Aa
Ended up in ER...
Okay here is my short story...lol....I had been having very labored breathing all week and on Tues I went to my dr who decided with my thyroid labs to put me back on Synthroid with Cytomel. So I went from 120mgs Armour to 88mcg Synthroid and 5mcg Cytomel in the morning, started new med 2 days ago. Throughout the week my ribs have hurt more and more front and back and I have been coughing and getting more breathless. By yesterday I felt I was going to pass out because I could not get a full breath and when I did it hurt my ribs really bad. So off I went to the ER for a 6 1/2 hr party. Needless to say the ER doctor was pretty perplexed at my TSH of .08.....Less than 2 weeks ago my TSH was a 0.26 and Frees werent evenn mid normal range. My body had been resisting the Armour. Now my TSH is .08 only after 2 days of Synthroid and cytomel?? Is it possible? Or did my hashi's decide to flip me temporarily as the Dr suggested. As for my ribs front and back he diagnosed me with Chostocondritis and gave me a wonder shot of Solumedrol....I slept peacefully and didn't cough or snore all night. Lately I had been coughing myself awake every night all night. We ruled out my asthma with breathing treatments, etc.
Anyone have any thoughts or been through this?? So tired and sore from it all! Thanks for anyones thoughts.
Anyone have any thoughts or been through this?? So tired and sore from it all! Thanks for anyones thoughts.
blksaphire- thankfully they ruled out heart with EKG, x-rays, bloodwork, etc. So I am good there thank God! I had a full cardiac workup last year with a cardiologist as well who did a couple of stress tests and echocardiograms. I get low blood pressure, but not due to heart problems.
Medicmommy- Yes you are right that I cannot take benedryl....last night my thyroid was still very swollen and I guess I kept waking up all night coughing. It did itch and tickel on the inside! lol Aweful feeling and kind of choking sensation. Today it is a little better, but I am dragging my butt after solumedrol is out of my system. :(
Liz- I have read about this med...lol...wow...I will read more.
Thanks everyone!
Medicmommy- Yes you are right that I cannot take benedryl....last night my thyroid was still very swollen and I guess I kept waking up all night coughing. It did itch and tickel on the inside! lol Aweful feeling and kind of choking sensation. Today it is a little better, but I am dragging my butt after solumedrol is out of my system. :(
Liz- I have read about this med...lol...wow...I will read more.
Thanks everyone!
If I may suggest?
Im going through something similiar and the doctors are talking congestive heart failure.
I wake up at night feeling as if I'm going to drown. I cough until my chest hurts. I told the doctor that if I didnt know better, I would have thought I had a bad case of bronchitis or pneumonia.
Fluid has been backing up in my body since they took me off all diuretics. A lot of your symptoms seem like mine.
take care and hope this help
Terri
Im going through something similiar and the doctors are talking congestive heart failure.
I wake up at night feeling as if I'm going to drown. I cough until my chest hurts. I told the doctor that if I didnt know better, I would have thought I had a bad case of bronchitis or pneumonia.
Fluid has been backing up in my body since they took me off all diuretics. A lot of your symptoms seem like mine.
take care and hope this help
Terri
Hi Laura
Have you ever heard of Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)? I am just starting a small dose now-it is a totally safe and little known drug which has helped a lot of MS patients. Apparently it helps control the autoimmune/inflammatory response by boosting your endorphins. Not many docs know about it but if you look on the web and get some documentation your doc might prescribe it. Sounds like it might help you.
At this point I might go back to cytomel. The time release just isn't doing it for me and I am getting so tired it is hard to keep trying different stuff. I just want to feel better!
Arg! I hope you feel better too!
Have you ever heard of Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)? I am just starting a small dose now-it is a totally safe and little known drug which has helped a lot of MS patients. Apparently it helps control the autoimmune/inflammatory response by boosting your endorphins. Not many docs know about it but if you look on the web and get some documentation your doc might prescribe it. Sounds like it might help you.
At this point I might go back to cytomel. The time release just isn't doing it for me and I am getting so tired it is hard to keep trying different stuff. I just want to feel better!
Arg! I hope you feel better too!
Hello again!
I don't have enough knowledge to completely understand the mechanism (what happens when...) from your thyroid issue, and if it triggers a histamine release (some complain their throat actually itches on the INSIDE) which is what may be creating the ticklish cough and what also caused the chest wall pain...Normally a person would take 25-50 mg of benedryl as a preventative/ antihistamine (for a histamine-release reaction characterized by throat tightness, restriction, or hoarseness and a short of air sensation) if they weren't on steroids, or would be using a mild steroidal inhaler...since you have an asthma history benedryl wouldn't be a good idea as it would thicken your bronchial secretions and make the asthma worse...Hmmm...~MM
I don't have enough knowledge to completely understand the mechanism (what happens when...) from your thyroid issue, and if it triggers a histamine release (some complain their throat actually itches on the INSIDE) which is what may be creating the ticklish cough and what also caused the chest wall pain...Normally a person would take 25-50 mg of benedryl as a preventative/ antihistamine (for a histamine-release reaction characterized by throat tightness, restriction, or hoarseness and a short of air sensation) if they weren't on steroids, or would be using a mild steroidal inhaler...since you have an asthma history benedryl wouldn't be a good idea as it would thicken your bronchial secretions and make the asthma worse...Hmmm...~MM
COMMUNITY LEADER
The pain you had certainly sounds like what I had for years and finally found out it was gall bladder attacks. It was a real sharp pain that would start on the lower right side of my rib cage and no matter what I did, I couldn't make it stop. I couldn't lay, sit, stand or anything without pain. It usually hit during the night and as the hours would pass, it would gradually move on down to my lower abdomen, then go away. I have not had one of these attacks since I had my gall bladder out in 2005.
I was started on cytomel about a month ago (10 mcg/day) and am feeling so much better than I was before. I just had blood work done yesterday and no results yet, but hope everything is in line because I don't want to have to stop taking it and go back to feeling crummy.
I have noticed that my heart beat has speeded up, but then it was only in the 50's anyway, so ok to have gone up to mid/upper 60's. I also have the choking feeling, it does go away sometimes for several days, so not nearly as bad as it was just a couple months ago.
Good luck and I hope they figure out what is wrong.
I was started on cytomel about a month ago (10 mcg/day) and am feeling so much better than I was before. I just had blood work done yesterday and no results yet, but hope everything is in line because I don't want to have to stop taking it and go back to feeling crummy.
I have noticed that my heart beat has speeded up, but then it was only in the 50's anyway, so ok to have gone up to mid/upper 60's. I also have the choking feeling, it does go away sometimes for several days, so not nearly as bad as it was just a couple months ago.
Good luck and I hope they figure out what is wrong.
The ER dr did prescribe a medrol dose pack, but I don't want to take it. The last time I took one it made me feel emotionally wacky after coming off of it for about 2-3 days. My new dr said to just take anti inflammatories that are over the counter.
The rib pain has calmed down alot since the solumedrol! But I have noticed that my coughing is coming from my throat, not my chest. AND I have a tickle and tightness all through the side of my thyroid that develops nodules and swells. My thyroid had been sore for a couple of weeks....I am wondering if I had a nodule dissolve again and push extra hormone in my system. I have a choking sensation now that the solumedrol is gone. :( I also am coughing through the night with a choking cough....no mucus or phlem....completely dry cough.
Anyone know the best way to control inflammation in the thyroid other than steriods???
LIZ- I am going to try the cytomel again tomorrow. I gave it a couple days rest. If it starts again, I will then maybe switch to time release if my labs warrant it. I am only on 5mcg cytomel with 88mcg of synthroid.....from 120 mgs armour.
The rib pain has calmed down alot since the solumedrol! But I have noticed that my coughing is coming from my throat, not my chest. AND I have a tickle and tightness all through the side of my thyroid that develops nodules and swells. My thyroid had been sore for a couple of weeks....I am wondering if I had a nodule dissolve again and push extra hormone in my system. I have a choking sensation now that the solumedrol is gone. :( I also am coughing through the night with a choking cough....no mucus or phlem....completely dry cough.
Anyone know the best way to control inflammation in the thyroid other than steriods???
LIZ- I am going to try the cytomel again tomorrow. I gave it a couple days rest. If it starts again, I will then maybe switch to time release if my labs warrant it. I am only on 5mcg cytomel with 88mcg of synthroid.....from 120 mgs armour.
this mimisandy, you helped me with your answers to the first question i asked a few weeks back. i am going thru that. im the one that was just put on thyroied med. coincidently i got sick, have the same syptoms as you,,,,,, they told me i have infuelza, in fact after 8 days of this, i just asked my husband if you can break your ribs from coghing to much!!! i never thought of the corelation between just starting levothyroxine and my flu, i just posted a question about 15 minutes ago before i read you post..... im still off work with this flu, maybe its the medicine!!! anyone else like this???
Another thought:
Could the switch in meds have triggered an adrenal fatigue response which lowered the cortisol and caused the inflammation in the lungs, etc? Do you have any adrenal issues?
Could the switch in meds have triggered an adrenal fatigue response which lowered the cortisol and caused the inflammation in the lungs, etc? Do you have any adrenal issues?
Hello!
Jeeze, it sounds like you've been through the ringer...with your TSH so low, are you getting hyper symptoms? It can cause the chest pain, indigestion sensation, shortness of breath and heart pounding episodes....I'm wondering if you were having an adverse or moderate allergic reaction to your new meds, and this has caused the inflammation...so, no mention of pleuritis or wheezing? I find it interesting the solumedrol (a steroid) worked, yet you weren't put on a longer term one like prednisone for at least a few days or just possibly benedryl with the thought it was a slow allergic reaction...Mind you, I've only experienced brief (less than a year) thyroid issues, and I've treated lots of patients for allergic reactions and chest pain from a variety of problems...But I'm left wondering, if you are thought to have an inflammatory event that required solumedrol, then why wasn't it followed with a light dose of steroids or antihistamines? (Okay, maybe NSAIDS would be okay too, depending on the degree of inflammation...)~MM
Jeeze, it sounds like you've been through the ringer...with your TSH so low, are you getting hyper symptoms? It can cause the chest pain, indigestion sensation, shortness of breath and heart pounding episodes....I'm wondering if you were having an adverse or moderate allergic reaction to your new meds, and this has caused the inflammation...so, no mention of pleuritis or wheezing? I find it interesting the solumedrol (a steroid) worked, yet you weren't put on a longer term one like prednisone for at least a few days or just possibly benedryl with the thought it was a slow allergic reaction...Mind you, I've only experienced brief (less than a year) thyroid issues, and I've treated lots of patients for allergic reactions and chest pain from a variety of problems...But I'm left wondering, if you are thought to have an inflammatory event that required solumedrol, then why wasn't it followed with a light dose of steroids or antihistamines? (Okay, maybe NSAIDS would be okay too, depending on the degree of inflammation...)~MM
Hi Laura
I am so sorry this happened. It sounds so awful.I wonder if there is something about armour for some people which slows down the conversion to T3. I sometimes feel like the armour or levo is blocking the T3 I take (used to be in the form of cytomel or now the time released T3). So I wonder if the fact that you stopped the armour made the conversion easier and you went hyper on the cytomel.
I am a week into the T3 sustained release now and it is much mellower than cytomel. I think if you need T3 then you would probably be safe trying this form instead. For me I feel I need a much higher dose to get the effect I had on cytomel. I will probably end up bumping it up a bit.
I was on 15 mcg of cytomel. I am now on around 30 mcg of T3 and I still feel hypo, so, there ya go. T3 supplements are all very different-once you get settled and feeling better maybe you could give the sustained release a shot instead of cytomel.
I am so sorry this happened. It sounds so awful.I wonder if there is something about armour for some people which slows down the conversion to T3. I sometimes feel like the armour or levo is blocking the T3 I take (used to be in the form of cytomel or now the time released T3). So I wonder if the fact that you stopped the armour made the conversion easier and you went hyper on the cytomel.
I am a week into the T3 sustained release now and it is much mellower than cytomel. I think if you need T3 then you would probably be safe trying this form instead. For me I feel I need a much higher dose to get the effect I had on cytomel. I will probably end up bumping it up a bit.
I was on 15 mcg of cytomel. I am now on around 30 mcg of T3 and I still feel hypo, so, there ya go. T3 supplements are all very different-once you get settled and feeling better maybe you could give the sustained release a shot instead of cytomel.
With a TSH that low...forget the cytomel.
It will give you horrible hyper symptoms.TSH is too low to take Cytomel. Cytomel is only usually presecribed when T3 is low and TSH is up.
Cant for the life of me figure out why they had you on Cytomel.
Could you one of the reasons for the breathing probs.
Food for thought?
It will give you horrible hyper symptoms.TSH is too low to take Cytomel. Cytomel is only usually presecribed when T3 is low and TSH is up.
Cant for the life of me figure out why they had you on Cytomel.
Could you one of the reasons for the breathing probs.
Food for thought?
Ribs and inability to breath: 2 classic gallbladder symptoms. But really only on the right side ??
I agree .. I'd back off the Cytomel for at least a few days and see what happens and track it on your thyroid tracker with a journal entry to keep track.
:)
C~
I agree .. I'd back off the Cytomel for at least a few days and see what happens and track it on your thyroid tracker with a journal entry to keep track.
:)
C~
Thanks everyone.....new dr really sat and listened and wasn't going to just jump like a chicken with head cut off. He actually examined my ribs and agreed with the costchondritis. He isn't a pill pusher and suggested I take only over the counter anti-inflammatories and use the ice still. He ordered x-rays of my neck, because today both my arms went numb and sore from the elbows to the hands. He wants me to see my endo before running anymore bloodwork. Wants to make sure I am not having a hashi attack before he makes it worse with certain tests. He is concerned with my gallbladder, that it is adding to the pain....he is pulling all my records from ER and reviewing first.
I am laying and icing and pain isn't bad because solumedrol is still in system. Breathing is better today...I didn't take my cytomel. My yucky internest had her nurse call me and tell me she didn't think it was my thyroid and to continue the cytomel. Nope....I am going to lay off for a couple of days and see if it passes. Then I will know for sure.
Thank you for all the well wishes....HUGS to all! Thyroid life is exhausting isn't it? lol
I am laying and icing and pain isn't bad because solumedrol is still in system. Breathing is better today...I didn't take my cytomel. My yucky internest had her nurse call me and tell me she didn't think it was my thyroid and to continue the cytomel. Nope....I am going to lay off for a couple of days and see if it passes. Then I will know for sure.
Thank you for all the well wishes....HUGS to all! Thyroid life is exhausting isn't it? lol
My daughter had that after she had aspirated from reflux. It was bad. Celebrex helped. Maybe they'll allow something like that in addition to the steroids. So sorry to hear this Laura. Ugh.
C~
C~
Sorry haven't any practical suggestions, but sending very best wishes from not quite sunny England for a speedy recovery and successful consult with a new white coat. Was sad to read that the internist didn't even listened to your lungs!!! : ( naughty or what. Honestly - sometimes these coats need a good scolding.
MK- It does hurt! Mine is mostly on the right side but is a little on the left as well. They said to ice for a couple of days and then do heat. I had already been icing because heat wasn't helping. I am going to new dr today and will see what he says. I was at my internest on tues and she never even listened to my lungs or examined me, when I told her about my breathing and rib pain. Sooooo off new a new closer dr! I am not on Armour any longer, so I do not need to drive 35 mins to see her.
I messaged you in regards to you as well. lol :)
I messaged you in regards to you as well. lol :)
As for the costochondritis, it eventually goes away. I get it bad in my ribs! When I take a breath it kills!! It will go away! I would sit with a heating bad and try to avoid the side its on. My was always one sided.
I have a conversion issue, so how would I respond with the Cytomel then? Maybe I do need the compounded time release form? I didn't take it this morning. I only took my synthroid until i can get a call back from my busy dr....you know how that can be. It takes me at least a week to get a call on my labs. I am thinking maybe I should have been put on straight synthroid for a short period of time to see how my body is going to convert now.
Any suggestions on the costochondritis? I am icing and that seems to help short term.
Any suggestions on the costochondritis? I am icing and that seems to help short term.
I'm so sorry you went through that! We all end up in the ER.. I was diagnosed with that Chostocondritis a few years ago. That actually comes back once in awhile for me. I guess its gas!
So you are going back to the Synthroid? I had my labs done and got them back.. I wasnt going hypo, I am a litte hyper! My TSH was .77 I believe. So I now take the 60 mgs of Armour4 days a week and the 75 3 days. We shall see.. I get the shortness of breath as well. Around my periods and ovulation.
PM me if you want to talk! Thinging about you.
So you are going back to the Synthroid? I had my labs done and got them back.. I wasnt going hypo, I am a litte hyper! My TSH was .77 I believe. So I now take the 60 mgs of Armour4 days a week and the 75 3 days. We shall see.. I get the shortness of breath as well. Around my periods and ovulation.
PM me if you want to talk! Thinging about you.
Cytomel adds T3 hormone which is very fast acting and its levels are difficult to predict [so overdose is likely]
This is main reason why the doctors are trying to avoid to prescribe T3 containing medicine by any means [T4 is slow acting hormone}
Normally, 85% of T3 is 'produced' outside of thyroid by conversion from T4.
For the similarreason many doctorsdo not like to prescribe "regular' fast acting insulin, and use 70/30 insulin.
This is main reason why the doctors are trying to avoid to prescribe T3 containing medicine by any means [T4 is slow acting hormone}
Normally, 85% of T3 is 'produced' outside of thyroid by conversion from T4.
For the similarreason many doctorsdo not like to prescribe "regular' fast acting insulin, and use 70/30 insulin.
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