[happy2bme]

Happy Groundhog Day, Happy Valentine's Day, thank goodness February is a short month because I don't know how much more cold I can stand

I guess I will start the thread for this month...

Got my 6 week blood results back, actually more like 8 weeks as I procrastinated. Good news #1 - my cholesterol is down 10 points from my last test in July. This is encouraging to me because even tho the scale is not moving down at blinding speed, at least it makes me feel I'm making some improvements in my health.

Good news #2. Doc said my meds were a bit low and he's bumping them up from 75mg to 90mg. I can't believe it. I've been feeling pretty good since I switched medications and every time up to this point when I finally felt good they told me my dosage was too high and bumped it down to where I felt tired and yucky again.

We will see what this does - waiting for the new prescription to come in.

To be continued...

[racerartist]

I was wondering if anyone else is on Synthroid and what their dose is. 5 years ago I weighed 122 lbs and was on .150. I am 43 years old and have had 3 children. I gained 50lb with each kid and always lost is all, usually weighing around 117. Now, Since I turned 40 I gained some weight, but, when I went to the Dr about 4 years ago he said that I should lower my synthroid dose. I said, "are you kidding, i was going to ask you to raise it, I have NO energy". So , he reduced it to .125 claiming it was better to be on the "low side". Better for who??? I ask....shoot, since then I have gained 20lbs!!!!!! I am miserable. I have no energy, dry skin, loss of hair, weight gain, swollen tongue....I mean how many other signs do I need? I even tried to go to my Gyno thinking she would raise it to .150, but she claims my bloodwork is fine. HELP....

Does anyone else have these problems? I guess my main concern is the energy. It's not like I want to go to sleep, it's that I could sit in a chair and stare at the wall all day long and be fine. I try to exercise and I just have no strength. I have an appointment with another physician on Monday. Any suggestions on what I could say or do to resolve this situation. Is Synthroid the wrong medication maybe?

Just wondering if anyone out there has a similar story. Thanks for the help!

[happy2bme]

Hi Racer,
I was on Synthroid for 9 years - my gyne was prescribing it based on a review of my blood work with a collegue. Can totally relate to the "you're feeling good we must lower your dosage so now you can feel bad again" doctor talk. I was on 112mcg. My hair is baby fine to start with but it was so thin by my part I was embarassed that my head was shiny, I never felt rested after a night's sleep, was tired and sluggish and my skin was horribly dry. My hands looked like I braided barbed wire for a living - all cut and flakey and bleeding. After I discovered this thread, I read through prior months threads and was impressed with what I read here of other people's experiences. It gave me the oommph to finally call and endocrinologist and make an appointment. I asked him about Armour Thyroid since some people had good luck with that. We discussed my history, he looked at my blood tests from 6 months ago and he put me on Armour as a trial. Within 3 days I felt world's better. My skin is still dry but it's normal now if I use a moisturizer on a regular basis. I am sleeping soundly again and have more energy and hardly ever feel the need to take a nap any more. It's not like I was waking up all hours of the night before, I just never felt rested when I got up in the morning - had no energy, no stamina - they were actually going to test me for sleep apnea. I think many of my problems had to do with not sleeping well which thank heavens is not a problem anymore - and the only thing that changed was the drug I was taking.

I'm not advocating one drug over another. My doctor said I have virtually no natural thyroid function any more. The Armour gives you not only T4 but also T3 which normally your blood would make on it's own with the help of the T4 that Synthroid gives you, but in some rare cases a person's body can't manufacture the T3 on it's own. Seems I was one of those people. My advice to you would be to find a doctor who is willing to listen to you and work with you. If you read some of the past threads, don't be discouraged - many of the women here had to go through several doctors before they found the right one willing to listen to them. And they also talk of doctors who test your blood several times a year and adjust the meds accordingly as your body will sometimes fluctuate. I only got tested once a year, was on the low end side and was always told my dosage was in line with my blood tests, even tho I never felt like the meds were doing any good. I just had my 6 week blood test and they are upping the dosage on me, will go back again in 6 weeks. Good luck to you!

[racerartist]

Thanks Happy--

I have an appointment Monday with a new Dr. I have to get referrals to go to an Endo. (insurance whoas...). I am hoping that "she" might be more sensitive to my problems. I swear I wake up every day a pound heavier and it scares me to death.

I will ask about the Armour (never heard of it before). Let's keep our fingers crossed. I'll post Monday and let you know if I got any satisfaction, although I'll probably have to wait for test results. Ugh!

I just hate when Dr.'s say it's better to be on the low end....I can't stand the quality of life I have right now. I won't give up!!
\
Thanks for the support.

[QuilterInVA]

Many doctors are resistant to prescribing Armour because it is made from pigs thyroid. You might ask about adding Cytomel to your Synthroid with would have the same effect of giving you both T3 and T4. That helps many. Your thyroid can cause you to gain about 30 pounds - after that it's overating that's doing it. That's why the weight doesn't just melt off when we get out dosages correct.