Doc Changed My Thyroid Meds

Well, it's been about a week since my new doctor changed my thyroid medication (at my request so I was happy she was so readily agreeable to hearing me). I am hoping to see some relief from some irritating symptoms.

Previously, I had been on the same thyroid medication for 6.5 years, since I was first diagnosed. I was still having a lot of thyroid symptoms but my previous doctor, an endocrinologist, always brushed my symptoms off. Tired? Oh, you have kids. Stressed beyond belief? Oh, kids and "that" issue (we'll leave the "that" for another post in the blog...maybe). Hair falling out? Stress from kids and "that" issue. Itching? Whatever. Depressed? Can't be your thyroid because your levels are FINE. Symptoms must be related to something else. Irritable? Look at how many kids you have. Brain fog? Mom of four kids...again. Boy, my kids were blamed for almost everything! I'm sorry but if parents had THIS much BS to deal with regularly from their kids (and MY kids are basically good, sweet kids), if it affected them SO badly, I don't think people would continue to have kids. Besides, I had also been to my family doctor and my ob/gyn. Everything else was ruled out.

She was the only Endocrinologist in our area and she was who I went to. Then we moved. There isn't an Endo in our immediate area, but the doctor my husband goes to seemed like a possibility. It is a family and sports medicine practice and she specializes in "women's issues". Off I went to my appointments:)

I asked her at my second appointment if I could change to Armour. I explained that some of the symptoms were only evident since my thyroid disease diagnosis so either 1) the medication was causing it or 2) the medication wasn't enough to take care of the symptoms. She listened to me! It felt good to have a doctor open to hearing what I had to say or how I felt about my health.

I also didn't want synthetic hormones anymore (unless I have to). I won't be stupid and refuse the medication if Armour doesn't work and the other works better but I have to try. I want to try.

So, it's been about a week. My moods were a bit odd the first few days. I was a bit loopy for a couple hours (like an airhead, lol). I was relentlessly teasing with my husband. I'm not sure if that was medication related or just holiday related. He said I was getting annoying, lol. However, he also said if this new medication helped my moods, that'd be good. That must means he's willing to put up with my teasing. Yeah for me because he's fun to tease. After a few hours of being a bit of a ditz, I crashed for a little while. I was SO exhausted. That lasted a couple hours too and then I was back to my regular self. My moods seemed to have stabilized - no more off the wall goofiness or crashing a few hours later. Good!

So, now I wait. In about three weeks, I'll have my hormone levels tested through blood tests. If my doctor needs to adjust medication levels, she'll do so after she gets those test results.

Here's hoping to a noticeable improvement in thyroid symptoms! Cheers!

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I Have Thyroid Disease

Thyroid Information


I have an autoimmune thyroid disease - Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and am hypothyroid. I have been since my 3rd child was born. To give you an idea of what this is like (and to judge whether you are showing symptoms or somebody you love and want answers), here are some of the symptoms as shown at www.hotzehwc.com:

Physical Signs and Symptoms of Hypothyroidism

Fatigue, Weight gain, Cold extremities, Cold intolerance, Decreased sweating, Headaches, Muscle and joint pain, Enlarged thyroid gland, Menstrual irregularities, Infertility, Miscarriages, Loss of libido, Recurrent infections, Allergic disorders, Decreased mental sharpness "brain fog", Depression or mood swings, Hoarseness, Slow speech, Dry skin, Hair loss, Constipation, Fluid retention, Skin pallor, pastiness and puffiness, Enlarged tongue with teeth indentations, Brittle fingernails with ridging, Loss of hair on the outer edge of the eyebrows, Low blood pressure, Slow pulse rate, Low basal body temperature, Tingling and/or numbness in extremities, Elevated cholesterol and triglycerides

I was showing several of these symptoms when I was diagnosed. Almost seven years later, my bloodwork levels are within "normal" range but I am still having too many of these symptoms. That's not right.

I've been on synthetic hormones from the beginning, which I questioned several times but was always brushed off. Everytime I asked my endocrinologist about a natural med for it, I was shoo shoo'd away. It's always bugged me but I figured at the time she knew what she was talking about. Well, we've since moved so I no longer see her and I'm still having a lot of symptoms, I started looking up information. I bought a book Living Well with Hypothyroidism that is proving to be very interesting plus a web site was just recommended to me as having useful information:

http://www.hotzehwc.com/

I've been told that these two web sites below are supposed to be a good source of information and am looking forward to digging into them to find more information (and back up for when I go into my doctor insisting on a medication change):

http://thyroid.about.com

http://www.thyroid-info.com (this web site is the author's web site of the book I mentioned above).

I am going to insist to my new doctor that they switch me to a natural thyroid med to see if it helps. I'd love to get rid of as many of these symptoms that are hanging on that I can. I always attributed those symptoms to other things in life (like age) but I'm 36, not 86 or because of stress. I shouldn't be tired after sleeping all night. I shouldn't be so forgetful when my memory used to be sharp as a tack. I shouldn't still have four nodules sticking out of my thyroid, choking me if I laugh with my head turned the wrong way. That's not normal and it is time to insist on a trial medication change. If my insistence is met with denial, I will find another doctor. I want answers.

Anyway, I know thyroid issues are becoming quite common (like 1 in 8 women now) so I thought I'd put this info out there in case anybody else is showing symptoms that isn't being treated or know you have it and would like more reading material other than just the "synthetic - synthetic - synthetic" treatment some doctors will only use.

If you'd like to test yourself to see if you have symptoms of a problematic thyroid, among other things, try this:

http://www.hotzehwc.com/test/

Good Luck!

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