# Intolerant to all thyroid meds, ttc soon



## rose186 (Apr 19, 2015)

Hi everyone,

I have a perplexing dilemma in that I seem to be intolerant to all thyroid medications, supplements that support the thyroid and adrenal supplements. I am hypothyroid (hashis), diagnosed in 2011 but have had elevated TSH with low-normal free T4 and T3 since I started to get tested in 2004.

Most recent labs were (on 2.5 mcg of cytomel at the end of March this year):

TSH 7.28 (0.30-4.00)

Free T3: 5 (3.5-6.5)

Free T4 12 (9-23)

Anti TPO 208 <35

Anti TG 339 <40

My cortisol, Iron, B12 has all tested as normal. I take selenium, magnesium, b vitamins, iron, vit. D every day. My diet is gluten free and well balanced.

Over the last three years I have tried Synthroid, Erfa (dessicated), Cytomel - compounded and regular versions of all. I have also tried Adrenal cotrex and adrenal glandulars. I have done two trials each of synthroid, cytomel, and adrenal supplements and 1 trial of erfa, starting with very small doses. I am now off of everything. I am under the care of a family doctor, naturopath, and psychiatrist, and I'm 29 years old.

Upon taking any of these medications, within a few days I get headaches, severe (very severe) anxiety, racing thoughts, heart palps, burning skin feeling, heat intolerance, chills, sweating, nausea, nightmares, a swollen feeling in my throat when swallowing, low mood, double/blurred vision, extreme fatigue, and a worsening of asthma and allergies. I've tried to push through it to see if it is a transition period but it just worsens as the weeks go by. At their very worse (when my labs were the most 'perfect' they've ever been), these symptoms have taken me to the ER because I felt like my body was shutting down.

I have no hypothryoid symptoms off of these medications and feel well. When I go on medication I have a ton of thyroid symptoms and feel very sick.

The dilemma is I would like to start trying to conceive very soon and I can't tolerate medication, and my labs aren't in a safe range. My family doctor and naturopath both think that perhaps I have a unique situation and that is fine to try and conceive with my labs in this range - that this is 'my normal' and we can try medication when/if I do get pregnant. They have given me the go ahead to ttc. This makes me nervous however as I don't want to risk too much.

Any thoughts of what I should do? Has anyone had this experience?

thanks!


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

What type of adrenal testing did you do? Was it the 24 hour saliva cortisol test?


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## rose186 (Apr 19, 2015)

Yes, it was the 24hr saliva cortisol test, and I've also had a blood cortisol tests.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

TPO and Thyroglobulin Ab
cancer TPO and thryoglobulin Ab
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1699-0463.1994.tb04888.x/abstract

Understanding Thyroglobulin Ab.
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/thyroglobulin/test.html

Substances not found in normal serum (scroll down to autoantibodies)
http://www.thyroidmanager.org/chapter/evaluation-of-thyroid-function-in-health-and-disease/
(Copy and paste into your browser)

My goodness! Have you not had an ultra-sound of your thyroid? With those high antibodies, you should.

It has been my observation over the years that if cancer is in play, the patient cannot tolerate thyroxine replacement. That said, one way or the other you do need to get that ultra-sound of your thyroid.

Now mind you; this is all "suggestive" but certainly would demand finding out for sure one way or the other.

And it is true; TSH should be around 1.0 or less to conceive.

Welcome to the board and you will find some info above.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Yes, you need an ultrasound. I was on Synthroid for a very short time. I could not tolerate it...I had elevated levels of TSI - an antibody most often associated with Grave's. In advanced cases of Hashi's and/or in cases of thyroid cancer, TSI is often present along with the more "normal" Hashi's antibodies.

Often times, ablation is your best solution.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

> They have given me the go ahead to ttc.


ttc?

What is that?


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## rose186 (Apr 19, 2015)

try to conceive


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## VFRgrl (Feb 15, 2015)

Hi Rose- I agree with all of the above suggestions; test your antibodies- get an ultrasound. Gluten free is good- but you may have other underlying food sensitivities that may need to be addressed. Antibody levels will help with this to see if you are moving in the right direction in treating the underlying autoimmune disease.

One thing you should discuss with your doctor is Tirosint. Its a synthetic T4 drug but it has no fillers, and sometimes people with sensitivities do better on it.

Lori


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

I say this as an almost 40 year old woman who has spent her adult life avoiding pregnancy...that said, I don't know if one can call trying to conceive with a thyroid issue dangerous, but it's very likely you will have trouble getting and staying pregnant.


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Definitely start by getting hard copies of all of your labs--what's "normal" to a doctor might not be the right "normal" for you.


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## rose186 (Apr 19, 2015)

Thanks Jenny, I am very vigilant about getting copies of my labs so I have them all dating form 2004 onwards. The doctors are not saying that I am 'normal' for them or on the labs - they are saying that this might be 'my' normal due to the fact I have no symptoms off of medications and have a whole host of thyroid symptoms on them.

Joplin1975 - thanks for the suggestion of tirosint, I will look into that further. I have had extensive food sensitivity testing and have been on elimination diets and the paleo aip diet in the past. The only thing that brought my antibodies to where they are now (used to be 699 anti-TPO) was going gluten free.

My doctors are very thorough so I think they would have said something if they suspected cancer. I will ask to get an ultrasound though.


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## VFRgrl (Feb 15, 2015)

http://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/topic/91973-gluten-free-thyroid-medicatiion/


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

I was likely hyper when I conceived the 1st try the 2nd life birth. I had 2 miscarriages prior to my first live birth.

I also had an autoimmune condition called Lupus Anticoagulant which caused irregular clotting of my uterus once I conceived.

Pregnancy definitely made my thyroid issues worse - I have photographs to document the hyper "eye" look. That thankfully resolved and a TT had made life "normal" again.

Your labs definitely indicate somehting is up with your thyroid. Your kids will be with you Forever! Take the time and address your thyroid issues so you can enjoy the birth and early stages of motherhood, rather than dealing with dialing in your thyroid replacement post delivery.


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