I have my tests in, can you help me?

[dancintexas]

Here it is.  I have been on synthroid for 3 yrs and I am NOT any better.  I'm 43 and a dance instructor all my life.

I have even tried switching to Armour, and no luck.

I have periodic night sweats, cold hands- tingling/numb when they get cold, I have actually gained 26 lbs since I started thyroid medication!!!  I have cholesterol of 200 and going up, i get a zoned out-dazed feeling at times when I just can't move, I have gained weight on a diet and can't loose weight! now I have hypoglaucemia, fatigue, bouts of mood swings, half of my eyebrows are not growing, my hair is brittle and falling out, no energy, gaining mostly gross stomach fat and I've had a tummy tuck!

I weighed 133 three yrs ago (which I thought I was fat because I had started to gain a little then) and now I'm pushing 159 !
What is the deal??

I have taken Birth Control pills-for 20 yrs now, am on Lipitor 20mg, have to take laxitives everyday single day..
I have tried Atkins, Weight watchers, low fat diets, fruit detox, colon cleansing and none work for more than 5-6 lbs and then ONE meal off the diet after weeks of work and I gain ALL the weight back and then some!  with one meal! that's incredible.  I feel like giving up.

My levels with taking Armour at 30mg are now......TSH is 3.0,....... T3 is 22.5,.......T4 is12.3........and T7 is 2.77
Without any thyroid medication 3 yrs ago were.....TSH was 1.1.....T3 was 23.5......T4 was 8.9.....and T7 was 2.09

What does all this mean??

My Dr. says she doesn't even want to give me Armour, that I'm fine, just get to dieting!!!

Please help me to help myself.

I have read up and found out that Birth Control pills are a huge culprit, and laxitives suck out all the Armour before I can use it.
And that taking calcium, iron, selenium, lithium, iodide, and eating walnuts are all bad to do within 4-6 hours of taking Armour and noone ever told me that!!!  and to take it at nite so the Armour is twice as effective as taking in the daytime.

I am at my witts end with this Dr.
  It IS a brick wall to get a Dr. to help you,  if you aren't on a death bed in a coma, with thryoid blood tests that should be in the Guinness book of records!

A frustrated woman!

[AMG3369]

I think the trick to the salmon oil is how much you take . I take anywhere from 4000 to 7000 a day depending on how things are "moving". Can't help to try. It does not drain anything out of the body. I am not good at drinking enough water so I am glad this works for me.

[Ecologic]

Hi DanceinTexas,

I can recognize myself in your description except for the birth control pill (rarely took it in my life) and the cholesterol (don't have any). But like you I am hypo and I gained a lot of weight in the past 2.5 years and have bad bowel problems.

My constipation problems started right after an humongous ovarian cyst removal in Oct 06, it is believed that scar tissue created the problem. I have tried many things, salmon oil included and nothing helped. But I am now taking MicroLax every day that's over the counter and according to my doctor this is not a laxative per say but it puts water in the stools. I have been on that for almost 2 weeks and I go either every day or every two days, which is great! I take it before going to bed and take my Armour in the morning when I get up.

I also eat fresh fruits first thing in the morning before my cereals and drink a ton of water in the morning. I also take some magnesium. For now, this is doing the trick.

I am currently increasing my Armour, because I have been on it for 1.5 years and noticed absolutely no effect. Except gaining more weight. We'll see!

[AMG3369]

This my help with your bowel problem. I have not had a problem with it for several years. Before that it was an all my life problem. When I was working as a cashier in a state park, I mentioned to a customer that my arthritis was bothering me. She said her husband was to have knee surgery and someone told him about salmon oil capsules. He took those and never had the surgery. I have treid them. I now can't function without it. It really keeps my fingers moving and it moves 'things' along very nicely in the bowel. As long as I keep up with them it moves fine. If I run out I have trouble. I know for sure it is the Salmon.I usually take 4 or5 1000mg capsules a day. Take with food so it will not repeat so you taste the oil. Believe me, this has been a lifelong problem. I also have a colon problem and this does not give me problems. It WORKS.

[gimel]

I'm sure there is a long list of things that people would recommend for general constipation.  I'll only mention a natural one I've found that worked for most everyone I've ever mentioned it to.  You could try vitamin C.  I like the chewable type best and I take 500-1000 mg per day, or as much as needed to get started, and then continue with the 500-1000 per day.  On occasion I've taken as much as 3000 mg in a day.  A good characteristic is that it is totally soluble and whatever is not used by the body is just eliminated in urine.

[thyroidpatient]

I have Hashimoto's and have very low iron, as well as IBS.  As Totie suggested, see a GI doctor. It may be the best thing that you have ever done!!  I had a colonoscopy last year, and I can assure you it was no big deal. They put the IV in my hand, I woke up within an hour and had no idea it was done, no side or after effects either. If more people knew how painless, and not embarrassing a colonoscopy was, more would have it done. Now I am cleared for the next ten years, so unless there is a problem, I have the assurance of knowing all is well down there.

[Totie]

Have you seen  a GI doctor concerning your bowel issues? Have you had a colonoscopy done/

[Smilerdeb]

Colon cleansers clean out the 'good ' bacteria we need as well as the bad so anyone trying them is also getting rid of the 'good' bacteria , if that makes sense.

I got constipation when HYPO......maybe its time you talked to your Doctor about an increase with Armour.
Cant help you there though as it is banned in Australia.
Maybe Stella can help there as she is an expert on Armour.
Either way, I sincerely hope your problem is solved soon.
It cant be easy for you.

[dancintexas]

Well, Im not offended at all!!  and thank you!

I have been told that getting my thyroid back to normal will "fix" my slow bowels.

But until I am getting the correct dosages of thryoid meds, I dont think my bowels will work correctly.

I have gotten worried and determined and got off laxatives for 2 weeks and didnt "go" once..........that's not healthy either.  And it's miserable.  Then I have to give in.

Iv'e tried colon cleansers and after taking all of them I returned them for money back because all they did were stopped me up.

[Smilerdeb]

Going by those levels, you are HYPO.
And even though you are on Armour, your body isnt absorbing it fast enough before the laxatives rid of it out of the system.
As I explained in an earlier post....the laxatives are cleaning you out (sorry to put it that way) and theres no food there so the brain tells the body to store fat to use for energy instead.
Its a catch 22.

Theres nothing that can be done in regards to your bowel muscles?
It seems your bowel muscles are not working....that the bowel isnt using muscle spasms to move the bowel content along.

I apologise if I seem to have offended you in the above postings...that was not my intention.
I just stated the facts.
Short of you seeing a bowel disease specialist, I dont know what to suggest.

But it seems the body is storing the fat and thats why the weight gain.
Theres nothing you can do to prevent that whilst you are taking laxatives everyday.
You can ask to have your Armour be increased but have to be careful of thyroid storm and T3 Toxycosis if on too large a dose of Armour.

Maybe others can post a solution......I am only telling you what I know and hope someone else can come up with a solution.

[dancintexas]

From what I can find posted on the internet and my test result sheet:
Normal levels in the USA are :
TSH .3 to 3.0    (mine is 3.0) at the top
T3  25 to 35      (mine is 22.5) below level
T4 4.5 to 12.5   (mine is 12.3) barely in range
T7 1.2 to 4.3     (mine is 2.77) seems ok

So why am I gaining 26 lbs in 3 yrs AFTER taking Armour ??

[dancintexas]

I am very concerned with taking laxatives daily, but let me tell you a terrible story.

First of all I have tried Fiber tablets, flaxseed, fruits, cayenne pepper pills, colon flushes (which did Nothing), prunes,fiber drinks, drinking 100 oz of water a day, etc.

My story is........a few years back I went on a 7 day cruise.
I didn't take a laxitive the day before I went (so there would be no bathroom emergency while traveling) then ate like I was never getting a meal again.........5 times a day.......
and never took any laxatives on the 7 day cruise.........came home after 7 days of tons of cruise food.........took laxaitives for 3 days and finally went to the bathroom and that was on the 12th day from the day before I went on that cruise!!!!

I do not have normal bowels.

So.........I NEED laxatives.  I dont know what to do.

Dr's either shrug it off or tell me to take fiber!!  what a joke for me!

From what I can find posted on the internet and my test result sheet:
Normal levels in the USA are :
TSH .3 to 3.0
T3  25 to 35
T4 4.5 to 12.5
T7 1.2 to 4.3

[Smilerdeb]

I wish I could help you but I suffered with HYPERthyroidism before RAI & TT.
From the TSH reading, I would normally say you are borderline HYPO but I dont know about the FT3, FT4 as the levels are all different worldwide...maybe you could post the ranges.

From what I have read and noticed with others that the LESS food you consume, the body stores fat.
If you are taking laxatives then you are disposing of the food and hence the mind is telling the body to store the fat for later use.And yes, you are depleting all Armour you have in your body.

Its like if you get gastro......the birth control pill doesnt work as you have disposed of it in the toilet.
The Lipitor is also being depleted along with any water you have in your body ...from the laxatives.
Can you use another form of laxative like a fibre drink or food?
Natural prunes or prune juice perhaps???

The  hypoglycemia is the body not having enough glucose in the body fromCarbohydrates. They are the main source of glucose.

You may not like to hear what I am saying but you are basically starving your body from all water and nutrients by taking the laxatives and can end up getting very, very sick from it.

Until your levels stabilise, you will not lose the weight and all the while the laxatives are disposing of all the water and nutrients the body needs, then the body will store fat..sorry to say :(