lewber Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 We knew my mom had thyroid problems, and she refused to go to the dr. My dad said she was taking her pills "sometimes." Well when she was in the hospital with her broken hip, we took the advantage and had her bloodwork done. Her TSH level was 36! We'll never be able to optimize it, but improving it has to help, right?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 (edited) My DD was super high when she went on meds. If your mom takes the right dose and takes it daily, it will fully correct her thyroid issues. Can she get one of those M-Sunday type of pill sorters and set an alarm to remember to take her meds? Edited February 21, 2018 by Attolia 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 There's no reason she can't optimize it IF she takes her medication regularly and gets it checked regularly. I felt awful and was having so many truly life altering symptoms when my TSH was 7.6 that I can't imagine having it that high and not being very seriously ill. I'd probably be comatose (myxedema). This is such an easy issue to fix and results in such improved quality of life I can't understand why, barring dementia or something like that, someone wouldn't see a doctor regularly and take their medicine. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 I also want to add that thyroid meds are the safest level of med you can take. Like, no hesitancies or concerns at all during pregnancy or breastfeeding. So if she is considered about medications then she really shouldn't be concerned about this one. And you don't have to be overweight to have a TSH that is that high. My DD is very small, began having a plethora of medical issues that seemed thyroid related, but her thyroid was overlooked at first because she wasn't overweight. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countrygal Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 It is not really even medicine, it's just hormone replacement. Her tsh will come down rapidly when properly treated. Is there a way someone can watch her take it everyday? It's possible she is so brain foggy she doesn't realize that it would make her feel better? My tsh dropped from 88 to 7 the first 6 weeks and then to 2 6 weeks after that. The tsh is just her brain screaming at the thyroid and the thyroid isn't responding! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 I've BTDT, and I did feel like I was gonna die, as mentioned by PP if she takes medicine the TSH will go down quickly, now getting the T3 and T4 levels good might take longer. I don't convert well so it has been a b*tch getting my levels good and keeping them there. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
displace Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 Some endocrinologists say you can take a week’s worth of thyroid med once a week, instead of one dose daily. Of course, check with your own doctor first, but if remembering is part of the problem, maybe a weekly dose of pills can get her over the issue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewber Posted February 22, 2018 Author Share Posted February 22, 2018 This is good news - I'm happy to see so many of you with success stories. She is 80, but she and my dad are both independent, live alone, and even still work, so we haven't been super involved in their health care until my dad's surgery last summer. She has been anti medicine - natural health - for a good 20 years, and thyroid medicine is included according to her, even though I have explained the hormone thing mentioned above. I really hope she feels the benefits and will stick with taking the medicine voluntarily. She has so many classic symptoms that she does not think are related. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 at 80 - I would strongly advise getting a weekly/monthly pill sorter. then she can be sure of the dose. a "real" pharmacy (re: not a strip mall) can do bubble packs that include all of their rx prefilled, so she won't have to. my mom fought me on the pill boxes - and would forget and skip or double, then end up in the hospital to get her stable. (this was before dudeling was diagnosed, and he was very challenging and took all of my energy.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 if she's so "anti-med", maybe she'll be more accepting of natural desiccated thyroid. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.