Hypothyroidism

[teacups]

Wow.You are so lucky.I envy you! Seriously.I have been fighting weight gain for years now and have fought tooth and nail to keep weight off much less lose any weight.I'm too embarassed to say how much weight I have gained but last week I decided to go and get a thyroid test.
I was hoping and praying when they called yesterday that my test was off in some way.But nope.They said the tests came back normal.
I was in shock and very dismayed about the whole thing.
So that's why I think your lucky.

HUH? I havent read any farther than this post.. but this is so wrong. Hypo is horrible when it isnt under control. Who ever said it is easy and cheap must be graced with a wonderful doc or a body that works right. For those of us who fight this horrible thing... it's a nightmare. And you can bet your booty their will be weight gain UNLESS you get this under control. Mine wont get undercontrol

Armour Thyroid. Remember that medicine for when you get sick of Synthroid.
I wish you tons of luck!!

 

[TandT]

Hypothyroidism is known to cause periods to come more frequently. You seem to have the opposite. The doctor did say hypo not hyper right? Do you have your labs?
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/menstruation.htm

hmmm.....not sure what my level is. I was just told I have an UNDER active thyroid.

 

[cheerful chickadee]

I was born with hypothyroidism and have been on a form of synthroid since I was 2 weeks old. Right now I am on 150 micrograms of levothyroxine which is the generic for synthroid. I usually know my levels are off when I start to have headaches, feel very run down and fatigued, have mood swings and gain weight. It will take a while to find the correct dose that your body needs.

The other things I notice that are related to the thyroid issue is that (even when my levels are on point) I'm just a little sluggish most of the time (I call it BLAH), my hands and feet are always HOT, not sweaty, just HOT and I have a huge intolerance for cold weather, it actually hurts me to be out in cold for too long and the biggie for me that is frustrating right now...it's a bit of a struggle to lose weight.

For what it's worth in all my 30 years of having hypothyroidism...I've never had a problem with my eyebrows and I've given birth to 2 babies. Hypo can definitely hinder TTC if your levels are off but if they are where they should be you will have no problems at all. I see my doc for a check-up once a year (more often if my dose is adjusted) for a blood test of my levels (including cholesterol) and a quick physical to check me out and see if my thyroid gland is normal and etc.

 

[rie'smom]

Be prepared to lose 1/3 of your eyebrows. The condition will cause it, and so can the meds -- everyone I know who has hypothyroidism has truncated eyebrows that they have to pencil in. I have red hair, so I've spent the last 9 years in a never-ending quest for the perfect eyebrow pencil.

I developed Hashimoto's just after my eldest was born; my thyroid sped up insanely and I lost 50 lbs. in just a few months. When it finally destroyed itself I crashed hard, then started gaining weight again at record speed. Even once you get yourself stabilized on meds, weight will have a tendency to stick like glue; it's very hard to lose it when your thyroid is naturally low.

As for TTC, give the Synthroid a chance. I never did have any luck getting pregnant when I was taking Synthroid, but all of the testing said that it wasn't the cause of my secondary infertility. I switched to natural Thyroid hormone (swine thyroid) for other reasons 4 years in, and suddenly was able to get pregnant easily but not stay pregnant. Eventually my OB tried having me take mega-doses of folic acid, and for whatever reason, I managed to get one to stick. My kids are 10 years apart.

After going off Synthroid and on Armour, my eyebrows have regrown!! It's so nice to have the frame over my eyes again!
Synthroid did squat for my hypothyroidism.
Armour, which is natural and taken from pigs, has been a lifesaver for me. Lost the weight, depression cleared-I felt like I had a whole new life.

 

[kateydid]

Wow.You are so lucky.I envy you! Seriously.I have been fighting weight gain for years now and have fought tooth and nail to keep weight off much less lose any weight.I'm too embarassed to say how much weight I have gained but last week I decided to go and get a thyroid test.
I was hoping and praying when they called yesterday that my test was off in some way.But nope.They said the tests came back normal.
I was in shock and very dismayed about the whole thing.
So that's why I think your lucky.

wow i guess i really won the lottery then because i'm hyperthyroid. sorry, but i don't agree with you at all. NO ONE is lucky to have a thyroid disorder. i realize you're frustrated but if anything you should be grateful that you only have issues with your weight. weight problems are but one symptom of thyroid disease, it effects practically every system in the body. if you only knew what i've been through with heart palpitations and arrhythmias, tremors, anxiety, a resting heart rate of 130, mental confusion, fatigue, heat and cold intolerance, muscle weakness, insomnia, and depression just to say a few plus all the physical manifestations, thyroid enlargment (goiter), hair loss, and eye protrusion (real fun when it's only in one eye). in the 5 years since i was diagnosed i've gone from hyper, to hypo, to hyper, to hypo, to back to hyper again with very little time spent in the middle ground. it really is going to be a lifelong battle of medication adjusting for me to maintain normal hormone levels. sorry if i'm overreacting but i think it's a common misconception that people who are hypothyroid are lucky because they have a medical reason for their weight gain or those who are hyperthyroid are fortunate because they often lose weight.


OP: you'll get side-effects from synthroid if you are taking too high of a dose. they are all symptoms of hyperthyroid. keep an eye out for rapid heart rate, shakiness, high blood pressure, etc. if you want a full list it's easy enough to find if you google it. best of luck with your treatment

 

[rie'smom]

When you get your blood tests done, be sure to ask the doctor to order a Free T3 and T4.

This is good reading for those whith hypothyroid issues.

http://www.mercola.com/article/hypothyroid/diagnosis_comp.htm

http://*******.com/bythau

This is a link to Mary Shomon's book:
http://www.lulu.com/items/volume_28/450000/450505/1/print/450505.pdf


She was diagnosed with Hashimotos and did a ton of research. I love to read her articles and books because unlike many doctors, she knows what we go through in our day to day lives living with hypothyroidism.

 

[debden]

Originally Posted by debden
Wow.You are so lucky.I envy you! Seriously.I have been fighting weight gain for years now and have fought tooth and nail to keep weight off much less lose any weight.I'm too embarassed to say how much weight I have gained but last week I decided to go and get a thyroid test.
I was hoping and praying when they called yesterday that my test was off in some way.But nope.They said the tests came back normal.
I was in shock and very dismayed about the whole thing.
So that's why I think your lucky.

I really didn't mean to get everyone riled up over my remark about Hypothyroidism.
As you read in my post I am having a terrible time trying to keep weight off much less lose any weight.I have gained an average of 7lbs a year over the past 10 years and I have been fighting tooth and nail just to keep weight off.
For that reason I was hoping I had a sluggish thyroid.
It wasn't intended to upset anybody.

I don't understand why they don't go by the newer,standard guidelines.That would put me in the catagory of needing some help.
Should I mention this to my doctor??

 

[Disney Doll]

I got diagnosed in December, started Synthroid, have had no side effects that I know of.

I have lost some weight though, which is a good thing!

 

[NotUrsula]

After going off Synthroid and on Armour, my eyebrows have regrown!! It's so nice to have the frame over my eyes again!
Synthroid did squat for my hypothyroidism.
Armour, which is natural and taken from pigs, has been a lifesaver for me. Lost the weight, depression cleared-I felt like I had a whole new life.

I did say that I've been taking swine thyroid for the past 5 years. I switched in hopes that I would have the kind of response that you did, but I didn't. No change in the depression symptoms, no weight loss, and no regrowth on my eyebrows either, worse luck. What it did do was eliminate the worst of my muscle aches, and of course, I got pregnant again (which my docs tell me is unrelated, but who really knows?) I stay on it because I prefer it to synthroid.

 

[belle&sebastiansmom]

I've heard only good things about Armour. Why is it that so few doctors will prescribe it? I've had 3 endo's say no way to Armour.

 

[NotUrsula]

Conventional wisdom in the medical profession is that swine thyroid is harder to manage the dosage of, because it is not lab-created, and the strength of the pills supposedly varies. I think that USED to be true, but I have a suspicion that the pharmaceutical companies have that much more under control now. I did have a hard time finding a Dr. who would agree to try it. The dosage on mine has only had to be changed twice in 5 years, both times because of a pregnancy.

Doctors also tend not to believe the stories that swine thyroid sometimes has benefits that Synthroid does not, because the benefits in question cannot be measured empirically. They judge based on the numbers, and if the numbers are the same, they mostly don't want to use what they understand to be the harder-to-manage medication.

You might try asking to take swine thyroid rather than Armour, specifically. Armour is a name brand; there are generic versions now on the market. My insurance won't pay for Armour brand. When a certain med gets dropped by several insurance companies, Dr's will often shy away from prescribing it, so as not to have to deal with all the phone calls.

 

[teacups]

I really didn't mean to get everyone riled up over my remark about Hypothyroidism.
As you read in my post I am having a terrible time trying to keep weight off much less lose any weight.I have gained an average of 7lbs a year over the past 10 years and I have been fighting tooth and nail just to keep weight off.
For that reason I was hoping I had a sluggish thyroid.
It wasn't intended to upset anybody.

I don't understand why they don't go by the newer,standard guidelines.That would put me in the catagory of needing some help.
Should I mention this to my doctor??

You need to be in control of your treatment. If you have a pig headed doctor, go to a new doc if you can. If you are borderline with your lab results, and with your symptoms, I bet you are hypo. Can you check books out of your local library? Read From Fatigued To Fantastic (or any good thyroid book). F to F is not exactly a thyoid book. But it will help you understand that, too. Many times labs are wrong. I have had thyroid issues for 20 plus years and I 100% agree with the lab issues.

Good luck.
(PS: With Hypo you can gain 50 lbs in three months. NO... 7 lbs a year makes you the lucky one.)

 

[rie'smom]

I've heard only good things about Armour. Why is it that so few doctors will prescribe it? I've had 3 endo's say no way to Armour.

This will sound cynical but it's the way I feel:

Doctors and drug companies play footsie.

Armour challenges big pharmaceutical comapnies because they deliver a superior product at an inexpensive price. This was the drug of choice for almost 100 years. It contains both T3 and T4. Many doctors think that T4 is enough-Synthroid. However, many patients say they feel better with the addition of T3 because the brain fog lifts and they have more energy plus it helps with their depression.
What chaps me is the doctors who decide what is best don't have hypothyroidism. In a lab with a bunch of rats, they decide, "T4 is enough". Yes, it's enough to fix the levels but it's not enough to make a person feel better-it doesn't improve the quality of life for many with hypothyroidism.

Conventional wisdom in the medical profession is that swine thyroid is harder to manage the dosage of, because it is not lab-created, and the strength of the pills supposedly varies. I think that USED to be true, but I have a suspicion that the pharmaceutical companies have that much more under control now. I did have a hard time finding a Dr. who would agree to try it. The dosage on mine has only had to be changed twice in 5 years, both times because of a pregnancy.

Doctors also tend not to believe the stories that swine thyroid sometimes has benefits that Synthroid does not, because the benefits in question cannot be measured empirically. They judge based on the numbers, and if the numbers are the same, they mostly don't want to use what they understand to be the harder-to-manage medication.

You might try asking to take swine thyroid rather than Armour, specifically. Armour is a name brand; there are generic versions now on the market. My insurance won't pay for Armour brand. When a certain med gets dropped by several insurance companies, Dr's will often shy away from prescribing it, so as not to have to deal with all the phone calls.

Yes, Armour has to meet stringent standards. This is from their website:
QUESTION
Does Armour Thyroid meet federal health standards for thyroid tablets?
ANSWER
Armour Thyroid Tablets, USP, contain the labeled amounts of T4 and T3. These standards are established by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). To meet quality standards, Armour Thyroid

I've talked to some doctors who act like Armour is made in the old stills left over from the moonshiners.

Armour costs under $20 a month.

 

[TandT]

WOW... I'm gathering a lot of information from all of you ladies

Here are some of the issues I have been dealing with by having this disorder............

Cold intolerence....terribly bad

Irregular period and longer cycles

fatigue

Confusion....at least I think it's due to the hypothyroidism.

some hair loss...but not with the eyebrows...thank goodness I have thick hair or I think I would be bald

I wouldn't of put these symptoms together if it weren't for my OBGYN who thought to test my thyroid

Maybe...just maybe...I'll be able to feel good after a month being on my synthroid. I'm taking the lowest dose right now...0.25mg


It's nice to hear that the meds had something to do with helping some of you conceive I have a looooong road to go before I get too excited about getting pregnant. I have to get a uterine septum removed...that should be fun

Thanks again everyone!

 

[mfd25wife]

I have never heard about the eyebrow thing-it didn't happen to me at all. Is it just with Hashimoto's that that happens? I have just plain old hypothyroid.

It is very possible that getting your thyroid under control will help you try to conceive as it is a hormone regulator in the body.

I have Hashi. I have no problem with eyebrows at all. Mine are rather thick and have to be waxed regularly.

HUH? I havent read any farther than this post.. but this is so wrong. Hypo is horrible when it isnt under control. Who ever said it is easy and cheap must be graced with a wonderful doc or a body that works right. For those of us who fight this horrible thing... it's a nightmare. And you can bet your booty their will be weight gain UNLESS you get this under control. Mine wont get undercontrol

Armour Thyroid. Remember that medicine for when you get sick of Synthroid.
I wish you tons of luck!!

Hypo is no fun at all. I had no idea in the beginning how difficult it can make your life. I haven't gained much weight from it, but I have so many other problems with it, at least one thing isn't too bad.

wow i guess i really won the lottery then because i'm hyperthyroid. sorry, but i don't agree with you at all. NO ONE is lucky to have a thyroid disorder. i realize you're frustrated but if anything you should be grateful that you only have issues with your weight. weight problems are but one symptom of thyroid disease, it effects practically every system in the body. if you only knew what i've been through with heart palpitations and arrhythmias, tremors, anxiety, a resting heart rate of 130, mental confusion, fatigue, heat and cold intolerance, muscle weakness, insomnia, and depression just to say a few plus all the physical manifestations, thyroid enlargment (goiter), hair loss, and eye protrusion (real fun when it's only in one eye). in the 5 years since i was diagnosed i've gone from hyper, to hypo, to hyper, to hypo, to back to hyper again with very little time spent in the middle ground. it really is going to be a lifelong battle of medication adjusting for me to maintain normal hormone levels. sorry if i'm overreacting but i think it's a common misconception that people who are hypothyroid are lucky because they have a medical reason for their weight gain or those who are hyperthyroid are fortunate because they often lose weight.


OP: you'll get side-effects from synthroid if you are taking too high of a dose. they are all symptoms of hyperthyroid. keep an eye out for rapid heart rate, shakiness, high blood pressure, etc. if you want a full list it's easy enough to find if you google it. best of luck with your treatment

Mine changes between 250 mcg and 300mcg. I hate when I have to go to 275 like I am now since I have to take two pills for it-one 200 and one 75.

WOW... I'm gathering a lot of information from all of you ladies

Here are some of the issues I have been dealing with by having this disorder............

Cold intolerence....terribly bad

Irregular period and longer cycles

fatigue

Confusion....at least I think it's due to the hypothyroidism.

some hair loss...but not with the eyebrows...thank goodness I have thick hair or I think I would be bald

I wouldn't of put these symptoms together if it weren't for my OBGYN who thought to test my thyroid

Maybe...just maybe...I'll be able to feel good after a month being on my synthroid. I'm taking the lowest dose right now...0.25mg


It's nice to hear that the meds had something to do with helping some of you conceive I have a looooong road to go before I get too excited about getting pregnant. I have to get a uterine septum removed...that should be fun

Thanks again everyone!

I have the symptons you listed but there are others to look for. I am glad I'm not the only one who hurts in the cold weather.

A couple of other symptoms if yours stays too low:

Depression (I get really grouchy if it's too high)
Muscle spasms
Headaches
Extremely dry skin

I am fortunate in that my Dr. pays attention to my symptoms not just the numbers. I can usually tell from my moods first if it is starting to swing one way or the other.

Good Luck to you. It's not easy to fix, but it will get better.

 

[lowie]

I am fortunate in that my Dr. pays attention to my symptoms not just the numbers. I can usually tell from my moods first if it is starting to swing one way or the other.

Good Luck to you. It's not easy to fix, but it will get better.

this is a very good thing. it's hard to find a doctor like that and if you do, stick with them!

i also have hashimoto's. when i was first diagnosed my TSH was at about 10.5. i thought that was high until my sister was diagnosed with a 50+. really though, people are different and i may feel great at 3.0 but others may still feel sluggish and have other symptoms.

if my TSH goes too low i get awful dizzy spells and heart palpitations.

my eyebrows are fine but i lose hair like crazy. my muscles in my arms ache if i hold them over my head too long (like when i dry my hair).

after being diagnosed i was HAPPY! i was hopeful that being on the meds would give me back my life, make me skinny and give me abundant energy. what it did was regulate my cycles (but that didn't last, i usually only get 2-3 periods a year, although conceiving wasn't an issue for me) and help me get motivated everyday. i'm sure lots of people lose weight but it didn't help me. what helps me lose weight is eating right and exersizing.

I'm on levoxyl 175. i was on synthroid for years but switched over about 3 years ago. my sister tried armour and after about a year went to levoxyl.