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Subclinical Hypothyroidism
I was recently diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. Subclinical Hypothyroidism to be exact. I have a few questions that I hope you guys can answer. I've read a really long thread that I found my the search engine that convinced me to sign up. You guys seem very informative. Hope you can help me.
They want to put me on Levothyroxine which I'm against. I am a believer in natural stuff so I mentioned I take Armour. They told me to think about it. They told me all the stuff I've read about. That it's unrealiable. That you get too much etc. I'm suppose to be getting another thyroid test hopefully soon (to see if it's changed) and then they are going to determine a course of action. I told them that I went on a strict diet in 2005. That I started drinking Soy milk and lots of soy related products. My hair started looking dull in March of 06. I got sick in April with a fever and my hair started falling out like crazy.
Once I started eating meat and protein again, the hair stopped falling out (8 months later) but hasn't full recovered. I'm convinced the Soy Milk is what caused the thyroid issue as no one in my family has these health issues. I developed sweating issues and once off the soy milk this past September, their nearly non existant. I don't know if the continued sweating (hardly bad) is from the thyroid or if its from certain food that has soy in it. It's hard to avoid. I try to eat organic and watch what I eat.
Everyone in my family has a full head of my hair. They checked my testosterone and since it's normal, they now think the hair loss is because of the thyroid. Can't these doctors make up their mind? In the beginning he told me that his boss recommends Armour but he doesn't. Now a couple months later he's telling that his boss doesn't. What's going on here? Is he that desperate to get me on a synthetic drug? He wants me to think about Levothyroxine.
I've also read that in some cases, the subclinical kind can go away on it's own. I'm thinking that being off the soy milk will definately help it but I've read that it can take 3 months to get the toxicity of the soy out of my system. Maybe even longer depending on how long I took it for. I'm so desperate to get things moving here. I've been a bug on the wall for 3 years. Tired, exhausted, insomnia, sweating issues, tremors, heart palps. It's crazy stuff.
I'm very confused about the dosage talk about these pills. I've read that it's better to split the pill in half and take half in the morning and half around supper. I have a high TSH (7.02) but I believe my T3 and T4 are normal. I would like to know how all this works. What exactly has to be done to make the TSH go down? What do I need to watch out for? How long does it take to work? Anything else you think I should would be appriciated.
Thanks
Sean
They want to put me on Levothyroxine which I'm against. I am a believer in natural stuff so I mentioned I take Armour. They told me to think about it. They told me all the stuff I've read about. That it's unrealiable. That you get too much etc. I'm suppose to be getting another thyroid test hopefully soon (to see if it's changed) and then they are going to determine a course of action. I told them that I went on a strict diet in 2005. That I started drinking Soy milk and lots of soy related products. My hair started looking dull in March of 06. I got sick in April with a fever and my hair started falling out like crazy.
Once I started eating meat and protein again, the hair stopped falling out (8 months later) but hasn't full recovered. I'm convinced the Soy Milk is what caused the thyroid issue as no one in my family has these health issues. I developed sweating issues and once off the soy milk this past September, their nearly non existant. I don't know if the continued sweating (hardly bad) is from the thyroid or if its from certain food that has soy in it. It's hard to avoid. I try to eat organic and watch what I eat.
Everyone in my family has a full head of my hair. They checked my testosterone and since it's normal, they now think the hair loss is because of the thyroid. Can't these doctors make up their mind? In the beginning he told me that his boss recommends Armour but he doesn't. Now a couple months later he's telling that his boss doesn't. What's going on here? Is he that desperate to get me on a synthetic drug? He wants me to think about Levothyroxine.
I've also read that in some cases, the subclinical kind can go away on it's own. I'm thinking that being off the soy milk will definately help it but I've read that it can take 3 months to get the toxicity of the soy out of my system. Maybe even longer depending on how long I took it for. I'm so desperate to get things moving here. I've been a bug on the wall for 3 years. Tired, exhausted, insomnia, sweating issues, tremors, heart palps. It's crazy stuff.
I'm very confused about the dosage talk about these pills. I've read that it's better to split the pill in half and take half in the morning and half around supper. I have a high TSH (7.02) but I believe my T3 and T4 are normal. I would like to know how all this works. What exactly has to be done to make the TSH go down? What do I need to watch out for? How long does it take to work? Anything else you think I should would be appriciated.
Thanks
Sean
COMMUNITY LEADER
You've attached your comments to a very old thread and Thypatient is no longer active on the forum.
Just for your information, everyone is entitled to put their opinion out there and if you disagree with it, that's fine; go ahead and state your own opinion, but there's no need to be rude.
Just for your information, everyone is entitled to put their opinion out there and if you disagree with it, that's fine; go ahead and state your own opinion, but there's no need to be rude.
No its true. Any pharmacy company is given a 20% discrepancy. That means you can be 20% over or 20% under. I produce and sell supplements on ebay and i know ALL about dosing and what is legal and what is not. Another thing that is allowable is a discrepancy on calorie count. i *think* its 20% as well. Please dont add to the misunderstandings by putting your opinion out there.
That's interesting! My mentioning of the 'about' site got bleeped. But the mentioning of it in the original message above I was referring to did not. And that one showed the entire address.
Hmm...
Hmm...
Yes, I am mainly talking about the ‘stop the madness’ site, as well as the thyroid site at ‘about *******,’ referred to above. They are two examples. Sadly, there are many more (like ‘dr rind’).
At this point, it’s gotten where when someone avers misguided and/or incorrect information, or who has a question that seem way off; it’s almost guaranteed they’ve been on those sites.
Personally, I don’t take anything they say as valid. In fact, I say, “Steer clear!” I also say, well, recommend that if you want to search out information about thyroid disease to start with the thyroid associations like the ATA and the university websites.
I do hope your current thyroid situation and health get resolved soon. Take care.
At this point, it’s gotten where when someone avers misguided and/or incorrect information, or who has a question that seem way off; it’s almost guaranteed they’ve been on those sites.
Personally, I don’t take anything they say as valid. In fact, I say, “Steer clear!” I also say, well, recommend that if you want to search out information about thyroid disease to start with the thyroid associations like the ATA and the university websites.
I do hope your current thyroid situation and health get resolved soon. Take care.
COMMUNITY LEADER
PCP is Primary Care Physician.
Thypatient can speak for herself, but I think what she is trying to tell you is to be careful about believing all the info you read. Just because a web site says something that might fit your circumstances, says what you want to hear, or offers a miracle cure doesn't mean they are correct. I've only been diagnosed with this disease for a few months, but it didn't take me long to figure out that there's no "miracle cure", so stay with the old adage "if it SOUNDS too good to be true, it probably IS to good to be true". A lot of websites imply that you can treat hypothyroidism yourself, without prescribed meds and there could be instances where that might be possible and there are some things you can do to contribute to or enhance your treatment, but if you need meds, you need meds!!
Regarding your question about doctors overlooking symptoms: it's more like ignoring them rather overlooking them. It's possible, if the labs are all within the normal ranges and they can't seem to explain why you still have symptoms, you might be told that it's not related to the thyroid issue or as recently happened to me: I was told that "95% of people who have this symptom, have nothing wrong with them - it's just stress". Yet the more I read, the more I find that a huge percentage of the people who have hypothroidism have the symptom - does that mean we are all a bunch of stressed out loonies?? I don't think so!!
As far as questions, testimonials, etc. By all means, ask all the questions you have and it's fair to expect a logical answer to each one. If you have credible information regarding drugs or other issues, etc - by all means bring it along, but remember, CREDIBLE is the key word here. I personally would not present "testamonials". The bottom line is that you want your doctor to seriously consider each and every one of your symptoms and questions and your treatment should be tailored to your individual needs, so what's right for someone else might not be right for you; therefore, it's unlikely that your doctor would be willing to read testimonials or take you seriously.
Just as you expect your doctor to listen to each of your symptoms and answer your questions logically, you must be prepared to listen to the answers and if the doctor has a logical reason for not prescribing a certain med or doing things a certain way, you need to be willing to consider everything s/he says. If you have completely discussed the situation with your doctor and you still feel as if s/he is not receptive to your suggestions, sympathetic to your symptoms, answering your questions or is minimizing your discomfort, then you will need to consider finding a different doctor.
I hope I helped a little bit. Just keep an open mind.
Thypatient can speak for herself, but I think what she is trying to tell you is to be careful about believing all the info you read. Just because a web site says something that might fit your circumstances, says what you want to hear, or offers a miracle cure doesn't mean they are correct. I've only been diagnosed with this disease for a few months, but it didn't take me long to figure out that there's no "miracle cure", so stay with the old adage "if it SOUNDS too good to be true, it probably IS to good to be true". A lot of websites imply that you can treat hypothyroidism yourself, without prescribed meds and there could be instances where that might be possible and there are some things you can do to contribute to or enhance your treatment, but if you need meds, you need meds!!
Regarding your question about doctors overlooking symptoms: it's more like ignoring them rather overlooking them. It's possible, if the labs are all within the normal ranges and they can't seem to explain why you still have symptoms, you might be told that it's not related to the thyroid issue or as recently happened to me: I was told that "95% of people who have this symptom, have nothing wrong with them - it's just stress". Yet the more I read, the more I find that a huge percentage of the people who have hypothroidism have the symptom - does that mean we are all a bunch of stressed out loonies?? I don't think so!!
As far as questions, testimonials, etc. By all means, ask all the questions you have and it's fair to expect a logical answer to each one. If you have credible information regarding drugs or other issues, etc - by all means bring it along, but remember, CREDIBLE is the key word here. I personally would not present "testamonials". The bottom line is that you want your doctor to seriously consider each and every one of your symptoms and questions and your treatment should be tailored to your individual needs, so what's right for someone else might not be right for you; therefore, it's unlikely that your doctor would be willing to read testimonials or take you seriously.
Just as you expect your doctor to listen to each of your symptoms and answer your questions logically, you must be prepared to listen to the answers and if the doctor has a logical reason for not prescribing a certain med or doing things a certain way, you need to be willing to consider everything s/he says. If you have completely discussed the situation with your doctor and you still feel as if s/he is not receptive to your suggestions, sympathetic to your symptoms, answering your questions or is minimizing your discomfort, then you will need to consider finding a different doctor.
I hope I helped a little bit. Just keep an open mind.
Barb
The only thing I do truly believe about thyroid meds is that some are allergic to the 'fillers' used in manufacturing them.
As I said previouly I have never tried a generic brand of thyroxin or Armour so wouldnt know.
I also believe that what may be good for one person may not be for another (as in my case Armour or Natural Pig Hormone).
T4 medication goes to work on me like a rocket within 3 days of taking it as I am drug sensitive whereas others it may take a few weeks...everyone is different.
Read the knowledge and then stand back and use the knowledge which you honestly believe is true.
Thypatient is right about a lot of unconventional and incorrect info out there on the net, believe me.
And a few websites know the desperation of you wanting to get better and use that in an attempt to 'con' you.
One example of incorrect info is that RAI causes the thyroid to 'dump' and its a big no-no to have RAI. I waited for green things to grow out of my ears (which obviously they didnt). Well at least last time I looked I didnt have any lol.
Each to his own treatment I say and whatever works for you but be very careful of ill- informed advice.
I am not anti Thyroidectomy and I am not anti-RAI and any suggestion I make to anyone who is hyperthyroid with Graves is......Try ATDS first for at least a year.
Obviously some cant because of heart issues or severe hyper symptoms.
But as the old saying goes....if it aint broken, dont fix it.
It is everyones personal choice in treatment and it is up to everyone to find the best that works for them.
Ask your Doctors questions...have them all written down before you go.
I used to write mine on my shopping list pad lol.
My Doc is great but oh boy, have I put him through the mill sometimes. He said to me last week..."Deb, I would always wonder 'which Deb' I was seeing that day".
Mainly the teary crying Deb, The angry Deb, The 'I dont give a Rats Deb'.
Oh yes, I always said the Graves Rage is a REAL THING and still stand by that statement.
Research all you can but the most important thing of all is...Be Kind To Yourself.
Also one word of advice....try and focus on other things besides the thyroid.
I found I couldnt go an hour without talking about 'the dreaded thyroid in my conversations.
Now I can as I realised just what I was doing. I was letting it consume me to the point of obsession because of being so sick.
I dont do that now, I have gone back to a job I did 25 years ago. I work in an Aged care Facility for Dementia and Acute Chronic Schizophrenia and I am now also studying a further course in Dementia.
It is hard work but rewarding.
The one thing I wanted through this crazy thyroid illness was my life back.
I got it.
And that was only 6 months after RAI.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, believe me.
But being positive makes all the difference , even when you feel like giving up which I did many times.
Take Care
The only thing I do truly believe about thyroid meds is that some are allergic to the 'fillers' used in manufacturing them.
As I said previouly I have never tried a generic brand of thyroxin or Armour so wouldnt know.
I also believe that what may be good for one person may not be for another (as in my case Armour or Natural Pig Hormone).
T4 medication goes to work on me like a rocket within 3 days of taking it as I am drug sensitive whereas others it may take a few weeks...everyone is different.
Read the knowledge and then stand back and use the knowledge which you honestly believe is true.
Thypatient is right about a lot of unconventional and incorrect info out there on the net, believe me.
And a few websites know the desperation of you wanting to get better and use that in an attempt to 'con' you.
One example of incorrect info is that RAI causes the thyroid to 'dump' and its a big no-no to have RAI. I waited for green things to grow out of my ears (which obviously they didnt). Well at least last time I looked I didnt have any lol.
Each to his own treatment I say and whatever works for you but be very careful of ill- informed advice.
I am not anti Thyroidectomy and I am not anti-RAI and any suggestion I make to anyone who is hyperthyroid with Graves is......Try ATDS first for at least a year.
Obviously some cant because of heart issues or severe hyper symptoms.
But as the old saying goes....if it aint broken, dont fix it.
It is everyones personal choice in treatment and it is up to everyone to find the best that works for them.
Ask your Doctors questions...have them all written down before you go.
I used to write mine on my shopping list pad lol.
My Doc is great but oh boy, have I put him through the mill sometimes. He said to me last week..."Deb, I would always wonder 'which Deb' I was seeing that day".
Mainly the teary crying Deb, The angry Deb, The 'I dont give a Rats Deb'.
Oh yes, I always said the Graves Rage is a REAL THING and still stand by that statement.
Research all you can but the most important thing of all is...Be Kind To Yourself.
Also one word of advice....try and focus on other things besides the thyroid.
I found I couldnt go an hour without talking about 'the dreaded thyroid in my conversations.
Now I can as I realised just what I was doing. I was letting it consume me to the point of obsession because of being so sick.
I dont do that now, I have gone back to a job I did 25 years ago. I work in an Aged care Facility for Dementia and Acute Chronic Schizophrenia and I am now also studying a further course in Dementia.
It is hard work but rewarding.
The one thing I wanted through this crazy thyroid illness was my life back.
I got it.
And that was only 6 months after RAI.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, believe me.
But being positive makes all the difference , even when you feel like giving up which I did many times.
Take Care
Thypatient, what site are you refering to? Stopthethyroidmadness.com?
Barb135, what is PCP?
And to anyone, is it true that some doctors will over look your symptoms even though the TSH is within normal range?
Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do when I go to the docs? Like bring in testimonials? or info etc?
Barb135, what is PCP?
And to anyone, is it true that some doctors will over look your symptoms even though the TSH is within normal range?
Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do when I go to the docs? Like bring in testimonials? or info etc?
COMMUNITY LEADER
I agree that one has to be very careful of the info we believe. I try to look first for articles from places like say, Wikipedia, Mayo Clinic or other large hospitals/universities, etc. The commercial web sites are all trying to sell things so they are obviously going to be pretty biased with the info they give you. I trust the posts made here on MedHelp, but also keep in mind that what works for someone else is not necessarily going to work for me and visa versa. And although I've had a problem with my PCP, I trust that most doctors are trying to do the best they can. The problem I have is having one who is trying to treat a problem without getting all the tests run or taking into consideration all my symptoms etc in order to provide the care possible.
As far as the potency of synthetic thryoid meds - I am quite sure that the FDA has strict manufacturing standards that must be maintained and I can't believe that 100 mcg pills can have a spread of "80 to 120 mcg". That's a HUGE discrepancy and I would think could be downright dangerous.
Good luck.
As far as the potency of synthetic thryoid meds - I am quite sure that the FDA has strict manufacturing standards that must be maintained and I can't believe that 100 mcg pills can have a spread of "80 to 120 mcg". That's a HUGE discrepancy and I would think could be downright dangerous.
Good luck.
Welcome. Thank you for joining and sharing.
I agree there’s nothing wrong with seeking out information. I agree with finding a new dr if the current one doesn’t seem right. I also agree that it seems like you have already made up your mind, so ultimately I wish you good luck.
However, I do want to caution you on some of the information out there about thyroid disease and treatments. Not all of it is credible. In fact, a lot of it is, sadly, not credible. You really have to use a discerning mind on just about everything you come across – especially items coming from commercial internet websites. A lot of them turn out to be only info-mericals.
When I was first diagnosed I came across sites, like the ones mentioned above, that sounded excellent. I was really impressed with the ‘being well informed,’ ‘taking the bull by the horns’ and ‘I’m not going to be pushed around by the medical world’ attitude. It all struck me as so liberating (…even when I had nothing yet to be liberated from).
Then I came across on these sites so many pieces of misinformation, misleading statements and things that were just plain wrong. And I’m not just talking about on the subject of thyroid; I’m talking about basic biology, chemistry and physiology. As I learned more about thyroid disease, it became even more absurd.
One example of all this is the following sentence above. It was probably culled directly from, not the FDA site, but the http: one mentioned:
“There is a problem in the industry with varying potencies of levothyroxine, meaning that even if you have a bottle of 100 mcg pills, the individual pills may have anywhere from 80 to 120 mcg.”
(I would seriously doubt this shows up currently on the FDA site.)
As I was learning more about thyroid disease I also learned more about some of the people who run some of these websites, including the one you mention. In a word, they’re ‘troubled.’
You, me and all of us have to keep in mind one thing about the internet that’s becoming an old adage – just because something comes up first on a search does not mean it’s the best!
Again, keep a clear mind, good luck and I wish you well.
I agree there’s nothing wrong with seeking out information. I agree with finding a new dr if the current one doesn’t seem right. I also agree that it seems like you have already made up your mind, so ultimately I wish you good luck.
However, I do want to caution you on some of the information out there about thyroid disease and treatments. Not all of it is credible. In fact, a lot of it is, sadly, not credible. You really have to use a discerning mind on just about everything you come across – especially items coming from commercial internet websites. A lot of them turn out to be only info-mericals.
When I was first diagnosed I came across sites, like the ones mentioned above, that sounded excellent. I was really impressed with the ‘being well informed,’ ‘taking the bull by the horns’ and ‘I’m not going to be pushed around by the medical world’ attitude. It all struck me as so liberating (…even when I had nothing yet to be liberated from).
Then I came across on these sites so many pieces of misinformation, misleading statements and things that were just plain wrong. And I’m not just talking about on the subject of thyroid; I’m talking about basic biology, chemistry and physiology. As I learned more about thyroid disease, it became even more absurd.
One example of all this is the following sentence above. It was probably culled directly from, not the FDA site, but the http: one mentioned:
“There is a problem in the industry with varying potencies of levothyroxine, meaning that even if you have a bottle of 100 mcg pills, the individual pills may have anywhere from 80 to 120 mcg.”
(I would seriously doubt this shows up currently on the FDA site.)
As I was learning more about thyroid disease I also learned more about some of the people who run some of these websites, including the one you mention. In a word, they’re ‘troubled.’
You, me and all of us have to keep in mind one thing about the internet that’s becoming an old adage – just because something comes up first on a search does not mean it’s the best!
Again, keep a clear mind, good luck and I wish you well.
When my TSH went from 2.8 to <1.9 all my hypo symptoms went away overnight. I am on it for the long haul after finding two small cancer tumors during surgery for atypical nodules that were benign. But the other side never started to work again so have to be on either a synthroid or armour product to live.
I wish there was a way to do it au natural ...... but in my case I need the meds.
I think maybe it's worth giving it a try and then you can see after you level off if the meds are worth it for you vs. the symptoms.
and I am so so glad you found us and have joined. I have been here for over 2 yrs and without this community and all its knowledged, I don't know what I would have done without it!
C~
TSH 1.8
Synthorid 75mcgs
partial thyroidectomy 1/07
I wish there was a way to do it au natural ...... but in my case I need the meds.
I think maybe it's worth giving it a try and then you can see after you level off if the meds are worth it for you vs. the symptoms.
and I am so so glad you found us and have joined. I have been here for over 2 yrs and without this community and all its knowledged, I don't know what I would have done without it!
C~
TSH 1.8
Synthorid 75mcgs
partial thyroidectomy 1/07
COMMUNITY LEADER
I don't take armour (or anything with T-3) at this time simply because my PCP has not ever checked my Free T-3 levels, so we don't even know whether or not I need it!!!!!!!! That being said, I also think that my PCP is pretty much stuck on Synthroid and probably would not be willing to prescibe anything else anyway.
I don't know what's causing the rest of the symptoms I have, but I do have a very good ENT who is trying to figure it out for me at this time and whom I will see later this morning, so will maybe have some answers (results of TPOab, ultra sound, etc). That should help to get me started down the right road, huh?
s1e9a8n5 - it sounds like you have already pretty much made up your mind as to what you will and won't do and that's your option, but please let me remind you: you insist that your doctor be willing to work with you - well, you have to be willing to work with him/her as well. You need to listen to the suggestions and discuss the pros and cons just the same as you want him/her to do with your suggestions. It has to be a give and take relationship, based on trust and respect in order to work out well.
Smilerdeb - In spite of that last statement above, I am definitely going to look for a new PCP because I have been going to this PCP for approx 5 years and I no longer feel that our relationship is based on trust and respect; he is not receptive to any ideas except his own, he refuses to look at any info brought to him and he tends to lump everyone into one category (as in: "everyone who has this symptom, has --------"). He treats me like I am just a set of lab results, who doesn't have a brain in my head or feelings, and if my numbers fall within the neat little range, then his job is done, whether I feel good or not. I suspect that this disease is going to take up a lot of my time and and energy and I can't afford a PCP who doesn't have time to help address the problems that come with it.
I don't know what's causing the rest of the symptoms I have, but I do have a very good ENT who is trying to figure it out for me at this time and whom I will see later this morning, so will maybe have some answers (results of TPOab, ultra sound, etc). That should help to get me started down the right road, huh?
s1e9a8n5 - it sounds like you have already pretty much made up your mind as to what you will and won't do and that's your option, but please let me remind you: you insist that your doctor be willing to work with you - well, you have to be willing to work with him/her as well. You need to listen to the suggestions and discuss the pros and cons just the same as you want him/her to do with your suggestions. It has to be a give and take relationship, based on trust and respect in order to work out well.
Smilerdeb - In spite of that last statement above, I am definitely going to look for a new PCP because I have been going to this PCP for approx 5 years and I no longer feel that our relationship is based on trust and respect; he is not receptive to any ideas except his own, he refuses to look at any info brought to him and he tends to lump everyone into one category (as in: "everyone who has this symptom, has --------"). He treats me like I am just a set of lab results, who doesn't have a brain in my head or feelings, and if my numbers fall within the neat little range, then his job is done, whether I feel good or not. I suspect that this disease is going to take up a lot of my time and and energy and I can't afford a PCP who doesn't have time to help address the problems that come with it.
Thanks for your post. I appriciate it.
The reason they don't want me to use Armour is because of the typical reasons I've read about. That the amount you get is not certain. That you can too little or too much at a time. It's hard to monitor it. It is has both T4 and T3 which I don't need both etc.
Trust me, if I feel like they're not willing to work with me on this then I'm out. I'll try and see if I can find a doctor that is more natural based but if not, I will just buy the stuff my self and have my main doctor monitor my levels. He said I could go in anytime to monitor them. It would suck to have to buy it though, stuff cost like 35+ $.
The reason they don't want me to use Armour is because of the typical reasons I've read about. That the amount you get is not certain. That you can too little or too much at a time. It's hard to monitor it. It is has both T4 and T3 which I don't need both etc.
Trust me, if I feel like they're not willing to work with me on this then I'm out. I'll try and see if I can find a doctor that is more natural based but if not, I will just buy the stuff my self and have my main doctor monitor my levels. He said I could go in anytime to monitor them. It would suck to have to buy it though, stuff cost like 35+ $.
That's one of the things I'm worried about having my docs give me Armour. I've read that they sometimes overlook certain things. They will make sure that you are adequately treated with the TSH being in the normal range. But if you still display symptoms, they will blame it on the Armour, saying it doesn't work when I've read (stopthethyroidmadness.com) that some people need more than expected. 3-5 grains. That the doctors are worried about the TSH being Hyper low even though it's not really Hyper. That they will stop or make the dosage lower if your TSH goes really low. I honestly can't deal with doctors like that.
If these docs are not going to work with me, I might end up buying the stuff myself and having my main doctor monitor my levels. I'll definately be going in there with some testimonials and information. I definately have lots of questions. But if their not up for it, then I'll do it myself.
If these docs are not going to work with me, I might end up buying the stuff myself and having my main doctor monitor my levels. I'll definately be going in there with some testimonials and information. I definately have lots of questions. But if their not up for it, then I'll do it myself.
My Doc wouldnt prescribe T3 (Cytomel) in a million years and at first I couldnt understand why but now I do (6 months down the track).
I suffered with SVT, Tachycardia and Atrial Fibrillations prior to RAI which was very serious with 3 episodes in 2 weeks.
I also have a heart murmur and regurgitation of the Mitral & Tricuspid Valves in the Heart so as you can see, he was scared of T3 Toxycosis or Hyper with me.
He kept telling me to be patient (dont you get sick of that word lol) and I did persevere and finally getting my levels right.
I am feeling great at present, have gone a little hyper a few times but other than picking up the signals early, and recognising the symptoms...doing well and now back at work in an Aged Care Home for Dementia and Alzeimers.
What may work for me, may not for someone else but I have a great Doctor whose Mother suffers with Graves and Hyperthyroidism and he has learnt a lot from me (so he says).
As for my Endo....well she got the boot straight after RAI.
I havent been back in 6 months and as I said ..levels are great.
I am on Eutroxig which is not generic thyroxin...it is the real thing so I cant compare notes but do find it is doing what its supposed to do.Synthroid is not available in Australia , only the proper Thyroxin and even the generic one isnt sold here from what I gather. My Thryroxin costs me $5 a box of 200 tablets which have to be kept refridgerated (new rule for storage a year ago).
I think homework and research is so important and Barb135 if your Doctor doesnt want to work with you on this , then find another.
There is nothing wrong with being pro-active in your condition.
Far from it.
I found life in general a lot easier to cope with knowing that there WAS light at the end of the tunnel if I was patient (Gawd Im beginning to detest that word lol).
All the best barb but find a new Doc if you dont feel you are getting anywhere with the one you have.
I suffered with SVT, Tachycardia and Atrial Fibrillations prior to RAI which was very serious with 3 episodes in 2 weeks.
I also have a heart murmur and regurgitation of the Mitral & Tricuspid Valves in the Heart so as you can see, he was scared of T3 Toxycosis or Hyper with me.
He kept telling me to be patient (dont you get sick of that word lol) and I did persevere and finally getting my levels right.
I am feeling great at present, have gone a little hyper a few times but other than picking up the signals early, and recognising the symptoms...doing well and now back at work in an Aged Care Home for Dementia and Alzeimers.
What may work for me, may not for someone else but I have a great Doctor whose Mother suffers with Graves and Hyperthyroidism and he has learnt a lot from me (so he says).
As for my Endo....well she got the boot straight after RAI.
I havent been back in 6 months and as I said ..levels are great.
I am on Eutroxig which is not generic thyroxin...it is the real thing so I cant compare notes but do find it is doing what its supposed to do.Synthroid is not available in Australia , only the proper Thyroxin and even the generic one isnt sold here from what I gather. My Thryroxin costs me $5 a box of 200 tablets which have to be kept refridgerated (new rule for storage a year ago).
I think homework and research is so important and Barb135 if your Doctor doesnt want to work with you on this , then find another.
There is nothing wrong with being pro-active in your condition.
Far from it.
I found life in general a lot easier to cope with knowing that there WAS light at the end of the tunnel if I was patient (Gawd Im beginning to detest that word lol).
All the best barb but find a new Doc if you dont feel you are getting anywhere with the one you have.
COMMUNITY LEADER
As I posted above, my PCP, too, got rather "put out" that I had done some research and questioned some of his comments and made some suggestions of my own. He put me on synthroid from the very beginning and does not seem to be willing to even consider alternatives. From what I understand from other posts, it's quite commone for doctors to have that attitude. For that reason as well as a couple others, I will probably be looking for a PCP who cares more about how I feel than the numbers on the lab report!!
RE: cost - my synthroid costs approx $9.00/month.
RE: cost - my synthroid costs approx $9.00/month.
Hi, I think some of your questions have been answered, but I'll tackle a few about Armour, soy, dosing, etc.
Re soy - I think it is the devil. I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroiditis, in my case hypothyroid), and was diagnosed about 4.5 years ago after suffering for 7 years. You won't be surprised that about 12 years ago I was a strict vegetarian and even vegan for a while, and I lived on soy products. Well, thyroid problems run in my family so I don't know whether the soy really caused my thyroid issues or not, but I'm convinced it did. Now I'm back to a "regular" diet but sadly my thyroid is still broken!
Re the meds, I was started on Levoxyl, a brand name version of levothyroxine. My doctor told me Levoxyl was the best brand name. There is a problem in the industry with varying potencies of levothyroxine, meaning that even if you have a bottle of 100 mcg pills, the individual pills may have anywhere from 80 to 120 mcg. You can read about it at the FDA site or at http://thyroid.about.com, but in short, the important thing is not to take a generic version. Pay for a brand name, whether Levoxyl, Synthroid, or other. That way you will have better potency control.
Re drug choice - after three years on Levoxyl I was feeling a lot better (before the meds I was freezing, had lost hair, pain & numbness in hands & feet, slept all the time, gained 30 pounds in a year, had no libido, had severe "brain fog", etc.) but I still felt tired (although normalish tired), lacked energy, had sleeping problems and brain fog, and lacked libido. Don't get me wrong, I felt much better than before, but I was in my early 30s and felt like I was 75. My doc had upped my dosage several times during the three years, and had tried adding Cytomel to the mix to eliminate these last pesky symptoms. Well, three days after starting Cytomel I collapsed at work (at my brand new job) with heart palpitations and had to go to the hospital, way to begin a new job! Anyway, I could not tolerate the Cytomel although many people swear by the combo of levothyroxine & Cytomel. Because of the remaining problems, about a year ago I started on Armour Thyroid. I think it is unbelievably fantastic. It got rid of the remainder of my symptoms and I finally feel normal. Because I have autoimmune disease, if I overdo it I can go into a little slump sometimes, but I feel like I used to 15 years ago. It's great.
Re splitting, I would suggest splitting your dosage. It helps keep the level of med in your system stable. I started out once a day for first year or so, but then started taking it twice a day and it really helped. I take first thing in the morning, and then at noon (not at night). Some people swear by taking the 2nd dose at bedtime but it kept me from falling asleep. The noon dosage also prevents afternoon slump. When I took the whole dose in the morning I would feel hyper at first, and then the drug would wear off in the afternoon (or so it felt).
Lastly, I strongly suggest you get a new doctor. The fact your doctor was hostile to the idea of Armour means s/he doesn't know much about thyroid disease and current treatments (although Armour's been around for 70+ years I think). Did s/he say why Armour is not for you? There may be a valid reason, I think people with high T4 and low T3 should not take it as T3 (Cytomel) alone is better - I believe this is what Smiledeb is referring to in her last post. A lot of doctors are against Armour, for reasons such as potency variation (but see my comments above that re this being the case even with synthetic drugs) and the fact it comes from pigs, but they have no scientific rationale for their bias. Personally I think the real reason is pressure from the pharm companies. My Levoxyl (T4) cost me $30/month. Armour costs $3.50 for a 90 day supply, and I'm getting T4, T3, T2, T1 all for that same low price. Anyway, you need your doctor to care how you feel, which requires listening to you. Sounds like your doctor doesn't want to listen to you, if s/he's getting annoyed that you did research and shot you down when you asked about Armour. So I suggest finding a doctor that will actually listen to you and your symptoms and pick the medicine that's right for you, not someone who is angry that you do research and doesn't give you treatment options.
Good luck!
Re soy - I think it is the devil. I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroiditis, in my case hypothyroid), and was diagnosed about 4.5 years ago after suffering for 7 years. You won't be surprised that about 12 years ago I was a strict vegetarian and even vegan for a while, and I lived on soy products. Well, thyroid problems run in my family so I don't know whether the soy really caused my thyroid issues or not, but I'm convinced it did. Now I'm back to a "regular" diet but sadly my thyroid is still broken!
Re the meds, I was started on Levoxyl, a brand name version of levothyroxine. My doctor told me Levoxyl was the best brand name. There is a problem in the industry with varying potencies of levothyroxine, meaning that even if you have a bottle of 100 mcg pills, the individual pills may have anywhere from 80 to 120 mcg. You can read about it at the FDA site or at http://thyroid.about.com, but in short, the important thing is not to take a generic version. Pay for a brand name, whether Levoxyl, Synthroid, or other. That way you will have better potency control.
Re drug choice - after three years on Levoxyl I was feeling a lot better (before the meds I was freezing, had lost hair, pain & numbness in hands & feet, slept all the time, gained 30 pounds in a year, had no libido, had severe "brain fog", etc.) but I still felt tired (although normalish tired), lacked energy, had sleeping problems and brain fog, and lacked libido. Don't get me wrong, I felt much better than before, but I was in my early 30s and felt like I was 75. My doc had upped my dosage several times during the three years, and had tried adding Cytomel to the mix to eliminate these last pesky symptoms. Well, three days after starting Cytomel I collapsed at work (at my brand new job) with heart palpitations and had to go to the hospital, way to begin a new job! Anyway, I could not tolerate the Cytomel although many people swear by the combo of levothyroxine & Cytomel. Because of the remaining problems, about a year ago I started on Armour Thyroid. I think it is unbelievably fantastic. It got rid of the remainder of my symptoms and I finally feel normal. Because I have autoimmune disease, if I overdo it I can go into a little slump sometimes, but I feel like I used to 15 years ago. It's great.
Re splitting, I would suggest splitting your dosage. It helps keep the level of med in your system stable. I started out once a day for first year or so, but then started taking it twice a day and it really helped. I take first thing in the morning, and then at noon (not at night). Some people swear by taking the 2nd dose at bedtime but it kept me from falling asleep. The noon dosage also prevents afternoon slump. When I took the whole dose in the morning I would feel hyper at first, and then the drug would wear off in the afternoon (or so it felt).
Lastly, I strongly suggest you get a new doctor. The fact your doctor was hostile to the idea of Armour means s/he doesn't know much about thyroid disease and current treatments (although Armour's been around for 70+ years I think). Did s/he say why Armour is not for you? There may be a valid reason, I think people with high T4 and low T3 should not take it as T3 (Cytomel) alone is better - I believe this is what Smiledeb is referring to in her last post. A lot of doctors are against Armour, for reasons such as potency variation (but see my comments above that re this being the case even with synthetic drugs) and the fact it comes from pigs, but they have no scientific rationale for their bias. Personally I think the real reason is pressure from the pharm companies. My Levoxyl (T4) cost me $30/month. Armour costs $3.50 for a 90 day supply, and I'm getting T4, T3, T2, T1 all for that same low price. Anyway, you need your doctor to care how you feel, which requires listening to you. Sounds like your doctor doesn't want to listen to you, if s/he's getting annoyed that you did research and shot you down when you asked about Armour. So I suggest finding a doctor that will actually listen to you and your symptoms and pick the medicine that's right for you, not someone who is angry that you do research and doesn't give you treatment options.
Good luck!
COMMUNITY LEADER
I meant to add that, in my experience, most doctors don't like to deal with patients who have an idea of what they are talking about and what kind of testing and/or treatment they would like to have. Mine got real arrogant when I questioned a couple things he told me.
COMMUNITY LEADER
My original TSH was 55.51; Free T-4 was near 0, but don't recall exact # without digging out the lab report; I was started on synthroid and although I've had to have the dosage reduced a couple of times, I think I'm doing fairly well with it, only my PCP refuses to check free T-3 so don't really know for sure. I know I'm a long way from "optimal", but a lot of my symptoms have diminished considerably.
I've read that soy products should be avoided because they inhibit the absorption of the thyroid med. I think it even says that on the paper that comes with my synthroid Rx.
I've read that soy products should be avoided because they inhibit the absorption of the thyroid med. I think it even says that on the paper that comes with my synthroid Rx.
I see a lot of comments about Armour and the success rates with it being a T3/T4 combination.
Here in Australia, all natural pig hormone was banned and it isnt available. The reason for that I am not sure of.
My Doctor also told me that it was better to take Synthroid (T4) and Cytomel (T3) as this way the T3 could be measured properly to avoid Hyper T and T3 toxycosis.
He also stated that Armour had no presise measurement of T3 so no-one really knows how much you are getting.
Although as I said, a lot here do well on Armour.
I guess its really a case of doing your homework and then finding a Doctor who will work with you.
Being Hyperthyroid before RAI (resulting in Atrial Fibrillations), it was stipulated to me never to take any Soy products as it stimulates the thyroid.
As for other side effects of Soy, I wouldnt know as I never took it further as Soy Milk is something I dont drink.
Here in Australia, all natural pig hormone was banned and it isnt available. The reason for that I am not sure of.
My Doctor also told me that it was better to take Synthroid (T4) and Cytomel (T3) as this way the T3 could be measured properly to avoid Hyper T and T3 toxycosis.
He also stated that Armour had no presise measurement of T3 so no-one really knows how much you are getting.
Although as I said, a lot here do well on Armour.
I guess its really a case of doing your homework and then finding a Doctor who will work with you.
Being Hyperthyroid before RAI (resulting in Atrial Fibrillations), it was stipulated to me never to take any Soy products as it stimulates the thyroid.
As for other side effects of Soy, I wouldnt know as I never took it further as Soy Milk is something I dont drink.
Lots of questions. I'll try to tackle a few. First, a TSH is a strong indication of hypothyroidism, especially in light of the symptoms you mentioned. You reall should confirm this with further testing, specifically free T3 and free T4, along with TSH. Free T3 is the most important because it is the most active component affecting metabolism. Just reducing the TSH alone will not alleviate your symptoms. Relief from hypo t symptoms usually requires that the free T3 be in the upper third of its range and TSH in the lower end of its range. You could also confirm your hypo t condition for yourself by checking your temperature numerous times and comparing the average to the optimal of 98.6. Lower readings indicate hypo t. Here is a link.
http://www.drrind.com/tempgraph.asp
To alleviate hypo t symptoms will require medication. Most doctors prescribe a T4 only type med. such as Synthroid or Levoxyl. Many people find this adequate and are perfectly happy with it. Others find that their body does not like these. In some cases people have trouble converting T4 to T3 and still have hypo t symptoms until they are given a med. such as Armour thyroid or Thyrolar which is T4 and T3 together. It just depends on the doc and your body.
Response time depends on the medication. T4 types take longer due to the buildup and conversion that goes on. T4/T3 types affect your body quicker, in my experience.
http://www.drrind.com/tempgraph.asp
To alleviate hypo t symptoms will require medication. Most doctors prescribe a T4 only type med. such as Synthroid or Levoxyl. Many people find this adequate and are perfectly happy with it. Others find that their body does not like these. In some cases people have trouble converting T4 to T3 and still have hypo t symptoms until they are given a med. such as Armour thyroid or Thyrolar which is T4 and T3 together. It just depends on the doc and your body.
Response time depends on the medication. T4 types take longer due to the buildup and conversion that goes on. T4/T3 types affect your body quicker, in my experience.
The doctor has mentioned Armour. Well I brought it up. He didn't like the idea of that. He didn't like that I knew what I was talking about either.
He hasn't mentioned Synthroid and after the stuff I've read about it, I will never ever take that stuff. He's only mentioned Levothyroxine.
I've had an antibodies test done and it's all normal.
As for the soy milk, I disagree. I know a couple people that have developed thyroid issues because of it. One is more permanent because she was fed soy at a young age, the other has recovered. Everything for "me" was normal until I changed my diet and added soy milk and soy based products. I developed a sweating issue because of it and being off it, it has gone away. It stimulates the thyroid but it also does other things to...
The doc believes the hair loss was a result of my poor diet 3 years ago but the thyroid is keeping it from going back normal.
Thanks for the response.
Can someone answer the questions I have from my first post? I would appriciate it.
He hasn't mentioned Synthroid and after the stuff I've read about it, I will never ever take that stuff. He's only mentioned Levothyroxine.
I've had an antibodies test done and it's all normal.
As for the soy milk, I disagree. I know a couple people that have developed thyroid issues because of it. One is more permanent because she was fed soy at a young age, the other has recovered. Everything for "me" was normal until I changed my diet and added soy milk and soy based products. I developed a sweating issue because of it and being off it, it has gone away. It stimulates the thyroid but it also does other things to...
The doc believes the hair loss was a result of my poor diet 3 years ago but the thyroid is keeping it from going back normal.
Thanks for the response.
Can someone answer the questions I have from my first post? I would appriciate it.
Sorry that was supposed to read.......
A side effect of hypothyroidism is hair loss too.
A side effect of hypothyroidism is hair loss too.
I am on Eutroxig (Thyroxin) after Graves Disease and RAI (Radiaoactive Iodine) in June this year.
I am finally 'tweaking' my meds and am doing pretty good after my thyroid died 5 weeks after RAI.
The TSH will come down slowly with Synthroid and the only reason I can guess the Doc wont discuss Armour is that you havent given Synthroid a trial yet.
With a TSH of 7.02, that is not exactly 'danger' material but can get worse over time.
There have been cases of people with a TSH of over 50.0 so I guess the best thing for you to do is decide exactly what you want and discuss it with your Doctor again.
Regardless of it being subclinical, it can become worse and not get better.
Get your Doctor to do your antibodies test to be on the safe side.
A side effect of hyperthyroidism is hair loss too.
As for Soy milk, it has always been my understanding that it 'stimulates' the thyroid so the soy milk would not be causing the problem of hypothyroidism.
I take my thyroxin in the morning at the same time everyday with a glass of water with no side effects on an empty stomach and dont eat for at least an hour after taking it, allowing it to absorb into the stomach.Some prefer to take theirs at night.
If you have had this problem for 3 years, then it wouldnt be subclinical.
As i said, ask your Doc to check your antibodies.
I am finally 'tweaking' my meds and am doing pretty good after my thyroid died 5 weeks after RAI.
The TSH will come down slowly with Synthroid and the only reason I can guess the Doc wont discuss Armour is that you havent given Synthroid a trial yet.
With a TSH of 7.02, that is not exactly 'danger' material but can get worse over time.
There have been cases of people with a TSH of over 50.0 so I guess the best thing for you to do is decide exactly what you want and discuss it with your Doctor again.
Regardless of it being subclinical, it can become worse and not get better.
Get your Doctor to do your antibodies test to be on the safe side.
A side effect of hyperthyroidism is hair loss too.
As for Soy milk, it has always been my understanding that it 'stimulates' the thyroid so the soy milk would not be causing the problem of hypothyroidism.
I take my thyroxin in the morning at the same time everyday with a glass of water with no side effects on an empty stomach and dont eat for at least an hour after taking it, allowing it to absorb into the stomach.Some prefer to take theirs at night.
If you have had this problem for 3 years, then it wouldnt be subclinical.
As i said, ask your Doc to check your antibodies.
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