Thyroid Issues Anyone?

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  • Poods71
    Poods71 Posts: 502 Member
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    An underactive thryoid is so frustrating. I've been dealing with it for about 3 or 4 years now. I have all the classic symptoms: weight gain (around 70 pounds), low energy, hair loss, memory loss. I lost my health insurance a couple of years ago and couldn't afford the frequent blood tests anymore, so I have not been tested in a while. I have an appointment at a clinic on Monday to finally get this under control.


    Really sorry you can't get tested just now, hope you can get that sorted soon and feel better. I suppose that is one good thing about Britain, we get free healthcare. Then again if I was paying maybe they would be trying harder to sort out what is wrong with me.
  • vjt1976
    vjt1976 Posts: 43
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    I also have under active thyroid. My doctor told me I would be on medicine for the rest of my life. That is even if I lose weight. I would find a nother doctor for a second opinion. If your instincts tell you something is wrong with your body you need to listen to it and find someone who will help you! Take the time to research doctors in your area. Good luck!
  • Poods71
    Poods71 Posts: 502 Member
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    I also have under active thyroid. My doctor told me I would be on medicine for the rest of my life. That is even if I lose weight. I would find a nother doctor for a second opinion. If your instincts tell you something is wrong with your body you need to listen to it and find someone who will help you! Take the time to research doctors in your area. Good luck!

    To be honest my doctor is really good. It is when they refer me to the hospital that the problems begin as they are the ones who do the tests and decide if I get the thyroxin or not.

    I have had enough of living like this though and I am going to doctors next week. My husband is going to come with me to get the point across to them that this is not all in my head and how much better I was when I was on Thyroxin.
  • llsand
    llsand Posts: 87
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    Yes, do ask for an ultrasound because it’s the only way they can see if there are nodules and have an accurate reading of your Thyroid. I didn’t know it existed before either until my doctor told me and prescribed it regardless of the blood test results. If that’s normal, then there’s nothing else you can do and you probably don’t have an active Thyroid problem. This doesn’t mean that It wasn’t underactive the last time, but these things happen and I actually hope that it was just a lull in your system because that means you are not sick but just needed temporary help from the Thyroxin.
  • Tlkt1969
    Tlkt1969 Posts: 32 Member
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    At the end of April I had my thyroid burned out with the radioactive iodine treatment due to hyperthyroidism - now I have gone into hypothyroid and currently they are finding what the right kind of sythenoid I need to be on yesterday it was increased from 100 to 125 per day as I was on medicine for 2 months and still gaining weight and feeling extremely tired. The only way I found out my thyroid was out of whack was through a regular physical and blood work. Currently seeing a specialist to get everything back on track crazy to think how much your thyroid controls and with me not having mine now it is much harder. Just want to get the weight off and feel so much better . . . any one who has things that have helped them would love to hear.
  • freckledrats
    freckledrats Posts: 251 Member
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    While you might be in the "normal" range for free T4 levels, everyone is just a little different. Jane Doe's pituitary gland might be striving for a level of 1.7, can only get to 1.1, but it registers as "normal" so she doesn't get the medication that would improve her quality of life. But it's very difficult sometimes for doctors to tell what you need. The test for TSH shows if your pituitary is being overworked in the process of trying to get your thyroid gland to produce more T4. While 5.0 might be in the "normal" range, it seems to me some doctors just don't see that 1.1 T4 with 5.0 TSH and realize that you might not be at exactly the right dosage, even though both levels are technically "normal."
  • MrzBlessedLady
    MrzBlessedLady Posts: 171 Member
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    bump for later
  • juli_jones
    juli_jones Posts: 101 Member
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    You need to make sure that your Dr is doing ALL of the boodwork. Usually they just check TSH. Mine is "with in normal range," however, I have been on medication for 26 years (mine was diagnosed at age 12). The area that mine is off is the T3 and Thyroid antibodies. Have your Dr check...T3, T4, TSH, Total Thyroid and Thyroid Antibodies.....just checking TSH isn't enough to get an accurate diagnosis.
  • llsand
    llsand Posts: 87
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    You need to make sure that your Dr is doing ALL of the boodwork. Usually they just check TSH. Mine is "with in normal range," however, I have been on medication for 26 years (mine was diagnosed at age 12). The area that mine is off is the T3 and Thyroid antibodies. Have your Dr check...T3, T4, TSH, Total Thyroid and Thyroid Antibodies.....just checking TSH isn't enough to get an accurate diagnosis.

    This for blood work !
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    You need to make sure that your Dr is doing ALL of the boodwork. Usually they just check TSH. Mine is "with in normal range," however, I have been on medication for 26 years (mine was diagnosed at age 12). The area that mine is off is the T3 and Thyroid antibodies. Have your Dr check...T3, T4, TSH, Total Thyroid and Thyroid Antibodies.....just checking TSH isn't enough to get an accurate diagnosis.

    This for blood work !
    \

    Agreed! That's why I asked. They may not have checked everything they should be checking.
  • LeslieC1970
    LeslieC1970 Posts: 160
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    Hi there. First I am really surprised that you were taken off of the medication. I have had an underactive thyroid since I was 17 and was finally given meds at 27. Over the years, my dosage has been increasing but is still relatively low. From what I was told, you stay on the pills for life. Ask to be sent back to an Endocronologist to look at you. I agree with llsand that the test doctors do normally miss measuring the Thyroid antibodies which is where my deficiency is really noticable.
    As to low iron levels, same issue related to thyroid for me. I took kelp to help elevate those levels but it took 3 months and a lot of discipline.
  • hadillon
    hadillon Posts: 2
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    I've had Graves's Disease (Hyper Thyriod) and its genetic (my mother and maternal grandmother have had it too). Thyroid dysfunction takes a long time to change and adjust. I had to have my thyroid removed and thought that was going to be the end of the problems...Nope! I currently get bloodwork every 6 weeks (Free T4, Free T3 and TSH). My Endrocrinologist does this because what is "normal" is actually a range. According to the "formula" I should by on a higher dosage of Synthyriod but my bloodwork shows it as too much. Every person has a different "normal". Weight changes really can effect what normal is as well.

    Now I'm onto full hormone testing with the GYN to see if there is any problems with the rest of my levels because the thryiod is the master switch to all hormone levels. Now that the thyroid appears to be stable, its time to see if everything else is normal.

    There is a book called "The Thyroid Solution" by Dr. Ridha Arem, MD and it really is an excellent book on Thyroid and deal with/Fixing thyroid issues. It's got a fair amount of science jargon but still a great book!!

    I've also learned there is a big difference between generic thyriod and synthyriod medication. If you can afford it, take the name brand.

    Suggestions: have all of your vitamin levels and hormone levels check. Look for any other auto-immune diseases ie ceylic. Don't take no for an answer, get a different opinion!
  • mckinney_tr
    mckinney_tr Posts: 12 Member
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    I have had Hypothyroidism for years now and while I was at my doctor appoitnment a week or so ago and we were talking about other issues that I have (HTN, Anemia and on the cusp of having Diabetes). He said that losing weight would most likely eliminate the need to continue medications (I'm currently prescribed 2 medications) for the high blood pressure and reduce the chance of needing medications for the diabetes in the future. When I asked him if losong weight would help to eliminate the need for taking meds for the Hypothyroidism he said no and that I would have that illness forever. I don't believe your thyroid mysteriously starts working properly again when you lose wieght. I could be wrong though. But that is what my doctor said.

    My thyroid functions extremely low and he said that because of that, I basically do not have the ability to maintain a sufficient level of metabolism without taking the medication. Therefore I will need to be on it forever.
  • Poods71
    Poods71 Posts: 502 Member
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    I didn't realize there were so many different tests and I'm not sure how many I have actually had. I feel that sometimes the doctors don't like to be questioned and like to try and blind you with science.

    Thanks for all the helpful comments and hopefully myself and everyone else who is suffering will get the help they need.
  • ruckerbenton
    ruckerbenton Posts: 94
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    I also am plagued with thyroid issues. My though to you...keep looking for a physician who will help. My son received thyroid treatment when he was little from an ENT who managed environmental and food allergies. His idea was that even if the numbers didn't show it that symptoms did! If you had symptom relief with the thyroid medicine on board he kept prescribing it as required. The trick is finding the right MD. You might try to locate a DO in your area. They have some specialized training in alternative medicine so may be able to better assist you.
  • janlee_001
    janlee_001 Posts: 309 Member
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    While you might be in the "normal" range for free T4 levels, everyone is just a little different. Jane Doe's pituitary gland might be striving for a level of 1.7, can only get to 1.1, but it registers as "normal" so she doesn't get the medication that would improve her quality of life. But it's very difficult sometimes for doctors to tell what you need. The test for TSH shows if your pituitary is being overworked in the process of trying to get your thyroid gland to produce more T4. While 5.0 might be in the "normal" range, it seems to me some doctors just don't see that 1.1 T4 with 5.0 TSH and realize that you might not be at exactly the right dosage, even though both levels are technically "normal."
    You seem very knowledgeable. I started taking Throxyzine in March and it has helped me lose weight, but I did stop gaining even while eating a lot.

    Do docs just really not know the ratios or to check all?
  • llsand
    llsand Posts: 87
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    The thyroid is super difficult to treat. That’s why I always suggest to anyone who suspects they have a problem to go directly to a specialist. It’s not that their normal doctor isn’t good but to each their speciality. If you need to have tests done to your brain you go to a neurologist, so why go to a generalist for Thyroid tests if there are endocrinologists?

    I’ve had many women tell me that they had temporary thyroid issues and that’s something that does happen. For some reason, a lot of ppl don’t know that pregnant women often have thyroid problems that go back to normal after they have their baby. Also someone who suffered huge stress or traumatism might have temporary Thyroid issues.

    But once you have the disease, that’s it, you need to take the hormone supplements for life and you gain one more family member in the process: your endocrinologist. He/She’ll be with you many times a year and will give you advice on every aspect of your health (physical or mental) because the Thyroid does so much in your body.
  • dlmowrey
    dlmowrey Posts: 22
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    I take a combination of thyroid medications. I take 175 mcg of synthroid a day (generics didn't work for me) and cytomel, 5 mcg. twice a day.
  • conniehv40
    conniehv40 Posts: 442 Member
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    I don't know A LOT about my under active thyroid, but this is what I do know:

    -I go two times a year for blood work to make sure I am on the right dose of synthroid.
    -I have had 2 different DOCTORS checking my thyroid say that the thyroid is extremely sensitive to doses and changes of doses so to never use the generic -- always use the brand...
    -Thyroid cancer is the fastest growing cancer right now-at such high rates, that one study says to check daily in the mirror for any lump under your adams apple area while you swallow.

    I can't say my thyroid is the reason for hard weight loss because I eat too much : )

    Good luck, but a doctor is always the best bet with thyroid!!!
  • wtdia
    wtdia Posts: 68 Member
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    oops

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