Anemia and hypothyroidism

[stardusk]

It was 2001 when I was diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia. I took iron supplements for several months then stopped, due to adverse effects like migraine, without advise from my doctor. On the succeeding years after that I began to manifest some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism like irregular menstruation (only twice a year), weight gain, inability to lose weight (even when I took taekwondo classes), coldness in extremities, fatigue, and too slow metabolism. I was thinking of taking synthroid or a hypothyroidism medicine without prescription. Is it ok?

[stardusk]

Thank you for the info..will do the tests then.. :)

[goolarra]

No, if you're new to thyroid issues,there's no way you can manage thyroid meds on your own.  Proper management of thyroid conditions includes regular lab work to verify the effects of medication.  Once you have some "experience" with how you feel when hypo and hyper, you might be able to do it, but so many symptoms can be symptoms of both hypo and hyper that it's a pretty unreliable method.

Also, technically speaking, you cannot buy any meds in the U.S. that have measurable thyroid hormones in them without a script.  Granted, you can buy almost anything online these days.  However, you really have no idea what you're taking at that point.  

Iron is necessary for the proper metabolism of thyoid hormones as well.  So, if you are still anemic, you'd be fighting an uphill battle trying to regulate thyroid hormones with iron deficiency.

Ask your doctor to test FREE T3, FREE T4 and TSH.  Those three tests will give you a pretty good idea of what your thyroid can/can't do.  Also have iron and ferritin tested.