Newly Diagnosed w/Hashimoto's- Synthroid Side-effects??

[upenn]

Hi,



I am a 30 yr old female. I was newly diagnosed w/Hashimoto's. My TSH was 5.59, then 3.87, then5.0. They weren't going to do anything for me b/c my numbers were "normal", but I insisted that I didn't feel right--tired, irregular periods, acne, aches, inability to concentrate, depression and increasing weight gain. I have never had a weight problem, but I suddenly was gaining 2 pounds a month while I was exercising and dieting 7 days a week!!!  Doctor tested for antibodies and they were present and high (I don't know the n umber). I was put on .50 of Synthroid.



Within 2 weeks my heart was beating really hard and what felt like irregular heartbeats and headaches. Doctors said it couldn't be the synthroid b/c it was too early for it to be affecting me and I was also on such a small dose.  I told them I was cutting back the dose and went down to .25 and felt fine! I went up to .38 and felt the heart palps again.



My question is- does the body need an adjustment time to get used to the synthroid? Should I take the .50 and see if my body gets used to it? My doc says do not need adjustment time-if you are feeling thses then I am overmedicated.  



Also, w/Hashimoto's should I insist on havin my free Ts tested? Is it better to automatically go on a med w/both T4 and T3 or wait to see test results?



I am so sorry this is so long, but I don't like my doctor and I don't know who to talk to while I am in the process on finding a new endo. The heart palps were sooo scary! They seem to think it is anxiety, but I have had anxiety before and never had this!!!



Thanks you!

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

Some patients get palpitations with thyroid meds -- more likely with meds containing T3, but can happen with T4 as well.  Usually it's just a matter of getting used to it over time by slowly increasing the dose.  Some patients will even alternate every other day (ie, 25/37.5) as they titrate up.  



Check thyroid antibodies to document Hashimotos.  The best test is TSH according to endocrine/thyriod research and consensus statement.  Some patients feel better with T4/T3 therapy - the research does not support this, but I have certainly seen it in my practice -- it's all individual and there is no "better" treatment that can be used as a blanket statement.

[AnnieCS]

Be careful with pig thyroid.  The dosage may vary (all pigs are not the same), my mother had a toxic amount of this and was so ill she nearly died before her MD diagnosed this,because her MD ignored her compaliants.  WE took pictures of her with clumps of her hair falling out,family had to go to the office and threaten legal action in order to get her treated. She told me recently that she thought she was going to die being so toxic. She has lived with Alopecia totalis (no hair) for 18 years as a result. I am so glad she is with us even though she has to wear a wig.  There is NO WAY I would ever use thyroid from an animal, I would rather TAKE NO medication and be hypo after witnessing the effects of ARmour.  Others have had good luck and I wonder how often they are tested to ensure they are not headed for toxicosis. Relying on different pigs (over time) to give the exact thyroid replacement is roulette in my book.  The taste of bacon may not vary much from pigs but an endocrine system is much much more delicate and unique to each animal.

[ancientmariner]

Yes, all pigs are not the same and neither are all people. The Armour thyroid contains a standardized dosage in each pill. They don't make a batch of pills from the thyroid of one pig! They use a large number of pig thyroids combined and the amount of thyroid hormones in each is standardized. How old was your mother and did she have heart problems? One reason Armour has a bad reputation is because doctors gave patients with heart problems too much to start with. Is it possible that the doctor who gave your mother pig thyroid gave her too much?



One statement I find interesting is "was so ill she nearly died before her MD diagnosed this,because her MD ignored her complaints." It seems to me the doctor overdosed her and wouldn't admit it - HE caused her problems, not the medication!

[ancientmariner]

By the way, do a search on Alopecia and Thyroid, you'll see that thyroid medication does not cause alopecia. Alopecia can be yet another symptom of hypothyroidism.

[lkwetter]

RE: My question is- does the body need an adjustment time to get used to the synthroid?



I think if you do a google search on the key words "adrenal fatigue" or 'adrenal hypofunction' you will see things that look familiar. This is just my opinion, but I think the problem you are having is adrenal weakness. The amount of circulation thyroid controls the function of the adrenals and long standing hypothyroidism causes weak adrenal function. This can be found in Werner and Ingbar's "The Thyroid" latest edition.



What this means is that small amounts of thyroid give a big reaction and and hyper sensitivity. Synthroid is exactly like human thyroid chemically, except it has a sodium on it. So, in my opinion if a person has trouble with Synthroid, Armour or any thyroid medication it is usually because something ids going on that is interfering with raising the metabolic rate. This can be adrenal fatigue and anemia is another common hypo porblem. Oxygen is required for thyroid to create energy, so anemia causes problems frequently.



The solution for me was that I had to go much more slowly with dose raises and I had to make them smaller. I had to wait 4 weeks between them minimum, to give my adrenals time to adjust.



Tish

[lkwetter]

RE: Be careful with pig thyroid. The dosage may vary (all pigs are not the same.



This is a patent falsehood and an old wives tale. Modern Pig thyroid or Armour is carefully standardized today. Multiple pig thyroids are descicated and combined and then it undergoes carefull testing to assure exact potency. Armour has had far fewer potency write-ups from the FDA than Synthroid. In fact, Synthroid only just received FDA approval within the last few years. This is the 21st century folks, there are no witches brewing up pig thyroids and making up dangerous concoctions. Armour and other natural thyroid medications have been used since the late 1800s and that was all that people took up untill about the mid 1960s or late 50s at the earliest.



I have been on it almost 3 years now and love the stuff.



Tish

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

Synthroid has been around for 40+ years and the recent FDA review was just that, a review of their approval status.



I agree that armour is well regulated and is appropriate for many patients but must be used with caution in heart patients and older patients -- everyone is individually different and blanket statements are impossible to make in medicine.

[sicntired]

Is anyone familiar with kenneth Blanchard and his touting of bio- identical thyroid 95% t4 and 5% t3? The compounding pharmacies take your dose of medication and concert it to bio identical time released capsule.

How long does it take to regulate anemia? I was wondering if nayone knows what a good dose of armour would be for a female 145 lbs and 5'4.

Many Thanks

[upenn]

Hi



I just wanted to thank everyone for there advice. Thanks to Dr. Mark for answering me so quickly!



I am taking the .50 of synthroid and have an appointment in December w/a new endo. See what he has to say.

[ThyroLo]

Hello. How long will it take to notice palpitations, (if a person is going to have them) after starting Levothyroxine 88 Mcg? I started my 88 mcg dose 2 days ago. Now my resting pulse is 80. It was 64 before. Thanks to all who respond.

[coldbreeze]

Hi, I am new to this forum and new to hypothyroid. I was diagnosted 2 weeks ago with hypo. My doctor was brief and just prescribed me Synthroid and that I would take this for the rest of my life and blood to be recheck every 3 months and adjust the meds. I briefly saw some numbers written for my levels : something was 11, the other was 6. Have no clue which one is T3 and T4. I do not think my levels are high. My worries are this: since I started the Synthroid, I had a lot of side effects and I'm quite worried about them. They really do occur after I take my pill (0.05mg). I have nausea, huge back pain and my spine hurts, my left eye hurts, gets dry, blurry and area around this eye feels like huge pressure. My heartbeat feels faster. Have pressure around my heart, not palpitation but more like squeezing pressure. Cold chills in my spine while I sweat a lot. My left arm tends to get numb too. It feels like high blood pressure all over (though never had problem with blood pressure) and my body is even weaker and I feel really bad after taking these pills. I have the classic symptoms of hypo but since I take Synthroid, they all worsen plus these listed which are new (wasn't there before). I really do feel bad since I started this medication. Doc told me I wouldn't have any side effects.. I realize that my body needs to adjust and it will take time to have positive results but are these symptoms, side-effects any normal for new users? My dosage is the minimum I beleive. Can I have a reverse reaction of some sort? Or is it all normal to feel all these? My other question, after many readings, I took 14 pounds in the last 2 months which would explain my hypothyroid, when weight gain occurs, does it mean the problem just began there or could it have been there for a long time before I gainned weight? Once the levels would be close to the normality, will the weight gain continue or will it stop? What I am to suspect here? I also did not have the saliva test that I just read about. I guess I should have that checked maybe? I really could use any info about hypo and the synthroid because I am not well informed and I trust more people who experience it then the doctor's sayings ;) Thanks in advance for your help.

[cakeplate]

A related discussion, Need to find something that works was started.

[karbear320]

A related discussion, change of dosage was started.