Guest guest Posted July 16, 2003 Report Share Posted July 16, 2003 On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 23:57:42 -0000 " patsyschumacher " writes: > In February I had the radioiodine procedure. At the first of June > my doctor started me on 50 mcg synthroid once a day. Hi Patsy. I'm sure you'll soon hear from others who've been through this. What you need to do is educate yourself about a number of things: - what is the appropriate bloodwork to have on a routine basis: TSH and FT4 at a minimum, FT3 is very useful for reasons I don't have time to go into now (and don't clearly understand anyway; I just know the ramifications ;-) especially if synthroid isn't working over time -how often to request bloodwork - hypo symptoms. Besides having something resembling energy, you want to keep your thyroid hormone levels somewhat normal because of other health issues that can result from extended un- or mistreated hypothyroidism. One very important one is the emergence of thyroid eye disease. TED can happen anyway but keeping your levels stable and normal really helps a lot. - get hold of all your records and keep them in a binder, etc. You'll soon learn how to read the numbers and want to be able to chart your progress. I didn't have RAI for my GD so after this, I'm very limited in how I could help other than cheering you on. I have no idea in fact of how potent a dose 50 mcg is. I do worry that you went so long without synthroid. Did you have steady monitoring? Did you simply not need it until then? It is very unfortunate but so many endos don't know how to treat thyroid disorder properly. Some good sources for information to start with are Elaine 's " Graves Disease: A Practical Guide; " Dr. Arem's " The Thyroid Solution; " Shomon's newsletter and one book in particular but I don't remember which one. About Dr. Arem - he's sort of fallen into disfavor here due to some poor experiences people have had as patients, and some of his philosophy of treatment, but IIRC he does a good job explaining hypothyroidism. Within a week you may not have much more energy but the empowerment from the information and support you'll get here will definitely give you hope! Take care, Fay ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 16, 2003 Report Share Posted July 16, 2003 I would guess that your level of synthroid is not high enough. I was started out at 125mcg, then went down from there. Am currently at .75 mcg synthroid and 5mc cytomel three times a day. If you have been on the same dose since June, you need to get back in for more blood tests. It did take me two years to stop the roller coaster. I am finally stable. . I really watch what I eat, and excrete regularly. Jen M synthroid > In February I had the radioiodine procedure. At the first of June > my doctor started me on 50 mcg synthroid once a day. There are some > days I can barely get off the couch. I know that each of us react > differently, etc. to medication but what are some of the levels of > synthroid that are being used. > > Would like to hear from someone that has been thru this process. > > Thanks > Patsy Schumacher > > > > > ------------------------------------- > The Graves' list is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace expert medical care. > Please consult your doctor before changing or trying new treatments. > ---------------------------------------- > DISCLAIMER > > Advertisments placed on this yahoo groups list do not have the endorsement of > the listowner. I have no input as to what ads are attached to emails. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 17, 2003 Report Share Posted July 17, 2003 Patsy, I believe that the usual, generally accepted synthroid dose is 1 mcg per pound of body weight. It's different for everyone and doses can be adjusted from around that level. I have a fully functioning thyroid with T4/T3 numbers that are normal but slightly low normal. I take between 37.5 and 50 mcg levothyroid (another form of synthroid). 50 mcgs is a very low dose. I'm sure others who have had RAI will chime in with their experiences. Best of luck, zoey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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