Re: help in houston

[Guest guest]

Hi there . My daughter is 21y/o and will be transferring to

UofH Clear Lake in the fall. She has many of the symptoms of

hypothyroidism. Her TSH is 4.3. I can't imagine what you must be

feeling like. She also is tired alot, anxious, flushed, moody, gets

frequent headaches and migraines, keeps sinus problems, the list goes

on. My point is we can relate. She just found out her TSH levels and

was started on Synthroid last week. We are trying a doctor in the

Clear Lake area. She has only seen her once, so we really don't have

an opinion as of yet. I just had my thyroid removed at MD ,

due to papillary cancer. I am also on Synthroid. If you need to talk

you can contact us through my email. I'm sure my daughter could

relate to what you are going through. Good luck. Delana

>

> TSH is 43. Doctor refuses to change meds " just yet " b/c i'm on

> 250mcg. My TSH has been out of whack for a while, up and down. I am

> 5'4 " and 125-250mcg should be enough. Sure i miss a pill every now

> and then, but i take it 90% of the time and if it was working at

all

> my TSH shouldn't be 43, right? I am only 25 and a full time

student.

> My quality of life is severely impacted by this. Is it possible to

> be resistant to levothyroxine? I have hashimotos, could that have

> something to do with it?

>

> Does anyone personally recommend a doctor in the Houston area?

> Thanks,

>

[Guest guest]

Dear --

The first thing you will need to do is take your pills

consistently, same time(s) every day, and wait an hour before eating.

That way, you can figure out if missing those pills here and there is

causing part of the problem, and your doctor won't look at you

suspiciously when you ask for an increase.

Are you doing anything else that might inhibit thyroid

replacement intake? Some of the things that will stop thyroid

replacement cold are consuming soy products (specifically soy protein

and soy isoflavones-- check your pantry, you'll be surprised by what

you find) or millet (found in healthy breads and breakfast cereals);

taking calcium or iron within four hours of taking thyroid replacement

(that includes calcium-fortified drinks and juices); consuming

antacids within the same four hour time frame; consuming raw

goitrogenic vegetables, fruits, nuts or grains; and finally using

fluoride in any form (certain herbal teas, toothpaste, and tap water).

The next major thing to consider is what the rest of your thyroid

levels reflect. Do you have a recent free T4 and free T3 count?

How high was your last antibody count? People with TSH as high

as yours sometimes feel terrible (a subjective term, I know), and

sometimes not, depending on the person. In addition, people with

TSH as low as 2.5 can still feel terrible and symptomatic. The

TSH is not a particularly good reflection of how one feels-- and you

say that your quality of life is impacted, so I'm interested to find

out what your other levels are like.

A few things to think about: people with Hashimotos have a

harder time getting a lock on thyroid replacement, and can still be

symptomatic with a normal TSH, especially if they have high

antibodies. In addition, you may need a different kind of

thyroid replacement, especially if your body is not converting T4 to

T3.

Please write us back and tell us a little bit more about what's

going on.

Best wishes--

Courtenay.

TSH is 43. Doctor refuses to change

meds " just yet " b/c i'm on

250mcg. My TSH has been out of whack for a while, up and down. I

am

5'4 " and 125-250mcg should be enough. Sure i miss a pill every

now

and then, but i take it 90% of the time and if it was working at

all

my TSH shouldn't be 43, right? I am only 25 and a full time

student.

My quality of life is severely impacted by this. Is it possible to

be resistant to levothyroxine? I have hashimotos, could that have

something to do with it?

Does anyone personally recommend a doctor in the Houston area?

Thanks,

[Guest guest]

I am making an effort to take my pills everyday around the same time- sometimes i flat out forget and have to take them when I remember. Also- I am aware of the soy issue, and although i am a vegetarian, i rarely consume it. (if i go out to eat Thai food- i may have tofu but this is no more than once a week--and at night where I take my pills in the morning). I also use a flouride-free toothpaste (Toms of maine gel w/silica and xylitol b/c i have very sensitive teeth). I consume a lot of dairy, but not near when i take my pills. I do not take vitamins near my pills.

Anyhow, I have had 2 docs tell my that my dose is so high, that even if i missed my pills 3 days or more in a row that my TSH should not be 43. I am just concerned b/c this has happened before, and i wonder if it has to do with hashimotos--will antibodies attack the medicine? Is there something else wrong? or maybe my body just doesn't absorb levothyroxine.... 250mcg is a lot for someone my size.

(My doctor thinks that my pills were bad, which is why they are not going to up my dose. My problem with that is that even when my tsh is normal i still feel blah) I have requested my labs be sent to me, idon' t know my free t4 yet. I know that she doesn't check my T3 or antibodies.

Also, I think if my pills were working and if my levels were okay, I wouldn't have such a difficult time remembering to take my pills. I am so disoriented and tired lately that its hard for me to remember anything. (Although I am trying really really hard)

It is hard for me to see a doctor who doesn't take insurance b/c I am a college student with very little funds.

Thanks for your support,

Courtenay wrote:

Dear --

The first thing you will need to do is take your pills consistently, same time(s) every day, and wait an hour before eating. That way, you can figure out if missing those pills here and there is causing part of the problem, and your doctor won't look at you suspiciously when you ask for an increase.

Are you doing anything else that might inhibit thyroid replacement intake? Some of the things that will stop thyroid replacement cold are consuming soy products (specifically soy protein and soy isoflavones-- check your pantry, you'll be surprised by what you find) or millet (found in healthy breads and breakfast cereals); taking calcium or iron within four hours of taking thyroid replacement (that includes calcium-fortified drinks and juices); consuming antacids within the same four hour time frame; consuming raw goitrogenic vegetables, fruits, nuts or grains; and finally using fluoride in any form (certain herbal teas, toothpaste, and tap water).

The next major thing to consider is what the rest of your thyroid levels reflect. Do you have a recent free T4 and free T3 count? How high was your last antibody count? People with TSH as high as yours sometimes feel terrible (a subjective term, I know), and sometimes not, depending on the person. In addition, people with TSH as low as 2.5 can still feel terrible and symptomatic. The TSH is not a particularly good reflection of how one feels-- and you say that your quality of life is impacted, so I'm interested to find out what your other levels are like.

A few things to think about: people with Hashimotos have a harder time getting a lock on thyroid replacement, and can still be symptomatic with a normal TSH, especially if they have high antibodies. In addition, you may need a different kind of thyroid replacement, especially if your body is not converting T4 to T3.

Please write us back and tell us a little bit more about what's going on.

Best wishes--

Courtenay.

TSH is 43. Doctor refuses to change meds "just yet" b/c i'm on250mcg. My TSH has been out of whack for a while, up and down. I am5'4" and 125-250mcg should be enough. Sure i miss a pill every nowand then, but i take it 90% of the time and if it was working at allmy TSH shouldn't be 43, right? I am only 25 and a full time student.My quality of life is severely impacted by this. Is it possible tobe resistant to levothyroxine? I have hashimotos, could that havesomething to do with it?Does anyone personally recommend a doctor in the Houston area?Thanks,

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Dear --

I love Thai food and was a vegetarian for years until I became

severely hypoglycemic. I no longer eat high carbohydrate foods and

try to abstain from high sugar consumables as well. That's helped my

energy level considerably, but I'm not sure whether that would be a

good choice for you without a doctor's supervision.

There are several other reasons that you might still feel really blah

on such a high dose. You may be anemic; there are several forms of

anemia, including Iron anemia and B vitamin anemia as well as others.

This will inhibit thyroid medications. You may have issues with sex

hormones. You might also have low adrenal function, which comprises

three major hormones (hope I'm getting this right) that can severely

limit functionality. Anemia might cause your TSH to spike, but as

for the others, I'm not sure whether they would be reflected in your

TSH.

I am a 30 year old college instructor on sabbatical from illness, and

like you I am totally struggling with funds. I understand your

dilemma. You will get down to the bottom of this; it just might take

some time.

Best wishes--

Courtenay.

[Guest guest]

Dear --

I think you and I have the same palate. I love Indian and Middle

Eastern cuisine-- I can make a mean batch of tabbouleh and I could

live on straight Indian cuisine. When I was vegetarian, I was a mere

teenager, and my mother made me do all of my own cooking and research

because she did not want me to become metabolically unbalanced. I

eat a lot of fresh and frozen vegetables, and I can really tell when

I'm not eating enough of them.

Remember, if you're going to take the B12, you will need to accompany

it with a B vitamin complex. It's really easy to throw the B-levels

in your body out of whack.

If it's your sex hormones that are out-of-whack, what about looking

for a gyno who is knowledgeable about thyroid issues that also

belongs to your health insurance? Just a thought.

Before I got sick, I was teaching at a community college, and

moonlighting at local private Catholic universities. Mostly, I teach

literature courses, but I've also been known to do Composition I and

II, and developmental writing. I have no patience for high school

students either. I teach primarily to cover the expenses so I can

write and do photography.

Something else just occurred to me-- some of those alternative health

practitioners offer payment plans.

I totally understand your Houston dilemma. That's why I moved out of L.A.

Best wishes--

Courtenay.

>Courtenay,

>I have been veggie for a while (4yrs), and when i first started all

>I ate was junk food, cheese, etc. soy this and soy that. I have

>learned to avoid soy, so I eat a lot of Indian food (which actually

>doesn't use any soy). Lately its been home made- lentils,

>chickpeas,kidney beans-curry everything. I also love meditteranean

>food (home made hummus, felafel). I had a physical where they

>checked all of my levels and they were all good. (Not anemic). I

>take B12 supplement (just started). Although, I know i don't eat

>enough fresh veggies... but I am going to invest in a vitamix so

>hopefully that will change.

>The main thing is that my main 3 hormones are off (estrogen,

>testosterone, progesterone). I am sure you are right about the

>adrenal thing. (But then the funds comes up again, b/c doctors who

>treat 'adrenal fatigue' usually are alternative practitioners who

>don't accept health insurance.)

>Also - living in Houston (in my opinion) is a major contributor, b/c

>of pollution, stress, (BAD traffic), etc. I know that when I

>exercise (i.e. go to yoga, pilates, cardio) and get sleep, and eat

>right, and relax--that usually helps my health.

>

>-(and i honestly don't trust my thyroid medication...syntheroid has

>been sued for their pills being inconsistent...I know b/c i got $103

>from the lawsuit--woo hoo!!)

>

>So what subject do you teach? Are you teaching at community college

>or university? I have though about teaching, but would have to teach

>at a college (don't want to deal w/ high school kids). You didn't

>say what was going on with you, but I hope you get to feeling better.

>

>

>