Thyroid..?
I have had my thyroid in the middle of my throat and visible and have had since i was young. I have been on synthroid medicine also and been taking one every night. I have been having almost all of the symptoms of an underactive thyroid (Hypothyroidism). I have had my blood tests and everything was good. What should I do? What’s up?
Tagged with: blood tests • hypothyroidism • medicine • symptoms of an underactive thyroid • synthroid • thyroid
Filed under: Symptoms Of Underactive Thyroid
Hello,
My name is Maureen. Your question is so common unfortunately. What you didn’t mention is your approximate age. How long have you been on Synthroid? Have you been checked for Hashimotos Thyroiditis? You would need to have a thyroid antibody blood count to test for that. You might ask your doctor although they many times refuse to test for that if your TSH is "normal". It is good to insist on this though, just to be sure. It is an autoimmune disease which attacks the thyroid. It is quite common. I have this disease and my thyroid tests (mainly TSH) are many times what most doctors would consider normal but I have come to learn that test numbers do not always mean much.
I have a suggestion. Have you taken your body temperature on a daily basis? This is a great way to find out how your body is functioning. I used to run a body temperature that fluctuated terribly (between 95 and 97) all through the day. I investigated Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome which alerted me to the fact that TSH results can often be normal, yet your body is suffering from low thyroid regardless. You may desire to check this out. You can search further for this on the internet.
Although I never took the Wilson’s treatment myself (I am not even sure I would recommend it), the information it provided on the site was invaluable to my continued research on the thyroid. My body temperature is now mostly stable and much higher and in the "normal range"! I switched to a natural thyroid preparation which includes T3 and other ingredients that made such a difference for me. One of the problems is that my HMO would not cover natural therapies so I had to finally leave the system and go to a natural doctor that would prescribe Naturethroid or Armour. One is dessicated thryoid from a pig and the other is from bovine extract. I had been on Synthroid for 10 years, getting worse and worse, experiencing serious symptoms before turning the corner with a more natural treatment, including diet, and other lifestyle changes. I am currently using Naturethroid and have been for about 5 years now. What a difference. I felt like I was dying while on Synthroid even though my TSH always came back "normal".
I could go on and on because I am very passionate about this topic. I don’t feel there is enough attention given to the natural treatments available for thyroid disease. That’s why I started a website and forum - it’s just not common for doctors to believe that patients with "normal" test results can really still have all the symptoms of low thyroid.
I hope this has given you a start (and some hope) in figuring out the next step in your journey for health. Good luck.
Maureen (HashiHope)
Talk to your doctor. I HAVE THE SAME THING. they might upp your dosage and that is it. i have done so in the past and it helped. So call ur doctor and talk to them!
I DISSAGREEE WITH A#2
Hi Tennis Lover
Cause: Hypothyroidism can be caused by food allergies, excess stress, environmental toxins, insufficient exercise, B vitamin deficiencies, lack of iron, lack of digestive enzymes, liver disease, hormone imbalances, and/or parasites. All of these factors need to be screened for and addressed before lasting relief can be achieved.
Sulfa drugs, lithium, synthetic estrogen, and antihistamines can exacerbate hypothyroidism symptoms. In addition, if you are on thyroid medication, increase calcium supplementation to reduce the risk of bone loss.
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Natural Cures
Diet: Eat an organic, whole foods diet, emphasizing foods that are naturally high in iodine such as fish, kelp, vegetables, and root vegetables (such as potatoes). Also, increase your daily consumption of foods rich in vitamin B complex, such as whole grains and raw nuts and seeds, and foods rich in vitamin A, such as dark green and yellow vegetables. But avoid foods that slow down production of thyroid hormone, such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, broccoli, turnips, kale, spinach, peaches, and pears.
Herbs: Mild cases of hypothyroidism can be helped by herbal bitters such as gentian or mugwort, while constipation due to low thyroid function can be improved by yellowdock, butternut, or cascara sagrada. St. John`s wort can also be helpful.
Homeopathy: Calc carb. in a dose of 1M once a day is very useful for treating hypothyroidism and improving overall thyroid function.
Hydrotherapy: Hydrotherapy is the application of water, ice, steam and hot and cold temperatures to maintain and restore health. Treatments include full body immersion, steam baths, saunas, sitz baths, colonic irrigation and the application of hot and/or cold compresses. Hydrotherapy is effective for treating a wide range of conditions and can easily be used in the home as part of a self-care program. Many Naturopathic Physicians, Physical Therapists and Day Spas use Hydrotherapy as part of treatment.
*Purified water is essential for any hydrotherapy treatment. Remedies for Treating Chlorinated Bath Water offers clear instructions and recommendations.
Lifestyle: Regular aerobic exercise can play an important role in helping to regulate thyroid hormone production.
Nutritional Supplementation: Organic thyroid glandular extracts can help restore normal thyroid function, but should only be used under the supervision of your physician. Other useful nutrients include vitamin A, vitamin B complex, essential fatty acids, iodine, kelp, calcium, magnesium, and zinc.
Best of health to you.
The blood tests they do to measure your TSH levels aren’t always a measure of whether you have an overactive or underactive thyroid.
I’ve been advised that there are other ways to test for these but some of the doctors here in Australia are reluctant to do so so I’m not too sure on specifics.
1st…….what are the exact values of your thyroid function tests? did you have TSH and free T4 measured?
next, what do you mean by your thyroid being in the middle of the throat? is it in the midline bulging around the lower part of the front of the neck or somewhere in the upper part of the neck? (in the 1st case, it may either be a nodular or diffuse non-toxic goiter, whereas the latter may be a lingual thyroid, which are 2 different things but both may manifest with hypothyroidism)
third, im quite intrigued why you are taking Synthroid in the evening. What is your dose now? Usual supplementation levels range from 75-150 micrograms per day to achieve both a normal TSH and FT4 levels. Levothyroxine (Synthroid) is supposed to be taken before breakfast in the morning on an empty stomach, to facilitate maximum absorption and mimic the diurnal secretion of thyroid hormone.
4th….what symptoms are you exactly having? a lot of other symptoms can mimic hypothyroidism.
i suggest you repeat your thyroid function tests using the IRMA method ( a 3rd generation thyroid function test) and from there ask your doctor if the dose of synthroid needs to be adjusted. before doing the exam, i also suggest to revise the way you’re taking Synthroid. Take Synthroid in the morning at least 30 minutes before breakfast.
if you are continuing to have symptoms of hypothyroidism there are a number of things that you need to have checked. you state that your blood tests and everything was good, but within the normal range is not necessarily optimal for you. I’d have a further thyroid panel done including free t4 free t3, other things that may be causing continued symptoms are ferritin(storage iron) being lower than optimal, and low b12
what if anything has your doctor suggested regarding your thyroid gland?
It’s quite possible you either aren’t on the corect dosage of Synthroid or you aren’t converting T4 into T3 like you should. First investigat your dosage. Are you always testing first thing in the morning? If so, is your TSH below 2.0. closer to 1.0? If the TSH is higher than 2, you are undermedicated.
Second lets look at T4 to T3 conversion. Many with poor conversion have these symptoms; weight gain, fatigue, hairloss, depression, and muscle and joint aches. If these are the symptoms you are having you may be helped with aT4/T3 thyroid medication like Armour. Armour is adjusted by a free t4 and free t3 test, not by TSH. Free t4 should be at lest midrange and free t3 hig in range.
Have you had a carotid ultrasound done to rule out a thyroid nodule? I’m only 27, and had one discovered, along with hypothyoidism. If you aren’t already, please see an endocrinolgisit. While your thyroid panel may be in the "normal" range, if you are trying to shrink your goiter, you will need to get your TSH below 1.0. To achieve this level, you will most likely need a Synthroid dose increase.
Additionally, Synthroid should be taken on an empty stomach. Most pharmacists suggest taking it first thing in the morning to avoid food in your stomach from decreasing the absorption of the medication. I would try doing this consistently for 10-12 weeks, then recheck your TSH. If it’s still higher than ~2.0, I’d suggest asking your doctor for a dose increase.
Good luck!