2 weeks ago Doctor told me i had an extremely underactive Thyroid, i never knew how serious it could be until now....

[ShiwaJewels]

Hi to everyone on Thyroid UK, and any newbies that may be reading this, my names Jewels, i have a 6 year old son, and a 7 month old little girl. I went to the Doctor a few weeks back explaining to her how tired i felt, and how i was getting numbness in my body and face, and my joints were aching, and sore wrists etc, also sore throats, and more migraines, my memory wasn't that good and my eyesight was starting to go blurry and just the fact i could not get up out of bed in the morning...

I actually thought it would be my iron levels after recently having a baby...and she said we will check your blood test before diagnosing anything...

A few days later i went into the surgery, complaining how i'd started feeling even worse and just couldnt stay awake after getting up with the kids, she said she was glad i'd come in as she was going to contact me as my Blood test results got rushed back from the hospital and that i needed to start treatment immediatley.

She told me i had an underactive Thyroid, and it was the worst case she had ever seen, she didn't know how i had the strength to carry on as i have been as she said a lady who wasn't half as bad as me couldnt get out of bed for weeks on end.

I hadn't a clue what this Thyroid thing was she tryed to explain it to me but i just got the fact that i had to take 1 Levothyroxine a day for 1 week, then 2 tablets for 2 weeks, then 3 tablets for 2 weeks, then 4 tablets for 2 weeks...and that i had to come back in for a blood test on the 5th week...

I walked out of the surgery and my husband was standing there waiting in the car park, and i just cryed, and blubbed out that i had this thyroid thing and that i had to take tablets for the rest of my life!

So off i went and well 2 weeks later i can say i don't really feel much different...i'm still the same as how i felt when i first went in the doctors.

I have looked into having an Underactive Thyroid now, more than what i had ever in my life. And iv spoken to a few people and everyone has said they know people with overactive thyroids and they are either fine or a little overweight or tired...

I was thinking this has got to be good news.

I heard that you can be overweight with having an underactive thyroid, but i'm no different to be honest...just abit of a potbelly formed but nothing else, i just thought that was from having a baby...

Iv also been checking my heartrate every morning before i even move around, it's been inbetween the 40's - 50's, i'm hoping it'll go up.

I'v also been put on ferrous fumerate iron tablets as this is low also i take this in the evening.

Now i know there must be quite a few people in the UK who have the same as me, and i'd love to know your thoughts and how you are coping...

As a student Yoga teacher i never thought i'd actually get anything of the sort....but obviously it's just meant to be...

So here's my first blog and theres probably many more to come over time to give other people an idea of what its like with the treatment.

[vikkihope]

Hiya, I'm also new to this aswel And like you I had the same thing happen to me my youngest was 6 months old when i was diagnose and that was 11 years ago, don't want to upset up but I'm on the understanding that you can lead a normal life with it but unlike me and probably a lot off others people this illness can be an nightmare, you come to the right site hopefully you will feel better soon they say 6 months before you will notice a difference take care vikki

[binky]

I am so sorry that you have this condition as it is not an easy disease to live with. I was diagnosed when I was in my forties and was medicated with 350-375 mg of thyroxine and I have found out since that large doses can possibly the cause of a heart attack which indeed happened to me. My advise is that you get a good endocologist to treat you as GP's are not the best people to be in charge of your medication. Hopefully you have a good Doctor and this is not necessary in your case. There are several very good books to read up on and the more you know the better is will be for you. Good luck and try to keep your spirits up!

[wakeham]

Hi Shila sorry to hear that you so ill, hope that with the tabs you soon feel a lot better from wakeham

[wakeham]

Hi binky thanks for your positive thoughts i will ask my GP to send me to a endoclogist regards wakeham.

[Chippysue]

Nice to meet you, it is good that you are taking an interest in your illness, there is so much to read on the subject! There are two points I would like to make, 1. is please don't expect to feel better for a good few months as it takes a long time to increase your medication to the right level and even then it can take a while after reaching your optimum dose.

The 2nd point is that you must take your iron tablets at least 4 hours apart from your thyroxine, I hope that your GP mentioned this to you, and did he tell you to take your thyroid meds with water only?

[shezz in reply to Chippysue]

oh i have just read this and every now and agsain i have to go on iron tabs as my bloods gets very low , but i used to take them with my thyroxine i did not know that u have to take them apart next time i am on them i will take that on board

[Alli1]

I think the point you made about taking your meds with water only is a very important one and something that is not generally known, From my experience the Dr's don't tell us this. I was taking my meds with cranberry juice and I think it caused an adverse reaction in that it seemed to make my thyroxine less potent, in any event I became more hypo, I think I am noticing a change since I began taking my meds with just water.

[ShiwaJewels]

Thanks for all your views girl, i am hoping iv got a good doctor, i'm not actually sure how long iv had an underactive thyroid for as i have been fighting with my body since i was in my teens. So i may not have known i had it til it got to the stage where it was just all too much....

I shall see how things go over the next few months, and if it dosent feel any different or if i'm not getting anywhere with the doctor then i'll ask to see a specialist.

I'm taking the thyroxine first thing in the morning with water and then i don't eat anything for 2 hours after as i'm trying to get the tablets into my system more. I take the iron in the evening with orange juice, but iv been looking at the diet and increasing my intake of fish, eggs etc..and trying to avoid soy etc...pretty hard as iv been having soya for years now...

[Muffy]

The latest research says that thyroid medication should be taken last thing at night.

You could always then take your iron in the mornings.

[ShiwaJewels]

Would that not keep me awake at night though? I'm not feeling any change during the day as yet but it's only been a few weeks. And I really need my sleep in the evenings as it's the only time my 7 month old sleeps

I saw the report about Imogen lloyds weber about how she started alternative therapy and she's been off the levothyroxine for 6 years, it does sound appealing, any thoughts on it?

[Muffy]

Well, some patients need T3 added to their thyroxine and some only find the solution on Natural Dessiccated thyroid, Armour Thyroid being one of those.

As you will note from the insert in your thyroxine packet, the medical practioner should be sure that your adrenal glands are working well otherwise you would feel worse on any thyroid medication until that was corrected.

I don't know what the alternative therapy was, but maybe she had a flair up of auto-immune thyroid problems and they haven't reared their ugly head again since, but at some time, then I presume the thyroid symptoms would return, but I can't help you there. Oprah came off her thyroid medication, but if you look at her, her weight has gone back on and she is often saying she's tired etc.

As for sleeping at night, sometimes the lack of sleep is due to thyroid problems and so the thyroid medication will actually help to give you a better night's sleep, although I would presume that it can vary from patient to patient. It is also meant to have a better effect.

I have mentioned to others about this and they have not only felt better, but have had a better sleep pattern.

Hope this helps.