FX from change in T3-T4 medication

[artfemme]

Hi guys, me again, been gone for a while. Tamra and Gimel, hope you're still around w/ your expertise. A few months ago I started having what I thought were hyper symptoms: heart palpitations, nervousness, dizziness when bending over, erratic sleep that seemed like it might be a blood sugar problem, and muscle spasms. I had been doing well on 50 mcg T4 and 25 mcg T3 from Mylan labs for about a year. I cut the T3 in 1/2 w/ Dr.'s permission. In about 5 days, those symptoms went away, only to be replaced with crushing depression and brain fog as well as difficulty focusing my eyes. WHAM!! After 3 weeks, I had gained 15 lbs. The good news was that now that I've been on meds., I can recognize that the depression and cognitive difficulties are chemical, so even though I was almost suicidal I had perspective and knew I could hang on until I found the right balance again. ( I was in treatment with a psychiatrist for 7 years for depression and anxiety on my other doctors' recommendations because they wouldn't believe me about hypothyroid symptoms due to my low TSH. No anti-depressant or anti-anxiety meds. worked. I spent a fortune, and felt horrible on the meds. When I took T3, it all went away in 3 days, but not until after I was hospitalized w/ what seems to have been myxedema.)  Because of the rapid weight gain, my Dr. finally saw 1st hand that I really do have a hypothyroid problem and will now work w/ me to stabilize the meds. and trust me I know what my body. My new psychologist also now believes that my problems are due to hypo, as she observed what happened so quickly to my emotional state. She now advocates for me w/ the MDs.

Anyway, I am now taking 100 mcg T4 and 25 mcg T3, up from 12 1/2. This seems to be a better balance for me, but no explanation for the hyper event. Tested for Hashimoto's antibodies again, but seem to be normal. (My sister has Hashi's, and was a total kookoobrain before she was diagnosed.)

The reason I'm posting is that when I first went on T4-T3, the improvement was dramatic and immediate. With this change in meds., the depression and cognitive problems started to lift w/in about a week, but took several weeks to go away completely. The weight ( which is probably lovely myexedemic "sub-cutaneous jelly-like material" evenly distributed over my whole body, looks like cellulite with swelling in legs and feet and bloating abdominally) is only now, after over 2 months, starting to dissipate, and didn't until I re-upped the T3. Lost about 6 lbs. in the last 12 days, diet remained the same throughout. Yesterday, though, I got foot cramps again.

So my question is....has anybody else experienced this sort of thing w/ a change in meds.? It  seems like my body is so much slower to respond and I worry about the toll the ups and downs are having on my poor little body. Also, I've been sick w/ a respiratory thing that may have been whooping cough but has morphed into a terrible allergy attack when I don't have any measurable allergies according to blood tests. Having a lot of trouble breathing, non-stop coughing and spittingThis pollen season is high in California because we got so much rain last year, but I can't kick the flu-like symptoms after 5 weeks, 3 in bed, and wonder if my immune system isn't taking a dive. When i as in bed, I felt like I had a temperature and had chills, but the thermometer never registered above 98.1. So I started taking my basal temperature in the am before moving and it was between 96.1-97.

Thoughts, dear fellow pilgrims? Thanks so much for being there.

[liya8]

Hellllloooooo  Reading your experieince is as if I was reading my own story - happened to me a year ago - only on itnroduction of T3 do I feel better and is the edema going - even though I do not have a weight problem the fluid built up around my lower legs and stomach area - much better - I sitck to my dosage of 5mcg of T3 and 100mcg of T4 once the symptoms start then will up the T3 if needs be.  Since I have a T3 reverse problem use Cytomel brand name and a supplement with Selenium and other herbs to support the r T3 issue.  I aslo take Vitamin K1 and interesting just yesterday found a thyroid tablet made in China that contains Cytomel T3, Eltroxin, T4 and Vitamin K1 and K3.  My doc is checking it out but I also include Glutathion and Omeg 3 oils that contain EPA and DHA, also a Vitamin B3 with Niacin.  Since I had my gallbladder removed years ago need extra support and care for the liver.  I feel much better just working on rebuilding my body as I had a lot of muscle loss or atrophy and still finding out how to work on that - do go to the gym at least 3 times a week and also do yoga, Qigon and Tai Chi.  Will have new blood work done in 3 weeks to see how my Antithryoglobulin is doing at is was at 102.5 my thyroid perioxidase dropped from 0.7 to 0.1 within 6 weeks after introducing coconut oil and Kefit into my daily diet, gluten free and eat only cooked foods nothing raw and no fruit unless it has been frozen for at least two weeks or make a fruit compot out of it.

Good luck

[gimel]

Yes, it would be most helpful if you will post your test results and ranges, certainly the most recent and older ones also if they represent different med levels.  Descriptions of symptoms as the time of each test will also be useful.  Alternatively you can go to your own page by clicking on your name, and then click on your journal entries and post test results, etc, there.  That way, in the future members can find test results quicker than searching for an old post.

[artfemme]

Hi gimel, thanks for getting back so fast!

Waiting on the last blood test drawn June 2nd. I've had so many done and shown them to so many doctors...should I post it here? Should I post some old ones too? Seems like HMO's love to pay for tests, but not for their interpretation. Am new to MedHelp...do people post all their labs somewhere on a regular basis so you all can refer to them?

One of my worries is that I was allowed to remain untreated for so long that I got myxedema, and now it could be a reactive syndrome that will never go away. My mantra, though, remains "It is what it is".

Thanks for your help.

[gimel]

Sounds like you have experienced what many of us have, two steps forward and one step back. Although we'd like it to be different, at least there is progress that way.  LOL

Before getting into anything further, please post your last several blood test results and ranges and note your meds at the time along with how you were feeling.