hypothyroidism (or Hashimoto's)

**Nishu** · 02-15-2009, 06:02 PM

It's a pretty common condition so I'm assuming there are people here who have it. Would you mind discussing it?

I was first tested and came up underactive as a teen and since then I've asked to get tested several times. Each time it's come up normal. I was even tested shortly after the baby was born- again it came back normal. When I went in to see the doctor about some lightheadedness I had been experiencing she decided to test again. (I didn't see much point... I knew it would come back normal.)

So she calls me on the day after the test and tells me the results were abnormal. I had a bottle of synthroid by the end of the day. She sent me a copy of my results along with a note about coming back in April. My TSH levels are 2-3 times higher than normal depending on what range you use.

What's nice is that it can explain a lot of the issues that I've been having. What's not so nice is I don't think I"m responding well to the medicine. I'm on 100mcg. I lost 5 pounds in the first two days and by the second evening my heart started racing which scared the heck out of me. I've been splitting them but I still seem to be having strange reactions.

I'm going to call on Monday but I was just wondering if anyone had any insight to offer me.

**thefrug** · 02-15-2009, 07:02 PM

I have it too. My med is up to .200mg My doc keeps asking me if I feel my heart racing and I just look at her like big dope and say nope! LOL I take mine first thing in the morning with nothing else...but my coffee. I wait one hour and then I eat a healthy breakfast and take my BP med and a pain pill for the arthritis.
When did you start the .100mg? Did you gradually work up to it? I know I had to go up .25 or .50 mg at a time, until I'm where I am now. I've been here for a few years now. Definitely call the doc. Tell her/him about the racing heart and ask IF you should cut the pill.Maybe take half in the morning and then the other half an hour or so later? Check with the doc.
I had almost ALL the symptoms.There was only one or two that I didn't have.
I have no problems with the generic form: Levothyroxine sodium. Others HAVE to have Synthroid, the brand name. They just do better on it for some reason. Ask about that. Hope it gets worked out. You need it to live. My first doc who diagnosed me on sight told me that if you don't treat it, you go into a mexadema coma and not wake up. Scary stuff.

**Nishu** · 02-15-2009, 07:34 PM

no I didn't start out at 25. I was put on 100 straight away.

Thanks for the information. I'm at the point I really don't want to take it but I suppose I will if I need to. The thing is I usually test normal... I'm kind of hoping I can go back later and get a normal read.

**lisettelovebug** · 02-15-2009, 08:43 PM

I was diagnosed with it last year and started on 100mcg of levo... whatever it is.. lol. Doc told me that she was starting me at 100 because of my weight being around 200 (gasp!!). When I started taking it I didn't feel any different. And I have now stopped taking it all together. I don't think I actually need to take it anyways. I am only over by 2 points (supposed to be less than 4 and mine was 6). I think some docs are too anxioius to medicate. My doc told me she was prescribing it because of my family history, figuring it will get worse.

If you are shaky and losing weight, stop taking it and call the doc asap on Monday. actually the doc should have told you this when she prescribed it. This is one of those drugs that they just kind of approximate how much you will need, but can't tell until you start taking it if it is too much or not enough.

**Nishu** · 02-15-2009, 10:52 PM

Thanks guys. I'm going to call on Mon and I'm definitely not going to take it until I talk to the doctor.

**thefrug** · 02-16-2009, 08:55 AM

Well, when you thyroid is low or off completely ( like mine), your cholesterol goes up. Thats why I'm on a low fat diet because of that. And it seems, talking with others on the meds, it's still hard to lose weight. It seems to take twice as long as "normal" folks to lose any weight.
I remember starting out at only .25mg and then my doc at that time would test me every 3 weeks and then move up the dosage. Maybe thats why I didn't get the accelerated heart rate. I dunno. Hope you get it worked out. This is nothing to mess with. It's an important function in your body.

**Trishagirl** · 02-16-2009, 09:07 AM

I've had Hashi for 10 yrs and started out with 100mcg and it was too much for me. Now I take a natural form from the health food store it's 200mg of thyroid glandular and I am thin but at first I gained 6lb and that was alot for me. I feel great now but still am cold alot. What are your numbers? you should be between 1-2 very important to feel good.

**Monner 1** · 02-16-2009, 09:11 AM

I have low thyroid and I take .75. I have to go for my annual bloodwork in March so we will see where I stand. It sounds like you are on too high of a dose with those symptoms you are having. I was started with .25 then worked my way up until the level was where it is suppose to be. I have gained weight and it is hard to get that off even after you are regulated and I also lost a lot of hair that hasn't come back in and I was depressed not badly but enough I knew something was off kilter. Good luck and let us know how things turn out for you.

Monner

**Nishu** · 02-16-2009, 10:24 AM

Thanks everyone- I appreciate your sharing this info with me. I'm going to ask the doctor to just start me off on 25 instead of 100. Honestly the racing heart scared me so much that I'm afraid to go back on it. It was terrifying. I was seriously just sitting here doing nothing and all of the sudden my heart was racing. You know how your heart races when you're afraid something has happened to your kid? That's what it was like. Totally out of the blue.

Originally Posted by Trishagirl

What are your numbers? you should be between 1-2 very important to feel good.

10.9 is my TSH. It looked high to me but my stepmom said that hers is 30+ and she is taking 75. Strange.

**McD** · 02-16-2009, 10:32 AM

I also have hypothyroidism--it was diagnosed about a year after I had Wesley. Like another poster mentioned, my cholesterol skyrocketed as a result of my low thyroid. I'm working on controlling that without medication.

I started levothyroxine at a very low dose and I am tested often. I know my doctor really stressed taking it first thing in the morning, with a full glass of water. I also know that certain kinds of vitamins, iron supplements, antacids, etc. can interact with the medicine, can that be a part of the problem?

Hope it gets better Nishu. The medicine, when working properly, can totally make a huge difference.

**checks** · 02-16-2009, 01:42 PM

Did the doctor test you for Hashimotos as well? That is an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack the thyroid. Hypothyroidism is the result of the thyroid being destroyed. My mother, sister and I all have Hashimoto's and hypo. We do not have a thyroid gland anymore and, like thefrug said, would go into a coma without meds. It is a gradual process and gets worse over the years. There is nothing that I've ever heard of to stop the Hashimoto's. But, the thyroid medication is important if you have Hashimoto's. It will not get better. If it's just a case of sluggish thyroid.... that comes and goes.... then it could be that you could return to normal. Stuff like colds, flus, surgery, etc. can kick the thyroid out of wack and slowly it will get back to normal. This is NOT true with Hashimoto's. There is a test that the doctor can do to check for Hashi. They inject something into your blood and then wait 30 minutes and do a blood test. Anyway, there are other problems that Hashimoto's cause that the synthroid just doesn't help. Like inflamation, a feeling of having a rubber band around you neck or sore throat all the time, fatigue. So, you have to rest when your body says rest.

Call your doctor to find out exactly what you have. He'll probably have you tested every 6 months. But, when I started on medications, it was a gradual dosage increase so I wouldn't get that racing heart stuff. Wishing you the best.