Recently diagnosed hypothyroid

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Recently diagnosed hypothyroid
5
Thu, 04-12-2007 - 3:27pm

Hi! I was diagnosed in March of having hypothyroid. The dr. put me on meds right away, and that's what's driven me to post here; i feel like crap! I NEVER felt like this before, in fact, when he told me (we discovered this through a routine blood test he wanted to do because I just turned 40), i was shocked! I have experienced no symptoms til now. I've been on the meds 3 weeks tomorrow. I'm weak, tired, foggy, unable to concentrate...depressed, no sex drive. I had to stop working out and lifting weights for a while because I could barely finish a set. I am not overweight, in fact, this is the healthiest I've ever been! This is driving me nuts! I even called him this morning to say I didn't want to take the meds anymore....he told me to keep taking them, it's not the meds, it's my blood, and I go see him next Thursday to discuss the recent round of blood work and the ultrasound I had yesterday. He told me my levels were 23.95! I don't remember which it was T3 or T4, just that he hadn't seen a level that high in years. He explained it's an inverse relationship; the higher the number, the less hormone the thyroid is producing.

Anyone else with a level like that?

I can't tell you how petrified I am that this has something to do with cancer. I am scared out of my underwear.

Thanks for sharing all your stories.....It's nice to see I'm not alone.

Avatar for cl_calley7
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Thu, 04-12-2007 - 3:44pm

Hi misspittoo,


Welcome to our board.


 

Calley7

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-29-2004
Fri, 04-13-2007 - 11:30am

Hello,

I also have hypothyroidism. I don't know my exact numbers but was diagnosed about 4 years ago (I'm 30 now). Those are all definietly symptoms of hypothyroidism. I agree that it was really frustrating being tired all the time and I gained alot of weight even though I was going to the gym and watching what I was eating before I was diagnosed. You were very lucky that you did not gain weight.

It's REALLY important that you take your medicine. If any thyroid conditon is not treated, it can be dangerous down the road. As your doctor said, it's your thyroid, not the medicine causing the symptoms. You have to give it time to work and you will have to go back for check-ups/blood tests to make sure you levels are okay. My dosage has never stayed the same since I was diagnosed. It's either gone up or down. You will eventually learn the signs when your numbers aren't where they're supposed to be. You start getting the symptoms again and they will need to adjust your medicine levels.

Don't worry yourself about cancer, that thought is a bit extreme right now unless you doctor specifically told you that you have cancer.

You also want to tell your Endo and any other doctors, of any other meds you're taking. If you plan on taking anything, even if it's over the counter, read the box. If it says check with your doctor if you have "thyroid disease", then you check with your doctor.

I'm not a doctor but I know many people with hypo and found out that their doctor never told them a tidbit of info that mine did. Take you medicine 1 hour before you eat. I find it easiest to leave the bottle next to my bed and when I wake up in the morning take it and then by the time I get to work, I can eat. I say this because your body won't absorb the medicine the way it's supposed if you eat when you take the pill.

Sorry it's so long but I remember not kowing much about hypo and over the years learning so much. Hope this helps. If you have any questions, let me know.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 04-13-2007 - 2:49pm

Thank you so much for responding to me. I am still quite baffled, mostly because I exhibited NO symptoms what-so-ever until my blood work came back. I wonder if I didn't go to the doctor when I did if/when this would've shown up? I am also wondering how long it's been like this......I am stumped. I truly hope I don't gain any weight. I have fortunately never had a weight problem, and would hate to develope one now! lol! Especially given how hard I work out and eat properly to start with.

I must say, yesterday was horrible. That's why I was blaming the meds....I didn't feel that way beforehand. Today is better...I don't feel bad at all (knock on wood).

I guess I am wondering how will I know if the meds are "working" if I didn't notice anything wrong in the first place? I'm not sure how things work in the U.S, but my doctor here in Canada doesn't usually see you/want to talk to you unless you make an app't. Which is a pain....because it's a 45 minute drive for me to go see him, schlepping a 4 year old along the way! lol!

My doctor never mentioned cancer at all; it's my paranoid brain working overtime because I was a smoker for 15 years. Now, when I get a headache, I have brain cancer. Nuts, eh?

I do take the meds when I wake up; I don't usually eat for at least an hour after that, so I'm okay that way. I am disappointed that I won't be able to use my soy protein supplement anymore; I'm allergic to whey and can't use that either. Good-bye muscle building assistance!

Thanks again....

Kim

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-04-2006
Tue, 04-17-2007 - 8:45am

I think I had levels close to that when I was first diagnosed years ago. I just found out reciently that I have hashimoto's thyroiditis. Very thankful for that, I thought I had cancer too and turned out I don't. So don't panic yet. Even so, if it is, its very treatable.

We are always here if you want to talk

Saying "I can't" is a bad word at my house.-Adrienne
anonymous
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2007
Wed, 04-18-2007 - 11:16am
Hello There....I just rec'd a call from my doctors office saying my levels are way too high and they want me to come in and discuss meds. I am scared to death!!! I dont really know what hypothyroid really means guess the dr. will explain and the thought of going on meds freaks me out. I am also afraid of weight gain too (I used to exercise alot but lately I dont have the energy for it anymore) besides all the other side effect of the pills.
I have been going back and forth to the gyn for repeat paps/biopsys for more than a year now because of abnormal paps, dysplasia, LSIL and AGUS...I am so very tired of it all....and now this! I keep wondering if it is all connected some how. Sorry to keep going on but its a comfort that I am not the only HYPO out there....lol ....
we'll get through it....