Synthroid - side effects or something else ?

[sagegal]

47 yr old female, DX'd with Hashimoto's 4 or 5 yrs ago, been on Synthroid, with no natural Thyroid function left at all, according to my Endo.
Am on dosage of 125 mcg, but something is wrong. Endo says these symptoms are unrelated, but I no longer believe that.
Tinnitus, weight gain (again), libido has flat-lined, stabbing headache styled pain in back of head, tight calf muscles, itchy hivey things on ankles. Weird skin rashes when exposed to sun. Constipation.
Should I switch to Armour ? Add Cytomel ? Adjust Synthroid dose ? Look to some other disease to treat ?
Really need some help, here.

thanks !

[laura1967]

bump

[stella5349]

You need to get a Free T3 test along with the TSH and FT4.

If you Free T3 is not in the high ranges you will experience hypo symptoms.

If there is a conversion problem - adding a T3 - or moving toward Armour  may relieve quite a bit of your hypo symptoms.

Adding a T3 (or changing over to Armour) may be an option for you.

I was on Synthroid for 4 yrs and never felt well. I switched to Armour and found positive results within 2 days.

[medicmommy]

If your levels haven't changed much, have your calcium level as well as your PTH (parathyroid hormones) checked out...Do you get heartburn, flank aching, gut and muscle pains, maybe bone pain? More reason to get parathyroids checked...

[laura1967]

My new endo said that if you have hashi's your tsh level should be .5-1.0, or you are undertreated and will continue with hypo symptoms. I would definately ask for copies of your blood work from now on. Also, what are your T4 and T3 levels...important to know if you have any conversion issues.
Yes, you have to be careful with these endos, as a lot of them specialize in diabetes....not thyroid disease. I recently fired one that undertreated me and mistreated me for 2 yrs. My new endo is awesome and boy did i get a good education on my first visit with him.

[kitty9309]

Some doctors think that the labs are fine if your numbers fall anywhere in the labs normal range. The upper end of that range is too high. Make sure to get copies of all of your bloodwork and any other tests. Keep them in a folder so you will always have them on hand in the future.

Here are a couple of helpful, legitimate articles:

http://www.thyroid.org/patients/brochures/Hypothyroidism%20_web_booklet.pdf
(especially look at page 18)

http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/90/9/5483

We can't blame everything on our thyroid, but if the levels are not optimal for us, it is the fisrt place to start. (In my opinion.)

[sagegal]

I have the levels tested every 90 days. Don't have the figures for the last set, she said they were 'fine'. I go again on the 17th for a new set of labs.
I'm surprised to be having all of these symptoms, since my Endo tells me my labs are 'fine.'

[kitty9309]

What are your current TSH and free t4 levels?
You should ideally be in the range of 0.5-2.0 TSH while taking meds for hypo.
You may just need an adjustment in your meds.
How often do you have blood work?