I got my results! YAY! Please give me some advice!

Sullangirl · 04-12-2006, 05:06 PM

Morning all!

I got some good news! Well it's not really good considering it SUX that i am always ill with something, but overall good news cause I finally have a diagnosis after 10 years of complaining that I am Hypothyroid!

I got my test results back and they had run the typical ones...but also a more in depth test. The typical ones have always come back on the low side of normal...but that is just enough for doctors to keep telling me that I am fine and it's all a lack of exercise and being healthy that was making me gain and not lose this weight.

Well, they ran a antibody test on my thyroid. A "normal" person should not have more that a range of 0-34 per whatever measurement they use...mine was 759!!!!

I am NOT pleased by all this news...but its not like i did not know it was happening. I knew this for YEARS but doctors always think they know better cause they have a degree. I finally found a WONDERFUL doc. that LISTENED to me and went that extra mile.

Now, the other problem. I am a very holistic person by nature. I take about 20 herbs and supplements a day. I have a BIG problem with prescription drugs. I eat organically and am very picky with what i put in my body. After everything I have been through for these 10 years and the HUNDREDS of pills either prescription or over the counter that I have tried...i am sooo nervous to try a new one.

Synthroid is what he started me on and i have heard NIGHTMARE stories about it. My personal trainer is on a "natural" bovine thyroid med. It is derived from dessicated bovine thyroid. She feels great and noticed a huge weight loss in a matter of months. She lost almost 40 lbs since jan.

i am just nervous that this will give me bad reactions...sigh. I will try it slowly one day at a time and see what happens i guess. I just know that everytime I have a gut feeling about something i am ALWAYS right. I just know that I should stay away from synthroid. I know that I would do much better with armour.

Anybody have good bad experiances with these meds?

thanks for listening and any of u veteran thyroid patients I would LOVE some advice on what u think!

LadyBlue · 04-12-2006, 07:08 PM

I have no problems with synthroid. I can't even tell that I'm taking it.

Molanna · 04-13-2006, 02:04 AM

I'm on 88 mcg of Synthroid, and have not had any side effects. When my TSH first came back high, my RE put me on 100 mcg, and I noticed hot flashes, but since I started in winter, and took the meds first thing on waking, it wasn't horrible, just noticable! Now, after 5 months, nothing! I take my pill as soon as I wake up, and the only life change is I must wait one hour to eat breakfast instead of eating right awy!

My antibodies came back at >1000, which freaked me out, too! But I've been retested twice since then, and the endo thinks I'm doing great on my current dose. I'd talk to a doctor about the natural approach, because you don't want to undertreat this disease, and since suppliments are not regulated like prescriptions, you will have to play with the dose and get checked to make sure you are still in a good range.

Cyster Shannie · 04-13-2006, 10:08 AM

Congrats on your long-awaited diagnosis! Isn't it nice to be validated!

I too, was just diagnosed last week after years of suffering. I have a low free T4 as well as a nodule/cyst in my thyroid and I will be seeing an ENT about it.

Anyways, Synthroid is bioidentical to the T4 your thyroid makes. It is similar to the key and lock concept. The synthroid is like the key and your body's ability to utilize it is the receptor. I don't feel that you would have too many problems with it as long as you have regular monitoring, to avoid potential bone thinning as a result of having too much thyroid hormone.

Bovine derived thyroid has the potential to form an antigen to thyroid hormone, worsening Hashimotos. Dr. Elizabeth Vliet writes about it in her books, Screaming To Be Heard and The Saavy Woman's Guide to PCOS

Make your Dr. aware of ALL supplements you take. Calcium, antacids and other drugs interact with Synthroid and need to be taken at a different time. Synthroid should be taken on an empty stomach 1 hour before a meal.

If it doesn't work out, and your doctor is open to it, you could always try another brand. Stay away from generics if you can, the levels don't last in the blood as long. Hope this helps.

-Shannon

Sullangirl · 04-13-2006, 05:59 PM

Thank you all for your advice!

Thanks for the advice on armour.

I am now on day 2 of synthroid and so far so good. I am only on 50 to start.

That is low apparantly but my doc knew how squimish I was to start it so we are going slow.

I don't know if this is coincidence or not..but after a MONTH of the scale not moving...I dropped to 199.5. That half a pound was very important to me. This is the first time I am below 200 since DD was born...that is 3 1/2 years.

Is it just luck that the scale moved finally or did the synthroid get me over that hump in just 24 hours? I had been waiting a lOOOONg time for it to move and then the day of...BAM.it moved.

Thanks to u all for some advice on this..

Aliki

~Rachel~ · 04-13-2006, 06:10 PM

I've been on Synthroid for 15 years. Currently I'm on 200 mcg and feeling better than ever! When my endo has increased my dosage in the past, for the first couple of days I would have a little loose stool, nothing major and definitely more energy! It's great to have more energy & not sleeping all the time when my thyroid was out of whack. I'm really sensitive to my TSH increasing, when I start sleeping more and getting more boils, I'm calling the doctor & having them run bloodwork to check my levels.

I also have a pituitary adenoma which is being monitored & I'm taking Dostinex 2x/week for it.

It's always best to take your increases slowly. Make sure your dr. checks your levels every couple of months to make sure your #'s are decreasing. Good luck!