Aa
Medication not helping
Hi. I am a 51 year old female that was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at the age of 35. Over the past year my levels have been all over the place and now I am diagnosed hyperthyroidism. I have chest heaviness constantly (have been to the er thinking I was having a heart attack), they tell me it is anxiety, but it is constant, wake up in the middle of the night with it. I am exhausted, my periods have become extremely painful and frequent, my whole body aches, I suffer from almost daily migraines. My doctors basically blow off my chest heaviness/pain, concentrate on getting my levels right but even when they have been right I am still exhausted. Is there nothing else out there besides synthroid? I am at my wits end.
Last night I woke up and felt heaviness in my chest. Like it was hard to move my chest to breathe or suck in air. I was not short of breath, it was just harder.
Since I was sleeping I know for me it is Apnea. I am on oxygen at night until we figure out why I stop breathing in stage 3 sleep. It was an awful feeling though.
It did feel worse when I was on my back and improved a little on my side. I will mention this to the pulmonologist when I see him.
Are you swinging from hypo to hyper? One of my symptoms before I was optimized was constantly cold. My daughter and husband would tell me all the time that it was not cold. All I could say is it is cold to me. There is a vent right under the kitchen sink on the floor and I would have to shut off the central air as I did dishes because the cold felt painful. Weird! Now it feels good to me :)
Since I was sleeping I know for me it is Apnea. I am on oxygen at night until we figure out why I stop breathing in stage 3 sleep. It was an awful feeling though.
It did feel worse when I was on my back and improved a little on my side. I will mention this to the pulmonologist when I see him.
Are you swinging from hypo to hyper? One of my symptoms before I was optimized was constantly cold. My daughter and husband would tell me all the time that it was not cold. All I could say is it is cold to me. There is a vent right under the kitchen sink on the floor and I would have to shut off the central air as I did dishes because the cold felt painful. Weird! Now it feels good to me :)
The doctor who initially let me try Armour was a Rheumatologist. Even though a took awhile to find a understanding thyroid doctor but my primary now is Internal Medicine who will let me try whatever I ask for. I got pretty lucky with her.
Someone once mentioned that I should be seeing a DO (Osteopathic Doctor). I was surprised that their office didn't agree with me taking Armour and also pushed an antidepressant for the pain. I didn't return to them.
Someone once mentioned that I should be seeing a DO (Osteopathic Doctor). I was surprised that their office didn't agree with me taking Armour and also pushed an antidepressant for the pain. I didn't return to them.
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Your doctor is only ordering FT4 blood test, not FT3, which is the actual hormone used by the individual cells. FT4 is not used by the cells; it must be converted to FT3. Many of don't convert FT4 adequately, so even though FT4 levels are good, FT3 levels are too low. When that happens we have to add a source of T3, which can be either in the form of cytomel, generic liiothyronine or a desiccated hormone, such as Armour, ERFA, compounded, etc.
You should ask for FT3 to be tested every time you have an FT4 and TSH test. T3 meds should never be prescribed without doing the FT3 blood test.
For sure, get vitamin B12 tested, as deficiency can cause the most debilitating fatigue/exhaustion you can ever imagine. When I was working, my job required a lot of driving; I used to wish that stop lights would stay red longer, so I could get a nap....... Also note, that just being "in range" is not good enough. I, personally, have to keep my levels at the very top of the range, in order to feel well.
You should ask for FT3 to be tested every time you have an FT4 and TSH test. T3 meds should never be prescribed without doing the FT3 blood test.
For sure, get vitamin B12 tested, as deficiency can cause the most debilitating fatigue/exhaustion you can ever imagine. When I was working, my job required a lot of driving; I used to wish that stop lights would stay red longer, so I could get a nap....... Also note, that just being "in range" is not good enough. I, personally, have to keep my levels at the very top of the range, in order to feel well.
Hi, thank you. I wake with a migraine, have suffered those since teenage years. Have had brain surgery to remove a malformation, but that did not help with the migraines. What type of doctor prescribed the armour thyroid for you? I know that blood levels don't tell the whole picture, it is about feeling well and each of us is different. Frustrating
No, this is the most recent dose change as of a month ago. I have been on several different doses, from 150 mcg and the in between doses, now 88 mcg. I was steady at 125 mcg for quite a few years. I don't believe I was ever tested for Vt. D, B12, or ferritin and not sure about the TPO ab and TG ab, I will access my records again and look, I guess I need to ask for that from my doctor?? I also am extremely cold all the time, ppl at work just look at me like I'm crazy, got a coat and blanket on even when it is 80 degrees. Is a endocronologist the best person to see, which is who I am seeing now but am just about at the end of my rope with him. Do you have a better idea of what other kind of doctor I might see? Thank you so much!
I switched to Armour from levothyroxine in February and have had the best of luck. A lot of my lingering symptoms went away.
It sometimes is difficult to find a doctor that will prescribe an NDT (Natural Desiccated Thyroid).
It seems that I have read a lot of posts from women that have a hard time balancing their thyroid hormone during perimenopause.
Since I cannot have any more children anyways I discussed how a hysterectomy would affect thyroid balancing and my internal doctor said it would help a lot. From what I read estrogen binds T4 and throughout a normal cycle we spike twice between cycles. I don't know how estrogen fluctuates during menopause. I would think tremendously.
Do you wake with a migraine or a tension headache? Possibly sleep related. With some hypo women sleep apnea goes hand in hand.
I know when the doctor asked me how I slept I said fine. Come to find out I stop breathing in stage 3 of sleep. (Currently learning and working on this) Since I began oxygen at night I no longer wake up with a throbbing head.
The sleep tech said since I was in shape there was no reason for me to stop breathing.
It sometimes is difficult to find a doctor that will prescribe an NDT (Natural Desiccated Thyroid).
It seems that I have read a lot of posts from women that have a hard time balancing their thyroid hormone during perimenopause.
Since I cannot have any more children anyways I discussed how a hysterectomy would affect thyroid balancing and my internal doctor said it would help a lot. From what I read estrogen binds T4 and throughout a normal cycle we spike twice between cycles. I don't know how estrogen fluctuates during menopause. I would think tremendously.
Do you wake with a migraine or a tension headache? Possibly sleep related. With some hypo women sleep apnea goes hand in hand.
I know when the doctor asked me how I slept I said fine. Come to find out I stop breathing in stage 3 of sleep. (Currently learning and working on this) Since I began oxygen at night I no longer wake up with a throbbing head.
The sleep tech said since I was in shape there was no reason for me to stop breathing.
Sorry to ask more questions, but what was your med dosage through this period? Was it always 88 mcg?
Since the most prevalent cause of diagnosed hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's, it would be a good idea to rule that in or out by testing for the thyroid antibodies, TPO ab and TG ab. Hashi's also tends to be hereditary.
Also, hypo patients are frequently too low in the ranges for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin. If tested for those, please post, along with ranges.
Since the most prevalent cause of diagnosed hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's, it would be a good idea to rule that in or out by testing for the thyroid antibodies, TPO ab and TG ab. Hashi's also tends to be hereditary.
Also, hypo patients are frequently too low in the ranges for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin. If tested for those, please post, along with ranges.
I was never told exactly why I have thyroid issues, it runs in my family. Grandma, Mom, 3 sisters all have hypothyroidism
8/23/12 FREE T4 1.3
8-23-12 TSH/Thy.Stim.Horm 0.20
10/19/2012FREE T4 0.8
10/19/12 TSH/Thy.Stim.Horm 7.98
11/20/12 Free T3 4.6
11/20/12 FREE T4 1.0
11/20/12 TSH/Thy.Stim.Horm 0.13
2/15/13 FREE T4 1.4
2/15/13 TSH/Thy.Stim.Horm 0.42
4/15/13 FREE T4 1.3
4/15/13 TSH/Thy.Stim.Horm 0.03
5/16/13 FREE T4 1.4
5/16/13 TSH/Thy.Stim.Horm 0.04
8-23-12 TSH/Thy.Stim.Horm 0.20
10/19/2012FREE T4 0.8
10/19/12 TSH/Thy.Stim.Horm 7.98
11/20/12 Free T3 4.6
11/20/12 FREE T4 1.0
11/20/12 TSH/Thy.Stim.Horm 0.13
2/15/13 FREE T4 1.4
2/15/13 TSH/Thy.Stim.Horm 0.42
4/15/13 FREE T4 1.3
4/15/13 TSH/Thy.Stim.Horm 0.03
5/16/13 FREE T4 1.4
5/16/13 TSH/Thy.Stim.Horm 0.04
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