Thyroid help!

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nminden
nminden Posts: 55 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My TSH came back this week at 9. It used to be at about 6 and I decided not to take meds for it. That was about 9 months ago. I am researching ways to approach this without medication and would love to know if anyone out there has had luck with this alternative approach. Found resource called Fire Up Your Thyroid and ordered the book. I am willing to give it a try for one month solid ( although I dread giving up caffeine as it's masking my true energy level. But I will do it if it can help rectify this proboem. I have not been losing weight and that is of course very frustrating as I am eating well enough and exercising.
Of course, if I can't do this through food and life style I will take the meds - but I'm discouraged by the number of side effects that people report who are taking meds for this. Plus it seems weird that taking thyroid meds is considered ultra normal. That doesn't fundamentally make sense to me.
Thanks for any input.

Replies

  • saschka7
    saschka7 Posts: 577 Member
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    What kind of side effects? I've been taking generic levoxyl for about 10 years and the best thing about it is that is has no side effects and it's inexpensive. I'm no expert, but meds totally straightened my underactive thyroid out--easily and cheaply. I understand that meds don't work in 100% of the cases, but I've not heard of anyone having side effects from thyroid meds, but perhaps it does happen.

    I would at least give them a try--I don't know what hearsay you're going by if you've seen a lot of reports of side effects....perhaps it's for a different variant than what I take but I've always been thrilled at the idea that if I must take meds, it's great that they're cheap with no side effects.

    Seriously, my thyroid disorder was causing about 6 different health problems which were easily and quickly cleared up by meds. If I was introducing a substance into my body that I wouldn't naturally produce... say a mood-altering substance, I wouldn't be so gung ho about recommending them but thyroid meds are just putting the levels back to where they should be.

    I'd appreciate other people's input as well. Maybe I'm in the minority but I don't think so.
  • DeeDee2211
    DeeDee2211 Posts: 1,133 Member
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    I`ve been taking Synthroid for about 25 years, absolutely no side effects, except feeling better. Good luck with whatever you choose to do!
  • bannedword
    bannedword Posts: 299 Member
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    It's TSH.

    And what it means is that your body is asking for more Thyroid hormone, which means, for whatever reason, your body isn't making enough.

    Why wouldn't you take Thyroid hormone then?

    If you were deficient in iron or Vitamin D or hell, I don't know, insulin, you'd take that, wouldn't you? How is thyroid hormone any different?
  • saschka7
    saschka7 Posts: 577 Member
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    It's TSH.

    And what it means is that your body is asking for more Thyroid hormone, which means, for whatever reason, your body isn't making enough.

    Why wouldn't you take Thyroid hormone then?

    If you were deficient in iron or Vitamin D or hell, I don't know, insulin, you'd take that, wouldn't you? How is thyroid hormone any different?

    Exactly! :smile:
  • KatTrevaskisCox
    KatTrevaskisCox Posts: 2 Member
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    I've been on 150 of levothyroxin for about 2 1/2 years and have had no side effects at all so don't despair. There is a solution out there - it's just a case of finding it. It took 2 years to get my dosage right but I'm doing ok now and I've cut my caffeine back to only 4-5 cups of coffe per day (I was drinking 10-15 cups daily) x
  • mdoyle28
    mdoyle28 Posts: 62 Member
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    I had suspicion with my thyroid as it runs heavy in my family...I read on it a lot about 8 months ago and the most common thing I saw was increasing iodine and selenium intake to balance it out. However also read and found that selenium is more common and easily found in food and vitamins but iodine is not...I did research the ingredients in vitamins at the store and began taking one that gave 100% of both of those, I take it everyday since. Prior I also struggled losing, I would get to a certain weight and it just wouldn't drop anymore. Now I am 6 lbs from goal and have lost 37 total. I believe the vitamins, eating right and working out have all contributed but I wouldn't have gotten to this point with out all 3. May be worth trying out. My vitamins cost roughly $10 and I get 100 in a bottle.
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
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    I was diagnosed in 2006 and (apart from a glitch this year when they changed me to the goldshield meds which didn't agree with me) taking my thyroid pills has changed, if not saved, my life.

    It's a naturally occurring substance that, in hypothyroid patients, is not being produced naturally.

    Take it.
  • this_is_it77
    this_is_it77 Posts: 17 Member
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    I have been on the generic for synthroid (levothyroxine) for about 8 years now and have no side effects. And I get a 90 day supply for 6 bucks.
  • stacyt83
    stacyt83 Posts: 14 Member
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    I am on the generic synthroid and have experienced side effects. It actually can make depression or bipolar disorder worse. Even switching from generic to name brand was enough to send me in a downward spiral. I may be the exception to the rule. I am extremely sensitive to any medication changes. The doctors told me it takes about a year to regulate thyroid medication. When I first went on the medication, I did not notice any changes in weight because I did not eat healthier. Now that I am actually trying to lose weight, I dropped 13 lbs in a month.
  • happieharpie
    happieharpie Posts: 229 Member
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    It's NOT a medication! It's the pill form of an essential material that your body produced at one time and is not producing any more. I take Armour Thyroid, a natural hormone replacement produced by pigs.

    I have read a few of the books purporting to "cure" thyroid disease, and I've yet to find one single one worth the ink used to print it.
    Find an endocrinologist with a good following and get an appointment

    Learn everything about your thyroid gland, how it works, and why it's much too important to abuse.
  • hilsidney
    hilsidney Posts: 93 Member
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    I started taking levo about a year ago and it's awesome. When I first started, I felt worse for awhile until we got the right dose. I've been on 75 mcg and my levels have been great. I don't have any side effects and I have a lot of sensitivities to medications. It can be very serious to play with your thyroid, so definitely make sure that if you don't get on meds that you keep a close eye on it. It can cause so many other serious problems if left untreated. Like others said, Synthroid/Levothyroxine is a synthetic version of what your thyroid produces and makes your thyroid function. If you needed insulin you would take it, if you need tsh you take it. If you think Synthroid is bad because it's synthetic, I've heard that a lot of people do really well on Armour which is from animals and is not synthetic. Good luck with whatever you decide, and please take care!
  • MsEndomorph
    MsEndomorph Posts: 604 Member
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    I fake Armor Thyroid and have taken it for 13 years, maybe?
    And I can honestly say I've never had one side effect (except for one time when I accidentally doubled my dose for a few days. Fun.) I cannot think of one reason not to take it if you need it, considering the seriously life altering consequences from not.

    Yes, it's thought that it can worsen mood disorders, but I seriously doubt it's linked to the drug itself as much as thyroid levels themselves. Meaning depression could be worse in those who suffer from it if they weren't hypothyroid at all. Personally, I'm much moodier off of it.
  • cupcakes_and_cardio
    cupcakes_and_cardio Posts: 369 Member
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    I have an underactive thyroid (not sure the number) and I take levothoroxine, generic for synthroid - I actually received blood work the other day and it came back severely hypo...they're now going to put me on a higher dosage. I take mine at night before I go to bed (at around the same time) because I noticed if I take mine in the a.m. I feel some of the side effects, such as sweating, light headiness, etc.
  • toothpastechica
    toothpastechica Posts: 250 Member
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    I agree with the previous posters and will add....why do you think cutting coffee will make your body produce more of something it isn't producing enough of? Maybe not deplete the levels as much, but it won't just start your body into doing something it naturally isn't doing, sounds like you might have overpaid for that book. Unless you have thyroid issues that are not hypothyroidism.....I'm not sure how you are going to supplement something that is not being made in your body by not eating or drinking things.

    I have been on thyroid meds since I was 11 and the only time I have had "side effects" is when its not strong enough and I need my dosage upped....the past year and a half being on a correct dosage of synthroid I have felt better then I have in my entire life! (And am more motivated to be healthy, have more energy to exercise and can more easily lose weight and am less depressed then when they are even slightly out)
  • AmberleyAngel
    AmberleyAngel Posts: 160 Member
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    Some brands can cause side effects. I was on one for years and then the government changed which one they funded and the new one didn't agree with me at all. So if you do go onto thyroid medication, side effects are a possibility but there are different ones so it's a matter of trial and error until both the dose and the brand are right for you.

    Best wishes whichever course you decide to follow.
  • cupcakes_and_cardio
    cupcakes_and_cardio Posts: 369 Member
    Options
    I had suspicion with my thyroid as it runs heavy in my family...I read on it a lot about 8 months ago and the most common thing I saw was increasing iodine and selenium intake to balance it out. However also read and found that selenium is more common and easily found in food and vitamins but iodine is not...I did research the ingredients in vitamins at the store and began taking one that gave 100% of both of those, I take it everyday since. Prior I also struggled losing, I would get to a certain weight and it just wouldn't drop anymore. Now I am 6 lbs from goal and have lost 37 total. I believe the vitamins, eating right and working out have all contributed but I wouldn't have gotten to this point with out all 3. May be worth trying out. My vitamins cost roughly $10 and I get 100 in a bottle.

    What kind of vitamins do you take?
  • ka3343
    ka3343 Posts: 45
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    Sorry but that's one of the most stupid things I have ever read. I have had underactive thyroid since i was 7 days old, and there is no way I can live without it. If I don't take it for a few days I feel like crap. You need to remember you take the hormone because your body does not produce enough as other people. The medication is there to replace it, it's not a hit and miss multivitamin. You are going to feel rubbish without it. Your depriving your body of something you need. It's the main factor of how you will feel.

    If you do decide to cut the hormones be prepare to cry alot, be shattered, get fatter and act irrational. What's the point?
  • mdoyle28
    mdoyle28 Posts: 62 Member
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    I currently am taking Meijer brand Centry Mature......I take this or the generic brand sold at family fare...the key is to make sure they have 100% of iodine and selenium in them though. It is not in a lot of the brand name vitamins though, I have only seen them both in the generics.

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