Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism

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How is everyone doing today?

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sharonlane23
sharonlane23 Posts: 20
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Haven't seen many posts lately and was just wondering how you all are doing today?
i'm hanging in there, yesterday was kinda rough but so far so good today.
How do you get through those days when your hunger is overbearing?
tired all day and have very little energy?

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  • 0AmyMarie0
    0AmyMarie0 Posts: 315
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    I sleep when I can on those days. Even if it's 15 minute cat naps here and there. I also drink a lot of warm lemon water between meals to try to warm up and stifle the hunger that wants to take over! Also, if I'm craving something specific, I try to pinpoint why in case I'm lacking in some kind of nutrition.
  • seaglass2
    seaglass2 Posts: 192
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    I am doing great today! The sun is shining here in southeastern PA and the weather is very mild for February. I got in two walks with the dog and took a run to Trader Joe's and picked up some healthy eats! Tomorrow the change comes a rain/snow mix.

    I had a hard day yesterday. I was stressed about something and the urge to eat my way through the day was overwhelming at times. I know that it takes a long time to break a habit and my habit is eating when I am stressed. I basically talked myself down and worked through the issue last night by talking with my husband.

    I find sometimes when I increase my exercise I am truly hungry. Based on fitness pal guidelines you should be eating back your exercise calories - I do that but not all of them because I want to see the number on the scale move but it give me more wiggle room in the day.

    I have to say that I am fortunate that I am not tired all the time - the armour medication is doing it's job!

    Sharon do you have any hobbies or something that can provide a distraction? Drink a glass of water maybe and if you are truly hungry maybe you need to eat something. Is your calorie count high enough?

    Donna
  • shvits
    shvits Posts: 249 Member
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    I have very little energy most of the time as I have another health issue in addition to being hypothyroid.(meds being adjusted). I just keep on moving even when I am tired. I nap. I make myself get out and walk the dog, shop, go to the museum or to a movie. Anything to get away form the refrig. I am not so hungry now that 1/2 of my thyroid is gone and I'm not hyperthyroid anymore.
  • lillyx123x
    lillyx123x Posts: 7 Member
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    Hi all : )
    I feel really low today...sorry.
    I went to see my gp yesterday to find out my blood results and was hoping for an increase in levothyroxine and was told my levels are now over the ranges and i am hyper and overmedicated!
    I am convinced i am not converting t4 into t3 as i am still symptomatic and very much hypo(even my body temp is low and pulse rate low...makes no sense).
    My gp is lovely and said he doesnt know what the answer is but will help me find a specialist ...ive decided to see Dr Skinner in Birmigham now with the hope of starting on a natural thyroid med or t3 etc which i cant get where i live.
    Ive been symptomatic for 6 years and only diagnosed last year, i cant wait any longer to get back to being a healthy 30 something woman any more.
    Ive ordered a ft3 test pack from a private company, the results of that will tell me if im not converting properlly as before i started levo my ft3 was great, top end of the range ( was just my low ft4 and high tsh that was showing i was hypo) so if my ft3 is lower than before then i would assume my body is storing the t4 and the t3 isnt getting any.
    So confusing.
    I had hoped i was on my way to getting better and was hoping to be able to lose the 3 stone ive put on, but looks like i wont be able to now until things are sorted.
    Has anyone else been in a similar situation before?
    xx
    .
  • seaglass2
    seaglass2 Posts: 192
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    Lilly,
    The first medication I was prescribed when my hashimoto's was diagnosed was levothyroxine (levoxyl) and it was like poison to my body.

    I felt much worse and in very short time say four weeks developed severe joint pain. I was sure it was the medication but the endocrinologist said it wasn't. So, I went off the meds and in 4-6 weeks all the arthritis type pain was gone.

    I did research on-line and found the website Stop the Thyroid Madness. I found a new doctor and requested to try armour thyroid medication. It works better for me than they synthetics. Because of a shortage of Armour in the US a few years ago (now resolved) he gave me a script and I was able to get the equivalent medication through a Canadian pharmacy.

    Check out that website, it does a better job of explaining thyroid issues better than I can. Everyone is different and what works for me may not work for you. But when something isn't working try something else! Good luck!!
  • 0AmyMarie0
    0AmyMarie0 Posts: 315
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    Lilly...
    I did tons of research on thyroid meds before I started. My dr actually gave me the choice of synthroid or armour thyroid. When I told him to pick whichever he thought was best, he told me to go home and do some research and decide for myself.

    Even though a lot of dr's dont like Armour Thyroid, (cheap drug, pharmacy companies dont make a lot of money off it and offer kickbacks to the dr's for promoting it) it really is a much better option for a lot of people. If your dr insists on sticking to synthetics, try to get a compound medication of synthetic t3 and t4.

    Seaglass gave you a great website, I did a ton of research on Stop the Thyroid Madness. That site was great at giving nonbiased experienced information from people who have been dealing with thyroid issues for years.
  • tecallahan
    tecallahan Posts: 732 Member
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    I'm not doing very well -- I am trying to power through it, but I am not adjusting to the transition to Armour. I am so bummed! I have full blown hypo symptoms - brain fog, blurry vision, fatigue, headaches, joint and muscle aches. I am going in to the Naturopath on Thursday, but I am very close to going back on Synthroid. I might not lose weight, but some of these symptoms will go away.

    He's making me extremely hypo trying to get rid of the Reverse T3, but this may be a case where the cure is worse than the problem! <<sigh>> pray for me folks!
  • shvits
    shvits Posts: 249 Member
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    sorry to hear you are feeling so bad. Listen to your body. We all react differently to meds. Sending a big hug. and a lick from Aniu, my dog
  • RedKH
    RedKH Posts: 58
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    Hi All,

    I'm....ok.
    Just feeling a bit , blah at the moment. My doctors told me in 2007 that my levels had stabilised and I have remained on 100mcg of levothyroxine daily since then. Having a blood test every 12 months.

    I don't feel as sluggish as I did before christmas, i'm making different food choices and trying to read up on what's good and what's bad for our diets. My weight loss went well the first couple of weeks following new years, I lost 6.5lbs. But that's the weight I put on eating whatever I liked over Christmas and now the weight loss has stopped again. Had my weigh-in last night and the scales are telling me the same figure...again!

    Just want to go in the right direction.

    Do any of you find eating less carbs helps? I feel I need the carbs to keep me going and I don't often go over my daily goal for carbs but I think this might be slowing my metabolism down even more?

    Hmm...just get a little disheartened and wondering what to try next

    Hope you all have a decent day, look after yourselves

    x x Kristie x x
  • Coccinellid
    Coccinellid Posts: 29
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    tecallahan - I just take levothyroxine and was looking into taking Armour instead, but once I am on the correct dose of my levothyroxine I do feel great. I have read a number of people that felt worst on Armour so I decided to stick with how things are. If in future it doesn't seem to be working I'd look in taking Armour. Even though Armour is highly rated it just isn't perfect for everyone. I feel for you though it's horrible feeling hypo :(
  • Coccinellid
    Coccinellid Posts: 29
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    Kristie Yes cutting carbs helps. I have very recently started keeping my carbs under 100g and notice a big difference in my health so I am making it a lifestyle choice rather than a diet. If you get a chance watch 'Fat Head' a documentary on youtube it easy viewing and there is some science in it there that explains how carbs work in our body.

    Do you take body measurements I am not loosing weight this year yet (well I'm going to weigh myself now - fingers crossed) but have lost inches.
  • RedKH
    RedKH Posts: 58
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    Hi

    Thanks for that, I will look at different options, especially for my lunch at work. At the moment i've been having calorie controlled micro meals but these are high in carbs as they tend to be pasta based. I think I might try fresh soups or salads?

    I will look for the documentary, thank you!

    I did take body measurements a couple of weeks ago...haven't checked them again yet. I do feel a little smaller around my waist trousers are fitting a little better so I might have had some small measurement changes rather than weight.

    Do you mind if I add you as a friend?
    Kristie x
  • Coccinellid
    Coccinellid Posts: 29
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    Hi Kristie, I just added you :)
  • RedKH
    RedKH Posts: 58
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    Aw, thanks :-D x
  • tecallahan
    tecallahan Posts: 732 Member
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    tecallahan - I just take levothyroxine and was looking into taking Armour instead, but once I am on the correct dose of my levothyroxine I do feel great. I have read a number of people that felt worst on Armour so I decided to stick with how things are. If in future it doesn't seem to be working I'd look in taking Armour. Even though Armour is highly rated it just isn't perfect for everyone. I feel for you though it's horrible feeling hypo :(

    I think I would do ok on Armour if was on the right dose. But I am on an extremely low dose because he's trying to purge the excess T4 from my body so that the Reverse T3 will flush out. Reverse T3 is very difficult to get rid of. So, I get what he's trying to do, but iI don't know if the cure is worse than the disease! On Synthroid, I would never, ever rid myself of the Reverse T3. As long as I have Reverse T3, my metabolism and adrenals will not function. So, it's a real pickle!!
  • seaglass2
    seaglass2 Posts: 192
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    Terri sorry you had a bad day yesterday - hope you are feeling better today!
    Donna
  • Jeannie5466
    Jeannie5466 Posts: 33
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    Hi all : )
    I feel really low today...sorry.
    I went to see my gp yesterday to find out my blood results and was hoping for an increase in levothyroxine and was told my levels are now over the ranges and i am hyper and overmedicated!
    I am convinced i am not converting t4 into t3 as i am still symptomatic and very much hypo(even my body temp is low and pulse rate low...makes no sense).
    My gp is lovely and said he doesnt know what the answer is but will help me find a specialist ...ive decided to see Dr Skinner in Birmigham now with the hope of starting on a natural thyroid med or t3 etc which i cant get where i live.
    Ive been symptomatic for 6 years and only diagnosed last year, i cant wait any longer to get back to being a healthy 30 something woman any more.
    Ive ordered a ft3 test pack from a private company, the results of that will tell me if im not converting properlly as before i started levo my ft3 was great, top end of the range ( was just my low ft4 and high tsh that was showing i was hypo) so if my ft3 is lower than before then i would assume my body is storing the t4 and the t3 isnt getting any.
    So confusing.
    I had hoped i was on my way to getting better and was hoping to be able to lose the 3 stone ive put on, but looks like i wont be able to now until things are sorted.
    Has anyone else been in a similar situation before?
    xx
    .
    [/quote
    Hi Lilly,
    I am under Dr S and I have to say it has been the best thing I have ever done for myself. I spent far too many years struggling with doctors and endo's who often seemed to know less than I did about thyroid, a private endo was the worst I have ever seen and the letter he wrote to my Gp could have been about anyone but me!!
    Dr S will listen to you and advise you but untimately he allows the choice of medication to be yours, obviously with his guidance!! I am now on erfa an armour based med as there were problems last year with Armour, but they seem to be doing the job. I still struggle with my weight though and it fluctuates up and down as it feels like, regardless of what I do, but the majoruty of hypo symptoms have gone and I often wonder how I managed to live my life before medication, I was an absolute wreck. If I could get the weight whipped I will have found utopia, I hope you get sorted soon!
  • Farfelue
    Farfelue Posts: 63
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    ive decided to see Dr Skinner in Birmigham now with the hope of starting on a natural thyroid med or t3 etc which i cant get where i live.

    Hi Lili,

    I didn't really want to spend all that money to go to Birmingham and pay for the consultations and the drugs so I looked and looked on the internet till I found an endo in my area that was on the NHS. And I found one. And I'm now on combination T4 T3 and I am a changed person.
    I had a liver test that came back with pretty much nothing, which would have picked up on a conversion problem.
    I knew I wasn't converting, and I CERTAINLY know I wasn't, now that I'm getting what I needed.

    I was low on T3 but not low enough for the range here.
    So glad I persevered, but it doesn't have to cost you your savings account!

    Ama

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