Need Any Feedback, TSH Changes URGENT

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-21-2002
Need Any Feedback, TSH Changes URGENT
1
Wed, 03-16-2005 - 1:38pm

Any feedback anyone can give me would be great. I've had a thyroid problem since I was eight years old, I'm now 28 so I dealt with it along time, I had the radation done when I was 22. I was on Levoxyl up until a year and a half ago, then I found Armour Thyroid which works a millon times better for me. I was put on Armour in August/2003, on
2 grains, I've been on that same dose and my levels have been good up until January/2005, all of the sudden my thyroid just took a dive. When I was tested in 1/2005 my Tsh was .12, so she made me alternate one day 2 grains, the next day 1.5 grains, and retest in 8 weeks, so I went in last Tuesday on March 8, and my lab came back the exact same .12 after alternating for the past eight weeks, so then they were going to move my dose to 1.5 grains every day. Well I threw a fit because I found this Armour Thyroid due to looking on a Fibromyalgia website because I've been suffering with that since I was 23, and depression, and aniexty, and Armour also helps Fibromyalgia, and when I was on the previous thyroid medicines before Armour I felt ok (thyroid wise) but not like I do on Armour, but ever since they killed my thyroid I've never felt as normal, and balanced (thyroid wise) as I do on the 2 grains of Armour, minus my other health issues, I'm just talking about my thyroid. And even when they started alternating my medication I immediatley could feel a difference I didn't feel as well, tired, cold, weight gain, dry skin, and constipated to the point I had to start taking Metamucil Wafers because it would be as long as three days at a time. So after I threw a fit yesterday about them wanting to lower the medicine to 1.5 grains daily, the nurse says well it is odd that your January lab, and your March lab would be the exact same so were going to rerun it. Well I also thought it was weird to, and I didn't know how that could be possible, she said we'll retest your last sample from March 8th, well I thought how long do you hang onto a persons blood, and how long is it good to get a correct reading. Well later on yesterday she calls me back and says we reran your lab and your TSH is .15, so it went up a little from .12, I want to know how that works? Just by that minimal raise now their going to have me continue to alternate medication from 2 grains one day to 1.5 the next. It doesn't make since to me. I feel awful on this alternating I have all the symptoms of Hypothyroid, and then you look at my test result and it says I'm Hyperthyroid, and after all these years of being hyperthyroid all my life I would definatley now if that were the case, but I have none of those symptoms. I just felt the best when I was on the 2 grains daily, and I don't know why my levels would be fine for a year and two months, and then just dive. But again I have no symptoms no weight loss, heart palipatations, jitteriness, shakes, sweats, absolutey nothing, just the opposite. So now I'm supposed to keep alternating and retest in 6 weeks, but I have to go see her on Friday, because I want to talk to her about this, and let her know that the labs say one thing but I feel the total opposite. Any advice on how to help me to get my point across, or to help me to make her understand, or any thoughts on my oh so long story would be greatly appreciated. Sorry so long, but I'm so worked up, and had to get it out.

Thanks,
AKAROTT

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Wed, 03-16-2005 - 8:17pm
Hi Akaraott- I think your best bet is to tell your doctor how you feel when you're taking the 2 grains every day. But she will be concerned because your tsh is getting to the very low range. Anything below .3 is questionable for hyperthyroid so you can see where her concern is. She's probably trying to keep you on an even keel so your tsh level doesn't drop any further. But talk to her about how you're feeling because that's important, too. Surely there are other options besides alternating days. Just over the past few months, I was taking 137 mcg of Synthroid Mon-Thurs and 125 mcg on Fri, Sat and Sun. So there may be other options for you, too, like taking 2 grains M-Thurs and 1.5 Fri to Sun. I'm just throwing that schedule out there. I have no idea what your doctor would prescribe but ... you can try to talk to her about that, too. Changing the schedule so you get less medication overall but not so much less that you begin to feel hypo symptoms. That's what your goal should be, in my opinion. That and getting across to your doc that you just aren't feeling as good on less medication. Hope this helps. Let us know what happens and if you need anything else. Cathy :)