My current endo had me on levothyroxine then switched me to armour but I came out in hives. I'm currently on 2.5 grains of nature thyroid per day. But still been getting lots of symptoms. I go through cycles one week I'm absolutely exhausted + can't get out of bed even though I have had 8/9hrs sleep, depressed, brain fog. The following week I have insomnia, anxious, irritable.
My libido is non exsistent. I have forgotten what normal feels like. My current endo says my bloods look fine that it is because I have moved from the uk to the USA I'm having problems adjusting! This is absolute bollocks as I feel very settled and have lived in many countries. So I have decided to look for a new endo. I had an appointment with her yesterday and she seemed baffled that I had ever been put on T3 + T4 replacement like armour and nature thyroid and says she would only use those products on very unique cases. She said it is outdated practice to use these products and the body should be able to convert T3 into T4 (sorry if I have got this the wrong way round). She is going to do new blood work vit d + b12 testing, also a scan on the thyroid. Then she said she is going to start me on synthroid. I'm willing to try anything as been feeling SO crappy but which doctor is right!! I don't want to have another year of trying new meds + changing the doses + still come out the other end feeling like this!! Please if anyone can help me I would appreciate it, thank you
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Maddiethemadwoman
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If you feel unwell, then mineral and vitamin tests are important. Some of the most important ones are ferritin/iron, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and folate. Other important ones are magnesium and zinc, although getting tested for those is usually very difficult. With reference to B12, the "normal" B12 test is rather pointless. It needs to be the Active B12 test to get a true picture of how much B12 you have available to you. It would be worth asking which test your doctor is arranging to be done.
It could be you have issues with cortisol/adrenal levels. A saliva test is a good investment.
And you may simply be under-medicated. You really need to get TSH, free T4 and free T3 measured, as well as thyroid antibodies. A reverse T3 test would be helpful as well.
T4 is converted by the body into T3 by the way, not the other way around.
This may help you to remember. T4 is so named because it is a Tyrosine molecule with 4 iodine molecules attached. T3 is Tyrosine with 3 iodine molecules attached. In order to create T3, the body needs T4 as the raw material, and one iodine molecule is knocked off T4 when the body needs T3. If that doesn't help, then just forget it.
It sounds like you need an open-minded thyroid specialist, not just someone who will write you off with more levo. You've been on it before and it didn't work, so why this endo is putting you back on it defies explanation.
I think American endos can be just as blinkered as they are here, but they are not tied to the same rigid protocol as in the UK. There is a broader spectrum of possible treatment, but you need to see someone who is familiar with meds other than levo.
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Have you thought of joining a US online thyroid group to ask for a recommendation in your local area? Or you could try ringing some local pharmacies to find out which doctors prescribe Armour. I don't know if this is information they can disclose but it would be worth a try.
I believe that doctors in the USA are given 'incentives' to provide the product of a certain pharmaceutical companies.
If anything is 'old hat' it is synthroid. Levothyroxine all over the world appears to have had more recalls than Nature-throid which has had the same consistency in T3 and T4 for 75 years.
I think incentives are widespread. My gp gets special funding for prescribing antidepressants. The difference is that nhs incentives come from the taxpayer rather than the manufacturer/distributor via the individual and/or their insurance.
I enjoy knowing how things are In the UK my gene poll is mainly English. Scottish. & since we Moving toward 1 system med. care I want to know what to expect.
Thank you all. It feels so hard to think thru all this brain fog but you have highlighted my suspicions that going to synthroid would be a bad move! I appreciate all the advice on here
I've been on synthroid for a year and a half...I'm in the US and none of the dr's here will touch Armour saying it's an old drug. It seems that Synthroid and Armour works differently for everyone. I keep asking as I have read so much stating Armour works well. For myself, Synthroid has many side effects therefore I'd like to try Armour. With the Synthroid one of my biggest complaints is the hair loss which many experience. I have half the thicknesses if what I once had. I can tell when my levels are good as I am alert and out of the fog. But the hair loss is very bothersome.
I'm in the US and it's extremely hard to find a Dr who will prescribe Armour. I have seen 3 endos and they look at me like I'm crazy when I ask about armour. I keep going back to my family doctor to manage my thyroid because these endos are useless. I'm at my wits end...synthroid has caused me to lose half my hair...along with many other crazy symptoms! As far as the brain fog and feeling exhausted... I was right there with you. I have a job where I have to be extremely focused and alert so you can imagine how I've struggled...I have done a lot of reading on vitamins and found that whole food based vitamins absorb 198% better than over the counter vitamins..so...I have a friend who is a distributor for Shaklee (in business since the 1950's and very reputable). She never tried to push these vitamins on me...i showed her the article regarding whole foods based vitamins and I asked her if those vitamins are whole food based and they are! They are very expensive but at that point I was willing to try anything! So I had her sign me up for the VitaGold vitamins. I'm in my 5th month taking them and OMG these vitamins are amazing! My energy is back and I feel alert and the brain fog has gone away! These vitamins are $87 per month and I will pay for them the rest of my life just so I feel this good! I have to say they are life changing! I'm in the Chicago area and I really wish I could find a good Endo...so far...no luck!
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