How is this for irony about my sex life?
 

When I was overweight, very overweight, my husband and I didn't have sex very often. I now realize he just wasn't as attracted to me. And not just physically but the whole package. I was in a rut and I didn't feel well and was probably not a happy person to be around. I was the one who was always interested in sex and was always frustrated. But when we did have sex, it was always good and mutually satisfying.

Now that my thyroid is mostly fixed (still trying to get the dosage right) and I've become more active and dropped a lot of weight and have become a happier person, our sex life has picked back up. The irony?

Now it's not mutually satisfiying.... Like almost ever. I first thought it was the blood pressure medicine, but I have been off of those since June or so. It's the thyroid medicine, or so I think. The problem started very soon after starting those meds.

I mentioned it to my doctor and he said that it's probably my hormones all out of balance that is doing it, but when my thyroid was really low, I had NO problems there. Now that it is close to normal (not quite yet), nearly impossible with a partner or solo.

What the heck do I do? I try googling about it and if it's the meds it is an extremely rare side effect. I need the thyroid meds as without it all sorts of bad things were happening to my body... So these are my choices: a healthy life and a husband who is sexually attracted to me again and I still have the desire, but it's not very satisfiying or an unhealthy body, but a better sexual response. Not really a choice, but this is beginning to really bother me. It's been overe a year of this and it has gotten worse as my meds have gone up to try to get my hormones at a right level.

How fair is life sometimes, huh? I know... I need to talk to my doctor about it some more, but I would hate to have to go on more meds just for a better sex life... Part of the whole reason I wanted to get healthy and to drop weight was to stay off meds (diabetes meds and blood pressure meds). Yet here I am.... I have to take the thyroid meds...

Melissa,

I'm so sorry you're going through this! I am sure that you'll figure it out. There has to be a med out there that doesn't give you this side effect. Also, have you explored natural ways of regulating thyroid? I'm not familiar with it but I've heard iodine supplementation can help. Just a thought. :hug:

Huh. That's interesting. What medication are you on? I'm on Synthroid. Are you taking generic? It might be as simple as not doing generic, that is if you are on synthroid.

Or it could be that your body is simply getting used to it. when i started my medication, I was out of whack and wasn't interested in being intimate with my now-husband.

Can you bring a toy to bed? Maybe a little more direct "oomph" is necessary to counteract the medication.

are you sure its the meds? Are you sure its not just a phase you are in? I mean..now your having great sex now..but maybe it just feels weird you know? Because your smaller and maybe your just not used to how it is now???? just a thought..if it makes any sense?

I suppose it could be just the change, but it not that I'm not interested. Not that I'm unable to gt aroused. And it's been over a year and it's gotten worse as my dosage has gone up. Oh, and I'm on the generic.

Dh and I have never used toys in 19 years together, so that would be odd... But I've tried toys while alone and the problem is the same while alone with toys. I can climax with a toy, but it takes 4 times as long and even more stimulation... It's like I'm less sensitive or something. And it's still not guaranteed that I will climax even alone with toys which was NEvER a problem before.

No, it's not that I'm just uncomfortable with my body. Sex feels better now, ironically, but I'll plateau forever and ever.

I was going to suggest the toy thing too...there are also tingly creams for your special "button" on the outside to enhance sensations.

If it really is your hormones, maybe you can push the issue with the doc and get some of the that chick viagra to help out. If not, there are lots of sex docs/therapists professionals who can probably answer the question better for you! GOOD LUCK!

I would DEFINITELY switch to brand. I know it's more expensive, but I've had numerous people never go to on generic because it could be different every time you fill your prescription. My first endocrinologist told me to always get brand, my second one did, and my cousin's husband who is a pharmaceutical sales rep. Of course you need to talk to your doctor first, but I was told to always get brand. how long have you been taking it for?

14 months...

I've been tested every 3 or so months.

Beginning: 58 TSH put on low dose 25 mcg
Then: 13 TSH. upped to 50 mcg
Then: 3.5 TSH at 50 mcg
Then: 14 TSH upped to 88 mcg
Then: 5.5 TSH kept at 88 mcg

I'm supposed to gt it checked again in the next week or so as its been 2 months again.

I'm still seeing my general practicitioner, but I think I need to see a specialist. He was fine with the 3.5 and even the 5.5 TSH but I've read that closer to 1 is better.

I had a similar response to some depression/anxiety medications that I'm taking and every time they upped the dose it got a bit worse. :( It was so incredibly frustrating because I had NEVER had an issue in that area.

The good news was that once the dose was adjusted and steady for about 6 months things started going back to normal for me so maybe your body just needs some time to adjust?

Doctors and labs disagree on what TSH level to say someone is hypothyroid. Some labs say 5.5 is the cut off, others say 2.5, others say 2.0. My doctor likes me to be under 2.0, and I admit I feel far better if my TSH is under 2.0 although there are other factors such as my thyroid antibodies (I have Hashi's) and my FT3 and FT4.

If you have Hashi's and have a food sensitivity you need to avoid that food because it will flare your Hashi's. I'm allergic to dairy and if I eat something with dairy in it, it does flare my Hashi's. Even if your TSH stays in the range your doctor wants to see, if your antibodies flare up you will feel like crap anyway.

I do agree with others that it might be worth trying name-brand Synthroid. Levothyroxine is one of those drugs that is all over the board when made by generic outfits. I read an article once that named 5 drugs that are inconsistent and NOT equivalent to the name brand and Levothyroxine was one of them mainly because the generics are made overseas in factories that are rarely or never checked by the FDA.

Personally I use a natural desiccated thyroid which has T3 and T4 present and find it works very well for me. That's another option, if you'd like to try something besides Levothyroxine. You might find the natural stuff helps your thyroid minus the weird side effects. Natural desiccated thyroid is sold under brand names Armour, Westhroid, Naturethroid etc.

How do you know if you have Hashimoto disease or not? Do they test for it?

And to be honest, I'm afraid to try natural supplements. I need something that is known to work and im not willingto experiment. Without the meds my cholesterol was high, my blood pressure was through the roof. I had signs of diabetes. I had heart arrhythmia, hot flashes, fatigue and I lost half my hair. (thank goodness it was thick to start out with)

In the beginning my T3 and T4 as well as the TSH were all off - low. but since the first dose of generic syntheroid the T3 and T4 were ok... Ultrasound thyroid shows no nodules either.

I need to make an appt. with an endocrinologist.

They test for thyroid antibodies. TSH only gives part of the picture. Hopefully your doc is also testing for Free T3, Free T4 and both thyroid antibodies. Since you're hypo, it's more likely you have Hashi's then Graves. Graves is usually associated with hyperthyroidism.

What I take is not an OTC supplement. Armour and other natural desiccated thyroid hormones are still by Rx only, and the doctor still needs to run blood tests a minimum of twice a year (mine tests every 3 months) to ensure you're dosage is correct. The difference is that Synthroid/Levothyroxine are synthetic hormones created in a lab and only have T4. However, some people have trouble converting T4 to the active form of T3 in the body. If you have a conversion issue (T4 is useless if it can't be converted to T3) then they could up your dose all they want and you'll never feel better. Natural desiccated thyroid hormone comes from desiccated pig thyroid glands and contains T4, T3, T2 and T1 - all the natural hormones that are present in a properly performing thyroid gland. They don't know what T2 and T1 even do, but they do know that T3 is the active form of the thyroid hormone.

Good luck. I know how frustrating thyroid issues can be. They're complex and the thyroid is one of the most important glands in the body and remains one of the least understood in the medical world. :(

I'm another for brand name only.

I tried generic and it made me crazy so my doc told me to stick to brand -- the quality control from batch to batch is much better.

A.

Ok... I have a lot of things to talk about with my doctor my next visit. This check (in a week or so) is just blood work, but I have a physical in April. In the meantime I will know my blood test results (this time he is only only checking the TSH number) and depending on what that says will determine if I see him soon than later.

Now to find a urologist for bladder issues and probably an endocrinologist for thyroid issues.