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Synthroid is killing me I am a 79 yr old woman.Have been taking Synthroid for 43yrs.For many yrs I have benn sufferibg shortness of breath.Drs have beent insistingthat it is my heart,I have been given NTG and diuretics and they not only didn’t work they caused more problems.I saw on the net a few months ago a piece about ones mediv=cation causing exactly the same problems,but can’t seem to find it any more.Can anyonr help me on this please?

Dear Patricia, I, and many like me, have been on Synthroid and realize how poorly you feel. I felt terrible on Synthroid, too. I have been through the same kind of things that your doctors are putting you through. Although, since I’m a 50 year old single Mom they always try to give me antidepressants. I went on a search for doctors until I found one that would give me Armour Thyroid. After my favorite doctor retired I even had a doctor that told me that I was not hypothyroid, so I really do understand your frustrations. I, myself, will not take any medication that makes me feel far worse than I did before. You need to search for another doctor. If that doctor is the same as the other doctors, look for another doctor. I probably went through around 6 doctors before I found one that switched me to Armour. Something that I did was to read books. I had a book with me from the Muncie Public Library that was written by an Endocrinologist the day that the doctor finally switched my from Synthroid to Armour Thyroid. Check your library for books if you cannot afford to purchase any. And, just keep on looking for another doctor! I, myself, am now searching for another doctor because I had lot my insurance. Now, even though I’m on Armour Thyroid, I’m very tired because my Ferritin/Iron Levels are very low. My Iron Saturation Level is 8.1% with the bottom being 15! My RBC (Red Blood Cell) is borderline, but not yet anemic. The stupid doctor is waiting on me to become anemic! Can you believe it? You could have low iron or be anemic too. Anemia and low iron happen with hypothryoidism. I suffer from being out of breath, too. So get some books, read a little at a time, buy some Post-it Flags at Walmart to mark your book and take it with you to the doctors, until you find one that will treat you for what is really wrong with you. On yahoo I am hubbasmom in case you need someone to talk to. Drop me an email. Take care.

I am a 46 year old mother of three. My youngest is 21 months old. I have been on synthroid for nearly 8 years but one doctor had told me I was doing fine when I wasn’t. I was tired, a monster to my kids, and depressed. Not to forget that I also gained 15 pounds even though I was exercising at least 5 days a week. After switching doctors it was discovered that my doseage was so low it was as though I had not been on any meds for a year!!!

I guess I am looking for people to share my frustrations with but also most importantly to share info. and encouragement. I find that people that do not suffer this are not supportive. We tend to be regarded as “sneaky”eaters and/or whiners. The truth is Hypothyroidism dumps on those who have it a ton of physical and emotional baggage we’d rahter live without. Imagine…what would it be like to cut change your diet and exercise and lose weight from your efforts??? I was a fitness instructor so I do not consider myself a slacker. Is there anyone else who loves fitness, has young kids and is battling this monster?

I have just read all 3 of your letters and I so fit into your world. I am 57, retired due to a back injury and 1 year ago in July I had my thyroid removed. I was put on synthyroid. In the time since I had my thyroid removed I have gained weight that I can not afford to carry due to my back. I try to lose the added pounds but we all know how hard that is. I can’t sleep at night, I haven’t slept a full night in a year. And during the day, I can’t move, don’t want to move. I know if I tell my doctor the first thing they will do is give me a pill for depression. I thought all of this was me and only me! When I asked about having my med changed I was told that the med I was on was the med of choice. Why is it so hard to get Armourl? I have to deal with chronic pain and now all this new “stuff” that I don’t understand. I have grandchildren I want to enjoy, how do we get our lives back? Anyone of you are more then welcome to e-mail me so we can talk at calc529@aol.com. Stay well and stay strong.

To Tina, the reason it is so hard to pry Armor out of most doctors is that they have either sold out to the drug companies, or they have been snookered by the drug companies.

The drug companies know how good Armor is, and they know how much money they would loose if all hypo patients were on an adequate dose of it.

Go to stop the thyroid madness web page. There is a list of “conditions” that for hypo patients miraculously disappear when they are on a proper dose of Armor. Then do a little digging about how much money the drug companies make from the drugs that treat these “conditions”. It is literally BILLIONS.

The only answer is to keep looking for a doctor that 1) has not sold his sole to the drug companies, and 2) thinks for him or her self.

You may get lucky and find a doc you can ‘train’.

I was so sick until I found out about my thyroid from Mary and not the doctor. I was on Armour until it stoppped working and not absorbing now take Thyroid from Canada rx from my doctor and it is great. Go according to how your body and brain feel.

Wow.what a relief to read your comments. I am a 38 year old mother of three and I have been taking thyroxine since having my thyroid removed 12 years ago in an emergency thyroidectomy due to Graves Disease, severe allergic reaction to the medication and subsequent thyrotoxicosis. I feel awful all the time. I have no energy, I cannot lose weight and am sick of being defined by it. I eat next to nothing and still have gained 45kg (100lb?) since having my thyroid removed (mostly in the first few years). I was an extremely active person prior to this. I had trouble breastfeeding my children and I cannot sleep. Until recently I didnt even know there was an alternative to synthetic thyroid hormone! I cannot find a doctor here in Australia (i am a New Zealander living here) who will even test my T3 and T4, let alone even discuss Natural thyroid hormone. I want the chance to try it and make my own decisions about my body and my health. I am going back to NZ in three weeks to visit a family friend who is a doctor and will prescribe natural thyroid – but I dont know what to do when I get back here. I want my life back and to feel something close to normal.

I’ve read your comments and I have a question. Did any of you have thyroid cancer? I just got diagnosed, and they want to take my entire thyroid. Have you all had a total thyroidectomy? Do any of you still have 1 lobe? Can you live on 1 lobe without any added hormone (synthroid or other)?

Me again – I went to the FDA website – I only noted one recall of Armour recently – 60 mg. do not understand recall numbers etc. misc. but minor appears less then the rx I believe is standardly prescribed. My daughter has graves diseae.

I have been taking thyroid meds since about 1966, the dose was 3 g armour, then 300 mcg of synthroid.
In December, 2005, I worked on the Katrina disaster. I was in Dallas and went to a doctor who renewed the same prescription. When I was out of synthroid, went to a second Dr. who told me I no longer needed any synthroid!!! Somehow I got a prescription for the 300 mcg. After leaving Texas, I traveled to E. Washington State and N. Idaho. Eventually, I went to a GP who took blood tests and told me I didn’t need synthroid, but he failed to check the Free T-3 and t-4. Upon the second test, the results indicated I still needed the 300 mcg.
I then worked in Louisiana and left for N. Idaho where I found a physician’s assistant. He decided to cut my dose in half. Since I had a prescription for 150 mcg, I just doubled it. In Sept. I was referred to the Rockwood Clinic in Spokane. The ARNP told me I needed less than 300 mcg, but upped the dose to 175. Also was given a prescription for 50,000 iu of Vitamin D. After over 2 weeks, I began to sleep approximately 16 to 18 hours per day. I could only stay awake for maybe 2 hours at a time. Also was told that I’d have “heart problems” (I do not have any heart problems) if I remained on 300 mcg. I learned from about.com, the opposite is true. After resuming my 300 mcg dose, my sleep disorder began to improve within about 3 weeks. Also, my memory, balance, skin itching seemed to be returning to normal. Has anyone else had similar problems while traveling and/or working and finding doctors, who, in my opinion want to reduce your long-term medication? How did you resolve it? My weight is not a problem as I had a by-pass surgery in 1998 or 99. My family physician kept me on the same 300 mcg…..the physician specializes in internal medicine. Then I moved and began working in Florida, Texas and Louisiana where my contact with medical personnel was extremely diverse in telling me what dosage of meds I should take. The physicians and the nurse had numerous opinions, stating I needed from zero to 300 mcg of synthroid. What can or should I do when traveling? Is there anyone who would take a report on the medical people who, in my opinion, have reeked havoc with my body???? Thanks for any help/advise. My direct email is Murray_99205@yahoo.com. Be sure to put in the subject you are responding to my thyroid questions. Thank you.