More frustrations.

[freebirds]

Hello. I'm back again.

I'm currently taking 100 mg of Levothyroxine. I've been taking it since April so nearly 4 months. I feel a little better but I still don't feel normal. I've tried taking 150 mg of it but nothing happened.

I'm wondering if I should ask my doctor about taking Liothyronine also or taking Armour? Or am I not taking enough mgs? I'm still tired, I've gained 3 more pounds, still a little forgetful, & still feeling a little grumpy.

I eat all the right things for my thyroid & take my medicine everyday.

My doctor said she wants my levels at 5 but I was at an 8 when she last checked (in April). I'm wondering should I be at a 2 instead?

As I said in my last post, I've been trying for about 10 months now to lose weight & now I've gained so much weight back (with diet & exercise!!) that I've only lost 6 lbs (last time I said I'd lost about 14 lbs). It's so frustrating. I'm 21 years old & I feel like I'm 40.

Comments

[aristoboule]

Sorry if this is too many questions, but are you seeing an endocrinologist, or just an internist? Did she suggest the 150 mcg or did you just want to try it? Are you taking your pill with food, or without? Are you taking birth control pills, and if so, at the same time as your thyroid pill? Are you eating a lot of soy-based products or other goitrogenic foods? Is the level you're referring to TSH or some other measurement?

Hope you feel better soon!

[freebirds]

i'm seeing just a normal doctor because it's all i can see right now. i don't have a car & i just know that my mom's insurance covers that doctor.

i wanted to try it to see if it would do anything to be honest.

the directions on the bottle say do not take with food, take on empty stomach then don't eat for an hour. so that's exactly what i do. i've tried taking it then eating 10 minutes later but i just get extreme stomach pains.

i'm not on birth control.

no, i eat a strict diet (because i've been trying to lose weight) of chicken, turkey, 2% milk, salads, etc. i rarely eat bread or cereal. no pears. no soy. no walnuts. no foods that go against my thyroid.

i guess i'm referring to my TSH? my doctor's assistant told me that my doctor wanted my level to be at 5 but now it's at an 8 & it's slightly elevated. his exact words. he told me a few of the numbers & i wrote it down but i lost the paper & i only remember the 8 & the 5 now.

[aristoboule]

Gotcha -- definitely better than nothing!

Yeah, it would likely take at least several weeks to see much of a change, but the potential is that you could possibly go hyperthyroid, and that's its own set of problems. :(

Yes -- two hours after and one hour before is best, if possible.

If that is in reference to your TSH, 5 would still be too high and for someone your age, 2 is more ideal. Most endocrinologists will treat someone with a TSH of 5 to get them down into a more ideal range. When did you last have lab work -- was it in April? If so, when do they plan to test you again? Because if you are 5, no wonder you don't feel well, ack!

Hope you're able to get this resolved!

[freebirds]

yes, my last test was in april. she's got an appointment set up for me for october but i'm planning on calling in tomorrow. i want to explain how i feel & tell them that i'd like to see if they can give me a high enough dose to be a 2 to see if i'll feel better.

yeah, i don't want to be hyperthyroid. i want to lose weight but not that badly, haha.

the only problem is that i don't think i can go to the doctor's office again that quickly (it's about 45 minutes out of the way & with no car, that's a bit of a hassle just to get a prescription) so i'm hoping i can take this month's bottle & exchange it for a higher dose at my kroger a mile from my house. much more convenient.

thanks for helping me. :]

[aristoboule]

Yikes! I think the for the first year after I was diagnosed, I was getting tested every 6 weeks, then every other month, then at three months at the end. Now I go every 6 months or so, and it's been 9 years since I was diagnosed. More than likely, you'll feel great at 2!

Is there a way your mother's insurance will allow you to see an endocrinologist? If you call member services, they can tell you who is under her plan. Unfortunately, you usually can't exchange medications because they can't be resold. The pharmacy doesn't know the conditions in which they were stored, and therefore can't guarantee them. Sorry :(

No problem, wish I could be more help!

[freebirds]

yeah i'm glad that she told me to come back in 6 months though because like i said, without a car, it's hard to get there. plus my insurance runs out in mid-november (once i'm graduated) so october was perfect for me. i really hope she'll say yes to being a 2. do you think it will allow me to lose weight normally again?

yeah i just found out that i cant trade in the medicine but that i can buy a new thing instead. which is fine because my medicine is like 4 bucks anyway so it's not a huge deal.