Should I give up that this drug is going to work ?

[molly121]

I have been sick since last fall with Hypothyroidism. I have been taking 50 mcg of generic Synthroid. It hasn't done the trick for me and they tried 75 mcg last fall and I went into overdose with it - heart palpitations and very jittery. I am in a lot of agony - painful low back pain, pain in legs when walking, numbness and tingling in hands, arms and  feet and legs ,  and my current Endo doctor after the previous one took me off of the drug (a horror story) , well, I am no better, and here are my most recent labs as of 2/24/11 : Free T4  1.06   (0.7-1.7),  Free T3  2.4    (2.6-4.4),  TSH  0.55  (0.27-4.2) after being back on 50 mcg meds for a month.  This Endo doc then tried to say that it must be something OTHER than my thryoid, but to continue taking the generic Synthroid. I went to my Neurologist where I go for my Migraine problems - he did a painful EMG test - he found Sensory damage with peripheral neuropathy. He ordered blood tests - they drew 15 vials of BLOOD from me for autoimmune tests and cancer -- the tests were Negative. I went back to my Endo doc, as it bothered me that he blew OFF the  low Free T3 Reading....it was low and he had made nothing of it when saying that it wasn't my Thyroid ???  I did some research and read about Cytomel. I asked him about putting me on it - as it is T3. He poo pooed it, but was willing to try it. I was on 5 mcg generic Cytomel for 2 days and had a lot of side effects....that was a Saturday and I stopped taking it and called the doc on Monday - he didn't return my phone call and I called in again - he happened to be the doctor ON CALL and I got him - he told me to take ONE 5 mcg per day instead. I split the pill in half and take half in am and half at night. Tomorrow will be a week - so far I am NO better ? The doc said it works quick & I should know soon if it is working. Should I have already have felt a difference or not ? Is it too soon to give up on it if it hasn't worked in a week? I have dry eye for 2 yrs. & am 57.

[molly121]

   But the literature that came with my prescription said to call the doctor immediately if that happened - that it was dangerous - and the information on the Net I've read all says that you are in Overdose by having those symptoms ...And you can have heart damage -  thickening of the heart from it.  Did this happen to you while on too high a dose of Synthroid ?  

[tinman80]

my endo put me on a beta blocker cause i was having jitters and a racing pulse and it took about 3 weeks but it really started helping.

[molly121]

  
  Dr. Mark,
  
   As far as working with my doctor, if the generic Cytomel doesn't work, what am I to do ?  I am fatigued, having night sweats, sleepy, having tingling and numbness, low backpain, and at times my legs get weak and can barely walk. My Endo dr. has all but given up on me when my Free T3 was 2.4 (2.6-4.4).... and declared it isn't my thyroid ???? with such a low T3 reading ? How?  If the Cytomel doesn't work - then what should I do next ?  When I was given the 75 mcg of generic Synthroid, I felt great for the day before I experience the overdose symptoms. I could walk again, no pain, it was like a miracle. So 75 is too much, but 50 isn't enough. What if I took a 50 and half a 25 ?  I saw someone on here is taking 162.5 mcg of Synthroid, so they would have had to split a pill to do it....  My life really isn't worth living right now, as I have Depression also with this. Between the physical pain and the depression, the suffering is terrible. I want my life back. If the generic Cytomel does NOT work - what should I do next, as my doctor has more or less washed his HANDS of me......and my Neurologist wants to do CT scans and Spinal taps if it doesn't work ?? HELP ME PLEASE !!!

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

Would continue working with your doctors about your hypothyroid treatment.
Usually patients know within a few weeks if the T3 is helping, even then, this benefit is not always sustained.

[molly121]

I am also FEMALE and have been having night sweats at times while being on the generic Cytomel drug, but I was having having them and hot flashes on and off BEFORE I started to get sick last fall, for some 3 YEARS now...I've also had Restless Legs on and off for just as many years. I went into menopause early - at age 45, by the way - after the death of my father who passed away from a lingering cancer illness, myelofibrosis - which was very upsetting.