Need Encouragement: I increased to 2 3/4 grains... - Thyroid UK

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Need Encouragement

Trina64 profile image
9 Replies

I increased to 2 3/4 grains of NatureThroid 4 days ago. My progress remains up and down to say the least. I am working my way up to 3 grains and then will test in 6 weeks. My last test results on 2 1/2 grains showed that I was still very much hypo. My worse symptoms are crying for no apparent reason, getting anxious off and on (though it has been getting a little better), muscle and joint pain.

Will someone please remind me that this will get better? There are days that I just don't think I can do it one more day, but then what choice do I have. I just want my happy, fun-loving, energetic, focused self back. She has been missing for most of the last 4 years even though I was diagnosed over a decade ago and did what I think was okay, but looking back I realized I was very much either on the wrong hormone replacement or not on enough.

Any encouragement would be welcomed! I can handle the dry skin and hair falling out, but the mental stuff is horrible for me! If you can share success stories, that would be wonderful.

This is an amazing community of people helping each other. I have been on another site and the people are there are not nearly as friendly and only have one protocol and if you don't ascribe to it, then......

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9 Replies
Jazzw profile image
Jazzw

It does get better, yes. It takes a while, but you’ll get there. I’m on 3 grains of Nature-Throid and it’s my sweet spot. But what really helped was making sure my Vit B12, Vit D and ferritin levels were optimal.

Have you had those tested? For us hypothyroid folk, the levels of these often drop into our boots and cause more problems. It’s because being hypothyroid affects gut absorption.

Trina64 profile image
Trina64 in reply to Jazzw

They were tested at one time and I think the only one low was D3. I now have it in the upper 90s. Did you find you felt worse for a while after an increase?

Trina64 profile image
Trina64 in reply to Jazzw

Was anxiety one of your symptoms? Is do, did it go away? Thanks for your encouragement.

Helena877 profile image
Helena877

I’m doing well on 3 grains Nature Throid. It has taken me about a year to get here (went on to T3-only for a while - I’m impatient 😂).

I first noticed muscle weakness and just a general lethargy about 2008 and it gradually worsened. I was only diagnosed in Oct 2016.

I take 2 grains in the morning and another one in the afternoon. This works best for me.

My worst experience was having a Hashi’s flare. My skin was hyper sensitive - scalp hot and painfully itchy. Symptoms were similar to being under medicated.

I’ve now gotten to realise how my body tells me all is not well. Dry and cracked fingers that appear out of nowhere, itchy thighs and my psoriasis patches become red and tender.

The current position is my hair is fuller. It’s always being fairly fine but I can feel there is more of it now. My psoriasis has vanished. It disappeared for a week early on in my treatment but had persisted since 2010 save for during my pregnancy.

Every day I am grateful that I found this forum on day 1 of diagnosis. GP considered me to be borderline with a TSH a little over 10 😑 On Day 2 I had a prescription. I find the best way to deal with the medical profession is to present facts - a lot of them have seen so much death and illness that they are immune to emotions.

So.... in response to the OP. My first symptoms to disappear were depression/anxiety mix, then lethargy/muscle weakness in particular the arms, catnaps became a luxury not a daily necessity , then recently noticed that my hair is much fuller and my psoriasis has disappeared. Blood test tomorrow....

Trina64 profile image
Trina64 in reply to Helena877

Thank you so much for your reply. Did you have to get stable on the 3 grains before symptoms disappeared or did they start going away before then?

Helena877 profile image
Helena877 in reply to Trina64

Some disappeared with the introduction of the T3 in the NDT but most took a while. Yes I would say that it is only recently that I have become stable. The psoriasis is the best indicator for me - it would flare-up, disappear a bit, flare-up. Now there are only a few patches of dry skin :-)) Like the experiences on the board always say - does seem to take time.

I take mine by dissolving in my mouth then swallowing with a large glass of water when it’s all powdery. That seems to make it work faster, the T3 that is

Trina64 profile image
Trina64 in reply to Helena877

One more question...with this last 1/4 grain increase, I seem to have more intense hypo symptoms. I jitter a little more and want to clinch my jaw. I am positive I am not over medicated. Did you experience some increases rougher than others? I am trying to have patience and let my body settle into the new dose.

Helena877 profile image
Helena877 in reply to Trina64

I foolishly increased from 2 to 3 grains on the advice of my Dr. During that time I had a Hashi’s flare so that period was rough. My fingers felt electrified one day and my scalp felt as though it had being burnt.

My free T3 was high - about 11 and I hadn’t taken my medication for 24hrs pre-test. I managed to get it back down quickly by taking nothing for a week or two. That was the best thing I did - against advice of others. It brought my T3 levels down quickly. I then started back on two grains and crept back up to three.

On the flare up I didn’t feel over medicated. In fact the way I was feeling, I was convinced I was under medicated. I guess that’s why it’s important to have regular blood tests and not simply go by how you feel. At least if it happens again i’ll Know the symptoms. I feel that we are all suffering slightly different.

Trina64 profile image
Trina64 in reply to Helena877

Thanks! It is a long, hard process! I know my body is just not balanced. My mornings are so hard, but by afternoon and evening, everything feels much better. I discovered that I cannot take 2 grains at one time right now. I was so jittery and hot. If I split my dose in 3 right now, I seem to handle it much better. I can't tell what are hypo symptoms and what are just from the increase.

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