help with thyroid medication

[char201]

I hope someone out there can relate to my situation. I was dx'd as hypothyroid many years ago and did well on synthroid for a long time. For the past 5 years or so, I have been struggling to find a medication or combination that works for me. When on synthroid, at a dose that normalizes my thyroid (or even makes my slightly hyper based on tsh), I have the following symptoms: eyes feel funny (like they continually want to go out of focus and like there is pressure behind them), foggy thinking, low mood, reduced verbal fluency, weight gain, swelling (primarily abdominal), itching, constipation, muscle weakness, and poor exercise recovery. On desiccated thyroid: all of the same symptoms (minus the itching, swelling, weight gain), plus sensation of pressure at back of skull.
On cytomel alone: have peaks and valleys during the day with energy, fatigue, some swelling, anxiety, hair loss...but mood is better, constipation is better, and eyes feel fine. ARGH!!
I literally do not know what to try. Has anyone tried Levoxyl combined with cytomel. I think I may be reacting to the dyes or fillers in synthroid. My biggest frustration is the foggy thinking - these meds seem to scramble my brain. I've gone off them before - feel great for the first few weeks (like my old self) before the hypo symptoms eventually set in. Cortisol is no low, so that's not an issue.
Help...please!! I have a great doctor, so would love it if you could give me any suggestions to run past her!!

[char201]

Thanks to all of you for the advice and support. I promise to keep you posted!

[hava]

Some thyroid exercises, which will help to ease the side effects of medication.Do them once or twice daily.
Thyroid point – press (50 times) the fleshy bit on palm between  the base of thumb and wrist on both hands. You will feel pain when you press.
  
Thyroid exercises
1 Neck exercise for thyroid.
Breathe in slowly while turning your head to the left, pause and hold breath for 3 seconds,
Breathe out slowly while  bringing the head back to middle position,pause for 3 seconds,
Breathe in slowly while turning your head to the right, pause and hold breath for 3 seconds,
Breathe out slowly while bringing the head back to middle position.
Do this exercise 5 times.
Repeat this 5 times, with the head going up and back, and then head going down.

2 Neck exercise for thyroid
Stand on your knees with hands folded across your chest,
Lean backwards with the head falling back while breathing in, hold breath for 3 seconds,
come back to straight position, while breathing out.
Repeat this 5 times.

[gimel]

It sounds like you could be suffering with lingering hypo symptoms due to insufficient meds, because the doctor is dosing you based on TSH.  TSH is a pituitary hormone that is affected by so many variables that it is inadequate to use as a diagnostic to determine dosage.  At best it is an indicator to be considered along with more important indicators such as symptoms, as well as levels of the actual, biologically active thyroid hormones, free T3 and free T4.  

In addition, many members report that their TSH is suppressed when taking thyroid medication.  That does not mean that you are then hyper.  You are hyper only if having hyper symptoms due excessive levels of FT3 and FT4, as in taking too much thyroid medication.  For example my TSH has been around .05 for over 25 years, with no hyper symptoms.  In fact, even with that TSH I continued to have lingering hypo symptoms until learning about the importance of FT3 and getting my meds revised to raise my FT3 level.  

I suggest that you tell your doctor that studies have shown that FT3 correlated best with hypo symptoms and that FT4 and TSH did not correlate at all.  I also suggest that you request testing for FT3 and FT4, along with TSH.  If the doctor resists, then you should insist on it and not take no for an answer.  

In my opinion the best way to treat a thyroid patient is to test and adjust levels of FT3 and FT4 with whatever medication is necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels.  Symptom relief should be all important, not TSH.  Many members report that symptom relief for them required that FT3 was adjusted to the upper part of its range and FT4 adjusted to at least midpoint of its range.  

[ddavio]

I was on Cyntomel 1st & I take 50mcg daily with 100mcg Levoxyl. I also have to take 20mg of Aciphex because it can be hard on my stomach. When I started taking the Levoxyl, I had been on the Cytomel for about 2 years, had alot of the same symtoms you had, aftet adding the 2nd, it took a good 3 months to really kick in and I started feeling like a human again. I wasn't tired all the time, the fogginess, weight gain, moodiness all seemed to go away. I have been on the 2 for over a year and I couldn't imagine not taking them. Talk with your Dr. of course but I feel great (except the itching). Please ask me anything and keep me up to date.

[char201]

Thanks for the feedback ddavio!
Just a few questions - did you try Synthroid before Levoxyl?
If so, what did you notice when you switched?
Also, how much Levoxyl and Cytomel do you take (ie what ratio)?

[ddavio]

I take Levoxyl & Cytomel. These are the two meds that have made me feel human. I have energy, but not bouncing off the walls. My mood has become increasingly consistant and I just feel so much better. I have had the fogginess, the hair loss, moodiness,...etc. The only thing I have not been able to get rid of is the itching, if you find a cure for that, please let me know.