Aa
I just want to feel well.
.I am reading these posts and realize that they are very old but I am so desperate that I just want to be healthy. I am presently trying A.C.E. which is supposed to be an all natural weight loss, um NOT..waste of my money...I have so many diagnosis that I don't know what to do what to eat and what ever I do I don't lose weight. I crave suger, carbs as I have no engery all day long and that gives me just a quick fix I understand that but what to do. I am hypothyroid taking Levothyroxine, I have adrenal fatigue; Polycystic ovary Sydrome; High Cholesterol; retaining water like no other; and estrogen dominance and depression/anxiety can't imagine with all of this stuff going on being down. So yes am taking meds for each and then my doctor just put me on Metformin I am not seeing any results from this either. I am so frustrated and desperate a year ago I was 160 down to a size 8 and now I am at 211 and in 14/16's. I was doing the lite for life program when I just crashed and was craving suger like mad...well the sugar overcame me. Any suggestions out there please please replay to this desparate 43 year old wife and mother of three. God Bless. .
This discussion is related to Unable to lose weight , increase metabolism or gain energy despite diligent dieting & exercise.
This discussion is related to Unable to lose weight , increase metabolism or gain energy despite diligent dieting & exercise.
Thank you so much was to get saliva treat but I messed it up so getting new one on monday, she said I do have adrenal fatigue and I take four capsules a day with some adrenal formula but doesn't seem to be working. I am tapering off of cymbalta I have a little more energy but my face is tingling
I am a husband who has a wife with Thyroid problems. I seem to care more about how she feels than she does. I'm not wearing thin, she says I'm wearing her out with all the Thyroid stuff i give her. If she was more passionate and proactive about this, she may be treated properly. Instead she is wishy-washy and not strong enough with the Dr's so she is I think always treated just behind where she needs to be.
I understand your frustration.
One thing I read recently says that if your labs seem to indicate things are fine but clearly you are still having Hypo symptoms, it may be an indication of adrenal fatigue. You may want to get a 24 hour saliva Cortisol test done to check for this. From my understanding. Cortisol helps make sure the receptors for the FT3 are open for business and able to accept the FT3. If a shortage of Cortisol, essentially all that proper levels of FT3 in your blood have no place to go. In which case you are still Hypo because your body's cells are not getting the FT3 that is in your blood.
Just a thought.
I understand your frustration.
One thing I read recently says that if your labs seem to indicate things are fine but clearly you are still having Hypo symptoms, it may be an indication of adrenal fatigue. You may want to get a 24 hour saliva Cortisol test done to check for this. From my understanding. Cortisol helps make sure the receptors for the FT3 are open for business and able to accept the FT3. If a shortage of Cortisol, essentially all that proper levels of FT3 in your blood have no place to go. In which case you are still Hypo because your body's cells are not getting the FT3 that is in your blood.
Just a thought.
I am taking a prescription not self medicating. I am still feeling very tired, I had my sleep study consult today, have to get off of Cymbalta as this affects the reading of the test, so weening self off of that and after I am done taking it they will do my sleep study and nap sleep two weeks out. He stated it sounds as though I have sleep apnea. I am just so tired of all of this, seems if they said Tammy you have this and we will fix it but I cannot keep going on and on with nothing concrete. I pray for a end to all of this soon. My allergy appointment isn't until January. I really have decided I detest hormones and I think some people think I am faking it, they have no idea how it feels to live with this, I don't get much empathy for the way I feel from a day in day out approach from family members, my husband is wearing thin but trying to be patient. I get my labs drawn on November 7th again, will let you know what they thyroid levels are at that time but it seems I start something and then it tapers off and doesn't work like the 20 mg of Cytomel that I just started,...I just want it to end...
COMMUNITY LEADER
Are you taking the 20 mcg, on doctor's order, or did you self medicate?
Self medicating will almost always get you into trouble. 20 mcg cytomel can send you hyper in a hurry, if you don't need it; besides that, fatigue applies to both hypo and hyper.......
Once your thyroid levels are stabilized, you might not have sleep problems.
Self medicating will almost always get you into trouble. 20 mcg cytomel can send you hyper in a hurry, if you don't need it; besides that, fatigue applies to both hypo and hyper.......
Once your thyroid levels are stabilized, you might not have sleep problems.
Wow that is a lot of Cytomel!
From going from nothing to 20 mcg per day most people can not tollerate that significant of a dose without having significant side effects. Glad itseems to be working OK for you.
The ranges of any Thyroid panel are too broad. That is in reality the FT4 range should start about the middle of where most labs show the range. If it did, a lot of people would be treated and their lives improved. But instead because they remain on the low end of the range they remain feeling like crap.
Most people seem to find symptom relief when their Free T4 is in the MIDDLE of the range AND their FT3 are in the UPPER 1/3 part of the range. So you can see how simply being somewhere on the lower half of the range many people will feel terrible. Yet Dr's are reluctant to treat them.
The ranges are made by taking a sample of the population (100%) and then throwing out all of the test that are in the bottom 2.5% and the top 2.5%. This then is the range. The MAJOR problem with this mathematical and statistical "normal" distribution curve is that it results in 95% of the population to fall within that range. BUT and this is a HUGE but, there are up to maybe 20 to 25% of the population that is suffering from low Thyroid. As you can see, when there is 20% of the population that is sick, but you only throw out 2.5%. That leaves over 17% of the people will be sick but still test "normal". That does NO ONE any good!
From going from nothing to 20 mcg per day most people can not tollerate that significant of a dose without having significant side effects. Glad itseems to be working OK for you.
The ranges of any Thyroid panel are too broad. That is in reality the FT4 range should start about the middle of where most labs show the range. If it did, a lot of people would be treated and their lives improved. But instead because they remain on the low end of the range they remain feeling like crap.
Most people seem to find symptom relief when their Free T4 is in the MIDDLE of the range AND their FT3 are in the UPPER 1/3 part of the range. So you can see how simply being somewhere on the lower half of the range many people will feel terrible. Yet Dr's are reluctant to treat them.
The ranges are made by taking a sample of the population (100%) and then throwing out all of the test that are in the bottom 2.5% and the top 2.5%. This then is the range. The MAJOR problem with this mathematical and statistical "normal" distribution curve is that it results in 95% of the population to fall within that range. BUT and this is a HUGE but, there are up to maybe 20 to 25% of the population that is suffering from low Thyroid. As you can see, when there is 20% of the population that is sick, but you only throw out 2.5%. That leaves over 17% of the people will be sick but still test "normal". That does NO ONE any good!
Taking 20 felt really tired all weekend so frustrated as I started to clean got in 2.5 hours and was sweaty exhausted ect. Took a break and fell a sleep
COMMUNITY LEADER
How much of the cytomel are you actually taking daily? 10 mcg or 20 mcg?
I do have b5 deficiency take b complex. I have to admit I am scared for sleep apnea test I knoe this sounds stupid but I dont want to wear a mask if I have it. I need to reframe my mind if iit helps then yeah.
COMMUNITY LEADER
If you have "rural water", as in from a Rural Water Association, there will be chlorine in it, however, as I said, that's not necessarily bad for you. It actually protects you from bacteria that may be present in the raw water. It's only when the purveyor allows the chlorine residual to be too high for extended periods that it becomes more of a hazard.
The difference between T3 and FT3? T3 is the main thyroid hormone. Some of the T3 will attach to proteins in the blood, which causes them to become inactive/unusable; the rest of the T3 is "free", which means it's actually available for use by individual cells. When we see a test that's labeled simply "T3", it is considered to be Total T3, which measures ALL of the T3 - both, that which is bound by protein (unusable), plus that which is "free" (available for use by cells). Since it's only the FREE T3 that is used by the body, that's the level we want to see. Most labs will specify on the report if the test was for "free" T3.
The same explanation goes for Total and Free T4. The difference is that T4 is the "storage" form of thyroid hormones. T4 must be converted to T3 prior to use by the cells. Like T3, some of the T4 is bound by protein and can't be used, while the FREE T4 is available for conversion to T3.
Total T3 and Total T4 are considered to be obsolete and of little value.
You said "I am taking 10 mcg in the a.m. and then at 2:00 p.m". Does this mean you are taking a total of 20 mcg/day? Wow, that's quite a bit. I'd have thought it better to add a smaller amount of the T3 med and raise the T4 med, as well, since your FT4 is also very low.
In addition, taking a T3 med, later in the day, can also affect your sleep, so that could be part of your problem also.
Have you had your vitamin B12 levels tested? B12 deficiency can also cause extreme exhaustion.
The difference between T3 and FT3? T3 is the main thyroid hormone. Some of the T3 will attach to proteins in the blood, which causes them to become inactive/unusable; the rest of the T3 is "free", which means it's actually available for use by individual cells. When we see a test that's labeled simply "T3", it is considered to be Total T3, which measures ALL of the T3 - both, that which is bound by protein (unusable), plus that which is "free" (available for use by cells). Since it's only the FREE T3 that is used by the body, that's the level we want to see. Most labs will specify on the report if the test was for "free" T3.
The same explanation goes for Total and Free T4. The difference is that T4 is the "storage" form of thyroid hormones. T4 must be converted to T3 prior to use by the cells. Like T3, some of the T4 is bound by protein and can't be used, while the FREE T4 is available for conversion to T3.
Total T3 and Total T4 are considered to be obsolete and of little value.
You said "I am taking 10 mcg in the a.m. and then at 2:00 p.m". Does this mean you are taking a total of 20 mcg/day? Wow, that's quite a bit. I'd have thought it better to add a smaller amount of the T3 med and raise the T4 med, as well, since your FT4 is also very low.
In addition, taking a T3 med, later in the day, can also affect your sleep, so that could be part of your problem also.
Have you had your vitamin B12 levels tested? B12 deficiency can also cause extreme exhaustion.
I could have written your post. 44 here. Diagnosed with PCOS, Estrogen dominance, being evaluated for Adrenal Fatigue, no doctor can definitively tell me why i have major edema. Anxiety and depression are through the roof. I had a Total thyroidectomy 2 years ago for thyroid cancer and have never been the same. It doesn't seem like it matters what my thyroid levels are, I still feel awful. Hope we can figure this out.
You will be surprised to know that sleep apnoea is very much a reason for not losing weight and also craving sugars and feeling lethargic. I am sure you will find that with a sleep study you are probably not breathing through the night well. Our bodies really try hard to compensate and we end up in messes from this rotten problem.
Many thyroid patients should be helped with sleep study as well.
Have a look at Dr Steven Parks website, I have his book and was stunned to know how it affects our body with things that get dismissed as other things.
PCOS is also another factor you need to be treated correctly for. This problem can lead to weight issues as well. Have you been tested for diabetes?
Many thyroid patients should be helped with sleep study as well.
Have a look at Dr Steven Parks website, I have his book and was stunned to know how it affects our body with things that get dismissed as other things.
PCOS is also another factor you need to be treated correctly for. This problem can lead to weight issues as well. Have you been tested for diabetes?
I am so thankful I have you Barb135 we have rural water. I don't know we are just going to put one on our sink in the kitchen and see what happens. I am taking 10 mcg in the a.m. and then at 2:00 p.m. I do feel better today. I will have to look at the ranges, I asked her to fax me the labs but havent yet. She said my t4 was normal. Okay so I am not sure about what the difference is with t3 and ft3. I was actually able to clean house today, yeah, I just want to get back to exercising but feel so drained after working 8 hours. This is the first month I have not called in sick yet, that is good. My sleep apnea consult is scheduled for November 1. We will see what happens. My iron level was up from 18 to 28 still a long ways to go.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Water treatment is my business (I'm a licensed water treatment operator) and I can assure you that not ALL water has chlorine in it. If you are on a municipal water supply (city water), your water will have chlorine in it; however, chlorine is not necessarily "bad for you". Chlorine is used as a disinfectant, which removes bacteria from water. EPA requires that municipal water systems maintain adequate levels of chlorine; it's only "bad" for you, if the supplier allows residuals to stay very high. Very few private wells, are chlorinated.
Good that your doctor added the T3 med; however, it looks like you also need an increase in your levothyroxine to bring up your FT4, as well.
T4 must be converted to T3, in order for the body to use it. Assuming that the ranges used by your lab are similar to the ones I suggested earlier, your FT4 is also very low. If you don't have adequate FT4 levels, you have nothing to convert to T3. While adding the T3 med will increase your FT3, it will do nothing for your FT4
If you're going to take the full 10 mcg/day of liothyronine, will you be splitting it into at least doses? It's generally recommended to take 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 around noon or so.
Watch your symptoms closely, as that much T3 med all at once could cause you to swing hyper, quite quickly.
Good that your doctor added the T3 med; however, it looks like you also need an increase in your levothyroxine to bring up your FT4, as well.
T4 must be converted to T3, in order for the body to use it. Assuming that the ranges used by your lab are similar to the ones I suggested earlier, your FT4 is also very low. If you don't have adequate FT4 levels, you have nothing to convert to T3. While adding the T3 med will increase your FT3, it will do nothing for your FT4
If you're going to take the full 10 mcg/day of liothyronine, will you be splitting it into at least doses? It's generally recommended to take 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 around noon or so.
Watch your symptoms closely, as that much T3 med all at once could cause you to swing hyper, quite quickly.
I am not sure if my doctor is grasping at straws. Yes I start taking t3 meds yesterday, not seeing a whole lot of different, hoping it takes effect soon. I am low on vitamin D. Apparently all water has clorine in it and it is a bad thing for your body, thus the reason for the water purifier. I am okay if everything improves my physical health and the sunlamps in the midwest isn't a bad idea due to fall and winter is limited with sunlight. I don't have the ranges, will get them on here though need to get them from my doctor.
COMMUNITY LEADER
I'd like to see the reference ranges for your FT3 and FT4 posted above, in order to verify my previous comments.
Do you know why your doctor only ordered FT3 and not FT4?
I don't understand what you mean by "started T3 test today". Do you mean you started taking T3 medication today? Since T3 medication is available right away (doesn't have to be converted or anything), you could notice improvement quickly.
When I started taking cytomel, even though I felt better within a couple of days, it took quite a while (couple months or more) for my FT3 level to start rising.
Wow - your doctor is having you buy some pretty expensive equipment there...... I can maybe (?) see the sunlamps if you are low on vitamin D, but what's the deal with the water purifier? Have you had your water tested and know there's something wrong with it? If your water meets drinking water standards (only way to know is with laboratory analysis), there's no reason to purify it. Could your doctor be grasping at straws?
Do you know why your doctor only ordered FT3 and not FT4?
I don't understand what you mean by "started T3 test today". Do you mean you started taking T3 medication today? Since T3 medication is available right away (doesn't have to be converted or anything), you could notice improvement quickly.
When I started taking cytomel, even though I felt better within a couple of days, it took quite a while (couple months or more) for my FT3 level to start rising.
Wow - your doctor is having you buy some pretty expensive equipment there...... I can maybe (?) see the sunlamps if you are low on vitamin D, but what's the deal with the water purifier? Have you had your water tested and know there's something wrong with it? If your water meets drinking water standards (only way to know is with laboratory analysis), there's no reason to purify it. Could your doctor be grasping at straws?
Thank you. I got my labs drawn today only for ferritin and free t3 so willknow more. started t3 test today not sure how long is long enough to wait too see results. I am also going to do saliva cortizone test and my therapist is pressuring me to get sleep apnea test and allergy testing and he feels strongly this could be the under lying cause of everything. I am feeling wow more tests...overwhelmed and upset with him today. Also purchasing dynamos sunlamps for home office as well water purifier for drinking water power his recommendation, any thoughts
COMMUNITY LEADER
Do you have the lab ranges for the FT3 and FT4? Ranges vary from lab to lab, so must come from your own report. Judging from what we normally see for ranges (something like 2.3-4.2 for FT3 and 0.8-1.8 for FT4), your levels seem very low in the ranges, but your ranges could be vastly different.
It's good that your doctor is trying the metformin - that's commonly used for insulin resistance/type II diabetes, which could be affecting you, as well as the PCOS, with the sugar cravings and spiking your blood sugar levels. You might want to get blood sugar levels tested.
That's all good, but none of that is going to raise your FT3 and FT4 levels. Just being in range is not good enough; you have to be at a level that's right for YOU. It certainly appears that you could stand an increase in your levo.
It's good that your doctor is trying the metformin - that's commonly used for insulin resistance/type II diabetes, which could be affecting you, as well as the PCOS, with the sugar cravings and spiking your blood sugar levels. You might want to get blood sugar levels tested.
That's all good, but none of that is going to raise your FT3 and FT4 levels. Just being in range is not good enough; you have to be at a level that's right for YOU. It certainly appears that you could stand an increase in your levo.
One of the interesting things my Doctor told me was that compounded capsules were lower in dosage then pill form. (Even though they say the same mcg) i switched from pill form to capsules and noticed that I was not feeling as well. So we will see as I start the new dosage tomorrow. It is still capsule but higher dosage.
I have my labs that were taken on 9-9-11
Free t3 is 2.5
free t4 is 0.73
tsh is 1.98
Today my doctor started me on liothyronine 10 mcg sr bid
I am feeling just horrible a year ago I weighted 160 now at 210. My doctor things this will help and I am taking Metformin 1500 mg for POCS. As well I am taking levothyroxine 0.05 mcg. I am taking my blood test tomorrow just for free t3 and iron levels as I cannot seem to get normal on that. I am now seeing a pharmacist that compounds so that is a good start. Apparently I put to much progresterone on my body the past two weeks as I was given a syrindge and I had to break it down myself. The compound pharmacist indicated with my seperate syringes it will be easier. thankful for that. We hopefully things will start to look up, she stated she will start tackling the cymbalta I take and backing off of that as well as the lipitor and triamtermine. I am scared and just want to feel normal whatever that feeling is again.
Free t3 is 2.5
free t4 is 0.73
tsh is 1.98
Today my doctor started me on liothyronine 10 mcg sr bid
I am feeling just horrible a year ago I weighted 160 now at 210. My doctor things this will help and I am taking Metformin 1500 mg for POCS. As well I am taking levothyroxine 0.05 mcg. I am taking my blood test tomorrow just for free t3 and iron levels as I cannot seem to get normal on that. I am now seeing a pharmacist that compounds so that is a good start. Apparently I put to much progresterone on my body the past two weeks as I was given a syrindge and I had to break it down myself. The compound pharmacist indicated with my seperate syringes it will be easier. thankful for that. We hopefully things will start to look up, she stated she will start tackling the cymbalta I take and backing off of that as well as the lipitor and triamtermine. I am scared and just want to feel normal whatever that feeling is again.
If you don't already, You may want to separate the time when taking your calcium when you take your Thyroid meds. Calcium I understand reduces the absorption of T4 meds.
I also understand Selenium can help with the conversion of T4 to T3. So you may want to consider that to possibly help out.
Just some thoughts.
Since your body ONLY uses Free T3. if your T3 is low, you will need to get that up. how you do it depends.
Please post your lab results with reference ranges and we may be able to help you more.
I also understand Selenium can help with the conversion of T4 to T3. So you may want to consider that to possibly help out.
Just some thoughts.
Since your body ONLY uses Free T3. if your T3 is low, you will need to get that up. how you do it depends.
Please post your lab results with reference ranges and we may be able to help you more.
Thank you so much I will get the levels. I take levothyrocine 0.05 mcg, 10 mg of lipitor, 60mg cymbalta, progeterone cream days 12 to 28, iron, vitamin c, b complex, metformin 1500, just startef it. Vitamin e, fish oil, calcium with magnesium, I think that is it want to take ravh and throw away just tired of.taking so many and not working. I know my at whole womans health they have done t3 and t4 and reverse she said my t3 was low this time but she wanted to see if metformin works I started a month ago and then address when I see in november. She is very workable it will be a year in november I am working with her. She had completed 2 saliva tests and that is where the pcos, low cortisol, possible leaky gut but was normal range but had to switch from capsules of progesterone to cream as body didn't work
COMMUNITY LEADER
As gimel suggested, please post your latest thyroid hormone levels, along with the reference ranges, so we can better assess your treatment.
Both hypothyroidism and PCOS can cause weight gain/inability to lose, as can estrogen dominance; you've been hit on all sides!!
Metformin is often used to treat PCOS and it's my understanding that it usually works quite well; however, if your thyroid med is not adjusted properly, you still aren't going to lose weight AND there are some of us who really have to work hard at losing, even when the thyroid levels are right.
What happens with the sugar cravings is that you eat sugar/simple carbs for quick energy, because you are so tired. This causes your blood sugar to spike and you might feel okay for a while, then all of a sudden the sugar wears off and your blood sugar drops out of sight, causing more fatigue, for which you eat more sugar -- every time this happens, the cycle gets more vicious.
There are 2 types of carbohydrates -- simple and complex. Simple carbs are those found in sugar, products made with white flour, white rice, etc. Once consumed, they enter the blood stream very quickly and raise your blood sugar, sometimes to very high levels. The sugar in some fruits also raises blood sugar quickly.
Complex carbs are those found in veggies, beans, whole grains, etc. These carbs take a long time for the body to break down, so your blood sugar will remain more stable and you shouldn't feel so fatigued. In addition, eating adequate protein will help keep you more stable, as well.
havingfaith11 -- there's no need to apologize. We know you didn't intend to hijack a thread; we try to make sure that everyone's issues get dealt with, and sometimes it gets confusing when we have people with similar, yet different issues in the same thread. I'm going to go find your thread right now.
Both hypothyroidism and PCOS can cause weight gain/inability to lose, as can estrogen dominance; you've been hit on all sides!!
Metformin is often used to treat PCOS and it's my understanding that it usually works quite well; however, if your thyroid med is not adjusted properly, you still aren't going to lose weight AND there are some of us who really have to work hard at losing, even when the thyroid levels are right.
What happens with the sugar cravings is that you eat sugar/simple carbs for quick energy, because you are so tired. This causes your blood sugar to spike and you might feel okay for a while, then all of a sudden the sugar wears off and your blood sugar drops out of sight, causing more fatigue, for which you eat more sugar -- every time this happens, the cycle gets more vicious.
There are 2 types of carbohydrates -- simple and complex. Simple carbs are those found in sugar, products made with white flour, white rice, etc. Once consumed, they enter the blood stream very quickly and raise your blood sugar, sometimes to very high levels. The sugar in some fruits also raises blood sugar quickly.
Complex carbs are those found in veggies, beans, whole grains, etc. These carbs take a long time for the body to break down, so your blood sugar will remain more stable and you shouldn't feel so fatigued. In addition, eating adequate protein will help keep you more stable, as well.
havingfaith11 -- there's no need to apologize. We know you didn't intend to hijack a thread; we try to make sure that everyone's issues get dealt with, and sometimes it gets confusing when we have people with similar, yet different issues in the same thread. I'm going to go find your thread right now.
Thank you so much for the responses to mine as well. I opened up a new thread for my concerns.
Thank you so much flyingfool for the information.
Thank you so much flyingfool for the information.
I'm sorry, it wasn't my attention to hj someone's issue that was similar to mine.
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