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Hashimoto - Just diagnosed

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Thyroid Disorders
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Posted 3/9/2012 4:30 PM (GMT -7)
Felt horrible for over a year and was FINALLY diagnosed after throwing a fit and changing doctors. My TSH level was 4.4 in October and my old doc said 'It was in range", even though I was having symptoms. Finally went to a new doc and here are the results:

TSH - 3.9 (range 0.5 - 3.0)

Free T4 - 0.9 (range 0.7 - 2.5)

Free T3 - 2.8 (range 2.5 - 6.5)

TPO - 439 (range 0-150)

Though my T3 & T4 are in range, they are at the bottom which would explain why I feel awful.

Just started on 100mcg of Levothroid this morning. I feel horrible: Ringing ears, dizzy, tired, etc,,,, How long before I notice any improvement of my symptoms??????

Posted 4/19/2012 1:21 PM (GMT -7)
I had super low thyroid when first diagnosed. I had TSH at about 130 (yeah that's one hundred thirty) and low FT4 and FT3. On the very first day I took levothyroxine I felt a buzz that uplifted my body....then after those first couple of days I stopped noticing it and started to feel bad again for about 8 months. Finally my endo allowed me to try adding T3 (brand name Cytomel) along with levothyroxine and I'm now feeling better about 14 months later.

As a 150 lbs male, I take 88 mcg levothyroxine and 12.5 mcg Cytomel. The Cytomel is divided up in three doses evenly in the day, 2.5 in the morning and 5 and 5 afternoon and evening.

The main thing to remember is that it will take some months for your body to adapt to the levothyroxine! It has to build up in your system over a long time period. One thing about levothyroxine, take it on an empty stomach and don't take it with calcium. Don't eat for at 30 min to an hour after taking it. The reason is that levothyroxine absorption is easily blocked by food and especially calcium. At least this is what the inserts to my medicine bottles say (I am definitely not a doctor).
Posted 4/24/2012 12:52 PM (GMT -7)
Hi sjmjuly,

I meant to reply to you a long time ago. How are you doing now?  Are you feeling any better after

being on the Levothroid for over a month? Some people do better when they are started on a low

dose of thyroid replacement hormone and gradually increase it and you could be one of those

people. Let us know how you are doing.

 

Posted 4/24/2012 1:31 PM (GMT -7)
Hi there,

Well after 4 days on Levothroid, I ended up in the ER and decided to POO POO taking it. I got back with my naturopath doc and she put me on Nature Throid, Selenium & Thytrophin. I am also gluten free now and feel sooooo much better. The Nature Throid is still only 1/2 a grain, so we are building up. I still have some symptoms, but seem to be better. I still have a hyper moment now and then which I HATE, but they seem to pass alot quicker now than they used to. I will get a little jittery and my heart will speed up but it only lasts for a few minutes now. I am sleeping alot better and the anxiety is almost completely gone. My good days are clumping and the bad days are still there, but at least the good days are coming along in a string.

My antibodies were down from 439 to 290 after only two weeks of being gluten free and on the Selenium. My TSH was down from 3.9 to 2.84, my T4 is still low, but I think it's because of the Nature Throid and my total T3 is 96 (range: 80 - 220) I still have a ways to go, but I have only been taking the meds consistantly for 2 1/2 weeks. I go back to the doc the first week of May.

Posted 4/26/2012 9:13 PM (GMT -7)
I am so glad that you are doing better. It really sounds like you are on the right track.  You are so

fortunate to find a doctor willing to work with you and your naturopath sounds top notch. Keep

in touch.

Posted 4/26/2012 9:52 PM (GMT -7)
Just curious, what did you end up in the ER for?
Posted 4/27/2012 8:30 AM (GMT -7)
After 4 days on that CRAP I couldn't sleep, felt like I was going to pass out and had extreme heart palpitations. Part of it was because IDIOT doctor (NOT my naturopath) put me on a very high dose (100mcgs) of Levo as a starting dose. I am a small person and this was WAY too much. So off to the ER at 4:30 in the morning. After that I went to the naturopath and started on a very small dose of Nature Throid and each week I increased it a little bit. I am about month into it now and only at 1/2 grain which is 32mcgs.
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