Anyone else on Levothyroxine? *Just got my Armour thyroid, pg 8*

[redhen]

I'd find another doctor..they sound like jerks...
and you CAN get an accurate B/P even if your over weight..(which i am..)
they just use a bigger cuff..hee hee (honest)
'they sound like idiots..

 

[cjeanean]

Quote:
LOL, trust me, I know....the guy didn't seem like the brightest star in the sky, but I definately did the get the vibe that he had a major issue with overweight people. It definately got me down, especially since he told me what my weight is even though I specifically said I didn't want to know. Honestly from what it felt like he didn't even need a bigger cuff, I know at every dr I've ever seen they've always been able to use the regular adult cuff on me. It's the free clinic, usually I just go when I need bloodwork done but you see a different dr each time and none of them are on the same page. I can't complain too much, if it wasn't for them I still wouldn't know what's wrong with me, I just wish they knew a little more. I dunno.

 

[speckledhen]

Been on Levothroid for years now. They kept saying my readings were borderline and I kept going back and finally, I hit a magic number and got thyroid meds, but not before I had gained 40 lb. Lost alot of that, but the weight is still an issue.

What most folks don't know is that along with the hypothyroidism comes high cholesterol and carpal tunnel, pretty weird stuff, but so true. Because of my thyroid, I now have to take simvastatin for cholesterol and I do have tingling and numb fingers. Dang genes.

 

[redhen]

I've never heard of the carpel tunnel associated with thyroid problems.. So weird!
thanks for this info guys!

 

[speckledhen]

When my doctor told me that, I was really surprised about the carpal tunnel.

 

[sben451]

I have taken Levothyroxine for about a year. My Dr. prescribed it to me because I have an enlarged nodule on my thyroid (have had two biopsies which were normal), but the nodule started to get bigger, so he had me try the levothyroxine. I honestly cannot tell much difference in energy and brain fog problems (probably just due to age), but I also have had no negative side effects. At my last thyroid ultrasound, the nodule was not increasing in size, so hopefully the meds are working.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

Quote:
Burt,
I beg you, if you're going to have to take thyroid meds, use Armour.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

I was on the levoxyl, then Synthroid for three years. I pray I never go down that road again.

What many, many doctors will not tell you is that those two meds don't work for an awful lot of people, because their body doesn't convert the T3 to T4. So even though your TSH says one thing, that is not necessarily the amount of thyroid hormone circulating through your blood, nor does the same number work for every person.

The very hour I took my first dose of Armour thyroid, the pain eased, the brain fog left, and I was me again. Yest it has taken me 8 years to find a local doctor to willingly prescribe it to me.

DrLowe.com
It is your friend.

BTW, I remember sitting in the local endocrinologists's office, waiting, waiting, waiting, then 2 reps for Synthroid came in with boxes and goodies. After they left, the endo told me I should be taking Synthroid, not Armour. I said "But I feel good." She didn't care. She told me to stop taking it and return in 3 weeks. I said "But the pain, it'll come back." She didn't care. Why? Why would an endo prefer you go through misery, so they can put you on a drug you told them never worked for you?

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I'm just getting caught up on this thread so I apologize if I make statements of things that have already been covered.

First thing, have you been to an endocrinologist? Even though you may have a great family doc, a good endo will have you check from one end to the other to make sure it's not just your thyroid you are having problems with. I had a sleep study, chest x-rays, echo cardio gram with stress test, and blood test I had never heard of before.

There are 4 kinds of thyroid problems
1-hyperthyroid-over active, can be deadly if it isn't treated properly

2-thyroid cancer--deep breath, this is the most treatable cancer there is. once the thyroid is out it's done. thyroid cancer doesn't spread any place else

3-hypothyroid--slow, dead or lack of thyroid. Completely treatable but you've got to find a good doc who is willing to push the envelope and not just give you a med and say here feel better. Just because you TSH is 2.8 doesn't mean you are being over treated. Mine at 1.27 is PERFECT for me. Many doctors think thyroid problems is all in "fat lady"s head.

4--Hasimotos Thyroiditis--an auto-immune disease where your body thinks your thyroid is a foregin body and attacks it. It's one of the "cluster" diseases. Many of the people who have this also have lupis, fibro, and a few others that I can't remember at the moment.(one of the signs of hypothyroid, lol) this is one of the blood tests I had never heard about, I've got it.

there are all kinds of meds out there for thyroid problems. Personally I don't care for "synthetic" thyroid meds. I've been on Armour for years and love it!! It seems to be the only thing that helps with the Hasimotos. Synthroid never did a thing for me.

Get a good Endo. I can't say that enough

 

[cjeanean]

Quote:
I can't afford to go to an endo....right now I just have to take what I can get. The Armor stuff sounds good, I wonder if the dr would be willing to prescribe it for me? Does anyone know if I can get a generic? Right now I'm lucky enough to get the levothyroxine for $10/90 pills from wal mart, I hope the other stuff would be covered. I will definately ask her about it, my next appointment is in May and I've gotta get bloodwork done in another 2 months. I don't have an enlarged thyroid, so I would *hope* that cancer wouldn't be a possibility.