New to Group

[Guest guest]

Hi Joyce! Welcome to the group!

As far as the "alligator hands", have you talked to your doctors (or vice versa) about Scleroderma? Just a thought. It causes thickened, hardened skin, etc.

I have lupus, FM, Sjogren's, and Raynaud's, etc. Scleroderma is a possibility maybe. Talk with your doctors about it.

As far as your tests, good luck. Hope they find what is wrong! It's great that you found such a wonderful rheumy!

Laurie

nanijoyce wrote:

Hi, My name is Joyce... I have lupus. Was diagnosed in 1992 ... just started with a new rheumy and he seems Very thorough and examined me like no one has in the past! I went to him on Tuesday and he had me at the hospital on Thursday for two CT Scans on my chest and abdomen. Haven't gotten the results yet, but hope he finds why my body is soooo swollen!I do have a problem I have never had ... the palm of my hands feel like alligator skin ??? My sjorgens is acting up and my eyes have been running and irrated, but didn't know if this was connected or not. Anyone had anything like this? I have put all kinds of lotion on ... etc., but nothing seems to help.Thanks for any help!My prayer is a "pain-free" day for all!!!"The LUPIES Store" Come check out our store...http://www.cafepress.com/thelupies"The LUPIES Web Page"http://www.itzarion.com/lupusgroup.html"The LUPIES online photo albums!" Check out what your fellow Lupies look like...http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=lupies

[Guest guest]

Joyce, Hello and welcome. I have " peeling palms " , too. Mostly it happens

when I am

running a low grade fever from inflammation. Since I not only have Lupus,

but also

Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sjogren's, Lyme Disease, and diabetes, it is a toss up

which is

causing the inflammation on any given day, but most of them can cause the

fevers.

When a fever has stayed with me for more than 24 hours, my palms become dry

and

rough, and start to peel. My Rheumy and my Dermatologist both think it is my

body's

way of reacting to nerve damage caused by the almost constant inflammation.

I think it's anybody's guess, myself. As for the Sjogren's, my eyes, ears,

mouth, nose,

vagina, etc. are extremely dry and easily irritated. I must use eye drops to

moisturize my eyes several times a day...so I don't have the tearing that you

are

describing. Are you living in a high pollen area? That could account for

it, too.

Glad to hear from you, and keep on writing. We are here 24/7, have members

around

the world, so someone is almost always online. Again, Welcome. Hugs, MM

aka: Mike one of the moderators

[Guest guest]

hello ,

My name is Trish, I am 30 going to be 31 very soon. I am married to a wonderful man , it will be 10 years for us Nov 4th this year. God has blessed me with two beautiful children (she will be 9 years old sept 24th) and {6 years old oct 24th).

I was diagnosed with systematic Lupus July 3rd this year, it effects my kidneys and joints. I get tired easily also.

Nice to met you and welcome )

Trish

[Guest guest]

Hi, , and welcome. I am 53, adoptive mother of four, grandmother of two,

and

was dx'd with Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sjogren's, Fibromyalgia, Lyme

Disease

and Diabetes all between the ages of 30 and 45. However, the symptoms

started in

childhood. It just took most of my life to diagnose the cause of it all. I

live in no.

Calif. about 50 miles from San Francisco and about 30 miles inland from the

Pacific

Ocean. Nice area, but expensive. How nice to get a lovely new baby...after

all that

suffering. I was never able to carry my own babies, so I went out and got

O.P.'s

(other people's). LOL I have two boys still at home, ages 10 and 14. The

teenager

is in the throes of first love, and the younger one in the throes of being

the much

put upon youngest brother. I often introduce my youngest as " my son, the

mouth " , and

my teen as " my son, the Arab negotiator, Mr. Yeah-but-can-I? " Pronounced

Yabbit Kinai. He thinks everything is negotiable, no matter what the

established rules are.

Gets a bit wearing after a while on my bad days, but he's a good boy for the

most part.

My youngest is ADHD, so if I have a brain fart and forget to give him his

meds in the

morning, Boy, Howdy! what a day do we have. LOL

Well, enough about me. Glad to have you aboard. Please write as often as

you like,

it's good to vent, whine, cry, laugh, carry on, etc. with the rest of us. We

are all in

the same kind of boat, just that some are leakier than others. Hugs, MM

aka: Mike one of the moderators

[Guest guest]

,

Welcome to this wonderful group. I am new to group also. I live in southern

california. I was diagnosed with Lupus in June. I also have hashimoto's

thyroditis. I take unithroid for thyroid, plaquenil, lotensin for high blood

pressure, prevacid for acid reflux and I am menopausal at 46. I probably had

thyroid condition since childhood. It was never diagnosed till 92. I was

never able to have a child. I get depressed sometimes because of all of

these issues! I have faith that God will never leave me or forsake me. I am

involved with different churches and I find alot of comfort listening to

christian radio. I have aKatrina(cat) and my Dear to help me. I have a

stressful job working with battered women and I hope I can continue to work.

You will love this group. They are a wonderful, caring and supportive group!

New to group

> Hello to all

>

> My name is Dunn. I am 41 years old. I was diagnosed with Lupus

> almost two years ago only weeks after I learned that I was pregnant.

> I feel very forutnate because the only symptoms I have had are joint

> pain, fever, fatigue, skin lesions, hair loss and Raynaud's.

>

> The pregnancy was pure hell as no one would treat my lupus symptoms

> which were insufferable at times. The outcome was great. We have a

> beautiful baby boy, , who is about to have his first birthday.

>

> I have one other child, Krysta who will be graduating in June, and

> two step-daughters Hope (17) and Kelsey (10).

>

> My husband, , is very supportive, I don't know what I'd do

> without him.

>

> I work for a professional guardian for incapacitated adults. I am

> able to do much of my work from home. Which is very helpful when I am

> having a rough day.

>

> I am thrilled to have found this group and look forward to getting to

> know all of you.

>

>

>

> " The LUPIES Store " Come check out our store...

> http://www.cafepress.com/thelupies

>

> " The LUPIES Web Page "

> http://www.itzarion.com/lupusgroup.html

>

> " The LUPIES online photo albums! "

> Check out what your fellow Lupies look like...

> http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=lupies

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi . My name is Lynn and I was diagnosed with SLE and Fibromyalgia

about 5 years ago after the birth of my fourth ( and last) son. I have

pretty much the same symptoms as you do, so I guess we are both fairly

mild.

I work in the local hospital at night. I have been married for 10 years

to my husband, .

This is a wonderful group of people who are all very supportive.

Lynn

________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Deb, thank you for responding to my message. I had a routine blood/urine test

and so

I am not sure what my doctor was looking at that he could or would say that I

had low

thyroid function and that the Synthroid would help my fatigue. You were

correct, it

is not my BIN but my BUN that was 31 (range 5-26). I have chronic UTI's which

are

treated with 1 antibiotic one day each week forever. I suffered from uti's for

3

years until my present doctor got me under control. Can you tell me what to

look for

on a routine blood test that would make my doctor think my thyroid was sluggish

or

slow or low? I know I should talk to him, but I just saw him and didn't ask the

right

questions. Thank you, Joy

Re: New to group

> Hi Joy,

>

> I'm Debbie and I'm new here also. I'm a lab tech by trade, so I'm

> going to take a guess here.....I haven't really heard of a test

> referred to as BIN (although some labs have their own unique

> terminology), but there is a test called BUN (blood urea nitrogen)

> and it is part of a normal chemistry profile. The normal range for

> that typically runs 5-25 (although normals can vary from lab to

> lab). If it is the BUN your speaking of, it is actually a

> measurement of kidney function, but is also weighed in relation to

> the creatinine level to determine overall kidney function. Other

> things (benign) can cause transient elevations in this so unless your

> other labs are really high, which you said they were not, I wouldn't

> worry about it (if it is the BUN we're speaking of).

>

> Also sounds like if your thyroids were normal, that your doc may be

> doing the same thing as mine is and that's " treating " you because of

> your symptoms if your levels are in the low end range of " normal " .

>

> Deb

>

>

> >

> >

> > > Hi. My name is Joy and excuse me if I sound ignorant of all the

> facts, but I am. I

> > > went for my annual checkup and was told I was fine. I complained

> of being really

> > > tired and fatigued at times and then the doctor told me I was

> borderline low thyroid.

> > > He suggested I take medication Synthroid .075. He said it was

> really not a medication

> > > but a replacement and it should have no side effects, but if I

> felt it did to call

> > > him, and try it for 4-6 weeks to see if I am feeling better. He

> thought it would help

> > > quite a bit. I asked for a copy of my blood test. The only

> thing 'out of the normal

> > > range' was something labeled BIN (the range was I think 0-25) and

> I was 31. Do you

> > > know what BIN is? I got the copy of the blood test after I left

> his office and so

> > > didn't have the chance to ask him. What should I be looking at

> on this test? Since I

> > > am told I am borderline, should I take Synthroid, try to treat

> myself the natural way,

> > > or don't take anything as I am only borderline. What should

> being low thyroid mean to

> > > me, as I don't know much about it? Thank you so much. Joy

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Joy. There's a potential difficulty here. First, most

conventional docs go by an outdated, erroneous measure for thyroid

function. Namely, they look primarily at lab results for TSH, and if

your number falls between .5 to 5.0 (some labs are different, but

most are similar to this), they say you are normal. BUT, Joy, you

are not normal if you have symptomology of low thyroid, namely easy

fatigue, cold extremities, thinning hair, dry hair, brittle nails,

high cholesterol...etc. You could have these symptoms even if your

TSH was 3, right smack in the middle of the so-called normal range.

Some people even have those symptoms with a 2. And a lot of us don't

feel good until that TSH is <1!!!

Additionally, you need a FREE T3 and and FREE T4 test. These measure

the available useable hormones in your system. And they need to be

in the upper end of each respective range. There are many people who

have so-called normal TSH, yet have a FT3 in the low end. THAT is

indicative of a poorly functioning thyroid. In fact, Joy, the FT3

and FT4 are far more important than the TSH.

So again, the problem is---do you have a conventional doc who has no

idea how to properly diagnose low-thyroid!?! I am suspicious that

you have one of those. Additionally, many of us can attest to you

that Natural Hormones are by far superior for the treatment of low

thyroid than ANY synthetic. Sure, a synthetic will lower your TSH,

and you will feel better in many ways. BUT, you may not. And even if

you do, there WILL be other symptoms that the synthetic T4

(Synthroid) will not help, and will only make worse over the long

haul!!!!

The theory is that synthetics are all that we need since the body

converts the T4 to T3. BUT, most of us need MORE T3 than the body

can convert from T4. And we all need direct T3---what only a natural

hormone can provide. Plus there are other hormones provided by

naturals that are important, such as T2, and the unknown activities

of T1, etc.

This is a lot to digest if you are new to this. But I hope you can

trust this info, and see if your doc will also listen to you about

this. IF not, we highly suggest a different doc. We can provice you

with a Top Doc list.

Janie

[Guest guest]

> Hello all,

>

> I am new to the group, hypothyroid for nearly ten years. I am

> another example of the failure of synthroid administered by an endo

> who thought lab results were the only measure of thyroid balance.

> After several years on synthroid, I became an " old woman " still in

> my 30's. Brittle hair, dry skin, depression, foggy thinking, weight

> gain (50+ lbs!), low blood pressure, fatigue. Yet, somehow, my

> endo, then my GP said that it all had NOTHING TO DO WITH MY THYROID.

> HUH????

>

Hi Leigh!

I like your name...its my middle name, spelled the same. Anyway, nice to

meet you.

I too am the old woman at only 32, so welcome to the club. But I hope my

self-education will return me to my youth again!

[Guest guest]

Got you beat: I guess I am now the old woman of the group at 39. Hmmm, not

something I want to be able to claim.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/28/03 10:04:10 AM US Eastern Standard Time, usns@...

writes:

> plus

> correcting a low testosterone along with female hormone support

I tried testosterone but the base it was compounded was so disgusting that I

couldn't take it. The taste made me gag within a few seconds and I can stand

pretty nasty tasting things but not that. So I tried DHEA and it really

helped!

[Guest guest]

Hi Leigh. Welcome! We need to start an " Endo Hall of Shame " list!!

They continue to UNamaze us.

I have a few thoughts for you. It's great that you switched to

Cytomel! And if you want to stay that route, it definitely sounds

like you are simply not getting enough. The symptoms you describe

are indicative of that fact. Your free T3 needs to be in the upper

part of the range to eliminate the symptoms you describe. Have you

had that tested recently??

The reason I did not switch to Cytomel is that I was impressed with

the fact that Armour gave me the exact same hormones that my own

thyroid gives me---T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin. I am also affected

by the fact that synthetics are simply not the same as natural, and

our bodies do not receive synthetics via receptors as it does a

product that MATCHES on system, as natural thyroid does.

If I was in your shoes (with what I know now), yes, I would switch

to natural thyroid like Armour. Additionally, I would keep

increasing it until the symptoms you describe go away (and they

will, contrary to what your doc says), and also monitor it by

occasionally doing the labs and trying to get my free T3 to the

upper end.

Once you find your optimal dose of Armour, then you can also look at

things like your female hormones, and possibly even adrenals. About

the time I was reaching my optimal dose, I also made a switch to

natural female hormones--bio-identical via cream. But what made

another big impact on me was to discover that my testosterone was

low. We added that to the cream, and viola, one of my major leftover

symptoms disappeared on it after 2 1/2 weeks.

I think I am as near to normal as I have EVER been in my entire

adult life!! I do NOT agree with your doc that you can only get to

80-90%. I am LIVING PROOF of that. It's just a matter of taking the

right meds, doing lots of experimenting as far as the dosage you

need, and also taking a look at ANY other aspect of your body that

may need attention (vitamins, minerals, etc., female hormones, etc.)

Also to add one more thing to consider, but only down the line: one

top doc (Dommisse) feels that T3-only doesn't work in the long run

because you are failing to get adequate amounts of the storage

hormone T4. Even with his Armour patients, he adds a small amount of

T4 to the mix. (Armour has a T4/T3 ration of 80/20; your own

thyroid, if healthy, is 93/7. So he tries to imitate that as much as

possible.)

I have not added a small amount of T4 to my Armour. It was adding

the testosterone to my Bi-est/Progesterone/DHEA cream that did the

final trick for me!!

Yes, be thankful for where you are---a 60 lb. weight loss is

WONDERFUL, too!! But yes, you can do MUCH BETTER. I am living proof.

Janie, with a son named Leigh

[Guest guest]

> I too am the old woman at only 32, so welcome to the club. But I

hope my

> self-education will return me to my youth again!

>

>

I am 51 this Sunday, and switching to Armour thyroid, plus

correcting a low testosterone along with female hormone support, HAS

made me in better condition that when I was 32!!!! I just need to

get back into fitness now!

Janie

[Guest guest]

Naw... You're still a pup... I'm 45.... *smile*

Topper ()

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Thyroid_Support_Group/

http://toppertwo.tripod.com

On Fri, 28 Feb 2003 09:50:24 EST topaz0803@... writes:

> Got you beat: I guess I am now the old woman of the group at 39.

> Hmmm, not

> something I want to be able to claim.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/28/03 4:29:36 PM US Eastern Standard Time,

l.kavouklis@... writes:

> these darned bags under my eyes won't go away

While the underlying problem won't be fixed, one thing to make those bags

look better is to put a little preparation H on them. Sounds silly but

helps!

[Guest guest]

I have never tried it but I know models use it and I have friends who swear

by it! So far, I haven't developed that problem! Thank goodness!

[Guest guest]

Re: new to group

Hi Leigh. Welcome! We need to start an " Endo Hall of Shame " list!!

They continue to UNamaze us.

Hi Janie,

Thanks for your thoughtful post. I never knew I had so many soulmates out

there - living in this unexplained hell that we have all lived in for so long.

We have tried increasing cytomel, but had headaches and irratability, and felt

" YUCK " . My endo thinks I'm where I should be dosage wise. I know that he does

check for free T3 and T4, and doesn't use the standard norms for these.

Unfortunately, I tossed my last labs. I am considering asking him his opinion

about Armour, or adding a little T4 also - but I get the feeling he would have

offered those options already if he were willing to give them a try. What I'm

really worried about is perhaps it's the Wellbutrin that I take that has me

feeling so much better, and not the cytomel at all.

Of all these lingering symptoms, the foggy thinking and these darn puffs under

my eyes are the ones that bother me most. I lose 60 pounds, and have my old

body back and these darned bags under my eyes won't go away! The endo says

there isn't anything I can do. Tell me ladies.... is he wrong? Please say it's

possible for one's face to return to normal! With some ammunition, perhaps I

could persuade him to try something different.

Thanks Janie for giving me hope for finally be whole once more. I really

appreciate your suggestions!

Leigh

[Guest guest]

Hi Leigh,

Have you ever been elvauated for Thyroid Eye disease or been tested for

Grave's? Just a thought.

But I get swelling and edema under and around my eyes, especially in the

morning. Mine tends to let up mid day, but it does blur my vision and I can

" feel " it, which I hate. If yours is from edema from the hypo too, I would

think it would go away, if not improve a lot, with proper treatment.

Re: new to group

>

>

> Hi Leigh. Welcome! We need to start an " Endo Hall of Shame " list!!

> They continue to UNamaze us.

>

> Hi Janie,

>

> Thanks for your thoughtful post. I never knew I had so many soulmates

out there - living in this unexplained hell that we have all lived in for so

long.

>

> We have tried increasing cytomel, but had headaches and irratability,

and felt " YUCK " . My endo thinks I'm where I should be dosage wise. I know

that he does check for free T3 and T4, and doesn't use the standard norms

for these. Unfortunately, I tossed my last labs. I am considering asking

him his opinion about Armour, or adding a little T4 also - but I get the

feeling he would have offered those options already if he were willing to

give them a try. What I'm really worried about is perhaps it's the

Wellbutrin that I take that has me feeling so much better, and not the

cytomel at all.

>

> Of all these lingering symptoms, the foggy thinking and these darn puffs

under my eyes are the ones that bother me most. I lose 60 pounds, and have

my old body back and these darned bags under my eyes won't go away! The

endo says there isn't anything I can do. Tell me ladies.... is he wrong?

Please say it's possible for one's face to return to normal! With some

ammunition, perhaps I could persuade him to try something different.

>

> Thanks Janie for giving me hope for finally be whole once more. I really

appreciate your suggestions!

>

> Leigh

>

>

[Guest guest]

Re: Re: new to group

Hi ,

Can't say for sure that I've been checked for either of those disorders, but I

know I have Hashimoto's. Perhaps it is an edema thing, and it is definately

worse in the morning. I can't say that my vision has been affected, though.

I am so willing to do anything, I think I'll take 's advice and get some

preparation H. As wild as it sounds, it does make sense. Ahhhh - what vanity

will make you do.....

Leigh

Hi Leigh,

Have you ever been elvauated for Thyroid Eye disease or been tested for

Grave's? Just a thought.

[Guest guest]

> While the underlying problem won't be fixed, one thing to make those bags

> look better is to put a little preparation H on them. Sounds silly but

> helps!

>

I am all for home remedies, but I don't know if I'd be able to keep a

straight face all day if I used prep h on my eyes...the words " butt-head "

would be running through my mind all day...he he he...but that's just me,

there is something intrinsicly wrong with the way my mind works (or

doesn't-depending on how you look at it)

seriously though, does that work? I had bad hemms after having my daughter

and I didn't think it even worked for that very well. Does it really tighten

the skin on your face if you put it there? I never knew that.

[Guest guest]

Hi Leigh

Some folks who have Hashis also have Graves, its another autoimmune disorder

of the thyroid like hashi's, but also effects the eyes. Usually folks with

Graves are hyper, but some folks who have both disorders I understand can be

hyper, hypo, or alternate between the two. If its just bags under the eyes,

I probably wouldn't worry about it, especially if your eyes aren't

protruding or bothering you other than cosmeticly. I know I hate my baggage,

too. I went to work yesterday with pillow marks on my eye even though I'd

been up for 2 hours, simply because the lines wouldn't pop back out. I

looked kind of funny in addtion to my regular morning baggage. I get " ,

are you OK? " I usually say, " SURE, same as always... " and smile.

[Guest guest]

There seem to be a few who have a bad reaction to T3. That can point

to another problem. Adrenals are an example. You could have poorly

functioning adrenals, and the only way to know is to have them

tested. Poor adrenal function can go hand-in-hand with hypothyroid.

On the other hand, it can simply be a synthetic problem, though I

think the above is more likely. But until you try Armour, or until

you get your adrenals tested, you won't really know.

Additionally, unless you know that your female hormones, including

testosterone, are balanced and optimal, that could also contribute

to your problems.

And along with the importance of getting the above tested, you may

need to look at adding cytomel more gradually, or simply finding a

better doc who will help you with Armour!! You are obviously still

hypo.

I hope others with strong knowledge will also contribute ideas here.

May I also strongly suggest you get a new copy of your labs. It is

very important to keep those on hand as you work on your treatment

options.

Janie

>

> We have tried increasing cytomel, but had headaches and

irratability, and felt " YUCK " . My endo thinks I'm where I should be

dosage wise. I know that he does check for free T3 and T4, and

doesn't use the standard norms for these. Unfortunately, I tossed

my last labs. I am considering asking him his opinion about Armour,

or adding a little T4 also - but I get the feeling he would have

offered those options already if he were willing to give them a

try. What I'm really worried about is perhaps it's the Wellbutrin

that I take that has me feeling so much better, and not the cytomel

at all.

>

> Of all these lingering symptoms, the foggy thinking and these

darn puffs under my eyes are the ones that bother me most. I lose

60 pounds, and have my old body back and these darned bags under my

eyes won't go away! The endo says there isn't anything I can do.

Tell me ladies.... is he wrong? Please say it's possible for one's

face to return to normal! With some ammunition, perhaps I could

persuade him to try something different.

>

> Thanks Janie for giving me hope for finally be whole once more.

I really appreciate your suggestions!

>

> Leigh

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi there Lorene in the Caribbean. Glad you joined us.

Well, first, it would help if you can post your lab tests, plus

ranges, which you say are good. Because I suspect they are far from

good!! First, your free T3 needs to be in the upper part of the

range to really get the optimal results from your thyroid. Your free

T4 needs to be at least mid-range. The fact that you are feeling

depression and without energy tells me you probably have a low free

T3.

You stated that when you took Armour before, you became hyper. How

much were you on? Is there a possibility that you simply took too

much??

Also, have you ever had your adrenals tested?? And what about your

female hormones, plus your testosterone levels?? Are you taking

DHEA?? And what about Selenium??

Look forward to hearing from you.

Janie

[Guest guest]

Hi, I am wondering what kind of compounded hormones you took, capsules or

cream? For me, the right amount of the right type of hormones worked (capsules

just about killed me whereas cream restored me to health). and then you need to

add ENOUGH Armour to that, not treat to tsh test.

Gracia

I have just joined this group and read some of your posts.. Sorry I

have not found you sooner.

I am having lots of problems with my meds and would like some imput

from your experiences.

I am 54 past menopause and been hypo 12 plus yrs.. I have tried

several combinations and still feel pretty lousy.

I am taking now Unithyroid 125 and 1/2 grain Armour. I am feeling

very depressed and no energy even though my lab tests are good.

I don't live in the states but a small island in Caribbean. Here

there are no specialists and I am educating myself through books and

websites like this one.

I am very curious about taking just the Armour. I tried this before

but became very hyper and had joint pain. I have alos tried

compounding estrogen/progest and that turned me into a B---- I

experienced very bad moods swings and sweats and joint pain.. I

stopped taking this and that disappeared.. I am now taking just Prog

creme in the evening.

I have leaned sooo much about how everything works together. After

my hysto 3 yrs ago it has been downhill from there.

Any help I would appreciate

Thanks

Lorene

[Guest guest]

You stated that when you took Armour before, you became hyper. How

much were you on? Is there a possibility that you simply took too

much??

---And when you say hyper...what happened????