HypoThyroid problem, trying to document and find solution.Comments please

[jokkejens]

Hi, I am new here, this might get long, but please bare with me. I might help other, and I did some findings.
I am 37, male, I was always within the top 3 at school when it came to physical performance. Running, jumping, football, you name it. Then turning 30, everything became harder to stay on top.
I got married 5 years ago, had a daughter now 3 yrs old, and we have a newborn at 3 months.

Looking at pictures of myself from the last 2 years, I started to look more and more worse, i.e looking sick, semi-closed eyes, puffy face. Just not fresh and healthy.
I also felt quite bad, maybe even depressed. I thought it was a "difficult" marriage combined with raising children and getting older. (My wife shouts me up quite often, for to me, not justified reasons, again creating physical stress)
My back has been hurting since 8 years ago, but I was and still am doing sport in a good fashion.

Then last autumn, september 2008, I was at the doctor, because I had internal pain in the area around my penis, right side, hard to pinpoint, this prevented me from walking normally. Doc thought it was stretched muscle, after 2 weeks, still probs, went back to doc, he ordered full bloodtests, and a x-ray of the area. No findings from x-ray.
He called me back a week after the blood tests, asked how I felt, I said better, and he said I had some lab results he thought was a problem with the lab, and called me in for new tests. Same results, and he said I had a thyroid problem, and started me on 50mg Synthroid (Levothyroxin/Levaxin..Synthroid from now)
Also I had Ultrasound check of my throat, no major findings there I believe.

Thats when I started to look on the internet what my problems were...
Many of the hypo symptoms I read about are familiar to me. Dark voice, thin hair, joint/muscle pain for some time, tiredness, often falling asleep on the sofa in the afternoon and so on..

Sometimes before I knew about hypothyroid condition, I asked myself what was wrong with me, because people I used to be much better than, for example playing volleyball (3rd league, where 1st is national top league), they were now better than me. I started to understand that I was playing worse, but again blamed getting older and "family life". (before I learnt more about hypo)

Here are all my lab tests:

                         TSH        FreeT3 FreeT4     Medication
Normal range (0,4-4,4)       (3,1-6,3)     (12-22)

Date
sep.08               25         3,9 13      None
oct. 08               30         3,6 11      None
jan.09               10            4 17      50mg Synthroid
jan.09               12         4,4 18      50mg Synthroid
feb.09               7,8         4,1 17      75mg Synthroid
apr.09               8,4         4,3 17      75mg Synthroid
may. 09              6,6         18             3,5      75mg Synthroid. (Just came back from holiday with friends)
jul.09               5,5         N/A N/A      112mg Synthroid(FreeT3 and T4 were done,don't have results)
oct. 09 TBA         TBA          TBA           125mg Synthroid

After I started on the 50mg Synthroid, I again started to play better than my mates, and felt quite good.
Now I understand more, and sometimes I can be alright, sometimes lousy, probably depending on my levels.
My biggest problem now, starting the last few months, is that I feel mentally slow, hard to focus/not razor sharp vision. This always starts getting worse after lunchtime. When I wake up I usually feel sharp and focused. I take my synthroid tablets in the morning after breakfast. By the time I drive home after work, I have started to get afraid that I will crash due to my "slow" feeling/dizzy mind. I guess you call it brain fog.
I also see it very easily during the day by writing on the keyboard, I make more mistakes than before etc..

My May 09 results are interesting. I was on the same medication, but I spent 1 week on holiday with my good friends in the Maldives, doing what I love to do..Water sports, surfing etc..no "family stress", and the first morning after I came back, I had my blood tests done. TSH went down (can be explained by medication working better), but looking at the free T3 levels, those amazes me. Can someone explain this? I think psycological stress can affect the thyroid function more than we know.
I am heading for a new boys trip again this december, will do same testing again.

Now I am struggling with the slow/dizzy/foggy/sluggish brain, but only after half a day has passed, it feels like I am running out of something. (Thyroid hormones? Blood sugar? I have also thought about, but not looked into, if it has something to do with diabetes, gluten allergic???? god knows...I need some help on this. I want to find my normal strong and handsome self again, these thyroid problems are not good for active people.
One more observation, the synthroid, I believe, has made me lose 4-6 lbs, and I am 72 inches tall and normal weight is 180 lbs, so I am quite thin, more like a thin atlethic shape.

Thanks for following me, and hopefully I can help people in here, and would love to get comments and help from others, especially on my lab results and foggy/dizzy mentalness these days.
I want to try armour or similar, but cant get it, doc say its last solution after all other fails..

This is my first time "revealing" all my problems like this. (Apart from the doctor..)

B

[Super_sally888]

hi,

properly medicated, which you are not, things do improve a lot.

when Istarted treatment it took a few months, but it was like the lights came on. When i added dessicated thyroid it was like there was color again. So now i get to be annal about testing, adjusting, and healthy lifestyle.... sometimes the colours get a bit dimmer than they should be and its time to check things and tweak a little. Don't give up!

[jokkejens]

Good point, regarding mixing up the Free T4 and T3, I called my lab, and they had mixed them up! Embarrasing not to come up with this idea myself...Maybe I'm getting hypo...haha
So may 2009 results only showed a marginally lower TSH, and an all time low T3, towards low on normal range.
I guess all my conclusions about stress/wife/life in general were wrong then, BUT I still think this type of stress can have a contributing factor in developing hypo, although my doctor don't believe in this.
I will update the lab results with latest results, I will try to take synthroid first thing in the morning, see if that helps.
This brain fog/out of focus vision that starts after half a day is annoying, so any comments on how to get rid of that would be fine.
The way I see it, my options are:  A) get perfect balance of synthroid (resulting in Low TSH, higher T3 +T4) possibly add synthetic T3.
B) Try out armour or similar and see if things improve.

I am amazed about this disease that it seems to happen for so many people, yet it's so hard to get a proper life with these meds. If the "brain fog/out of focus" gets worse I am afraid it could affect my ability to do my job. (Office/theoretical work/computer work)
  
B

[TamraW]

MamaBush has a point. You get better absorption of your Synthroid on an empty stomach. Try to wait an hour to eat breakfast.

Also, I don't understand your FT3 lab and I think it's an error. I think you need to get FT3/FT4 again. If your FT3 is low, maybe you should ask the doc for some Cytomel. Hypos usually don't feel well unless our free numbers are on the upper end of normal.

Stress can make your condition worse if it is caused by Hashimoto's. Have you had the TGab and TPOab tests to determine if Hashimoto's is causing your hypothyroidism? If so, then you really need to explain to your wife that yelling only makes your condition worse. My hubby is extra kind and helpful, knowing that I am dealing with a dreadful condition.

Be grateful you didn't gain pounds with the hypo. Many of us have gained. I'm still waiting for my Synthroid to be raised so I can lose my extra 20. I, too, was athletic before this disease.

:) Tamra

[MamaBush]

The comment that stood out at me was that you take the synthroid after you eat breakfast.  My endo has always stated that it's to be taken on a completely empty stomach, approximately an hour before eating or taking any other medications.  It's also crucial to try and take it at the same time every morning.

[dawnangela]

Lol no wife..We cause stress, ha kidding...ok i agree with both above i think you still look hypo, Maybe a conversion problem and need to add a combination T4/T3?

[jokkejens]

Yes, you are completely right. I have the print from the lab right here. 18 could be a "stray" number for Free t3, but seen together with the low free T4 at the same time, I have no reason to not believe it. This was also taken less than 12 hours after the return from a completely stress free holiday. No wife, children, internet anything...
I will update the table soon, but please keep the comments/suggestions coming!

Thanks so far!

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

to me it looks like they got the FT3 and FT4 mixed up on the one where FT3 says 18 amd the FT4 is only 3.5.

I think you are still hypo.  Target TSH when medicated is for many between 1 and 2.  FT3 and FT4 should both be in the upper half of the refernece range (adjusted based on how you feel).  if you get your TSH down and the FT3 is still low, you may do better on a dessicated thyroid med.  OR  you may want to try this anyway.  I think you have long been undertreated.  IF you get treated properly you may find yourself feeling oh so much better.  May help your marriage too.

Agree with all stella said too!

And welcome here.  Part of the battle is getting educated so you will know how to manage this.

Best wishes

[dawnangela]

Is your may result showing your T4 at 3.5,( range 12-22)?  T3 at 18 (range 3.1-6,3)? TSH now  5.5 (range 0.4-4,4)?   is this right? Dawn

[stella5349]

I have a feeling the 18 was not a good test - you may have a bad level or incorrect number there. You could call to check that over through

TAking the 18 off the markers - you are LOW... way to low for me to feel well for sure.

You CAN feel better on a stress free holiday. Stress is a major factor in the way we feel. I think that is why I feel off lately - my stess is unbelievable right now. Sunny climates are also a mood buster for us. We are deprived with VitD and when we get it - it makes us feel much better.

I think you may do very well with suggesting a T3/T4 med with your doctor -

[jokkejens]

The numbers got a little messy in the above post, but free T3 are as follows:

FreeT3. Normal range (3,1-6,3) I am in Europe, maybe we have different units?

3,9    3,6    4    4,4    4,1    4,3   18   N/A.

These values are correspondent to the months in previous post. Why can Free T3 jump to 18 after a week of good life in paradise??
Change in food? Change in environment?

[stella5349]

Im sorry - I am not following those test results. Are you sure these were free Tests? here is an example of my free T3

My lab number reflect a howl number ( ie 525) then a reference range is given along side that number (ie 360-500) so my lab looks like this

FT3- 525   (360-500) (H)  ( this would indicate a high level of FT3)

I have alos had the decimal given as follow too.

FT3 - 5.2   (3.6 - 5.0 ) (H) again... high level of FT3

Either way - ( I was trying to be clear on your lab values) you seem to be experiencing some very familiar hypothyroid symptoms.