Thyroid/Synthroid

[largenlovely]

Or the generic ffor synthroid which is levothyroxine or something anyway...

My thyroid finally went kaput it has been on the verge of going out for years. I'm surprised it hasn't fully went out sooner being that I have little tumors on both sides. Anyway...I started the meds 2 days ago. Any advice? Thoughts? Helpful information? Anything would be helpful lol

Thanks in advance

[Diana_Prince245]

Originally Posted by largenlovely

Or the generic ffor synthroid which is levothyroxine or something anyway...

My thyroid finally went kaput it has been on the verge of going out for years. I'm surprised it hasn't fully went out sooner being that I have little tumors on both sides. Anyway...I started the meds 2 days ago. Any advice? Thoughts? Helpful information? Anything would be helpful lol

Thanks in advance

You should start of feel like you have more energy in about a week. Make sure you get your levels retested in about 6-8 weeks, you might need a higher dose. I did, even though I felt a bazillion times better on the lowest dose. Make sure you take it first thing with lots of water, and wait an hour before you eat if possible. You'll lose more hair when you first start taking it, but my hair loss is back to normal after 6 weeks.

[Miss Vickie]

Originally Posted by largenlovely

Or the generic ffor synthroid which is levothyroxine or something anyway...

My thyroid finally went kaput it has been on the verge of going out for years. I'm surprised it hasn't fully went out sooner being that I have little tumors on both sides. Anyway...I started the meds 2 days ago. Any advice? Thoughts? Helpful information? Anything would be helpful lol

Thanks in advance

My endo has me take Synthroid -- period -- because she's seen wide variations in results with people who take the generic form. it's more expensive but I feel pretty well stuck.

Just remember that with thyroid medication you take it on an empty stomach, and certainly away from calcium or antiacids.. I keep it by the side of the bed with a glass of water and before my feet hit the floor in the morning, I've got in me. I've had pretty stable levels, despite gastric bypass and having my thyroid removed in 2008.

Good luck!

[largenlovely]

Yikes, the hair loss thing sounds scary!!! Glad to hear it comes back though. I'm glad to hear I will get my energy back too. I have been sleeping 10 hours and still wake up groggy. I knew something was wrong cuz I was working out a whole lot and not losing any weight at all. In fact, I was gaining at times, which was crazy. Gotta letter saying my blood work was off and I figured that must be the problem. Will I ever be able to lose weight again? Lol

Originally Posted by Diana_Prince245

You should start of feel like you have more energy in about a week. Make sure you get your levels retested in about 6-8 weeks, you might need a higher dose. I did, even though I felt a bazillion times better on the lowest dose. Make sure you take it first thing with lots of water, and wait an hour before you eat if possible. You'll lose more hair when you first start taking it, but my hair loss is back to normal after 6 weeks.

[largenlovely]

A girlfriend told me to take it with water, avoid milk and take it before eating too. My doc didn't mention all that!!! So last night I put a glass of water by my bed too and did the same thing. He put me on 75mcg to start with so hopefully it's the right number

Originally Posted by Miss Vickie

My endo has me take Synthroid -- period -- because she's seen wide variations in results with people who take the generic form. it's more expensive but I feel pretty well stuck.

Just remember that with thyroid medication you take it on an empty stomach, and certainly away from calcium or antiacids.. I keep it by the side of the bed with a glass of water and before my feet hit the floor in the morning, I've got in me. I've had pretty stable levels, despite gastric bypass and having my thyroid removed in 2008.

Good luck!

[Miss Vickie]

Originally Posted by largenlovely

A girlfriend told me to take it with water, avoid milk and take it before eating too. My doc didn't mention all that!!! So last night I put a glass of water by my bed too and did the same thing. He put me on 75mcg to start with so hopefully it's the right number

Yeah I'm pretty amazed at what people aren't told about taking thyroid meds. I had another nurse tell me to take how the way I do -- and it's made a huge difference. By the time I shower and get breakfast ready, it's been at least 30 minutes so I do very well with my absorption and then subsequent levels.

[largenlovely]

I've been taking them early in the morning. So I will jump right back into bed so I won't be tempted to have coffee lol

Originally Posted by Miss Vickie

Yeah I'm pretty amazed at what people aren't told about taking thyroid meds. I had another nurse tell me to take how the way I do -- and it's made a huge difference. By the time I shower and get breakfast ready, it's been at least 30 minutes so I do very well with my absorption and then subsequent levels.

[Miss Vickie]

Originally Posted by largenlovely

I've been taking them early in the morning. So I will jump right back into bed so I won't be tempted to have coffee lol

I usually do well if I put off coffee about a half hour, until I've had my shower and gotten ready. Even with a gastric bypass, I can absorb coffee (with milk).

Or, if you happen to wake in the middle of the night to pee, so much the better!

[CastingPearls]

I take 50 mcgs before I even get out of bed and I don't eat anything for an hour. My hair falling out was a sign that I had hypothyroidism and it did continue to fall out for a while after I started taking levothyroxin but it definitely did stop and I began to have more energy. I was also low in B12 and D which I'm taking supplements for, and have been taking high doses of iron and potassium for a few years as well. I take the iron (because like calcium, the thyroid med can hinder absorption) halfway through the day or before I go to bed so they're at least 8 hours apart.

EDT: I started at a lower dose and they tweaked it after labwork. My doctor said they often don't give you the dosage you're going to stick with because of possible heart damage.

[largenlovely]

I don't usually do milk in my coffee but I'm lactose intolerant. I do drink lactose milk from time to time but it's ok to drink it as long as it's not first thing in the morning right

Originally Posted by Miss Vickie

I usually do well if I put off coffee about a half hour, until I've had my shower and gotten ready. Even with a gastric bypass, I can absorb coffee (with milk).

Or, if you happen to wake in the middle of the night to pee, so much the better!

[largenlovely]

I haven't noticed any of my hair falling out. Maybe we caught it before that happened. We had just done a blood test a few months ago where they tested me and everything seemed to be ok I guess. Then bam, my cholesterol and thyroid were off. I read that high cholesterol can be a symptom of hypothyroidism and since they both freaked out at the same time I'm guessing they're related

Originally Posted by CastingPearls

I take 50 mcgs before I even get out of bed and I don't eat anything for an hour. My hair falling out was a sign that I had hypothyroidism and it did continue to fall out for a while after I started taking levothyroxin but it definitely did stop and I began to have more energy. I was also low in B12 and D which I'm taking supplements for, and have been taking high doses of iron and potassium for a few years as well. I take the iron (because like calcium, the thyroid med can hinder absorption) halfway through the day or before I go to bed so they're at least 8 hours apart.

[largenlovely]

D'oh...just noticed u addressed the milk question. I'm gonna blame brain fog on having missed that lol

Originally Posted by Miss Vickie

Even with a gastric bypass, I can absorb coffee (with milk)

[HDANGEL15]

Originally Posted by largenlovely

Yikes, the hair loss thing sounds scary!!! Glad to hear it comes back though. I'm glad to hear I will get my energy back too. I have been sleeping 10 hours and still wake up groggy. I knew something was wrong cuz I was working out a whole lot and not losing any weight at all. In fact, I was gaining at times, which was crazy. Gotta letter saying my blood work was off and I figured that must be the problem. Will I ever be able to lose weight again? Lol

I totally feel ya....i was the same way and about a month ago I doubly tested to make sure it was not in error....and thankfully....I was told it was my LOW THYROID & to take 75 mg LEVOTHYROXINE....and I must say immediately I felt perkier!!!

[largenlovely]

Oh sorry I just woke up and misread ur pm. I see u have already got it checked. He put me on 75mcg too. I'm on day 3 now and I think I may be starting to feel Kinda better. I hope anyway lol *fingers crossed*

Originally Posted by HDANGEL15

I totally feel ya....i was the same way and about a month ago I doubly tested to make sure it was not in error....and thankfully....I was told it was my LOW THYROID & to take 75 mg LEVOTHYROXINE....and I must say immediately I felt perkier!!!

[Diana_Prince245]

Originally Posted by Miss Vickie

Yeah I'm pretty amazed at what people aren't told about taking thyroid meds. I had another nurse tell me to take how the way I do -- and it's made a huge difference. By the time I shower and get breakfast ready, it's been at least 30 minutes so I do very well with my absorption and then subsequent levels.

My mother, who's been on thyroid meds for 50 years, was the one who told me how to take it. It's weird that prescribers and pharmacists aren't fully doing their job when it comes to how to take thyroid. Every time I get my birth control filled, I get informed how to take it, but they hand me the thyroid pills and send me on my way.

[HereticFA]

If you become aware of any changes in how your heart feels or unusual increases in pulse rate not typical for your activity level, notify your doctor immediately. It could be the beginning of a irreversible heart damage. Especially be aware of any feelings that your heart is struggling to beat (or beats extremely HARD) or even that your heart doesn't slow down much after exertion or exercise.

I was on synthroid from age 9 to 12 (prescribed to help me lose weight). At age 12, I was awakened one night at about 2AM with a pulse rate of 175 to 190. Unfortunately I didn't tell anyone at the time. I just stopped taking the synthroid on my own. (I'm not sure whether or not anything more meaningful could have been done in the late 60's.) For the next few decades I learned to work with the feeling of discomfort in my heart and was even given an "all clear" by the cardiologist who saw me in my thirties but didn't do a stress test, just used a Holter monitor. I eventually went on to be diagnosed with ventricular tachycardia (VT) and had to get a pacemaker & defibrillator (ICD) installed at age 51. I later found the usual protocol for diagnosing heart problems at a NIH website that shows a stress test is not typically required for those under 50, which explains why I didn't receive one in my 30's when I went to the cardiologist the first time.

Apparently VT is a well known side effect of synthroid. If you're under the age of 50, you may not be given a stress test but a Holter monitor instead. Insist on the stress test. Even though the protocol doesn't include a stress test for those under 50, insist on it if you have taken synthroid and have heart palpitations or arrhythmias.

[largenlovely]

That's really scary!! They tried to put me on 25mcg's about 10 yrs ago when they first found all the tumors on my thyroid and I started having that happen. I did the same thing and took myself off of it after about a week or two. I told my doc here about it and we have been checking my thyroid ever few months or so. This time, I could tell my thyroid freaked out even before I went in to find out why they sent me a letter saying my blood was off. I was surprised he started me off at 75mcg's right out of the gate but I will totally be looking for those symptoms because it scared the crap out of me years ago when it happened. I'm so sorry that u had to go through all that and nobody knew to tell you what was going on. I hope those 2 weeks years ago didn't do any damage.

Originally Posted by HereticFA

If you become aware of any changes in how your heart feels or unusual increases in pulse rate not typical for your activity level, notify your doctor immediately. It could be the beginning of a irreversible heart damage. Especially be aware of any feelings that your heart is struggling to beat (or beats extremely HARD) or even that your heart doesn't slow down much after exertion or exercise.

I was on synthroid from age 9 to 12 (prescribed to help me lose weight). At age 12, I was awakened one night at about 2AM with a pulse rate of 175 to 190. Unfortunately I didn't tell anyone at the time. I just stopped taking the synthroid on my own. (I'm not sure whether or not anything more meaningful could have been done in the late 60's.) For the next few decades I learned to work with the feeling of discomfort in my heart and was even given an "all clear" by the cardiologist who saw me in my thirties but didn't do a stress test, just used a Holter monitor. I eventually went on to be diagnosed with ventricular tachycardia (VT) and had to get a pacemaker & defibrillator (ICD) installed at age 51. I later found the usual protocol for diagnosing heart problems at a NIH website that shows a stress test is not typically required for those under 50, which explains why I didn't receive one in my 30's when I went to the cardiologist the first time.

Apparently VT is a well known side effect of synthroid. If you're under the age of 50, you may not be given a stress test but a Holter monitor instead. Insist on the stress test. Even though the protocol doesn't include a stress test for those under 50, insist on it if you have taken synthroid and have heart palpitations or arrhythmias.

[Miss Vickie]

I remember, back in the day they used to give people synthroid to help them lose weight -- even if they have no hypothyroidism symptoms. They did that to my mom. It's dangerous to be hyperthyroid -- because I'm on high doses my endocrinologist asks me a battery of questions each time I see her. We need to keep me on a high enough dose to keep my TSH levels crazy low to prevent recurrence of my cancer, but not so high that I get sick from it.

So for those of you who are on thyroid replacement, watch for racing heart, skipped beats, tremor, sudden intolerance to heat, inability to sleep, diarrhea and agitation. These can all be signs that your thyroid levels are too high. This is dangerous not just for your heart but also affects bone metabolism, leaving you at risk for osteoporosis.

[HereticFA]

Originally Posted by Miss Vickie

I remember, back in the day they used to give people synthroid to help them lose weight -- even if they have no hypothyroidism symptoms

It was in 1968 when they did that to me. Plus my Dr. was pretty "old school". The only testing I actually remember being associated with the diagnosis of low thyroid was a strange reflex test he performed on the Achilles tendon of my foot and was recorded by a chart graph recorder that sensed the displacement of a small horseshoe magnet taped to my heel. If there was a blood test to check T3 & T4 I don't remember the blood being drawn. (And I still remember a lot of times I was "stuck" around that time. I was very needle-phobic back then.)

Ironically I still remember him counseling me on losing weight saying that if I didn't I'd develop heart problems. Yeah, from his treatment of my obesity.

[HereticFA]

Originally Posted by largenlovely

That's really scary!! They tried to put me on 25mcg's about 10 yrs ago when they first found all the tumors on my thyroid and I started having that happen. I did the same thing and took myself off of it after about a week or two. I told my doc here about it and we have been checking my thyroid ever few months or so. This time, I could tell my thyroid freaked out even before I went in to find out why they sent me a letter saying my blood was off. I was surprised he started me off at 75mcg's right out of the gate but I will totally be looking for those symptoms because it scared the crap out of me years ago when it happened. I'm so sorry that u had to go through all that and nobody knew to tell you what was going on. I hope those 2 weeks years ago didn't do any damage.

If any damage had been done you'd already be aware of it from the symptoms described elsewhere in this thread. It probably takes at least several months for new nerve pathways to be created in the heart to establish the shorts that cause VT.

Originally Posted by largenlovely

I'm so sorry that u had to go through all that and nobody knew to tell you what was going on.

The main irritation I've had is too many doctors shrug their shoulders and label a problem as idiopathic if you don't fit a preconceived notion for that problem.

[largenlovely]

Thanks for talking me through this y'all. I was less than thrilled that it went out, as I'm sure you all are too. I'm starting to get some energy back and the scale dropped 4lbs today. I'm glad they're already showing signs of helping. Tuesday will be a week. I guess the levothyroxine was just what I needed

[BBWTexan]

Glad to hear it's making you feel better! Just make sure to take it everyday and it will make all the difference in the world.

I've been on levothyroxine for about 7 years now and I'm on a pretty high dosage. Up until about 3 months ago, I was taking 250mcg per day (two 125mcg pills), but was just reduced slightly to 237mcg (one 125 and one 112). I'm pretty diligent about it, but there have been times in the past when I got lazy and I would notice the difference almost immediately.

Hope you keep getting good results, but make sure to get re-checked frequently because it will probably take a few adjustments before you find the exact dosage for you.

[largenlovely]

Originally Posted by BBWTexan

Glad to hear it's making you feel better! Just make sure to take it everyday and it will make all the difference in the world.

I've been on levothyroxine for about 7 years now and I'm on a pretty high dosage. Up until about 3 months ago, I was taking 250mcg per day (two 125mcg pills), but was just reduced slightly to 237mcg (one 125 and one 112). I'm pretty diligent about it, but there have been times in the past when I got lazy and I would notice the difference almost immediately.

Hope you keep getting good results, but make sure to get re-checked frequently because it will probably take a few adjustments before you find the exact dosage for you.

I am wondering if I may find it's not enough. It's definitely helping and maybe in another few weeks my energy levels will improve because they have improved over the last couple days, albeit slowly. And I may just need more time (which is likely) to get a regular amount in my system too but years ago when they put me on 25mcg I knew immediately that I didn't need to be on the meds yet. Right now I feel that It's helping but maybe I could stand going up to 100mcg. I guess the standard wait time is 4-6 weeks. I will make sure to go back and get re-tested and if I still feel sluggish and lethargic will let him know that as well. It sucks having to depend on meds for the rest of your life but I sure am glad they have them!!! Cuz being *that* tired was just horrible.

[NewfieGal]

It takes a few weeks to get in your system but when it does you'll feel like a new person... I've been taking it since I've been 19 I'm on the max dose of 300... take it the same time everyday on an empty stomach for the best results

[largenlovely]

Originally Posted by NewfieGal

It takes a few weeks to get in your system but when it does you'll feel like a new person... I've been taking it since I've been 19 I'm on the max dose of 300... take it the same time everyday on an empty stomach for the best results

Thanks Newfie...I'm so glad to hear everyone has done well on the meds, for the most part. It's comforting. So far so good for me glad everything seems to be improving day by day.