I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto. Everywhere I read it is controlled with Armour or some kind of thyroid medicine. I have tried Armour and Synthroid and Levothyroxine and have had no change in my leves. One is suppose to be a 4 and mine is a 7 and one is suppose to be less than 9 and mine is greater than 900.
What happens when it us uncontrollable with Medicine?
2 1/2 years ago my hypothyroid meds (90 mcg synthroid) started to make me feel extremely hyper, but my blood tests came back looking good. I was finally diagnosed as having Adrenal Fatigue (after seeing 13 doctors and 18 months later) and was taken off my thyroid meds totally for a about 6+ months to heal my adrenals.
My saliva test says my adrenals are much better (still not 100%). I tried to then go on Armour, but continued with anxiety, neck pain, headache all day on right side, depression…the usual.
I am now chopping up the meds and take small doses of 12.5 Synthroid and 1.25 Cytomel twice a day - morning and afternoon - for about 3 weeks but I still feel hyper…and tired and anxious, depressed. If I take more T3 I start to get really anxious.
I went on the above combination after I first tried just Cytomel alone at 1.25 and went through the roof after about 3 days, so I stopped.
We are trying the above combination thinking the Armour we tried earlier was the wrong ratio of T4/T3 (75/25%). According an online chart, my current med routine of synthroid/cytomel = a ratio of 90/10%.
I am still feeling extremely tired, anxious, no appetite, no energy, dizzy, feel like I'm not here, and depressed. Was considering changing the T4/T3 ratio to perhaps 50/50%. Anyone ever try this?
NOTE--best week ever: A few months ago, we tried switching from 15 Armour only to 12 Synthroid only for 1 week. Just to try something different. After 1 week of no progress we switched back to about 7.5 Armour for a few days--then upping to 15. And WOW, I had the GREATEST week in the last 2 years ever, then it started to decline again the next week while keeping Armour at about 15.
I was also off Gluten for 3 months with no noticeable improvements.
I keep thinking this has to have something to do with my Adrenals. As I said my saliva test came back much better - the doctor said I was 80% back to normal. I'm thinking that's not close enough?? I need to be 90% before I can tolerate the meds?? 95%?? I don't know!!
Has anyone had experience with this? Were you eventually able to take your thyroid meds again? How were you able to do it?
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when I was 14, and since then i have been taking Levothyroxine to help with it. I am wondering, will I need to take levothyroxine forever? Or is there a fix for thyroid problems? I don't see my weight going down at all, or my thyroid level. My doctor has been increasing the dosage of my levothyroxine, and has three times now. I recently got Levothyroxine in 0.137mg dosage, and it smells terrible. My old ones were 0.125mg. Is this a very small change, and will it even do anything?
View 1 RepliesI've made an appt with a naturopath next week as I'm having an increase in bad symptoms since starting levothyroxine 4mths ago and cannot stand it any longer.
I'm expecting to be told to go gluten free. However there's corn/maize starch (contains gluten) in the meds so I'm wondering about those of you who are gluten free - what type of meds are you on?
During a routine blood test in August I was diagnosed with underactive thyroid. I wasn't feeling ill so was quite surprised when I read the symptoms. I've been on Levothyroxine for 3 months now and I feel terrible. I'm so drained and exhausted, angry and frustrated, bloated, fat, stomach pains and unhappy, I keep going back to the doctor but she just pops me more pills and I don't feel she is very understanding or sympathetic. I didn't feel this bad before I started the medication so I'm going to stop it. I was placed on 50mg and two weeks later my blood tests were normal and have been since so for such a small dose does it really matter? I'm so low, sometimes it's all too much I want to have a paddy and a tantrum and smash the place up and if anyone gets in my way then they'll get it too.
The doctor wants me to try CBT self help courses to understand what troubles me. When I'm not having some kind of flip out I know what troubles me - things are a struggle and I hate being ill and I want to be better.
After many years struggling with ongoing Hypothyroid symptoms, despite continuous treatment with Levothyroxine (125 mg daily) I came up the plethora of information, mainly from the USA challenging the efficacy of the current tendency of GPs to test only T4 and TSH Levels and to prescribe only Synthetic Thyroid Medications (like Levothyroxine) despite evidence that people so treated continued to suffer from many Hypothyroid symptoms. I asked my own Doctor- apparently, tests for T£ levels are "very expensive" and so won't be offered on the NHS, and even if I had private blood tests done, he wouldn't be able to prescribe additional T3 (Cytomel) or Natural Thyroid Extract for my condition. So, I'm left with a choice- self medicate, buying these products from possibly "dodgy" online sources, or continue to take my Levothyroxine and suffer from ongoing symptoms in silence. Not a great choice, is it? I'd be interested to hear about fellow sufferers experiences and advice, please, on what I should do.
View 56 RepliesDiagnosed hypothyroid >10 years. I have struggled all of this time to feel 'normal'. Drs have continually increased Levothyroxine to attempt to normalise TSH. Six months ago they prescribed 300mcg. The pharmacist queried this! I take it regularly, without food etc. I am still symptomatic and free T4 & T3 still low. Anyone else on this dose without effect?
View 171 RepliesSo my latest blood work revealed that I need a dose change and that I'm insulin resistant. I am now taking 200mg of levothyroxine for hypothyroidism and 40mg of atorvastatin for cholesterol and fatty liver. I also take fish oil, multivitamin, D3, allegra, and baby aspirin. My medical provider is focusing on my thyroid before tackling everything else. I should also mention that my mother has non alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes, dementia, diverticulitis, and myopathy. I'm considering taking coQ10. I'm just wondering what is the safest otc pain medicine for me to use(ibuprofen, goodies), and is there anything else I should know?
View 2 RepliesHello I am 30 years old and a smoker for about 14 years my results came back for my ct spine scan and an incidental finding of a 9mm cyst in my upper lung should I be concerned that this maybe cancer? Will they remove the cyst if at all anyways thanks for any information I appreciate it.
View 3 RepliesI was diagnosed only yesterday and took my first pill today. I have been quite worried to hear about people's experiences levo, but more importantly I'm worried about the antibody attacks!
I don't have many symptoms except feeling the cold - that's the main one.
But my results were really bad: TSH 79.9, T4 6.8, AntTO 4777.7
My question is, while the thyroxine will regulate my hormone, what do people do about the anti-body attack? I'm getting a coeliac test done, although have previously come out negative.
What do people think? I've read about functional medicine practice is to heal the gut and cut out grains, which I will certainly try. Just wondered because no one seems to be questioning this and it's the antibodies causing the destruction!!
Do antibody levels decrease on Levo? What do you do about this? Anyone else gluten free?
Not sure what vitamins I should be taking as doc diagnosed me and prescribed me and off I went , ive no idea what my TSH level is either, just that i have underactive thyroid, I'm taking Levothyroxine lowest dose? I'm feeling cold and tired most of the time too.
View 2 RepliesI've been on 300 mcg Levothyroxine for several years. Was still hypo until I was given Adderall 40 mg day. Except for PTSD was fine. Old Doc retired and new Doc is freaked because my TSH is almost undetectable, T3 and T4 high side of normal. She lowered it to 250mcg and I'm in a tailspin in less than a month. Crying, shaking, cramps in my feet, leg tremors, etc. ANXIETY out of control.
View 44 RepliesI am currently on Armour Thyroid for about 2 years now and my hair is still falling out daily by the fistful! I always had such "good hair" as they call it that I never even thought of my hair but now.
View 1 RepliesCan a person with Graves' disease take Armour?
View 6 RepliesI have been having low free T4 (9 pmol/L), but normal although on the lower end TSH (1.69 mIU/L).
My doctor has put me on 75mg/day synthroid, because his diagnostic is hypothyroidism. However, I understand that hypothyroidism is normally associated with low T4, but high TSH.
Based on what I have read, it seems that a low T4 associated with a normal TSH may be linked to issues with the pituitary gland (and not the thyroid) or issues with binding agents.
Is hypothyroidism and the use of synthroid indicated in my case?
I was recently switched to the name brand of Synthroid after taking the generic for 20 + years. I really didn't notice any side effects from the generic but since switching to the name brand I have begun having hot flashes and night sweats (I'm WAY past menopause) and I feel anxious, moody, my foot is constantly moving when I'm sitting and recently I noticed I'm clenching my teeth. Has anyone had this experience when going from the generic to the name brand?
View 34 RepliesWell, after a year and a half on Erfa Thyroid, I had to switch back to Synthroid because the heart pounding at night on the Erfa just kept getting worse and worse.
Of course, with the Synthroid I'm now back to having severe foot cramps all night; by that I mean that my foot twists around on the ankle and I have to stand up and push my foot down to get it to go back into position. Sometimes it's both feet at once. Try sleeping with that going on!
Not sure which side effect is worse, and I feel as though I can't win, since neither medication allows me to sleep.
My doctor doesn't believe that switching back to Synthroid would result in foot cramps and won't offer any help. When I was on Synthroid previously my old GP game me quinine sulphate, which keep the cramps down to once or twice a week, but this one won't prescribe it.
Has anyone else had this problem and found a solution? I take lots of calcium, magnesium, Vitamin D, and B vitamins, so I should be okay on that score.
Meds recently changed from armour to these. Am I supposed to take them both first thing in am, or take cytomel later?
View 3 RepliesOverall, I am doing MUCH better - still have tweaking to do but this has by far been the best year for me since getting diagnosed. Things like my cycle becoming regular again, to even some weight loss (over the summer and it came back but it was nice to see my body responding for once...hopeful that once I am in my new job, my stress will be much better and Ill have time to be active again but I digress).
I had previously been on Armour and spent over 2 years never really feeling better (my body didn't tolerate it at all it seemed), so I switched to synthroid plus cytomel I had some side affects so switched again to tirosint plus cytomel.
That was when I noticed I was making progress - except for TWO annoying side affects. Zombie head that never went away over 8 months (even tried taking it at night instead which helped but getting out of bed in the morning was an act of god) and acne. Seriously, I feel like I'm going through puberty all over again. I should note, that I think the progress was due to finally increasing meds (anytime i increased armour I would be in pain so I avoided it)
I finally made a switch back to Natural Thyroid - I take the Acela NP thyroid which I tolerate much better than Armour. The good side effects have stayed and my zombie head is gone. My skin is a BIT better but not much.
Has anyone experienced this? I have read stories of people with Hashi's having skin issues due to low thyroid but that was never my problem. I have to say that my skin was maybe my one source of pride (even when my hair was falling out, i gained weight, my skin stayed clear and smooth).
Before I clearly wasn't on enough thyroid. I was on 1.5 grains Armour before switching to about 118 synthetic (it changed a few times but it was around that). When I switched to NO Thyroid (no more cytomel),I was one 2.5 grains and have now worked my way up to 3.5 grains. Increasing to 3.5 actually didn't make me worse skin wise - it was a bit better than it was on 2.5 so I can't quite figure out what the deal is.
Just looking to hear if anyone else has experience this, what they did and if it eventually went away? Would trying another version of NDT be worth a shot you think?
I am THISCLOSE to looking into accutane. I need help! I have tried every skin care product under the sun. It seems to be an internal problem and not a result of what I am putting on my face.
Had my thyroid removed 2001 and was on Synthroid for 11 years. Felt awful the entire time, was always very tired, gained lots of weight, dry skin and hair, the whole bunch of symptoms so finally I dug my heels in and did not take anything for 3 months. Very dangerous but was tired of being so confused could not find my way home when I was a block from home. So the doctor put me on Armour and then I switched doctors and the new one put me on Nature-throid. I'm still very tired and sleep a lot, my neck hurts where the thyroid was removed 11 years ago, drainage from that area. Any suggestions for a different med that actually works without exacerbating my symptoms?
View 3 RepliesI now have a 4.1 ascending aortic aneurysm. Begin taking synthroid in 2007 after stage 4. Total thyroidectomy. Could there be a connection? My endo thinks I am loco.
View 3 Replies