Thyroid Problems (Adjusting)

[scottyg354]

OK guys, I am hypothyroid. For some god forsaken reason my doc and me cannot get my levels to regulate. It has been a year and 4 months since I was diagnosed (TSH 9) and I have been titrating ever since. Today I just got a call that my levels were still high (5.8), it's starting to drive me nuts. Any opinions on whats going on? When I initially went to the doc it was for stomach problems and fatigue that had been lingering for quite a while before I went to see him last year. I had a celiac panel last march and the only positive was Gluten/Giladen IgG and it was weak like an 11 or 12 (but I was gluten free for two weeks prior, never heard of the gluten challenge). Anyone else have issues adjusting? Could it be malabsorption? I'm pretty much at a loss with this crap.

PS: Doc is good and does work with me on symptoms and isn't only going by what my bloodwork papers say.

[beachbirdie]

OK guys, I am hypothyroid. For some god forsaken reason my doc and me cannot get my levels to regulate. It has been a year and 4 months since I was diagnosed (TSH 9) and I have been titrating ever since. Today I just got a call that my levels were still high (5.8), it's starting to drive me nuts. Any opinions on whats going on? When I initially went to the doc it was for stomach problems and fatigue that had been lingering for quite a while before I went to see him last year. I had a celiac panel last march and the only positive was Gluten/Giladen IgG and it was weak like an 11 or 12 (but I was gluten free for two weeks prior, never heard of the gluten challenge). Anyone else have issues adjusting? Could it be malabsorption? I'm pretty much at a loss with this crap.

PS: Doc is good and does work with me on symptoms and isn't only going by what my bloodwork papers say.

There are many possibilities for the difficulty making adjustments to your thyroid levels.

How often is your doctor making changes in the strength of your hormone replacement? You should not be making changes faster than every 6 weeks, as it takes that long for levels to respond to your meds.

What medication is your doctor using? It is possible that the brand is not the best one for you. Many people report differences in how their bodies respond to the various brands. Also some people do better with synthetic, some do well on natural (such as Nature-throid, Armour, or Erfa, known simply as "Thyroid" in Canada). I take a mix of natural and synthetic, that has done well for me.

You might also have one of the autoimmune thyroid problems such as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. If so, you may be experiencing alternating highs and lows of hormone as your thyroid is burned out by antibodies. Did you have any antibody testing done?

Are you taking your meds at a consistent time every day, and making sure you take it consistently either with or without food, and apart from any other medications? Though patient instructions say to take on an empty stomach, if you take consistently with food your lab values will remain consistent.

What tests did your doctor do? What were your lab values (with ranges)? Is your doctor making adjustments based solely on TSH? Is your TSH rising and falling? Or is your TSH remaining consistently high? It may be you simply need to up the replacement a little more.

Sorry I can't give you more useful information, but thyroid can be somewhat complex and not easy to discuss without knowing more.

I am not a doctor and would not presume to give medical advice, I am just another thyroid patient who struggled for years to navigate the "system".

[scottyg354]

There are many possibilities for the difficulty making adjustments to your thyroid levels.

How often is your doctor making changes in the strength of your hormone replacement? You should not be making changes faster than every 6 weeks, as it takes that long for levels to respond to your meds.

What medication is your doctor using? It is possible that the brand is not the best one for you. Many people report differences in how their bodies respond to the various brands. Also some people do better with synthetic, some do well on natural (such as Nature-throid, Armour, or Erfa, known simply as "Thyroid" in Canada). I take a mix of natural and synthetic, that has done well for me.

You might also have one of the autoimmune thyroid problems such as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. If so, you may be experiencing alternating highs and lows of hormone as your thyroid is burned out by antibodies. Did you have any antibody testing done?

Are you taking your meds at a consistent time every day, and making sure you take it consistently either with or without food, and apart from any other medications? Though patient instructions say to take on an empty stomach, if you take consistently with food your lab values will remain consistent.

What tests did your doctor do? What were your lab values (with ranges)? Is your doctor making adjustments based solely on TSH? Is your TSH rising and falling? Or is your TSH remaining consistently high? It may be you simply need to up the replacement a little more.

Sorry I can't give you more useful information, but thyroid can be somewhat complex and not easy to discuss without knowing more.

I am not a doctor and would not presume to give medical advice, I am just another thyroid patient who struggled for years to navigate the "system".

He runs the TSH TotalT4 and T3 and just start running my Free T3. I am going to see him on Friday and I think I am going to ask him about Armour or maybe adding in so Cytomel.