(No subject)

[Guest guest]

I am sorry for what you've been through, but there is a reason for

increasing dosage slowly: you could have a heart attack if you go on

the highest dosage now all of a sudden.

Jan

> Hey this is good to know...not that you too struggle with this

> ridiculous condition but that there are other people who

understand.

> I'm new to this group but I just thought I'd share this.

>

> I am almost 27 years old. I had congenital hypothyroidism and for

> most of my life it has been under control. I am extremely active as

a

> 100 and 200m sprinter. With that comes the required strength

training

> and conditioning. On the inside, I have enviable, healthy numbers--

> cholesterol levels are perfect, I have an athlete's BP and so

forth.

> On the outside, I have strong, defined and even chiseled muscles.

And

> I'm very flexible.

>

> However I have not been able to get medical care for two whole

years

> because of a mistake made by my insurance provider. That has

finally

> been resolved but in that two year period, I've gained fifty pounds

> no matter how much I continue to train, no matter how healthy I

eat,

> no matter what I do. I'm sure you can imagine how incredibly

> depressed that has made me. Fast forward to right this minute, I

> fully believe that the hypothyroidism has become very severe. I've

> already gone to the ER once and was found to have blood pooling in

my

> lungs, which explains why I can't breathe right. My hair is

extremely

> coarse and dry. No matter how much water I drink, my mouth is still

> dry. My skin is dry. I know it's gross but I haven't been able to

go

> to the bathroom since Thanksgiving. I'm used to winter weather

> (being from Minneapolis but currently living in California)...but I

> find myself freezing. I have absolutely no flexibility right now.

My

> entire body is swollen beyond recognition. I can't even feel my

> thyroid gland through my neck, is how bad it's gotten. And through

> it all, I continue to sink into a depression fueled both by what I

> see in the mirror and by what the slowed metabolism has done. I

know

> all the symptoms and I'm suffering every single one of them.

>

> Anyway, now that the whole insurance thing is finally resolved, I'm

> definitely making an appointment with the endocrinologist. How do I

> convince him or her that I need the highest dose possible of Levoxyl

> (what I take) when I know they're gonna want to inch it up very

> reservedly? I need results fast. The Olympics are coming up.

> Believe it or not, I actually stand a chance in the Trials but I

> can't go looking and feeling like a sack o' potatoes.

>

> And my biggest question is, if the doctor does listen to me and put

> me on the dose I should've been on ages ago, how long before I look

> normal again? Trust me, knowing I bike about 30 miles a day in

> addition to sprinting, deep water running, lifting and stretching

and

> coming home to find out I've GAINED more abnormal weight and can't

> fit into my clothes and am getting puffier by the hour, this is

just

> so damn depressing!!

>

> sorry this is so long. i'm just beyond frustrated.