a doctor, woman!

In all seriousness: is the lump still there this morning? Or was it gone, and once you got up and started moving around, did it come back? When you say you felt better this morning, was that non-lump symptoms - stomach, e.g.? (I don't know if these are relevant questions or not, or what the answers to them would mean. Just finding out more details.)

You can tell your doctor you'll present with something way more interesting than a ruptured eardrum this time... !

I am going at 9:15. When I was lying in bed it felt smaller, but once I got up and moving around it got big again and started hurting, blah blah blah. I just want to be very still, not move my tongue, not swallow, not talk. My morning protein bar was getting stuck in my throat, so I guess I had to call the doc. Blech. My stomach has been kind of upset, but it's been kind of an emotional week. Also been sweating through at night, etc.

DD said, "Maybe it's a tommah." I replied, "It's not a tommah." (Kindergarten cop).

Oh well, wah wah wah. I ain't wearin' makeup to the doctor - I'm gonna be unsouthern and lay down until I leave.

OR you could take your makeup and gussy up that little thyroid of yours. You know, in case this isn't all interesting enough already. You could put its face on, literally, hahahaha.

Er...then your doc probably would refer to you a psych instead of an endocrinologist.

I'm sorry, clearly I need more sleep.

I hope the appointment goes well and that you start feeling better!

yer weird

She said it's definitely enlarged. Took vials of blood and I have a thyroid ultrasound Monday.....I hope it's twins!

Is that kinda like going in with your arm in the shape of an L, and then having the Doc tell you; "Well, your arm is broken."



Good that you have the organ nailed down, though.

She didn't know what it was, basically. I had thyroid levels checks in Jan and they were "fine." I don't have an authentic fever -- that means that even though my normal temp is around 96.8, it's only about 99 now.....so that isn't a fever in the real world.

She told me to take ibuprofen and call if my throat continues to swell (had trouble eating breakfast). I do feel kind of ick, but honestly, I probably would not have even thought of going to the doctor until this lump appeared. She did use the G word (goiter), but I hope that isn't it. I really don't want to be like that old Seinfeld lady..... On the other hand....how much do goiters weigh....maybe I could get some ice cream and still lose weight

Heh heh.

Imuh sufferin' with ya... though it's just the gums at the very back of my jaw. Need to get my dad gum wisdom teeth pulled, as every once in a while, something irritates this spot, and then it makes my throat and jaw sore along with it.

Dang nerve pathways.

Woooooo, I love me some nerve pathways! I'll take 'Trigeminal' for $1000, Alex!

Y'all are creeping me out. Do y'all have one of those really ugly and scary models of a human head and neck with removable parts like DH has???? I was afraid he was going to bring it home today and show me the thyroid. I have always wanted to sneak into his office and steal the tongue.

Okay, now that right there gives me the willies.

Tongue and eggs?

Dunno... really only ever had lengua on tacos...

I'm selfishly bumping this asking for prayers for tomorrow. The doc called and told me that while I was there if they thought they needed to do a needle aspiration they would. See, that is something I did not need to know ahead of time. I can handle a shot or getting blood drawn if I go to my happy place.....needles in the neck, not so much.

Happy place?

Sending prayers and warm fuzzies ( or cold creamies?) your way!

yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

How many carbs does that have???

Just an update. Doc said I had a multinodular goiter (hate that word) and that there were suspicious nodules. She referred me to an endocrinologist. The next step is probably a needle aspiration biopsy (me no likely needles). I'll update when I know more.

Thanks for the update, Tawanda. I hope things go well @ the endocrinologist's. Maybe you can pretend the biopsy is just a really intense form of acupuncture... ?

The doc wanted to do another ultrasound b/c he wasn't so sure about the interpretation of the first one. Turns out there are no nodules, just a lot of enlargement. he is 99% sure I have Hashimoto's but he did am antibody test just to be sure. He was very nice and thorough.

Quick question; was your thyroid ruled out when they diagnosed you as BP?

Honestly, it could have been the result of unstable thyroid levels...

No, they didn't rule out thyroid. I was diagnosed BP in the midst of my A in 2006. Every once in awhile my mom wonders if I am "really" BP because I was at my worst when I went to the pdoc. Sometimes I wonder too....or maybe it is wishful thinking. DH becomes terrified when I wonder. Understandably he is really afraid of the idea of me ever not being on meds. Plus he says I changed after the kids were born....and I did.

I really seemed to do okay until two years ago when I started lithium. That was when huge parts of my personality just disappeared. I am going to see a new pdoc Monday. I would love to explore something besides lithium because I just feel.....dead most of the time. Like I am "acting" like me instead of actually being here. But when DH and I talk about it he panics and reassures me that I am better now than I have ever been. He's a very low key, even keel, non-emotional type person, as is his whole family.

I do wonder sometimes though......if they were wrong, what is all this medicine doing to me? Especially since missing even a couple of days can make very odd things start to happen. But how do you POJA medicine????

I don't want to get you going on it too much, but been going over thyroid stuff lately in school...

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism

* Fatigue
* Weakness
* Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
* Coarse, dry hair
* Dry, rough pale skin
* Hair loss
* Cold intolerance (you can't tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)
* Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
* Constipation
* Depression
* Irritability
* Memory loss
* Abnormal menstrual cycles
* Decreased libido

Common symptoms and signs of hyperthyroidism

* Palpitations
* Heat intolerance
* Nervousness
* Insomnia
* Breathlessness
* Increased bowel movements
* Light or absent menstrual periods
* Fatigue
* Fast heart rate
* Trembling hands
* Weight loss
* Muscle weakness
* Warm moist skin
* Hair loss
* Staring gaze

Hashimoto's thyroiditis very often results in hypothyroidism with bouts of hyperthyroidism.

Physiologically, antibodies against thyroid peroxidase and/or thyroglobulin cause gradual destruction of follicles in the thyroid gland. Accordingly, the disease can be detected clinically by looking for these antibodies in the blood. It is also characterized by invasion of the thyroid tissue by leukocytes, mainly T-lymphocytes. It is associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroiditis include weight gain, depression, mania, sensitivity to heat and cold, paresthesia, fatigue, panic attacks, bradycardia, tachycardia, high cholesterol, reactive hypoglycemia, constipation, migraines, muscle weakness, cramps, memory loss, infertility and hair loss.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashimoto%27s_thyroiditis

It's worth talking about with both of your doctors, you know?

Uh, yeah. Most of those medications you DO NOT want to miss a couple days, or they will get you off of your nut. Discontinuation should only be done under the direction of your physician, and likely though tapering.

Right after we moved this past fall, there were problems with the changing insurance and stuff, plus it is a tiny town, and they don't always have things in stock. I missed three days of my Effexor, and then four days a month or so later.....I cannot even begin to describe what that was like. Nightmares, weird sensations, brain zaps like electrical shocks......And my old doc neglected to tell me that I shouldn't take Ambien every night because I might become dependent. I've tried a few times, but after three nights of nightmares and muscle cramps and the effect of losing sleep, I give up.

Sometimes I feel like medicine makes me sicker.

Yeah, I looked at those lists. I have some of the hypo list and then some of the hyper. I try to avoid fitting into any mode because that would be boring

Well, like I always say...if you're going to go disease, always go w/ an eponymous one!

The thyroid is an interesting little bugger. If the antibody test comes back positive, I wonder if there's any way to date the start of the thyroiditis stuff?

HHH, thanks for posting all of that. I have some symptoms from both lists too. Weird.

I was diagnosed hypothyroid about 6 months ago, and have been on a very low dose of levo ever since. It doesn't seem to have much effect. I've been trying to get my endo to switch me to a natural thyroid replacement as some people here have recommended, but my endo didn't even know there was such a thing when I brought it up with her. For a specialist, she doesn't seem to know much. It's very frustrating trying to find a decent doctor where I live.

I know I've been suffering from depression for quite some time now. I fight against feelings of hopelessness almost everyday. I guess I just keep telling myself that I'm an intelligent, well-educated person and I ought to be able to get control of this thing. Mind over matter. I have a lot of anxiety as well. Some of it is situation most likely, since my life is pretty depressing and anxiety-inducing at the moment. But my mother suffers from lifelong clinical depression. It's never been diagnosed, but it's very easily identifiable. I think she may be hypothyroid as well. She is quite obese, diabetic, and just a generally unpleasant person to be around most of the time.

Do you have your TSH, T3, and T4 levels checked regularly with the hormone therapy?

Make that FREE T3 and FREE T4.

T3 and T4 without the FREE does.not.mean.anything.

www.stopthethyroidmadness.com has saved my life and continues to do so.

writer ~ print out these pages and bring them to your endo. Demand a trial of something other than Synthroid or Levoxyl. Or find another doc. Even GPs will work with you on this.

Mine will even though I don't need him to because I have an endo that will.

I am going back in for more lab work, but this will be the first time since the initial lab work I had done 6 months ago. I'm not sure what she ordered this time. I'll have to look at the lab slip. I haven't gone in to get my blood drawn.

I'll have to print out some of those pages and take them to her. Unfortunately, I don't really have a GP out here that I like either. I did manage to find an excellent pediatrician for my daughter, and I'm thinking of calling her and seeing if she has a GP or Endo that she recommends. Health care out here in my area (basically the sticks) isn't great.

Never underestimate the value of a good OB/GYN when you need a doc.

My OB/GYN was the one who first discovered my hypothyroidism. But even though I was experiencing plenty of symptoms, she said my levels weren't off enough to require medication. She just said to come back in a year and she'd recheck it when I had my next pap smear. That's when I went to the Endo on my own.

Thus the emphasis on good. >.<

Sometimes all that means is a referral.

Now my Endo just refilled my levo prescription for 6 months without even seeing me or doing any new blood work. Ugh. Aren't there standards anymore for graduating from medical school?

I'm definitely calling our pediatrician on Monday and asking her for a referral for a good GP in the area.

Didn't know whether this may be of interest.

I have Gilbert's - many do but it is undiagnosed. With my thyroid being rubbish I was going quite yellow, so they checked out my liver function.

About 1/4 of the way down the page in this link is some anecdotes and info about links to the 2 which I found really interesting and has given me a bit more oomph and info to try and rid myself of the remaining lowish mood and aches and pains that I have

gilbert's and hypoT