- Weight Gain
- Depression
- Mania
- Sensitivity to heat
- Sensitivity to cold
- Chronic Fatigue
- Panic Attacks
- Bradycardia (slow heart rate)
- Tachycardia (fast heart rate)
- High Cholesterol
- Reactive Hypoglycemia
- Constipation
- Migraines
- Muscle Weakness
- Joint Stiffness
- Myxedematous Psychosis
- Craps
- Memory Loss
- Vision Problems
- Infertility
- Hair Loss
Sound like fun yet? Heck no!!!!!
I was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism about 1-1/2 years ago. I was placed on a Synthroid (a synthetic T4 thyroid replacement) and sent on my way. I left with the belief that this miracle medicine was going to brighten the light bulb within. Wrong!!! I was more tired than before and gained 10 pounds the first month without changing any habits. I went back the the doctor and said I don't think this medicine is working. More blood was drawn for labs and my dose was upped. The next month I only gained 5 pounds. So to this point I had gained 15 pounds and felt like crap. I went back again and said.....hummm I really think something is not right. I was told you are just getting older and that happens. Evidently the doctor that graduates last in his class is called doctor, but I have another work for you.
That night I went researching (kind of my thing). I ran across a Facebook page called Thyroid Sexy. It is a page dedicated to helping people with hypothyroidism. I sent a message describing my symptoms and within 30 minutes I got a response from the lady who ran the group. I was diagnosed off of two values, according to her I needed several values drawn from my blood. She went on to tell me there are different types of hypothyroidism and most likely by my symptoms, I had Hashimotos and the meds I was on would not do me any good. Well no joke!!!
Come to find out the group was ran by Gena Nolin (Baywatch star). We sent several messages back and forth as she helped me find a possible doctor within 2 hours from here that would get outside of cookbook medicine approach to hypothyroidism. She located Dr. Corbin Petty in Lowell. He too didn't want to prescribe me a natural thyroid replacement. He only added a synthetic T3.
Time to explain T4 and T3......T4 is produced to give the T3 energy (metabolism) to use. T4 is no good if your body can't convert it. That is a scaled down explanation of how T4 and T3 works. Think of T4 as fuel and T3 as the engine.
I felt a little better, but nothing to write home about. Hashimoto patients apparently respond better to natural hormone replacements such as Armour. However doctors don't like to prescribe it. So I researched the equivalent dose of Armour (contains both T4/T3) and went to a new doctor. I explained that Dr. Corbin was out of network and I couldn't afford to keep going to him. I told her that I was on 90mg of Armour and doing well on it and synthetics make me feel horrible. She wrote me a three month prescription and said I will not treat you with Armour long term and you are going to have to see a Endocrinologist if you want to continue this treatment. Well, I had three months to find out if it was going to work.
Within two weeks, my energy surged and my neck (thyroid area) started to shrink. Hot dang!
So I went back to researching the area for a possible doctor. That was Dr. Tammy Tucker. I watched some youtube videos that she has. This lady gets it!!!! Treatment is going well. Mr. Hashimoto still wins the battle about three days a month, but I will give that to him.
Learning points:
Trust you gut
Educate yourself, because you are the only one who has to live with it
Don't take no for an answer
Find people who have been where you are
You are not alone
Where am I now:
90mg Armour
Lowered Testosterone to 75mg a week. After working out at GPP for three months my T level has went from 1100 to 1500
Ran my first 5k on 11/23
Weight: 231 (down 46 pounds)
Vegan for nine month strong
I was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism about 1-1/2 years ago. I was placed on a Synthroid (a synthetic T4 thyroid replacement) and sent on my way. I left with the belief that this miracle medicine was going to brighten the light bulb within. Wrong!!! I was more tired than before and gained 10 pounds the first month without changing any habits. I went back the the doctor and said I don't think this medicine is working. More blood was drawn for labs and my dose was upped. The next month I only gained 5 pounds. So to this point I had gained 15 pounds and felt like crap. I went back again and said.....hummm I really think something is not right. I was told you are just getting older and that happens. Evidently the doctor that graduates last in his class is called doctor, but I have another work for you.
That night I went researching (kind of my thing). I ran across a Facebook page called Thyroid Sexy. It is a page dedicated to helping people with hypothyroidism. I sent a message describing my symptoms and within 30 minutes I got a response from the lady who ran the group. I was diagnosed off of two values, according to her I needed several values drawn from my blood. She went on to tell me there are different types of hypothyroidism and most likely by my symptoms, I had Hashimotos and the meds I was on would not do me any good. Well no joke!!!
Come to find out the group was ran by Gena Nolin (Baywatch star). We sent several messages back and forth as she helped me find a possible doctor within 2 hours from here that would get outside of cookbook medicine approach to hypothyroidism. She located Dr. Corbin Petty in Lowell. He too didn't want to prescribe me a natural thyroid replacement. He only added a synthetic T3.
Time to explain T4 and T3......T4 is produced to give the T3 energy (metabolism) to use. T4 is no good if your body can't convert it. That is a scaled down explanation of how T4 and T3 works. Think of T4 as fuel and T3 as the engine.
I felt a little better, but nothing to write home about. Hashimoto patients apparently respond better to natural hormone replacements such as Armour. However doctors don't like to prescribe it. So I researched the equivalent dose of Armour (contains both T4/T3) and went to a new doctor. I explained that Dr. Corbin was out of network and I couldn't afford to keep going to him. I told her that I was on 90mg of Armour and doing well on it and synthetics make me feel horrible. She wrote me a three month prescription and said I will not treat you with Armour long term and you are going to have to see a Endocrinologist if you want to continue this treatment. Well, I had three months to find out if it was going to work.
Within two weeks, my energy surged and my neck (thyroid area) started to shrink. Hot dang!
So I went back to researching the area for a possible doctor. That was Dr. Tammy Tucker. I watched some youtube videos that she has. This lady gets it!!!! Treatment is going well. Mr. Hashimoto still wins the battle about three days a month, but I will give that to him.
Learning points:
Trust you gut
Educate yourself, because you are the only one who has to live with it
Don't take no for an answer
Find people who have been where you are
You are not alone
Where am I now:
90mg Armour
Lowered Testosterone to 75mg a week. After working out at GPP for three months my T level has went from 1100 to 1500
Ran my first 5k on 11/23
Weight: 231 (down 46 pounds)
Vegan for nine month strong
