thyroid test results with questions?? - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

6digmans · 08-30-2007, 07:22 PM

well I stopped in today on my way to COD to see the doctor. SHe said, yes my throid is out of wack a bit she said it should be at like 5 what ever that means? and that mine was at like 6 so its off a little bit . She is having me do another test in a month to see where it is she does not want to give me medicine and for me to freak out from the dosage I guess.

So that explains alot ofwhy I am tired and not losing etc etc.

Is it very likely my thryroid will change that much in a month for me to not get medicine ? I am just wondering if its fine next month and then after that for then enxt four months its out of wack ,where do you draw the line and decide yes to medicine or no to medicine??

If you take it how long does it take to work and will I notice the difference from taking and not taking it?? besides the weight loss

bradleys mom · 08-30-2007, 09:48 PM

Steph, mine was "out of whack" a little as well. I was told to go back in 6 months to have it rechecked, and when I did it was back to normal. I havent been prescribed or even nearly offered medicine. But Im sure that your doctor overall has the BEST advice for you!

shshshhh · 08-31-2007, 12:37 AM

A note to those of you who take thyroid replacement therapies. I was told years ago and have seen much research about those of us who are hypothyroid (under active) and take thyroid replacement prescriptions to stay away from SOY. It acts like a repressor to the medication and actually lessens the effectiveness.

Please dont' take my word for it, do your own research. Don't think this applies to anyone NOT taking thryoid medication. I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (my body produced anti-bodies which destroyed my thyroid) and will take pills for the rest of my life. Most of the information I found was on an awesome thyroid website on about.com.

That is why I cannot eat the LAWL or Luna bars (which I didn't realize had soy and I LOVE them) since the protein source is from soy.

Roberta

raebeaR · 08-31-2007, 12:59 AM

I also suffer from Hashimoto's and have been on thyroid replacement hormone for over 23 years. If you do need to take the medicine, you will notice a difference -- you'll feel much better! Your hair, skin and nails will get supple again, you'll stop itching and yes, weight will come off easier.

Whether or not your thyroid will change that much in a month really depends on what's going on with the gland. It might; it might not. I really just want to reassure you, if you go on the meds, it's not a big deal -- well, except if you don't take them! Thyroid hormone is really important.

I once went for a number of weeks without taking my pills (stupid)... was traveling. I couldn't finish a sentence. Couldn't hang onto a thought. I was cold all the time. Horrible.

Good luck with all this and don't worry!

Rae

shshshhh · 08-31-2007, 01:31 AM

Excellent point Rae. They tried me on many many different meds and my magic pill is Thyrolar. My eyesight is now perfect again, I stopped losing my hair (my eyebrows even grew back), no more falling asleep in the middle of the afternoon, and I can actually remember what I went into the next room for when I get there, etc.

The only downside to the Thyrolar (it is a combo T3 and T4) is that it has to be refrigerated so when I travel I tote a pack like diabetics use for their insulin, you wet it and it expands in a cold gel stuff and keeps the meds cool until I get to my destination. Great invention.

6digmans · 08-31-2007, 07:36 AM

thanks everyone.

donnakd · 08-31-2007, 11:06 AM

I was told my thyroid was "borderline low" at my yearly checkup last month(also had borderline high cholesterol at 219). Am supposed to get both rechecked at 2 month--the first week in October. It is the second time my thyroid has been borderline low 2 years ago, but was back up following. I have struggled with my cholesterol for about 5 years, but can control with diet, so no meds so far. Anyway, I will be anxious to see my results!

6digmans · 08-31-2007, 01:22 PM

I hope I do get meds for it if its still borderline low, only so I ma not tired all the time, the weight comes off and a few other things that were on the list.
I want to feel good again as I did once before.

I probably had this for quite some time and never knew it, considering the same signs have been with me for years!

BarbaraB · 08-31-2007, 07:01 PM

Steph, I also have Hashimoto's, and I think the reason that they want to retest you is that may thyroid conditions cause wild swings in thyroid levels, and if you have a thyroid that is just being a stop and go kind of a gland, then you may get too much. I got tested for the antibody for Hashimoto's as soon as they noticed that my THS was high, actually 6 is really pretty high, as I've heard that 4 is the top of Normal, not 5. If you have Hashimoto's it is not going to just get better. Actually my doctor did the blood test for the Hashimoto's, had my thyroid ultra sounded, and then had me go in for a radio active iodine test to make sure there was no cancer before he put me on the thyroid hormone. As I had some suspicious looking areas in the ultra sound, so even if your levels are still low, there may be more testing before they decide to treat you. I didn't immediately lose any weight, I just felt better and mentally clearer and more alive, so I had the energy to do what was needed to lose weight after I was on the meds.

6digmans · 08-31-2007, 08:53 PM

wonder if she told me its not to bad to not make me worry about it for 30days. How do I know if she tested for Hashimoto or is it part of the blood test I take next the test that is written on the next blood test is written different then the first test.
The iodine test does not sound like a test I will want to do ! How do you do that one??? It sounds like if I am drinking something it will be gross and if I have to go through a machine I will have anxiety.
I just hope whatever it is it can be fixed and its not going to cause majot health problems.

BarbaraB · 09-06-2007, 01:59 PM

Steph, There is some controversy in the medical community about how bad a thyroid problem has to be before they treat it, so perhaps your doctor is on the don't treat it side of things. The test for Hashimoto's is just a blood test, so perhaps they will do it with your next test. I would just ask the doctor about it. It is fairly common, and you'd just like to know if you've got it.

The radio active iodine test is not that bad... except that you have to take some radio active pills one day and then lay down under a camera the next day (as I recall the camera was like 4 feet above my head so I wasn't in any way confined and didn't have to crawl into any tight spot or anything like that) and you have to hold still for forever. I doubt they will make you have to do that though, as that was more to rule out any possible cancer. I think my doctor was just being super thorough.

I ate the LA Lite bars for a whole year now (just hit my one year anniversary on plan) with no problems at all with them being soy, so I think that is not such a problem for everyone. None of the medical literature says anything about soy. They do caution against taking vitamens with the supplements, as calcium and iron can interfer with the absorption. I think you are supposed to take the pills on an empty stomach and as long as you aren't eating the bars with your supplements, then it is not a problem.

Unfortunately getting thyroid pills rarely makes people lose weight, but it does give you the energy to get up and do something about it. I felt more that I had been sitting in a dark room and someone came by and turned the lights back on. The doctor said it would be about 6 weeks before I would notice anything, but I noticed a huge difference in about 2-3 days. Just a sense of well being that I hadn't felt in awhile.

My step mom also has had thyroid problems, but she doesn't have Hashimotos and her levels fluctate a lot. She also has a goiter, which is a swollen gland (it is on the front of your neck). My daughter has a thyroid gland that is swollen and she tested positive for Hashimoto's Antibodies and had her thyroid ultrasounded a few times.. but her levels are still good. Liklihood is that she will go hypothyroidal sometime in the future though. I think other family members also have bad thyroid glands, so I think these things run in familes. I had never heard of it until I had problems of my own though.

Most thyroid pills are fairly inexpensive as

Catway8 · 09-06-2007, 09:56 PM

I also have a low thyroid. When I was tested almost a year ago mine was at 13.66 I went on medication for 3 months and it only went down to 13.55 so now I am on a double dose of Synthroid for the rest of my life. I was always so tired. my nails were breaking and peeling and I was losing my hair. I started LAWL on Aug 9th and have lost 12 pounds since. So once it is regulated I cant see why the weight cant come off. I could be wrong tho. I have been told that it would be harder cause of the thyroid problem tho.

LYNNTHEPB · 09-07-2007, 05:16 AM

hi there,
I have been reading all the posts about thyroid and I was diagnosed with Graves Disease in 1995. I had my thyroid zapped and now must take synthroid for the rest of my life. But let me tell you I can relate to the sitting in a dark room and someone turning the lights on. I was a mess when I first went to the Endocronoligist, hair falling out shaking hands, peeling nails, eyes looking like I had been on a bender for a week. Within 1 week I was 75% better after doing the raioactive iodine.. I joined LA on June the fourth and I have lost ove 20 lbs and I cannot have the lites etc as I am on the purple plan. I am doing fine with it although I sometimes have a hard time getting all the food in. But it is necessary to keep your metabolism up and working. Hope this helps.