Thyroid Disease suffers

[FisherMOM]

on my bottle it says L-thyroxine (synthroid)

does this mean that I am taking generic synthroid?
because I would SWEAR that my thyroid was acting up last month after my blood work. not before (it would figure) but after.

Things feel better now, but for a few weeks, I was having severe dry hands and my hair felt like straw.

I called my dr to see how my blood work came back, and they said it was good.

I looked up L-thyroxine...is this the one that you all are talking about?

If so, I am going to check into Synthroid. I thought I was taking it all along... Synthroid, I mean.

I am hypothyroid... Have been for 10 years now.

 

[HennysMom]

FisherMom,

Its only brand Synthroid if the pills say "Synthroid" on them...my pills say "SYNTHROID" inscribed right on the pill itself and right on the bottle - I cannot take generic thyroid medication at all, it messes with my levels too badly as I am already off as it is (just the way I'm wired). However given all of the years of going back and forth, even with getting all my T's, Free T's, TSH, adrenals and hypothalamus testings done, I believe its time for me to either go back on Cytomel (which is VERY hard to get here for me) or switch to Armour and roll the dice. Somethings got to give here.

They are actually labeled and marked that way. Anything generic will not say Synthroid on them and will be marked as L-thyroxine or whatever other generic brand name the companies use.

Hope that helps.

 

[Chicabee19]

If so, I am going to check into Synthroid.

Synthroid AND generic L-thyroxine are both very bad for you.
Why take EITHER? They contain only T4. Armour Natural Thyroid contains all the levels of "T" that the body makes naturally. It is T3 that is usually responsible for the lessening of hypo symptoms and weight.

Synthroid and L-thyroxine kept me seriously ill for more than 20 years. Armour made me SO much better.

Adding Salt: Be very careful doing this and check with your doctor first before adding any type of salt to your diet, even if you have low blood pressure. Not all low blood pressure is caused by fibromyalgia. I have Orthostatic Hypotension, which is caused by (and confirmed through testing/catheters to my heart/xrays) a defect at birth that makes my blood not pump correctly through certain vessels. Its not the same thing as POTS (also not caused by Fibro, but you can have POTS and have fibro...). You can add salt (I must due to having my condition) in moderation and very very little - to help raise my BP up, however if you have Thyroid conditions - make sure you do not use just any old salt as MOST SALT contains Iodine in it - iodine is taken up by the thyroid. You also dont want to add to your issue by going from low BP to high BP in one fallen swoop.

Be VERY careful that you do not add regular iodized salt to your regimen! Sea Salt is the only thing you should take daily as a supplement. (1/4 tsp in a large glass of water in the morning). Redmond's is a good brand, and less expensive than some of the others.

See about switching to something or adding Cytomel back in again

You would have no reason to add Cytomel if you were taking Armour at the proper dosage instead of Synthroid or Levo. Basically, when you add Cytomel to Synthroid, you are creating a sort of backdoor Armour mixture.

Fibro:

I have Epstein-Barr, and the Fibro that goes with it. Recent studies on muscle tissue have shown that the cells of the muscle do not uptake and utilize oxygen the way normal muscle tissue does. If you and DH both have Fibro, you probably both have EBV or something like it. EBV is caused by the Mono virus, so....

Exercise/pain/trigger points: My Naturopath told me to try not exercising aerobically for six months, and go with some anaerobic exercise with 2-5 lb. weights, and careful, light Yoga stretching. When someone with Fibro exercises aerobically, the body basically "eats" muscle tissue to sustain itself - hence the pain that follows.

It no longer takes me 2 days in bed to recover from exercise, and I NEVER feel sad and "lazy" because I can't do the things my athletic friends can do. I even sold the treadmill that used to sit in my living room! I find that I can sit up all the time rather than reclining or having to somehow hold my neck and head up with a pillow. My spine no longer needs constant chiropractic adjustment, and I rarely feel muscle pain or trigger point pain.

One of the wonderful things I discovered that really helps with Fibro pain is the water pillow. I think it's Mediflow brand. I loved it so much, friends and family members began to use it one by one. About 40 of them now say they will never sleep on anything else. I got mine from my Chiro, but I see they now sell them online here: http://www.mediflow.com/index.cfm​

 

[FisherMOM]

Thank yo Chickabee... I missed the thing about Armour Natural Thyroid. I will check into that too! ooo I hope I can get it. People say that hypothyroid does not cause weight issues.. but I don't buy that... not fir a minute. I ws always thin until all this happened to me! Granted I am not HUGE... but I weigh much much more that before.

 

[Chicabee19]

People say that hypothyroid does not cause weight issues

Who in the world said that??? They are idiots.

Hypothyroid is one of the top 3 issues in weight gain, and most doctors will test for hypo when someone gains more than 20 pounds in a single month.

I too was very thin most of my life until the hypo started. (got pics to prove it!

) Then I gained 50 pounds in 4 months.​

 

[FisherMOM]

I can get Armour from my pharmacy.. but it does not say if it is Natural .
Also.. they do not have my dosage. I take 100mcg/day . strange?

AND..it is way cheaper than Synthroid?

 

[FisherMOM]

Quote:
Who in the world said that??? They are idiots.

had to be someone with normal thyroid! LOL.

 

[Chicabee19]

Armour is the brand name: "Armour Natural Thyroid Hormone". It is the only major-brand natural.

100 mcg is 60 mgs, which is 1 grain of Armour.

Yes, it is way cheaper than the synthetic garbage Big-Pharma would like you to use!

You should check out the Natural Thyroid Hormone Yahoo group. There is an amazing amount of info and support there: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormones/messages

 

[HennysMom]

Well I'm back from my endo appt and...I'm excited. While he was going to put me on Armour and has no problem doing so, based on my medical history and my severe resistance and sensitivity issues - we are starting back on Cytomel and Synthroid combination. I was on it 3 years ago and I felt SOOOOO much better but Cytomel was so hard to find/get on a reg. basis back then (the company stopped making it due to FDA issues...and it was very limited) - so - now apparently its up and running w/out incident.

So - back to Syn/Cyto ....for 2 months, then labs to see how I'm doing. My endo will not go off of lab values alone, he will see how I'm feeling and go off of that as well. If I dont feel better on this combo as I did 3 years ago, then we will give Armour a try, so I'm happy he's willing to listen to me. Pays to have an endo who also has degrees in internal and sports medicine as well

I wish everyone else all the best of luck in getting their issues resolved. I'll keep ya'll posted. Going to be a rollercoaster ride for the next few weeks as I get adjusted I'm sure (it was before when I switched, took a while for my body to catch up...)

 

[Chicabee19]

Your doctor sounds like one of those rare gems to consider how you feel rather than going solely by TSH levels.

Sensitivity is usually caused by adrenal fatigue. He could very easily test your adrenals to find out if that is the sensitivity issue. If it is, it's a good idea to treat your adrenals.

There is a way to go right to Armour and avoid sensitivity reactions. This is the best method to overcome cellular resistance:

1) Split the Armour into 2 or 3 doses (for example, I take 1 grain at 5 a.m., 1 grain at 10 a.m., and 1/2 grain at 4 p.m.)

2) Use Sublingual administration rather than swallowing the pills: place the pills under the tongue and allow to slowly dissolve. Do not take food or drink 1 hour before and 1 hour after.

3) Test your adrenals and treat them if necessary.

Some things to think about:

If you move right over to Armour, and treat adrenal fatigue if that is causing your sensitivity issue, you won't be missing out on all the things Armour contains that synthetics do not.

I took Isocort for 6 months when I started to see my ND and switched to Armour. During the 3 years following, I have had to take Isocort 3 times for 2-3 months each time whenever my adrenals were over-challenged. I have very specific symptoms when this happens, so I know to give him a call and get some Isocort.

Some people think Cortisol is a bad idea. I haven't had much success with the alternative adrenal methods because I follow a diet for other health concerns that does not match up very well.

There are many websites and great articles on the Internet if you look around.

I think the best and most up-to-date Thyroid information is at Stop the Thyroid Madness:

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/my-story/

and the attached Natural Thyroid Hormones Yahoo group:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormones/