have you ever or would you ever consider self-medicating?
so here's the deal...i was diagnosed w/ Hashi's back in August, started on 100mcg levothyroxine, started to feel hyper so went down to 88mcg, then doc lowered me to 50mcg. i went to see him a week or so ago b/c all my hypo symptoms are coming back (fatigue, weight gain, muscle pain, no libido, etc.). i asked if i could increase to 75mcg. he said something else was probably causing the symptoms (?!) but did new blood work. in the new blood work my TSH was 1.97 my free T4 was .09 (bottom of the range being .08). my TGAb is over 1000. i thought after seeing this he would raise my to 75mcg but no, he said stay at 50mcg.
so i think i'll search for a new doc, but in the meantime, i could easily raise to 75mcg myself b/c i have so 100's left. do you think that's a crazy idea?!
Re: have you ever or would you ever consider self-medicating?
Sometimes self medicating is the only way (did it myself when I had an idiot for a doctor and even now with "the permission" of my current doctor). You need to be careful though (but I don't think doctors always get it right either ) and find another doc that treats you properly in the future but for now you need that 75 mcgs.
Re: have you ever or would you ever consider self-medicating?
I have. It seems most docs look at the TSH and say OMG is suppressed, so we MUST lower your meds.
Everytime I go to a new doctor, I tell them about me selfmedicating. We all need to be under a doctors care. When the nurse checks my bloodpressure, it is always high. So, she tells the doctor. I tell the doc my bloodpressure is always normal at home(in which it is no lie). Of course, the doctor begins to worry that it is hyperthyroidism. LOL
Re: have you ever or would you ever consider self-medicating?
I think many of us have tweaked our meds to try to get the levels right. I really don't consider this self-medicating, more self-adjusting. My doctor is fine with it, after all I know better than he or the labs how I'm doing and I let him know what I'm doing and why.
There are many who are completely unable to find doctors who will treat them at all based on a slaveish adhearance to normal range TSH levels and have resorted to really self-medicating, i.e. ordering labs and meds online and self-treating. This is certainly not recommended but I can also understand why someone would do it as a last resort if they had a choice of going untreated and shortening their lifespan or this option.
) and find another doc that treats you properly in the future but for now you need that 75 mcgs.
