I've had the blood work done before (more than once), and it came up normal, as thyroid blood tests often do. I was actually on thyroid hormone as a child; I don't know if that was appropriate or not. I was overweight, but I suspect the cause was more likely my candy addiction.

These days, eating raw cabbage or too many vegetables in the cabbage family, will skew my thyroid. Hence the kelp, which has helped me a lot.

Well Kelp because of it's iodine content can help keep a thyroid healthy but it cannot fix one that isn't working.

For years I sat in WW meetings listening to women bemoan that their doctors said their thyroids were functioning normally. Of course these same gals were the ones that couoldn't sit through a 45 minute meeting withing munching on some "low cal" snack. Then you would run into them later with their giant smoothie or filling their plates with mayonnaise dressed pasta salad at the local Fresh Choice. LOL

So I've always been a skeptic. When I got the call about my thyroid I went to the doctor ready to do battle to NOT go on medication if I was just borderline. I just about keeled over when he showed me the numbers. I was at 14+ (below 3 is normal) so he got no argument from me.LOL

I believe that the dry mouth or being thirsty can be from your thyroid not functioning properly. My DH had dry mouth and was thirsty all the time. He had to have his thyroid removed with a radioactive iodine treatment. It took a little time to get his Synthroid straightened out, but once they did, he was feeling so much better. But Katie hold the door if he forgets to take it for more than one day in a row. LOL He was almost impossible to live with before they found out it was his thyroid. Worth having it looked at.

I have dry-mouth now and then too. It's like the inside of my mouth below my lower lip is always dry. It drives me nuts! I've always thought it was my meds but it really shouldn't be because I've taken them with no problem for a long time now. I am very hydrated being a water drinker all my life so it's not that.

I'm very interested in what you find out Susan. I'm 63 (I also hate when they say it's normal part of aging) and I have my blood tested a couple times a year...my doctor wants to make sure things are in the normal range. I go to see her next month and I'll ask to see the results of the thyroid test.

I love your posts on things like this Susan. You are bright and stay on top of all issues, both OTC natural things and questions to ask doctors.

Thanks for sharing and let us know what you find out!

Susan

Thank you, Susan. The fluctuations have been holding me back from getting my blood drawn. That's why I was wondering if it's common for thyroid output to go up and down. I suppose I should just do it, and see what happens from there.

Hashimotos (which is the most common type of hypothyroidism) is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks the thyroid gland.. when you have this you can swing from Hypothyroid to Hyperthyroid.. back and forth until the antibodies have totally destroyed the thyroid.

I haven't heard of dry mouth as a symptom of Hypothyroidism before... but I have that too. In fact I never leave the house without a drink and am up at least twice a night to potty and get a drink of water. I'm always thirsty with a dry mouth, but you could be having the 'swings' between hypo and hyper?

I hope the doctors are running the thyroid antibody test on you this time around. I've never had a problem with my tsh.. the same thing goes for LOTS of people with hypothyroidism. TSH isn't even a thyroid hormone, it is a pituitary hormone. My only problem was the antibodies.

I am, but mine is burning tongue syndrome. The tip of my tongue is always tender. Maybe a drug you are taking.

I don't take any meds, so it's not that.

Lydia, the last time I had thyroid blood word done they tested for antibodies. I had gotten a list of tests from you and from the website you recommended, gave it to my doctor, and he ordered them. This time the tests will be less extensive.

I also have autoimmune issues. I have fibromyalgia and Raynaud's, and was diagnosed with lupus some years ago on the basis of blood work--but later that was reversed, fortunately.

It's funny--every so often I'll get all these hypothyroid symptoms . . . completely drained of energy . . . drier skin than usual . . . hair loss . . . mild depression . . . really awful brain fog . . . and kelp seems to reverse it. Then I stop the kelp after a few days, and I can go weeks before I notice it all starting again. Weird.

Happy to say right now I'm feeling up and relatively energetic.

It would make sense to me that dry mouth is a symptom of hypothyroidism, since hair and fingernails (and your stool, for that matter!) get dry when you're hypothyroid, because your whole system is running slowly.

I had Graves Disease 20+ years ago. (Resting pulse rate of 120. *That* was fun.:) It was eventually treated with radioactive iodine, so now I'm hypothyroid.

As far as I am aware, normal thyroid levels don't fluctuate a great amount. I know that my levels are tested every couple months, and my levels are always almost exactly the same, except when something's gone wrong. (BTW, people with hypothyroidism don't have to be tested that often. I've got Addison's Disease, among other non-life-threatening diseases, and that's why they test me so often.)

I do know that fluctuating thyroid levels may be a symptom of Hashimoto's Disease, which often causes hypothyroidism.

Good luck dealing with this. I feel like the queen of autoimmune diseases, and they're no fun!

Yes!! Every since my dr. put me back on synthyroid and took me off of the armour thyroid, my dr. cannot seem to keep it from being low. I don't know why. Mouth is dry and also now my hair is coming out. I have plenty enough for 3 people but my brush is always fuller than it use to be. I don't know if this has anything to do with thyroid but seems like I have "cold" flashes now. I will get so cold just like other ladies have "hot flashes." He is not familiar with armour thyroid and has never used it on his patients, and my endocrinologist moved back to Tennessee, the dr. who originally put me on armour.

Darleen, I think you should insist on going back on the Armour. You could start with the original dose, and he can monitor you from there.

Doctors seem to love Synthroid, but many patients don't. On the thyroid consumer websites, you'll see countless stories of people who do far better on Armour. My late husband, who had his thyroid removed in his twenties and took thyroid hormone for 50 years after that, was strongly opposed to Synthroid. Joe had a Ph.D. from Yale and at one time owned his own pharmaceutical company, so there's reason to have some confidence in his opinion on the subject.

alisande you sure were correct about the cabbage family, and it's affect... and the bummer? it's not mentioned on dh's pill info-sheet. was doing some reseach and found out...nor is fiber he's to take...we get around that by doing fiber at night synthroid in the am...

dh gets blood work done about every 3 months...btw ask for the full series (4 test) often they only do 3...and i make sure dh get his blood work in the am after fasting, althogh they don't "do that" anymore, either...

also has anyone heard a link between thyroid meds and osteoperosis? seem to recall but can't remember...

Susan, it amazes me how few people are told about the cabbage-thyroid connection. Not everyone reacts to it, but I sure do. Still, even with all the health-related reading I do, I had no clue about this until a couple of years ago when I had been feeling really bad for some time. I happened to mention it to an online friend who's a great resource in health matters, and she asked me if I'd been eating vegetables in the cabbage family.

As it happened, I'd been making big batches of cole slaw and eating it between meals, figuring it was a super healthy snack. I really did a job on myself!

You'd think more medical professionals would inform their patients about such things . . .

This post is right up my alley. I have been fighting first hyperthyroid and now hypothyriod for some time. I have done extensive research on Armour.
Your doctor MUST test Free T3 and Free T4 not TSH. If you want to feel good the Free T3 has to be in the upper range of "normal. The doctor has to ignore the TSH, that is a pituitary test. My Free T3 is very high and my TSH is borderline hyper. Ask the doctor to give you Armour 60's. That way you can increase the dosage without changing the meds. After about 6 weeks cut the 60's in half and take one whole and one half pill equaling 90mg. If your still not feeling better go up to 120mgs. That's my dosage. It's really important that the doctor is willing to go by how you feel and not the TSH.
I just started taking Kelp suppliments. I also take Calcium & Magnesium with vitamin D, Adrenal Cortex suppliments and 5-HTP. I'm still a little fatigued but I've had family in town so that's why I'm tired. I don't have a dry mouth. I have lost some weight since switching from Synthroid to Armour.
Donna

Here is a great website

Here is a link that might be useful: Thyroid

And here is a great forum.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thyroid forum

Thanks for the links, Donna. I'll look at both of them. I've been low-carbing, to one degree or another, for almost 14 years.

My co-worker had her throid removed a year or two ago. Not sure if this is related but she constantly has to drink water because there is something wrong with her saliva glands. If she isn't hydrated enough they pass stones, right in her mouth.

The other thing that is supposed to help is to cut out Gluten. I switched to rice pasta.
Donna

Dry mouth and being thirsty all the time is one of the most common symptoms of diabetes, both type I and type II so do keep that in mind.

Alisande-
Can you tell me a little more about the cabbage connection? I have had Hypothyroidism and have been on synthroid for years but I did not know that diet could affeect the thyroid.
Lois

I'll tell you another interesting fact. When i went from Hyper to Hypo I gained 15 lbs in a few weeks. When on Synthroid the weight wouldn't budge. Since switching to Armour I've lost the lovehandles and about 5 lbs. A big part is because my Free T-3 is so high.
Donna

I used to get dry mouth from my depression medication during daytime⦠taking dry mouth products from Nuvora sorted that out. And increase in thyroid medication has caused severe dry mouth during the night. I have read numerous articles that say this is part of thyroid disease. I have heard green tea appears to assist when the dry mouth is caused by an auto immune condition such as lupus or thyroid problems because green tea possesses properties which encourage white blood cells to attack disease. I need to try that.

Here is a link that might be useful: dry mouth products

Wow, thanks Green!
Oh, I forgot to tell you Alisande, that I took your advice and called my Dr. and ask him if he would please put me back on Armour thyroid as I was on it before I started coming to him and he hehawed around and finally he said he could not. The closest Dr. that uses Armour is 90 miles away. I am not driving right now. I am having knee problems due to rhuematoid arthritis. (that is another whole story, lol) My husband works alot and is on call. So many electricians have been laid off and let go he is just trying to fly under the radar and go with the flow, so I told him not to ask for time off. I will just stay on synthyroid. Thanks, though Alisande.

Darleen

rthummer-- I'm very curious to know why your doctor won't (can't???) give you Armour? Is it a deal with the Synthroid pharm company?

That's really unfortunate, Darleen. But I'm curious, too. What possible reason can a physician have for saying he can't prescribe Armour thyroid?? It's not as though you're asking him to prescribe something hazardous or illegal.....

I've found most doctors don't like Armour. I found my doctor who prescribes Armour (although I am not taking it at this time) from Mary Shomon's Top Doc directory.

Mary Shomon's link below explains why a lot of doctors don't prescribe Armour.

Here is a link that might be useful: Why Dr.s don't like Armour

I find such doctors' attitudes concerning Armour preposterous!
Once again, it's all about the money, one way or another. I would not keep a doctor that told me I couldn't have Armour, if Synthroid wasn't making me feel better.

I'm going to just jump in here since I haven't seen this mentioned as a part of dry mouth.
One of the symptoms of my stem cell transplant was dry mouth. And I was told it would probably happen. What I wasn't told was that having dry mouth can cause all sorts of dental problems. Apparently saliva helps prevent tooth decay and without enough, decay will happen rapidly...like wildfire my dentist says.
I was totally shocked that within one month, I'd gone from having no cavities to having several.
The dentist has me using PreviDent 5000, a floride toothpaste a couple of times daily.
And because this is an ongoing challenge I'm looking at having major dental work for the rest of my life.
Dry mouth should be taken very seriously for the health of your teeth.

Susan - I read through a the thread but didn't see confirmation on any diabetes tests/diagnosis, but as someone said, the dry-mouth is classic diabetes.

Just to chime in on the Synthroid/Armour discussion, I just had my thyrod removed (6/10)and am supposed to be on synthroid. I was feeling fine after surgery, except for the horrid hypocalcemia bout, and was only on calcium and Vitamin D. Without my thyroid I don't have nearly the complaints and ailments I had prior to surgery.
After about 3 weeks I started Synthroid and it's been down hill since. It's been 3-days now since I've taken it. Not sure how long I can go without it, but I am really enjoying feeling normal for a few days. I'm going to talk with my Dr. next week on alternatives.

Gneegirl, my family had a lot of diabetes two generations back, and I have a history of low blood sugar. (The famous Dr. Atkins, who was my physician in NYC, called it "pre-diabetic.") So it's something I try to keep on top of. In this case, I'm not particularly thirsty. My mouth just gets weirdly dry once in a while. Right now it's normal, but I've been taking kelp every day because I bought a big, beautiful cabbage at the farmer's market. And a bunch of red kale.

I urge you to check out Armour thyroid. Synthroid has had so many complaints about it that I'm surprised Armour hasn't bumped it right out of the market.

I have Hashimoto's, and I'm on desiccated thyroid hormone (similar to Armour). Yes; as another poster said, you can fluctuate between hyper and hypo as the autoimmune attack on the thyroid gland waxes and wanes. By the way, have you had your thyroid antibodies tested?

Also, I have Celiac Disease (which is autoimmune again) - so you see a pattern here... Alisande, you said you have other autoimmune issues as well?

Well, I have dry eyes/dry mouth, too; and I just had some bloodwork done to test for Sjorgren's Syndrome. It's an autoimmune condition and among the symptoms, one of them is dry mouth. So many of us seem to have... so many... autoimmune problems. So, you might want to check into Sjorgren's.

Dee

Dee,
Maybe you can help me. I've been on Armour for several months. I'm feeling better. I do have one MAJOR problem. My eyes are red, itchy, swollen and my top lids have fallen overnight. I'm having my Thyroid tested again and then going to a Occlusional plastic surgeon. He does a lot of work on Graves disease patients.
Has the Armour caused the eye problems? My Free T-3 was at the top of the range and my TSH was mildly Hyper last time I tested.
Donna

Thanks Susan for the info. I'm a little tired today - not sure if it's because I'm not taking any thyroid meds or just haven't adjusted since surgery. Either way, I can't keep going like this. I'll check with my indo on Monday to see about switching. The reason I stopped taking the Synthroid was because of the pain, especially around the area where the thyroid was. I had the same problem with the thyroid. I used to tell that to the doc and they brushed it off. Funny, when I mentioned it again, as a reason not to go with Synthroid, they told me it would be different because the Synthroid was probably attacking the goiter - go figure. I've actuallly been able to feel my body relax and the pain subside (at all joints as well as in my neck), since I've stopped taking the Synthroid. Plus I'm a little more coherent, I think. At least I don't feel like I'm in a swimming pool all the time when I talk and think - that's the worst part.

There's been a lot of autoimmune talk through this thread. My sister has an autoimmune disease and she has problems with dry mouth. I wish I could do some studies to get to the bottom of this stuff - so many are suffering. It would be nice to be "normal" at some point.

At least I don't feel like I'm in a swimming pool all the time when I talk and think - that's the worst part.

I know exactly what you mean. I'm normally a pretty quick thinker, but when I get in what I think of as a sluggish thyroid period my brain slows down to a crawl. I notice it a lot at the computer, when I can't remember what site I was about to go to! At its worst, I've experienced thoughts just slipping away. It's scary. The other thing that does it to me is my solanine allergy, which produces neurological symptoms. This is why I'm scrupulous about avoiding solanine-containing foods.

Fortunately, I've been back to normal for a while. However, I did not score 10 in today's KT Trivia Game. :-)

Dee, re autoimmune, I have severe Raynaud's (I lose several fingernails every winter) and was diagnosed with lupus many years ago. I don't think the lupus diagnosis was accurate, but blood work showed autoimmune problems. I've had fibromyalgia for 20+ years, too. No one seems to know if that's an autoimmune condition, but I wouldn't be surprised.

These topics move quickly! Donna, have you read the www.stopthethyroidmadness.com website? It has tons of information (esp. for people taking desiccated thyroid hormone). By reading that website, it's how I became sure that I had a thyroid problem.

Anyway, I had no idea to check adrenal function when (preferably before, actually) going on Thyroid (similar to Armour). And, one of the forums related to that website is realthyroidhelp  you can get lots of info there (and post there, too). We post our labs and have people decipher them. : ) Which is also how I came to discover that 'normal' labs do not mean they are 'optimal'.

Alisande  I have cold extremities, too. And, I have fibromyalagia, also; which is a common symptom of hypoT. My fibromyalgia Âseems to lessen at times, since starting the desiccated thyroid BUT IÂm nowhere near being optimized on thyroid hormone yet because of other problems (cortisol, other hormones, and I suspect the autoimmune issues). ItÂs really complicated. I wish there was an easy fix; but for many of us, there isnÂt.

Here is a link that might be useful: realthyroidhelp forum

Plus, I also wanted to add (to my above post) that complications with starting thyroid replacement can be because of other low levels - such as, ferritin, B12, Vit D., etc., etc. (all of which were/are low for me).

And, my mental well-being has been greatly affected by all of this too - I was just going to say my thyroid; but I think it's a combination of everything (ie. all the hormonal problems). It definitely has a physiological effect on your mental state.

Plus, the allergies that were mentioned - that can be common with cortisol level problems. And notice how the s*** really hits the fan once you hit perimenopause and/or menopause? : O I'm rambling... : )

Dee,
I have the book "Stop The Thyroid Madness". I do have to say that I take what she says with a grain of salt. I've done my own extensive research so I'm informed.
I just woke up in the hotel in London and my eyes are extremely swollen. If it's not the Thyroid it might be allergies.
Donna

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.

Thanks for the link to the thyroid forum Donna. I was just recently (last week) diagnosed with hypothyroidism and placed on synthroid. I was suprised that I had this. I do fall asleep when watching tv or reading and have very low energy...is that due to the the low thyroid?
Dee in Michigan

Dee,
Yes the fatigue is due to the Thyroid. Thyroid disease is not easy to treat. I went from Hyper to Hypo. I went from Synthroid to Armour. Getting the propper dosage is a delicate balancing act. When you go back to your doctor make sure he orders a Free T-4 and Free T-3 test along with the TSH. You have to have a high Free T-3 reading in order to lose the fatigue.
Donna

You have to have a high Free T-3 reading in order to lose the fatigue. With the exception of also having adrenal fatigue (low cortisol) or a problem with Ferritin or one of the other problems listed above in this post.

My Free T-3 was very high, but because my adrenals hadn't been addressed I suffered from extreme fatigue as well as other hypo symptoms.

IT is such a balancing act like Donna said... not only getting the thyroid meds right but getting all the other hormonal stuff in check as well.

Warning,
I just read that Armour has been reformulated. It's not working anymore for many patients. I'm going to switch to Nature-Throid.
Donna

Here is a link that might be useful: Armour reformulated

Yikes! I wouldn't think monkeying with dextrose, cellulose, and cornstarch would affect the efficacy of the hormone, but it sounds like that's exactly what happened. Which just goes to prove: What do I know?

I can't imagine how my DH would have managed without Armour thyroid.

I am so loving live without my thyroid but I can tell that I need meds - just hoping to find something besides Synthroid. I haven't heard back from the Dr. yet on switching meds. I'll calling again tomorrow. I'm worried because right now I'm not taking anything. My feet and ankles are swelling like crazy and I feel a tired. But even with that, I feel better than with Synthroid. When I was taking that stuff I couldn't even open the medicine bottles. My joints hurt so badly, as well as my head - the headache was tormenting. I know it was the Synthroid because the same thing happened when I took it 4 years ago when I still had my thyroid. The only bad part - I started gaining weight again. It might be fluid though - it's pretty bad.

Gneegirl, it sounds as though something should be done fairly quickly about your need for thyroid hormone. If you can't get through to your doctor, perhaps it's time to consult another one. There are other options besides Synthroid.

Keep us posted.

Thanks Alisande - I just broke down and took one - way too much fluid in my feet/ankles. I'm calling the Dr. in the AM. The Drs are excellent but the practice is so efficient that it gets in the way. I ended up in the hospital for almost 4 days from the Hypocalcemia. Don't want that to happen from no thryroid meds, or worse. Besides, I just looked at the ambulance bill from the last trip - almost $900!! So, for now, I'm going to behave. I wouldn't worry but I can't work and take Synthroid too. Oh well, life...

Thanks for the concern - so very appreciated.

gneegirl