I have hypothyroidism -- what can you tell me?

[Nestof3]

Thanks!

[kewb]

What do you want to know? I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's at 13 and Hypothyroid at 15 and have been taking Synthroid since then. I am currently 42.

 

I have never had any problems while taking Synthroid. I did try the generic back in my 20's and it as horrible. They are not as good as Synthroid. Plus, if you take the generic there is no guarantee that you get the same generic every time you refill the scrip. That can mess with your numbers and your symptoms.

[gingersmom]

I have had thyroid issues since I was 16 (now 42).

 

I have always felt perfectly fine and if my gyno did not pick up on it, it might have gone unnoticed longer.

 

I have only been on synthroid for the past year and still feel fine.

 

My brother on the other hand seemed to have every effect from his thyroid (tired, hair loss, etc) and it took the endo a while to figure out the correct dose of synthroid.

 

It definitely is hereditary as my mother also has it.

 

I have already had my kids checked and will have them checked regularly.

[Nestof3]

I guess I was wondering how things will be different with the medicine -- meaning, will I notice anything.

 

I read some symptoms of it, but it mentioned not tolerating the cold, but I love the cold and cannot handle the heat. Except I remember a few times in the early spring, my hands/arms got cold from ice water and it ached like crazy.

 

I have experienced some of the symptoms, though:

Fatigue

Weakness

Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight

Depression

Irritability

Abnormal menstrual cycles

Decreased libido

 

Do any of these change?

[JudyJudyJudy]

I am one who did not do well with meds. When I first started taking them, I felt a vast improvement. However, that didn't last, and the meds had to be adjusted. Each time they'd be adjusted, I'd feel a little better again, but ultimately, my health further declined. I changed brands of thyroid meds and went to a natural drug (Armour Thyroid) instead of the synthetic (Synthroid). I felt a little better on Armour than on Synthroid, but the ratio wasn't right, so I had to add back some Synthroid.

 

Over the years I felt worse and worse. Through research I found that thyroid meds can wreak havoc on your adrenals, and I believe that's what happened to me. I have numerous allergies, so I suspect that I was also reacting to some of the ingredients in the meds.

 

Earlier in the year, over a period of five months, I weaned myself off the meds. However, I also changed my diet. I identified a lot of foods to which I was allergic and went gluten-free and yeast/mold-free (I have a confirmed yeast/mold allergy through testing). There is a link between gluten and Hashimoto's Disease, an autoimmune disease which is the most common nonsurgical cause of hypothyroidism. Gluten can be a contributing factor in other autoimmune diseases as well.

 

I feel better now without meds and with my current diet than I felt while on meds. I haven't had my thyroid levels tested since weaning myself off the meds, so I have no idea what the "numbers" would say. However, in my opinion, the way a person feels is more important than what the lab numbers show.

[Hillary in KS]

I guess I was wondering how things will be different with the medicine -- meaning, will I notice anything.

 

I read some symptoms of it, but it mentioned not tolerating the cold, but I love the cold and cannot handle the heat. Except I remember a few times in the early spring, my hands/arms got cold from ice water and it ached like crazy.

 

I have experienced some of the symptoms, though:

Fatigue

Weakness

Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight

Depression

Irritability

Abnormal menstrual cycles

Decreased libido

 

Do any of these change?

 

I only have those symptoms when my dosage is WAY off. Often, I don't realize my numbers are high until I start taking an adjusted dose. It's then that I start to feel better and think, "Oh. That's right. This is what normal is supposed to feel like."

 

When I first started taking thyroid hormone I took generic, and it was VERY hard to keep my levels stable. Once I switched to Synthroid, it's been much easier!

 

Most noticeably I feel tired. Not sleepy, just that doing anything requires a lot of effort. My cycles would be heavier as well.

 

One thing, I *did* manage to lose weight while being hypothyroid. It's not unheard of. :)

 

Hang in there!

[Orthodox6]

There's an age gap involved here, . . . but my dd (10 yrs) has been on Synthroid for 1-1/2 years. No change in her life -- just improved bloodwork.

[Pajama Mama]

Some folks can have hypothyroidism and never show symptoms. Others(like me) show several symptoms. I was dieting and kept gaining weight. I gained 30 lbs in about 4 months with constant dieting. I grew constantly tired. I became a crazy woman-yelling for no real reason-all the time. I called my doc and asked for a blood test since they had no open appointments. I told him that if the tests came back normal that I needed to be put in a mental hospital. I felt that bad. He called on Christmas Eve and asked my pharmacy to stay open late so I could start the meds. My levels were bad at that point. I slept through the holidays and started feeling better within 2 weeks.

[kalanamak]

I had a patient dragged in by concerned sister. She had the skin of a lizard and a very hoarse voice and had lost a lot of weight. I my first thought was "lung cancer" because she was a heavy smoker. Patient had absolutely NO concerns. She looked at me placidly and was led off to the lab and Xray.

 

It was her thyroid, and one week after starting meds, she came in in a panic, an absolute panic, without an appointment, and said "What the h*ll is going on! I look like sh*t!" She had finally noticed!

 

Congratulations on having a very manageable disease. I'll trade you my arthritis any day!

[Ottakee]

Big thing is to get the NAME BRAND meds and stick with those. The generics can vary from brand to brand and the pharmacy will give you the brand they got the cheapest that month which can affect your levels.

 

Make sure to do the follow up blood tests to monitor your levels.

[Amy in KS]

Avoid anything with soy! Soy destroys your thyroid and worsens hypothyroidism. When I cut all soy out of my diet (lots of processed foods have soy) I finally started feeling a lot better.

 

I would say the dry skin improved the most.

 

Be warned though that the drugs take a little to get used to. I felt like I was on speed for a few days and then my body rebounded and I could hardly stay awake the days following! I would say it took about two weeks for it to even out.

[Ellie]

Good luck in finding a doctor who will help you if you don't fit the norms.:glare:

 

Check out this site: Stop the Thyroid Madness.

 

I'm going to be looking for a new doctor, one who will treat my symptoms and not look at the numbers. The last time I went in he said I was "overmedicated," and should watch out for such symptoms as "continued weight loss." Hello! I had gained several pounds in the 6 months since the last visit.

 

Anyway, be prepared to be your own advocate.

[JudyJudyJudy]

Good luck in finding a doctor who will help you if you don't fit the norms.:glare:

 

Check out this site: Stop the Thyroid Madness.

 

I'm going to be looking for a new doctor, one who will treat my symptoms and not look at the numbers. The last time I went in he said I was "overmedicated," and should watch out for such symptoms as "continued weight loss." Hello! I had gained several pounds in the 6 months since the last visit.

 

Anyway, be prepared to be your own advocate.

Ellie, I'm sorry you're dealing with that. It's so frustrating, isn't it? Unlike what most conventional healthcare practitioners think, hypothyroidism isn't "oh, so easy to manage."

 

Have you ever tried going gluten-free?