Could It Be Your Thyroid?

I am sorry you are having so much trouble- but your problem is experienced by millions of people on inadequate thyroid hormone. I was one of them.
After increasingly severe hypothyroidism for forty years I was going through what I can only describe as having a body with living rigor mortis, murderous pain and crippling fatigue. I could no longer work and was declared disabled- all on an amount of thyroid my doctors considered adequate.

I was virtually ignored by doctors who couldn't interpret my tests and treat me properly, not because of the doctors themselves, but because of a flawed paradigm of treatment they were taught to follow.

I found my answer through research on www.drlowe.com -the most comprehensive thyroid site that exists for information on thyroid and fibromyalgia related issues. It was pure revelation for me. It's one of very few sites not sponsored by a pharmaceutical company, and is non-profit.

This research I swore would be my last attempt to get well before giving up and dying of the pain and multiple medical problems my illness caused.
A TSH of 5 and 6 pretty well guarantees that you are suffering from continuing hypothyroid symptoms and signs. Many doctors bring TSH numbers barely into the reference range for irrational reasons. It leaves the patient out of the picture and reduces them to a set of numbers. Your TSH number is not a gauge of your wellness, you are. It's like selling tractor tires to a Volkswagen owner and saying they should fit.

Since doctors have no reason to check your thyroid status when you are well, they have no clue what your personal levels should be, but, those numbers are highly individualized, as well as variable from night to day. One person's 'well' level is another persons 'sick' level.

On the label of brands of T-4 (thyroid stimulating hormone) and T-3 (liothyronine) the information packet warns that a TSH below 5.5 does not rule out 'sub-clinical hypothyroidism'. The physicians desk reference on Synthroid warns that too low a dose may "cause or fail to ameliorate the symptoms of hypothyroid". What T-4 is best at doing on too small a dose is shutting down your own body's production of thyroid hormone, while being too weak to compensate for that shut-down and give you the added stimulation that you need to achieve wellness- which was the point to begin with.

The endocrinology specialty is laden with patients who never get well because of this paradigm of practice. Like the Volkswagen owner, they make your numbers 'well' and tell you there's nothing else they can do.

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia after actually getting worse on .75 of Synthroid- an illness that co-incidentally cropped up with the advent of the TSH test, and after which thyroid patients, if they could even make it to diagnosis, were suddenly given only 1/2 to 1/3 of the medication that had previously been prescribed safely for many decades. Studies published by the Fibromyalgia Research Foundation are conclusive in proving that FMS is actually failed transcription regulation of thyroid hormone in tissues -essentially it is untreated or undertreated hypothyroidism or thyroid hormone resistance (as is my case).

Amitriptylene sent me into what I'd call drug-induced psychosis. I'm afraid of it, and for you. It has more than 80 side-effects, one of which is death.
I had odd responses and reactions to that and antidepressants because of my thyroid problem.
My body could not process them properly without adequate thyroid regulation. When you are hypothyroid it's easy to get toxic from meds. I now take T-3 (actual thyroid hormone) for thyroid resistance after trials of all other thyroid preparations failed.

I am now, at age 55, feeling better than I did 25 and even 30 years ago.
A good family doctor will have an honest look at new information that can help you. Dr. Lowe's site has formal information you can print and take to your doctor.
Dessicated thyroid is something to consider if you are unable to get your doctor's cooperation, but, let's hope you do. Best of luck.

Although I don't take as many meds as your writer, I do take thryoid and estrogen, and also suffer from hair loss -- and inability to lose weight.

I am printing your piece and bringing it to my physician during my annual physical this month. Thanks!

I have also have taken synthroid for many years. For the past year, I can only get the generic. I feel as though it no longer works, although tests say differently. I take a generic for plaquenil. When I took the brand name drug several years ago, it worked just fine. I take Caltrate plus D, Eye Caps, premarin, singulair. I am so very tired, have difficulty sleeping, muscle and joint pain, muscle weakness, hair loss, trouble remembering names, etc. Could additional Vitamin D help?

Here are a few suggestions which might help:
1. Take your thyroid at bedtime, which the newest research indicates increases its effectiveness.

2. Do not take any other supplements, vitamins or fiber at the same time -- take them at least an hour or two before. They can seriously degrade the effectiveness of your thyroid supplement.

3. If you take synthroid, the generics do not work for many people and that is recognized by insurance companies -- you can usually be approved for the non-generic on the basis of a phone call to the proper people.

4. If you can't lose weight, get tested for blood sugar problems. Better yet, get a blood glucose meter and start testing upon awaking and after some meals (2 hours after the first bite); if your results run over 140, a low carb diet of 30 g carb per day is the best step to take, as recommended in the book Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. If your insulin system is not operating properly, the glucose you cannot metabolise is just being stored in your fat cells; low carb stops this effect and lets the stored glucose drain from your fat cells. This suggestion is not a "weight loss diet" idea but a specific treatment for diabetes and related problems (pre-diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypoglycemia, etc.).

I have recently started taking a generic thyroid pill, levothyroxine, as my insurance wouldn't pay for Synthroid. How does one find a Dr. that will listen to you as mine seems totally oblivious to my symptoms.

I had to request a TSH test and have requested a prescription for desiccated thyroid, which I've read is natural, not synthetic, and will see if that makes a difference in the way I feel.

Has anyone else experienced night sweats, itching all over, but no rash, muscle cramps and fatigue? I just want to feel "normal" again and have my energy level return.

I am in dire need of direction. I've alway's suffered from hyprothyroidism & took Synthroid for many years, until my physician closed down his practice & eventually passed away. I've contantly complained to my present primary physician about my severe hair loss & continuous feeling cold & he tells me my blood work shows that my thyroid in OK. I don't know what the level is though. I also suffer from severe crippling leg pains & thought my problem was due to a pinched nerve in my back. Reviewing the symptoms mentioned above in this article, I've now strongly confirmed my suspicions about my problem w/hypothroidism. Kindly advise if my best source is to seek an endocrinologist ASAP.

I recently had a hormone crisis that resulted in my EYEBROWS falling out almost completely. Due to hypothyroidism, they had always been thin, but this development was awful. I tried many remedies and was amazed to find one that worked really fast. I now have the thickest eyebrows I've ever had in my life! Go to www.talika.com and look for their eyebrow gel. It really really works!
C.O.

I went to three different endocrinologists and they all insisted on giving me synthroid. I finally found a doctor who started me on Armour and I felt better. Then I developed a nodule in my goiter. (I developed the goiter after a silicone implant.) One doctor wanted to surgically remove my goiter and I refused. Then I had the nodule removed with a radioactive iodine pill. I now go to a wonderful doctor who is willing to listen. There is a book that is called "Thyroid Power," written by a doctor that is very helpful for anyone who has a thyroid problem.

I have shared these symptoms for the last 33 years, however when we tried (slightly) increasing the thyroxine dose I had severe chest pain & cramps. My GP put me on heart medication, but my colonic irrigation practitioner said it was side-effects from the increased thyroxine dose - which my pharmacist confirmed - & reverting to my previous dose took away the distressing pain. What else can I try??

Your TSH is too high, that is your problem as I see it. Most doctors go only by the TSH and that is a mistake. The FT4 and FT3 should be tested. Sometimes the TSH does not correspond with the FT4 level. My TSH is too low while my FT4 hormone level is about mid-range. I've been through 4 doctors who only want to test the TSH. I have an appointment with a new doc that is supposed to be good with thyroid problems. When I was not getting enough thyroid hormone I gained weight, lost the outer 1/3 of my eyebrows, had hair loss and was constipated. When you are not getting enough thyroid hormone then your metabolism slows down, that is why you can't burn calories as you normally would, same thing with hair growth, the pulse rate slows, in other words everything slows down to a crawl. This has been my experience. I've learned more by accessing the site "All About Thyroid Disease". There are thyroid sufferers who can help, I've learned more from them than I have from doctors.

Before taking Armour be sure and get the FT3 checked. Since Armour has both T3 and T4 then some people can't take it because of the T3. I am one of those people. I took Armour for a few months and didn't feel good. Had my FT3 checked and it was over the max. So, I then went to Synthroid which is only T4, I converted T4 into T3 and that was what I needed.

My wife has been taking levothyroxine for about 13 months trying to get her TSH level in the range. It has been up and down from 6.84 to .037 and back up to 6.4 and down again. Trying to find the right dosage. Unfortunatley she got severely depressed and I had to admit her. Diagnosed as depressed with a psychosis. Has anyone experienced anything like this? If so what was the outcome. Dr started her on anti-psychotic and anti-depressant.

PEOPLE'S PHARMACY RESPONSE: INADEQUATE THYROID HORMONE CAN TRIGGER DEPRESSION. PLEASE HAVE THE DOCTORS IN THE HOSPITAL MONITOR HER THYROID FUNCTION.

i take 100mcg of levothyroxzine four the last four mounths following a total thyroidectomy.i feel awful low energy,shortness of breath and losing too much weight,my levels they say are in normal range.anyone else have this problem i thought you were supposed to gain weight not lose it.