Diagnosed with Hypo-Thyroidism, any tips on this? UPDATE

[Christine]

Am I in the normal range? I had my Thyroid (or most of it) removed in 1995. I do not take any medication. I actually feel better when I don't take it. Do any of the numbers below look abnormal?

6/21/04
T3 Uptake 32
Total T4 10.1
TSH 1.22

7/24/01
T3 Resin Uptake 21
Total T4 11.8
TSH 2.5

Yes, your TSH is perfect.

 

[Laurajean1014]

I have been taking my syntoid with breakfast, should I take it before on an empty stomach with water?? Thanks for the advice here it has helped a lot...

I was told to take it on an empty stomach and not each one hour prior to taking it. This allows the liver to absorb the synthoid in its purist form and therefore give you the full effect of the med. If taken with food, (I was told) the liver will not absorb completely. They also want you to take it with a full glass of water.

Wait an hour, eat breakfast (egg white omletes my favorite) and take your vitamins or other meds then.

 

[Laurajean1014]

I have been reading all of your posts & I just want to say THANK YOU!! I have been feeling terrible for the last 3 years. Constantly tired, sluggish, sleeplessness, anxiety, dry skin & hair, sick all the time, weight gain, mood swings...need I say more. So each year when I go to my OB/GYN I ask her to run blood work...check out TSH. I also have a family history of Hypothyroidism and I have been diagnosed with the Ebstein Barr Virus for almost 10 years. Not to mention I am a chiropractor and know how the body works. Each year when the test comes back...she tells me it is normal. Well the last straw was this past fall when I asked her to run my blood work again b/c symptoms were getting worse. So she did & called me when it came back. Told me it was normal & that I should go to Weight Watchers to loose the weight I had gained b/c it had to be my eating habits. I almost flipped!!! I have been an avid gym-goes for 5 years...cardio, weight lifting etc. I am not a bad eater. On occasion I will have something sweet or salty (that time of the month usually) or if it is a celebration. On Fridays we order pizza...but I have one slice & a salad. I don't eat red meat. I eat lean chicken, turkey & fish...salads, veggies etc. I almost went throught the phone. I asked her to fax my blood work to my office.

I was so depressed. I just cried. WHy can't someone help me or listen to me. SO I found an Immunologist. Figured lets get the EBV checked. Maybe that is what is causing a lot of this chaos in my body. I made the appt. & took my last bllod work to him. First thing he says to me..."Do you know your TSH is high?" I almost cried in the chair. FINALLY!!!!! SOmeone willing to listen & HEAR ME!!! My TSH is 4.09...he knew right away that there were going to be new thyroid ranges. He wants me to get another blood test...which I am doing this month. SO I HOPE this is the end of my misery. I can't deal with the way my body feels. And I feel sorry for my DH b/c he has to deal with me. What also scares me is getting pregnant. If I feel this way now...how much worse will it get. The thought of gaining more weight, the tiredness & sleeplessness etc. DH & I agree that baby thoughts are on the back burner until my health is straightened out.

So I thank all of you who posted here. You made my day
I was wondering if anyone had any info about natural alternatives to Synthroid. I have read a few articles...but unfortunatley they are all at my office. I try to read as much as possible so I can make the right choices for my body. Again thank you!! Here's to your health!

AlwaysAPrincess - I am glad this has helped you. It's helped me in so many ways, that I am very grateful. My TSH is 5.31 and my doc was happy about it, however, this thread suggested that I still as hypo and need higher dose (possibly). Well, I did some checking into it and I am calling my doc for a discussion today.

Doctors are wonderful, however, they can't know everything about everyone. If someone has been taking a med or has a disease for years, they are very intimate with that med/disease and therefore can answer the questions newbies have.

I would always suggest TSH and T4 uptake tests with someone who's had mono and/or Epstein Barr Virus. As I research on, there seems to be a link between these syndromes and Hashimoto or HypoT.

 

[piratesmate]

30+ years ago my doctors checked only T7 & T4 and kept telling me there was nothing wrong. (lethargic, nails & hair didn't grow, extremely dry skin, low BP 70/40, etc, etc) Finally I saw an endocrinologist who ran the TSH. It came back somewhere between 30 & 40, but my other numbers were still on the low end of normal.

Unfortunately, I didn't see the endocrinologist until after we lost our first child. He told me that the problems we had with DS were directly related to the untreated hypothyroid condition. He said that had DS survived, he would have been profoundly ******** because of the thyroind issue.

So if you're thinking of trying to get pregnant, please talk with a reputable endo if you try using natural methods instead of meds to control your thyroid.

 

[Laurajean1014]

30+ years ago my doctors checked only T7 & T4 and kept telling me there was nothing wrong. (lethargic, nails & hair didn't grow, extremely dry skin, low BP 70/40, etc, etc) Finally I saw an endocrinologist who ran the TSH. It came back somewhere between 30 & 40, but my other numbers were still on the low end of normal.

Unfortunately, I didn't see the endocrinologist until after we lost our first child. He told me that the problems we had with DS were directly related to the untreated hypothyroid condition. He said that had DS survived, he would have been profoundly ******** because of the thyroind issue.

So if you're thinking of trying to get pregnant, please talk with a reputable endo if you try using natural methods instead of meds to control your thyroid.

Piratesmate: Thank you so much for helping others through your experience. We all wish you the very best.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Laurajean--even with a TSH of 5.31 you are still, technically, hypothyroid. Keep working with the meds to get the TSH down below 3.0 at least. Also, hypothyroidism is not the "be all to end all" with weight gain as people think it is. According to my endocrinologist, if you are hypothyroid, in general, it amounts to an average weight gain of 6-10 lbs.

Christine- My doctor agrees with you. He is uping my meds and running new tests in about 8 weeks. Thank you so much for your post and your knowledge.
This and are for you.

 

[AlwaysAPrincess]

Piratesmate...I am so sorry for your loss. DH & I have put babies on the back burner for now until my health gets straightened out. But I am sure there are still risks being Hypo & on meds. When the time comes I will research & talk to a reputable Endocinologist & Genetic counseling.

LauraJean...No one ever said anything to me about a link between the EBV and Hypothyroidism. I plan to research more myself & bring it up to my Immunologist. Thank you!

And Thank you again to all who have posted on this thread!!!

 

[Laurajean1014]

I've read three books on Hypo-thyroidism (at the moment I cannot remember the names --- a HT sympton). They all mentioned a link between mono, EPV and HT. Four of my friends are hypo and they all had mono and EPV. One has just had EPV and has symptons of hypo but has not gotten tested.

If anyone finds further information that concurs or disagrees with this statement, please post. I find a lot of this very facinating.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Just started my 112mgs of Synthroid today. Let's see what the next 8 weeks bring.

 

[AlwaysAPrincess]

Good Luck LauraJean! Hope you start to feel better soon!!! Here's a little Pixie Dust your way!!!!

 

[Laurajean1014]

ARRRRRR. I'm still hypo with the new meds.

Awaiting meds at 125mg to see if these will control the hypo!

I could start a pharmacy on all the Synthoid I have around the house!

Is everyone else doing well?

 

[crz4mm2]

I still have another week or so before my next blood test... I am still exhausted (feel the need for a nap every afternoon) so suspect it is not much better....
Will let you know.....

Cathy

 

[hiwaygal]

Hi...

This thread started before I even knew about the DIS so I'm joining late

I was diagnosed nearly two years ago, they more or less got my dosage right in about 6 months, but I still didn't feel right. I talked to my doc and we changed from synthroid 125 to synthroid 100 and 10mg (or mcg, can't remember which) of cytomel (which is a T4 replacement). I've noticed a bit of a difference, but I still don't feel GREAT! Of course that could be related to other things so I'm giving this "mix" of meds a bit more time...

Long post to say, it can take time for you to get the numbers right (I would say that it wouldn't surprise me if it takes some folks almost a year) and it could take a bit longer 'til you feel "normal"...but it will happen!!

There are lots of people in that boat with you!

 

[Fredd's Girl]

What a learning experience this thread has been! I was diagnosed Hypothyroid about a year ago and started Synthroid. It's taken quite a while to get the dosage just right. My doctor suggests that people feel their best when their TSH is between 1 and 2.

I had NO idea how bad I felt until the synthroid kicked in. I knew I was always tired and no energy, but I had no clue how good I could feel.

I have been amazed how much your thryoid controls in your body.

Also, thanks for the tips on the relationship between mono and thyroid disorder. I had Mono about 10 years ago and was even hospitalized with it. I'll be doing some further reading on the connection.

Thanks for all the info! Pretty smart group you DISers!!

 

[Dan Murphy]

I know when I was diagnosed many years ago, the doc started real low with the synthroid, then upped it every 6 weeks or so till I went 'over' the guideline, then backed me down one strength. It does take time. And I do hope things are going well for you, Laura.

 

[Christine]

I know when I was diagnosed many years ago, the doc started real low with the synthroid, then upped it every 6 weeks or so till I went 'over' the guideline, then backed me down one strength. It does take time. And I do hope things are going well for you, Laura.

Yep, too much too soon can cause cardiac problems.

 

[snappy]

ARRRRRR. I'm still hypo with the new meds.

Awaiting meds at 125mg to see if these will control the hypo!

I could start a pharmacy on all the Synthoid I have around the house!

Is everyone else doing well?

Sorry you don't have it under control yet.

I scheduled a visit with my Endo when I noticed increased fatigue several weeks ago. My TSH had gone up, my cholesterol also went up. My TSH wasn't too high, just over 2.0, but he wants it lower, especially with how I was feeling. He increase my synthroid from .075 to .088. I am just now telling a slight difference in my tiredness.

It is also unbearably hot here and stressful due to school starting. I am hoping that by October I'll be good as new.

I did have mono as a teenager, but that was so long ago. My maternal grandma had thyroid cancer (not sure if she was hypothyroid beforehand) so I have been thinking there might be a heredity component (I have had a thyroid nodule since 1991 that is stable). My 30 something brother has some sort of autoimmune disease that has not been fully diagnosed, maybe Epstein Barr. Now I am wondering if we are all cursed somehow.

 

[DiscussDisney]

Hi everyone,
Quick question. My doctor said I was borderline hypo-thyrodism. My TSH was 5.70. He feels that I do not need medication. Is he correct or should I press him on the issue. Thanks.

 

[Patty3]

Do any of you have trouble falling asleep? I was wondering if my dosage was to high and that may be the cause. I see my Endo next month, he wants me there every three months.

 

[crz4mm2]

Hi everyone,
Quick question. My doctor said I was borderline hypo-thyrodism. My TSH was 5.70. He feels that I do not need medication. Is he correct or should I press him on the issue. Thanks.

I think you are hypo. How do you feel? Do you see an internal med doc or an endocrinologist? I think an endo would treat you, especially if you are symptomatic.