I can't find the post - but didn't somebody mention "depro-provera shots" here? if so I want to share some info with you that I just read.

Ohhh I'm curious about depo shots I took them for a year before we decided we wanted to have another child I stopped taking the shots then I was diagnosed with thyroid probs (first hyper now hypo). Are they linked?

Cathy you always have a wealth of information to share :)

Hey Michelle - gosh I haven't seen you in so long - how are you doing? it's always great to see ya girlie!!!!

I really don't know much about the Depro Provera shots, but this info was posted at my natural thyroid hormone group and I thought I should at least share it....

Depo-provera shot - Very Dangerous

We are reprinting this letter from an articulate young woman named Julie Barter whose life fell apart after she received a series of Depo-Provera shots for birth control. Until she went to an astute chiropractor, she had no idea that the Depo-Provera was causing her symptoms, and neither did the many doctors she went to, in spite of the fact that backache and skin rash are known side effects.

The supposed ease and convenience of this drug as a means of birth control seems to be particularly appealing to Gen-Xers who want quick, easy solutions. They assume it is safe because their doctors will prescribe it. We suspect that many thousands of young women are suffering this way, and hope that Julie's letter will be a wake-up call to both young women and their parents, to stay far away from this terrible drug.

Dear Dr. Lee,

I'm writing this to tell you about my experiences of the last year and a half on Depo-Provera injectable birth control. Before using the Depo-Provera I was a 26-year-old, extremely physically fit woman with no history of medical problems of any sort.

In January of 1998, I was looking for a reliable means of birth control. Being nable to handle any type of birth control pill, I began taking injections of Depo-Provera. My doctor told me it would work for me since it doesn't contain any estrogen, and that I wouldn't have any periods. Having been competing at an elite level in bicycle racing for many years, I didn't really have a menstrual cycle anyway, and decided that not having periods at all wouldn't be such a bad thing.

That was about all the information I was given about the stuff . I thought, no problem. It won't be much different from what is already going on with me.

Everything seemed fine for a number of months. I didn't notice any crazy emotional effects like I had experienced when I tried to take the Pill. My moods seemed totally unaffected. I thought, "Gee, this is great stuff. I don't even go through mood swings around the time of a period because I don't have any periods at all. How convenient."

Unexplained Back Pain

In midsummer, I began to notice that my lower back felt very tired all the time, which I had never experienced before. I'm on my feet and moving around a great deal at work, and by the time I got home and stood in the kitchen to make dinner, I would feel like there was just no comfortable position for my pelvis. My lower back just felt so tired. I just tried to ignore it.

Unexplained Skin Problems

At the same time, I also developed eczema-like skin rashes. I finally went to the doctor because I couldn't restrain myself from scratching. I was scratching myself bloody every night. The sores covered my scalp, neck, and arms, and the worst part was the rash on both my eyelids and on and above my lips. I felt like a monster. The doctor gave me cortisone cream and a prescription moisturizer. I tried these things for a couple weeks, and they didn't put even a dent in the itching or the red, scaly appearance of all the spots.

All this time, I was continuing to take Depo-Provera injections every 13 weeks without ever having any suspicion that it might be related in any way to my troubles.

In early November, I got a "cricky" feeling in my lower back. It felt as though it needed to pop. Usually in the past when I had felt something like that in my lower back, thirty minutes or so of yoga for my legs and back would take care of the problem. This time I stretched every day and tried everything I knew to get my back to move into a comfortable position. It was all to no avail. After ten days or so I thought maybe some weight-bearing exercise would mobilize it back into place, so I went for a run. My back didn't feel
so good toward the end of my run, and by the time I cooled off, I knew that I was in big trouble. I couldn't even stand up straight. I got an adjustment from a chiropractor that gave me quite a bit of relief, but I was so sore and weak from the incident that I was flat on my back for nearly a week after that.

My Life Falls Apart

After that it was just a haze of doctor visits and chiropractor visits and physical therapy visits. The upshot was that my back just wasn't healing. It kept on going out of place without even the slightest provocation. I was continuing to have adjustments, and it just wasn't holding. Throughout this time, I had been missing days of work here and there, and going home early almost every day because my back would be so exhausted by midday that I had to lie down for the rest of the day and evening. Eventually I was unable to sit at all. I had to rig up a standing work station for myself.

I was pretty much debilitated. I couldn't lift anything over about five pounds. I couldn't bend over. I couldn't even lie on the couch. I had a permanent nest laid out on the floor, because that was where I spent most of my time. My athletic endeavors had come to a screeching halt. I had been used to riding my bicycle about 40 miles a day, or running six or seven miles. I couldn't even look at my bike without wincing in pain. I was pretty much handicapped. I couldn't cook or clean and I couldn't even walk for exercise my back hurt so badly.

I took enormous doses of ibuprofen trying to get the inflammation to go down. I used ice. I used glucosamine sulfate. I avoided wheat, dairy and corn products. Nothing helped for long. As time went on, my back pain was not even ameliorated when I would lay down. It ached all the time no matter what, and any type of bending, standing, or moving would bring on much more severe pain.

An Astute Chiropractor Finds the Culprit

I finally went to see a chiropractor named Dean who told me it was absolutely essential for me to get off the Depo-Provera. He made no bones about it. He was very stern and came on very strong about the topic. I was astounded. I couldn't understand how birth control could have anything at all to do with my back.

He said that the hormones in the Depo are not the forms naturally made by the body. They are synthetically altered progestins so that the harmaceutical companies can patent these molecules and thus make a great deal more money from them, since they can't patent a substance found in nature. The problem is that even though these synthetic molecules do bind to the hormone receptors, the body simultaneously recognizes them as foreign substances that need to be eradicated. So the immune system works overtime around the clock trying to get rid of this nasty foreign substance The adrenal glands think it's emergency time all the time, so they pump out the hormone cortisol. Pretty soon, the adrenals are completely exhausted.

In Chinese medicine, the adrenals are on the same circuit as five of the muscles of the lower back. When the adrenals are over-tired, it inhibits these muscles of the lower back. Dean told me that the reason my back wasn't getting any better was because those muscles simply were not firing appropriately. Essentially, there was nothing holding my lower back together, and that's exactly what it felt like.

I Finally Understand What Has Happened

Well, this was quite a shock to me, and quite a bit to chew on. He did, however tell me not to simply take his word for it, but to do a little reading on my own. He recommended your book, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause. I devoured the book in a couple of days, and thought it was a very plausible explanation. It also explained my skin problems, my low blood pressure and dizziness problems, as well as the two teeth that had gotten loose in the last year.

I called the pharmacist to find out how long the Depo was going to take to wear off. She told me that it has a half life of 50 days. It takes about four half-lives after one injection for it to undetectable in the body. She told me it reaches its peak concentration in the blood thirty days after an injection and drops from there. That bit of information caught my attention. As I thought
back to my major incidents of back problems, they were all within about 30 days after an injection. Well, that sealed it for me. I had no more doubt that the Depo-Provera was at the root of my problems.

The Healing Begins and I Start to Get My Life Back

I am now about 20 weeks out from my last (ever!) injection of Depo- Provera. I am off the anti-inflammatories. I began to be able to sit again about three weeks ago. I am slowly and gently beginning to ride my bike again. My skin is back to normal. I will be doing abdominal exercises for the rest of my life to help stabilize the permanent damage done to my back, and I'm using a progesterone cream to help get my own hormones back online.

I deeply regret that in my ignorance I poisoned myself. I would like to add that in speaking with other women during this time, there have been three other very young women who have suffered problems like mine or even worse after only a single injection of the Depo. I would like to emphasize as well that all of these women, including myself, are way too young to be suffering back trouble like this without a major traumatic injury.

If, in writing this account, I can help just one other person avoid the suffering caused to me by Depo-Provera, I will consider it time very well spent.

Sincerely,
Julie Barter

cutieshirl what dosage of synthroid are you on?

after a year, well most of that i didnt know my thyroid had retired, but more like 6 months of trying to figure out dosage, i went to a specialist. once i did that, and i was on actual synthroid and not the generic and a higher dosage, the weight fell off. however, now i am completed addicted to running after this is all said and done. i was trying EVERYTHING to lose the gained weight, and in the process found myself now not be able to quit!!

Just wanted to share this with you, I follow Jorge Cruise lifestyle and

oops here the rest, lol, for my afternoon snack, I cut off the carbs and replace them with protein and guess what the weight is coming off, Finally

I'm new here but wanted to respond to this thread.

I have postablative hypothyroidism so my thyroid does not function at all. I have been on Synthroid since September currently 137 mcg but since I don't have a functioning thyroid I will need higher doses.

Anyway I gained 30 lbs quickly from Graves Disease (yes, a majority of the people gain with graves due to the increased appetite and then the fatigue) and the time I was going from hyper to hypo.

Once I got on Synthroid and got my energy back I joined Weight Watchers and have consistently lost an average of 2 lbs/week. I made goal in 18 weeks. I do have to watch my intake of whole grains (only 1-2 servings a day) but other than that nothing. I always had to watch my carb intake so nothing really new there.

BTW I am 40 years old so I am at the age where it is supposed to be difficult to lose weight.

I read all the Mary Shoman and Elaine Moore books and have spent hours on the thyroid site at about.com plus researched conventional methods as well. I have made my choice and it seems to be working for me.

The Synthroid works for me. My endo checks more than tsh he checks free t4, free t3, and tsi ( for graves antibodies which never go away). Everyone is different and needs to take the route that best suits them.

Good luck to all.

Maestra, I'm so glad that you are feeling well and that you have done a lot of research into the thyroid stuff - that's awesome!

Just wanted to comment tho that I noticed you've been on Synthroid since September. What I have found is that some folks do alright on Synthroid for 10 years or so - maybe even 15 - bec I think it takes about that long for the undertreated hypo to show up in some. After that time, it seems that many people are on other medications for symptoms that are actually hypo related.

I was wondering do you not have any hypo symptoms at all?
or do you find that you have to take other medications besides the Synthroid?

I truly hope that you continue to do well, but I'm also glad that you've researched the thyroid stuff and know about Armour Thyroid (or about adding Cytomel to the synthetic) - that way you will know where to turn if you start noticing hypo related symptoms.

And congrats on having an Endo that is running those thyroid tests. That is encouraging to hear.

I would love for you to keep in touch and keep me posted about how you are doing.

take care,
Cathy

Hey gang - this message was posted tonight at the yahoo naturalthyroidhormone group. I thought it might help to post it here and show how unreliable the TSH really is. You will notice this lady's TSH looks fine (the lower the number supposedly the better your thyroid, and the higher the number is suppose to be evidence of low thyroid - sounds backwards I know but that is how that one goes) but the Free T3 and Free T4 tests show that her thyroid is actually low.

Anyway - I thought perhaps it might make better sense to see some numbers and hear this story.

on the test result - the first number is the result - the number in paranthesis is the "normal range"

hope this helps someone
Cathy

"Message: 12
Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2006 22:58:22 -0000
From:
Subject: Don't go by TSH alone!!!

Hope you ladies don't mind me posting this, but I thought it was important to show soemone who might think that they have hypothyroidism but are told by their doctors that their levels are "normal".

I have a friend/co-worker who has a family history of thyroid disease. Her previous doctor tested her TSH & thyroid antibodies. Her antibodies were both elevated, but her TSH was normal. Her doctor told her this was normal, despite the fact that she had many of the symptoms, one being headaches, which her doctor was treating.

I told my friend I would bring her to my doctor, since he's really good & sees 5 to 6 thyroid patients a day. He tested her antibodies, TSH, FT4 & TT3. Here are her results with the reference ranges in parenthesis.

TSH - 1.7 (.4-5.5) btw this range is wrong it should be 0.3 to 3.0 but still TSH would look totally normal

FREE T4 - .7 (.8-1.8)

FREE T3 - 90 (60-180)

Also, her antibodies were 126 & 146.

So, my doctor has started her on 30 mgs. Armour & is going to restest her in 6 weeks.

So, this just goes to show you that even though your TSH may be "normal", your thyroid hormones (T4 & T3) may be low. If you have symptoms of thyroid disease & your doctor tells you that your TSH is "normal", INSIST on further testing."

Here is my update....apparently my 2 hr test is good (thank god), my thyroid function is good for now also, he will check again in a couple months. I am still waiting on the cortisol test, it wont be done until tomorrow. He did say I have 'seasonal affective disorder' he said it is common and his wife has it also, so he gave me stuff for that. He doesnt want to change more than one thing at a time, but he did say that I can take the Armour if I want to, but he wants me to wait until this other medicine has time to kick in before he changes it. So, I have 3-4 weeks to see what happens, with that stuff. But I may have to wait a little longer depending on the results of the last test tomorrow. Wish me luck! I am NOT IR!!!! WOOOHOOOO

My fasting blood sugar was 81 and then 2 hr later it was 90 (OH MAN IS THAT ORANGE STUFF GROSS!!!!)

Hey I was happy to find this thread! I had a large tumor removed from my thyroid in July 04 and right before and since my weight has ballooned out of all proportion. I am hypo and take L-thyroxine. It has been a discouraging time but I am determined NOT to give up and get back in shape! I am choosing just a healthful eating plan and exercising since I am not a believer at all in diets but need something to live with.

Hi there- Thought I would jump in-have been on Armour thyroid for years and am going to be tested again today. My dose got lowered last year but I am getting symptoms so I want to be checked again.When my dose was correct, I never thought it interfered with weight loss. I have gained lately because I have been on cortisone for asthma and it makes me hungry!!! And then I don't feel well becvause of wheezing so I don't walk. I saw wheezing was a sign of low-thyroid. Anyone know about that? Mima

Mima, that is encouraging about it not interfering with weight loss if you are on the right dose. I was on a very low dose and my doctor just increased it; I was glad as I was having all kinds of classic symptoms. Now I really want to get in shape and am ready to work at it!

I have a question for you guys this morning, i Have been taking synthroid for about 1 year now, and all is fine, but loosing weight, I still strugle, now I have heard of hydroxycut and lypo6 to increase your energy(metabolism).

Is anyone ever tried those? I am reloctant to try this, so I would like to know if some of you have something else to recommend or should I stay away from this..

Hey Mima (and everyone taking Armour Thyroid) - please make sure that you DO NOT take your Armour Thyroid on the day that your blood is drawn. Wait and take it after they draw your blood. The T3 in Armour spikes and causes the numbers to look higher than they actually are and a lot of people are having their Armour reduced based on those higher numbers that are skewed due to taking their Armour on that day. If you can get your doc to treat you based on your hypo symptoms - which you are obviously dealing with again - you will receive better treatment and feel better.

And yes - definitely - wheezing, asthma, sinus & bronchial stuff can be due to low thyroid and for many it gets better on the proper dosage - as you found out when you were on the higher dosage. Also the fact that you were losing weight and are now gaining on the lower dosage is another indicator that your dosage is too low to treat your symptoms.

Also, most people find that they need between 3 to 5 grains (180 mgs to 300 mgs) of Armour. A lot of docs mistakenly think that 2 grains (120 mgs) is good dosage of Armour for treating hypos and that is usually not the case.

I do have info I can share with you that shows most people do best on 3 to 5 grains if you would like.

Cathy

GonnaLooseitagain - you and I have been talking so I know you don't mind my questions ;)

What dosage of Armour are you on? - sorry I forgot

When you saw your doc yesterday did he run blood work and dose you based on that?

If you did do bloodwork, did you take your Armour on that before before they drew your blood?

If you got copies and don't mind me looking at it - can I see what tests they ran and what your numbers were.

The reason for some of my questions is bec I was offered antidepressants by every doc I saw - I didn't need them I needed my thyroid problem treated. Once I was on the proper dosage of Armour, I no longer dealt with depression, anxious feelings, and my obsessive compulsive personality (not disorder) is not so "uptight". I feel great! and everybody knows it! :p

There are a lot of people that start on antidepressants - like my son - that find once their thyroid problem is treated - that they don't need the antidepressants. There are hundreds that have come thru our thyroid group with the same story.

Soooooooooo I'm just trying to make sure you are taking enough Armour to treat your hypo symptoms. Some docs don't realize how many psych problems a low thyroid problem can cause.

Nosey Rosey Cathy ;)

He has not put me on Armour yet, he wanted to wait to see what my numbers are like, I dont have the actual numbers yet, they are going to call me today to give me more results. I am still on Synthroid. I did the 2 hr glucose test and fasting was 81 and then after the 2 hr it was 90. I will ask about my actual thyroid numbers when they call me back today. I have taken AD's before and did pretty good on them, but I have never taken them for Seasonal Affective Dissorder.

ok - well I explained why I was asking.

If they ran the Free T3 test, you will probaby find that your Free T3 is low, probably just barely within the normal range. That is just the way it goes on Synthroid. It is a T4 only product. Most people need their Free T3 level in the upper 1/3 of the range. My son's stays a little over the range in order for him to feel well and not deal so much with anxiety, depression, ocd, etc.

If it were me, and this is only my opinion (you can take it for what it is worth) I would want to be on Armour and on the correct dosage where my hypo symptoms were treated, before I thought about taking or adding any other med - especially any psych drugs. They are really hard to go on and off of. A lot of people find they only need the Armour - once they are actually taking the proper dosage.

If you want to talk about it - please ask exactly what tests they ran - the name of the test, the result and the range for that test, and jot it all down and let me know.

thanks girlie for putting up with my nosey rosey-ness ;)
Cathy

Wow, I lost 200 pounds while taking Levoxyl so I think you need to retaract that general statement. Armor is not a cureall.

Hi Michelle, As for the time of day I take synthroid, I always have taken it as directed, first thing in the a.m before eating....

I have been able to lose weight while being treated for hypothyroidism (with levoxyl) but it isn't easy. For me, the only thing that works is counting calories. I was able to drop 20 lbs over about 2.5 months by just increasing my veggies, increasing my protein, watching my carbs and keeping my calories around 1600 a day. Now if I just add some regular exericse to that, I think I will be on track for better success.