Hyper/ hypo / to Crazy! HELP!

Wondering if there is anyone out there who's interferone induced (non antibodies) Hypothyroidism. balanced itself out after Tx?  Without staying on the meds?  Just looking for any hope I can find here. :(


Sent this post to Trish's thread when she found out she flipped to Hypo like I just did yesterday.....but thought I would cut and paste as I have no energy to write much... sorry guys... just wanted to give you my numbers and looking for some sanity in all this...from anyone who has any to spare! :) LOL  


Well Trish we are keeping  in line it seems.... no sooner did your Hyper flip to Hypo...( as many suggested it/mine would) I found out today so did mine! :(  I have to admit after being found UND and being on that high.... this is a real downer.   My doc said alot of the same things I read here...  might have the anti bodies, might just be the chemo bla bla bla....   He did not "name" anything yet. I see the Endo in Nov I am sure she will do that.   Checking for Graves...antibodies everything they check for.

Nygirl....you seem to be doing well on the synthroid...    but  are there side effects of these drugs too? I  no sooner get excited about being UND at week 4 and 12 and getting to stop putting this Poison in my body, if/when all stays well... I hear I might have to take something else.... forever!?   :(  

I am trying to go with.... it will all turn around when the tx stops....but will have to deal, if the antibodies show in November. Sigh.... :(  

I have absolutely no symptoms....except my TSH went from 0.01   2 weeks ago to 57.97 today! Does anyone know if that Is enormously high?  Sounds incredibly high to me!  As I said I am hoping someone put the decimal in the wrong place!!!  My students do all the time. Why not!  I know that is really grasping at straws right???

All other labs were great... Liver functions (ALT) Normal.... everything.

I am not more fatigued than before tx, no weight gain, nothing I can "feel". This baffles my doc a bit.  He said a symptom is also low heart rate that has been good as well. Unless they just have not started yet.

Trish I rememember you talking about having the shakes??? I actually have been feeling ok except the tx  fatigue and after the shot I am a zombie for 2 days...nothing new there though!

Did everyone with this also gain weight quickly???   Does it matter if you just don't eat!!! I am at my right weight no more no less...what I should be. Should I start dieting NOW!!
Fill the fridge with Celery???

I have been trying to stay so bloody positive....this has just been such a let down....but again it could be worse...it always can.... as you said Trish we have to try to count our blessings. I am trying.... just got the news...and came here to my secrete place of safety and comfort and unbiased answers and support!

Just feeling like I need a shoulder tonight..... or shoulders I know many of you have been right where I am today!   I am here for you too!    

Did you start the meds yet Trish?  Hope you are feeling better all around!  

Well hope everyone else had a better Monday and better news.
Looking forward to hearing some good news when you go to the doc Trish. I Forget if you are having the antibodies test Today???  

Best to all     sorry about the down tone of this post. I am trying to look on the bright side!   I said trying. ;)
Dragon Tamer

[Marcia2202]

I can't help with any of this, but just wanted to tell you that I will me sending warm thoughts and prayers your way.

Marcia

[Kristina538]

I met a lady who's just completed 48 weeks of tx.   She went from hyper to hypo and her TSH was very high.   She has been on medication since and will now be waiting to see whether it settles (or not).   She actually missed a critical blood test (doh!!!) and was 'late' medicated - I believe her readings went higher than yours but forget the exact number, and it was picked up late.  

It also depends on your T3 and T4 readings.  At present my TSH is 0.08 but my T3 and T4 are normal so they are 'keeping an eye on me' as presently I'm 'sub-clinical' because of the 2 normal readings and no sx's from it (I don't think unless that's the 'I can't get to sleep' thing I've had from Day 1 lol!!!)   It could alter at any time so I have the thyroid tests routinely with my monthly bloods.

I'm still investigating all of this;  I googled and entered in the search engine here as well.  A number of folks on the site have had similar;  I'm sorry I can't give more information on your particular figures but I was surprised that your Doc was 'surprised'??   It does seem to be something they watch out for (my nurse picked it up because I looked 'cold' - but I felt the cold pre-tx anyway).    Good luck with it;  I hope it settles down and doesn't contribute to the sx's......

[meakea]

A friend of mine who has hypothyroidism (not a Hep C patient), has a TSH level that is high like yours once in a while and they just adjust her meds and that takes care of it.  In fact, her number has been much higher than yours at times.

I started Hep C Tx on 9-5 and, prior to TX, my TSH was a little high at 7.5.  I was sent to an Endocrinologist who said that I had "subclinical hypothyroidism" but that since I didn't have any obvious symptoms she didn't want to TX me for it yet.  She wanted to wait until my TSH reached about 10 or until I started having symptoms.

One week after starting Hep C tx, my TSH went up to 8.4 and my GI spoke to my Endocrinologist who decided to go ahead and start me on Synthroid because I was showing some symptoms that could have been from the Hep C meds or could have been my hypothyroidism.  After a week on the Synthroid, I felt much, much better and I have no side effects from the thyroid med.  

So...I don't have the exact scenario you are looking for but I'm just giving you my background to let you know that having thyroid problems isn't really that big of a deal in the scope of things...as long as your doctors are monitoring you for it - which they are.

Best of luck.

[meakea]

P.S....  I haven't had any weight gain or weight loss to speak of either before or after starting thyroid meds.  I'm monitoring my calorie intake quite closely because I do not want to lose any weight and I don't really want to gain any either.

[nygirl7]

Started hyper (0.0) and went to hyper right after (6.2 TSH).

Been on synthroid since then unfortunately........at least it is manageable and now my thyroid measures at a perfect 2.  So, one pill a day is the way.  At first I gainned weight FAST but now it's evened out (thank God in heaven I would have blown up like a balloon if it kept on going!).  So it is worth making sure you do start the meds on time - it takes a month or two for them to start to work.......and in that month or two a lifetime of dieting and sacrificing went right out the window.  All those lovely cheesburgers and fries I could have had!  :(

I wish I could post oppositely but I haven't seen too many who have reverted - but there have been a few I believe.

Sorry DT.....but I do hope that you are one of the few.  No reason that you can't be!

Just make sure you watch those levels closely!

Deb (the other DT)

[TeeVee36]

I started on Synthroid after my first lab came back after my first week of tx.  The NP told me I was borderline Hypo and was probably like that all along because one week of tx wouldn't have done it that quick.  Long story short, I am finished tx (almost 6 mos) and still taking the thyroid meds.  I made an appt on my own to see a Endo because no one is really following me for my thyroid.  I have a lpre-filled lab slip in my car which I will use in two more wks when I go get my 6 mo post PCR done and the results will include my tsh.  I am still in the thyroid meds because I insisted on staying on them for fear of a problem with my thyroid and weight gain.  They gave me a 6 mos script and off I went.  I have been told that once you take thyroid meds you have to take them for the rest of your life because they destroy your thyroid and it is no big deal.  As NYgirl said, "one pill a day is the way."  

I am looking forward to my Endo appt on December 2 with a very reputable doctor.  I told them my condition was medically induced and they were shocked when I told them my gastro doc was the one following me or not really following me.

I guess you wouldn't want to start on the meds if you don't have to...

Glad you are UND!

TV

[DragonTamer]

Thanks for all the info and sharing your experiences....   sorry about the missing cheeseburgers Nygirl!    but I bet it's worth it every time you look in the mirror!! Come on admit it!!!  LOL  

Well I guess what freaked me out was how high they went from 0.01 to 57.97 in a week!
My Doc PCP  called that night with the report (she had yet to read) and almost blew out my ear drum, when she read it! "WHAT!" She shrieked!  I don't know if that is because she is not an Endo (see her in Nov) and does not know enough about it but she was really shocked it went so high so fast...of course raising my anxieties...because she said she never saw numbers go so high so fast. That was reassuring to me as you can imagine! ;)

She ordered new lab work I will do tomorrow...she even suggested lab error, as I have no symptoms either way...and T4 and T3 are normal...  but my gut tells me it is the interferon.   Been researching...on what to eat etc...  iron, which we are not suppossed to have, is good for thyroid....I have been been avoiding iron like the plague.  so x that!  Selenium is also important.  Iodine is very important and I found out the fancy French sea salt I have been using is non iodized! See what happens when you try to be snobby!  LOL
Switched back to good old American Mortons!!!  
So I really don't want to start messing with supplements again  till I'm off  tx.

Found out what not to eat... cabbage, broccoli brussel sprouts..anthing in the goiter-something family. But you guys probably know all this. I have no problem not eating brussle sprouts!! ;)  

Well time and labs will tell.... so glad to hear you all are doing well on  the meds...seems Synthroid is the med of choice here. I have heard so much about    Armour Thyroid??
But I read and my doc and some others have said it has fallen out of favor with many doctors because they use the more natural pig protein to make it...but their therory is if that pig is sick in anyway that could be passed on to us. Big controversay there, I guess some still use it with good results.

But the thought that animals might be hurt in the process turns me right  off of that.  You all seem to be having great results with Synthroid so sounds good to me!   I am feeling better about the whole issue...and I will not be surprized when i do the labs that the number came down some...because I was feeling, (even before knowing the #'s)something hit me with a brick.  I have not been undoely depressed with tx at all ...no sx like that the whole time from the tx...   but suddenly last week could feel myself slipping very very low into darkness all of a sudden...and that is just not me. Then got the numbers and said AHA!  There was a reason!  Depression is a big time side of thyroid problems.  Now I feel I am climbing out of the abyss again...wont be surprised if the numbers went down. Well see... Just a hunch.  

Thanks again  all for being so thoughtful to share your experiences!!  
Hope you all have the day you need to have!!  
D.T