Re: I am going crazy..please help...

[Guest guest]

Tina,

My tsh was under one several years ago with no problems. Have a stress ekg if

you're worried about heart problems, better see a cardiologist. Do some weight

lifting. Do 4 exercises bench presses, lat pull downs, crunches and half

squats. Do two sets of 12 reps. Lift twice a week. Dieting with out lifting

will cause you to lose muscle.

[Guest guest]

Hi Tina. Your situation sounds very frustrating for sure.

Ok, I can tell you that there is one thing you need to reconsider---

" hardly eating " . When you hardly eat, your body gets stubborn and

does whatever it can to HOLD ONTO and CONSERVE fat!! I've got the

same stubborn body!! Instead, you have to figure out a way to eat

several small meals a day. Eating is a metabolism booster!! And, if

you are doing an Atkins way of eating, you are then hopefully eating

a high protein diet, correct? If so, you need to eat that high

protein/low carb more often, in smaller amounts, to raise that

metabolism.

Also, have you ever heard about high glycemic vs. low glycemic

foods? It's crucial information for all of us as we try to work on

our weight and health.

Next, am I reading correctly that you are on only 1 1/2 grains??

That is probably not enough. An ongoing poll on this site is showing

that the LOWEST optimal dose is nearly 3 grains!! And many folks are

on much more than that!

Have you taken your morning basal temp?? It needs to be between 97.8

and 98.2 at the minimum! Is it?? That higher temp reflects a higher

healthy metabolism, which is the result of being on an optimal dose

of Armour.

Why do you think you would have a heart attack? I am on 3 grains

Armour, my TSH is .009, and I am no where near a heart attack! Heart

attacks are due to clogged arteries or a diseased heart, not due to

optimal doses of Armour that take away all symptoms.....)

Your husband's advice is not good. Yes, your thyroid is working a

lot less when you add more Armour. But..what's the alternative??

Cause if you let your thyroid work more by reducing your Armour,

your thyroid will NOT give you what you need because it is SICK! And

you will get worse.

Anyway, I hope all the above will give you " food for thought " .

Janie aka ThyroDiva )

> I was on Synthroid 60 mg..was put on it in May last year for 2

months and gained 10 pounds by July..Then I went to a new Dr and he

put me on ARMOUR. Honestly, I never felt better...Armou 60 mg..by

Christmas I was dragging and begged him to take me to 90...Instantly

I felt better however now I am 20 pounds heavier and am wondering if

it is because I need MORE Armour..My husband thinks maybe because I

have more my thyroid has shut down because it is depending on the

Armour, and told me to cut it in half..but from reading in here I

feel I should up it..my TSH two months ago was 1.5

>

> I dont want a heart attack so I dont know how to handle this..go

up or down in meds??

>

> I complained on my last physical to the endo that I gained

weight...that when I had the thyroid problem and was not on any meds

I was 40 pounds thinner... and he told me to push away from the

table..I know people who eat all day long..I hardly eat..Now I am on

Atkins..also, if I dont eat allday I find I weigh 5 popunds thinner

in the eve than the morn..I know that is water weight..

>

> Any suggestions? Also I walk 3 miles everyday, work full time and

on the days I dont walk I do my Nordic trac..

[Guest guest]

One more thing, Tina. Have you ever had your testosterone tested??

It's common as we age for it to get low. And testosterone is what

helps build muscle, and muscle is a major calorie burner.

Janie

> Hi Tina. Your situation sounds very frustrating for sure.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you all sooo much for the responses..

Why do I think I would have a heart attack? Because I heard about

the T3 and T4 effect on the heart..My Blood Pressure is 116/76

usually..pretty low....my cholesterol is about 205....not high and

not low...before my " THYROID PROBLEM " was discover last May I

weighed 170..now??? I am absolutely mortified to tell you I weighed

in at 210...AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Its disgusting..I am almost ready to

throw all meds in the Pacific ocean....I'd rather have the problem

and be thinner with scaley legs than fat with smooth legs.. (I also

have Hashimotos)...

My Dr. I guess is conservative..and he gave me a hard time about

going from 60 to 90 mg Armour at Christmas time..When he finally

gave in I was sooo happy...after my first pill I went home and

actually cooked for my son and his friends and stayed up to

11!!!!!! THE OLD ME I THOUGHT!!!! HOW WONDERFUL!!!!!! No weight

gain for awhile..etc....

Then it started...tired..not wanting to get out of bed..Once I was

up and going I was ok..but to get out of bed was absolute

TORTURE!!!!!

The Dr told me that he was afraid of me getting " TYROIDITIS " (SP?)

if 90 mg was to high for me..but then in Feb they tested it and it

was 1.5 the TSH...

So, I see your letters and feel ALL OF YOUR PAIN..ALL OF YOU!!!!!

and I think " Should I UP my Meds " Are they, the DRS , being

conservative because of Lawsuits, or just being Middle of the Road

Guys, or what???

I am not an medically educated person..so I try to reason ....from

fact, fiction and others experience....

Does this make sense?

Also, how would I go about raising my meds????

???? Anyone???

Thanks!!!

TINA

> Hi Tina. Your situation sounds very frustrating for sure.

>

> Ok, I can tell you that there is one thing you need to reconsider--

-

> " hardly eating " . When you hardly eat, your body gets stubborn and

> does whatever it can to HOLD ONTO and CONSERVE fat!! I've got the

> same stubborn body!! Instead, you have to figure out a way to eat

> several small meals a day. Eating is a metabolism booster!! And,

if

> you are doing an Atkins way of eating, you are then hopefully

eating

> a high protein diet, correct? If so, you need to eat that high

> protein/low carb more often, in smaller amounts, to raise that

> metabolism.

>

> Also, have you ever heard about high glycemic vs. low glycemic

> foods? It's crucial information for all of us as we try to work on

> our weight and health.

>

> Next, am I reading correctly that you are on only 1 1/2 grains??

> That is probably not enough. An ongoing poll on this site is

showing

> that the LOWEST optimal dose is nearly 3 grains!! And many folks

are

> on much more than that!

>

> Have you taken your morning basal temp?? It needs to be between

97.8

> and 98.2 at the minimum! Is it?? That higher temp reflects a

higher

> healthy metabolism, which is the result of being on an optimal

dose

> of Armour.

>

> Why do you think you would have a heart attack? I am on 3 grains

> Armour, my TSH is .009, and I am no where near a heart attack!

Heart

> attacks are due to clogged arteries or a diseased heart, not due

to

> optimal doses of Armour that take away all symptoms.....)

>

> Your husband's advice is not good. Yes, your thyroid is working a

> lot less when you add more Armour. But..what's the alternative??

> Cause if you let your thyroid work more by reducing your Armour,

> your thyroid will NOT give you what you need because it is SICK!

And

> you will get worse.

>

> Anyway, I hope all the above will give you " food for thought " .

>

> Janie aka ThyroDiva )

>

> > I was on Synthroid 60 mg..was put on it in May last year for 2

> months and gained 10 pounds by July..Then I went to a new Dr and

he

> put me on ARMOUR. Honestly, I never felt better...Armou 60 mg..by

> Christmas I was dragging and begged him to take me to

90...Instantly

> I felt better however now I am 20 pounds heavier and am wondering

if

> it is because I need MORE Armour..My husband thinks maybe because

I

> have more my thyroid has shut down because it is depending on the

> Armour, and told me to cut it in half..but from reading in here I

> feel I should up it..my TSH two months ago was 1.5

> >

> > I dont want a heart attack so I dont know how to handle this..go

> up or down in meds??

> >

> > I complained on my last physical to the endo that I gained

> weight...that when I had the thyroid problem and was not on any

meds

> I was 40 pounds thinner... and he told me to push away from the

> table..I know people who eat all day long..I hardly eat..Now I am

on

> Atkins..also, if I dont eat allday I find I weigh 5 popunds

thinner

> in the eve than the morn..I know that is water weight..

> >

> > Any suggestions? Also I walk 3 miles everyday, work full time

and

> on the days I dont walk I do my Nordic trac..

[Guest guest]

Tina, there really is no heart issue with Armour unless you already

have an underlying heart problem that the T3 can aggravate.

Your doc is strange. Going up on Armour does NOT cause Thyroiditis.

It STOPS it!!!!!!

Yes, they are conservative because of lawsuits and because of the

possibility of being kicked out of their profession by their

governing body (like Dr. Derry in Canada).........and because of BAD

medical school training on thyroid.

I can only state that if your situation was my own, I would proceed

upwards to 2 grains and hold that for about 4 weeks....then test my

basal temp in the morning. If not at 97.8 - 98.2, I would go up

another 1/2 grain....and so on.

You just hang in there, and remember what I said about many small

meals every day, your testosterone, high glycemic vs. low glycemic

foods, etc. Armour is not a diet pill--it does help, of course, by

raising the metabolism when you find your optimal dose (which it

doesn't sound like you are on at all), but you also have to do your

part. )

Janie

[Guest guest]

Tina,

There is a fine line to walk when you have a thyroid disorder.. some

folks land on it pretty easy, others of us have to find it.... If you

don't eat enough calories, regularly, it not only slows your metabolic

rate, but messes up your T4 to T3 conversion... which then slows your

metabolism even more...

Depending on how our body monitor is set, if you don't eat enough food in

a day, or eat your meals too far apart, your body sees it as a starvation

situation. When your body goes into starvation mode it takes the food you

eat and immediately turns it to fat.

The best way to get your monitor working to your advantage, is to eat

smaller meals more frequently... then your body goes into a 'calories to

burn mode' and takes the easy way out.

You eat your 'mini-meal' and your body says, hmmm... good stuff... we'll

be eating again soon so I really don't want to bother with converting

this to stores (fat) so I'll just give the body the go ahead to burn it

up.....

See, your body never likes doing extra work, if it doesn't have to. But

the first priority is ALWAYS to stay alive... so you have to find out how

sensitive your monitor is.... then eat in a way to satisfy it.....

Now, this sounds like malarkey... but, well, it's not... if your body is

that sensitive and concerned with staying alive. I tracked my eating for

two weeks.... determined what I was taking in a day for calories... I was

maintaining my weight on what I was eating, but not losing. I then took

the number of calories that I was eating in a day and divided that into

five meals instead of the one or two that I was eating..... I started

dropping weight...

I've fine tuned my method since then... determined a calorie range,

minimum and maximum, that I use as a guideline... and eat between 5 and 7

meals a day, as needed, to maintain my calorie range. I have also taken

my vitamin caplets and split them into 8 pieces... I take one chip every

time I eat, to boost the nutritional level of every meal. Any chips that

are left over at the end of the day I take with my late night

supplements. AND most important. NEVER skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast

starts your body off in concerned mode... which quickly slips into

storage mode....

Your breakfast doesn't need to be much.... Just enough, and REGULAR, to

convince your monitor that food is plentiful, always coming and never a

need for concern.. so it's just gives the go ahead to burn it all up...

See, once it's not scared anymore.... it takes the easy way out... it's

work to turn food into fat and then have to turn it back into energy the

next time you skip a meal.

There is also a thing with carbs. Carbs are needed for conversion. Some

folks need more than others to get correct conversion. You may be one of

those.... You might want to experiment a little and find out if you have

to do some adjusting.. For me, although low carb made me lose weight I

found that balancing carbs and protein actually works better for me...

Ponder on it for a bit... You may also need to up your dosage... but the

food/conversion may also be an issue for you....

Topper ()

On Fri, 9 Apr 2004 19:14:53 -0700 (PDT) Tina writes:

> I was on Synthroid 60 mg..was put on it in May last year for 2

> months and gained 10 pounds by July..Then I went to a new Dr and he

> put me on ARMOUR. Honestly, I never felt better...Armou 60 mg..by

> Christmas I was dragging and begged him to take me to 90...Instantly

> I felt better however now I am 20 pounds heavier and am wondering if

> it is because I need MORE Armour..My husband thinks maybe because I

> have more my thyroid has shut down because it is depending on the

> Armour, and told me to cut it in half..but from reading in here I

> feel I should up it..my TSH two months ago was 1.5

>

> I dont want a heart attack so I dont know how to handle this..go up

> or down in meds??

>

> I complained on my last physical to the endo that I gained

> weight...that when I had the thyroid problem and was not on any meds

> I was 40 pounds thinner... and he told me to push away from the

> table..I know people who eat all day long..I hardly eat..Now I am on

> Atkins..also, if I dont eat allday I find I weigh 5 popunds thinner

> in the eve than the morn..I know that is water weight..

>

> Any suggestions? Also I walk 3 miles everyday, work full time and

> on the days I dont walk I do my Nordic trac..

>

> So, is it better to up the dose or lower it??

>

> PLEASE HELP!!! Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!

>

> TINA

[Guest guest]

Tina, you mention that you have trouble getting up....

How are you taking your thyroid? Single dose, or more? Are you swallowing

it or taking it sublingually....

I used to have trouble getting up... one single thing that took care of

that for me AND cured my insomnia AND took away my morning/waking pain,

was to take a dose of thyroid when I go to bed, and my first dose as I

wake, before getting out of bed. I take all my doses sublingually.....

It might not be the answer for you... but it's a pretty simple test....

Also.... how are your adrenals?

Topper ()

On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 02:57:46 -0000 " whwitch4 "

writes:

> Thank you all sooo much for the responses..

>

> Why do I think I would have a heart attack? Because I heard about

> the T3 and T4 effect on the heart..My Blood Pressure is 116/76

> usually..pretty low....my cholesterol is about 205....not high and

> not low...before my " THYROID PROBLEM " was discover last May I

> weighed 170..now??? I am absolutely mortified to tell you I weighed

>

> in at 210...AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Its disgusting..I am almost ready to

> throw all meds in the Pacific ocean....I'd rather have the problem

> and be thinner with scaley legs than fat with smooth legs.. (I also

>

> have Hashimotos)...

>

> My Dr. I guess is conservative..and he gave me a hard time about

> going from 60 to 90 mg Armour at Christmas time..When he finally

> gave in I was sooo happy...after my first pill I went home and

> actually cooked for my son and his friends and stayed up to

> 11!!!!!! THE OLD ME I THOUGHT!!!! HOW WONDERFUL!!!!!! No weight

> gain for awhile..etc....

>

> Then it started...tired..not wanting to get out of bed..Once I was

> up and going I was ok..but to get out of bed was absolute

> TORTURE!!!!!

>

> The Dr told me that he was afraid of me getting " TYROIDITIS " (SP?)

>

> if 90 mg was to high for me..but then in Feb they tested it and it

> was 1.5 the TSH...

>

> So, I see your letters and feel ALL OF YOUR PAIN..ALL OF YOU!!!!!

> and I think " Should I UP my Meds " Are they, the DRS , being

> conservative because of Lawsuits, or just being Middle of the Road

> Guys, or what???

>

> I am not an medically educated person..so I try to reason ....from

> fact, fiction and others experience....

>

> Does this make sense?

>

> Also, how would I go about raising my meds????

>

> ???? Anyone???

> Thanks!!!

>

> TINA

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/10/04 3:23:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

scrapbooker518@... writes:

If you are taking a beta blocker, birth control, estrogen, soy it

will block your thyroid meds

I think I know why I gained so much weight recently. I was drinking soy milk

(almost exclusively) to aid in menopause. What a mistake!!!!! Now it is not

coming off........Why don't they tell you this??.....LOL

Donna

[Guest guest]

-Tina,

I to have Hashi's and every time I have a flare up I gain weight

uncontrollably. But being thin does not mean you are healthy. I

would also check into the effects of too much protein in your diet.

Too much and not enough can be havoc on your thyroid and endocrine

system. If you do not take care of your thyroid you will increase

your chances of heart disease, high cholesterol, calcium, magnesium

and iron deficiency. This also puts a strain on your liver, pancreas

and adrenal glands.

You may want to research adrenal fatigue and the connection with

hypothyroidism. I would suggest having your estrogen and

progesterone check as well. Make sure you are not estrogen dominant.

Progesterone is an ally to your thyroid. If your sex hormones are

out of whack your thyroid will not work right and vice versa. If you

have high cortrisol from your adrenal glands (from stress),you will

hold on to weight as well. I have been researching this for a few

years and continue to learn more.

If you are taking a beta blocker, birth control, estrogen, soy it

will block your thyroid meds. If you do take a vitamin or calcium

take it 2 – 4 hrs after meds as it will inhibit the absorption of

your thyroid meds.

This is an excellent website to check out and get a wide range of

info on the thyroid. Gail's Thyroid Tips.

http://personal.bellsouth.net/w/u/wurmstei/

Good Reads to start in research are The Schwartzbien Principle II by

Dr Diane Schwartzbien and the Thyroid Solution by Ridha Arem. MD I

have a couple of web sites I will post as well later.

Keep in mind everyone is different; everyone's " normal level " is

different. One size does not fit all on treatment of hormones and

nutrition. The best advise I can give you is to research and don't

give up. You may have to search for another doctor who is willing to

work with your symptoms as well and treat the whole body, not just a

lab report.

[Guest guest]

Donna,

I don't know why we are not told. I have found out all this info by

hours of research. I actually had just started taking estrogen (6

weeks) and had a flare up of Hashimoto's. I then found out that

estrogen can cause a problem with thyroid meds and flare up dormant

Hashimoto's and Lupus. The body needs a balance of adrenal, estrogen

and progesterone hormones to work properly. There is also

speculation that Yeast in the stomach, Candida and or Epstein-Bar

Virus (mononucleosis) is also responsible for Hashimots. (I had mono

just before my hysterectomy and I started estrogen replacement)

There could be some logic behind it.

FYI, check the insert in the Synthroid meds. It states your Dr. must

check your adrenals before prescribing synthroid. Synthroid or any

other thyroid replacement can mess you up if you have adrenal

deficiency.

I encourage each one to not solely rely on your physician. Research

and learn as much as you can about your own body and the endocrine

system.

[Guest guest]

That's only if you get inserts with your meds. If not than go to the

manufacturers website and look at the prescribing information. It's

usually a PDF file.

Louise

> Donna,

>

>

> FYI, check the insert in the Synthroid meds. It states your Dr.

must

> check your adrenals before prescribing synthroid. Synthroid or any

> other thyroid replacement can mess you up if you have adrenal

> deficiency.

>

> I encourage each one to not solely rely on your physician. Research

> and learn as much as you can about your own body and the endocrine

> system.

>

>