Synthroid - Anyone here ever taken it?

[Angel1111]

Has anyone here ever taken the drug called synthroid? My doctor prescribed it to me for hypothyroidism. If you've taken it or have known someone who took it, what results did you have? I've only been taking it for 3 days.

[Star Gazer]

My ex took that after having his throid removed. He slowly started gaining weight and completely lost his sex drive. He's been trying to change the dosage/forumulation for years, but those side effects remain.

[Tomcat33]

My sister. What specifically do you want to know?

 

She is hypo but super thin, which is odd since hypo should make you the other way around. she is totaly fine with it when she is off it she notices a difference, she feels off it slows her down and just feels "head heavy". she is really normal no side effects perse, she has been on it since she was a teen she is in her 30's.

[Angel1111]

My sister. What specifically do you want to know?

 

I'm just curious as to what to expect. I hear different things that it can cause you to gain weight, lose weight, all different things. I'm extremely frustrated with my weight and it doesn't matter what I do, I will not lose weight. That's my my dr. put me on it to see if it will make any difference. Plus I have a lot of other symptoms of hypothyroidism. The weight thing kills me the most. I hate it.

[Angel1111]

My ex took that after having his throid removed. He slowly started gaining weight and completely lost his sex drive. He's been trying to change the dosage/forumulation for years, but those side effects remain.

 

Kind of the the same thing happened to me when I took the birth control pill a few yrs ago. It caused a total shift in my body and it never changed back to normal even after I got off the pill. Whatever it did, it was permananent. Not one dr. seems to understand this or even give it any credibility. I'm about ready to pull my hair out over the whole thing - particularly the issue of not being able to lose weight. I was never overweight when I was younger and I just cannot accept it. I'm ready to have someone drop me off in the desert for a month and see if that have any effect.

[Tomcat33]

I'm just curious as to what to expect. I hear different things that it can cause you to gain weight, lose weight, all different things. I'm extremely frustrated with my weight and it doesn't matter what I do, I will not lose weight. That's my my dr. put me on it to see if it will make any difference. Plus I have a lot of other symptoms of hypothyroidism. The weight thing kills me the most. I hate it.

 

 

That's because your thyroid is not functioning properly, Synthroid technically should allow you to lose weight if you put a program in place. whe you have untreated hypo you actually cannot lose weight is what I have read.

[StartingOver07]

Synthoid is synthetic T4. Your body cannot use T4; it has to convert it to T3, which is the active form of the thyroid hormone. If your thyroid problem is a result of your body's inability to produce enough T4, then Synthroid may help. However, if you produce enough T4 but your body fails in the conversion of T4 to T3, then synthroid won't help. You would then need a medication that delivers T3 (like Armour or Thyrolar).

 

The reason you hear so many conflicting experiences with a drug like Synthroid is because it is only treating specific symptoms.

 

What blood work has your doctor done? T3 is the more expensive test so many doctors won't run it but is is vital to have this number to truly understand what is going on.

[Angel1111]

Synthoid is synthetic T4. Your body cannot use T4; it has to convert it to T3, which is the active form of the thyroid hormone. If your thyroid problem is a result of your body's inability to produce enough T4, then Synthroid may help. However, if you produce enough T4 but your body fails in the conversion of T4 to T3, then synthroid won't help. You would then need a medication that delivers T3 (like Armour or Thyrolar).

 

The reason you hear so many conflicting experiences with a drug like Synthroid is because it is only treating specific symptoms.

 

What blood work has your doctor done? T3 is the more expensive test so many doctors won't run it but is is vital to have this number to truly understand what is going on.

 

That's exactly what a dr. told me last night. I went to a seminar given by a husband and wife, both drs., about bio-identical hormones and even though they sound great, they're very cost-prohibitive right now. But I had a friend who did this program and lost a bunch of weight, and feels a lot better. Anyway the drs. said the same thing - that I need the T3 & T4. I think I'll go to them and let them treat me and see how that goes. They also practice regular medicine, along with the organic type.

 

The reason the organic stuff is so expensive is because the drs. won't handle insurance because they don't want insurance companies telling them how to treat patients. It makes sense but drives the initial cost up. Not to say that the insurance companies won't pay, it just means that I would have to be the one to submit it to my insurance co. and there's no certainty as to what they will or will not pay for. Something to do for the future, though, since I've already seen the results with my friend.

 

Thanks for your comments.

[Angel1111]

Kind of the the same thing happened to me when I took the birth control pill a few yrs ago. It caused a total shift in my body and it never changed back to normal even after I got off the pill. Whatever it did, it was permananent.

 

The drs. I spoke to last night at the seminar also explained why this happened. They said that my hormones were already starting to get lower (at the age of 38) so when the hormones in the pill came on the scene, my own hormones saw it as an opportunity to 'check out', so to speak. So they never went back to normal after I got off the pill because my body didn't have the same capabilities anymore. I'm probably not explaining it exactly right but that was the basics of what they said. I learned a lot last night - things that no dr. has been able to answer for the last 10 yrs. It helps a lot to understand what has been going on.