Thyroid experts - help!

So recent bloodwork showed my TSH elevated (6.20) and it's never been that high. My new fam dr has put me on a low dose of synthroid (.025mg). I took my first pill today and experienced anxiety. No full blown panic attack but just feeling unsettled. It settled after some time. I also felt nauseous, which calmed down a bit also. I definitely did no like feeling anxious and went to the office today to let her know. She said very few people experience side effects and to stick it out for 1-2 weeks until the medication kicks in. Anyway, for the rest of the day I've felt even more fatigued/weak and overall feeling very down. Like I don't want to do anything. I don't know if I want to or can tough it out for 1-2 weeks, I feel that crappy.

Has anyone noticed ether Lyme symptoms become elevated due to thyroid medication? Just wondering if they are related because I already have debilitating weakness that leaves me spending most of my time resting. With this medication, it's increased my weakness.

That is a high TSH...

My husband was on thyroid meds several years before being diagnosed with Lyme. And he started out on 1.00 and felt good almost immediately...and then within months...it seemed to wear off...increased to 1.12 but didn't seem to help.

He has been diagnosed with LD. I think it must be trickier when you also have LD to manage the thyroid meds.

He did a trial of NDT...and I think he lasted about 4 weeks...and couldn't deal with the side effects as he was ramping up the NDT..and decreasing the T4. So, the side effects in the transition period must be wicked...as he can put up with a lot...but the sweating...and anxiety...too much!

I will let the thyroid experts on the forum - help you ...hang in there!

CD: this was only TSH that was tested, not T3 or T4. I think the latter was tested back in September? I have to check those results because I can't remember right now. You know, I do feel like this was a herx too. In my previous herxes while on herbal treatment for Lyme and Babesia, I experienced increased weakness, preventing me from getting up from the couch/bed. It was bad.

The pills are so small I'm not sure I can cut them in half but I will try! Right now only lemon water for detox. Can't dry brush (skin too sensitive) and I haven't done a Epsom salt foot soak in a while, I should probably resume that, though I'm not sure how long I can sit for because of my fatigue. I don't have Alka Seltzer Gold on hand :(

Hi - I am new here and was planning to post my "first post" in a few days, after reading and familiarizing myself with the site....but I think I have some advice that may help, based on the path that led me to this forum.

My journey BEGAN with thyroid - but it is Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid). The link between Hashi's and Lyme is phenomenal and you can get lost for months in the research online (as I did)...except you are ahead of the game because you know about Lyme...I had to take a very long journey to arrive at Lyme.

The important part is that Hashi's isn't a "just take thyroid" type of disease. My TSH is 24 and I can't handle a crumb of any thyroid med, even natural dessicated thyroid - I become anxious, breathless and very ill...TAKING the medicine makes the immune thyroid attack unbearable. I may need to take thyroid meds one day if my thyroid is damaged from years of autoimmune destruction, but only after I find the root cause (Lyme?) and heal. For me, in my current state, it is like throwing gasoline on a fire. So I highly discourage toughing it out. Again, do a little research and you will see that Hashi's is not a thyroid condition, it is an autoimmune condition which attacks the thyroid. Very different.

At a minimum, you need to get your TPO antibodies checked. High end I believe is 150, I am 1,050. Hashi's causes a lot of symptoms and can make you hypo and hyper all in a matter of days. I get racey, then sluggish, then heart palps...plus all of the other lovely symptoms having a non-functioning thyroid entails.

So funny, I came here as a newbie to search for assistance...but I sure hope I was able to offer some, even before making my introductory post. I think all of our paths certainly can help each other in some way. Please get the simple antibody test done. So many people out there are "simply" treating hypothyroidism, never knowing they have an autoimmune disease instead...and as I'm sure the Lyme forum knows better than me, not healing the root cause can cause a lot of destruction to our bodies.

Take care,
Robin

Welcome ursamajor68!

Thanks for sharing! Yes, Hashi's is an autoimmune condition that can develop before, during and after Lyme. Sometimes, the damage to the thyroid is too much and can't be reversed.

It sounds like you are dealing with H A S H I T O X I C O S I S and I'm very sorry.

Block and Replace Therapy can help a lot with that. (Basically, the patient takes an anti-thyroid drug to minimize the "spurts" of hormone.....along with whatever doses of thyroid hormone replacement are necessary to maintain healthy thyroid levels).

And, if you're not dealing with H A S H I T O X I C O S I S, I wonder if your adrenals are malfunctioning. That can also cause problems with the introduction of thyroid meds.

This stuff can make one nutz :)


edited because this site autocorrects H A S H I T O X I C O S I S if it's typed as one would conventionally type it. Thus, it needs to be typed as it was. Sorry for the eye strain....at least the term is right ;)

Yes, I meant to type H A S H I T O X I C O S I S.

I have no idea what's going on but when I type H A S H I T O X I C O S I S with upper case first letter followed by the rest of the letters (no more caps and no spaces), it's showing as Hacrapoxicosis. Weird.

I'm editing my post and will have to type H A S H I T O X I C O S I S just like that. lol Sorry for any confusion. Please let me know if you'd like any info on the condition.

I'm sure you recognize that your FT3/FT4 levels leave room for improvement. What was the dose of thyroid meds you were started on?

Thanks for your input trialbylyme and ursamajor!

CD: I looked at my previous lab results and my TSH was 2, FT3 was 4.5 and FT4 was 18, this was in September.

Trialbylyme: I will be sure to ask my dr about trying a natural medication. I don't want to go back to the one she gave me because it made me feel so bad and I can't imagine trying to stick it out when I can hardly function.

The pills are scored but they are so small my pill cutter can't cut them. So I'll have to ask about switching meds. And yes, I have to do more in the detoxing department, I think being bedridden most of the time and not having the energy is what prevents me. I'll ask my LLND about what you suggested, though I do have the Byron White Detox 2 powder which I haven't taken. Maybe I should start that.

I too suffer from both of these conditions, as well as many other co infections. I have been on thyroid meds for a few months and have had to have it increased in dosage. Ask what other thyroid meds you could try. Sometimes you need the dosage adjusted. Good luck.