Hypothyroidism

[HeartDesires]

Hi all,

 

For those that suffer from this disorder I have a question for you.

 

I take Synthroid 50mcg daily, however lately my metabolism has been sluggish...and my mood seems down.

 

Would it be worth asking my doctor for a higher dosage of the med, or are there natural remedies or lifestyle changes I maybe could start incorporating?

 

All replies welcome...

[FitChick]

Stop eating gluten. Use plain old iodized salt instead of sea salt. Eat less sugar and get more sleep.

 

If you don't feel better, your doc should give you blood tests to determine free T3 and free T4 levels. You may have to add Cytomel, which is T3, to your Synthroid.

 

You could switch meds to natural pig thyroid like Armour or Nature-throid but not many docs know how to prescribe it.

 

How old are you? Depending on age, it could be perimenopause starting.

[Col1]

I'd encourage you to talk to your doctor about this. Your quality of life is very important (as is your health!).

[ascendotum]

Talking to your doctor is the best initial step you really should do, but a lot of people find their doctors are not all that expert on the sublties of correcting their thyroid, especially those who are not text book cases. Check out the site stopthetyroidmadness for many people's crappy experiences with their doctors, and many years of 2nd rate health which resolved when they actually solved their sitaution and got on the right protocol.

With my health issues I have done a fair bit of reading on nutritional balancing. Being too high in certain metals/minerals or too low or having non optimal levels of certain other hormones can influence the function of the thyroid. Your mood being down may have nothing to do with your thyroid and could be due to some other issue even. (ie low iron) It can be tricky getting optimal health sometimes even though you show up with pathology tests within reference range. I 2nd FC's advice on the iodized salt (and maybe switching to Armour though yr doc might resist) or Iodine drops even (they don't cost much)

Edited August 14, 2013 by ascendotum

[HeartDesires]

FitChick, Col1, ascendotum

 

Thank you so much for your recommendations...

[Emilia]

Hi all,

 

For those that suffer from this disorder I have a question for you.

 

I take Synthroid 50mcg daily, however lately my metabolism has been sluggish...and my mood seems down.

 

Would it be worth asking my doctor for a higher dosage of the med, or are there natural remedies or lifestyle changes I maybe could start incorporating?

 

All replies welcome...

As per official 'sticky' here on this forum

 

"In recent months the frequency of members and guests bringing their medical symptoms to LoveShack for diagnosis has increased considerably. Many of these people cannot afford medical assistance and have life threatening problems. It's natural for us to empathize and be concerned. If we weren't caring people, we wouldn't be on this site.

 

However, offering medical advice to someone can be extremely dangerous and can even kill in some circumstances if relied upon. Those who post for such opinions should be warned that such advice is never given in place of that of a doctor or other medical professional.

 

No matter what the problem is, the inquiring member or guest should be advised to go to a qualified medical professional. If they cannot afford a physician, they should go immediately to the emergency room of the hospital in their town that handles indigent care. If there is none, they should call their local medical association about the location of a nearby free clinic or local government health department. There is always a place to get medical care in an emergency.

 

If people absolutely must get information because they simply refuse to go to the doctor, it's after hours or they simply can't wait, recommend that they go to: http://www.medlineplus.gov/ , a government website run by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and The National Institutes of Health. This site will give them possibilities (if a symptom or two is entered into the site search engine) but even the U.S. Government won't speculate on a person's health via the Internet.

LoveShack.org wishes everyone the very best of health...everyday!"

[FitChick]

For anyone with hormonal problems, which includes thyroid, diabetes, menopause, cortisol, andropause, etc. I would recommend seeing an endocrinologist, not a GP. It could save you a lot of time and money in the long run. I realize that some health plans require you to be referred by a GP.

 

If a doctor tells you that you are "borderline" for hypothyroidism and dismisses you, especially if family members have any type of thyoid problems and/or you have many of the symptoms, find another doctor. Borderline hypo is like borderline pregnant. Ain't no such animal!

[FitChick]

Sorry, Mr Mercury, your reasoning is faulty. Taken from that website page:

 

Here’s a quick list of some of the potential long-term side effects of pharmaceutical medication…

• Feelings of prolonged nervousness.
  
• Rapid heartbeat and scary heart palpitations.
  
• Having a difficult time sleeping.
  
• Thinning of the bones, otherwise known as osteoporosis.
  
• Shaking and tremors.
  
• Extreme discomfort during the long summer months in warmer weather.
  
• Losing weight at a rapid, dangerous pace.
  

Those are symptoms of too high a dose of both natural and synthetic thyroid pills. Easy fix -- lower the dose!

 

I am very anti-BigPharma for most things but synthetic thyroid meds have a long safety record (as far as I know) and bioidentical pig thyroid has been used for over a hundred years.

 

Your first line of defense is an endocrinologist.

Edited September 1, 2013 by FitChick

[JamesM]

Stop eating gluten. Use plain old iodized salt instead of sea salt. Eat less sugar and get more sleep.

 

If you don't feel better, your doc should give you blood tests to determine free T3 and free T4 levels. You may have to add Cytomel, which is T3, to your Synthroid.

 

You could switch meds to natural pig thyroid like Armour or Nature-throid but not many docs know how to prescribe it.

 

How old are you? Depending on age, it could be perimenopause starting.

 

Ditto this.

 

My wife was on only Synthroid and wasn't doing as well. Her levels were okay, but she still exhibited symptoms. She asked for Armour, but her doctor thought there were more risks than benefits. So he added Cytomel. Since she has used both, she does do much better.

[mea_M]

Hi all,

 

For those that suffer from this disorder I have a question for you.

 

I take Synthroid 50mcg daily, however lately my metabolism has been sluggish...and my mood seems down.

 

Would it be worth asking my doctor for a higher dosage of the med, or are there natural remedies or lifestyle changes I maybe could start incorporating?

 

All replies welcome...

 

Hi Heart. I am hypothyroid and it happened due to Lyme disease. I actually have hasimotos autoimmune thyroid per a TPO antibody. But my TSH and All my T's are in the normal range. So in my case I'm comsidered hasimotos compensated. I laugh because it sounds strange. Now you ask about meds? Of course I've heard of synthroid. I personally have corrected my thyroid symptoms through diet and supplements. For example. Caffeine, sugar and refined carbs a no. A no to starchy a yes to veggies and protein in abundance. Omega 3's as well as keeping your vitamin D levels at an optimal range are very helpful. Guthathione is also a powerful antioxident for treating and can be found in several foods. Just a few things I have learned. Make sure to check with a doctor before trying anything new. Best of luck.

 

Mea:)