Hypothyroidism (low thyroid) & Menopause
24 years ago
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24 years agoRelated Discussions
would you consider this low thyroid
Comments (5)You can have a normal tsh and still have hypothyroidism. My numbers were always normal and it took me close to 10 different doctors to finally find one that checked my thyroid antibodies - they were off the charts! Even then I had a doctor say she couldn't treat me.. although I had almost every hypo symptom in the book. I found a doctor at the site below that was willing to try lots of things to help me get better. Even so, it has taken a year and a half for me to finally start feeling good again. I imagine I have been hypothyroid for many years. To add to my problems I was also deficient in Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D. Endos are not always the best choice either. Find a doctor in the list below, they will take you seriously! Here is a link that might be useful: Top Docs...See MoreMenopause & Armour Thyroid
Comments (6)I think it's just a rumor that potency varies. Most doctors don't lie Armour t. becuase there's more money to be made in the synthetic versions. Synthroid has had problems with potency. There are a lot of doctors who don't know much about thyroid disease and how to manage it, so study up on it yourself to help you to know if your doctor knows much about it. I was so ill with many of the hypo symtoms, but the MDs I went to never mentioned putting me on meds becuase my tests were within the 'normal range'. Well, normal wasn't good enough for me. Fortunately, I found someone to help me. You shouldn't have to take more than one pill a day for the dosage you need since it is sold in several diff. dosages. You're spending more money than you need to that way. A good doctor will start you on a low dose and work up to a higher one if tests indicate it.I'm going to start up on 30 mg again and see if that and my homeopathic treatments will improve my health again. The books 'What Your Doctor Didn't Tell You About Menopause' and his other book about premenopause talk about hormones and other things that help the thyroid function. There are books about thyroid disease too. Us females are complicated creatures. Remove the x if you want to e-mail me, since I'm not having much luck in opening posts on here lately. I don't know what the problem is yet, so I don't know when I'll be able to get on here again. Best of luck to you....See MoreDry mouth and thyroid
Comments (48)Anyway, I had no idea to check adrenal function when (preferably before, actually) going on Thyroid (similar to Armour). The doctors are supposed to do this, but they do not unless the patient has a problem. I had a huge problem as I raised my Armour.. I kept getting more hypothyroid and my doctor kept raising my Armour. I almost ended up agoraphobic, I would get so freaked out in a traffic jam or even driving though a row of trees! It did a number on my mental well-being, I had major brain-fog, swollen legs/feet and terrible constipation. All due to low cortisol and probably a high reverse T3... things my doctor never checked. My blood was FULL of thryoid hormone but it wasn't getting into my cells. I'm doing better now (not great) and it's only due to my own research. I frequent the forums mentioned above and both are very helpful. I also just bought the "Stop The Thyroid Madness" book and am really impressed so far. Lots more info here than on the website....See MoreLydia . . . and anyone else who wants to talk thyroids
Comments (7)Hi Susan! These are the tests that the 'real thyroid help' forum recommends: * free T3--most people seem to feel best with this at the top of the range * free T4--most people seem to feel best with this in the top 1/3 of the range * TSH * TPO (thyroid peroxidase antibodies) * antithyroglobulin antibodies * TSI antibodies * ferritin--most people seem to do best with ferritin 70-80 * B-12--based on our research, this should be at least 800, and 1000 is better. If you've been supplementing B-12, then testing it directly may not be valid--the MMA will be a more accurate test. * Vitamin D (make sure it's the test for 25(OH)D)(This was the other thing you couldn't remember :-) For adrenal insufficiency it is best to do a saliva test at 4 different times of the day (ordered by you through a lab). Your doctor will just run a one time test which won't be accurate. Instead of the saliva tests, I took (and flunked) the Pupil Test which some say is indictive of adrenal fatigue (others say it's low aldosterone only) and that was enough of a test for my doctor to allow me to start hydrocortisone (in low doses). (copied from STTM website) This is called the Pupil test. You need to be in a darkened room with a mirror. From the side (not the front), shine a bright light like a flashlight or penlight towards your pupils and hold it for about a minute. Carefully observe the pupil. With healthy adrenals, your pupils will constrict, and will stay small the entire time you shine the light from the side. In adrenal fatigue, the pupil will get small, but within 30 seconds, it will soon enlarge again or obviously flutter in its attempt to stay constricted. Why does this occur? Because adrenal insufficiency can also result in low aldosterone, which causes a lack of proper amounts of sodium and an abundance of potassium. This imbalance causes the sphincter muscles of your eye to be weak and to dilate in response to light. If you start HC, you must always remember to wean down slowly if you want to try to get off of it. I started weaning a few weeks ago, but had to go back to my orignal dose since I was having shakiness and nausea. Some people can quit taking it after 3 to 6 months (allowing the adrenals to rest), others have to stay on it for life. I was so glad when I was diagnosed after years of symptoms.. but I can tell you I don't feel much better than I did the day I was told I had Hashimoto's. I have some good days and then bad ones.. mostly dealing with fatigue, lack of motivation, inability to exercise, foot pain and the lack of weight loss (even when following low calorie diets). I imagine I have other problems yet to be discovered (maybe insulin resistance, PCOS or a pituitary problem). You do know that adenoids can grow back? My DD had to have hers taken out twice! Poor kid! The only abnormal thyroid tests that I had were the antibody tests. Some people can even have all normal testing and still be hypothyroid. If you don't feel right - keep bugging the doctors till one of them figures it out! Good luck and let us know how things turn out!...See More- 24 years ago
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