# Synthroid and malabsorption



## kimberllee (May 20, 2011)

Le sigh. I having major issues with absorbing my synthroid. My tsh is climbing higher and higher and I'm on a MEGA dose of synthroid. I'm up to 300mcg daily. And 10,000 units of vitamin d (ergocalcitrol) and 2500 mg of elemental calcium. My tsh has gone from 10 down to 2.5 and now is back up to 6.0. I'm being tested for celiac disease...however, its unlikely as I've never had any symptoms.

Anyone else experienced anything similar???


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

kimberllee said:


> Le sigh. I having major issues with absorbing my synthroid. My tsh is climbing higher and higher and I'm on a MEGA dose of synthroid. I'm up to 300mcg daily. And 10,000 units of vitamin d (ergocalcitrol) and 2500 mg of elemental calcium. My tsh has gone from 10 down to 2.5 amd now is back up to 6.0. I'm being tested for celiac disease...however, its unlikely as I've never had any symptoms.
> 
> Anyone else experienced anything similar???


Sounds to me like the Vitamin D and the Calcium may be causing this.

I have not had the experience; just commenting.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

kimberllee, what time(s) are you taking these medicines?


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## kimberllee (May 20, 2011)

I take my synthroid every morning about 7:30. I take my other medications at least 4 hours later. I'm not taking synthroid with food...I'm not skipping doses of synthroid.

It makes no sense.

I'm puffy, distended, weight gain..with a huge dose of synthroid. Very frustrated.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Odd. Can you talk to your doctor about temporarily stopping the other non-essential meds for a few months and see what happens?

You are right - that is an incredibly high dose of Synthroid...if anything, your TSH should be in the negative range! (Okay, I know that's not really possible, but just trying to make the point.)


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

kimberllee said:


> I take my synthroid every morning about 7:30. I take my other medications at least 4 hours later. I'm not taking synthroid with food...I'm not skipping doses of synthroid.
> 
> It makes no sense.
> 
> I'm puffy, distended, weight gain..with a huge dose of synthroid. Very frustrated.


Is your doc only doing TSH? These are very very important tests.........

Free T3 and Free T4 are the only accurate measurement of the actual active thyroid hormone levels in the body. This is the hormone that is actually free and exerting effect on the cells. These are the thyroid hormones that count.

http://www.drlam.com/articles/hypothyroidism.asp?page=3

The above tests would be "most" helpful in figuring out what is going on and I agree w/Octavia. You might wish to ask doc about the supplements re stopping them.

Also, you could have malasorption syndrome. Clearly something is wrong.

How long have you been on the Synthroid? Is this name brand or generic?


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## northernlite (Oct 28, 2010)

Even if you have a negative Celiac test, I would recommend a Gluten Free trial. I am a Celiac and I know three people diagnosed that were symptom free, it is not uncommon at all and you hear about it most often when a family member is diagnosed and then they test all the others in the family and find a symptom free person that has it.

Celiac is so hard to diagnose because your small intestine is so long and the disease can damage any part of the small intestines. Then your symptoms vary by what your body fails to absorb that is normally absorbed by that section of the small intestine. In my case, one of my symptoms indicated my body was not absorbing B2, in my sister-in-law's case her only symptom was anemia so she was not absorbing iron.

After removal of gluten, the villi in your small intestines grow back but it takes quite a few months. So if you are a celiac, it won't be a quick fix to get your absorption back to normal.


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## kimberllee (May 20, 2011)

First to answer andros and Octavia... I can't top the supplements because I lost my parathyroid function when I had a tt in July. My transplant for my parathyroid isn't working and I need the rocaltrol and calcium so I don't get hypoparathyroid.

I've been taking brand name synthroid for 3 months.

I always get the following blood draws:
TSH: current 6.720 range .45-5
T4 free current 1.59. Range .082-1.77
Intact parathyroid current 20 Range 15-72 ( they want me at 40)

No t3 or free t3 ever....

Current synthroid dose is 300mcg...was on 250 for 6 weeks prior...


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

I see...that does change things. So you've been on Synthroid (and/or any other thyroid replacement) for a total of about 3 months?

I'm not sure I have anything to add that would be helpful...there's got to be something that will work better for you. ???


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## kimberllee (May 20, 2011)

@nothernlite how did they diagnose you with celiac? Much like hashimototos, celiac disease produces antibodies. Also like any autoimmune diseases, you can have a false negative test result and still have the disease. I do go in this Friday for the blood test...I'll keep you posted!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

kimberllee said:


> First to answer andros and Octavia... I can't top the supplements because I lost my parathyroid function when I had a tt in July. My transplant for my parathyroid isn't working and I need the rocaltrol and calcium so I don't get hypoparathyroid.
> 
> I've been taking brand name synthroid for 3 months.
> 
> ...


I am curious how you came to be on such a high dose 3 months time? That has me puzzled. That is awful rapid titration of meds.

Anyway, it would be good to get the FREE T3 and the rT3 lab tests run.

rT3
http://thyroid-rt3.com/whatis.htm

I know we all are concerned as you cannot be feeling good at all w/those numbers.


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