Different way to take your Meds

daffodil1979 · 04-14-2009, 01:52 PM

I kind of posted this on a different thread but thought I'd post it on a thread of it's own.
I have been on Synthyroid for about 7 years and 3 years ago had my thyroid removed. After my surgery I had major problems trying to regulate my TSH. I'd go and get tested and they couldn't even read the levels as it was off the charts high. So of course I was feeling horrible and nothing seemed to work. My endo did a test and found that I wasn't absorbing the meds properly, so I had the idea of taking half my pill in the morning when I got up and half when I went to bed. That seemed to be the magic step for me and my TSH went from over 100 to 1.25 where I've managed to keep it at for the last year. It's funny, my Endo is great, but this is something she had never considered and now suggests it too all her patients.
I'm not sure if this will work for everyone, but it has worked wonders for me so thought I'd throw it out there for those who are struggling with the same issue.

CarrieBerry · 04-15-2009, 06:53 AM

That is really intersting. I've never heard of anyone doing this before with Synthroid, only Armour. I don't like Synthroid so hopefully I'll be changing in the next few months, but if I have to stay on it then maybe I'll give it a shot.

I'm glad you've found what works for you and you have your thyroid in check. Going from 100 to 1.25 is huge!

blackcherry2002 · 04-15-2009, 10:46 PM

I really have to say I don't know how you did it with a TSH that high...Mine was at 22.1 when I was diagnosed and during that time, everyday I woke up I felt a little more dead...it felt like my body was shutting down....
So wow...but I hope you are feeling better now that it's in the right range...(and I might have to start taking mine this way lol)

alaskaflygirl · 04-19-2009, 03:16 PM

Whew, my TSH has been 100+ before, too: kinda interesting when it's that high, feeling like you're existing in a dreamworld, eh?

I've got Crohn's disease, so I have established issues with absorbing pretty much everything I consume, from medication to food.

On my own intiative, I tried splitting up my daily dosage. I'm taking Armour, but I'd imagine that the effects would be very similar for any thyroid replacement. I take 2/3 of my dose in the morning and 1/3 of it in early evening. I wouldn't say the impact was particularly dramatic, but I did notice a substantial improvement in my energy levels. It seems that the new regime evened me out a bit- used to be completely drained after making dinner, but now I still have enough kick left for another hour or two of activity.

blackcherry2002 · 04-20-2009, 02:37 AM

wow...sorry to hear about the Crohn's. My b/f actually has it, and his isn't even that bad. but when he gets a flair up....wow...he ended up in the hospital for 3 days last year just from dehydration...Questiion: Do you get back aches too? like more so in the bones themselves rather than the muscles....? Also..fatigue? Just wondering

alaskaflygirl · 04-20-2009, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackcherry2002

wow...sorry to hear about the Crohn's. My b/f actually has it, and his isn't even that bad. but when he gets a flair up....wow...he ended up in the hospital for 3 days last year just from dehydration...Questiion: Do you get back aches too? like more so in the bones themselves rather than the muscles....? Also..fatigue? Just wondering

Oh yeah: flareups are the worst things ever! I'd rather have a broken leg than go through what I experienced this past February and March.

I get major fatigue not only during a flareup, but a few days prior to when it starts. Joint/bone pain/aching is a very common issue with Crohn's patients; I didn't start experiencing that until a few years after I began having problems, so I wonder if the prevelence and severity of that kind of pain can gauge how far developed one's Crohn's is?

Back aches are another story. I have intersitial cystitis (chronic bladder inflammation) and endometriosis, so whenever my back starts to hurt, I give up trying to figure out what the cause is, lol

The most important thing your boyfriend can do is figure out what his flareup triggers are (food, stress, etc) and do his best to avoid them! My triggers are varied, everything from my menstrual cycle to specific foods (Campbell's tomato soup being the worst, but there's dozens more on my "do not eat" list).

anti-bodee · 05-01-2009, 03:28 AM

so is there anyone who took levothy or levoxyl who have now changed to armour. i'd like to know the differences. i'm on levothy and it's not doing any good. i guess like i've read, it takes more than the t4. please do let me know. i'm still researching but there's nothing like hearing it directly from those who have tried it already.