Thyroid Struggle is Real

13

Replies

  • HermanLily
    HermanLily Posts: 217 Member
    Levothyroxine only gives you T4
    Armour Thyroid gives you T3 and T4, Armour Thyroid made a huge difference for me.
    Levothyroxine left me with way to many symptoms, like couldn't function!
    Now, I am working out 6 days a week.
  • laurabini
    laurabini Posts: 257 Member
    I've been diagnosed with hypothyroidism two years ago, still haven't found the right dosage of levothyroxine for me.
    I am now working with a nutritionist, since doctors only care about medicines and never mention that food can make such a difference.
    Since changing my diet I have felt so much better and full of energy! I am still trying to lose the pounds I've gained since being diagnosed, but at least I don't feel sluggish all the time anymore!
    Feel free to add me :)
  • laceygaywilson
    laceygaywilson Posts: 330 Member
    laurabini wrote: »
    I've been diagnosed with hypothyroidism two years ago, still haven't found the right dosage of levothyroxine for me.
    I am now working with a nutritionist, since doctors only care about medicines and never mention that food can make such a difference.
    Since changing my diet I have felt so much better and full of energy! I am still trying to lose the pounds I've gained since being diagnosed, but at least I don't feel sluggish all the time anymore!
    Feel free to add me :)

    Finding the right food helps soooooo much!!! The rest will fall into line!!!!
  • peggs71
    peggs71 Posts: 3 Member
    I was on Synthroid for years with no positive effects for weight loss until my uncle, an Internist in another state, recommended I request a change in meds to Armour Thyroid. It is natural and straight (well, after processed by the pharmaceutical company) from the pig. It is about the same cost-wise as Synthroid, but has enabled me to lose over 100 lbs. The change to Armour also perked up my energy level like crazy! Hope this helps!
  • laceygaywilson
    laceygaywilson Posts: 330 Member
    Hey y'all!!! Hope you are all feeling strong and hitting goals!!! I got a lil possible with my food intake now I'm up with salt and water bloat!! Gonna shake it off quick!!! Next goal 150!!!! Here we gooooooo
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    I’m hypo and I have been on 25 mcg synthroid since 2013 and now my doctor (family physician) wants me to go off of it for 3 months and get my levels tested. I’m really worried about this but he’s not refilling my prescription. Am I gonna gain a bunch of weight? Should I decrease my intake? Has anyone been on synthroid and then stopped it?

    what does your endocrinologist say? taking someone off thyroid meds can cause issues and just to test levels shouldn't be done without a REALLY good reason
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    peggs71 wrote: »
    I was on Synthroid for years with no positive effects for weight loss until my uncle, an Internist in another state, recommended I request a change in meds to Armour Thyroid. It is natural and straight (well, after processed by the pharmaceutical company) from the pig. It is about the same cost-wise as Synthroid, but has enabled me to lose over 100 lbs. The change to Armour also perked up my energy level like crazy! Hope this helps!

    you were likely having an issue converting T4 to T3 - levo is a straight T4 medication; armour is both T3/T4
  • kimothyschma
    kimothyschma Posts: 209 Member
    what does your endocrinologist say? taking someone off thyroid meds can cause issues and just to test levels shouldn't be done without a REALLY good reason

    I don't have an endocrinologist. :neutral: Unfortunately, I have an issue with my insurance right now and I don't think I'm going to be able to go to one any time soon.
  • laceygaywilson
    laceygaywilson Posts: 330 Member
    I saw two different surgeons, two different endocrinologist, a gynocologys, several different primary care physician all of them looked at me like a test subject. Truth is .....thyroid Struggle is something that is under researched and over medicated! Everywhere I went they just threw new meds at me. Try this see what happens.....I don't think there are many Dr. Out there that know there *kitten* about thyroid!! Most of em looked at me nuts when I told em what I was dealing with!!! They took me on and off the meds for testing I was a damn guinea pig!!! Always get a second opinion!!! Thyroid Struggle is real!!! It's hard to find a Dr. Hard to find anything that truly helps for a long period of time!! Hard to feel like yourself!! Be patient and know your body!! I finally got mad and took over!! I know how I feel and what they were telling me was not helping!!!! My journey has been so frustrating. Food exercise and a good support system have been the catalyst to over coming my daily thyroid Struggle!!! Research learn all you can and go at it educated!!! My best advice!!!!
  • laceygaywilson
    laceygaywilson Posts: 330 Member
    https://youtu.be/ft_DXwgUXB0



    Watch this video!! This has so many good points!!!

    The best things in life are on the other side of terror!!!! Ooooooo WISDOM YALL!!

    I needed that this morning!!

    Hope this video fires you up like it just did me!!!!!
  • laceygaywilson
    laceygaywilson Posts: 330 Member
    Hey y'all!!! How is your progress coming along??? I've been in a slump ready to climb up outta my hole I dug and start back at it hard!!!! Keep up the hard work!!!!
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,297 Member
    This is the first time I have come across this thread. I'm there with all of you.

    Many people can not take levothyroxine without their symptoms becoming much worse. Levo is only synthetic iodine, so why not encourage people to use natural iodine? I was told by one of the doctors I have seen over the years, taking kelp or other iodine supplements was dangerous!

    What they do not tell you, is, you need selenium and a raft of other vitamins and minerals to convert t4 to t3! Some of us loose the ability to make the conversion, others never had it. I'm in he UK and through the NHS we are only permitted Levo. I tried the pills and felt much worse. Years later I tried the liquid and developed digestive issues as soon as it was down my throat - I was offered tests for my digestive issues, when I knew it was the medication. I walked into the hands of a BANT registered nutritionist (UK only) and am thriving mostly.

    Too often we are not tested for the antibodies which identify autoimmunity. the medical profession say it makes no difference but knowing which molecules are damaging our bodies is helpful so we can avoid them or take digestive enzymes to replace what we have lost through poor digestion/elimination/ and the raft of other problems the thyroid gland can cause.

    I would strongly advise anyone who is able, track down a functional practitioner, they use the same tests, consider adrenal issues and much, much more. STTM, stop the thyroid madness, site/book holds list of doctors who have been helpful to others with thyroid issues. I think Hypothyroidmom also does. I've read many national Thyroid help sites and they all give similar good information.

    Men are least likely to have thyroid issues. Sometimes this means they receive more responsive treatment to women. This in not a sexist comment it is well documented in the literature. When medications are or have been tested this is mostly on men, for years the female system was considered too idiosyncratic to provide good results! Recently it has been discovered women with cardiac issues are more likely to die because our symptoms are different and those who were given the standard treatment were more likely to die. I would not wish any thyroid condition on my worst enemy, with 300 possible symptoms its so difficult to be taken seriously.

    Many of us would fare better with t3 support, thought it seems there can be issues with desiccated thyroid products because the ratio of t3 is too high so some may need to find more t4 to balance it.

    there is a hyper and hypo group on here with some good information on its group page, its really quiet now but would welcome refreshing.

    Best wishes to everyone.
  • laceygaywilson
    laceygaywilson Posts: 330 Member
    Fuzzipeg wrote: »
    This is the first time I have come across this thread. I'm there with all of you.

    Many people can not take levothyroxine without their symptoms becoming much worse. Levo is only synthetic iodine, so why not encourage people to use natural iodine? I was told by one of the doctors I have seen over the years, taking kelp or other iodine supplements was dangerous!

    What they do not tell you, is, you need selenium and a raft of other vitamins and minerals to convert t4 to t3! Some of us loose the ability to make the conversion, others never had it. I'm in he UK and through the NHS we are only permitted Levo. I tried the pills and felt much worse. Years later I tried the liquid and developed digestive issues as soon as it was down my throat - I was offered tests for my digestive issues, when I knew it was the medication. I walked into the hands of a BANT registered nutritionist (UK only) and am thriving mostly.

    Too often we are not tested for the antibodies which identify autoimmunity. the medical profession say it makes no difference but knowing which molecules are damaging our bodies is helpful so we can avoid them or take digestive enzymes to replace what we have lost through poor digestion/elimination/ and the raft of other problems the thyroid gland can cause.

    I would strongly advise anyone who is able, track down a functional practitioner, they use the same tests, consider adrenal issues and much, much more. STTM, stop the thyroid madness, site/book holds list of doctors who have been helpful to others with thyroid issues. I think Hypothyroidmom also does. I've read many national Thyroid help sites and they all give similar good information.

    Men are least likely to have thyroid issues. Sometimes this means they receive more responsive treatment to women. This in not a sexist comment it is well documented in the literature. When medications are or have been tested this is mostly on men, for years the female system was considered too idiosyncratic to provide good results! Recently it has been discovered women with cardiac issues are more likely to die because our symptoms are different and those who were given the standard treatment were more likely to die. I would not wish any thyroid condition on my worst enemy, with 300 possible symptoms its so difficult to be taken seriously.

    Many of us would fare better with t3 support, thought it seems there can be issues with desiccated thyroid products because the ratio of t3 is too high so some may need to find more t4 to balance it.

    there is a hyper and hypo group on here with some good information on its group page, its really quiet now but would welcome refreshing.

    Best wishes to everyone.

    Wow thank you for your wisdom!!! Love the thyroid educated!!! It is such a misunderstood and under studied organ!!!!
  • vggb
    vggb Posts: 132 Member
    I was diagnosed with Hypothyroid 3 years ago. Although my blood levels barely qualified the diagnosis, I had all the symptoms, many that at the time I didn't know was a symptom.

    I went through 2 doctors before I found the one I now see, who is wonderful. She has made all the difference. I am still somewhat symptomatic but so much better. The other two were number followers and didn't attend to symptoms except to make me feel like a hypochondriac.

    The first, a PA, started messing with my estrogen levels (I had a complete Hysterectomy almost 30 yrs ago) and made things worse. When I got insistent to go back to my years long successful med regime, he fired me! The second played the numbers game and kept referring me to a specialist who wouldn't take me because my hypo issues were standard and could be taken care of by this dr. She took me off my meds and had labs done 6wks later, that she never read, never had me back for a follow up, and forgot to have me start my Thyroid meds again. After 6 months and I had crashed back to day one, I started taking them myself and by 6 weeks I was starting to feel better and had found a new doctor.

    My new doctor monitors my thyroid and listens to my symptoms, then discusses it all with me!

    I am getting better, better energy, losing the daily fatigue, muscle aches, sleeping well and all of a sudden the weight started coming off at a pretty steady pace. Of course I have been dieting since Oct 18, but it was frustrating at first when the weight was stubbornly staying, as a lot of have experienced. My consistent weight loss began about 2 months ago.

    This journey of poor doctor care, finding a good doctor, has been going on since 2016. My doctor agrees that messing with my hormones (estrogen) by a PA, then a doctor that took me off my thyroid med and forgot to put me back on, really messed up my endo-system. I have been seeing the good doctor for a year and am just now finally feeling functionally better.

    As someone else mentioned, finding the right doctor makes all the difference in the world.
  • laceygaywilson
    laceygaywilson Posts: 330 Member
    vggb wrote: »
    I was diagnosed with Hypothyroid 3 years ago. Although my blood levels barely qualified the diagnosis, I had all the symptoms, many that at the time I didn't know was a symptom.

    I went through 2 doctors before I found the one I now see, who is wonderful. She has made all the difference. I am still somewhat symptomatic but so much better. The other two were number followers and didn't attend to symptoms except to make me feel like a hypochondriac.

    The first, a PA, started messing with my estrogen levels (I had a complete Hysterectomy almost 30 yrs ago) and made things worse. When I got insistent to go back to my years long successful med regime, he fired me! The second played the numbers game and kept referring me to a specialist who wouldn't take me because my hypo issues were standard and could be taken care of by this dr. She took me off my meds and had labs done 6wks later, that she never read, never had me back for a follow up, and forgot to have me start my Thyroid meds again. After 6 months and I had crashed back to day one, I started taking them myself and by 6 weeks I was starting to feel better and had found a new doctor.

    My new doctor monitors my thyroid and listens to my symptoms, then discusses it all with me!

    I am getting better, better energy, losing the daily fatigue, muscle aches, sleeping well and all of a sudden the weight started coming off at a pretty steady pace. Of course I have been dieting since Oct 18, but it was frustrating at first when the weight was stubbornly staying, as a lot of have experienced. My consistent weight loss began about 2 months ago.

    This journey of poor doctor care, finding a good doctor, has been going on since 2016. My doctor agrees that messing with my hormones (estrogen) by a PA, then a doctor that took me off my thyroid med and forgot to put me back on, really messed up my endo-system. I have been seeing the good doctor for a year and am just now finally feeling functionally better.

    As someone else mentioned, finding the right doctor makes all the difference in the world.

    Woo woo success!! That's amazing!! Keep it up!!!!
  • Aalps
    Aalps Posts: 20 Member
    You lot are brilliant! Another Hypo with Hashimoto's here in the UK taking 150mcg Levo daily. I've lost 30 lbs now and it is a struggle! Had an endometrial ablation a couple of months ago to curb heavy bleeding which has changed my life - no longer needing to take iron tablets. Taking it one day at a time and I am determined not to go backwards!! <3
  • laceygaywilson
    laceygaywilson Posts: 330 Member
    Aalps wrote: »
    You lot are brilliant! Another Hypo with Hashimoto's here in the UK taking 150mcg Levo daily. I've lost 30 lbs now and it is a struggle! Had an endometrial ablation a couple of months ago to curb heavy bleeding which has changed my life - no longer needing to take iron tablets. Taking it one day at a time and I am determined not to go backwards!! <3

    Amen to that!!! We charge forward!!!!!!
  • laceygaywilson
    laceygaywilson Posts: 330 Member
    Hello!!!! Hope y'all are finding success in your journey!!! Always press forward!!!