I feel worse, used to run every day now I am too exhausted. Gained 7 lbs since that last appointment. I know it's a battle to treat the symptoms and not the levels, but do doctors treat when you start getting to my level and are obviously responding to the meds??????? I really just want to cry!
I don't know what meds you are taking....but in my book you the only thing that has made any appreciable progress is your TSH...and who cares about that one! If my levels looked like yours...well, I would feel like you do.
IMO you need a bump in meds. If you are unfortunate enough to have a TSH worshiping doc then you may need to go doctor shopping.
So what do my T3 & T4 levels mean exactly?
I am not sure if she is a 'worshipper' or not. Her thoughts were I was still all new to this and it might take a little longer than 6 weeks.
What should I do??
Annie, your T4 and T3 are you actual thyroid hormones. These are the markers you use to judge how well you're doing, if you need more hormones, etc. They haven't changed much at all since you started treatment which is why you don't feel any better.
While it might take a little longer than 6 weeks to build up the levels in your system, it's highly unlikely that the dose you're presently on is adequate.
It's annoying, and frustrating, but you may need to find a different doctor. I had to go through 3 until I found one who understands thyroid. A tip is to look for an osteopath or a naturopath; they understand thyroid much better than Gps or Endos. There are tips in the Information Archive on how to prescreen doctors over the phone so you don't waste your time - have a read through there.
Nat
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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
Thanks Nat. Part of the issue is insurance too. grrr
I don't want to get into the whole synthroid/armour controversy, but as a rule, do docs that prescribe armour tend to be better about treating symptoms?
Most definitely, they do, Annie. Docs who prescribe natural desiccated thyroid tend to be enlightened, and enlightened is what you want in a thyroid doctor. If you can find the Armour site you can punch in your zip code and find a list of Drs near you. You can then call around and ask a few pointed questions, like do they treat based on symptoms as well as FT levels, Do they prescribe Armour (best to ask, as some might not be now) and then you make the appointment when you're satisfied.
Nat
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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
Most definitely, they do, Annie. Docs who prescribe natural desiccated thyroid tend to be enlightened, and enlightened is what you want in a thyroid doctor. If you can find the Armour site you can punch in your zip code and find a list of Drs near you. You can then call around and ask a few pointed questions, like do they treat based on symptoms as well as FT levels, Do they prescribe Armour (best to ask, as some might not be now) and then you make the appointment when you're satisfied.
Nat
Thanks. I have seen that site and interestinly a friend's doc who prescribes Armour isn't on it.
I also looked over that list in the archive, and my doc is doing what the right answers are.....
am I just being impatient?
I wouldn't call you impatient. Maybe just not well informed.
You have been short of thyroid hormone for some time. That's why your symptoms appeared. When you begin taking supplemental hormone, your body senses it as almost a foreign substance until it figures out what to do with it. That's why so many people feel worse after they start taking it, or after a dose increase.
It isn't until you reach your "optimal" dose... the one at which your body doesn't sense the need for more... that you will begin healing from the lack of enough hormone. You must not think of the med as an agent that will make you directly feel better. It doesn't work like aspirin cures a headache. It only allows your thyroid system to start working the way it's meant to... that is, to regulate the rest of your body's systems into proper functioning.
I don't want to discourage you, but most people don't begin to feel their 'normal' pre-hypo selves until many months into treatment. For me, I didn't begin feeling "just OK" until about 9 months after starting Armour. Now, 1 1/4 years later, I feel very good.
By all means, find an Armour-Rx'er. (Not all of them are listed on the Armour site. Many aren't.) Numerous studies have shown that Armour-takers have better success with it than T4 synthetics.
