Re: New here - input requested

[Guest guest]

Angie - Truthfully, it's time to seek out a different doctor. I know it's probably not what you want to hear, as it takes energy to do it, and sometimes that is hard to muster up. I SO know how that is....been there, done that, have the t-shirt and the lack of energy, lol I DO have a doctor now(after going through a few) that listens to me, and he is concerned about my weight gain, or lack of ability to lose weight, among my other concerns. You need a doctor that will have that same care for you. In my opinion, you are undermedicated and until you are properly tested and properly medicated your symptoms will not get any better. Please keep us posted. Hang in there, and remember YOU are your best advocate. Please don't give up!

Marie

From: The_Thyroid_Support_Group [mailto:The_Thyroid_Support_Group ] On Behalf Of ChrisSent: Wednesday, February 15, 2006 8:07 PMTo: The_Thyroid_Support_Group Subject: New here - input requested

History: one year ago TSH 1.84; 6 months ago 2.60; 3 months ago 3.9After 3 months on the starter dose of levothyroxine 1/2 a mg my new results for TSH are 2.84. Today he doubled my dosage to 1 mg.I told him that in the past 3 months I have gained another 14 pounds (while dieting and exercising), even though my TSH has gotten a little better, yet I still gained. He did not seem concerned and told me not to worry about it, which has just upset me more.I asked him if there are other tests like for T3 and T4, he said "Actually this test is for Free T4, and I see no need to test T3 at this point."I then told him that I am surprised after talking to people on various forums who have much higher TSH levels, that I still cannot manage to lose or stabilize my weight considering my TSH isn't all that high compared. Still he did not seem concerned, told me to just keep dieting and exercising and not to think about it until I see him again for another TSH in 8 weeks with the increase in dosage.I then went on to ask him if hormones could be part of the problem (40 yr old female). He said "It could be, but lets not do any tests regarding that until we see how this increase goes."He knows I am very upset about the weight thing. He keeps tell me that I can get off one or two of my meds for hypertension if I lose weight, but yet I keep gaining. I couldn't help but cry in his office a couple times, which warranted much reassurance by him and a hug. I really do like this doctor, he is not a specialist though, just internal medicine, and only out of school for two years. I don't have a specialist anywhere near me (over 120 miles drive).How does this all sound to you? Any comments, insight or suggestions?Angie

[Guest guest]

Hello Angie,

Is there any way you can post your lab ranges? Since every lab is different it is impossible for us to tell you much about your labs and where they are without them. Your symptoms on the other hand... they are hypo without a doubt. See if your doc knows anything about Armour thyroid or natural hormones. It's possible your body is not processing it correctly because it's synthetic. (that is what happened with me and many others on this forum who are synthroid/synthetic intolerant).

What I would do is every day write down how you feel. Chart your symptoms, body temperature (basal if you can get it) and when you eat, what you eat, etc. Do you have any allergies? (this is a big thing with me that I always ask people because once I eliminated my allergens 85% of my symptoms went away). Do you know why you are hypothyroid? (autoimmune? hashi's? etc.?)

Have you seen other doctors besides this one?

Also, do you take supplements? If you do or don't I would recommend adding the following: A good multi vitamin (mine are store brand wal-mart.. they work great for me), b-complex supplement (I believe this is also Spring Valley for me in liquid form... you'll find the more pills you take the more a pill splitter & liquid meds are worth). Make sure your multi has selenium in it, if it doesn't, make sure you take it also. It will help your body convert your pill into useable hormone. Some people also use ferretin/iron supplements however if you over medicate this can be harmful.

Make sure you enhance your ability to deal with stress as your adrenals (cortisol/dhea) and other hormone levels are probably messed up right now. They will be until your thyroid levels are in order. Meditate, take time for you, rest when your body needs to, stay awake when it wants to, make sure you fine tune your inner ear so that you always stay one step ahead of your illness.

I will type more later. Good luck and have a wonderful night. I promise Angie... the end of the tunnel is not only there... it's in sight, you just have to train yourself to see in the dark for a while.

: ),

andrea

New here - input requested

History: one year ago TSH 1.84; 6 months ago 2.60; 3 months ago 3.9After 3 months on the starter dose of levothyroxine 1/2 a mg my new results for TSH are 2.84. Today he doubled my dosage to 1 mg.I told him that in the past 3 months I have gained another 14 pounds (while dieting and exercising), even though my TSH has gotten a little better, yet I still gained. He did not seem concerned and told me not to worry about it, which has just upset me more.I asked him if there are other tests like for T3 and T4, he said "Actually this test is for Free T4, and I see no need to test T3 at this point."I then told him that I am surprised after talking to people on various forums who have much higher TSH levels, that I still cannot manage to lose or stabilize my weight considering my TSH isn't all that high compared. Still he did not seem concerned, told me to just keep dieting and exercising and not to think about it until I see him again for another TSH in 8 weeks with the increase in dosage.I then went on to ask him if hormones could be part of the problem (40 yr old female). He said "It could be, but lets not do any tests regarding that until we see how this increase goes."He knows I am very upset about the weight thing. He keeps tell me that I can get off one or two of my meds for hypertension if I lose weight, but yet I keep gaining. I couldn't help but cry in his office a couple times, which warranted much reassurance by him and a hug. I really do like this doctor, he is not a specialist though, just internal medicine, and only out of school for two years. I don't have a specialist anywhere near me (over 120 miles drive).How does this all sound to you? Any comments, insight or suggestions?Angie

[Guest guest]

Hello Angie,

Is there any way you can post your lab ranges? Since every lab is different it is impossible for us to tell you much about your labs and where they are without them. Your symptoms on the other hand... they are hypo without a doubt. See if your doc knows anything about Armour thyroid or natural hormones. It's possible your body is not processing it correctly because it's synthetic. (that is what happened with me and many others on this forum who are synthroid/synthetic intolerant).

What I would do is every day write down how you feel. Chart your symptoms, body temperature (basal if you can get it) and when you eat, what you eat, etc. Do you have any allergies? (this is a big thing with me that I always ask people because once I eliminated my allergens 85% of my symptoms went away). Do you know why you are hypothyroid? (autoimmune? hashi's? etc.?)

Have you seen other doctors besides this one?

Also, do you take supplements? If you do or don't I would recommend adding the following: A good multi vitamin (mine are store brand wal-mart.. they work great for me), b-complex supplement (I believe this is also Spring Valley for me in liquid form... you'll find the more pills you take the more a pill splitter & liquid meds are worth). Make sure your multi has selenium in it, if it doesn't, make sure you take it also. It will help your body convert your pill into useable hormone. Some people also use ferretin/iron supplements however if you over medicate this can be harmful.

Make sure you enhance your ability to deal with stress as your adrenals (cortisol/dhea) and other hormone levels are probably messed up right now. They will be until your thyroid levels are in order. Meditate, take time for you, rest when your body needs to, stay awake when it wants to, make sure you fine tune your inner ear so that you always stay one step ahead of your illness.

I will type more later. Good luck and have a wonderful night. I promise Angie... the end of the tunnel is not only there... it's in sight, you just have to train yourself to see in the dark for a while.

: ),

andrea

New here - input requested

History: one year ago TSH 1.84; 6 months ago 2.60; 3 months ago 3.9After 3 months on the starter dose of levothyroxine 1/2 a mg my new results for TSH are 2.84. Today he doubled my dosage to 1 mg.I told him that in the past 3 months I have gained another 14 pounds (while dieting and exercising), even though my TSH has gotten a little better, yet I still gained. He did not seem concerned and told me not to worry about it, which has just upset me more.I asked him if there are other tests like for T3 and T4, he said "Actually this test is for Free T4, and I see no need to test T3 at this point."I then told him that I am surprised after talking to people on various forums who have much higher TSH levels, that I still cannot manage to lose or stabilize my weight considering my TSH isn't all that high compared. Still he did not seem concerned, told me to just keep dieting and exercising and not to think about it until I see him again for another TSH in 8 weeks with the increase in dosage.I then went on to ask him if hormones could be part of the problem (40 yr old female). He said "It could be, but lets not do any tests regarding that until we see how this increase goes."He knows I am very upset about the weight thing. He keeps tell me that I can get off one or two of my meds for hypertension if I lose weight, but yet I keep gaining. I couldn't help but cry in his office a couple times, which warranted much reassurance by him and a hug. I really do like this doctor, he is not a specialist though, just internal medicine, and only out of school for two years. I don't have a specialist anywhere near me (over 120 miles drive).How does this all sound to you? Any comments, insight or suggestions?Angie

[Guest guest]

Hi, I just have a minute to reply. Thank you for your response.

My hospitals TSH range goes only from 0.4 to 4.0... my highest being

3.9

I do take a multi-vitamin with Selenium. I do not take Vit B or

Iron supplement... why would you think I would need this if both

are in my multi-v?

I have heard of eating Brazil nuts and that they help with

regulating thryoid, I was considering picking some up. I hear you

only should eat 1-2 nuts a day to get benefit, and to not really go

too much more than that. Anyone heard of this also?

I wish I could heed your advise about time for myself, ie mediation,

etc. I have a very stressful job, and then I go to the Y forcing

myself to exercise 3-4 days a week... I find this stressful,

not " me " time, that is for sure. The most rest and relaxation I

have is Saturday and Sunday. That is when I unwind, take bubble

baths and sleep 10+ hours a night. I sure look forward to those

weekends.

I find myself during the week, drinking coffee a couple times a day

because of my lack of energy from the hypo. Sometimes I just feel

like crawling on my hands and knees because my energy is so sapped.

I am also getting very depressed about the weight thing-- very much

so.

I hope this doubling the med dose is the trick, or at least a help.

I can't wait to find out.

[Guest guest]

Hi, I just have a minute to reply. Thank you for your response.

My hospitals TSH range goes only from 0.4 to 4.0... my highest being

3.9

I do take a multi-vitamin with Selenium. I do not take Vit B or

Iron supplement... why would you think I would need this if both

are in my multi-v?

I have heard of eating Brazil nuts and that they help with

regulating thryoid, I was considering picking some up. I hear you

only should eat 1-2 nuts a day to get benefit, and to not really go

too much more than that. Anyone heard of this also?

I wish I could heed your advise about time for myself, ie mediation,

etc. I have a very stressful job, and then I go to the Y forcing

myself to exercise 3-4 days a week... I find this stressful,

not " me " time, that is for sure. The most rest and relaxation I

have is Saturday and Sunday. That is when I unwind, take bubble

baths and sleep 10+ hours a night. I sure look forward to those

weekends.

I find myself during the week, drinking coffee a couple times a day

because of my lack of energy from the hypo. Sometimes I just feel

like crawling on my hands and knees because my energy is so sapped.

I am also getting very depressed about the weight thing-- very much

so.

I hope this doubling the med dose is the trick, or at least a help.

I can't wait to find out.

[Guest guest]

Hi, I just have a minute to reply. Thank you for your response.

My hospitals TSH range goes only from 0.4 to 4.0... my highest being

3.9

I do take a multi-vitamin with Selenium. I do not take Vit B or

Iron supplement... why would you think I would need this if both

are in my multi-v?

I have heard of eating Brazil nuts and that they help with

regulating thryoid, I was considering picking some up. I hear you

only should eat 1-2 nuts a day to get benefit, and to not really go

too much more than that. Anyone heard of this also?

I wish I could heed your advise about time for myself, ie mediation,

etc. I have a very stressful job, and then I go to the Y forcing

myself to exercise 3-4 days a week... I find this stressful,

not " me " time, that is for sure. The most rest and relaxation I

have is Saturday and Sunday. That is when I unwind, take bubble

baths and sleep 10+ hours a night. I sure look forward to those

weekends.

I find myself during the week, drinking coffee a couple times a day

because of my lack of energy from the hypo. Sometimes I just feel

like crawling on my hands and knees because my energy is so sapped.

I am also getting very depressed about the weight thing-- very much

so.

I hope this doubling the med dose is the trick, or at least a help.

I can't wait to find out.

[Guest guest]

Hi,

First off, doubling your dosage could be all the you need.

Going from 1/2 to 1 full mg is quite an increase. It may not be....

As it took a while, days-weeks-months-years for your body to get

this low, " Hypo " as you called it, it may take this long to see the

other side of the mountain. For each dosage change we all must give

our bodies time to adjust to the new dosage...thus 6 to 8 weeks

between each change in dosage... There is no miracle cure for what

we have other than time and PATIENCE. Patience with the dosage and

patience with the body and patience with the body while it tries to

help you find the new you....There is no going back to the old

you...thats gone...all you need to work towards is the new you that

is yet to be discovered.

Now, YOU NEED TO GIVE THE BODY A CHANCE TO SLEEP EACH AND EVERY DAY

RIGHT NOW...YOUR BODY IS SICK and you need to give it a chance to

get better...pushing it to the gym and not giving it a chance to

rest every day is not very wise...you are asking for problems not

only with your Thyroid gland but your Adrenal gland as well...and

perhaps other major organs in a domino's effect.

Many of us who have been working with our Thryoids for a while have

found that our bodies need more of certain vitamins and minerals

that those people that supposedly have normal bodies.

Thus the question about whether you take extra Vit B. complex:

B12, B6, B2, Folic Acid, etc. are burned up faster by people with

malfunctioning thyroids. Or not utilized correctly and thus more

needs to be supplied to the body so that is can get what it needs.

The same might be said for Iron.

Selenium is used by our bodies to help convert the storage hormone

over to the energy hormones.

Selenium from Brazil nuts is a great source of raw Selenium...and as

you mentioned, please limit yourself to a few (3-4). Eating too many

over a period of time, can bring on an overdose of Selenium minerals

in the bodies system... Oh, one thing...Selenium does not " regulate "

your Thyroid. Selenium is used by the body to break down the Thyroid

hormones into the usable components. Too much Selenium, well, it

isn't pretty.

We all understand your concern about your weight, however, your

bodies health and your mental health should be your #1 concern right

now. Pushing your body to the point of collapse every weekend is a

sure way of killing yourself. You of all people should know that you

have to listen to your body, if you don't your body will eventually

die from abuse...then what?

My recommendation, for whats its worth...: Take the increase in the

dosage. and then be Patient with your body and treat it like it is

the temple that it is. Feed it HEATHY FOODS, not junk food and not

fast foods. Give it the vitamins and minerals that it needs. (This

group has been there, done that, thus we can help suggest what vits

and mins might help your body feel better). Give it 9 or 10 hours of

sleep every night, if that is what your body needs right now...two,

three, four or more months from now it may not need so much, but

right now treat it like it needs to be treated. Like it is crying

out to you.

Gossimer

>

> Hi, I just have a minute to reply. Thank you for your response.

>

> My hospitals TSH range goes only from 0.4 to 4.0... my highest

being

> 3.9

>

> I do take a multi-vitamin with Selenium. I do not take Vit B or

> Iron supplement... why would you think I would need this if both

> are in my multi-v?

>

> I have heard of eating Brazil nuts and that they help with

> regulating thryoid, I was considering picking some up. I hear you

> only should eat 1-2 nuts a day to get benefit, and to not really

go

> too much more than that. Anyone heard of this also?

>

> I wish I could heed your advise about time for myself, ie

mediation,

> etc. I have a very stressful job, and then I go to the Y forcing

> myself to exercise 3-4 days a week... I find this stressful,

> not " me " time, that is for sure. The most rest and relaxation I

> have is Saturday and Sunday. That is when I unwind, take bubble

> baths and sleep 10+ hours a night. I sure look forward to those

> weekends.

>

> I find myself during the week, drinking coffee a couple times a

day

> because of my lack of energy from the hypo. Sometimes I just feel

> like crawling on my hands and knees because my energy is so

sapped.

> I am also getting very depressed about the weight thing-- very

much

> so.

>

> I hope this doubling the med dose is the trick, or at least a

help.

> I can't wait to find out.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi,

First off, doubling your dosage could be all the you need.

Going from 1/2 to 1 full mg is quite an increase. It may not be....

As it took a while, days-weeks-months-years for your body to get

this low, " Hypo " as you called it, it may take this long to see the

other side of the mountain. For each dosage change we all must give

our bodies time to adjust to the new dosage...thus 6 to 8 weeks

between each change in dosage... There is no miracle cure for what

we have other than time and PATIENCE. Patience with the dosage and

patience with the body and patience with the body while it tries to

help you find the new you....There is no going back to the old

you...thats gone...all you need to work towards is the new you that

is yet to be discovered.

Now, YOU NEED TO GIVE THE BODY A CHANCE TO SLEEP EACH AND EVERY DAY

RIGHT NOW...YOUR BODY IS SICK and you need to give it a chance to

get better...pushing it to the gym and not giving it a chance to

rest every day is not very wise...you are asking for problems not

only with your Thyroid gland but your Adrenal gland as well...and

perhaps other major organs in a domino's effect.

Many of us who have been working with our Thryoids for a while have

found that our bodies need more of certain vitamins and minerals

that those people that supposedly have normal bodies.

Thus the question about whether you take extra Vit B. complex:

B12, B6, B2, Folic Acid, etc. are burned up faster by people with

malfunctioning thyroids. Or not utilized correctly and thus more

needs to be supplied to the body so that is can get what it needs.

The same might be said for Iron.

Selenium is used by our bodies to help convert the storage hormone

over to the energy hormones.

Selenium from Brazil nuts is a great source of raw Selenium...and as

you mentioned, please limit yourself to a few (3-4). Eating too many

over a period of time, can bring on an overdose of Selenium minerals

in the bodies system... Oh, one thing...Selenium does not " regulate "

your Thyroid. Selenium is used by the body to break down the Thyroid

hormones into the usable components. Too much Selenium, well, it

isn't pretty.

We all understand your concern about your weight, however, your

bodies health and your mental health should be your #1 concern right

now. Pushing your body to the point of collapse every weekend is a

sure way of killing yourself. You of all people should know that you

have to listen to your body, if you don't your body will eventually

die from abuse...then what?

My recommendation, for whats its worth...: Take the increase in the

dosage. and then be Patient with your body and treat it like it is

the temple that it is. Feed it HEATHY FOODS, not junk food and not

fast foods. Give it the vitamins and minerals that it needs. (This

group has been there, done that, thus we can help suggest what vits

and mins might help your body feel better). Give it 9 or 10 hours of

sleep every night, if that is what your body needs right now...two,

three, four or more months from now it may not need so much, but

right now treat it like it needs to be treated. Like it is crying

out to you.

Gossimer

>

> Hi, I just have a minute to reply. Thank you for your response.

>

> My hospitals TSH range goes only from 0.4 to 4.0... my highest

being

> 3.9

>

> I do take a multi-vitamin with Selenium. I do not take Vit B or

> Iron supplement... why would you think I would need this if both

> are in my multi-v?

>

> I have heard of eating Brazil nuts and that they help with

> regulating thryoid, I was considering picking some up. I hear you

> only should eat 1-2 nuts a day to get benefit, and to not really

go

> too much more than that. Anyone heard of this also?

>

> I wish I could heed your advise about time for myself, ie

mediation,

> etc. I have a very stressful job, and then I go to the Y forcing

> myself to exercise 3-4 days a week... I find this stressful,

> not " me " time, that is for sure. The most rest and relaxation I

> have is Saturday and Sunday. That is when I unwind, take bubble

> baths and sleep 10+ hours a night. I sure look forward to those

> weekends.

>

> I find myself during the week, drinking coffee a couple times a

day

> because of my lack of energy from the hypo. Sometimes I just feel

> like crawling on my hands and knees because my energy is so

sapped.

> I am also getting very depressed about the weight thing-- very

much

> so.

>

> I hope this doubling the med dose is the trick, or at least a

help.

> I can't wait to find out.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Angie, welcome to our little family!

Has your doc given you a diagnosis, a reason for your TSH deciding to increase like that?

Do you have copies of your labs? If you could post those, with the lab's ranges, we'd be able to see what is being tested.

Considering that it's continued to rise like that, somethings going on in there...

Things to consider...

How do you take your dose - empty stomach or full?

Have they explained that you need to take it separate from foods and supplements containing iron and calcium?

Once you're on thyroid hormone replacement, TSH tells the lesser of the tale... more important is the level of the Free T4 and the Free T3, and your symptoms.

Do you have symptoms other than weight gain?

I'll stop here and see what other info that you have to add to the mix while we zero in on what's happening.

Topper ()

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On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 02:06:58 -0000 "Chris" writes:

History: one year ago TSH 1.84; 6 months ago 2.60; 3 months ago 3.9After 3 months on the starter dose of levothyroxine 1/2 a mg my new results for TSH are 2.84. Today he doubled my dosage to 1 mg.I told him that in the past 3 months I have gained another 14 pounds (while dieting and exercising), even though my TSH has gotten a little better, yet I still gained. He did not seem concerned and told me not to worry about it, which has just upset me more.I asked him if there are other tests like for T3 and T4, he said "Actually this test is for Free T4, and I see no need to test T3 at this point."I then told him that I am surprised after talking to people on various forums who have much higher TSH levels, that I still cannot manage to lose or stabilize my weight considering my TSH isn't all that high compared. Still he did not seem concerned, told me to just keep dieting and exercising and not to think about it until I see him again for another TSH in 8 weeks with the increase in dosage.I then went on to ask him if hormones could be part of the problem (40 yr old female). He said "It could be, but lets not do any tests regarding that until we see how this increase goes."He knows I am very upset about the weight thing. He keeps tell me that I can get off one or two of my meds for hypertension if I lose weight, but yet I keep gaining. I couldn't help but cry in his office a couple times, which warranted much reassurance by him and a hug. I really do like this doctor, he is not a specialist though, just internal medicine, and only out of school for two years. I don't have a specialist anywhere near me (over 120 miles drive).How does this all sound to you? Any comments, insight or suggestions?Angie

[Guest guest]

Hi Angie, welcome to our little family!

Has your doc given you a diagnosis, a reason for your TSH deciding to increase like that?

Do you have copies of your labs? If you could post those, with the lab's ranges, we'd be able to see what is being tested.

Considering that it's continued to rise like that, somethings going on in there...

Things to consider...

How do you take your dose - empty stomach or full?

Have they explained that you need to take it separate from foods and supplements containing iron and calcium?

Once you're on thyroid hormone replacement, TSH tells the lesser of the tale... more important is the level of the Free T4 and the Free T3, and your symptoms.

Do you have symptoms other than weight gain?

I'll stop here and see what other info that you have to add to the mix while we zero in on what's happening.

Topper ()

ThyroPhoenix Donation Link:https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick & business=topper2%40juno%2ecom & item_name=ThyroPhoneix & no_shipping=0 & no_note=1 & tax=0 & currency_code=USD & bn=PP%2dDonationsBF & charset=UTF%2d8

On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 02:06:58 -0000 "Chris" writes:

History: one year ago TSH 1.84; 6 months ago 2.60; 3 months ago 3.9After 3 months on the starter dose of levothyroxine 1/2 a mg my new results for TSH are 2.84. Today he doubled my dosage to 1 mg.I told him that in the past 3 months I have gained another 14 pounds (while dieting and exercising), even though my TSH has gotten a little better, yet I still gained. He did not seem concerned and told me not to worry about it, which has just upset me more.I asked him if there are other tests like for T3 and T4, he said "Actually this test is for Free T4, and I see no need to test T3 at this point."I then told him that I am surprised after talking to people on various forums who have much higher TSH levels, that I still cannot manage to lose or stabilize my weight considering my TSH isn't all that high compared. Still he did not seem concerned, told me to just keep dieting and exercising and not to think about it until I see him again for another TSH in 8 weeks with the increase in dosage.I then went on to ask him if hormones could be part of the problem (40 yr old female). He said "It could be, but lets not do any tests regarding that until we see how this increase goes."He knows I am very upset about the weight thing. He keeps tell me that I can get off one or two of my meds for hypertension if I lose weight, but yet I keep gaining. I couldn't help but cry in his office a couple times, which warranted much reassurance by him and a hug. I really do like this doctor, he is not a specialist though, just internal medicine, and only out of school for two years. I don't have a specialist anywhere near me (over 120 miles drive).How does this all sound to you? Any comments, insight or suggestions?Angie

[Guest guest]

One of the problems here is that your hospital is using an outdate range for the TSH, it was changed more than two years ago, it's now .3 to 3.0 which means you are over range. AND anything over 2.0 is considered a cause for further testing to find out what is causing the TSH to be so high.

Selenium is a very good supplement of hypos, and for healthy folks to keep from becoming hypo. Without going into all the chemistry. Selenium is used during the chemical process during which the body converts the storage hormone T4 (which is what you are taking) into the active hormone T3, one of the ones that your body uses for everyday function. Without adequate conversion of the T4, you're gonna be hypo no matter how much T4 you take. You can read more about the hormones, meds and labs on our website... www.thyrophoenix.com/thyroid_101.htm This may be review for you and if so then it will be a handy place to look things up...

You're right, just a few nuts a day. One ounce of Brazil nuts contains 839 mcg of selenium.... If you take too much selenium for too long it can build to toxic levels. How much is too much? 600 mcg per day for 2 weeks or more, that's gonna bring you up to toxic level.... so you want to stay under 600 mcg... Personally I take 400 per day.

I'd like to comment on what you said about forcing yourself to exercise. That could actually be working against you at this point. If you are forcing to exercise and further increasing your body's stresses and fatigue, it's just making things worse.

We can get into that more as we go... exercise and diet...

Tell me a bit about your sleep.

Are you able to fall asleep quickly or does it take a while?

Do you sleep through the night or wake frequently, or wake before it's time to get up and then can't go back to sleep?

Do you dream when you sleep?

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On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 05:00:02 -0000 "Chris" writes:

Hi, I just have a minute to reply. Thank you for your response. My hospitals TSH range goes only from 0.4 to 4.0... my highest being 3.9I do take a multi-vitamin with Selenium. I do not take Vit B or Iron supplement... why would you think I would need this if both are in my multi-v?I have heard of eating Brazil nuts and that they help with regulating thryoid, I was considering picking some up. I hear you only should eat 1-2 nuts a day to get benefit, and to not really go too much more than that. Anyone heard of this also? I wish I could heed your advise about time for myself, ie mediation, etc. I have a very stressful job, and then I go to the Y forcing myself to exercise 3-4 days a week... I find this stressful, not "me" time, that is for sure. The most rest and relaxation I have is Saturday and Sunday. That is when I unwind, take bubble baths and sleep 10+ hours a night. I sure look forward to those weekends.I find myself during the week, drinking coffee a couple times a day because of my lack of energy from the hypo. Sometimes I just feel like crawling on my hands and knees because my energy is so sapped. I am also getting very depressed about the weight thing-- very much so. I hope this doubling the med dose is the trick, or at least a help. I can't wait to find out.

[Guest guest]

One of the problems here is that your hospital is using an outdate range for the TSH, it was changed more than two years ago, it's now .3 to 3.0 which means you are over range. AND anything over 2.0 is considered a cause for further testing to find out what is causing the TSH to be so high.

Selenium is a very good supplement of hypos, and for healthy folks to keep from becoming hypo. Without going into all the chemistry. Selenium is used during the chemical process during which the body converts the storage hormone T4 (which is what you are taking) into the active hormone T3, one of the ones that your body uses for everyday function. Without adequate conversion of the T4, you're gonna be hypo no matter how much T4 you take. You can read more about the hormones, meds and labs on our website... www.thyrophoenix.com/thyroid_101.htm This may be review for you and if so then it will be a handy place to look things up...

You're right, just a few nuts a day. One ounce of Brazil nuts contains 839 mcg of selenium.... If you take too much selenium for too long it can build to toxic levels. How much is too much? 600 mcg per day for 2 weeks or more, that's gonna bring you up to toxic level.... so you want to stay under 600 mcg... Personally I take 400 per day.

I'd like to comment on what you said about forcing yourself to exercise. That could actually be working against you at this point. If you are forcing to exercise and further increasing your body's stresses and fatigue, it's just making things worse.

We can get into that more as we go... exercise and diet...

Tell me a bit about your sleep.

Are you able to fall asleep quickly or does it take a while?

Do you sleep through the night or wake frequently, or wake before it's time to get up and then can't go back to sleep?

Do you dream when you sleep?

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On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 05:00:02 -0000 "Chris" writes:

Hi, I just have a minute to reply. Thank you for your response. My hospitals TSH range goes only from 0.4 to 4.0... my highest being 3.9I do take a multi-vitamin with Selenium. I do not take Vit B or Iron supplement... why would you think I would need this if both are in my multi-v?I have heard of eating Brazil nuts and that they help with regulating thryoid, I was considering picking some up. I hear you only should eat 1-2 nuts a day to get benefit, and to not really go too much more than that. Anyone heard of this also? I wish I could heed your advise about time for myself, ie mediation, etc. I have a very stressful job, and then I go to the Y forcing myself to exercise 3-4 days a week... I find this stressful, not "me" time, that is for sure. The most rest and relaxation I have is Saturday and Sunday. That is when I unwind, take bubble baths and sleep 10+ hours a night. I sure look forward to those weekends.I find myself during the week, drinking coffee a couple times a day because of my lack of energy from the hypo. Sometimes I just feel like crawling on my hands and knees because my energy is so sapped. I am also getting very depressed about the weight thing-- very much so. I hope this doubling the med dose is the trick, or at least a help. I can't wait to find out.

[Guest guest]

Hun,

You do know that muscle is 3 times heavier than fat,

right? If you are execising you may be gaining muscle

not fat. Hope that helps.

Take Care, God Bless, Jhan

--- wrote:

> History: one year ago TSH 1.84; 6 months ago 2.60;

> 3 months ago 3.9

>

> After 3 months on the starter dose of levothyroxine

> 1/2 a mg my new

> results for TSH are 2.84. Today he doubled my

> dosage to 1 mg.

>

> I told him that in the past 3 months I have gained

> another 14 pounds

> (while dieting and exercising), even though my TSH

> has gotten a

> little better, yet I still gained. He did not seem

> concerned and

> told me not to worry about it, which has just upset

> me more.

>

> I asked him if there are other tests like for T3 and

> T4, he

> said " Actually this test is for Free T4, and I see

> no need to test

> T3 at this point. "

>

> I then told him that I am surprised after talking to

> people on

> various forums who have much higher TSH levels, that

> I still cannot

> manage to lose or stabilize my weight considering my

> TSH isn't all

> that high compared. Still he did not seem concerned,

> told me to just

> keep dieting and exercising and not to think about

> it until I see

> him again for another TSH in 8 weeks with the

> increase in dosage.

>

> I then went on to ask him if hormones could be part

> of the problem

> (40 yr old female). He said " It could be, but lets

> not do any tests

> regarding that until we see how this increase goes. "

>

> He knows I am very upset about the weight thing. He

> keeps tell me

> that I can get off one or two of my meds for

> hypertension if I lose

> weight, but yet I keep gaining. I couldn't help but

> cry in his

> office a couple times, which warranted much

> reassurance by him and a

> hug. I really do like this doctor, he is not a

> specialist though,

> just internal medicine, and only out of school for

> two years. I

> don't have a specialist anywhere near me (over 120

> miles drive).

>

> How does this all sound to you? Any comments,

> insight or

> suggestions?

>

> Angie

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hun,

You do know that muscle is 3 times heavier than fat,

right? If you are execising you may be gaining muscle

not fat. Hope that helps.

Take Care, God Bless, Jhan

--- wrote:

> History: one year ago TSH 1.84; 6 months ago 2.60;

> 3 months ago 3.9

>

> After 3 months on the starter dose of levothyroxine

> 1/2 a mg my new

> results for TSH are 2.84. Today he doubled my

> dosage to 1 mg.

>

> I told him that in the past 3 months I have gained

> another 14 pounds

> (while dieting and exercising), even though my TSH

> has gotten a

> little better, yet I still gained. He did not seem

> concerned and

> told me not to worry about it, which has just upset

> me more.

>

> I asked him if there are other tests like for T3 and

> T4, he

> said " Actually this test is for Free T4, and I see

> no need to test

> T3 at this point. "

>

> I then told him that I am surprised after talking to

> people on

> various forums who have much higher TSH levels, that

> I still cannot

> manage to lose or stabilize my weight considering my

> TSH isn't all

> that high compared. Still he did not seem concerned,

> told me to just

> keep dieting and exercising and not to think about

> it until I see

> him again for another TSH in 8 weeks with the

> increase in dosage.

>

> I then went on to ask him if hormones could be part

> of the problem

> (40 yr old female). He said " It could be, but lets

> not do any tests

> regarding that until we see how this increase goes. "

>

> He knows I am very upset about the weight thing. He

> keeps tell me

> that I can get off one or two of my meds for

> hypertension if I lose

> weight, but yet I keep gaining. I couldn't help but

> cry in his

> office a couple times, which warranted much

> reassurance by him and a

> hug. I really do like this doctor, he is not a

> specialist though,

> just internal medicine, and only out of school for

> two years. I

> don't have a specialist anywhere near me (over 120

> miles drive).

>

> How does this all sound to you? Any comments,

> insight or

> suggestions?

>

> Angie

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

and everyone else, thank you all for your replies so far, they

have been helpful and encouraging.

I have no copies of labs persay, because all there is in the print out

the doctor gets is TSH of 2.8.... the hospitals range is 0.4 to 4.0

I take my dose when I get up in the middle of the night to use the

washroom, usually between 2:30 and 4:00AM. I then get up at 6:30AM

and take any other prescribed meds. I then usually take the

multi-vitamin when I get to work after I have eaten breakfast, usually

about 10:00 AM. So I am spreading it all out. I had heard the

thryoid med should be taken away from everything else.

Prior to being on any thyroid meds I had hair loss, depression,

fatigue plus the weight gain.... pretty much all the listed symptoms

except the intolerence for cold. I am always hot... perhaps a hormone

thing.

If I did not answer anything else asked, it is because I do not know

the answer. Sorry.

[Guest guest]

and everyone else, thank you all for your replies so far, they

have been helpful and encouraging.

I have no copies of labs persay, because all there is in the print out

the doctor gets is TSH of 2.8.... the hospitals range is 0.4 to 4.0

I take my dose when I get up in the middle of the night to use the

washroom, usually between 2:30 and 4:00AM. I then get up at 6:30AM

and take any other prescribed meds. I then usually take the

multi-vitamin when I get to work after I have eaten breakfast, usually

about 10:00 AM. So I am spreading it all out. I had heard the

thryoid med should be taken away from everything else.

Prior to being on any thyroid meds I had hair loss, depression,

fatigue plus the weight gain.... pretty much all the listed symptoms

except the intolerence for cold. I am always hot... perhaps a hormone

thing.

If I did not answer anything else asked, it is because I do not know

the answer. Sorry.

[Guest guest]

,

I will cut back on the type of exercises I do. I will do mostly

treadmill (walking) and I feel I need to do at least that 3 x a week

or my energy seems to go way down. I will not focus so much on the

weight program my coach has me on.

Sleep, well. I have never needed sleep during the week. I used to

only live on 4-1/2 to 5 hours a night, that is up to 6 hours. I can't

make myself go to bed any earlier than that, I've tried. I fall

asleep very fast and stay asleep all night except for one bathroom

trip in which I fall right back to sleep. On weekends no problem, I

sleep an average of 10 hours. I rarely, if ever, remember dreaming.

[Guest guest]

,

I will cut back on the type of exercises I do. I will do mostly

treadmill (walking) and I feel I need to do at least that 3 x a week

or my energy seems to go way down. I will not focus so much on the

weight program my coach has me on.

Sleep, well. I have never needed sleep during the week. I used to

only live on 4-1/2 to 5 hours a night, that is up to 6 hours. I can't

make myself go to bed any earlier than that, I've tried. I fall

asleep very fast and stay asleep all night except for one bathroom

trip in which I fall right back to sleep. On weekends no problem, I

sleep an average of 10 hours. I rarely, if ever, remember dreaming.

[Guest guest]

--- jhaniese hubbard wrote:

> You do know that muscle is 3 times heavier than fat,

> right? If you are execising you may be gaining muscle

> not fat. Hope that helps.

I actually have been told by my coach and doctor that that is actually

a myth. If you take a pound of muscle and put it next to a pound of

fat, a pound is a pound no matter how you cut it. The muscle just is

a smaller mass. Muscle is more condenced then fat. That's what I've

been told many times.

[Guest guest]

--- jhaniese hubbard wrote:

> You do know that muscle is 3 times heavier than fat,

> right? If you are execising you may be gaining muscle

> not fat. Hope that helps.

I actually have been told by my coach and doctor that that is actually

a myth. If you take a pound of muscle and put it next to a pound of

fat, a pound is a pound no matter how you cut it. The muscle just is

a smaller mass. Muscle is more condenced then fat. That's what I've

been told many times.

[Guest guest]

couldn't have said it better myself. you'll experiment and figure out what works for you. there is a lot you will find out as you go along. much knowledge that you have will be useful to yourself and your doctors as long as you know how to apply it. we can help you figure out how to apply the information you already have into getting better as well as helping you discover more of the root of the problem with your body.

imagine this... let's say your car needs an oil change and is a quart low because it's been over 3000 miles... because of this you notice you aren't getting good mileage with your gas (your body can't burn it's fuel properly), you also notice your engine knocking (your fluids aren't lubricating the pistons like they should), your car sounds terrible (because it is forced to work harder with less vital nutrient), and you're temperature won't be regulated so you'll always run hot or cold. if you don't add oil (replacement fuels) your car will continue to wear down and burn out. your engine will cease up (due to malnourishment) and everything will shut down (dead). however, if you always keep the oil changed and fluids filled, you will get a much better time with your vehicle and over all you will have less strain on it's enternal system.

this is much like what happens when we don't get enough thyroid hormone. it effects everything else in our body in ways doctors haven't figured out yet, it's THAT essential. there are a lot of things right now in your life you want to do in order to be 'healthy', exercise, eat right, etc. none of these things you're doing will matter until your body has a chance to do something with itself first. you must treat the cause rather than the symptoms for a positive effect. for instance, it is wonderful that you are exercising right now! i applaude you for that. the only problem you will need to watch out for like gossimer said, is that often exercising when hypothyroid will do more harm than good. why? well... when you are normal functioning there are millions of things your body can do... you can run marathons, you can dance, you can walk to the bathroom and have enough energy for youself throughout the day. when you aren't, these basic things become terrible chores. they also use up more of your thyroid hormone because when your body needs more fuel it goes to two places... the thyroid and the adrenal glands. both are regulated by the pituitary gland located inside your brain.. between the size of a pea and an acorn. this then sends signals to your thyroid and adrenal glands to make them function properly.

when you have low adrenal levels and thyroid problems, your pituitary gland can't function properly to the glands themselves and then you start becoming hypo or hyper thyroid.

the thyroid gland is butterfly shaped and gives your body many essential hormones... it also regulates your body temperature, your metabolism, and many other things. when you are exercising so much you will be trying to use your metabolism. the only problem with that is as a hypo person you don't really have one. so then your body starts trying to find where else it can get it's non existent nutrients... it starts attacking your muscles, organs, and other vital places.

your adrenal glands are about the size of walnuts (your brazil nut comment started making me think of food ) ontop of your kidneys... you felt them when you were normal and healthy... they were what made your back hurt during your period and what gave you the flight or fight responses during happiness or danger. adrenal fatigue is common with thyroid patients because since your thyroid can't regulate your energy, it has to come from somewhere... now i will say this YOU CAN ACTUALLY DIE FROM ADRENAL FAILURE. now don't get scared and freak out... if you start taking care of them now they are an organ that is almost always 100% repairable.

since you seem to have been newly diagnosed, i would suggest trying to take care of these things now, simply because it's the better thing to do. it will be easier if you get into the habits of doing it now because that way, you will heal about 100% quicker than if you continue what you're doing.

i don't want you to feel like as a new person here that were are all trying to tell you what to do or that what you thought you were doing was wrong.. that's not it... we just all have done it and want to see you not have to go through the years of hormonal therapy we all went through to fix this problem. the less damage you have starting out with, the easier it will be to fix it in the long run.

the reason why you don't want to go to the gym so much (which I totally promise you, if you wait right now and do smaller exercises maybe just go 1-2 times a week, you will notice a difference), is that you can end up doing more harm than good...

for years i took my supplements, exercised regularly, had a great life, only slept 3-4 hours a night... ignored all the signs that something was wrong and then my body almost shut down from it. (i was only 23 at the time) i don't want to see ANYONE go through that again.

just remember this... you are your best chance at getting better. it is essential that you learn patience although i can tell you from personal experience that doesn't mean not screaming at the top of your lungs that your doctors or stupid or that you want your life back . it happens. the most scary thing with any disease is the prospect that everything you are doing is wrong and you have to relearn how to do everything. that is very hard for people especially because they know if they were healthy or when they were healthy, they wouldn't be having problems.

remember if you have read any of this to know the following:

you cannot do the same thing repetetively and expect different results.

i wish you much luck and hope.

andrea

Re: New here - input requested

Hi,First off, doubling your dosage could be all the you need. Going from 1/2 to 1 full mg is quite an increase. It may not be....As it took a while, days-weeks-months-years for your body to get this low, "Hypo" as you called it, it may take this long to see the other side of the mountain. For each dosage change we all must give our bodies time to adjust to the new dosage...thus 6 to 8 weeks between each change in dosage... There is no miracle cure for what we have other than time and PATIENCE. Patience with the dosage and patience with the body and patience with the body while it tries to help you find the new you....There is no going back to the old you...thats gone...all you need to work towards is the new you that is yet to be discovered.Now, YOU NEED TO GIVE THE BODY A CHANCE TO SLEEP EACH AND EVERY DAY RIGHT NOW...YOUR BODY IS SICK and you need to give it a chance to get better...pushing it to the gym and not giving it a chance to rest every day is not very wise...you are asking for problems not only with your Thyroid gland but your Adrenal gland as well...and perhaps other major organs in a domino's effect. Many of us who have been working with our Thryoids for a while have found that our bodies need more of certain vitamins and minerals that those people that supposedly have normal bodies. Thus the question about whether you take extra Vit B. complex:B12, B6, B2, Folic Acid, etc. are burned up faster by people with malfunctioning thyroids. Or not utilized correctly and thus more needs to be supplied to the body so that is can get what it needs. The same might be said for Iron. Selenium is used by our bodies to help convert the storage hormone over to the energy hormones.Selenium from Brazil nuts is a great source of raw Selenium...and as you mentioned, please limit yourself to a few (3-4). Eating too many over a period of time, can bring on an overdose of Selenium minerals in the bodies system... Oh, one thing...Selenium does not "regulate" your Thyroid. Selenium is used by the body to break down the Thyroid hormones into the usable components. Too much Selenium, well, it isn't pretty. We all understand your concern about your weight, however, your bodies health and your mental health should be your #1 concern right now. Pushing your body to the point of collapse every weekend is a sure way of killing yourself. You of all people should know that you have to listen to your body, if you don't your body will eventually die from abuse...then what?My recommendation, for whats its worth...: Take the increase in the dosage. and then be Patient with your body and treat it like it is the temple that it is. Feed it HEATHY FOODS, not junk food and not fast foods. Give it the vitamins and minerals that it needs. (This group has been there, done that, thus we can help suggest what vits and mins might help your body feel better). Give it 9 or 10 hours of sleep every night, if that is what your body needs right now...two, three, four or more months from now it may not need so much, but right now treat it like it needs to be treated. Like it is crying out to you.Gossimer >> Hi, I just have a minute to reply. Thank you for your response. > > My hospitals TSH range goes only from 0.4 to 4.0... my highest being > 3.9> > I do take a multi-vitamin with Selenium. I do not take Vit B or > Iron supplement... why would you think I would need this if both > are in my multi-v?> > I have heard of eating Brazil nuts and that they help with > regulating thryoid, I was considering picking some up. I hear you > only should eat 1-2 nuts a day to get benefit, and to not really go > too much more than that. Anyone heard of this also? > > I wish I could heed your advise about time for myself, ie mediation, > etc. I have a very stressful job, and then I go to the Y forcing > myself to exercise 3-4 days a week... I find this stressful, > not "me" time, that is for sure. The most rest and relaxation I > have is Saturday and Sunday. That is when I unwind, take bubble > baths and sleep 10+ hours a night. I sure look forward to those > weekends.> > I find myself during the week, drinking coffee a couple times a day > because of my lack of energy from the hypo. Sometimes I just feel > like crawling on my hands and knees because my energy is so sapped. > I am also getting very depressed about the weight thing-- very much > so. > > I hope this doubling the med dose is the trick, or at least a help. > I can't wait to find out.>

[Guest guest]

couldn't have said it better myself. you'll experiment and figure out what works for you. there is a lot you will find out as you go along. much knowledge that you have will be useful to yourself and your doctors as long as you know how to apply it. we can help you figure out how to apply the information you already have into getting better as well as helping you discover more of the root of the problem with your body.

imagine this... let's say your car needs an oil change and is a quart low because it's been over 3000 miles... because of this you notice you aren't getting good mileage with your gas (your body can't burn it's fuel properly), you also notice your engine knocking (your fluids aren't lubricating the pistons like they should), your car sounds terrible (because it is forced to work harder with less vital nutrient), and you're temperature won't be regulated so you'll always run hot or cold. if you don't add oil (replacement fuels) your car will continue to wear down and burn out. your engine will cease up (due to malnourishment) and everything will shut down (dead). however, if you always keep the oil changed and fluids filled, you will get a much better time with your vehicle and over all you will have less strain on it's enternal system.

this is much like what happens when we don't get enough thyroid hormone. it effects everything else in our body in ways doctors haven't figured out yet, it's THAT essential. there are a lot of things right now in your life you want to do in order to be 'healthy', exercise, eat right, etc. none of these things you're doing will matter until your body has a chance to do something with itself first. you must treat the cause rather than the symptoms for a positive effect. for instance, it is wonderful that you are exercising right now! i applaude you for that. the only problem you will need to watch out for like gossimer said, is that often exercising when hypothyroid will do more harm than good. why? well... when you are normal functioning there are millions of things your body can do... you can run marathons, you can dance, you can walk to the bathroom and have enough energy for youself throughout the day. when you aren't, these basic things become terrible chores. they also use up more of your thyroid hormone because when your body needs more fuel it goes to two places... the thyroid and the adrenal glands. both are regulated by the pituitary gland located inside your brain.. between the size of a pea and an acorn. this then sends signals to your thyroid and adrenal glands to make them function properly.

when you have low adrenal levels and thyroid problems, your pituitary gland can't function properly to the glands themselves and then you start becoming hypo or hyper thyroid.

the thyroid gland is butterfly shaped and gives your body many essential hormones... it also regulates your body temperature, your metabolism, and many other things. when you are exercising so much you will be trying to use your metabolism. the only problem with that is as a hypo person you don't really have one. so then your body starts trying to find where else it can get it's non existent nutrients... it starts attacking your muscles, organs, and other vital places.

your adrenal glands are about the size of walnuts (your brazil nut comment started making me think of food ) ontop of your kidneys... you felt them when you were normal and healthy... they were what made your back hurt during your period and what gave you the flight or fight responses during happiness or danger. adrenal fatigue is common with thyroid patients because since your thyroid can't regulate your energy, it has to come from somewhere... now i will say this YOU CAN ACTUALLY DIE FROM ADRENAL FAILURE. now don't get scared and freak out... if you start taking care of them now they are an organ that is almost always 100% repairable.

since you seem to have been newly diagnosed, i would suggest trying to take care of these things now, simply because it's the better thing to do. it will be easier if you get into the habits of doing it now because that way, you will heal about 100% quicker than if you continue what you're doing.

i don't want you to feel like as a new person here that were are all trying to tell you what to do or that what you thought you were doing was wrong.. that's not it... we just all have done it and want to see you not have to go through the years of hormonal therapy we all went through to fix this problem. the less damage you have starting out with, the easier it will be to fix it in the long run.

the reason why you don't want to go to the gym so much (which I totally promise you, if you wait right now and do smaller exercises maybe just go 1-2 times a week, you will notice a difference), is that you can end up doing more harm than good...

for years i took my supplements, exercised regularly, had a great life, only slept 3-4 hours a night... ignored all the signs that something was wrong and then my body almost shut down from it. (i was only 23 at the time) i don't want to see ANYONE go through that again.

just remember this... you are your best chance at getting better. it is essential that you learn patience although i can tell you from personal experience that doesn't mean not screaming at the top of your lungs that your doctors or stupid or that you want your life back . it happens. the most scary thing with any disease is the prospect that everything you are doing is wrong and you have to relearn how to do everything. that is very hard for people especially because they know if they were healthy or when they were healthy, they wouldn't be having problems.

remember if you have read any of this to know the following:

you cannot do the same thing repetetively and expect different results.

i wish you much luck and hope.

andrea

Re: New here - input requested

Hi,First off, doubling your dosage could be all the you need. Going from 1/2 to 1 full mg is quite an increase. It may not be....As it took a while, days-weeks-months-years for your body to get this low, "Hypo" as you called it, it may take this long to see the other side of the mountain. For each dosage change we all must give our bodies time to adjust to the new dosage...thus 6 to 8 weeks between each change in dosage... There is no miracle cure for what we have other than time and PATIENCE. Patience with the dosage and patience with the body and patience with the body while it tries to help you find the new you....There is no going back to the old you...thats gone...all you need to work towards is the new you that is yet to be discovered.Now, YOU NEED TO GIVE THE BODY A CHANCE TO SLEEP EACH AND EVERY DAY RIGHT NOW...YOUR BODY IS SICK and you need to give it a chance to get better...pushing it to the gym and not giving it a chance to rest every day is not very wise...you are asking for problems not only with your Thyroid gland but your Adrenal gland as well...and perhaps other major organs in a domino's effect. Many of us who have been working with our Thryoids for a while have found that our bodies need more of certain vitamins and minerals that those people that supposedly have normal bodies. Thus the question about whether you take extra Vit B. complex:B12, B6, B2, Folic Acid, etc. are burned up faster by people with malfunctioning thyroids. Or not utilized correctly and thus more needs to be supplied to the body so that is can get what it needs. The same might be said for Iron. Selenium is used by our bodies to help convert the storage hormone over to the energy hormones.Selenium from Brazil nuts is a great source of raw Selenium...and as you mentioned, please limit yourself to a few (3-4). Eating too many over a period of time, can bring on an overdose of Selenium minerals in the bodies system... Oh, one thing...Selenium does not "regulate" your Thyroid. Selenium is used by the body to break down the Thyroid hormones into the usable components. Too much Selenium, well, it isn't pretty. We all understand your concern about your weight, however, your bodies health and your mental health should be your #1 concern right now. Pushing your body to the point of collapse every weekend is a sure way of killing yourself. You of all people should know that you have to listen to your body, if you don't your body will eventually die from abuse...then what?My recommendation, for whats its worth...: Take the increase in the dosage. and then be Patient with your body and treat it like it is the temple that it is. Feed it HEATHY FOODS, not junk food and not fast foods. Give it the vitamins and minerals that it needs. (This group has been there, done that, thus we can help suggest what vits and mins might help your body feel better). Give it 9 or 10 hours of sleep every night, if that is what your body needs right now...two, three, four or more months from now it may not need so much, but right now treat it like it needs to be treated. Like it is crying out to you.Gossimer >> Hi, I just have a minute to reply. Thank you for your response. > > My hospitals TSH range goes only from 0.4 to 4.0... my highest being > 3.9> > I do take a multi-vitamin with Selenium. I do not take Vit B or > Iron supplement... why would you think I would need this if both > are in my multi-v?> > I have heard of eating Brazil nuts and that they help with > regulating thryoid, I was considering picking some up. I hear you > only should eat 1-2 nuts a day to get benefit, and to not really go > too much more than that. Anyone heard of this also? > > I wish I could heed your advise about time for myself, ie mediation, > etc. I have a very stressful job, and then I go to the Y forcing > myself to exercise 3-4 days a week... I find this stressful, > not "me" time, that is for sure. The most rest and relaxation I > have is Saturday and Sunday. That is when I unwind, take bubble > baths and sleep 10+ hours a night. I sure look forward to those > weekends.> > I find myself during the week, drinking coffee a couple times a day > because of my lack of energy from the hypo. Sometimes I just feel > like crawling on my hands and knees because my energy is so sapped. > I am also getting very depressed about the weight thing-- very much > so. > > I hope this doubling the med dose is the trick, or at least a help. > I can't wait to find out.>

[Guest guest]

couldn't have said it better myself. you'll experiment and figure out what works for you. there is a lot you will find out as you go along. much knowledge that you have will be useful to yourself and your doctors as long as you know how to apply it. we can help you figure out how to apply the information you already have into getting better as well as helping you discover more of the root of the problem with your body.

imagine this... let's say your car needs an oil change and is a quart low because it's been over 3000 miles... because of this you notice you aren't getting good mileage with your gas (your body can't burn it's fuel properly), you also notice your engine knocking (your fluids aren't lubricating the pistons like they should), your car sounds terrible (because it is forced to work harder with less vital nutrient), and you're temperature won't be regulated so you'll always run hot or cold. if you don't add oil (replacement fuels) your car will continue to wear down and burn out. your engine will cease up (due to malnourishment) and everything will shut down (dead). however, if you always keep the oil changed and fluids filled, you will get a much better time with your vehicle and over all you will have less strain on it's enternal system.

this is much like what happens when we don't get enough thyroid hormone. it effects everything else in our body in ways doctors haven't figured out yet, it's THAT essential. there are a lot of things right now in your life you want to do in order to be 'healthy', exercise, eat right, etc. none of these things you're doing will matter until your body has a chance to do something with itself first. you must treat the cause rather than the symptoms for a positive effect. for instance, it is wonderful that you are exercising right now! i applaude you for that. the only problem you will need to watch out for like gossimer said, is that often exercising when hypothyroid will do more harm than good. why? well... when you are normal functioning there are millions of things your body can do... you can run marathons, you can dance, you can walk to the bathroom and have enough energy for youself throughout the day. when you aren't, these basic things become terrible chores. they also use up more of your thyroid hormone because when your body needs more fuel it goes to two places... the thyroid and the adrenal glands. both are regulated by the pituitary gland located inside your brain.. between the size of a pea and an acorn. this then sends signals to your thyroid and adrenal glands to make them function properly.

when you have low adrenal levels and thyroid problems, your pituitary gland can't function properly to the glands themselves and then you start becoming hypo or hyper thyroid.

the thyroid gland is butterfly shaped and gives your body many essential hormones... it also regulates your body temperature, your metabolism, and many other things. when you are exercising so much you will be trying to use your metabolism. the only problem with that is as a hypo person you don't really have one. so then your body starts trying to find where else it can get it's non existent nutrients... it starts attacking your muscles, organs, and other vital places.

your adrenal glands are about the size of walnuts (your brazil nut comment started making me think of food ) ontop of your kidneys... you felt them when you were normal and healthy... they were what made your back hurt during your period and what gave you the flight or fight responses during happiness or danger. adrenal fatigue is common with thyroid patients because since your thyroid can't regulate your energy, it has to come from somewhere... now i will say this YOU CAN ACTUALLY DIE FROM ADRENAL FAILURE. now don't get scared and freak out... if you start taking care of them now they are an organ that is almost always 100% repairable.

since you seem to have been newly diagnosed, i would suggest trying to take care of these things now, simply because it's the better thing to do. it will be easier if you get into the habits of doing it now because that way, you will heal about 100% quicker than if you continue what you're doing.

i don't want you to feel like as a new person here that were are all trying to tell you what to do or that what you thought you were doing was wrong.. that's not it... we just all have done it and want to see you not have to go through the years of hormonal therapy we all went through to fix this problem. the less damage you have starting out with, the easier it will be to fix it in the long run.

the reason why you don't want to go to the gym so much (which I totally promise you, if you wait right now and do smaller exercises maybe just go 1-2 times a week, you will notice a difference), is that you can end up doing more harm than good...

for years i took my supplements, exercised regularly, had a great life, only slept 3-4 hours a night... ignored all the signs that something was wrong and then my body almost shut down from it. (i was only 23 at the time) i don't want to see ANYONE go through that again.

just remember this... you are your best chance at getting better. it is essential that you learn patience although i can tell you from personal experience that doesn't mean not screaming at the top of your lungs that your doctors or stupid or that you want your life back . it happens. the most scary thing with any disease is the prospect that everything you are doing is wrong and you have to relearn how to do everything. that is very hard for people especially because they know if they were healthy or when they were healthy, they wouldn't be having problems.

remember if you have read any of this to know the following:

you cannot do the same thing repetetively and expect different results.

i wish you much luck and hope.

andrea

Re: New here - input requested

Hi,First off, doubling your dosage could be all the you need. Going from 1/2 to 1 full mg is quite an increase. It may not be....As it took a while, days-weeks-months-years for your body to get this low, "Hypo" as you called it, it may take this long to see the other side of the mountain. For each dosage change we all must give our bodies time to adjust to the new dosage...thus 6 to 8 weeks between each change in dosage... There is no miracle cure for what we have other than time and PATIENCE. Patience with the dosage and patience with the body and patience with the body while it tries to help you find the new you....There is no going back to the old you...thats gone...all you need to work towards is the new you that is yet to be discovered.Now, YOU NEED TO GIVE THE BODY A CHANCE TO SLEEP EACH AND EVERY DAY RIGHT NOW...YOUR BODY IS SICK and you need to give it a chance to get better...pushing it to the gym and not giving it a chance to rest every day is not very wise...you are asking for problems not only with your Thyroid gland but your Adrenal gland as well...and perhaps other major organs in a domino's effect. Many of us who have been working with our Thryoids for a while have found that our bodies need more of certain vitamins and minerals that those people that supposedly have normal bodies. Thus the question about whether you take extra Vit B. complex:B12, B6, B2, Folic Acid, etc. are burned up faster by people with malfunctioning thyroids. Or not utilized correctly and thus more needs to be supplied to the body so that is can get what it needs. The same might be said for Iron. Selenium is used by our bodies to help convert the storage hormone over to the energy hormones.Selenium from Brazil nuts is a great source of raw Selenium...and as you mentioned, please limit yourself to a few (3-4). Eating too many over a period of time, can bring on an overdose of Selenium minerals in the bodies system... Oh, one thing...Selenium does not "regulate" your Thyroid. Selenium is used by the body to break down the Thyroid hormones into the usable components. Too much Selenium, well, it isn't pretty. We all understand your concern about your weight, however, your bodies health and your mental health should be your #1 concern right now. Pushing your body to the point of collapse every weekend is a sure way of killing yourself. You of all people should know that you have to listen to your body, if you don't your body will eventually die from abuse...then what?My recommendation, for whats its worth...: Take the increase in the dosage. and then be Patient with your body and treat it like it is the temple that it is. Feed it HEATHY FOODS, not junk food and not fast foods. Give it the vitamins and minerals that it needs. (This group has been there, done that, thus we can help suggest what vits and mins might help your body feel better). Give it 9 or 10 hours of sleep every night, if that is what your body needs right now...two, three, four or more months from now it may not need so much, but right now treat it like it needs to be treated. Like it is crying out to you.Gossimer >> Hi, I just have a minute to reply. Thank you for your response. > > My hospitals TSH range goes only from 0.4 to 4.0... my highest being > 3.9> > I do take a multi-vitamin with Selenium. I do not take Vit B or > Iron supplement... why would you think I would need this if both > are in my multi-v?> > I have heard of eating Brazil nuts and that they help with > regulating thryoid, I was considering picking some up. I hear you > only should eat 1-2 nuts a day to get benefit, and to not really go > too much more than that. Anyone heard of this also? > > I wish I could heed your advise about time for myself, ie mediation, > etc. I have a very stressful job, and then I go to the Y forcing > myself to exercise 3-4 days a week... I find this stressful, > not "me" time, that is for sure. The most rest and relaxation I > have is Saturday and Sunday. That is when I unwind, take bubble > baths and sleep 10+ hours a night. I sure look forward to those > weekends.> > I find myself during the week, drinking coffee a couple times a day > because of my lack of energy from the hypo. Sometimes I just feel > like crawling on my hands and knees because my energy is so sapped. > I am also getting very depressed about the weight thing-- very much > so. > > I hope this doubling the med dose is the trick, or at least a help. > I can't wait to find out.>

[Guest guest]

> History: one year ago TSH 1.84; 6 months ago 2.60; 3 months ago 3.9

>

> After 3 months on the starter dose of levothyroxine 1/2 a mg my new

> results for TSH are 2.84. Today he doubled my dosage to 1 mg.

>

> I told him that in the past 3 months I have gained another 14 pounds

> (while dieting and exercising), even though my TSH has gotten a

> little better, yet I still gained. He did not seem concerned and

> told me not to worry about it, which has just upset me more.

>

> I asked him if there are other tests like for T3 and T4, he

> said " Actually this test is for Free T4, and I see no need to test

> T3 at this point. "

It does take a while to get thyroid levels regulated..although he

should of retested you 6 weeks later and not have waited 3 months.

Wieght gain, depression, crying fits and hypertension are all symptoms

of low thyroid. The doctor knows this , he realizes thyroid has to be

level first and then the other issues can be dealt with if they still

exist.. unfortunately it sounds like the doctor did a very poor job of

comunicating this to you.

Kats3boys

[Guest guest]

> History: one year ago TSH 1.84; 6 months ago 2.60; 3 months ago 3.9

>

> After 3 months on the starter dose of levothyroxine 1/2 a mg my new

> results for TSH are 2.84. Today he doubled my dosage to 1 mg.

>

> I told him that in the past 3 months I have gained another 14 pounds

> (while dieting and exercising), even though my TSH has gotten a

> little better, yet I still gained. He did not seem concerned and

> told me not to worry about it, which has just upset me more.

>

> I asked him if there are other tests like for T3 and T4, he

> said " Actually this test is for Free T4, and I see no need to test

> T3 at this point. "

It does take a while to get thyroid levels regulated..although he

should of retested you 6 weeks later and not have waited 3 months.

Wieght gain, depression, crying fits and hypertension are all symptoms

of low thyroid. The doctor knows this , he realizes thyroid has to be

level first and then the other issues can be dealt with if they still

exist.. unfortunately it sounds like the doctor did a very poor job of

comunicating this to you.

Kats3boys