Should I Wait?

[chase1]

In a nut shell:

I am 28 years old. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto Thyroid (autoimmune) disease 2 years ago. I have had terrible GI issues for the last 3 years, but once I was diagnosed with thyroid problems, everything was blamed on my thyroid. My endo though I might have Celiacs and sent me to my PC doc, who ran the blood panel and came back negative. In the mean time, sent me to a GI for all of my issues and he did a scope (large intestine only) and found everything to be normal. This was only a few weeks ago and since I got a terrible itchy/painful rash on my chest. Kinda looked like poison ivy, but wasn't and only stayed for a little over a week and is now gone. My husband and I really want to have a baby. We have been unofficially 'trying' for the last few months. My periods are very irregular (also blamed on thyroid). I am adopted and have no family medical history, but I am trying to find out that information. It takes a court order, lots of time, paperwork, etc.

Has anyone tested negative to a blood test and positive to scope? I didn't know if the negative test meant that I didn't need to follow up any more on the possibility. I know thyroid labs can be worthless in some cases and there are a lot of people not/or wrongly dx. Should I wait to pursue further testing, till I can find out my family history? If none of my relatives have it and I tested negative for blood, can I know for sure that I don't have it?

It is hard not to worry sick when you want to have a baby....especially when it is something where the baby would not be getting hormones (thyroid) or nutrients (Celiacs) that the baby needs to develop.

Any advise would be appreciated! Congrats to all of you!!

Bec

[piercesdesigns]

I am not diagnosed, but one suggestion I have is to make a list of all of your symptoms. Then go gluten free (be strict!) for a month. Go back and look at your list of symptoms and cross out any that are gone and checkmark those that are improved.

If there are a lot of crossed out and checkmarked items you should stay gluten free.

Also, What are you taking for your Hashimoto? I have been taking Selenium and my Anti-TPO went from 2000+ to 37 in 4 months. Ask your doctor about that.

[GottaSki]

Has anyone tested negative to a blood test and positive to scope?

My blood tests were barely positive (at 43 yr) for Celiac, but endo showed severe damage to villi and all the biopsy samples confirmed Celiac.

My children (26, 15, 14) and grandson (2) have all tested negative on blood work, but all have various celiac symptoms...three have had positive response to diet (14 year old still eats gluten).

Positive results when gluten-free is enough for many.

As far as pregnancy...if your symptoms improve gluten-free and blood is good for iron and vitamins your baby will get what it needs...of course check with doctor where there is concern.

[chase1]

Also, What are you taking for your Hashimoto? I have been taking Selenium and my Anti-TPO went from 2000+ to 37 in 4 months. Ask your doctor about that.

[carynanne]

In a nut shell:

I am 28 years old. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto Thyroid (autoimmune) disease 2 years ago. I have had terrible GI issues for the last 3 years, but once I was diagnosed with thyroid problems, everything was blamed on my thyroid. My endo though I might have Celiacs and sent me to my PC doc, who ran the blood panel and came back negative. In the mean time, sent me to a GI for all of my issues and he did a scope (large intestine only) and found everything to be normal. This was only a few weeks ago and since I got a terrible itchy/painful rash on my chest. Kinda looked like poison ivy, but wasn't and only stayed for a little over a week and is now gone. My husband and I really want to have a baby. We have been unofficially 'trying' for the last few months. My periods are very irregular (also blamed on thyroid). I am adopted and have no family medical history, but I am trying to find out that information. It takes a court order, lots of time, paperwork, etc.

Has anyone tested negative to a blood test and positive to scope? I didn't know if the negative test meant that I didn't need to follow up any more on the possibility. I know thyroid labs can be worthless in some cases and there are a lot of people not/or wrongly dx. Should I wait to pursue further testing, till I can find out my family history? If none of my relatives have it and I tested negative for blood, can I know for sure that I don't have it?

It is hard not to worry sick when you want to have a baby....especially when it is something where the baby would not be getting hormones (thyroid) or nutrients (Celiacs) that the baby needs to develop.

Any advise would be appreciated! Congrats to all of you!!

Bec

Wow. Your story sounds EXACTLY like mine.

I'm 30, have Hashimoto's which I was diagnosed with 3 years ago, have always had irregular periods, everything blamed on thyroid, normal colonoscopy, recent rash, infertility (though I have 2 kids -- I had to try hard with drugs for them), and an initial celiac test (uncertain what tests were run exactly) that came back negative 3 years ago. While I'm waiting for an actual celiac panel result right now and don't have a diagnosis, lots of people on this site I've been reading about try the gluten-free diet even without a diagnosis. I would probably have the biopsy anyway, just because I'd want to know, but there's always that. I keep wondering, also, if maybe something else I'm eating is causing me problems, instead of gluten. But I'm waiting for the results first. But seriously, if it were me, I'd get the endo anyway. Caryn

[Brooklyn528]

In a nut shell:

I am 28 years old. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto Thyroid (autoimmune) disease 2 years ago. I have had terrible GI issues for the last 3 years, but once I was diagnosed with thyroid problems, everything was blamed on my thyroid. My endo though I might have Celiacs and sent me to my PC doc, who ran the blood panel and came back negative. In the mean time, sent me to a GI for all of my issues and he did a scope (large intestine only) and found everything to be normal. This was only a few weeks ago and since I got a terrible itchy/painful rash on my chest. Kinda looked like poison ivy, but wasn't and only stayed for a little over a week and is now gone. My husband and I really want to have a baby. We have been unofficially 'trying' for the last few months. My periods are very irregular (also blamed on thyroid). I am adopted and have no family medical history, but I am trying to find out that information. It takes a court order, lots of time, paperwork, etc.

Has anyone tested negative to a blood test and positive to scope? I didn't know if the negative test meant that I didn't need to follow up any more on the possibility. I know thyroid labs can be worthless in some cases and there are a lot of people not/or wrongly dx. Should I wait to pursue further testing, till I can find out my family history? If none of my relatives have it and I tested negative for blood, can I know for sure that I don't have it?

It is hard not to worry sick when you want to have a baby....especially when it is something where the baby would not be getting hormones (thyroid) or nutrients (Celiacs) that the baby needs to develop.

Any advise would be appreciated! Congrats to all of you!!

Bec

Hello and welcome! I myself tested positive on bloodwork and had positive EGD biopsy in january. Do you know if your insurance will cover the bloodwork for the gene? With you being adopted, it may be possible. There may not be any records for them to find. Offices burn down records are lost. Maybe check with your insurance company. Then, with confirmation of having the gene and symptom inprovement on a gluten-free diet, you could get your doctor, GI, to diagnose you. Hope I could be of some help! Good luck in whatever you do!

Brooklyn

[chase1]

Wow. Your story sounds EXACTLY like mine.

I'm 30, have Hashimoto's which I was diagnosed with 3 years ago, have always had irregular periods, everything blamed on thyroid, normal colonoscopy, recent rash, infertility (though I have 2 kids -- I had to try hard with drugs for them), and an initial celiac test (uncertain what tests were run exactly) that came back negative 3 years ago. While I'm waiting for an actual celiac panel result right now and don't have a diagnosis, lots of people on this site I've been reading about try the gluten-free diet even without a diagnosis. I would probably have the biopsy anyway, just because I'd want to know, but there's always that. I keep wondering, also, if maybe something else I'm eating is causing me problems, instead of gluten. But I'm waiting for the results first. But seriously, if it were me, I'd get the endo anyway. Caryn

Wow, that does sound like the same story. I just feel like it can't all be my thyroid, especially when my levels are close to normal and I am still having a lot of problems. Although, the doctors have never been able to get my levels stable for long. I should not be such a mess at 28, lol.

I was talking to the GI doc about doing the upper gi scope to look for damage in the small intestine and possibly be able to come up with a diagnosis. He said there is no reason to if the blood work came back negative. He said I don't have enough problems to do the test. (but then again, I had many a doctor say my thyroid was fine and I was crazy...then my TSH was around 20 when I convinced them to run the test) It seams to me like no matter what is wrong, my doctors act like it is 'no big deal'.

You will have to let me know how your test goes. I would be interested to hear.

[carynanne]

Wow, that does sound like the same story. I just feel like it can't all be my thyroid, especially when my levels are close to normal and I am still having a lot of problems. Although, the doctors have never been able to get my levels stable for long. I should not be such a mess at 28, lol.

I was talking to the GI doc about doing the upper gi scope to look for damage in the small intestine and possibly be able to come up with a diagnosis. He said there is no reason to if the blood work came back negative. He said I don't have enough problems to do the test. (but then again, I had many a doctor say my thyroid was fine and I was crazy...then my TSH was around 20 when I convinced them to run the test) It seams to me like no matter what is wrong, my doctors act like it is 'no big deal'.

You will have to let me know how your test goes. I would be interested to hear.

Your TSH was 20??? Wow! Mine was 4 both times they tested me before diagnosis. When I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's, it was my antibodies that gave it away --- they were insanely high. The TSH, I'm finding, is mostly useless in determing appropriate levels of Synthroid: I change mine based on symptoms, without permission. And since only some of my problems went away on it, I'm thinking that can't be the end. (I actually do have a known genetic link to celiac, though. My grampa died at 63 of colon-related disease, and was a diagnosed celiac.) I just get really tired of being nauseated so often. I feel like I have morning sickness without being pregnant. It comes and goes. When my blood test came back negative 3 years ago, the endocrinologist who diagnosed my thyroid actually asked me if I were still interested in doing the biopsy for celiac, and seemed willing to do it, but I thought I didn't need it. Now I think I'm going to push for it even if the PCP balks, because an actual celiac diagnosis is villous atrophy of the small intestine, and they can't know that without endoscopy! You really have to assert yourself, I've learned, if you want to be heard. I'll keep you posted! You do the same! --Caryn

[chase1]

Your TSH was 20??? Wow! Mine was 4 both times they tested me before diagnosis. When I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's, it was my antibodies that gave it away --- they were insanely high. The TSH, I'm finding, is mostly useless in determing appropriate levels of Synthroid: I change mine based on symptoms, without permission. And since only some of my problems went away on it, I'm thinking that can't be the end. (I actually do have a known genetic link to celiac, though. My grampa died at 63 of colon-related disease, and was a diagnosed celiac.) I just get really tired of being nauseated so often. I feel like I have morning sickness without being pregnant. It comes and goes. When my blood test came back negative 3 years ago, the endocrinologist who diagnosed my thyroid actually asked me if I were still interested in doing the biopsy for celiac, and seemed willing to do it, but I thought I didn't need it. Now I think I'm going to push for it even if the PCP balks, because an actual celiac diagnosis is villous atrophy of the small intestine, and they can't know that without endoscopy! You really have to assert yourself, I've learned, if you want to be heard. I'll keep you posted! You do the same! --Caryn

Mine went undiagnosed for at least a year and had gotten really bad! Since then, it has got to around 6 a few times, but I have found that I feel bad even at 2-3 and I also think it is a useless lab, but most doctors do not agree. My new medicine is a capsule, so I can't take partial doses, which I also think is the best way. I was doing that when I was on Armour. Your body requires different amounts of thryoid at different times of the day, month, fitness level, age, hormone changes, etc. I hate the thought of saying try this dose and we will check you in 8 weeks, even if you feel terrible for the last 7 of the 8. I feel like I can tell without blood work...like right now my feet are freezing, my temp is around 97.4 and my blood pressure has been around 100/50..so I am not on enough meds!

One of the reasons they thought I might have Celiacs is because I was taking 2 grains of Armour, which is like 200mcg of Synthroid plus 50 mcg of Cytomel...which is a lot of medicine! They though it might be an absorption issue with my medicine.

I feel the same way, EXACTLY! I feel a ton better that my thyroid is more stable, but I still have a lot of problems and don't think it can ALL be thyroid. My endo said the only way to know for sure is to do a biopsy of the small intestine, but the GI doc said the blood work is almost 100% accurate, so what to do. I get so sick of going to the doctor! I think I might leave it alone for a month and see if anything comes back on the medical records from my biological family...if I have a family member, then I will definitely go get a scope.

You are exactly right, you have to be pushy or get blown off!! I can't count how many times I had doctors tell me it was anxiety/depression and low and behold TSH was off the charts.

[nora-n]

2 grains of ArmourThyroid are not 200t4 and 50 t3, it says right on the bottle that 1 grain is 38t4 and 9 t3... ans now in 2009 lots and lots of patients got hypo and TSH went up on Armour Thyroid when they changed fillers.......and now is a shortage of all Thyroid.

check www.savenaturalthyroid.com www.stopthethyroidmadness.com they say 3-5 grains is more a normal dose.

WhenI checked google books and a refernce bookf ro medicines published in 1906, it said average dose 4 grains....

And, if you are undiagnosed celiac, the absorptions is low so the old doses do not work any more. I had to up mine.

[Gemini]

2 grains of ArmourThyroid are not 200t4 and 50 t3, it says right on the bottle that 1 grain is 38t4 and 9 t3... ans now in 2009 lots and lots of patients got hypo and TSH went up on Armour Thyroid when they changed fillers.......and now is a shortage of all Thyroid.

check www.savenaturalthyroid.com www.stopthethyroidmadness.com they say 3-5 grains is more a normal dose.

WhenI checked google books and a refernce bookf ro medicines published in 1906, it said average dose 4 grains....

And, if you are undiagnosed celiac, the absorptions is low so the old doses do not work any more. I had to up mine.

Thank you for clarifying this, nora! I know quite a bit about thyroid meds as I have had the problem for about 15 years and have tried a number of meds for it.

No medication would have such high amounts of T3/T4 in them and I know what the dosing is on Armour.

BTW, my thyroid doc queried the makers of Armour about the unavailability of the hormone right now and they were shut down by the FDA for making a tiny change to their filler portion of the hormone, which made no difference at all to thyroid patients. The fillers will not affect absorption and it was a small fraction of the fillers used. This has to be OK'd by the FDA and it wasn't, so they were shut down. Armour has a good name and, although they should have gone by protocol with the FDA, nice of them to shut them down and leave many people stranded without meds!

The other issue is changing med levels on your own....not a smart thing to do. Yes, it can vary BUT if your thyroid hormone needs are changing that rapidly, there is another problem which should be addressed. It could be as simple as dosing changes and number of times per day you dose but no one should ever change their amounts without blood work/doctor's supervision as you can really mess yourself up by doing so. You cannot simply go by symptoms when treating thyroid disease....both symptom tracking and blood work are needed. How do I know this? I am currently going through another change myself, due to better absorption once healed and I would never make guesses on my own.

[carynanne]

The other issue is changing med levels on your own....not a smart thing to do. Yes, it can vary BUT if your thyroid hormone needs are changing that rapidly, there is another problem which should be addressed. It could be as simple as dosing changes and number of times per day you dose but no one should ever change their amounts without blood work/doctor's supervision as you can really mess yourself up by doing so. You cannot simply go by symptoms when treating thyroid disease....both symptom tracking and blood work are needed. How do I know this? I am currently going through another change myself, due to better absorption once healed and I would never make guesses on my own.

The reason I change my meds periodically (which consists of taking a week off of them here and there, or taking an additional 1/2 pill a day for a week at a time occasionally) is because when my hashimoto's was diagnosed, it was diagnosed based solely on an antibody level in the 1700s with a reference range of 0-35. My TSH was 4 and my T4 was and has always been within normal limits. My labs have never, not once, been out of range. My endo insists that my TSH, for me, should be between 0.5 and 2.0; I've never found any reason why. Everything I read says that if your TSH is above 5 or 5.5, you should become suspicious of a thyroid disorder. So if I actually do have a malfunctioning thyroid, as best I can tell, my doctor has created an arbitrary system and is trying to follow it, regardless of my symptoms. I've recently begun experiencing metrorrhagia -- bleeding between periods -- and his only suggestion was "test the blood." Labs are normal. So it obviously, to him, is not my thyroid -- even though when you google "metrorrhagia causes" one of the first things you get is "too much thyroid hormone." And I've never experienced this symptom before in my life. My periods didn't start until I was almost 17, and I've only ever had them every 3 or 4 months at the most since then (I'm 30). So if he's not going to listen to me, then I'm going to experiment, rather than wait until I've caused myself uterine fibroids or a tumor from too much synthetic hormones.

[chase1]

2 grains of ArmourThyroid are not 200t4 and 50 t3, it says right on the bottle that 1 grain is 38t4 and 9 t3... ans now in 2009 lots and lots of patients got hypo and TSH went up on Armour Thyroid when they changed fillers.......and now is a shortage of all Thyroid.

check www.savenaturalthyroid.com www.stopthethyroidmadness.com they say 3-5 grains is more a normal dose.

WhenI checked google books and a refernce bookf ro medicines published in 1906, it said average dose 4 grains....

And, if you are undiagnosed celiac, the absorptions is low so the old doses do not work any more. I had to up mine.

So sorry, I meant to type 200 T4 OR 50 T3, being that T3 is roughly converted into 4 times the T4. Ergo, 1 grain of Armour is roughly converted into 100 mcg of levothyroxine..2 grains into 200 mcg. I am having my meds made at a compounding pharmacy now so that I don't have to follow the doses that are mass marketed. If I take (2) grain pills of Armour a day it is not enough, if I take (1) two grain pills of Armour a day it is too much. On the meds from the compounding pharmacy, they can change the amount of T3 and T4 in each pill based on my labs (FT3, FT4, TT3, and TT4, etc.). My doctor can change the dose of either, or both by a tiny amount specifically for me. I believe that will work better for me.

[chase1]

Thank you for clarifying this, nora! I know quite a bit about thyroid meds as I have had the problem for about 15 years and have tried a number of meds for it.

No medication would have such high amounts of T3/T4 in them and I know what the dosing is on Armour.

BTW, my thyroid doc queried the makers of Armour about the unavailability of the hormone right now and they were shut down by the FDA for making a tiny change to their filler portion of the hormone, which made no difference at all to thyroid patients. The fillers will not affect absorption and it was a small fraction of the fillers used. This has to be OK'd by the FDA and it wasn't, so they were shut down. Armour has a good name and, although they should have gone by protocol with the FDA, nice of them to shut them down and leave many people stranded without meds!

The other issue is changing med levels on your own....not a smart thing to do. Yes, it can vary BUT if your thyroid hormone needs are changing that rapidly, there is another problem which should be addressed. It could be as simple as dosing changes and number of times per day you dose but no one should ever change their amounts without blood work/doctor's supervision as you can really mess yourself up by doing so. You cannot simply go by symptoms when treating thyroid disease....both symptom tracking and blood work are needed. How do I know this? I am currently going through another change myself, due to better absorption once healed and I would never make guesses on my own.

Armour is not, nor has it ever been FDA approved!! It was grandfathered in when the Food and Drug Administration was created. Therefore, while needing to remain consistent from a potency standpoint, they can make changes to the formula, fillers, etc. without trials. The REAL problem is raw material, so other natural thyroid companies as well as compounding companies that use dessicated thyroid, are having the same problem, not just Forest Labs.

Many doctors support patients to make changes to their thyroid meds based on symptoms, with lab monitoring. I have done it for the last year before I was taking caps. My doses/brands have changed about 20 times in the last 2 years, because I have so many problems with a lot of the drugs and thyroid being killed off very rapidly. I would be at the lab/doc every day!!

[chase1]

The reason I change my meds periodically (which consists of taking a week off of them here and there, or taking an additional 1/2 pill a day for a week at a time occasionally) is because when my hashimoto's was diagnosed, it was diagnosed based solely on an antibody level in the 1700s with a reference range of 0-35. My TSH was 4 and my T4 was and has always been within normal limits. My labs have never, not once, been out of range. My endo insists that my TSH, for me, should be between 0.5 and 2.0; I've never found any reason why. Everything I read says that if your TSH is above 5 or 5.5, you should become suspicious of a thyroid disorder. So if I actually do have a malfunctioning thyroid, as best I can tell, my doctor has created an arbitrary system and is trying to follow it, regardless of my symptoms. I've recently begun experiencing metrorrhagia -- bleeding between periods -- and his only suggestion was "test the blood." Labs are normal. So it obviously, to him, is not my thyroid -- even though when you google "metrorrhagia causes" one of the first things you get is "too much thyroid hormone." And I've never experienced this symptom before in my life. My periods didn't start until I was almost 17, and I've only ever had them every 3 or 4 months at the most since then (I'm 30). So if he's not going to listen to me, then I'm going to experiment, rather than wait until I've caused myself uterine fibroids or a tumor from too much synthetic hormones.

I agree! My Type 1 grandfather that is 95 years old doesn't test his blood, he knows his levels and how much insulin by how he feels, because he knows his body. I feel like thyroid labs are pretty worthless and I don't feel like going to the doctor every other week to get a blessing.

[nora-n]

1 grain Thyroid is rather like 65-72

[Gemini]

I agree! My Type 1 grandfather that is 95 years old doesn't test his blood, he knows his levels and how much insulin by how he feels, because he knows his body. I feel like thyroid labs are pretty worthless and I don't feel like going to the doctor every other week to get a blessing.

Insulin is an entirely different animal than thyroid hormone so comparing the two is apples and oranges. Thyroid labs are not worthless and should be used in conjunction with symptoms. To disregard labs and dose on your own is dangerous but good luck with that. I'm sure you are smarter than your doctor.

[Gemini]

Armour is not, nor has it ever been FDA approved!! It was grandfathered in when the Food and Drug Administration was created. Therefore, while needing to remain consistent from a potency standpoint, they can make changes to the formula, fillers, etc. without trials. The REAL problem is raw material, so other natural thyroid companies as well as compounding companies that use dessicated thyroid, are having the same problem, not just Forest Labs.

Many doctors support patients to make changes to their thyroid meds based on symptoms, with lab monitoring. I have done it for the last year before I was taking caps. My doses/brands have changed about 20 times in the last 2 years, because I have so many problems with a lot of the drugs and thyroid being killed off very rapidly. I would be at the lab/doc every day!!

The FDA controls prescription meds and Armour is a Rx med. Doesn't matter what happened many years ago with grandfathering it in, they control it now. You cannot make a change to any formula like this without FDA approval. I don't necessarily agree with the FDA on many issues and this was one of them.

Thyroid hormone is pretty serious medication and over use and under use can mean serious medical complications and even death so I wouldn't act like you are taking vitamins. When you say many doctors support patients changing their doses, that is true....mine does. However, she makes it plain how much I am allowed to change the dose, based on her formula. I use a compounded med, taylor made for me. If your needs are changing that rapidly, you have an underlying problem which should be addressed by a competent physician. Balancing your thyroid can be difficult and shouldn't be left to guessing by someone without a medical degree.

There are other glands which interact with thyroid so you could be missing a problem with them also.

[Gemini]

The reason I change my meds periodically (which consists of taking a week off of them here and there, or taking an additional 1/2 pill a day for a week at a time occasionally) is because when my hashimoto's was diagnosed, it was diagnosed based solely on an antibody level in the 1700s with a reference range of 0-35. My TSH was 4 and my T4 was and has always been within normal limits. My labs have never, not once, been out of range. My endo insists that my TSH, for me, should be between 0.5 and 2.0; I've never found any reason why. Everything I read says that if your TSH is above 5 or 5.5, you should become suspicious of a thyroid disorder. So if I actually do have a malfunctioning thyroid, as best I can tell, my doctor has created an arbitrary system and is trying to follow it, regardless of my symptoms. I've recently begun experiencing metrorrhagia -- bleeding between periods -- and his only suggestion was "test the blood." Labs are normal. So it obviously, to him, is not my thyroid -- even though when you google "metrorrhagia causes" one of the first things you get is "too much thyroid hormone." And I've never experienced this symptom before in my life. My periods didn't start until I was almost 17, and I've only ever had them every 3 or 4 months at the most since then (I'm 30). So if he's not going to listen to me, then I'm going to experiment, rather than wait until I've caused myself uterine fibroids or a tumor from too much synthetic hormones.

The reason your doc MAY have targeted a TSH in the 0.5-2.0 range is to bring your antibody levels down. That's not quite suppressed but the usual course of treatment for high antibody levels is to suppress your TSH so it won't be calling out for more thyroid hormone and making your thyroid work harder. That's exactly how mine was treated only my TSH was brought down to 0.01....total suppression. It worked beautifully for me and my thyroid is no longer under attack.

If you are not happy with this doctor, find another who will work with you because it's very dangerous to self treat for thyroid problems. I am not sure why you think that fibroids or a tumor could result from too many synthetic hormones....that only happens with the birth control pill, not thyroid medication. You also have to have a tendency towards them (fibroids)...they don't occur in everyone. It's also very odd to have an antibody that high with "in range" labs so seeing and working with a doctor is very important. My antibodies were almost as high as yours BUT my other numbers were way out of range also, which is more typical. It can be hard to find a good thyroid doctor, much the same as a GI doctor for Celiac, but it really is necessary if you want to get your thyroid under control.

[chase1]

Insulin is an entirely different animal than thyroid hormone so comparing the two is apples and oranges. Thyroid labs are not worthless and should be used in conjunction with symptoms. To disregard labs and dose on your own is dangerous but good luck with that. I'm sure you are smarter than your doctor.

My meds have been changed 20 times BY my doctor. I see two different specialized endo's. I get blood work done about every four weeks, sometimes 6 or 8 depending on the situation. I don't need a MD to read labs to me and change my meds based on that...a monkey could do that. My doctor AGREES that I can change my medication based on my symptoms. I don't go from taking one pill a day to a whole bottle, I realize it can mess up your whole body, anyone with thyroid disease knows that. This is exactly why, if I feel terrible, I am not going to wait until I go to my next appointment to change my meds, I am going to do it right away. I refuse to feel like a corps or a crackhead for a month.

[chase1]

The FDA controls prescription meds and Armour is a Rx med. Doesn't matter what happened many years ago with grandfathering it in, they control it now. You cannot make a change to any formula like this without FDA approval. I don't necessarily agree with the FDA on many issues and this was one of them.

Because Armour is not FDA approved, it does not have a New Drug Appli

[chase1]

Thyroid hormone is pretty serious medication and over use and under use can mean serious medical complications and even death so I wouldn't act like you are taking vitamins. When you say many doctors support patients changing their doses, that is true....mine does. However, she makes it plain how much I am allowed to change the dose, based on her formula. I use a compounded med, taylor made for me. If your needs are changing that rapidly, you have an underlying problem which should be addressed by a competent physician. Balancing your thyroid can be difficult and shouldn't be left to guessing by someone without a medical degree.

There are other glands which interact with thyroid so you could be missing a problem with them also.

Again, I am treated by two specialized endocrinologist's. I have to get biopsy's 4 times per year, I usually get blood done monthly...but if longer (6-8 weeks), it is crazy to feel terrible for even a week, let alone months. I am 28 years old and I have already waisted 3 years of my life feeling not human and will not wait for my doctor to read a lab to tell me I don't feel good, nor read a lab and tell me I feel good, when I don't. I have already weeded out all of those docs. My doctor agrees with me and we have a treatment plan, I don't treat my medicine like it is Advil.