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Recently diagnosed with Hypothyroidism....lots of questions!!!

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Thyroid Disorders
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Posted 9/6/2013 3:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hello, All-

I was recently diagnosed (April, 2013) with Hypothyroidism by my general nurse practioner. It was found accidentally when blood tests were drawn for an unexplained allergic reaction that caused severe hives and rash.  She said she could treat me as well as an endocrinologist and prescribed 25mcg Levothyroxine for my TSH of 6.6.

I had been experiencing all the symptoms of Hypothyroidism for months and months prior to the diagnosis.  I just didn't know it!!  I had been working out six days a week doing P90X and eating well but was completely exhausted and fatigued to the point of tears AND gaining weight at an unprecedented rate.  I've gained approx. 30 lbs. within about 6 months. I also was experiencing discomfort in my throat area but it wasn't a sore throat.  I'm not really a "go to the Dr." kind of gal so I just blew it all off and attributed it all to just getting older and my body slowing down.

My numbers started to go down a bit but the other symptoms worsened.  The exhaustion was so bad that I'd have to lie down for awhile in the afternoon just to get through the day.  (Fortunately, I work from home so this is possible.)  In mid-August, my numbers started to rise again so the nurse practioner upped the dosage to 75 mcg Levothyroxine but wasn't available to discuss my condition with me.  So....I found an endocrinologist.

I had my first appt. with my Endo. yesterday and was really pleased with the results.  She changed my meds to 88mcg Synthroid and, due to the labs she received from my GP, upped my Vitamin D to 4000g daily, in addition to the 50,000g I take once a week.  She has said that, once we receive results from blood drawn yesterday, we might have to up the Synthroid more until we get the results we want.  She wants my TSH level to be at 1.0. 

I'm curious as to the change from Levothyroxine to Synthroid.  Is Synthroid that much better?  Maybe I don't have so many questions but am just looking for others who can identify with me.  Believe it or not, I don't know ANYONE why has Hypothyroidism and, yes, I ask everyone!!  Friends and family are sympathetic and very supportive but they clearly can't relate. 

I think I'm on the right track now but I know it's going to be a long haul.  Any thoughts, support or advice would be much appreciated!!!  Thanks!

 

Posted 9/6/2013 8:39 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to HealingWell, RandiJ. Levothyroxine is the generic for Synthroid, meaning the should be identical as far as the active ingredient. However, in this case some people do respond better to Synthroid than the generic. Some endocrinologist routinely prescribe Synthroid for this reason. I personally do equally well on either preparation, but not all do.

Please do be prepared to see your doctor at regular intervals initially. You're still on a pretty low dose of synthroid and it may need to be adjusted over time. It often takes up to two years to arrive at a stable level, and during this time blood tests and follow-up should be done every three months. Once you've been stable for six to twelve months you can drop back to every six months, and ultimately to annual rechecks if all is stable.

Many people with hypothyroidism have an autoimmune problem called Hashimoto's thyroiditis in which the body's immune system produces antibodies to the thyroid hormone. These cases can be somewhat more complex to stabilize. To determine if you have this, your doctor would do antibody tests along with the hormone levels.

You may want to review the "thyroid essentials" thread at the top of this forum for general information about thyroid function and problems also.
Posted 9/12/2013 2:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, Randi! I've heard that some people do better on Synthroid versus Levothyroxine and vice versa due to fillers in one or the other. For me, neither worked very well and I switched to natural thyroid. Keep experimenting and working with your endo, and you'll get there with time. It often takes a few months to get the dosage and medication right.
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