Tyroid Issues and Synthroid

[xmmwx]

Okay..I have noticed there are quite a few people with Thyroid issues and I have a serious question. After I started on Atkins, I had blood tests taken just as Dr. Atkins says to do..to make sure that all my levels were good. EVERYTHING was great except my TSH was 4.75..My doctor put me on a low dose of synthroid (.25) and told me that I would need to wait 4-6 weeks before it would really start working and to be retested at 8 weeks. Okay..well, as soon as I hit about the 5 week mark, I started having trouble losing weight (Had lost about 15 lbs during the 4 weeks before), my hair has started falling out instead of just being dry, my skins is dryer..I am not any more tired than I was, but have noticed that alot of the symptoms I WAS having are worse. Anyone with any experience using Synthroid ever have this happen? If so..What can I say to my Dr to fix this? It's difficult (and disheartening) when I am sitting here putting my all into exercising and changing my way of eating..(ie.,giving up the things I would like to eat) only to keep gaining and losing the same 2 lbs every other week. Any suggestions would be helpful!

[missscarlett]

The medication can take up to 8 weeks to reach a sustained level in your bloodstream. Everyone starts at a very low dose which will be built up in .25 increments until your symptoms go away, or when your TSH reaches a normal level ( 0.5 to 3).

Your body will take time to adjust, and I hope you will be patient, because you will feel better when your correct dosage is reached.

[xmmwx]

I am trying..I think I am just tired of the memory issues and brain fog. My skin is cracking from being so dry AND it's winter when that kind of thing is worse anyway and my hair coming out. Thanks. I thought It only took 4 weeks for the medicine to take affect.

[GCC]

The reason your felt worse rathert than better is because the dose was way too low.

Taking a thyroid med like Synthroid will tend to supress the thyroid gland from making thyroid hormones...and it took a few weeks for that to happen. At that point is when you starting feeling so much worse.

So you had a net decrease in your thyroid levels.
The ned supressed your thyroid , but the med was giving you less than your own natural thyroid gland was giving you (before the Synthroid supressed it).

This is not an uncommon mistake made by doctors.
You should have been started on a larger dose.

[xmmwx]

How do I get my doctor to see that? I worked for a doctor myself for 10 years..so, I know this stuff..but, since I this is the first time I've had to advocate for myself, I am unsure of what to do. He says my levels are fine..but, I still lose weight ONLY if I watch calories too AND barely eat anything which I KNOW is not healthy and my hair is dry and keeps coming out..I'm still tired, etc..I mean it is a little bit better but, I think I've been on the medicine long enough that It has reached the sustained level it will stay at with me only taking .25 mg..

[GCC]

XM,
How about your FREE T4 level?
What is that?

I bet its either below 'normal range', OR near the bottom of the range.
Use that as proof that your dose is too low.

FREE T4 & FREE T3 are the measure of actual usable thyroid hormnes.
NOT total T3 & total T4, NOT T3 uptake, etc.

Get a copy of your past lab reports and see if they have tested your FREE T4 & FREE T3. They have to give them to you if you request them.
Are they low or low-normal?

OPtimal FREE T3 & FREE T4 is the middle to UPPER part of the 'normal range', NOT the low part of 'normal;.

Having low FREE T's levels is like getting a "D" or a "D-" on a math test and being told its good enough because you passed!!

Don't settle for barely passing. Insist on optimal thyroid hormone levels (mid to upper levels).
AND the FREE T's are the test you need to go by because they are the actual usable thyroid hormones.
FREE is the portion of hormone that is un-bound to proteins in the blood and can be used by the cells in your body. Total is the 'free' and bound added together...a useless test!

I had to find a better doctor; but try using your FREE T's as evidence first.
And insist on having your FREE T3 tested too, Synthoid is a T4 only drug and if your FREE T3 is low you will not be at your best either.
I hope that helps.

[xmmwx]

Yeah, I had him test those and he said they were okay. I am so spoiled because I worked for a doctor for 10 years and all I had to do was just tell him I thought something was wrong and he'd tell me to call something in for myself. I feel so helpless now that I have to actually go SEE the doctor.. but, I will look into the T3 thing..Is there a medicine that you can take for T3? I mentioned Cymotel (is that right? ) which I thought was a companion medicine to synthroid and he didnt' know what I was talking about!!!

[GCC]

The dose of Synthroid is way to low. Thats a TINY dose.
I would call the doctors office and tell them how you feel and that you either want a higher dose NOW, or re-testing NOW.

I would not wait as long as they want you to.

If this doctor will not do anything, find a better doctor!

[Organic-NoSoy-LC4Life]

[quote=xmmwx;1046218 I mentioned Cymotel (is that right? ) which I thought was a companion medicine to synthroid and he didnt' know what I was talking about!!![/quote]


You need a different doctor.

Synthroid is synthetic T4, Cytomel is synthetic T3. If your doctor doesn't know that, you shouldn't be looking to him for guidance.

Stop the Thyroid Madness - The truth about thyroid and thyroid treatment

You'll get good basic thyroid information there. Enough to understand why you're starting to feel worse and why your dose needs to be raised.

Oh and never trust "he said they're okay" -- get your results, know your own numbers.

If I were you, I'd get my lab results from this doctor so I could see what my actual numbers are and I'd start looking for a better doctor.

Educate yourself, read the stories of other patients, that will help you become a stronger advocate for yourself. You can do it!

[Browneyes49]

Thanks for that explanation GCC. I was wondering why i felt good for awhile, and then awful and now at 5 week mark I am coming back again.

I have half a thyroid and doc started me at 75 of Synthroid. Then I switched to Levo but he said no go back to Synthroid. So far I feel that being on these meds is be a life saver. And a mind saver. I was beginning to think I was going crazy with all the bizarre symptoms. My feet are better and I am amazed. I didn't think my sore feet were do to the thyroid. but it was.

I can already tell that it is helping me stay on the Atkins diet. My cravings are less.