# How are your HYPO symptoms after starting medication??



## Zugora (Feb 14, 2010)

Hello -
Can anyone share their experience after starting a thyroid medication for *hypothyroidism*? How are your symptoms now, especially in regards to cold intolerance/Raynaud's, dry eyes, or depression/anxiety??

I have all of these symptoms and have a full history of hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's in all the women on my mother's side (my sister and mother, too), however, my full thyroid blood work came back normal. Thinking about trying medication anyway to see if symptoms get better. Thoughts? Experiences?

Thanks!


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## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

I have been on a low dose (50) of Synthroid for about 6 weeks. It has made a world of difference in how I feel. I am at work and I don't have access to my labs, but my numbers are fairly normal - TSH was 3.47 with a .04 to 4.5 range. Free T3 and Free T4 was mid-range - nothing terribly bad. I tested positive for the Hashimoto's antibodies, but only minimally: range was 1-35 and I was at 36.

As you can see, based on the labs I have a mild case. Based on family history and symptoms I was miserable.

In 6 weeks, these are the changes I have seen. These results may be atypical but this is what has happened:


I am no longer freezing cold (but, it also warmer outside)
I have lost weight - about 12 pounds
I don't have much of an appetite
Tons of water weight has come off my face, neck and arms. My face has an actual shape.
I am not depressed anymore
I am less tired, but still not 100%. I am still tired at the end of the day
I am more constipated
My thinking is clearer
I still don't sweat much

I take my med at night, as it tends to make me a bit tired and loopy if I take it in the morning.

I had blood drawn the other day and go to the endo on Friday. It will be interesting to see if he ups the meds. Based on how I feel, I think I need more Synthroid.

I am VERY glad that I got put on this medicine. I still don't feel like I metabolize like I should (I eat 1000-1200 calories daily as anymore than that I feel stuffed as it seems like it takes my tummy a long time to process food). I'd like to eat more, and not feel stuffed when I eat. I'd like to sweat when I exercise. Other than that, so far, the med has been a really good thing for me.

So, my hypo symptoms are getting better after only 6 weeks on a low dose.


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## GD Women (Mar 5, 2007)

Per the New England Journal of Medicine, "the symptoms of both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are non-specific and can be mimicked by other conditions. Thus the practice of prescribing thyroid treatment on a clinical basis alone without biochemical confirmation carries potential risks".

If you have symptoms and do not have a wholesome diet, take nutritional supplements, exercise to tolerance, get physical treatment as needed and abstain from taking metabolism-slowing drugs each day (such as beta-blockers, muscle relaxants, and narcotics), then it raises the possibility that your symptoms are caused by the issues above. For example, if you don't take nutritional supplements, nutritional deficiencies may be the cause of your symptoms. In that case, taking nutritional supplements would relieve the symptoms. You should consider the use of thyroid hormone only when you can honestly say that you do all the above.

If you can say that you honestly do all the above, it is suggested you find an alternative doctor who is cooperative and collaborative. The doctor should be competent at differentiating medical disorders that might be causing your symptoms. For example, low adrenal function is a common cause of some symptoms.
A doctor competent at diagnosis can help you determine the cause-whether it's hypothyroidism or some other disorder.

A quick home test is to paint a silver dollar size of drugstore tincture of iodine on your skin. If it soaks in quickly (the stain is gone in less than 24 hours), you need iodine unless you have an iodine allergy. But I wouldn't put this over and above Labs.

Thyroid problems have a strong genetic component so due to your family history of thyroid you might want to get tested on a regular bases just incase some time down the road you do become thyroid. However, thyroid problems may "skip" generations.


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## hillaryedrn (Dec 14, 2009)

I understand your frustration, believe me I do. :hugs: However, starting the medication anyway, without confirmation that this is your problem is just kinda like opening the door for other issues. It is possible that if you start taking thyroid replacement, then find out it isn't your thyroid, that you might not be able to come off thyroid replacement. Some people's thyroids stop working as well as they were once they start medication. It's kinda like your thyroid is saying, "Ok, well if you're going to take in thyroid hormone, then I'm not going to work as hard" and then it doesn't pick back up after you stop. Also, you don't want to possibly ignore what is really going on. I'm not saying that it isn't your thyroid, but what if it's something else and you ignore it, only allowing it to get worse? I promise I'm not trying to push you away from thyroid, I just would hate for you to miss something. hugs1


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## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

And I should say that in no way was I advocating that you start taking thyroid meds if your thyroid is not the issue. It would be helpful if you post your lab work here so that others than really understand it see what "normal" really means.

As I said, my ranges were normal and I tested positive minimally for the Hashimoto's antibodies. I had lots of hypo symptoms and an extreme family history. I was treated on the basis of the antibodies, symptoms, and family history - and not so much my lab work. Everyone is different.


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## fuzzy (Nov 19, 2009)

it took about 4 weeks to start to feel better, now after about 12 weeks my meds are still only slowly increasing, the symptoms are less fequent, less severe and after the inital slow start it steadily gets better day by day, the process should take bout 6 months im told


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## Zugora (Feb 14, 2010)

Thanks for you replies. I understand the issues or complications that may arise from prescribing medication when the lab results come back "normal". My frustration is that my symptoms are getting worse and even though my lab results come back normal, I wish there was someone out there that can treat the symptoms and not just rely on the blood work.

My most recent thyroid blood work indicated:

TSH: 1.99 (range: .27-4.2)
FT4: 1.15 (range: .85-1.71)
Anti-TPO: "normal" <10.0 (<35)
Thyroglob AB: "normal" <20 (<40)
ANA Antibodies: POSITIVE

I had FT3 and it was "normal", too, but I don't have record of the exact numbers.

Over the last few years my TSH has gotten higher. It was 1.5 a few years ago. My symptoms have also gotten worse over the last few years.

Symptoms include:
- Strong family history of hypothyroidism/Hashimoto's
- Severe cold intolerance (Raynaud's, cold/pain in legs) - getting worse
- extreme fatigue, foggy, absolutely no energy
- arm/hand tingling, numbness
- dry eyes
- dry hair
- irregular periods/PCOS
- low libido

So frustrated because my doctors just keep taking blood work and tell me that everything is normal and it seems they are at a dead end. I'm certainly not feeling "normal" at all. Far from it.

Thanks for your help. I just don't know what to do and where to seek help. The endocrinologist I saw a few months back examined my blood work, said everything was normal, and basically shrugged me off, and told me to follow up with my GP.

Sigh....


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## GD Women (Mar 5, 2007)

If your symptoms are not from thyroid and most likely they are not if levels are normal. Thyroid medication will not make you feel better.

Go to a good doctor and be checked out for other health issues that are related to your symptoms and believe me there are plenty.


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## Zugora (Feb 14, 2010)

My new doctor, who has been very thorough now in trying to rule out everything else, DID mention that sometimes lab results can come back "normal" (with patient having very hypo symptoms) before a thyroid condition is revealed months or years later. I just encountered someone this week on a PCOS message board who had this same experience: had 2+ years of hypo symptoms before bloodwork finally revealed elevated TSH.

Believe me, I don't want to take any drug that I don't need, but I may agree to take a trial dose of thyroid medication, considering the symptoms, the ruling out of everything else, how crappy I feel, and the strong family history.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Zugora said:


> My new doctor, who has been very thorough now in trying to rule out everything else, DID mention that sometimes lab results can come back "normal" (with patient having very hypo symptoms) before a thyroid condition is revealed months or years later. I just encountered someone this week on a PCOS message board who had this same experience: had 2+ years of hypo symptoms before bloodwork finally revealed elevated TSH.
> 
> Believe me, I don't want to take any drug that I don't need, but I may agree to take a trial dose of thyroid medication, considering the symptoms, the ruling out of everything else, how crappy I feel, and the strong family history.


What is the doctor doing about the ANA which is "suggestive" of a myriad of things.

And you do have antibodies indigenous to the thyroid so taking thyroxine replacement may keep them in bounds.


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## happysunshine (Sep 25, 2009)

I started on a low dose of 50
and just got test done and my thyroid is still a little under
so the doctor upgraded it to 100, 5 days a week.

I feel I have more energy, I don't have bodyaches, the anxiety is going away and yes I do beleive anxiety is a symptom of a low thyroid just as much as a high one.
The brain fog is gone also.
My weight has stayed the same, I haven't gained or lost weight.


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