No More Sex Drive after THYROIDECTOMY

Question

I was diagnosed to have Thyroid Cancer Last year Feb2014 and had my surgery on Mar2014. After this I totally dont have any interest in SEX and this is really worrying me. I need to know if this is normal for a person who gone thyroidectomy or is there any remedy for this cause Im trying so hard for my partner to not notice this but i cant keep it any longer.

This discussion is related to Thyroidectomy and low sex drive in husband.

gimel · Answer

This is an old thread and CampMolly has not been on the Forum for two years.  There are knowledgeable and experienced members who are still active who will be glad to try and help if you will tell us more about your husband's situation.

gimel · Answer

You cannot know enough about your status without being adequately tested.  TSH is a pituitary hormone that is affected by so many things that, at best it is only an indicator, to be considered along with more important indicators such as symptoms and also levels of the biologically active thyroid hormones, Free T3 and Free T4.  A hypo patient also frequently finds that they are too low in the ranges for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin.  

So you are going to need to get our doctor to do the tests for Free T3 and Free T4 each time you go in for testing.  Also do the Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin to find out if you need to supplement to get those higher.  If you cannot get your doctor to do these tests, then you should move on to another doctor.  If you can get those tests done, then please post results and their reference ranges, and we will help interpret and advise further.

CampMolly · Answer

Hello,
Ive read your response a week ago but just able to find time today to reply.
I am in the Philippines and I dont know if there are other thyroid doctor who prescribe other treatment after the thyroidectomy. My cousin also undergone thyroidectomy a year prior to my surgery because she also had thyroid cancer and her Thyroid doctor also "JUST" prescribe her Levothyroxine, As well as my other officemates who also lost their thyroid.

gimel · Answer

The way I interpret you situation is that your doctor is medicating you based on your TSH level.  That is very wrong.  TSH is a pituitary hormone that is affected by so many things that at best it is only an indicator, to be considered along with more important indicators such as symptoms, and also levels of the biologically active thyroid hormones Free T3 and Free T4 (not the same as Total T3 and Total T4).  You should make sure they test you for Free T3 and free T4 each time you go in for tests.  Scientific studies have shown that Free T3 correlates best with hypo symptoms.  

A good thyroid doctor will treat a hypo patient clinically by testing and adjusting Free T3 and Free T4 as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels.  You can read about clinical treatment in this link written by a good thyroid doctor.

http://www.hormonerestoration.com/Thyroid.html

So I recommend that after reading and absorbing the info in the link, you should talk with your doctor about it and ask to be treated clinically, as described.  When your Free T3 and Free T4 are tested I expect that your Free T4 may be in the upper part of its range but your Free T3 will be in the lower part of its range, consistent with having hypothyroid symptoms.  I say that because many hypo patients taking large doses of T4 meds like yours find that their body does not adequately convert the T4 med to T3.  Hypo patients are also frequently too low in the range for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin, so you should also ask to have those tested as well.

Don't be so concerned with asking your doctor about all this.  If he is a doctor that you would want to keep he won't mind.  If he is resistant, then you will need to find a good thyroid doctor elsewhere.

CampMolly · Answer

Thank you so much for your response.
I was adviced by my Doctor (endocrinologist) to take 150mcg Levothyroxine every morning 1 hour before breakfast . Thats the only prescribed maintenance for hormone replacement. My current lab test was taken last 07Jan2015
HTG IRMA result: 0.414 normal range: 2-70 TSH IRMA TURBO result: 0.378 Normal range: 0.27-3.75 ANTI-HTG result:33.489 Normal Range: up to 100. I was adviced that all of this laboratory test are Normal.
Do you think I have to drink an additional type of hormone? I just cannot ask my doctor about it.

gimel · Answer

After having a TT, the patient has to take enough thyroid med to be euthyroid (neither hypo nor hyper symptoms).  What thyroid med are you taking?  What is the daily dosage?  Are you having any other symptoms?  Please post your latest thyroid related test results and reference ranges shown on the lab report.  Also, if tested for Vitamin D and ferritin, please post those results as well.