Synthroid and blood tests

Hi,
I am 50 years old. I was diagnosed with as hypo at age 39. My doctor prescribed Synthroid at 25mcg and I have (proudly-ha!) worked my way up to 125mcg. I was always one of the "lucky ones" who could eat any and everything and my weight stayed the same. I am a busy mom of two and a first grade teacher, so the 33 lbs. I have gained since age 39 has not been due to diet changes or sitting around with a bag of chips in front of a TV all day. I also questioned my doctor about this and he just brushed it off. Well, I am tired of not feeling good about myself. My life is in good order except for my weight. I want someone to take this seriously. Should I see a specialist rather than my regular internist?
Wow! I think I just lost a little weight telling you great people about this!
jf

I've been on synthroid now for about a year. My dosage is VERY little (0.075). My doctor keeps running blood tests every 3 months and assures me I am within the "lower-end" of the norm, but I still feel tired, sleep deprived, wake up with night-sweats and I keep gaining weight...

I am only 24 and have just been told that I need to take this medication for the rest of my life, it\s pretty depressing. I keep asking if there are other ways to lose weight and feel more energized. He tells me that I need to keep taking this medication and has put me on a "sleep hygeine" routine where I go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

Does this "disease" mean I will always be overweight and tired for the rest of my life? I would like to know if someone else with more experience with this medication can give any sort of advice? Feeling a little hopeless about it and not really interested in complaining to my doctor anymore.

Thanks:)

Hey, First off I would like to say thank you all for posting, I was just diagnosed with hypo. I was placed on 50mg then increased to 125, I felt terrible so I cut it in half. I take the pill at night, but I still feel all the symptoms you guys feel, I woke up this morning with no voice, hoarse. My tsh level was 13, I am going back to the doctor for more blood work this week. I think I my ask to be switched to another brand. I hope all of you will soon feel better.

i've been on synthroid for 9 years. started at some low dose and gradually went up to112 mg. get extreme itching all day everyday if i don't take allegra for that.not a rash just itching. that doesn't bother me as much as the fatique. every joint in my body aches all the time. sure there are better days but fo rthe most part it's bad. tried physical therapy and chiripratic care but no avail. they ended my sessions. my legs get sooo weak and my feet burn lower back really aches. sometimes muscle cramps. i'm very negative towards my loving family and it hurts me to do so. can't seem to keep upbeat. soo tired all the time.
is it the syntroid? i used to be very energenic and a doer. now i have spurts of activity in the morning , but then i just can't get motivated. help me any suggestions?

I would strongly recommend anyone with hypothyroidism or on thyroid medication read a book called The Thyroid Solution. I believe the author was Dr. Arem. He seems to be an open-minded physician fully aware of the catastrophic effect low thyroid hormone and also quite aware of the inadequate care most patients are receiving.

There are so many misconceptions about thyroid health-- and many general practitioners do not have nearly enough information to be helping patients. He fully covers the problem of relying on your doctor to provide the adequate dosage. As well, many people with so-called 'normal' TSH levels still show symptoms of hypothyroidism. In fact, the 'normal' range was simply found by measuring the TSH of a cross-section of people to determine what level makes most people feel healthy. The problem with this is that some people may naturally have an extremely low TSH, but if it raises to a 4 (which is considered fine) that person may feel quite ill. There body knows something has changed but to a doctor who only looks at blood tests, they can't see why there is a problem.
In the past doctors used symptomology to determine the health of a patient, not ridiculous blood tests!
Best of all, Dr. Arem confirms that your symptoms are NOT IN YOUR HEAD like doctors try to convince you.

This is also a great book for people dealing with family members who are hypothyroid to understand what their loved one is dealing with emotionally.

I started on 50 MCG of Levothyroxine last late May, due to a slightly underactive thyroid. The sides effect I am experiencing that is troubling me the most is that my hair is thinning dramatically. No bald patches, just thinning, and I had thin hair to begin with, so that makes it even more bothersome. I've also noticed that hair has completely stopped growing on my lower legs and upper thighs, and my eyebrows have thinned also. According to my doctor, my latest blood tests indicated that my thyroid levels were in ideal range now, and thinning hair isn't a side effect of the levothyroxine. I've read that it is, unless my thyroid levels still aren't ideal..and the levothyroxine is making my hair thin more than usual when in conjunction with the hypothyroidism. I'm also taking 25 mg of toprol to control tachycardia. If anyone could give me some advice, I'd really appreciate it! I'm at my wit's end as it my hair.

i STARTED TAKEING SYNTHROID OVER FIVE MONTHS AGO. tHE FIRST DAY i FELT GREAT AND THEN MY SYMPTOMS THAT I STARTED WITH CAME BACK PLUS MORE LIKE CHEST PAIN AND WIERD FEELING IN MY THROUT. THE DOCTOR SAID IT WAS NORMAL BUT I COULD INCREASE MY DOSAGE TO A PILL AND A HALF. i DID THAT AND i EXPERIANCED LOSS OF MENTAL CONSENTRATION, EXTREM FEELINGS OF STRESS WHEN THERE IS NO REASON FOR IT IRRITABILITY. TO A POINT THAT i BEGAN HAVEING ANGER EPISODES. i DECIDED TO SEE A DIFFERENT dOCTOR AND HAD MY bLOOD TESTS FAXED TO HIM. oNLY TO FIND OUT THE ORIGINAL DOCTOR APPARENTLY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO READ THE TEST RESULTS. i WAS NOT HYPOTHYROID BUT I WAS HYPERTHYROID. IF THE NUMBERS ARE LOW THAT MEANS YOUR BODY IS CREATEING TO MUCH HORMONE WHICH IS HYPERTHYROID IF THE NUMBERS ARE HIGH THAT MEANS YOUR BODY IS NOT CREATING ENOUGH HORMONE WHICH MEANS THAT YOU ARE HYPOTHYROID. I HAVE BEEN OF SYNTHROID FOR TWO WEEKS AND FEEL TEN TIMES BETTER. ALTHOUGH I MAY HAVE MORE PERMANENT DAMAGE. IT IS OK TO SEE OTHER DOCTORS. I HAVE BEEN INTERVIEWING DOCTORS FOR YEARS THANK GOD I HAVE FINALLY FOUND ONE THAT IS INTERESTED IN MY HEALTH AND LISTENS TO ME.