I wish I had found this forum sooner! I can't believe I didn't for all the years I have searched for help. I have been on Synthroid for years and absolutely miserable. I had total thyroid removed in 1994 due to papillary cancer. I have read a lot of the postings so I have gotten some good information, but could use a little more help. I have been begging doctors/ Endos for help for years to no avail. They just wanted to put me in the mental health category. I basically became a vegetable as the years went by. Found out in 07 after changing Endos that my parathyroids were knocked out during surgery! I cried for days as I was mad that it took 13 years for that to be discovered even though low calcium all those years!! With initial addition of Calcitriol, my energy surged, but I quickly fell again, Up to that point I was on 150mg alternated with 175mg of synthroid. Slowly started bring synthroid down, felt miserable, begged them to stop lowering me, suicidally depressed with every adjustment, but no one believed me that it was related to thyroid. They said depression, bi-polar, etc and wanted me to take more meds which I refused.
Anyway, enough history, I found a doctor that was willing to let me first try cytomel, I felt amazing for short time, but then started having heart jumping not palpitations, really scared me. It happened even on the weakest dosage possible 1/4th of 5mcg.. So I sunk back into sluggish depressive state. I have asked and he is letting me try Armour. I was on 125 mg synthroid at time of change. He started me on 120 mg of Armour 2 weeks ago today. Luckily the pharmacy only had 60's, so after a few days of feeling poorly, I sought out and found this forum and stop the madness web site with great information about dosaging. After the first few days I did split dosage to twice daily instead of 120 at once. It did help a little with energy in afternoon, I still don't feel good after 2 weeks, I have pretty bad headaches and pretty constant, but it was good to read that it is a side effect that can be expected and should subside. I have had very mild heart flutters last night and today. Also really tired and really want to get my brain and energy back. My questions is should I still have started at a lower dosage and worked up. Was starting at this dosage bad? I feel so tired and am trying to be patient. I am not suppose to go back to doctor for 2 months or so, and I am thinking I need to be checked in 4 weeks. I had labs done day before so I have something to compare to. Any advice would be great, this has been a long ugly road and I want off of it!!!