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Am underatvie and taking thyroid meds, am also ... - Thyroid UK
Am underatvie and taking thyroid meds, am also depressed and taking antidepressants. Last Monday my GP also prescribed propranolol, is this a good idea for an underactive thyroid? Any thoughts ?
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Ellimay
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i used to take that when i had an overactive thyroid......dont know about taking it for an underactive one...hopefully someone else more in the know here will be able to help you out,
RedAppleAdministrator
Hello,
There isn't an simple answer to this. If you're able to provide some more info, it might help us to offer some thoughts.
How long have you been on thyroid medication? What dose of thyroxine are you currently taking and how long have you been on this dose?
What symptoms led your GP to prescribe propranolol and what is the dose?
What anti-D are you taking and how long have you been on it?
Hello and thanks for your reply. Have been taking 2 grains of Armour and 25mcg Thyroxine for approximately 5 years and this was when I was living in the North East. No "ordinary" GP agreed I was Hypo, saw Gordon Skinner who had no doubts whatsoever.
Have been taking Cipralex 20mg daily for about 4 years for depression, but have never felt they helped me as still depressed.
2 years ago had heart attack and soon after this became Agoraphobic so have not been out for this time, except a short walk round the large gardens here.
I think he prescribed Propranolol to calm my anxiety, but I am not anxous in the least and already take Diazepam. Am calm under most ircumstances except for "going out"and as I am already overweight and lethargic feel perhaps the Propranolol will make matters worse. He has prescribed 30 mg daily.
This was on a routine home visit and sadly this GP has not got a clue about Hypo.
Ellimay
Based on what you've told us so far, I'm wondering if you might possibly be slightly overmedicated for your thyroid condition. If the anti-Ds are not helping, that could be because they're not suitable for you and you need a different sort. But it could also be because your thyroid level is inappropriate for you.
Depression and being overweight tends to be associated with too little thyroid hormone. However, people (especially doctors) often don't realise that too much thyroid medication can cause the same symptoms for some people. So let's look at that aspect first. Do you get tested for your thyroid regularly? Are you able to quote here the results of your most recent test?
Hello again - I honestly do not want to take up too much of your time with perhaps may have been a daft question in the first place, I hate bothering anyone.
My GP does not test my thyroid hormones and in a way I am glad, or perhaps plain stupid, because this GP only goes by TSH and you are either Hypo or Hyper no matter what your symptoms!
My last test was done in hospital three years ago and scribbled on a note stuck to my file at the end of my bed which I then proceeded to "steal" for want of a better word. The note said "please reverse dose of thyroid meds as TSH is 0.05 and T3 is 7.1".
I cannot accept that that my meds are too much, or again maybe denial is my second name! I am overweight, high cholesterol,hair falling out, skin like a dried up prune, no body hair, consistently low temp 35, no outer eyebrows to name a few this has to be consistent with Hypo in my mind, because I surely do not have any symptoms of Hyper. However the strange thing that besides not being tired anymore my symptoms remain the same as 5 years ago.
Surely if too much Thyroid meds are taken over a period of 5 years I would be Thyrotoxic. Surely again we are putting too much emphasis on blood tests, when the symptoms far outweigh the blood results, to me that would mean my blood tests are being treated and not my symptoms.
My blood was tested again last Monday, but only TSH, which I have not got results for yet, however GP has withdrawn Armour (Erfa now) and put me on 100mcg Thyroxine, which I have not started yet.
5 years ago despite all the symptoms TSH, T3 and T4 were bang in the middle of ranges and I was sent away with a flea in my ear and an appointment with a psychiatric nurse. I then saw Dr Skinner, Dr Peatfield and Dr Myhill, each one told l me I was Hypo. Perhaps I am just crazy now, as nothing seems to add up. Thanks.
Ellimay, I do sympathise with you. Do you still see Dr Skinner for annual check ups? If so could you arrange to see him as changing over to levothyroxine by your GP may not be helpful.
It sounds as though you have not been well regardless of being treated for hypo. I too am still searching for answers.
For me when I have been over medicated I actually don't have hypEr symptoms, I just have hypO symptoms that become worse.
Depression is a symptom of hypo as I am sure you know so I believe that the answer is to work at getting the right thyroid medication which is such a slow job.
We cannot ignore the blood test results, they have to be part of the story and what I do is write on the blood form (naught I know) that my Free T4 needs to be tested for specialist.
The list of symptoms that you have sure looks like you are still hypo.
Some straight forward things to check (apologies if you know of these) are you taking your meds with water and have nothing else for at least half an hour? Or do you take armour underneath your tongue? Some folk have said that Erfa has not been as good as Armour.
Are you taking any iron or calcium or supplements that contain them? are you eating or taking anything else that can interfere with the absorption of thyroid meds e.g. antiacids?
You are not wasting anyones time, we all gain so much by talking to each other, we are also all quite different
Suze, thanks so much. I think am so low in confidence that I now apologise for apologising! and really feel guilty about "bothering" anyone.
When I saw Dr Skinner I lived in the North East but now it is a 500 mile journey, so, no I have not seen anyone in the last few years. Sadly, I became agoraphobic about 2 years ago which makes things even harder.
I was prescribed Armour privately and carried on getting this when I moved back home to the South through the NHS, my GP has for ages tried to get me off Armour and onto Thyroxine, when he saw me at home last Monday he told me I had to have Thyroxine, so that's it. I took my first Thyroxine today.
I do not take my tablets like you have described but rather sling them in when I think of it, I did not really know this could make any difference.
My TSH taken last week has come back as 0.10 (0.35 - 5.50) which I beleive would be right for the medication I am taking.
However, something strange is happening, I am constantly hot, my skin flushes red and I have cold sweats and simply cannot tolerate any heat whatsoever. Have to have a fan on 24 hours a day. Menopause passed years and years ago and took HRT for 16 years.
Picked up on that because you said you could have been over medicated but your symptoms were Hypo, not Hyper. What to do next? I have no idea, I can only say I have never really felt better even after some 6 years on medication for Thyroid.
