(((HUGS))) Lars. I'm not posting much any more, but I saw this and wanted to tell you I had parathyroid disease. The first indication were my calcium levels, which were very low as the parathyroid disease was sucking the calcium out of my bones. Sometimes it's hard to realize when your life isn't normal, as these things have a habit of creeping up on you, and your ''new normal'' seems like a continuation of the same old thing. They removed one parathyroid, and I have to tell you that within one week, I had my old energy back. That was when I realized things had really changed in a big way! The surgery was not a big deal, although I had to spend the night in the hospital so they could check on me until the next morning. (The worst part was I was in a room with a Laotian grandmother who spoke no English and was feeling so bad all she could do was moan. I finally went to sleep in the waiting room to get away from her until they moved me to a different room.) You will need a few days recovery time, but you'll be amazed at the difference in the way you'll feel in less than a week. The scar was miniscule, and in fact, I don't ever notice it any more, as the doctor made the incision in a normal neck fold. I just wanted you to know you will feel like a new man once you have that thing out of there, even with your current family trials. It's amazing how much your (para)thyroid can affect your hormone levels, which has everything to do with your health and feeling of well-being. You're going to be amazed at how much better you feel! (I think depression is also common because you're so tired and hormonal, although it's easy to think you're keeping up because it was a long time getting to that point.) I actually found someone doing the operation on-line and it was helpful to watch, since I knew what I could expect. The surgery itself lasts about 40 minutes, so you'll be in and out. I hope this helps you; it certainly helped me. My advice? Get it done ASAP; you'll be glad you did!

What Amy said - 5.2 is no longer "borderline". When I was dxed in the mid-90s, a TSH of 10 was "borderline" - needless to say, since I'd been in the 7s and 8s since high school, my hypo had gone untreated for at least 15 years. When I was dxed 5 was a "target" TSH reading! Hypothyroidism runs in my family big time, so I knew what the score was, just the folks with the letters after their names didn't listen. My endocrinologist prefers to keep women under 2.0 unless they're showing significant hyper symptoms (I do best around 0.8-1.1, depending on the season - I prefer to run a little hyper in the winter), although so many women are so used to how their bodies have been behaving in the hypo state that normalizing feels hyper to them. It does sound like the titration is being done a little too fast if at all; except for emergencies, medications should always be titrated so that the lowest effective dose can be used and side effects minimized, rather than following a formula in a book. I had a tough time with levothyroxine - I get a nasty combination of hypO and hypER symptoms. See, your thyroid produces multiple hormones; levothyroxine contains ONLY the T4 hormone, and theoretically your body is supposed to convert the T4 into T3 (which is the form your body actually uses) and other adjunct hormones like T2. Mine doesn't, so I ended up with T4 toxicosis and T3 deficiency. (Do not allow your doctor to treat purely by TSH. Insist that "free T4" and "free T3" tests be done frequently as they allow tighter control and more accuracy.) I take Armour Thyroid, which contains the full range of "minor" hormones, but had to fight for it for a long time because it's considered "old-fashioned" and "outdated" compared to the "new" Synthroid and the like. Side note: do not take large amounts of kelp/dulse or megadoses of iodine (which is what most "thyroid support" supplements contain) without the "OK" of a medical professional. Not every thyroid issue has anything at all to do with iodine, and if you have one of those conditions dumping a load of iodine into the system can be like the proverbial gasoline on bonfire. Iodine-deficiency hypothyroidism is very rare in the Western world. Rosewitch, levothyroxine is the generic name for Synthroid.

Hi Allison: Please keep us posted on Monday .. thanks for the info. of requested tests on Stop the Thyroid Madness site. In the old days, doctors went overboard in unnecessary tests & surgeries, but nowadays insurance put a restriction on that. Over a decade ago my sister wore her hair in an "onion" bun (capped with a metallic hair fastener), they took X-ray and the doc. thought it was a HUGE GOITER, or HUGE THROAT CANCER. They did CT scan & MRI & unnecessary tests just to find out that it's a bundle of hair & metallic cap. I wrote to my insurance asking for further thyroid antibody-test & neck-checking for my 12-year old daughter, and my insurance wrote back " You can submit a pre-authorization request for review. This normally includes a letter of medical necessity with medical records to substantiate the service. This review generally takes 15-20 business days and all responses are made in writing. " From StrawChicago: I will wait for the kelp snack to boost her metabolism, and if she becomes depressed again during the summer, then I will take her for further thyroid-test. When I read through the Earthclinic.com/People's pharmacy website, one person reported solving her hypothyroid just by consuming a few Brazil nuts a day (high in selenium, necessary for normal thyroid function). Another person solved her hypothyroid with Stress-Tabs (Vit. C 120 mg, Thiamin 10mg, Riboflavin 10mg, Niacin 50 mg, Vit. B6 5 mg, Folate 400 mcg, Vit. B12 100mcg, Panthothenic Acid 40 mg, Proprietary Amino Acid Blend 100 mg (Arginine, Glutamine, Taurine), Sensoril extract.). The NON-MEDICATED approach is more effective & less side-effects because it comprises of a vast array of nutrients to boost thyroid health. Plus one can adjust the dose by oneself (less Brazil nut, or less seaweed snack) ... without going through the doctor. There are side effects for Levothyroxine: Insomnia, flushing, muscle pain, fatique, mood swings. There's a long list of side-effects of Synthroid, see the link below: https://synthroidhaters.wordpress.com/synthroid-side-effects/ When I googled, "The problem with Synthroid", there are tons of info. of horrible effects either through buying less-effective generic drugs, or it doesn't work, or the dose is too high, etc. Here's one example: " Saw dr after labs and ultrasound dx cysts on thryoid and hypo put me on generic synthroid.25. On meds for approx 6 weeks became very hoarse to the point of not being able to speak, not sleeping for more than 3 hrs, terrible bloating and gas, increased racing heart and "shaking like tremors". ... Subsequently I felt so bad I stopped the med without her knowlege. Hoarseness, sleeping, hand symptoms and chest fulness, bloating have improved to what they were before starting meds." http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Thyroid-Disorders/problem-with-synthroid/show/1587399 From Stop the thyroid madness site: "Did you know that a healthy thyroid makes five hormones?? They are T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin. T4, also called thyroxine, is simply a storage hormone meant to convert to T3, the active hormone. But a healthy thyroid doesn’t make you totally depend on conversion alone, and also gives you “direct” T3 plus the other hormones above ... Being on a T4-only med means you are missing out on four other hormones directly, and thus, you are being forced to live for conversion alone!" Many people complained that Armour Thyroid (dried pig thyroids) are no longer available, and the chemical Synthroid has tons of side-effects, which they can't handle. See an excerpt from below link: "I had been on Armour thyroid for several years and it worked really well. Unfortunately, my last prescription was put on hold by the manufacturer and I have not been able to get it filled. That was in July 2009. My dr. had to put me on Synthroid instead and I feel terrible now. I have insomnia and anxiety yet my blood tests look fine. I'm not sure what to do now. I've called the pharmacy several times in the last 4 months and Armour is still not available to the public. " http://www.endocrineweb.com/community/hypothyroidism/1288-armour-thyroid-vs-Synthroid "About a year ago I was prescribed Synthroid and almost immediately had a pretty severe reaction to it. Throat swelled, ankles and hands swelled, heart raced ... felt like crap. My doctor switched me to an all natural herbal product called "Innate Thyroid Response." It worked pretty well until just recently. So I'm going back for a tune-up. :o) Doctors and pharmacists are provided ve-e-ery generous "perks" by pharmaceutical reps for pushing what my doctor calls, "designer drugs." The more expensive the drug, the "more effective" it is often touted to be, when often that could not be further from the truth. I would question the motives of a doctor who "insists" that one drug is preferable to another ... especially a tried and true oldie like Armour." Tinyhandz said... 2 years 52 weeks ago "I was on Synthroid for a while and I really did not like the way it made me feel. I was shaky, nervous, couldnt sleep, and I became very anxious over the months that I was taking it." http://www.endocrineweb.com/community/hypothyroidism/1288-armour-thyroid-vs-synthroid

According to my doctor, low thyroid is easily diagnosed with a simple blood test - just ask your doctor. My carple tunnel symptoms have completely disappeared since being on thyroid medication. I also take 150 mgs. of soy isoflavones twice a day for menopause symptoms and am very happy with the results. I have lots of energy, am seldom moody or depressed, experience two or three minor, short-lived hot flashes per day and absolutely no night sweats. My only complaint is that I do not sleep well - wake up after about 3 hours of sound sleep and then sleep fitfully for the rest of the night - get up about 5:00 a.m. and sometimes earlier - know there are lots of women my age in this same predicament - but I've never been a good sleeper. I just refuse to become a "victim" of menopause - I (and not my hormones) have control of my moods, my weight, my menopause symptoms, my marriage, etc.. I am woman, hear me roar! :-) Cathleen