Brand new to hypo and to this group. Need some advice.........

[Guest guest]

I recently was tested by a nurse practitioner (my Dr. would not listen

to my litany of complaints and told me it was just " getting older " ) and

my TSH is at 99.00! The t3 and t4 were not tested yet. I am on 50

mcgs. of Levothyroxine for 6 weeks and then I am to have more blood

work done. Since reading some info. on your site, I believe I need to

travel over 100 miles to find a Doc that will consider Armor or another

natural treatement. My symptoms were: chronic low grade headache,

recurrant low back pain, weight gain, puffy face and eyes, pain in

hands and wrists (pseudo carpal tunnel), exhaustion, confusion,

occasional slurring of words, dry skin and hair etc. I guess I was

textbook hypo. Within 3 days of the Levo. my backache and headaches

have almost completely disappeared! No other relief yet. Should I ask

for t3 and t4 testing with the " conservative " clinic I am going to or

should I venture out to a holistic doc asap? I am 53 yo. and otherwise

very healthy.

Thanks,

Barbara

[Guest guest]

Hi Barbara,

See comments below:

--- <blofquist@...> wrote:

>

> I recently was tested by a nurse practitioner (my Dr. would not listen

> to my litany of complaints and told me it was just " getting older " ) and

> my TSH is at 99.00!

Wow, your TSH is very high. A thyroid panel would be very

illuminating. That is a common story, I heard the same thing

until I got a second opinion.

> The t3 and t4 were not tested yet. I am on 50

> mcgs. of Levothyroxine for 6 weeks and then I am to have more blood

> work done.

T4 is considered to be a storage hormone, and has a half life of about

a week, so the dose increases may be a little slower. A lot of people

are very happy with their T4 only regimen. I am responding very well

to Armour. It has both T3 and T4, so it is faster acting. The suggested

regimen from the Forrest site is 30 mg (unless patient has cardiac

issues, then start with 15 mg), and increase by 15 mg every 2 weeks.

It is a faster ramp up.

> Since reading some info. on your site, I believe I need to

> travel over 100 miles to find a Doc that will consider Armor or another

> natural treatement. My symptoms were: chronic low grade headache,

> recurrant low back pain, weight gain, puffy face and eyes, pain in

> hands and wrists (pseudo carpal tunnel), exhaustion, confusion,

> occasional slurring of words, dry skin and hair etc.

I had every thing but the puffiness. Instead, I had narcolepsy...

> I guess I was

> textbook hypo. Within 3 days of the Levo. my backache and headaches

> have almost completely disappeared! No other relief yet. Should I ask

> for t3 and t4 testing with the " conservative " clinic I am going to or

> should I venture out to a holistic doc asap?

It is your treatment plan, and your decision. I can't advise you which

route to take, as I am not a trained medical person. But from personal

experience, seeing a doctor that is aware of thyroid and adrenal issues

can make a huge difference in your treatment plan and quality of life.

Also, anti-aging docs seem to be a little more cognizant of these issues.

> I am 53 yo. and otherwise

> very healthy.

If you decide to stick with your conventional doc, just give it some time.

It may take 6 weeks for the dose that you are receiving to reach its full

effect. Be sure to ask them to check out all of your hormone levels, as

the endocrine system has all kinds of crazy feedback pathways, and

changing the levels of any of the hormones can have cascading effects

in the other systems.

If you do seek out another doc, be sure to take the lab results that

you have already had done, as this will help you get started on a

treatment plan quicker.

In any even, once you get your endocrine system a little more in

balance, your quality of life will improve dramatically.

> Thanks,

> Barbara

You are most welcome, and WELCOME to the group!

Best,

-Mike