Feeling exhausted, sad and brain fogged in Switzerland. It was discovered in Dec. 2016 that I have hypo thyroidisim. I have been struggling with weight gain, confusion, depression, hot flashes and mood swings for the last 4 years. Age 56 now (for some reason my ex-Gyno and my ex-GP poo pooed the Hormon testing I had begged for) I finally found a doctor here that tested my Hormons ( I thought it was menopause symptoms) including thyroid Hormon levels first thing. My TSH was 16.80 fT4 11.6
I was put on Levothyroxin 50, 75 and now 100 micro ml per day. Have read so much on the subject, changed my diet to no gluten, dairy or sugar ( to heal leaky gut ) but I'm starting to lose hope.
I feel even worse now, any suggestions? I will see my new doc again in a few weeks. Thank you for listening.
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DJTS
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Your TSH was very high. What is the date of that test? Have you had any more blood tests since? Could you please reply with full details of blood tests including normal ranges in brackets and dates taken.
Have you had blood tests to check nutrients levels? .In particular : Vitamin D, B12,.Folate and Ferritin? If so please put results on here. If not please ask your doctor to do them asap.
I'm taking d3 and b12 will ask her to check. My levels were way above the norm TSH and a bit below in Tf4 in December. That's when I was put on Levothyroxin Have not seen the results of last test yet but will get all the details at my next visit.
Why are you taking D3 and B12 supplements? Did you have these tested? Did you have Folate and Ferritin tested also?
Have you had any blood tests for Thyroid Antibodies? Have you seen an Endocrinologist? I gather that the answer to both these questions is 'no' ?
When do you take your Levothyroxine? Early morning one hour before food and drink with water only? OR last thing at night at least two hours after last food and drink? When do you take your D3 and B12? Are you taking any other medication ? If so at what time of day?
These are the first and only test results I have copies of, yes. That is when I was told to take the Thyroid tabs. 50mml in the morning 1-2 hrs before eating, that was December. Went back to test in April ( don't have copy of the results from that 2nd test). At that point Doc upped the dosage to 100mml. So have been on that dose for 2 1/2 months as well as suggested D3 at lunch & B12 mornings, going gluten and dairy free. My Doc would have to transfer me to an Endocrinologist. I'm a new comer to the whole wonderful world of Thyroid problems. Still learning. Am just not feeling great and wanted to find some support. Are you a doctor or do you have experience with Thyroid symptoms? What is Folate, Ferritin? What's the abbreviation for Thyroid antibodies? I'm taking Symbicort for asthma in the morning 2 inhales. No other meds
I speak only from personal experience and what I have learned from this community and research and asking questions.
Did your doctor not tell you that you should not take any other medication or supplements at the same time as your Levothyroxine?
Did your doctor say to take B12? Has doctor tested for Pernicious Anemia? Folate is Vitamin B9 an essential nutrient that many of us on here lack. Folic Acid is usually prescribed for this deficiency - but it is best to be tested for Pernicious Anemia first before taking. Hypothyroidism causes absorption issues, - this is why it is good to get nutrients levels tested for . That is the recommendation on this forum.
I was diagnosed in 2011 but know I was Hypothyroid many years earlier.
I was referred to an Endocrinologist after I had an Ultrasound scan of my Thyroid. The Endo arranged a Short Synacthen Test to check my adrenals first, result was OK. He then said I could start my 50mcg Levothyroxine which was increased to 75mcg - my present dose.
I am also still learning. But as far as I am aware we should not take ANY medications or supplements at the same time as Levothyroxine. Supplements should be taken 4 hours away from Levothyroxine.
I understand that it is best to take supplements early in day and with food to benefit most. So if you take your Levothyroxine one hour before breakfast would it be best to take your B12 and others with or after lunch? See what others on here say.
I am not familiar with Symbicort - someone more qualified than I am may advise on that shortly.
My symptoms were numerous and sometimes I was very ill.
The Endocrinologist in 2011 tested FreeT3 and Free T4 also Thyroid Antibodies. Mine were raised therefore my diagnosis was Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroiditis and Hypothyroidism.
You will get lots of support on here. There are many people who understand what you are going through and will 'listen' with genuine love and a caring attitude and advise as best they can.
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies. If raised this indicates Autoimmune Thyroiditis (Hashimoto's )
Tg is short for Thyroglobulin (a protein found in Thyroid cells)
2) Ferritin is a protein that contains iron . This test is to check for iron deficiency.
You could look up Vitamin B12 and Folate deficiencies and Vitamin D deficiency and others symptoms on NHS choices. Or just Google.
Hope this helps answer your questions.
X🐥
DJTS: create a new post with all your most recent levels and ranges as soon as you have them. They likely will get lost by adding them to an older post 😉. Have you done any reading on NDT yet (natural Dessicated Thyroid)? Some people just don't do well on Levo. And it's often recommended her to try gluten free to bring down your antibodies and decrease inflammation. You are in the right place to access loads of info and helpful advice from the community. X Rusty
Thank you, I've read a book called "The Thyroid Connection" by Amy Myers MD and have surfed the web daily trying to find natural solutions. Have to ask about NDT. I really appreciate the tips and will repost newest labs asap.
You should be retested after an increase in 6-8 weeks .You should have TSH,FT4 and FT3 plus antibody tests ,in the UK docs usually only test TSH once levo is started but it is not enough.
Hi DJTS. I live in France and have Hashimotos. I was diagnosed 2 years ago and told to take my Levo and that my thyroid was a little underactive. I had fatigue, moood swings, depression, anger, severe stomach pain on-and off, migraines, insomnia, etc, etc, plus my husband had cancer last year and I was really mentally and physically exhausted. I put a lot of symptoms down to being post-menopausal and age, I'm nearly 60. In March by chance I watched an on-line documentary with Izabella Wentz on Hashis and joined up the dots and realised these are all Hashimoto's symptoms, one of the worst being leaky gut. I felt very relieved that I was not going mad or imagining symptoms that weren't there. I had new tests done and discovered I had nodules on my thyroid and antibodies, and that it has reduced in size (Endo told me not to worry - it will just die-off eventually!?) Isabella Wenzt has 2 books out and a website and I found them really helpful, unlike GPS or endos who are really not up-to-date on all things thyroid. I've just seen a naturopath in Paris (she consults by Skype and FaceTime) who gave me some really good advice and recommended the gaps diet to heal my leaky gut. If you can heal your gut you can reduce the antibody attack on your thyroid. Personally I adopted the aip diet back in March (went in 110% as usual, not always a good idea) which entailed eliminating dairy, gluten, grains, refined sugars, nightshades, etc, but with hindsight, I think the gaps diets is gentler and more healing so I would advise that. It takes a bit of perseverance and you should read up on it before you start and make sure you can source the foods you need. I felt better after a few days and have eliminated most of my symptoms and have much more energy, positivity, etc. With regard to free T4 and T3 readings, she said the reference most Naturopaths use is T4 should be between 1 and 1.5 and T3 between 3 and 4 and TSH 1.8 to 3. Sorry to ramble on but I think you really have to be well informed and I have found that functional naturopaths who specialise in thyroid conditions have much more recent info that endos who did their training perhaps 20 or 30 years ago and have not updated their knowledge since then. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the comment, I ran across Isabelle Wentz online and was so relieved to read her info and blog. I feel better already just having heard from several people in the same situation ( I'm not alone after all ) take care
Hi DJTS. Meant to say, the Naturopath told me that one of the best foods for leaky gut is bone broth, which is really what our mothers used as a stock for soup. I'm lucky as my butcher has beef from grass fed cows, but you can use any bones. Roast them for 15 minutes or so, then put them in a large pan with tbsp of apple cider vinegar and some salt and cover with pure water. I put mine in a crock pot (slow cooker) and let them cook until everything comes out of the bones. Then I sieve it but keep the nice bits of meat which come of the bone. When it cools it turns into a jelly and will keep in the fridge for about a week, so you can just take some out and heat it as you go. I know it's a bit of a faff but I don't mind since I'm doing something to help myself. I'm supposed to drink a cup with every meal. If you want you can put in veg and herbs for flavour but make sure the veg are cooked down. Good luck and remember, you're not alone.
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