Synthroid and digestion?

[RadioAstronomyObserver]

I have a problem I think I know what is causing it but I want to eliminate everything else first.   I don't know anything about Synthroid or for that matter, I know nothing about the thyroid.  What I need to know is could there be a connection between Synthroid and the lack of digestion?  I.E. stumic always full and very little, er... leaving the system.  The digestion is still working but it's very very slow.  Again, I think I know what is causing my problem but just to be sure I need to know if there could be a connection between Synthroid and the digestion?
Thanks,

[stella5349]

Glad to hear the acid is gone for you Barb - That FT3 is a biggy as PH levels are too

[Barb135]

Eat a doughnut, ice cream or candy bar once in a while -- just don't eat an entire dozen or the whole container.............lol       I learned from experience, that depriving myself of ALL of the goodies can sabotage the weight loss for some of us.............

I'm with the others who used to have horrible acid reflux -- it's cleared considerably so long as I keep my FT4 and FT3 at decent levels and I've actually been able to get off the aciphex that I was on for about 6 yrs. Good thing too, cuz my insurance quit paying for it.........

I'm having a hard time getting my thyroid levels beyond mid range, so constipation is still a big issue for me.......I really do feel for you on that one.  I found some enzymes at the health food store that seem to help some, as does drinking plenty of fluids and eating lots of veggies and apples to get the fiber.  

My cardiologist also suggested red yeast rice to get my cholesterol back in line.  May be an option, but with your heart issues, make sure you discuss any supplements with your doctor.  I'll go for blood work in Feb to retest cholesterol levels so we'll see how well it works.....

[stella5349]

funny :)

So do all of us hypo's....... just smelling that sweet grease packs on a few for us LOL

The nice thing is if you are fortunate to get 100% thyroid optimal - the heart actually gets healthier as time goes by. Cholestrol lowers to great ranges and you will lose wieght too.

The thyroid is like the gasoline for the car. If dry.... stalled....

[RadioAstronomyObserver]

I'll do the reading you just suggested "cardiac and T3 hormone", and did do a bit on the others you suggested too.  This last post clarified your previous post.
Thanks,
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can live with the thyroid problems but can't live on a heart healthy diet, I want my doughnuts and ice cream, and candy bars, again!
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[stella5349]

T3 is the active form of hormone that the body essentially requires to live and keep you body functions optimal. T3 is in every cell in the body and your cells require it to be healthy to keep you healthy.

You've had a heart attack... so there is weakness I would assume within your heart. I am sure your cardio doctor and you have a beter idea - than I do.

The T3 medication like Cytomel could be good and bad for you. The plus is it could give you what you may need to speed the system - nourish the cell and assist the heart - it could lower cholstrol too. But the minus on T3 could be - too much and it could damage the heart farther.

You are in a very odd situation and only the doctors treating you can make these decision along with you. I suugest you read about cardiac and T3 hormone. It should help you alot too.

[LazyMoose]

Another one of those hypo symtoms.

I had acid relfux with slowed digestion also when on T4 only. So I guess that's more than a few of us, pretty common symptom it seems with Thyroid. Also, this mysteriously reoccurred for a short time on the reformulated Armour last June-July when my lab #'s started to go hypo on it. Switched brands of dessicated, it went away. In the past Probiotics (acidophlius) also helped - and veggies too.

I must say I also 'cleaned up' my diet from my bad digestion years of the past. The human digestive system is not a garbage compactor and this becomes evident as we age- the body reminds us.

[RadioAstronomyObserver]

The heart attack was in April.  The first blood draw, and meeting her for the first time, from my PCP was in May.  It wasn't till Sept. that I seen the assistant and when I started Synthroid.  I was prescribed Amour Thyroid but with the cardiologists suggestion my PCP dropped the Amour and changed the prescription to Synthroid.  So, essentially never took armour.

Am I understanding you correctly;
  So, Synthroid adds T4 to my system? and by adding this, some of this new T4 can/will be converted to T3?  Adding T3 directly "could be" dangerous for heart patients however taking this T3 Cytomel could speed the process up a bit?.  (again, I don't take the Amour at all).

[stella5349]

Research the basics on thyroid disease- I think that can help you out alot. Your basing your health on 2 tests that are not complete.

The TSH - is the thyroid stimulating hormone test - it sounds thyroid related but really - it is the last component you should be looking at to determine bad thyroid function. This is the pitutiary telling the thyroid the pump hormone out. This is not really thyroid hormone.

The free T4 is correct - but then your doctor did a "total" T3 - yep!! - junk test - stroed hormones measured - not good and red flag on how much does your doctor truly know about thyroid - There is nothing in that total T3 that will help you. I suggest googling up FREE T3 and see what that is. Really in short - this Free T3 - along with Free T4 is what you should be reading to balance thyroid levels.

The acid reflex - which I had for over 3 years is the low Free T3 in the system - not really the meds. With your tests I would gamble in my opinion you are low with FT3.

FT3 is also the cause of 2 other things you talk about. Cholestrol high - and constipation. If this level of hormone is not up where it needs to be - these 2 things can be isses.

Lack of exercise is hard on the body - but its a catch 22 for many hypothyroid sufferers. Fatigue is widely common with this disease so even if you are pushing yourself to maintain a level of exercise your body will not accpet it and really - it does nothing until the hormone levels are balances out. You just keep pushing with no real results.

You health issues with cardiac are concerning with Armour thyroid and let me tell you a few things on that. Armour thyroid is a direct T3 / T4 natural dessicated porcine thyroid medication. First - sorry to say - its junk for millions now since the reformulization back in May 2009. I crashed hard with no warning from the manufacture about the change in fillers and switched to RLC labs - I went to Naturethroid 2 days after my Armour crash. It has been better on a different medication again for me.

With heart issues - this medication( regardless of brand)  is definately more sensitive and must be watched closely with patients like you. Again a catch 22 is an issue. Your low free T3 could have been your issues and why you hasd heart issues in the first place - but now with taking a direct T3/T4 combo med - with your heart having issues - this could hurt you too. I know this is why your physician is sticking with T4 Synthroid. Its safer in many eyes to regulate you on this T4 to convert into T3 as needed and dosages of this med can be tweeked safer than the natural product. You cannot control the natural desiccated hormones going in on Armour or any other desiccated thyroid medication. But on synthetics you can tweek them to your needs. Its a shot here to say - I would discuss this very in depth with your doctor and see what your best outcome would be.

Line up the right tests first- Push to get real thyroid testing like the free T3 and Free T4 - along with the TSH. You will most likely have to investigate your own levels and see where you are off with your doctor. Usually Free T3 is in the upper reference range - Free T4 is mid/high too for optimal thyroid function. You have individual needs so you must learn by symptoms what levels are best for you. You also must research Free T3 and heart issues and realize this is a situation you must follow too. Again if the Free T3 levels are off some - you can and it should be safe - with your doctor to discuss adding a T3 Cytomel with T4 Synthroid and dropping the Armour thyroid totally. I feel that would be a safer route for you to take.

[RadioAstronomyObserver]

Again, I was thinking it was the lack of activity.  However if you feel the thyroid trumps activity then you have my interest.  I'm not going to feel all that great if in a day or two everything clears up suggesting the thyroid had nothing to do with this...

May 2009 (as stated on the report I have).
Free T4....0.83 (0.6 - 1.4 ng/dl)
Total T3....96.9 (45 - 165 ng/dl)
TSH...........2.74 (0.3 - 4.9 ulU/ml)
This was my first blood test, ever!  although I do believe I had blood drawn with the bypass surgery in April.  I have a copy of the angiography and surgery reports but never thought about grabbing the blood test reports from that surgery which would give me a base line for the cholesterol and maybe other things.  Dang, now that I think about it, I'm missing a lot of paperwork.  I'll have to grab that too.

To me the free T4 are low but well within acceptable limits *If the numbers in the brackets are the acceptable ranges, but I'm not an expert.  I went to the PCP in Sept. for an unrelated issue but seen her assistant instead of her.  The assistant seen the blood tests and acted shocked it wasn't noticed before.  She prescribed 125mg of Amourthyroid.  I looked this up in relation to heart bypass patients and found it's not good.  My cardiologist suggested Synthroid and a lower dose.  I called my PCP and she prescribed Synthroid 25mg once a day.

In November I had another blood draw which included the thyroid tests.  I do not have these numbers but will get them.  This past Friday I seen the PCP and she said my thyroid numbers are better but still low and doubled my dose to 50mg once a day.  She gave me the paperwork to have blood drawn again in late January 2010 and another appointment with her Feb 12.

Stella, I will look up this "acidophillus" tonight.

Laura, I have a copy of everything, except the blood tests results from the bypass surgery.  Just a few days ago I mentioned the same thing to someone else too, funny how this worked out where I didn't get the latest results after what I told the other person.

[peggy64]

I had to get off of synthroid because it was causing me acid reflux so bad. It was not a problem before synthroid, and went away when I stopped synthroid, so yes it was the synthroid.


I am sure you have, but just to double check...have you checked out all they symptoms for hypothryoidism?

Constipation is one of them along with many other gastro issues. I am a  member of that club, albeit, unwillingly.

[Barb135]

No, I didn't look at your exercise tracker, sorry about that.  

Lack of exercise can cause constipation too, as can not drinking enough liquids; however, in your case, if I had to make a bet, I'd bet on the thyroid causing it.  

You might need to have your thyroid tests repeated, if you've been on med since Sept -- you should be retested every 5-6 weeks until your levels are stable and you are no longer symptomatic, which obviously is not the case for you.  

Do you have a copy of the lab work from Sept?  If so, please post the thyroid results, along with the lab's reference ranges -- that will help us make better comments.  But also please talk to your doctor about retesting.  You may need a dosage increase, as is often the case.  

Were you also tested for antibodies?  

[RadioAstronomyObserver]

Barb, If I don't think this, nobody else will. ;-)

  Thanks all three of you!  My biggest idea was the lack of exorcise now that it's below freezing outside.  I have made it to a large local mall to walk but that's all and if you looked at my "mood" you probably seen my exorcise tracker.  However, since I don't know a thing about this stuff I figured I'd ask.

  I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism tin September '09.  I went to see the PCP for an unrelated problem and that's when she seen the blood report.  It was maybe mid week last week when the stomach started feeling full after only a little bit of food.  Some medications take a few weeks before they begin to work as well as to start showing side effects.  So I had to ask about this even though it's been three months since first starting syntroid.

[stella5349]

The body slows down with hypothyroidism and the gut will not expel stool. It can hover in the gut along with unprocess digested food and cause rot gut - which simply means the food is rotting in your stomach and not expelling out . Nutrients are not being absorbed and many things will be present if this is an issue.

Speed the body -expel stool - take a peek at acidophillus information and that could help you

I didn't read the mood on your profile - but this situation sounds like your miserable and you should enlighten yourself on getting this situation resolved.

[laura1967]

I agree with Barb.....it is most likely caused by the hypothyroidism, which causes constipation.
Getting regulated on thyroid meds is not an over night fix, and sometimes takes quite a long time.
As Barb said, please post your lab results with ranges......ALWAYS get copies of your results for your own file at home.

[Barb135]

I saw your mood and would normally not respond to someone who thinks they are God's gift to woman because that's a bit too arrogant for my taste.........LOL; however, it sounds like you have some sort of dilemma that needs help.  

It sounds like you are asking if there's a connection between synthroid and constipation??

IF that's what you want to know -- the answer is:  the connection is constipation and hypothyroidism......hypothyroidism can/will often cause constipation.  

Have you been diagnosed with hypothyroidism?  Are you on synthroid?  If so, your "digestive problem" should ease as your thyroid levels improve.  Do you have other symptoms of hypothyroidism?  

If you have been diagnosed with a thyroid issue, it would be very helpful if you could/would post the latest thyroid lab tests, results and the lab's reference ranges so members can comment more fully on your situation.