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WHAT OPTION DO WE HAVE IF SYNTHROID MAKES YOU FEEL SICK
CAN YOU FEEL HYPOTHYROIDISM SYMPTONS EVEN IF YOUR LEVELS OF THS ARE NORMAL
LIKE VERY TIRED ANXIOUS AND VERY WEEK
IS THERE SOMETHING BETTER THEN SYNTHOID
AND ALSO CAN YOU HAVE PAC AND PANIC ATTACK BECAUSE OF THE THYROID
LIKE VERY TIRED ANXIOUS AND VERY WEEK
IS THERE SOMETHING BETTER THEN SYNTHOID
AND ALSO CAN YOU HAVE PAC AND PANIC ATTACK BECAUSE OF THE THYROID
This is a very old thread and I'm sorry to hear that you have been suffering from this for so long.
There are lots of options.
First I'd like to see what your lab results are for your Free T4 and Free T3. If you are being treated ONLY using TSH you will almost never be treated correctly with the right dose of medication.
many people report that in order to feel "well" and have symptom relief they need BOTH of the following conditions:
1) Free T4 to be at or maybe slightly above MID RANGE
2) Free T3 to be in the UPPER 1/3 of the range
Notice that simply being "within range" is NOT SUFFICIENT.
TSH is not really that important at all. In fact many people need to have their TSH below 1.0 and some even near zero to feel well.
TSH can be suppressed due to taking Thyroid medication. Again rendering TSH to be marginally useful at best.
As far as options for medications. Three come to mind.
1) One is Natural Thyroid. Usually under the names of "nature Thyroid" and Armour. This is natural dissected Thyroid I think from pigs. This medicine has BOTH T4 AND a T3 component. While the synthetic Levvo you are taking now is pure T4 medication only.
2) Triosint (not sure of exact spelling). This is a pure T4 medication. The difference is that it is in a liquid capsule or gel cap. This eliminates fillers and buffers that are common to Levo pills. Many people actually have bad reactions to the fillers used in the pills rather than the T4 hormone itself. Therefore by eliminating the fillers it has allowed many people who are sensitive to the traditional medications to be able to tolerate this drug. Another advantage is that a smaller dose may be used since the absorption of the liquid capsule rather than a hard powder makes it more efficient in that more of the T4 is absorbed. So if you switch to Triosint, don't be surprised if your dosage is decreased a little bit.
3) Cytomel - This is a pure T3 medication. It is less commonly given, it is almost always given IN ADDITION to a T4 medication. This so that it boosts up the levels of T3 in the blood. Usually as a result of finding out the patient does not convert T4 into T3 very well and is in need of help in order to make up for that poor conversion. Since your body uses ONLY T3, by taking this drug the T3 hormone is available for use immediately as it does not need to be converted from T4 into T3 as it already is pure T3. As a result this drug is usually taken in 2 doses a day. or in some cases if it is added to a T4 med it may only be taken in the afternoon depending upon how much T3 needs to be raised.
you may find Dr's that ABSOLUTELY will NEVER consider Nature or Armour Thyroid meds. They have convinced themselves that mother nature can not possibly do as well as man made synthetic drugs. Other Dr's simply do not believe in the need to test for T3 nor prescribe a T3 medication. This type of Dr you should probably stay clear of.
Hope this helps.
If you have any recent lab results please post them. If you only have TSH immediately go to the Dr and demand that you get your FT4 and FT3 tested and do not take no for an answer. If you Dr says that TSH is enough. IMMEDIATELY start looking for another Dr!!!!! That may very well be the reason you have been miserable for all this time!
There are lots of options.
First I'd like to see what your lab results are for your Free T4 and Free T3. If you are being treated ONLY using TSH you will almost never be treated correctly with the right dose of medication.
many people report that in order to feel "well" and have symptom relief they need BOTH of the following conditions:
1) Free T4 to be at or maybe slightly above MID RANGE
2) Free T3 to be in the UPPER 1/3 of the range
Notice that simply being "within range" is NOT SUFFICIENT.
TSH is not really that important at all. In fact many people need to have their TSH below 1.0 and some even near zero to feel well.
TSH can be suppressed due to taking Thyroid medication. Again rendering TSH to be marginally useful at best.
As far as options for medications. Three come to mind.
1) One is Natural Thyroid. Usually under the names of "nature Thyroid" and Armour. This is natural dissected Thyroid I think from pigs. This medicine has BOTH T4 AND a T3 component. While the synthetic Levvo you are taking now is pure T4 medication only.
2) Triosint (not sure of exact spelling). This is a pure T4 medication. The difference is that it is in a liquid capsule or gel cap. This eliminates fillers and buffers that are common to Levo pills. Many people actually have bad reactions to the fillers used in the pills rather than the T4 hormone itself. Therefore by eliminating the fillers it has allowed many people who are sensitive to the traditional medications to be able to tolerate this drug. Another advantage is that a smaller dose may be used since the absorption of the liquid capsule rather than a hard powder makes it more efficient in that more of the T4 is absorbed. So if you switch to Triosint, don't be surprised if your dosage is decreased a little bit.
3) Cytomel - This is a pure T3 medication. It is less commonly given, it is almost always given IN ADDITION to a T4 medication. This so that it boosts up the levels of T3 in the blood. Usually as a result of finding out the patient does not convert T4 into T3 very well and is in need of help in order to make up for that poor conversion. Since your body uses ONLY T3, by taking this drug the T3 hormone is available for use immediately as it does not need to be converted from T4 into T3 as it already is pure T3. As a result this drug is usually taken in 2 doses a day. or in some cases if it is added to a T4 med it may only be taken in the afternoon depending upon how much T3 needs to be raised.
you may find Dr's that ABSOLUTELY will NEVER consider Nature or Armour Thyroid meds. They have convinced themselves that mother nature can not possibly do as well as man made synthetic drugs. Other Dr's simply do not believe in the need to test for T3 nor prescribe a T3 medication. This type of Dr you should probably stay clear of.
Hope this helps.
If you have any recent lab results please post them. If you only have TSH immediately go to the Dr and demand that you get your FT4 and FT3 tested and do not take no for an answer. If you Dr says that TSH is enough. IMMEDIATELY start looking for another Dr!!!!! That may very well be the reason you have been miserable for all this time!
I take levothyroxine and I'm telling you I have anxiety i'm weak all of the time dizzy all of the time sore muscles they give me meds. for these problems but I'm like you I'm a Hypothyroid I get the shakes and body temps change all of the time and I never had any of these problems until I started taking my thyroid meds. I was on 50mcg then they said after 3 months that I needed 75mcg I got sick and was addmited in the hospital to help control my thyroid cause they said my tsh levels were off then I speaclist came in and changed it to 62.5mcg they do not make that dossage I had to cut a 125mcg in half and after 3 days my anxiety went away but now I'm back on 75mcg again and I have really bad anxiety I lay on the couch all day and just stopped my life and I'm affraid to go anywarecause I never feel good I have a new doctor now so we will see what he will do maybe I will try the synthroid and not the levothyroxincause the name brand seems to work better for othershope you feel beter soon nobody should feel the way we do and then be told all of you vitles say your fine and send you home all dopped up with meds.
hi iam am so miserable with my symptoms wake up tired after sleeping eight hours. was dx with hashimotos this june iam know taking 50mcg of synthroid but i really dont feel any different . i am always tired and i get this crashing tired feeling in the eraly evenings feels like iam goin to crash into a never ending fatique. my doc said my levels are fine but i feel so sick i also get anxiety and i am on ativan it helps my anxiety but my symptoms are persistent i also get short of breath my doc saids that is anxiety i am strugmgling and feeling verey frustrated. can some help please. ms not so happy right now.
We are probably experiencing the same of the same issues, but at opposite end of the spectrum for I am Hyper/Graves'. I went through depression and probably still am. I tried a few antidepressants which didn't work for me, but now I take an anxiety medication on an as need bases, which so far works for me. I also went through what is called Graves' rage(s) - not a pretty scene, and holding my breath in case it continues to happen, it's very ugly - I am very ugly. Also from time to time I go through an episode where I feel so hyper internally, which makes me want to go go go externally. The more I go go go, the more hyper inside I feel and the more hyper inside, the more I go go go, until I start dropping things, breaking things and tripping over my own feet. I am afraid one day I will fall and break a bone, if not my neck. This gets so bad and overwhelming, I don't know how to handle it or what to do with myself, feel like crying and giving up. Its very exhausting! But, what helps bring me out of it, is I have to stop what I am doing; fixing something to eat or doing house work or working in the yard, on computer, whatever, and just sit for 10, 20 minutes, sometime stopping what I am doing for the rest of the day - and just relax. Relaxing all day if necessary. I don't have a job and glad I don't work, because I couldn't handle it while on a job.
You are not alone in feeling bad, but I feel once we have been successfully treated and find the TSH level that is right for us to feel your best, symptoms should subside. I am going back into hyperthyroidism for my levels keep going out of Labs even with lowering med. doses, once my levels are stable, some of this if not all, will subside. However the depression might be another issue separate from thyroid, in which thyroid can aggravate an existing health condition(s) including depression/anxiety, etc. So we need antidepressants to help us get through the rough spots until our thyroid is at optimal levels to where we feel our best. Perhaps not 100% especially for us autoimmuner's, but close.
You might ask your doctor to tweak your TSH level to 1.0, as utahmomma stated. Also another issues to look at is your FTs, which can related to what is going on with your thyroid. TSH relates to hypo or hyper-thyroidism, FTs relate possible conditions, not all, but some, so they are worth checking if we still are not feeling well after TSH is at optimal level for you. T-3 or combo T-3/T-4, is not recommnded for people with heart issues. T-3 is too unstabale and hard too regulate, therefore putting more stress, etc. on the heart and therefore making it very dangerous.
Get copies for every time you have thyroid test done with Labs reference range, it will help in following your progress. I keep track by writing a health diary on the back and refer to it as needed when I go to doctors. Anyway, good luck - keep us posted.
You are not alone in feeling bad, but I feel once we have been successfully treated and find the TSH level that is right for us to feel your best, symptoms should subside. I am going back into hyperthyroidism for my levels keep going out of Labs even with lowering med. doses, once my levels are stable, some of this if not all, will subside. However the depression might be another issue separate from thyroid, in which thyroid can aggravate an existing health condition(s) including depression/anxiety, etc. So we need antidepressants to help us get through the rough spots until our thyroid is at optimal levels to where we feel our best. Perhaps not 100% especially for us autoimmuner's, but close.
You might ask your doctor to tweak your TSH level to 1.0, as utahmomma stated. Also another issues to look at is your FTs, which can related to what is going on with your thyroid. TSH relates to hypo or hyper-thyroidism, FTs relate possible conditions, not all, but some, so they are worth checking if we still are not feeling well after TSH is at optimal level for you. T-3 or combo T-3/T-4, is not recommnded for people with heart issues. T-3 is too unstabale and hard too regulate, therefore putting more stress, etc. on the heart and therefore making it very dangerous.
Get copies for every time you have thyroid test done with Labs reference range, it will help in following your progress. I keep track by writing a health diary on the back and refer to it as needed when I go to doctors. Anyway, good luck - keep us posted.
The optimal level most endocrinologists want to keep a TSH at is 1.0. I know that when my TSH goes above about 2.0 I start to get "brain fog" and have no energy. My thoughts also race but I'm exhausted.
Are you taking Synthroid or are you taking a generic? I can't take anything but Synthroid - the generic, levothyroxine, etc. all don't work for me. Everyone is different though. You may need a different type of thyroid replacement or a combination of T3 and T4. Please schedule and appointment with your endocrinologist or, if you feel that you aren't getting what you need, a different endo. Some are better than others. Mine only takes thyroid patients, my son's only deals with diabetes. Ask around for a good one (hospital referral services, insurance referrals, referral from your other doctors, other patients, etc.).
If your heart doctor feels you are having anxiety attacks (not a heart disorder) it could easily be tied to the brain fog. I really experienced them the higher my TSH levels went (and I hit above 75.9 last week).
Difficulty swallowing may indicate the need for a thyroid ultrasound to check for nodules or goiter (if you still have a thyroid, I'm not sure what you are being treated for).
Please call your endo.
Are you taking Synthroid or are you taking a generic? I can't take anything but Synthroid - the generic, levothyroxine, etc. all don't work for me. Everyone is different though. You may need a different type of thyroid replacement or a combination of T3 and T4. Please schedule and appointment with your endocrinologist or, if you feel that you aren't getting what you need, a different endo. Some are better than others. Mine only takes thyroid patients, my son's only deals with diabetes. Ask around for a good one (hospital referral services, insurance referrals, referral from your other doctors, other patients, etc.).
If your heart doctor feels you are having anxiety attacks (not a heart disorder) it could easily be tied to the brain fog. I really experienced them the higher my TSH levels went (and I hit above 75.9 last week).
Difficulty swallowing may indicate the need for a thyroid ultrasound to check for nodules or goiter (if you still have a thyroid, I'm not sure what you are being treated for).
Please call your endo.
MY TSH LEVEL IS 3.06 WHICH IS IN RANGE BUT I HAVE BEEN FEELING HORRIBLE SINCE I WAS DIAGOSTED WITH HYPOTHYROIDISM I HAVE HAD LOT OF TIMES WHERE MY HEART STARTS BEATING VERY FAST (TAKYCARDIA) AND SPECIALLY THE LAST YEAR I BEEN FEELING VERY WEAK . VERY MENTAL SLOWNESS LIKE MY HEAD IS IN SLOW MOTIOS AND VERY WEEK LIKE I AM GOING TO FALL ON THE FLOOR OR DIED I HAVE HAD A BRAIN SCAN , STRESS TEST, EKG 30 DAYS HOSTED MONITOR THEY ALL CAME OUT FINE
SOME OF MY SYMPTONS ARE HARD TIME SWALLOWING AND LOT OF ARRISTMIAS,AND FEELING VERY WEAK SHORT OF BREATH AND THIS IS REALLY AFFECTING MY LIFE STYLE I FEEL SICK 6 OF 7 DAYS OUT OF THE WEEK XANAX MAKES ME RELAXED BUT I STILL HAVE ALL THIS SYMPTONS
I HAVE BEEN PUT ON ANTI ANXIETY MEDICATION LIKE XANAX ZOLOF BECAUSE MY HEART DOCTOR SAYS THAT IS ANXIETY ATTACKS.
HAS ANYBODY HAS HAD THIS PROBLEMS
SOME OF MY SYMPTONS ARE HARD TIME SWALLOWING AND LOT OF ARRISTMIAS,AND FEELING VERY WEAK SHORT OF BREATH AND THIS IS REALLY AFFECTING MY LIFE STYLE I FEEL SICK 6 OF 7 DAYS OUT OF THE WEEK XANAX MAKES ME RELAXED BUT I STILL HAVE ALL THIS SYMPTONS
I HAVE BEEN PUT ON ANTI ANXIETY MEDICATION LIKE XANAX ZOLOF BECAUSE MY HEART DOCTOR SAYS THAT IS ANXIETY ATTACKS.
HAS ANYBODY HAS HAD THIS PROBLEMS
What's normal? Normal for you might not be normal for me, likewise, what's normal for the next person might not be normal for you! You can still have symptoms if your levels are not right for you to feel your best or if autoimmune. Do you know what your levels are and your Labs reference range.
I doubt if its the synthroid. The only problems per se, would be the same symptoms of hyper or hypo if you are under or over dosed from meds. All T-4 supplements are just about equal. There are other brands you can try, so discusses this with your doctor, but doubt synthroid is the problem.
Anxiety and panic attacks, tired and weakness, are symptoms of hypothyroidism. However, there are some people who have normal thyroid blood tests that have some of the same symptoms of hypothyroidism. These symptoms and many more thyroid symptoms, are shared by many other health conditions as well.
Talk to your doctor about trying another brand of T-4 supplement and if/when you change, have Labs done approx 6 weeks after starting new brand, there might be changes in your levels and dose might need adjustment.
Good Luck!
I doubt if its the synthroid. The only problems per se, would be the same symptoms of hyper or hypo if you are under or over dosed from meds. All T-4 supplements are just about equal. There are other brands you can try, so discusses this with your doctor, but doubt synthroid is the problem.
Anxiety and panic attacks, tired and weakness, are symptoms of hypothyroidism. However, there are some people who have normal thyroid blood tests that have some of the same symptoms of hypothyroidism. These symptoms and many more thyroid symptoms, are shared by many other health conditions as well.
Talk to your doctor about trying another brand of T-4 supplement and if/when you change, have Labs done approx 6 weeks after starting new brand, there might be changes in your levels and dose might need adjustment.
Good Luck!
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