Low Thyroid

[VanillaBean_21]

I've had a few tests done to check out my thyroid and it is low(thats what my doc told me). She told it is the reason my weight sems to do up and down a lot. I started taking Levothyroxin today and was just wondering if any of you ladies have ever taken meds for low thyroid? I was told this will prevent me from gaining weight..will it prevent me from gaining muscle? One of the side effects is hair loss..which I'm not too happy about. My doc also said that this will help with my dry skin(I have terrible dry skin on my hands...feet and face )

--Heather

[VanillaBean_21]

Ok I just searched this...Look at this

Side Effects

alopecia, amenorrhea, angina, anorexia, atrial fibrillation, diaphoresis, diarrhea, fever, headache, heart failure, heat intolerance, hyperthyroidism, insomnia, irritability, menstrual irregularity, nausea/vomiting, palpitations, sinus tachycardia, tremor, weight loss





Now this makes me wanna throw em out!

[MsFit]

I'm not too familiar with the drug, but there are alternative routes you can take to correct hypothyroidism. I'd seek a natural healer. They can suggest a diet and herbs to possibly help. ...Just my input.

[joed]

Bean: I take levothyroxin too, for over a decade. You know, every drug has 'side effects' which just means that out of the 1,000's of research subjects who took it, some of them developed the listed symptoms. That doesn't mean you will.
At first I was pissed off that I had to take it, feeling that my body had betrayed me or other weird things; maybe that's what you're going through. But having low thyroid output is VERY common & the replacement hormone hasn't been a problem for me. Also, it hasn't stopped me from gaining weight or adding muscle.
I'd say before you toss it out talk with your doc about your concerns. PM me if you want to.

[bluebird]

I'm sorry to hear about your thyroid. My mother has suffered from hypothyroid for years. (Because of genetics, I get tested every now and then.). She's been on synthroid (I believe that's the same as the doctor gave you, just the brand name) and she hasn't suffered much from the side-effects. Her hypothyroid was very severe,she suffered from crippling fatigue and chronic depression so medication was necessary. The benefits far outweighed the side effect risks.

If yours isn't that severe, maybe you could look into homeopathic remedies as Ms. Fit suggested. As always check with your doctor first and do plenty of research. I found this page
http://www.wellfx.com/InfoBase/cond_Hypothyroid_.html

If you scroll down to the middle it has some suggestions on alternative therapies. It says bayberry and goldenseal can help. It says something about avoiding flaxseed oil, too, which I thought was interesting.

If you do decide to go the natural route, do plenty of research. Sometimes natural remedies can have unpleasant or even dangerous side-effects.

Good luck.

[Pandora]

I take it, too. Now, please realize that ALL this "drug" is, is a synthetic replacement hormone for what you are low on and/or missing. There are no side effects and no other chemicals in it other than the synthetic hormone. It is not a drug in the traditional sense. When you take it, it brings you back to normal and nothing more.

Don't worry.

[Bushmaster]

I take Synthroid but I'm a man. If you don't mind me in your forum I'll tell you about it.

[VanillaBean_21]

Thanks everyone and thanks Bluebird for the site. It seems like this pill has decreased my appetite already. Ugh.

[VanillaBean_21]

I take Synthroid but I'm a man. If you don't mind me in your forum I'll tell you about it.

I don't mind...I'd like to know some more peoples experiences with it.

[sb_cali]

Hi Heather,
I've been taking thyroid replacement for over a year now. I haven't had any side affects from it. Although - there was a period of about 1 year where we kept testing every 8 weeks until my thyroid function tests were optimized.

I don't know anyone who has side affects from the medication other than those who allergic to some of the fillers in some of the pills - and that was pretty rare.

My only advice would be to make sure your doc is doing these 3 tests: TSH, FT3 and FT4. That will give the complete picture of your thyroid function. Ask for your results too... You'll typically want the FT3 and FT4 in the top 25% of the lab's range and the TSH as close to 1 as possible. (These are just guidelines though)

Also, did your doc say if it was Hashimoto's? (a specific kind of thyroid problem).

Hang in there...

sb_cali

[Bushmaster]

Thanks.

I honestly don't think I could live without it. I had taken Prozac for several years and just couldn't seem to get off of it. It helped with the depression but everytime I tried to taper off, the depression would seem to worm its way back in. And this was during a period of my life when I didn't have anything to be depressed over. Good job, dating a beautiful woman etc..

But during a checkup they found that my thyroid levels were low so they put me on the Synthroyd and I immediately felt better. That nasty, creepy depressed feeling lifted and I no longer needed the Prozac.

And I suddenly had energy that I never had before. Mornings used to be a terrible time for me because no matter how much sleep I got the previous night or what time I had to get up, I always had a hard time getting out of bed and started with the day. No more though.

I also used to have "Brain fog." My memory was terrible and I couldn't remember anything from one minute to the next - but that lifted as well and my mind became clear and sharp. Work was easier and I stopped losing my car keys.

But then, after I'd been on it for a year or so, I went back for a checkup and my cholesterol had lowered almost 100 points!! From 255 to 161!!
And the only thing I had been taking was Synthriod. No Cholesterol drugs - nothing.

The key IMO, lies in getting the right dose. I'm taking .137mg but started on .25mg. You have to start low and build up. Also, find a doctor who will adjust your dosage by how you feel instead of just blood tests because the thyroid tests are notoriously innacurate.

Do some research on it and you'll find that your thyroid affects a LOT of other body functions and that there are plenty of things that can go wrong with you if your thyroid levels are off. Unfortunately though, doctors want to treat those things because they're more apparent.

And lastly, as far as prescription drugs go, Synthroid is dirt cheap. I pay $25.00 per month for it without insurance.

[jk4]

Hey Heather,

I was just diagnosed wish Hashimoto's, a form of hypothyroidism, recently. I was put on armour thyroid about a month ago. Hypothyroidism can lead to hair loss, as in my case. I am actually taking the thyroid medication to get my hair back. The thyroid medicine will just bring your hormones to a normal level, so it is a good thing. Hypothyroidism was causing me to be depressed and tired as well. Now, since taking the meds, I am feeling better. You will probably be surprised by the positive results

[joed]

1 more thought from me: last year I thought I'd experiment with some food that had iodine in it, since that's connected with the thyroid. Found some ground seaweed & kelp flakes & started adding them to my food for 3 months. Had thyroid blood levels done & they shot up to the top of the scale. Stopped them completely for 3 more months & another test showed the levels were very low. Had been taking the levothyroxine all this time. Decided not to screw around with the supps at all & just take the pills as prescribed.

[Montenegrin]

1 more thought from me: last year I thought I'd experiment with some food that had iodine in it, since that's connected with the thyroid. Found some ground seaweed & kelp flakes & started adding them to my food for 3 months. Had thyroid blood levels done & they shot up to the top of the scale. Stopped them completely for 3 more months & another test showed the levels were very low. Had been taking the levothyroxine all this time. Decided not to screw around with the supps at all & just take the pills as prescribed.

Similar thing happend to me.I also have hypothyroidism and take 'thyroxin' tablets daily.But I read somewhere that if you take iodine it can get your thyroid back to normal.So I started taking 'Kelp' tablets (1tablet=300mcg iodine)daily.And it acctually made my thyroid levels even much lower than before-so my Doctor told me to stop using those immediately.

[Montenegrin]

[QUOTE=VanillaBean_21]I've had a few tests done to check out my thyroid and it is low(thats what my doc told me). She told it is the reason my weight sems to do up and down a lot. I started taking Levothyroxin today and was just wondering if any of you ladies have ever taken meds for low thyroid? I was told this will prevent me from gaining weight..will it prevent me from gaining muscle? One of the side effects is hair loss..which I'm not too happy about. My doc also said that this will help with my dry skin(I have terrible dry skin on my hands...feet and face )

--Heather[/QUOte

You've been told that it will prevent you from gaining weight???You know people who have under-active thyroid gland -are usually 'fat' -they gain weight very easy and it's difficult for them to lose it.While people who have over-active thyroid gland are usually very skinny -and find difficult to gain weight.

[VanillaBean_21]

[QUOTE=Montenegrin]

I've had a few tests done to check out my thyroid and it is low(thats what my doc told me). She told it is the reason my weight sems to do up and down a lot. I started taking Levothyroxin today and was just wondering if any of you ladies have ever taken meds for low thyroid? I was told this will prevent me from gaining weight..will it prevent me from gaining muscle? One of the side effects is hair loss..which I'm not too happy about. My doc also said that this will help with my dry skin(I have terrible dry skin on my hands...feet and face )

--Heather[/QUOte

You've been told that it will prevent you from gaining weight???You know people who have under-active thyroid gland -are usually 'fat' -they gain weight very easy and it's difficult for them to lose it.While people who have over-active thyroid gland are usually very skinny -and find difficult to gain weight.

Yeah I know all of that. It confuses me but Yes..I have hypothyroidism...and I don't know how I remained thin while having it

[Bushmaster]

[QUOTE=VanillaBean_21]

Yeah I know all of that. It confuses me but Yes..I have hypothyroidism...and I don't know how I remained thin while having it

From what I've read and heard, thyroid problems are completely bizzare. The symptoms of a sluggish thyroid are weight gain/difficulty losing weight, tiredness, depression, etc, and some people can and usually do have a combination of all of them while others will only have one.

I have a friend who is hypothyroid and she never gained an ounce. She was, however, so exhausted all the time that she could barely function.
It all just depends on the person and their body's chemistry.

[beenerltz]

Heather,

I don't take thyroid replacement hormone myself, but my daughter was born with an ectopic thyroid, (never descended to it's proper location and it is underdeveloped) resulting in hypothyroidism.

When I saw the possible side effects of the thyroid hormone replacement, I was pretty worried about giving it to my newborn daughter! But the benefits greatly outweighed the risks because the result of not taking the Synthroid could be stunted growth, mental retardation, etc (this does not happen in adults though, of course).

She has been taking Synthroid for 3 years now and has had no side effects that I can see, she is a normal, healthy 3 year old. I think it would be highly unlikely that you would experience any side effects and as your body gets to normal levels again, your symptoms should disappear.

Sabrina

[DonnaJo]

I take synthroid. I have been taking it for 5 years with no side effects.

[VanillaBean_21]

Heather,

I don't take thyroid replacement hormone myself, but my daughter was born with an ectopic thyroid, (never descended to it's proper location and it is underdeveloped) resulting in hypothyroidism.

When I saw the possible side effects of the thyroid hormone replacement, I was pretty worried about giving it to my newborn daughter! But the benefits greatly outweighed the risks because the result of not taking the Synthroid could be stunted growth, mental retardation, etc (this does not happen in adults though, of course).

She has been taking Synthroid for 3 years now and has had no side effects that I can see, she is a normal, healthy 3 year old. I think it would be highly unlikely that you would experience any side effects and as your body gets to normal levels again, your symptoms should disappear.

Sabrina

The only side effects I have noticed lately is extreme fatigue. I cannot stay awake during the day. Sucks .

[joed]

Just last week I found out soy protein can play havoc with the thyroid. Don't know if you're taking a soy supplement, but I stopped adding it to my protein drink when I found out. Haven't really noticed any marked differences yet though.

[Bushmaster]

The only side effects I have noticed lately is extreme fatigue. I cannot stay awake during the day. Sucks .

Thats probably from the low thyroid function instad of the meds. You should start to feel better as the doc finds your right dosage and your body adjusts to it.

[bouncerchick]

I've had a few tests done to check out my thyroid and it is low(thats what my doc told me). She told it is the reason my weight sems to do up and down a lot. I started taking Levothyroxin today and was just wondering if any of you ladies have ever taken meds for low thyroid? I was told this will prevent me from gaining weight..will it prevent me from gaining muscle? One of the side effects is hair loss..which I'm not too happy about. My doc also said that this will help with my dry skin(I have terrible dry skin on my hands...feet and face )

--Heather

I understand completely as i have wilsons thyroid sydrome i am taking t3 & as all things it takes time.
hang in there.

The future belong to those who believe in the glory of their dreams