Re: Need advice, just been told by my doctor about my under active thyroid

[Guest guest]

Congratulations on your diagnosis! It's a step in the right direction. You

must be relieved to finally know what is wrong.

You are very probably undermedicated just now so I would be cautious with the

exercise. Whilst you are still hypothyroid it will be difficult for you to

benefit from exercise. See how it goes and be careful about not creating

injuries.

When I was hypothyroid and didn't realize it, I went to the gym 3 times a week

for a whole year and hardly experienced any benefits at all. I was constantly

exhausted and had to stop all other exercise just so I could cope with my gym

sessions!

I am just reading " Your Guide to Metabolic Health " by Dr Lowe and there is

a whole chapter on exercise (Ch 10). The gist of it is, exercise " to

tolerance " . This means to exercise at a level of intensity which doesn't worsen

any symptoms (including brain fog). It is an excellent book which you can

borrow from the TPA library, though I believe there is a waiting list for it at

the moment. Ask Sheila about it if you are interested.

Miriam

>

> I'm starting the Gym on Monday to lose weight and put on some Muscle

> when will I start to notice my above problems fading do you think?

>

[Guest guest]

Hi mate

We are similar ages and i went through the same thing. Only in the last 4 yrs

have i found out about my thyroid, and i had to do all that myself. So prior to

that i was " depressed " for 15 yrs. Amazing how the little anti-d tablet really

didnt do much for me.

I initially self treated and got much better and so i stopped taking the thyroid

meds thinking i was better and got worse again. So when i went to the docs i

told them what had happened and i got referred to an endo and they agreed to

treat me even though my bloods said all was ok.

So i would recommend you learn about how the medical establishment tests your

thyroid function - blood test and the main test is the TSH. Use this info when

you get tested to compare how you feel at the time, but go by how you feel, not

what a blood test says.

You may need to bully them into taking more thyroxine if you still dont feel

good. If you do get up to a highish dose (say 150) and still dont feel good you

probably need some T3 as well. The docs dont like giving this out, so you may

need to try it yourself by buying on the net.

Because you have been ill for so long due to lack of the correct thyroid

hormones there is a good chance your receptor sites (the place where the T3

docks to give you energy) have become a bit closed down. It can take time to

wake them up and often using T3 is better than using T4 (or in combo which is

the best in my opinion). So again you may want to look into using T3, but give

the T4 time to work and hopefully you will be allowed to go up from the 50 you

are on as this is low dose. All this will take time and a yr is not out of the

question to get balanced.

Vits and minerals help with this process so look in the the files section on

here to see what they all do. vit c, selenium, coq10, iron are all good in

thinhs to take, but read about what they do.

Finally the thyroid and adrenal system work together and if your thyroid has not

been working too well then the adrenals do take the slack to some extent. So

this means these can get tired over time. So look into your adrenal health as

well, but as you fix the thyroid the adrenals also perk up.

Hope this helps and get reading.

>

> Hi everybody

>

> I'm a 38 year old male, reasonably healthy or so I thought

>

> For quite a few years I've suffered from Severe Depression, suicidal thoughts,

always wanting to be alone, crying for absolutely no reason, also noticed my

weight increasing even though my diet hasn't changed, the weight has gone up!

> also been going through really severe sweating, insomnia, feeling tired all

the time, facial flushing, bad anxiety, aggression, Earaches, Feeling like I'm

not on the planet walking round in a constant daze, headaches and oh my god, the

constipation is unbearable!

> dizziness has been another problem, theirs probably other stuff, but can't

think of anything else

>

> went to my Doctors, had a blood test and I've been told my thyroid is under

active And my cholesterol is slightly elevated, but for all the years of

countless anti depressants, I now feel like a weight has been lifted off my

mind, i also am devastated that i wasnt diagnosed earlier from my different

doctors, ive wasted so many years feeling like crap and i have put my girlfriend

through hell & back, I'm also getting counselling for Relationship OCD

>

> I have been prescribed 50 micrograms of Levothyroxine, how will I know if this

is the correct amount for me? Is there Anything I can do myself to improve my

condition also?

> any supplements to take? Food to help?

>

> I'm starting the Gym on Monday to lose weight and put on some Muscle

> when will I start to notice my above problems fading do you think?

>

[Guest guest]

I have been prescribed 50 micrograms of Levothyroxine, how will I know if this is the correct amount for me? Is there Anything I can do myself to improve my condition also?any supplements to take? Food to help?

Hi there and welcome,

I second Miriam's mail to you.... be careful with exercise – it is too early. Start with gentle exercise like regular walking for half an hour every day, taking the steps rather than the lift, this kind of thing. It's no good to run before you can walk. You will just stress your adrenals.

To put a time scale on recovery – if all is plain sailing (and this is not always the case) it takes about a year to get your health back.... but you should get better all along the way without too many set-backs. If you do not, then something else is amiss and you need to look carefully at things that could hamper your recovery. I have yesterday replied to another member about "when things go wrong" – please read Message #98418 to save me repeating the message and making this mail over-long.

As for supplements – yes, there is a minimum requirement of supplements that all hypos should take ....

A good Vit B complex (containing 50 mg of each B vitamin)

Vit C – start with 500 mg per day and gently up to bowel level.... you'll need eventually 3000 – 4000mg per day (this will help with your constipation, btw)

Selenium 180-200 iu per day

Co-Q10 - at least 100 mg per day, more if you can afford it (it's expensive in the long run – I take 200 mg)

A good chelated multi mineral (i.e. Lamberts `Mega Mineral Complex')

Chelated Magnesium Citrate 400 – 800 mg per day (has to be chelated or it might give you the runs)

And – if your Vit B12 level were below 800 - Solgar's B12 nuggets (sublingually), 1000 iu per day

D3 : 2000 – 5000 iu per day (depending on your results, but they are bound to be low in the winter)

You should also ask your GP to check a few minerals and vitamins for you. This might not be easy, as doctors have been told to save the NHS money. So try your best, but if you hit a brick wall, the one parameter that is an absolute must is Ferritin. You simply need to know your iron status, because low iron will prevent thyroid hormone from working; and you can't supplement it without knowing your level, because too much iron makes you toxic – The parameters you want checking are:

Ferritin, Folate, Magnesium, Zinc, Copper, Vit B12 and Vit D3.

B12 and D3 will very likely be low (even if low within the ref range) – so you could supplement that even without knowing the figures. Overdosing is highly unlikely. For Zinc there are "taste tests" (google it) and Magnesium is too low in most hypos too. As I said, ideally try to get it all tested.

If you are still on antidepressants – ask your GP if it is safe to now wean yourself off them. Your depression is clearly caused by Hypothyroidism and not some mental condition, and the correct amount of thyroid hormone should stop the depression.

Foodwise – yes, there is a lot you can do. Stop or at least reduce all refined and fermented sugars (that includes alcohol) and if you want to go a step further, consider going gluten-free. Even though you are probably not celiac, the gluten molecule is near identical to the thyroid molecule, and if you had thyroid auto-antibodies (those are TPO and TgAB) then those AA's will misidentify and attack any gluten in your gut, making you feel very uncomfortable. Do you know if TPO and TgAB have been tested? – if not, ask your GP to test for them. It makes no difference to your treatment, but it would identify your thyroid condition as autoimmune, and IMO this is important to know. Most thyroid conditions are auto-immune, though not all.

Your treatment..... Stay on 50 mcg levo for 4 weeks and then have another thyroid test to see where your levels are at. Always ask for copies of any lab results, including the ref ranges and when posting here, please let us know the figures and ref ranges. Most people do ok on Levo, but if after several months there were no improvement, then we'll have to think again.

50 mcg is only the starting point. You probably will need in excess of 125 mcg and it could be quite a lot more. Your dose should be upped every 4 weeks by a further 25 mcg until two things happen - you feel well again and your blood results show a TSH around or preferably below 1 and your FT4 and FT3 are both in the upper third of their respective ref ranges. Please do NOT allow your GP to manage your thyroid condition by the TSH alone! This is a common mistake doctors make. You need the FT4 and FT3 as well, at least until your dose is optimally adjusted. Once you know your optimal dose, it is unlikely to change much and by then you will have a feel for it and be able to tweak it yourself if and when necessary.

I would recommend for you to buy Dr. Peatfield's book "Your thyroid and how to keep it healthy".... everything you need to know is explained in there and if you have any questions, just yell. We are all here to help.

With best wishes,

[Guest guest]

hi there

Is your name Wayne? Just wondering what your name is....

Did you have any knocks on the head, at all? Do you know what your actual

thyroid results were?

Have you been tested for low testosterone, too? Some of those symptoms cross

over into hypogonadism (low testosterone). It is worth bearing in mind.

>

> I have been prescribed 50 micrograms of Levothyroxine, how will I know if this

is the correct amount for me?

If you feel better, then I should say that's an indication that it's enough. If

you initially feel better, but then it goes away, it may mean you need more

thyroid.

If you do have low testosterone, then treating thyroid may help it . If it

doesn't, you will need to get this addressed, too.

I would ask for copies of the results, and get testosterone tested and get the

results of that. Do not be fobbed off with normal...you need to see the results

Chris

symptoms of hormonal deficiencies:

In the space in front of the questions, key in a number that reflects your

response

0 = No/Never | 1 = Not Much/Sometimes | 2 = In Moderation/Regularly

3 = A Lot/Often | 4 = Tremendously/Constantly (from

http://x.saravanan.org/HormoneBook)

ACTH

I have patches of hair loss

I have very pale complexion

I sunburn easily

I often have memory loss

I am stressed out/I'm facing many difficulties

My blood pressure has dropped

My friends tell me I look thinner

Aldosterone

I uninate too many times a day

I crave salty foods

My blood pressure is low

I feel dizzy when I stand up

I feel much better lying down than standing up

Calcitocin

I have compression fractures in my spine

I've lost weight

My back hurts

I'm very sensitive to pain

I have thyroid problems (goiter, thyroid insufficiency, radiation applied to

this area)

Cortisol

My face looks thinner

My friends call me skinny

I have eczema, psoriasis, urticaria (nettle rash), skin allergies, or other

rashes

My heart beats quickly

My blood pressure is low

I crave salt and sugar (to the extent of binging)

I have digestive problem

I have allergies (hay fever, asthma, etc.)

I'm stressed out

I'm easily confused

DHEA

My hair is dry

My skin and eyes are dry

My muscle are flabby

My belly is getting fat

I don't have much hair under my arm (0 = plenty of hair/4=hairless)

I don't have much hair in pubic area (0 = plenty of hair/4 = hairless)

I don't have much fatty tissue in the pubic area (flat " mount of venus " in

women) (0=padded/4=flat)

My body doesn't have much of special scent during sexual arousal

I can't tolerate noise

My libido is low

EPO

I have a particularly pale complexion

Prolonged physical effort leaves me breathless

I'm anemic (diagnosed with a blood test)

" A sense of well being " What is that?

My blood test shows an increased BUN (blood uric nitrogen) level

Estrogen

I'm losing hair on top of my head

I'm getting thin, vertical wrinkles above my lips

My breasts are droopy

My face is too hairy

My eyes are dry and easily irritated

I have hot flashes

I feel tired constantly

I am depressed

Women with periods: My menstural flow is light (0=moderate/4=none)

Women with periods: My cycles are irregular (<27 days or >31 days)

Women without periods: I do not feel like making love anymore

Growth Hormone

My hair is thinning

My cheeks sag

My gums are receding

My abdomen is flabby/I've got a " spare tire "

My muscle are slack

My skin is thin and/or dry

It's hard to recover after physical activity

I feel exhausted

I don't like the world (I tend to isolate myself)

I feel contineously anxious and worried

Insulin

I crave sugar and sweets, and eat a lot of them

I'm always thirsty

I urinate a lot during the day as well as at night

I have difficulty healing

My stomach and buttocks are skinny

Melatonin

I look older than I am

I have trouble falling sleep at night

I wake up during the night

And I can't get back to sleep

My mind is busy with anxious throughts while I'm trying to fall asleep

My feet are too hot at night

When I get up, I don't feel rested

I feel like I'm living out of sync with the world, going to bed late and waking

up late

I can't tolerate jet lag

I somke, dring, and/or use a beta-blocker or a sleep aid

Pregnenolone

I have memory loss

My joints hurt (fingers, wrists, elbows, feet, ankles, knees)

I'm feeling a bit drained and I have a hard time handling stress

I don't see colours as brightly as before

I have lost interest in art; I don't appreciate art as much anymore

I don't have much hair under my arms or in the pubic area (0=plenty/4=hairless)

My muscles are flabby

I have abundant, light-coloured urine during the day

I have low blood pressure

I crave salty foods

Progesterone

My breasts are large

My close friends complain I'm nervous and agitated

I feel anxious

I sleep lightly and restlessly

Pre-menopausal & HRT menopausal women: My breasts are swollen and tender or

painful before my period

…and my lower belly is swollen…

…and I'm irritable and aggressive…

…and I lose my self-control…

I have heavy periods…

and they are contineously painful

Testosterone

My face has gotten slack and more wrinkled

I've lost music tone

My belly tend to get fat

I'm constantly tired

I feel like making love less often than I used to

Men only: My breasts are getting fatty

Men Only: I feel less less-confident and more hesitant

Men Only: My sexual performance is poorer than it used to be

Men Only: I have hot flashes and sweats

Men Only: I tire easily with physical activity

Thyroid Hormones

I'm sensitive to cold

My hands and feet are always cold

In the morning my face is puffy and my eyelids are swollen

I put on weight easily

I have dry skin

I have trouble getting up in the morning

I feel more cured at rest than when I am active

I am constipated

My joints are stiff in the morning

I feel like I'm living in slow motion

Vasopressin

I'm thirsty at night

I get up at night to urinate

I bleed a lot when I get hurt

I'm losing my memory

I have a hard time thinking straight

[Guest guest]

is it normal to feel like you wanna be sick on this thyroid medication?

I feel terrible!

also, how do I get all my test results for my thyroid?

Just ask my GP for my blood test results?

how are all of you getting so much comprehensive results about your Thyroids?

- what did you mean have I had a knock on the head?

and yes my name is Wayne

[Guest guest]

Hi Wayne,

is it normal to feel like you wanna be sick on this thyroid medication?I feel terrible!Nope – this is not `normal'.... you are supposed to feel better, not worse. There must be something else going on. Has your iron status been checked yet? If not, ask your doctor for a Ferritin check, and ideally also – Folate, Magnesium, Zinc, Copper, Vit B12 and Vit D3 as well.

D3 will almost definitely be low, so you might want to start supplementing at least during the winter with about 4000 iu D3.

Also – have you checked your adrenal status? Low adrenal function can also prevent thyroid hormone from being utilized properly as can so many other things. – check through the list of possibilities.... if you feel sick on Levo, then there is a possibility that the T4 is either not converted or not utilized due to receptor problems – and a pooling of unused T4 could lead to nausea, aches and pains.... although you have just started, so there wouldn't be enough un-utilized T4 going round in your veins. Still, feeling sick is not normal, so please check through all the points.

also, how do I get all my test results for my thyroid?Just ask my GP for my blood test results?

Yes. You have a right to copies of all your lab results – ask for ref ranges to be included, as each lab has slightly different ones.

how are all of you getting so much comprehensive results about your Thyroids?

Many of us pay for private tests with Genova, others are under the care of an endo and endos can order more specific tests (if they are willing!) A GP seems to have a smaller budget for lab tests.

Best wishes,

[Guest guest]

Perhaps you are intolerant to the medicine?What brand is it

Knock on the head - sometimes an accident or head injury can affect the

pituitary, making it not work right and throwing out other hormones.

Yes, just ask gp for your results, including free t3 and t4. Testosterone would

be good too, inc FSH, and LH.

>

> is it normal to feel like you wanna be sick on this thyroid medication?

> I feel terrible!

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Chris

I've phoned my Doctors, the receptionist is going to print out my blood test

results

I had a full count blood test, this will show all my correct information I take

it?

Wayne

[Guest guest]

Here are my blood test results

Not sure what any of it all means lol!!

if anyone can explain as its like me reading Dutch :-(

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo152/Bongioviwayne/f6065a0b.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo152/Bongioviwayne/d6c7a94f.jpg

Email sent from my 64GB Apple iPhone 4S

[Guest guest]

> Here are my blood test results

Hi Wayne - unfortunately all the results are without their ref ranges, and without ref ranges they can't be interpreted.... all I can see for sure from those results is that you are hypothyroid - but then you knew that already.....

Bets wishes,