Does this treatment plan sound right??? Help!!!!

[bernear]

HI. I have a question for all you experienced people.  I just want to make sure what my dr. is telling me sounds right.  She doesn't want to refer me to a specialist so I just want some other opinions.  

I was feeling like crap for several weeks.  Couldn't think, difficulty just seeing, exhausted beyond words.  I knew something was seriously wrong with me.  I couldn't even function.  I felt like I was too out of it to even drive.  Well test results back and my TSH was 423.  They said this is extremely high and my thyroid is basically not functioning.  The doctor put me on 75 of synthroid 10 days ago.  I feel slightly better, but still barely functioning.  I called to see if they will up dose sooner or test sooner and they said no they will not test until 4 weeks and I just have to wait.

The problem is my husband has his own medical problems right now.  I am the sole bread winner for my family, so I must be on top of my job 100%.  I have three children aged 5 months, 2 years, and 5 years.  With my husband' illness I am very much needed to care for them in evening.  I can't afford to be sick and I have little if any time to rest up.  I'm runnning on empty!! Please help!!!

[Smilerdeb]

I totally agree with all the above postings especially ackers.
Be kind to yourself and get some help with hubby.
Hugs x

[acker]

hey - tricky situaltion. your husband needs care - but so do you. if you can get care for him, that'll take the load off you, because you're needed for the job that pays. you sound exhausted. when you have hypothyroidism, i believe this is a condition that qualifies for GETTING A CARER - for yourself! - but we don't, we just keep doing it all. anyway, if you can get someone else to at least attend to your husbands needs, i think it'll be him looked after and your job saved and your burdens lightened. the intention is to decrease the amount of worry no matter how small

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

it takes time for the thyroid meds to build up in your body.  So even while you are on 75 mcg your levels are increasing from day to day.  4 weeks really is the time at which your current dose will have reached a stable level, so your doctor is right in his approach / plan.

Goolarra is also correct that it is important not to shock your body by giving it a high dose all of a sudden.  So in your case, I'd think that 75 mcg is a reasonable starting dose.

The good thing is that you are going to feel a little better day by day as your blood levels of the thyroid hormones increase.  Do repeat the tests at 4 weeks on the dot and get straight in to the doctor with the results so he can adjust you further.

Likely you will need a higher dose than 75 mcg.

Hang in there.  From such a high TSH  you must have been feeling so bad for so long.  But there is light at the end of the tunnel.  

[goolarra]

Your doctor IS doing the right thing.  Synthroid takes several weeks to build up in your system and reach a stable level.  If you retest sooner than about four weeks, levels have not yet stabilized, and you do not get accurate FT3 and FT4 levels to base dosage changes on.  

Your TSH is very high, and I'm sure you are feeling absolutely terrible.  I wish I could tell you that the process can be "fast tracked", but attempting to speed it up often lengthens the process instead of shortening it.

You will most likely need an increase after four weeks, but considering your TSH level, you have probably been hypo for quite some time.  If that's the case, then you need to start out at a lower level so that you don't shock your system with too much hormone that it is no longer used to having.

Make sure your doctor tests free T3 (FT3) and free T4 (FT4) as well as TSH.  These are the actual thyroid hormones and should be used as the basis for all meds changes.  The "free" in each of the test names has to be specified, you can't just say T3 and T4 (that will be a different test, which is considered obsolete).