Thyroid hormones symptoms and conditions

I have been on the NR for almost 2 years. I hate taking pills b/c I would forget to take them on a regular basis and trying to play catch up in just crazy. But I also suffered from chronic yeast infection so my OB suggested the NR and since I have been on it I have not had anymore YI's. However, I have experienced more vaginal secretions than normal; but it has not alarmed. About 2 weeks after inserting NR ..I experienced breakthrough bleeding and I have been since being on NR and it does not alarm me. I suffer from Hot Flashes and night sweats; but that is from my Thyroid Gland. For those of you experiencing Hot Flashes and Night Sweats..have your PCP do a blood test and check your thyroid hormones. The biggest thing that I have noticed is that while on the NR my YI have virtually gone to 0...I have had more Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) than you can shake a stick at. Has anyone else experienced this and if so what are you doing about it?

extremely depressed after a week of taking levoxyl. Also face is swollen, eye swollen and red and face and eyes burn. These were the same symptoms after taking synthroid after a week. What's next? I am close to being suicidal after having survived lung cancer, surgery, chemo and radiation. To get another primary cancer and have things slide downhill after such a remarkable recovery, I can do nothing but cry after making the decision to have a cancerous thyroid removed that could have served me for years and years since it was such a slow growing cancer. I should have followed my instincts and just left it alone. Now all I want to do is lie on the couch and cry.

I was put on synthroid a year ago, due to a tsh level of 87. I pretty much felt better right away after taking it. First I took 50mcg and then it was upped to 100mcg. Everything went well until I had my latest tsh test. The level was going up again (tsh 5.4) so the doctor decided to put me on 125mcg. After about a week I began feeling like crap. Slugglishness, tiredness, muscle pain, joint pain, and it became progressively worse. I have an appointment coming up thank god. In the mean time I read 3 books on thyroid and it was mentioned that most people don't benefit from just taking T4 (ie. synthroid), despite the fact that the pharmac. and some docs say that body breaks t4 down into t3.
Some people's body cannot successfully break it down enough, some are cellular resistant to thyroid hormones, and those people absolutely need t3 in order to not develop Hypometablolism. The cell need the T3 to function. But unfortunately one can be hypo and still have good TSH levels, because this particular test only tests if there is enough T4 in the body.
Unfortunately, it's so hard to explain that to mainstream doctors.
One doctor I read about said it right: Don't just treat the test results but also the bodily symptoms, for everybody is different anyways. Just like our finger prints are unique, so is our hormonal metabolism.
I'm going to try to talk to my doc about this, but if he doesn't listen I will look for another doc until I found one that will. Good luck to all in this hormone jungle.

I have stated many times that I am not an expert. I just post what I find. This has been a mind boggling journey for me. This is way over my head but I struggle to read and understand. Finding answers to why children are suffering from neuro-psychiatric side effects is worth the effort.

I have made the following observations.

1. Some quinoline are known to be able to cross the blood brain barrier.
2. Molecules that ionize are known to be more likely to be able to cross cell membranes. So if montelukast ionizes as a result of change in blood pH to sufficient acid conditions that it ionizes, then it could be possible or maybe like that it does in fact cross the blood brain barrier.
3. We know that there are cysLT1 receptors in the brain.
4. We know that researchers believe that montelukast may bind at the arginine of the cysLT1 receptor.
5. We know that arginine contains four nitrogens. And montelukast contains one.
6. We don't know what happens to those nitrogens.
7. We do know what macrophages create nitric oxide as I posted.
8. We do know that if something cause excessive nitric oxide to build in the brain that there would be damage to the neurons.

Some people may remember when I got stuck at the astrocytes, the cysLT1 receptors and glutamate. I keep looking for research reports that may shed more light on this.

Titre du document / Document title
Nitric oxide causes glutamate release from brain synaptosomes
Auteur(s) / Author(s)
MCNAUGHT K. S. P. (1) ; BROWN G. C. (1) ;
Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)
(1) Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, ROYAUME-UNI
Résumé / Abstract
We determined the ability of pathological levels of nitric oxide (NO) to cause glutamate release from isolated rat brain nerve terminals using a fluorometric assay. It was found that NO (0.7 and 2 μM) produced (4 and 10 nmol/mg of synaptosomal protein) Ca2+-independent glutamate release from synaptosomes (after 1 min of exposure). Spermine/NO complex (spermine NONOate; a slow NO donor) and potassium cyanide (an inhibitor of cytochrome oxidase) also caused Ca2+-independent glutamate release. Preincubation of synaptosomes with 5 μM 1H- oxadiazole quinoxalin-1-one (an inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase) had no effect on NO-induced Ca2+-independent glutamate release. Ca2+-independent glutamate release produced by NO was greater in a low-oxygen medium. NO, spermine NONOate, and potassium cyanide inhibited synaptosomal respiration with a similar order of potency with respect to their ability to cause glutamate release. Because NO has been shown previously to inhibit reversibly cytochrome oxidase in competition with oxygen, our findings in this study suggest that NO (and cyanide) causes glutamate release following inhibition of mitochondrial respiration at the level of cytochrome oxidase. Thus, elevated NO production leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, glutamate release, and excitotoxicty may contribute to neuronal death in neurological diseases.
Revue / Journal Title
Journal of neurochemistry ISSN 0022-3042 CODEN JONRA9
Source / Source
1998, vol. 70, no4, pp. 1541-1546 (29 ref.)

INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 4037, 35400007527188.0230

I am 43 and have been taking eltroxin for a couple of years now and apart from feeling the cold more than anyone else and the odd fatigue I have felt fine. I recently hurt my back and asked for a bone density scan. The results were that I had the beginning of osteoporosis After a little research I found that Eltroxin can effect bone density, so now am looking for a natural substance to treat my hashimotos disease.

I use eltroxin 0.1mg every day for two years now and could not understand why I am always tired although I had a good night's sleep. I also became aware that I am very tempered, depressed and can do impulsive things. like buying a bike as example. Recently, almost a month ago I had to visit my GP for a common flu. I also asked him to run a blood test on my thyroid hormones. It became apparent that I have been taking 0.05mg less than what I should have.
Could all my negative experience be because of this? I only started to take the higher doses since today, I am hoping on a better outcome.
My e-mail address is Christo.***

Like most of you state in your posts.........I cannot begin to describe how relieved I am to have found this site. I honestly thought I was losing my mind. I had Mirena placed in December '06. It was uncomfortable during the actual procedure, but not too bad. Then within a day or two I was in severe pain and bleeding like crazy with severe lower back pain. I was told to take ibuprofen and allow my body to "adjust". I went for my follow-up ultrasound and the placement looked fine although I was still bleeding like crazy and very uncomfortable. After several more calls they brought be back in for another ultrasound, told me that my uterus must have gotten bacteria in it during placement and that I had an infection. They sent me home on antibiotics and pain medicine. I bled pretty regularly for 6 months straight accompanied by lower back pain, fatigue, and headaches. Finally the bleeding let up only to be followed by a multitude of other nasty side effects. Depression, anxiety, fogginess, forgetfulness (severe), waking up with headaches every morning, nausea (to the point that I can't tell you how many pregnancy tests I've taken), weight change (redistribution, thicker waist, tummy, and hips even though actual number only changed by about 5 pounds), feeling swollen and bloated when I wake up in the morning, NO libido whatsoever and feel like crying during sex because it's nearly impossible to reach orgasm (this has never been a problem previously), hair loss (becoming more noticeable over time), dandruff, boil-like acne on my face and back, dry eyes and blurred/double vision, chronic yeast infections and dryness in that area too. The list goes on and on. I went to three different doctors and had tons of bloodwork done, all came back normal (thyroid, hormones etc....) I was told over and over that it couldn't be the Mirena. HA! How can this many women be delusional? I called last week and got an appointment for May 20 to get it removed. After reading this forum my husband called the doctor himself and I don't know what he said, or how he managed to do it.........but I'm going in tomorrow morning at 10:20 am to get it removed and you better believe I'm going in armed with this website and others I've found. Physicians need to be more aware of this! Even if it's not common, it's miserable for the 1 in 1,000 woman who gets the worst of the side effects. It's literally ruining my life and my marriage. It's impossible to be a good wife and mother when you feel terrible everyday.

-Amanda

I have been reading all the entries for this website and thought I would pass along some useful information. I have been on Levoxyl for 8 years now and have had lots of the symptoms that all these people have had. I then had an appointment with a great Endo doctor at the *** and discovered some interesting things. There is a number "range" they put all people into when checking your TSH levels, only problem is each person is different and even though the doctor may say your in the range, it may not by the right dosage for you. Unfortunately the only way to determine the correct range for you is to experiment with the dosages and it takes 3 months or more for your body to adjust. Also, thyroid hormones are accumulated in the body and depending how active you are is how you may feel. The hormone pill you take today will not be used by your body for up to 10 days, so if you feel good for a few days at rest, then exercise the next day you may feel drained. It will take a few days for your body to replenish the stockpile of hormones to feel "normal" again. A working thyroid makes hormones as needed, yours now does not so this is why so many people feel fatigued, or racing heart beat if they don't get enough exercise. I also had leg and muscle pain. The medication depletes your body of Calcium and B complex especially B12. My leg and muscle pain have disappeared. I still get headaches, but much less with the B12, and some days I still feel tired but I say again, your body cant regulate its needed thyroid hormone and a synthetic pill is only a substitute.. You will always have some side effects. Hope these tips help someone.

I must say that I HATE this medicine. I have been on it for about 30 years. Constantly like playing a game. Too much then too little. It is driving me crazy. I swear that I have tremors from it. I also have gain lots of weight and my hair falls out everyday. Surprised I am not bald yet. I use to be able to go to the gym for 5-6 days a week and now it is soooo hard to get out of bed in the morning.

I truly wish that there was something that I could do. I have had one side of my thyroid taken out and now have to go and get a ultra sound of the other side. Still cant figure out why the doctor took one side and not the other when the other side had nodules too.

I am so tired of it and just don't know what to do.

I do know that I will be definitely speaking with my endo and even if my levels are okay she has to do something to help me.

Fluoroquinolones interfere with thyroid hormones. IMany of us (from another site) have found that we have Hashimoto's, which is that our autoimmune systems are attacking our thyroids. Also, there's a possibility that your adrenals are shot too. Now that I am on Armour (pig thyroid) all of the horrible tendon issues, anxiety, fibromyalgia and chronic-fatigue-like symptoms have abated. I am walking long distances again. Suggest that you all have these tests done: FREE T3, FREE T4, and thyroid antibodies test in addition to the TSH test that they will always do. Also, be aware that your TSH test score should NOT be above 2.0. Your docs will erroneously insist that anything under 5.0 is ok. WRONG. My scores were in the 3's before being floxed and in the 4's after. I also take tiny amounts of Cortef for my adrenal fatigue.

I was prescribed 25 MCG tabs of levothyroxine (generic for Levoxyl) by my MD for my hypothyroid. (I was tested at a 4.5 reading -- just below a normal 5 reading). After 60 days of taking levothyroxine EXACTLY as prescribed (i.e.; on an empty stomach, 1st thing in the morning with a glass of water; no vitamins for at least 4 hrs afterward), I started to have symptoms that I've never experienced before: my hands began hurting so bad with joint pain; my lips felt numb; and I was sweating more than I ever had in my life. I decided to stop taking the medication due to these symptoms, and in about 7-10 days from stopping, ALL these symptoms had disappeared and have not returned to date. I relayed this information to my MD who told me that my symptoms had nothing to do with Levothyroxine and that I needed to continue taking the drug. It's more than strange to me how some MDs will not listen to his/her patient -- even more so now that I've read other info on the internet where many other people have had these same side effects taking levothyroxine!! On my own, I am now looking into taking an all natural alternative that I found on wellness resources called "Thyroid helper". I will not take Levothyroxine again if I can avoid it by taking an alternative. Has anyone else out there had success taking "Thyroid Helper"?

This is a nightmare. I have been on Lamictal 200 mg, tab in morning, for approx. 5 months. About 3 1/2 months ago I started getting muscles aches and weakness, muscle overuse problems, fluid retention ( like 12 pounds), stayed in a trance with very little short term memory. Thought it was everything but this medicine....I am an avid athelite, yes, even at 51. So, I blamed myself for not slowing down. Quick exercising totally, for 2 months, iced 3 times a day on leg muscles. Finally after making it to the summer without a mental breakdown, I went to the emergency room and a new internist to get checked out. Blood work, thyroid, hormones,ok.... Really don't care what they think , I can not walk, it hurts like hell. The Dr. did tell me to get off Lamictal....ok 7th day and I have some relief but it is not complete. Called manufactures, interesting, yes- these are side effects!!! But the studies are limited. Listen , unless you have seizures, get off this medicine... you read the full disclosure of side effects and then search yourself......It can ba a huge FOOOOOPA.....And you are the fool that will end up holdling the bag, not the manufacturer. Hopefully I will get better. Right now , I just trying to stay calm.

I was diagnosed with a sluggish thyroid also and the dr put me on 50 mcg of levoxyl. I had all of these symptoms of low thyroid hormones and didn't know it. I never put all the problems to the same culprit. I had very bad muscle aches, with or without exercise. I kept thinking I had bruised or torn something. I had weight gain on WW and a health study I was on. Nothing, I mean nothing would help me lose weight. I've gained 20 pounds. Which also caused depression. Sometimes I would have low blood sugar, when I've never had problems with blood sugar before. I was very tired all the time. I felt like I couldn't make it in the evenings and some mornings. I would complain to my PCP that I felt like I had just caught a cold - really drained and tired. I have really severe allergies and couldn't figure out why. After starting the meds I felt bad the first day - diarhea, nausea. Then for the first couple of days I felt great. Then the fourth day I couldn't sleep and felt shaky and had nausea only at night. After about three nights of no sleep, I cut the pill in half and took it. Then I was able to rest at night and didn't feel shaky on the inside. I took 25 mcg for about two weeks and then I started feeling the same way again. So I called the office and the dr said to take 3/4 of a pill. That worked fine for the frst week, but then I started getting these headaches that won't quit. I used the process of elimination and the thyroid meds were the only thing that changed. I will have to call tomorrow and see what I can do about that. If anyone has some of these problems let me know. The dr said that it doesn't have any side effects, but I beg to differ. I'm not sure what dosage to take today. I've had these bad headaches with a little dizziness for a week now.

Hey Hill! So nice to hear from you again! :) And especially to hear, that you're feeling back to normal finally! I feel so happy for every one of us, who can say this after that nightmare...

Well, I'm feeling very down again at the moment. Since my period finally had arrived again in August 2006 (1,5 after stopping Yasmin!!!!...) I've been feeling worse and worse each month again. Two very bad colds in Oct/Nov 2006 also made it worse... It's not as bad as it was whilst taking Yasmin in 2004 and I so much hope, that it won't get that bad again...

I don't know 100% why this is happening again to me but there seems to be much more wrong as I thought and all the docs believed. In my family are already 4 stories of thyroid problems, so it might be, that I've been and still am also suffering from such problems without having known the last years... As I know now I never should have started any bcp, because that makes thyroid problems only much bigger... And Yasmin seems to have totally brought everything out of whack in my body with that diuretic and all that other "new wonderful stuff" in it...

So that's not very good news but I'm working on it and hoping to find a solution in the next few months. I've been given some thyroid hormones but I'm a bit afraid to take them (everybody who took Yasmin knows why...). I'm so done with going through another nighmare as 2 years ago...

But seeing that finally more and more women, that I had met 1 or 2 years ago here, come back to this forum and tell us, they're back to normal. This gives so much hope to all of us!! So thank you Hill for letting us know these great news!!

I wish you all the best for your future and your "new life"!! :)

hugs,
Silke

I took synthroid for several years and became progressively more arthritic, with horrendous tooth problems and congestive heart failure. My doctor switched me to the lowest possible dose of generic levothyroxine for nearly two years, and during that time, I progressively felt better. Then they stopped making the generic 25 mcg, so I was switched to levoxyl 50 mcg (was told to split in half). Since then, the symptoms of aching joints and emotional rollercoastering has returned, along with sleep disruption and heart trouble. There is NO DOUBT that these thyroid hormones cause serious problems in many people. I am now trying accupressure to stimulate the gland, and slowly withdrawing the levoxyl. Already feel much better!!!

My other messages didn't post so I'll try again--- Depending on where you look, oral contraceptives are contra-indicated for use with thyroid medications. Estrogens bind with thyroid hormones so your body can't use them-- then you sufer the effects of low thyroid hormones, like fatigue and weight gain. My doctors have freely given me BCP even though I suffer from hypothyroidism. If you do alot of research you'll see that not only do bcp cause thyroid imbalances, but so do some foods (such as eating alot of soy.) Family doctors get next to no training in endocrinology and aren't aware of the side-effects of bcp.

And on to negative side effects--- after 2 months on Yasmin I suffered an enormous grand mal seizure and had to be taken to the ER. I have never had a seizure prior to taking Yasmin. When I looked, seizures are a barely mentioned side effect and considered rare. I"d love to know how many women have had seizures and just didn't report it or didn't realize it was the Yasmin.
My neurologist can find nothing that might have caused my seizure (like a tumour, etc). Although my family doctor won't say Yasmin was the cause, I have been ordered off of it. (gladly!) Coincidence?

I think women need to be aware that taking Yasmin has huge consequences. I had taken another tri-phasic bcp for a decade just fine. I went on Yasmin because of the low dose and thought it would be better for me. Now it has cost me weeks of work, truama to my family, and a very long, difficult recovery from the seizure. (I pulled every muscles, I couldn't think clearly, and I bit my tongue so badly I couldn't eat for days.)
Yasmin is not candy like doctors make it out to be. I recently heard and expert call bcp the biggest human trial in history. There is every chance enormous numbers of women will suffer awful consequences (like breat cancer) after years and years of use! As well, Yasmin is so new on the market none of us can be certain it is safe. It wouldn't surprise me if this drug is pulled from the market somewhere down the line. Everyone on this sight seems to be suffering terribly because of it.

Shari,
Your daughters TSH numbers were high because hypothyroidism is made worse by oral contraceptives. I am hypothyroid as well, and through research found that oral contraceptives are actually contraindicated with thyroid medication. Estrogen binds with the thyroid hormones your daughter is taking and doesn't allow it to be used. Family doctors know little about endocrinology and didn't know I should not be on Yasmin. I had to do the research myself. It also sounds like your daughter hasn't stabilized on her meds and may need further advice from an endocrinologist. Ideally her TSH should be between 0-2 although the so-called normal ranges can go as high as 4. I doubt she will ever feel healthy if she continues taking Yasmin, or if she consumes large amounts of other thyroid-binding foods like soy or walnuts.

For some reason this didn't post when i first reported it, but I'd also like Yasmin users to be aware of serious side effects. I had a very severe grand mal seizure this month and was taken to hospital. I have never had a seizure before. My doctor was totally unaware seizures are a reported side effect of Yasmin, even though they are not common. My life has been completely turned upside down because of this. I had only started taking Yasmin 2 weeks prior to the seizure and there is enough evidence that Yasmin is to blame that my doctor ordered me off of it! I no longer take Yasmin but it's effects linger. I feel ill, I'm recovering from all the problems associate with a seizure (pulled muscles, bit tongue), and am not allowed to drive etc. Yasmin is not candy even thought doctors hand it out like it is!

when on vacation last november, i started having palpitations, where my heart literally paused/ skipped a beat. i went to the er and they did a bunch of tests and i now have a med bill of 10K+ for one day in hospital!

no blood clot (air travel and oc's within the previous year made them suspicious), but they found a very small asd/ pfo (heart).

my thyroid hormones were totally whacked, a blood clotting enzyme was elevated and my oxygen level upon exertion was low (dyspnea). i'm tired of seeing docs so i try to destress and exercise more.

the only thing i was on at the time was the flonase...i had been on it for more than 2 weeks and for the 2nd or 3rd time this year...my ent told me it was okay. yasmin is also a suspect in my drama, but that posting is on the yasmin side effects page.

write to me at ******, if you have had similar symptoms or have questions.

Side Effects from Advair: Guest #4309

So far, according to both myself and my alternative med. Dr. it has damaged/destroyed/harmed/ nervous system, thyroid, hormones, hydrochloric acid, digestive enzymes, ability for my body to intake supplements, joint pains, muscle pains, inability to sleep comfortably, chills, introduced my leaky gut syndrome, etc. My Doctor did a test on me for digestive enzymes. Apparently I don't have hardly anything to break down food from my mouth all the way to my stomach.Nor is there hydrochloric acid. I'm really in bad shape and I've been since I have taken advair. First it started with weight gain due to constipation, heart palpitations, then weight loss because of the fungal problems, etc.

Advair works wonders for asthma but may DESTROY the rest of your body and mind (because of what your body goes through). Advair seems to work well because I believe advair takes mucus away so your lungs can function better But I think it also takes mucus out of your stomach lining which is to lubricate food so it can go thru your digestive tract more easily. It also may damage the production of hydrochloric acid which is important for chemical digestion. From there foods do not start to digest properly and sits in your stomach longer to FERMENT!!! It starts its process of destroying cells/tissues/organs, etc. Leaky gut systems assists in this process. The food allergy rashes don't help whatsoever. From reading the complaints on this website, there really doesn't seem to be much of a cure or help after the advair is taken, even months, years later.

I still wish my asthma was back and in bad shape vs. what I've been and am still going through.

I'm wondering if synthroid is the answer for hypothyroid? I mean, pretty much all our guts give out over time... How many people actually go into a coma and die from hypothyroidism? I took synthroid and had to get off it after just one week! I was slamming doors around here, screaming, out of control, miserable. I've talked to plenty of women at work who have lots of trouble controlling their dosage. I've read some other comments here: BEFORE I took synthroid, I had aching legs and feet, thickness in my throat, weakness, tiredness, can't concentrate. I only take a tranquilizer for eight years, same dosage, for anxiety. I'm thinking there HAS to be another way to treat hypothyroid. What if my kidneys are giving out and synthroid is overloading it, and THAT is the primary disease, with the hypo business secondary. I can see kidneys giving out, what with all the stuff we eat, yearly innoculations for flu, and so on. Anybody have any thoughts on (1) How many folks actually die from hypothyroidism via coma, and (2) Is hypo the primary condition, or is kidney primary, and (3) What is with my feet and legs hurting and aching all the time?!?! Gail

I find all of these reports interesting. I have a varied background of medical problems and am on medications for thyroid, hormones, and have been taking methotrexate for a couple of years and now remicade infusions for psoriatic arthritis. I've also been on Zocor for a couple of years now. The psoriatic arthritis symptoms (and I also have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia) are quite similar to the "side effects" being attributed to Zocor. This last couple of weeks it has escalated to the point that I can barely walk or grasp anything in my hands. I'm relatively okay when I first get up in the mornings, but after an hour, my feet, ankles and legs ache like they're severely bruised and my shoulders and upper arms and hands are similarly sore. My rheumatologist is having me get some lab studies this week because he thinks the culprit is the Zocor. I'd hate to think I've been dealing with all this discomfort the last couple of years thinking is was due to the psoriatic arthritis when, in fact, it's a side effect of the Zocor. But life would be much more pleasant if I can go off the Zocor and not experience this kind of pain. At least all your comments give me positive thoughts that perhaps this discomfort will be in my past soon. Thank you all.