# How long does it take to fully recover?



## titian1 (May 12, 2011)

I had a TT last Easter. I've been up and down the scale with trying to get the balance of my medication from 15.? to 0.01. While this has been happening there has been a constant for me..... brain fog and strange vision (like i'm seeing it all on a TV or something- a detached feeling).
I'm now on combination therapy (T4 & T3) which has sent me hyper again but it's no big deal. I still have all the same symptoms though that haven't lessened at all and they all started 9 days after my surgery right when the drugs kicked in.
So, I've heard some people say it takes your body a loooong time to just get used to the medication (some have said 3 years) and you have weird symptoms until it finally accepts the medication.
I must add, I did have one blood test throughout this that showed I was at optimal range... but that was short lived as the next was 7.?.
Any good news for me??


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## redmoon (May 14, 2012)

Definitely interested to see more discussion on this as my TT is ahead of me and I don't know what to expect. Blessings to you and I hope you get answers.


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## JPGreco (Mar 2, 2012)

Um, no idea what that .7 meant. If your doctor is only testing your TSH, then that would be a bad thing. You cannot balance your hormone medication without testing the levels of your hormones.

You want to know how much T4 to take, you need to know how much free T4 is in your body. Same for T3. There are probably only a handful of people who can be treated by only testing TSH.
This is especially true if you are taking a T3 medication since the T3 in your body is the active hormone.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

I had mine in late August. I was under medicated for some time because my endo was a dope. I started feeling very good again in March.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

I had surgery in late July. I was on Levo until November. I felt like I was in a fog and losing IQ points rapidly. Made the switch to Nature-throid with a very cautious ND, so titration was slow, plus a few blips like gall bladder removal slowed the process even more but my last labs are great. I feel great, am exercising, and have lost 10 pounds.

It does take time and a little tweaking but it is worth it! Best to you!


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## I DClaire (Jul 31, 2011)

I had my thyroid removed on 9/23/11 and honestly felt great for awhile...then I believe my body started having problems with Synthroid and I started taking Armour around Christmas. It's been eight months since my surgery and I'm just now beginning to feel whole again. I believe I am still slightly hypothyroid but I feel O.K.

I foolishly thought I was going to recuperate from surgery, immediately get the right amount of the right thyroid hormone replacement and live happily ever after but that was woefully unrealistic. I'm getting there but it has been a slow, frustrating, worrisome process.

My endocrinologist tells me I've had a harder time than most of her patients but there are plenty of members here whose experiences have been very much like mine.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

I think everybody is different - I for one took about 3 years of different dosing combinations before I felt "normal".

My issue was under-medication caused by a bad experience with my first try at Cytomel. My advice is if you add Cytomel do so with small frequent doses until you get to your prescribed dose without any cardiac symptoms. I developed anxiety/tight chest symptoms the first time it was prescribed and gave up for a few years which were hypo and miserable for me.

I was super sensitive to Cytomel the year post surgery which makes me wonder if the body had to adjust to the synthetic hormones. I now take 12/5mcg daily with 125mcg of Unithroid since 4 years post op.

6 months post op I was taking 125mcg of Unithroid and could barely tolerate 5mcg of Cytomel split into 3 doses.

If you try something and it does not work - don't give up - keep good notes of doses, symptoms and lab ranges until you work through it.

Your goal should be at minimum 1/2 range for both FT-4 and FT-3 and then tweak your dosing from there.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

titian1 said:


> I had a TT last Easter. I've been up and down the scale with trying to get the balance of my medication from 15.? to 0.01. While this has been happening there has been a constant for me..... brain fog and strange vision (like i'm seeing it all on a TV or something- a detached feeling).
> I'm now on combination therapy (T4 & T3) which has sent me hyper again but it's no big deal. I still have all the same symptoms though that haven't lessened at all and they all started 9 days after my surgery right when the drugs kicked in.
> So, I've heard some people say it takes your body a loooong time to just get used to the medication (some have said 3 years) and you have weird symptoms until it finally accepts the medication.
> I must add, I did have one blood test throughout this that showed I was at optimal range... but that was short lived as the next was 7.?.
> Any good news for me??


Good grief! Please list the name of the lab test, the results and the ranges. When it comes to medical things and your health, we need to have all the specifics so we don't give a poor opinion.

What med are you on for the T4 and T3? How much?


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## titian1 (May 12, 2011)

I'm currently on 150mcg's of levothyroxine each day ( I was on 175 before adding T3) and 10mcg's of liothyronine each day.
My heart pounds a little but I've been on this for 4 months now. I have a review coming up at the hospital on 22nd June and I think I'm going to ask to come off the liothyronine (even though I begged for it thinking it would cure me) and go back to the 175 thyroxine only and give that some time.
I've had quite a few adjustments of meds over the last year since my op and it seems to make me swing back and forth like crazy so perhaps I need to just give it 4 months or more on one stable dose?
it's quite a relief to hear others say it took time to feel "normal" even after 1 year.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

titian1 said:


> I'm currently on 150mcg's of levothyroxine each day ( I was on 175 before adding T3) and 10mcg's of liothyronine each day.
> My heart pounds a little but I've been on this for 4 months now. I have a review coming up at the hospital on 22nd June and I think I'm going to ask to come off the liothyronine (even though I begged for it thinking it would cure me) and go back to the 175 thyroxine only and give that some time.
> I've had quite a few adjustments of meds over the last year since my op and it seems to make me swing back and forth like crazy so perhaps I need to just give it 4 months or more on one stable dose?
> it's quite a relief to hear others say it took time to feel "normal" even after 1 year.


I noticed you have not posted any of your lab results .

Don't change any medications until you have a FT-3 and a FT-4 done.

DO NOT take your meds before the blood draw.

Do you have any labs to share? Frequent labs are needed when trying to calibrate your optimum dose.

Once feeling good at a particular dose every 6 months or annually should work.

I've been on the same dose for years - my doc makes me test every 6 months. I would be fine with annually at this point. Pre op I was tested every month for 4.5 years.


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