Thanks so much for responding. I have seen and read those sites you mention, and others. The main problem for me is that doctors are very much in short supply here - let alone finding one that will listen to people that begin their sentences with "I read on the internet that..." I can see her blanking out every time I try. Finding any other kind of doctor is next to impossible as here in Quebec, and indeed many places, finding a family doctor is very difficult - many people do not have one and wish they did (to analyze by myself). Furthermore, I have no access to getting blood tests by myself, as seems to be the case in the US. I need a doctor's form.

Bottom line - I feel lousy, and have been for 3-4 years, since menopause - if Synthroid makes me feel better even a little - is it worth it? I don't know. I am scared of taking this "big drug", but I recall how I felt when I finally got relief for my asthma with Symbicort - I could breathe again - what a feeling.

What to do....

I have low thyroid and Synthroid did not work for me. Armour thyroid makes me feel so much better. Last year, it started becoming hard to get, so a pharmacy is now compounding my meds to be the same as Armour.

I have been on synthroid for years! and now menopausal. If you suffer from hypothyroid, you definately need synthroid, or the generic, eltroxin. It will help you tremendously.

Thank you everyone! I guess it varies from person to person.

Mary - have you been concerned about the fact that Synthroid can cause bone loss/osteoporosis? That is one of my biggest fears, and also weight gain/hair loss. But, I have already had the weight gain, and some hair loss. Might it reverse once on meds/Synthroid? My extreme worry is being offset by my muscle/joint pains and aches, low energy, depression, and weight gain. Sigh.

Hypothryroidism causes weight gain, depression, low energy, constipation, poor skin, and more. If your thyroid is normalized, you should feel much better, and lose weight. I have never been concerned about bone loss with synthroid. If you are, perhaps you can take extra measures to maintain your calcium and vitamin D levels. It is important to realize that you will never feel good if you are hypothyroid. It needs to be treated. Good luck.

Hypothyroid does need to be treated for you to feel well. I don't believe synthroid is always the answer. It works for some but not all. Hopefully, you can find a doctor who will work with you until you feel good.

I've been on thyroid medication for 15+ years for hypothyroidism. I've taken Levoxyl, a generic for Synthroid. Low thyroid impacts everything, and for me makes it difficult to evaluate choices and think... You will not feel better without a well controlled level of medication, so I would start taking medication. You can always re-evaluate your options for medication once your thyroid is stable. You will need to give it a good 6 weeks to gain the medication's full effects. If after 6 weeks you still aren't feeling well, you either need more medication or supplement it to raise your secondary thyroid hormone levels (T3). It all depends on your blood test results. Be sure to get measures of TSH, free T4 and free T3.

I have been taking synthroid for a little while now. I am in menopause but I wondering if being menopausal caused my thyroid to shut down. What do you think?

My experience has been like Jusula. I am aware of the issues, particularly with Synthyroid or the generic levothyroxine. Armour thyroid is a natural product made from pig thyroid glands. It is more difficult to get, and there could be issues with it just as with synthyroid (even dosing, contamination, other constituencies, etc.) It's important to have regular blood tests, I have to have one every six months as my doctor will not continue my prescription without that. I've tried to get her to go a little longer due to the expense of the test, but she convinced me to keep getting tested frequently. Your thyroid dosing needs can go up and down in menopause. Get copies of your results so you know what your doctor is doing.

I've been on thyroid medication for almost 20 years and it made an immediate and dramatic improvement in my health. I didn't even realize how bad I was until I started on the medication and started to feel so much better. Thyroid can affect a lot of your body's systems. Still, don't just take it blindly, check your levels and dosage and keep up on what is happening with your body. Also, I take a vit. C, Vit. D and calcium citrate and magnesium mix at night, and take my thyroid in the morning on an empty stomach like the bottle says. It does interfere with some vitamin absorption so take supplements and time your medications according to how they interact.

Good luck! Also, thyroid is no magic bullet. It should help if you truly have a problem, so try it and see what happens and just keep educating yourself and working on your problems until you find what works for you. There's no one way to health since people are so biochemically diverse.