Quote:
Originally Posted by FlDebra  Definately try Armour Thyroid -- I did not do well at all on Synthroid. What many do not realize is that the same meds do not work for everyone. As the one poster mentioned, many get on meds, have their numbers balance and feel fine the rest of their life. Others play a seesaw act going hyper to hypo and back again, never really finding that perfect point where they can feel well and have their numbers look right for the docs. Some have trouble converting the T4 hormone to the useable T3. Synthroid is synthetic T4 only. That is when adding Cytomel (synthetic T3) or switching to Armour (natural T4 + T3) works better for them. I have a conversion problem and Synthroid alone seemed like it was killing me (over exaggeration but that is what it felt like). You can also have a binding problem. Estrogen binds thyroid hormone. It is only usable when it is Free or unbound. You probably have heard of the Free T4 and Free T3 tests.
I also had the fibromyalgia dx, but it is really all thyroid. The more hypo, the more I hurt and the more fatigue keeps me from living life. Endos do not usually like Armour Thyroid. They like the synthetic hormones that seem to do a better job at stabilizing numbers. But I found a doc who was willing to prescribe it and it made a lot of difference for me. I had to do all my own research as my doc willingly admitted not knowing much about thyroids. He did send me to an endocrinologist who said my thyroid gland had to come out. At least that stopped the drastic up and down swings I was having as my sputtering gland tried to occasionally produce. I should not get started on this subject. I have researched so much and know more than I ever thought I would want to know about the thyroid gland and the endocrine system. LOL! It is one of my passions. I even led a thyroid support group for the Florida area for a while, years ago. It was rewarding arming people with information they could take to their docs to check out. |
Thankfully I have had the computer to do research! I really had no idea at how much the thyroid affects the entire body, down to the smallest of things. I also had no idea at how many doctors really don't have a clue not only about the thyroid but everything surrounding it and then some. The saying really is true that you have to be your own advocate!