Thyroid Sufferers
Faith-I would not worry if tests came back normal. It could be your concerned. I would go to an endocrinologist though. Have your blood checked again-make sure its the fast blood test(meaning no food after midnight only water til after blood test). There are other blood tests that go with checking the thyroid-I forget the names you can ask-its called T-4 and T-3 I think-You are fine. Hope this helps and God Bless You.-Wolverine
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Nelson S Godoy
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2009 2:21 pm
I am glad to see where this anxiety was coming from. I was also diagnosed with thyroid cancer and the gland was removed about six months ago. I have hypothyroidism and I currently take synthroid for it. I didn't know where the anxiety was coming from. I thought it was because of social phobias. I didn't know that thyroid troubles could cause anxiety. It is nice to know that I am not the only one who has these problems.
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Anxious Jenny
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2008 4:25 pm
Hi all! I'm 28 years old and I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto's. But my thyroid levels are fine. I have antibodies though! Could this be the reason I am having anxiety? I have been seeing a Chinese Herbalist who's diagnosed me with adrenal exhaustion as well. So I am taking herbal supplements as well as having acupuncture done. I've read that it is much better to fix your adrenals before trying to fix your thyroid. I also see a endocrinologist. I've also read that even though you are not hypo or hyper you should still be put on thyroid medication like Armour. Has anyone had any experience with this? Or do you know what I should do? I'm afraid that I could be working on all the stuff the program is telling me but it won't go away until I have these medical conditions under control. I just want to feel normal again! 
I also want to know that when my husband and I start trying to conceive that my thyroid won't cause miscarriage's or infertility. Ahhhhh! I need some reassurance or someone to give me a straight answer. Ya know! These doctors will all tell you something different.
I found a very informative website for thyroid sufferers: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/hashimotos/
Thanks for listening to my banter!
I also want to know that when my husband and I start trying to conceive that my thyroid won't cause miscarriage's or infertility. Ahhhhh! I need some reassurance or someone to give me a straight answer. Ya know! These doctors will all tell you something different. I found a very informative website for thyroid sufferers: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/hashimotos/
Thanks for listening to my banter!
Hi all,
Just introducing myself in this thread as well - I'm 46, just started the program in May, and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism 8 years or so ago. I had been tested for it for 20 years, but the bloodwork always came back normal. However, I think it was always towards the hyper end of the scale, and I think it's ridiculous if you have all the symptoms that the doctors won't medicate you because your bloodwork comes back at for instance 0.85 instead of 0.49.
I am doing very well on Tapazole, 12.5mg/day (under minimum therapeutic dose, according to my endocrinologist, but whatever works). Took me a long time to find the right levels. I've been diagnosed with Graves' after several years - I think my endo didn't know exactly what was going on for a long time. She was hoping for a couple of years that it would go into remission, but it didn't.
Last time I saw her, she did an ultrasound and saw that it was slightly enlarged, so we are going to check it again later in May to see if it has grown any. If it has, we may consider RAI - disabling it with radioactive iodine. I am also thinking about seeing a naturopath to see if they can find an underlying condition and treat it naturally. I would be very interested in hearing if anyone else has had success with that.
Just introducing myself in this thread as well - I'm 46, just started the program in May, and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism 8 years or so ago. I had been tested for it for 20 years, but the bloodwork always came back normal. However, I think it was always towards the hyper end of the scale, and I think it's ridiculous if you have all the symptoms that the doctors won't medicate you because your bloodwork comes back at for instance 0.85 instead of 0.49.
I am doing very well on Tapazole, 12.5mg/day (under minimum therapeutic dose, according to my endocrinologist, but whatever works). Took me a long time to find the right levels. I've been diagnosed with Graves' after several years - I think my endo didn't know exactly what was going on for a long time. She was hoping for a couple of years that it would go into remission, but it didn't.
Last time I saw her, she did an ultrasound and saw that it was slightly enlarged, so we are going to check it again later in May to see if it has grown any. If it has, we may consider RAI - disabling it with radioactive iodine. I am also thinking about seeing a naturopath to see if they can find an underlying condition and treat it naturally. I would be very interested in hearing if anyone else has had success with that.
Hey there. I used to be on Synthroid. I was told my TSH was high when trying to get pregnant. After a few years though it appeared my TSH was actually high so they took me off the Synthroid.
I have been having trouble with anxiety and moodiness and some cycle problems so my doctor put me on birth control. It helped for awhile but then made me too tired. I had my TSH tested again it was normal.
This week I went to a more natural doctor and she said that my TSH is OK but my antibodies are high.
So, she gave me Armour and Klonapin to help me sleep since I've had panic, lack of appetite, and insomnia.
I emailed my regular doctor and he said I should wait and retest in a few months.
What do y'all think? Will the Armour make me jittery? I don't want to take something that will make me hyper. . .
I have been having trouble with anxiety and moodiness and some cycle problems so my doctor put me on birth control. It helped for awhile but then made me too tired. I had my TSH tested again it was normal.
This week I went to a more natural doctor and she said that my TSH is OK but my antibodies are high.
So, she gave me Armour and Klonapin to help me sleep since I've had panic, lack of appetite, and insomnia.
I emailed my regular doctor and he said I should wait and retest in a few months.
What do y'all think? Will the Armour make me jittery? I don't want to take something that will make me hyper. . .
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
~~ Ronald Reagan
~~ Ronald Reagan
Faith,
I switched from Levothyroxine to Synthroid to Armour.
I was diagnosed 4 years ago, and started on 50 mcg of Levothyroxine. I actually found out because I was suffering from what I thought was food poisoning but was actually panic and anxiety. I had a blood test and had a TSH of 31 and high levels of antibodies.
Throughout the past 3.5 years, I stayed on 50 mcg of Levo, until last spring when I began to get horrible panic attacks.
My TSH was down to 1.4 after 2.5 years of treatment, but I had ALOT of major life stuff all going on at the same time (marriage, pressure to buy a house, pressure to start a family, horrible incredibly stressful job in a job starved part of the country, was working full-time and going to school for my Masters full-time, etc), so I think that the pressure and consequences I attached to all of these things caused my issues.
But I still wonder if the dosage was too high for me.
I was always hot/ flushed. I got irritable. I was negative alot.
So, I switched to Synthroid. Didn't work for me. Got lots of heart palpatations and heard that this can be common with Synthroid. The anxiety remained.
I was still always hot, and had the dosage turned down to 25 mcg.
I immediately felt no more flushed feelings and had a better body temp. But I still had to work to be positive. I had a cloud hanging over me which, before Hashimoto's, is so not me.
I was always laughing, lighthearted, and extremely positive.
Now I had to deal with this dark mood that never left.
So, after reading about T3 and how some studies show that people who switch to Armour or Thyrolar (both contain T4 AND T3) report greater sense of mood and well being.
So, on Thanksgiving day, I switched to Armour 15 mg.
Like any thyroid change, it took time.
But there has been increased sense of positive mood, more positive attitude, better bodyfat disposition on my body (less in the abdomen)/ weight loss, and feeling more like myself.
Now, 5 months later I still am trying to tweak things. I struggle occasionally with a 1 or 2 day negative mood. I love to lift weights, and my recovery is slower.
Sometimes my head feels cloudy, and that really irritates me.
So, I saw my Dr. yesterday and am going up to 30 mg. I'm a little scared, as it was that dosage equivalent with Levo/ Synthroid that may have fueled alot of my anxiety attacks last year.
If that doesn't work, my Dr. is willing to try a Levo/ Armour combo.
To answer your question on Armour, I do take it and like it. I hated Synthroid.
It does have the biologically active hormone T3 in it, so it could cause jitteriness.
Research it. Talk with your Dr. It is a valid concern, but Dr. Mercola states that 90% of his patients feel better switching from synthetic to Armour medication.
Those are pretty good percentages.
Armour has been around for 100 years. There are NO reported side effects (I really like that one)- unless the dosage is too high. Let's have a synthetic claim that.
But it is deeply personal decision. Educate yourself. Then take an inventory of how you feel.
Is it worth it to try to feel better?
Perhaps the most frustrating thing about all of this, is that despite all of our knowledge and technology, we still have to do a trial-and-error approach to this stuff.
Trial-and-error with our sense of wellness.
But I keep hoping that I will find the right dosage/ medication/ combo that will work the best.
If you need thyroid hormone, Armour and products similar to it are a sound choice; but that is coming from someone who prefers the natural approach.
Research it, talk with your Dr, pray, and jump in.
May God bless you and protect you no matter what you decide,
I switched from Levothyroxine to Synthroid to Armour.
I was diagnosed 4 years ago, and started on 50 mcg of Levothyroxine. I actually found out because I was suffering from what I thought was food poisoning but was actually panic and anxiety. I had a blood test and had a TSH of 31 and high levels of antibodies.
Throughout the past 3.5 years, I stayed on 50 mcg of Levo, until last spring when I began to get horrible panic attacks.
My TSH was down to 1.4 after 2.5 years of treatment, but I had ALOT of major life stuff all going on at the same time (marriage, pressure to buy a house, pressure to start a family, horrible incredibly stressful job in a job starved part of the country, was working full-time and going to school for my Masters full-time, etc), so I think that the pressure and consequences I attached to all of these things caused my issues.
But I still wonder if the dosage was too high for me.
I was always hot/ flushed. I got irritable. I was negative alot.
So, I switched to Synthroid. Didn't work for me. Got lots of heart palpatations and heard that this can be common with Synthroid. The anxiety remained.
I was still always hot, and had the dosage turned down to 25 mcg.
I immediately felt no more flushed feelings and had a better body temp. But I still had to work to be positive. I had a cloud hanging over me which, before Hashimoto's, is so not me.
I was always laughing, lighthearted, and extremely positive.
Now I had to deal with this dark mood that never left.
So, after reading about T3 and how some studies show that people who switch to Armour or Thyrolar (both contain T4 AND T3) report greater sense of mood and well being.
So, on Thanksgiving day, I switched to Armour 15 mg.
Like any thyroid change, it took time.
But there has been increased sense of positive mood, more positive attitude, better bodyfat disposition on my body (less in the abdomen)/ weight loss, and feeling more like myself.
Now, 5 months later I still am trying to tweak things. I struggle occasionally with a 1 or 2 day negative mood. I love to lift weights, and my recovery is slower.
Sometimes my head feels cloudy, and that really irritates me.
So, I saw my Dr. yesterday and am going up to 30 mg. I'm a little scared, as it was that dosage equivalent with Levo/ Synthroid that may have fueled alot of my anxiety attacks last year.
If that doesn't work, my Dr. is willing to try a Levo/ Armour combo.
To answer your question on Armour, I do take it and like it. I hated Synthroid.
It does have the biologically active hormone T3 in it, so it could cause jitteriness.
Research it. Talk with your Dr. It is a valid concern, but Dr. Mercola states that 90% of his patients feel better switching from synthetic to Armour medication.
Those are pretty good percentages.
Armour has been around for 100 years. There are NO reported side effects (I really like that one)- unless the dosage is too high. Let's have a synthetic claim that.
But it is deeply personal decision. Educate yourself. Then take an inventory of how you feel.
Is it worth it to try to feel better?
Perhaps the most frustrating thing about all of this, is that despite all of our knowledge and technology, we still have to do a trial-and-error approach to this stuff.
Trial-and-error with our sense of wellness.
But I keep hoping that I will find the right dosage/ medication/ combo that will work the best.
If you need thyroid hormone, Armour and products similar to it are a sound choice; but that is coming from someone who prefers the natural approach.
Research it, talk with your Dr, pray, and jump in.
May God bless you and protect you no matter what you decide,
Here were what my numbers were last week:
T4 -- 1.41 (.73-1.95)
TSH -- 1.8 (.3-5.1)
DHEA SULFATE 145 -- (35-430)
T3 -- 3.0 (2.3-4.2)
Thyroid Peroxidase AB -- 163 (<35)
Thyroglobulin AB -- 52.6 (<40)
I decided to try cutting the Armour in half just to see what it would do. I don't like the thought of being jittery.
But, I have felt there is something "hormonal" going on and so if this is the answer it will be like a major answer to prayer.
My doctor said start with 30 and go up to 60 in a week. Does that seem high to you?
T4 -- 1.41 (.73-1.95)
TSH -- 1.8 (.3-5.1)
DHEA SULFATE 145 -- (35-430)
T3 -- 3.0 (2.3-4.2)
Thyroid Peroxidase AB -- 163 (<35)
Thyroglobulin AB -- 52.6 (<40)
I decided to try cutting the Armour in half just to see what it would do. I don't like the thought of being jittery.
But, I have felt there is something "hormonal" going on and so if this is the answer it will be like a major answer to prayer.
My doctor said start with 30 and go up to 60 in a week. Does that seem high to you?
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
~~ Ronald Reagan
~~ Ronald Reagan
Faith,
First off, I am not your Dr. and if that is what he/she advised you to do, then I would follow their instructions.
Secondly, in regards to your question...30 mg is also referred to 1/2 grain in Armour talk. IT is common practice when starting a patient on thyroid medication, to start at a relatively low and conservative starting point.
Now, on strictly T4 medications- such as Synthroid or Levothyroxine- 50 mcg is the starting point. A Dr. will start you at 50 mcg and have you come back every so often (4-6 weeks) to have blood drawn to check TSH, free T4, etc.
If you respond well, as I did on that dosage, then you can stay on it and it should work to alleviate most (to all) of the symptoms.
If it is not the right amount, then your Dr. will adjust the dosage to match your individual chemistry and lessening/ cessation of symptoms.
In regards to Armour, you are taking a product that contains T4, T3, and T2 and T1.
It is not measured in micrograms like the synthetics; rather, it is measured in grains or milligrams.
If you go to Forest Pharmaceutical (the maker of Armour), and look on their website, you will find a conversion chart for Doctors.
50 mcg of synthetic = 30 mg of Armour.
Therefore, if you were on 100 mcg of synthetic, then 60 mg would be the equivalent, and so on.
I was on 25 mcg of synthroid, so mine was 15 mg or 1/4 grain of Armour.
If you are splitting the dose, then you are taking 1/4 of the recommended dose (If you had been on 100 mcg prior to switching to Armour) as specified by your Dr (Dr. recommended 30 mg).
So, as far as your question of is it high or not, that answer is relative to what dose of prior medication you had been taking.
Hope that helps...
First off, I am not your Dr. and if that is what he/she advised you to do, then I would follow their instructions.
Secondly, in regards to your question...30 mg is also referred to 1/2 grain in Armour talk. IT is common practice when starting a patient on thyroid medication, to start at a relatively low and conservative starting point.
Now, on strictly T4 medications- such as Synthroid or Levothyroxine- 50 mcg is the starting point. A Dr. will start you at 50 mcg and have you come back every so often (4-6 weeks) to have blood drawn to check TSH, free T4, etc.
If you respond well, as I did on that dosage, then you can stay on it and it should work to alleviate most (to all) of the symptoms.
If it is not the right amount, then your Dr. will adjust the dosage to match your individual chemistry and lessening/ cessation of symptoms.
In regards to Armour, you are taking a product that contains T4, T3, and T2 and T1.
It is not measured in micrograms like the synthetics; rather, it is measured in grains or milligrams.
If you go to Forest Pharmaceutical (the maker of Armour), and look on their website, you will find a conversion chart for Doctors.
50 mcg of synthetic = 30 mg of Armour.
Therefore, if you were on 100 mcg of synthetic, then 60 mg would be the equivalent, and so on.
I was on 25 mcg of synthroid, so mine was 15 mg or 1/4 grain of Armour.
If you are splitting the dose, then you are taking 1/4 of the recommended dose (If you had been on 100 mcg prior to switching to Armour) as specified by your Dr (Dr. recommended 30 mg).
So, as far as your question of is it high or not, that answer is relative to what dose of prior medication you had been taking.
Hope that helps...