I'm scared to take drugs and would like your opinions
I have not take drugs for PCOS or thyroid issues ever, even though I have exhibited symptoms of both for years and years.
I have had a history is strange thyroid levels... one time showing hypo, and then the levels changed to what seemed like hyper. The endo I was seeing told me she'd prefer not to treat me and just keep monitoring my levels because she was worried that taking meds for hypo would worsen symptoms.
I saw a reproductive endo back in October to have blood levels tested-- she said everything was okay. I never went back for the follow-up appt. though.
Recently I went to a family practice doc for a check-up and discuss the symptoms I still have going on...I basically told her I just want to make sure things are normal. They did blood work and my TSH levels were in normal range, but they were on the low side of normal. The doctor gave me a Rx for Armour Thyroid meds because of how many symptoms I have.
Now I am scared of taking the drugs because I'm worried that maybe I *shouldn't* unless my levels are obviously abnormal. I'm worried that I will damage my body, or worsen symptoms... I am very cautious about this. I am thinking I might go get a second opinion from another doctor before I begin taking drugs.
Can Armour cause any permanent problems? I don't want to risk my health.
They did blood work and my TSH levels were in normal range, but they were on the low side of normal. The doctor gave me a Rx for Armour Thyroid meds because of how many symptoms I have.
Now I am scared of taking the drugs because I'm worried that maybe I *shouldn't* unless my levels are obviously abnormal. I'm worried that I will damage my body, or worsen symptoms... I am very cautious about this. I am thinking I might go get a second opinion from another doctor before I begin taking drugs.
Can Armour cause any permanent problems? I don't want to risk my health.
I understand your reluctance to take medications, I would be wary too. You might want to look at another thread on here. There's others who have experienced symptoms of hypothyroidism but are unable to get treatment because their blood work came back normal. It also talks about normal blood results and how that doesn't necessarily mean you don't have hypothyroidism. All the symptoms of thyroid issues but normal bloodwork
There's nothing wrong with getting a second opinion before taking any medication. As far as whether the medication your dr prescribed will cause permanent problems, if your blood results came back in the normal range it's likely that your dr gave you a low dosage of medications to sort of test out whether you need more thyroid hormone than your body is producing right now. Hopefully that means that he told you if you take the medication and start feeling worse, or having symptoms of hyperthyroidism, such as heart palpitations to stop taking the medications. If you do decide to take the medications and start having such symptoms and stop taking the meds you shouldn't have permanent problems as a result of the medication. I could see you having problems if you continued to take the medication even if it made you feel worse. Unfortunately, that's how it goes with thyroid medications. Doctors can't determine with certainty how much thyroid each individual person needs from blood tests, so they have to prescribe medications and see how you feel as a result. It sounds a bit like gambling to do it that way, but at this point drs don't really have a better way of doing it. If you're super concerned you might think about alternative remedies, which there's a ton of information about on this forum. They're not without their risks either, but some people find they work better, less side effects, etc. I hope you find something that works for you.
__________________ No PCOS diagnosis yet...
Feel free to ask me about hyperprolactinemia though, just had my prolactinoma removed through brain surgery. Happier and healthier already... To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Dear Scrum., I second the last poster who encouraged you to get a 2nd opinion from a dr.!
If you are seeing major differences in your thyroid blood tests over time, it could indicate autoimmune thyroiditis and the end result (after all the ups and downs) is that your thyroid gland will not be able to make enough stuff. Endocrinologists see this disease daily, and they can give you thyroid replacement hormone IF you do need it, so see that kind of dr. if you don't already. Being treated that way is replacing what is missing in your body, and stemming any ups/downs with your levels over time. Don't be afraid of it, your body can only go so far on diminished thyroid levels. Though I don't take Armour (I take the synthetics levoxyl and cytomel instead), I hear that it's really close to what your own body would make.
__________________ I am: age 37; single, no children To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
I also think a second opinion isn't a bad idea. I think if you need the med you should go on, and I am sure they will watch you closely for a while at first making sure your dose is set to what you need.
I had a friend who was borderline, went on Synthroid for a while, and then started getting palpitations, went off, and has never had problems since. And now they just test it to make sure like they have you. I don't think any hypo meds will be damaging in any way if you need them. I have been on Synthroid since I was two weeks old!
Synthroid, for underactive thyroid gland is not harmfull at all! I love it! it makes me feel better! i totally recommend it. Do not be scared, since it is a supplement. Taking Synthroid is like taking a hormone replacement, not an antibiotic or some kind of medicine that could harm you if you take it for a long time.
If you have conflicting lab results (hypo sometimes, hyper sometimes, normal sometimes) do some research on Hashimoto's thyroiditis. It's an autoimmune disease where your body attacks your thyroid, causing highs and lows in your thyroid hormone levels. There are specific antibody tests your doctor can do for this disorder which are not normally performed in a standard thyroid panel. The labs are anti-TPO (thyroid peroxidase) and tgab (thyroglobulin auto antibodies). Ask your doctor for these labs and you might have some answers.
I'm scared to take drugs and would like your opinions 
"Normal" blood results don't always mean normal 
