Wow! Does the Struggle Ever End? Thyroid...

[Inana]

Dear Everyone,

After months of begging to be started on Thyroid medication, I got given Euthyrox 25 (T4) a week ago and I was expecting my energy to start increasing but *scratching record sound* no such luck! Did I think it would be that easy? I laugh at my naïveté. But... It's only been a week. I am supposed to be on this dose for 6 weeks, and then go back to my doctor, retest, then increase or decrease dosage.

Plus, all of a sudden, my adult acne has hit a record high. My new doctor said the T4 will help with my acne. I'm not holding my breath. Everything is a poopstorm right now and I think this is a theme of my life right now. So, I am taking it one day at a time, and I truly feel like my life is wasting away as I can not enjoy anything feeling so terrible.

I would like to thank humanbean for advising me on Iron Fumarate because my Ferritin went from 12.2 to 52.8 baby! I'm so thrilled. That's the highest I have EVER seen it and I am so grateful for that advise, words can not fully articulate. Now, at least, they can't blame my Ferritin and iron when I complain of weakness and dizziness. Also, it means that I can assist this little dose of T4 to be used by my body.

The struggle is real. I'm as dizzy as a drunk with vertigo on a skateboard. I assume I am undermedicated, and I am tempted to just pop two pills instead of one, but I don't know how T4 works. Maybe it needs time to fully work, so I will wait.

What are your experiences when you started taking T4?

Best Regards,

Inana.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Inana, we have to be patient. It will take many weeks, even months, of retesting, increasing dose by 25mcg, retesting, another 25mcg increase, retesting, etc, until you feel well. You can't rush this, we're talking hormones here, they don't act quickly like a painkiller, we must take not slowly.

When having thyroid tests, always book the earliest appointment of the morning, fast overnight (water allowed), and leave off Levo for 24 hours. This gives the highest possible TSH which is needed when looking for an increase in dose or to avoid a reduction.

Always take your Levo on an empty stomach, one hour before or two hours after food, with a glass of water only, and two hours away from any other medication and supplements (certain supplements four hours).

Ensure all vitamins and minerals are at optimal levels (optimal for us Hypos, not just in range) so that's Vit D, B12, folate and ferritin and keep them there.

Supplement with selenium to help T4 to T3 conversion.

Support adrenals with Vit C and a B Complex. Adrenals, thyroid and sex hormones are all connected.

[Inana in reply to SeasideSusie]

I hear ya SeasideSusie . I really do. Patience is what is needed here, indeed. I can say though that I am happy to start on fixing my issues. The picture was grimmer 5 months ago when people thought I was just making things up. So, at least I am being medicated this time.

I have been supplementing Vitamin D, B Complex, B12, Folate along with iron religiously since January and I am confident that the levels have increased although I have not tested for them recently except Ferritin and Serum Iron. I also take at least 1500mg of Vitamin C a day. So, I am glad that I am on the right track. Now I wait.

I guess, I would be less impatient if the healthy people around me didn't ask, "Are you better? Can we go do stuff now?" every week as if this is some sort of flu. That is so annoying. I suppose they care, and miss me, but from my position, it is just extra pressure for something I can not control.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Inana]

It sucks, I know (((Inana)))

I wish I'd known years ago what I know now, I missed out on such a lot, too late now to make up for it

[Inana in reply to SeasideSusie]

Aaawww, my darling. (((((big, tight hug)))) Please be comforted that your knowledge is helping us clueless, blundering idiots. It might not seem so but what goes around comes around and this positive energy you are sending out will come back to you. <3

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Inana]

😘

[shaws in reply to Inana]

They are unaware that our whole metabolism is affected from head to toe, it's not just in one place that we can carry on as normal. Normal is only when our dose is optimal which might take some time. )

[Inana in reply to shaws]

Yeah... And it truly amazes me how much doctors aren't aware of these days. I will keep being a pain and reminding them of what you said. I need my levels to be optimal, for starters, and secondly, I need to be treated from A to Z. Thanks shaws

[serenfach]

Just a thankyou for making me smile with "poopstorm" and "I'm as dizzy as a drunk with vertigo on a skateboard." I think we can all relate to that! I would give you a hug but would probably miss!

[Inana in reply to serenfach]

LOL. ((((hugs)))))