Hypo-thyroid

I'm the same as Eileen- diagnosed Hashimoto's after my first kid. I was diagnosed because I couldn't get pregnant with a second. The only other symptom I had (besides infertility) was mild depression, but it was easily fixed when I got on the right dose. (I'm on levoxyl 88mcg.) Not to scare you (because it sounds like there are many happy stories), but I have been unable to maintain a pregnancy since (I've had 4 miscarriages). The doctors (my endo, my obgyn, my pcp)say it "shouldn't be" because of the Hashimoto's, but I'm convinced it is, and my endo finally said it may have something to do with it (after my 4th miscarriage...). Again- you may not have Hashimoto's and people with it have still had successful pregnancies. I just wish I fought harder earlier on, so that's my only recommendation. I don't see my endo anymore since I'm only maintaining my thyroid (I do that through my pcp). Good luck, C.!

I have was diagnosed hypothyroid when I was 18 years old. I am now 37 and still on medication, although dosage has changed (up and down) over the years. Going up when I was pregnant, and eventually going down after delivery. I have had 3 children w/ no problem conceiving and all were born healthy. Good luck!

Hi C., I too have the same issue and a 17mo. old at home. We found out I was hypothyroid during my pregnancy, I have been on synthroid since my first trimester. With out getting too envolved in explanations I would recommened you seeing an endocrinologist. I see Dr. J. Cabaccan in San Jose. The endocrine system is very involved and complex, you really need someone who specializes in it.
Good Luck!!
S.

I have been on thyroid medicine for years and have never had any problems since. It took time to regulate the right dose and my advice would be to go to an endocrinologist because that is one of their specialties. Also my endo years ago said to never substitute synthroid because in the generic brands say they put you on your .25 it may be below that amount or above. The non-generic version (synthroid) is the dose prescribed. Just advice if you want it.

Once you get regulated everything should be fine. Also it is a lifetime thing I believe. I had a goiter that got better with the medicine.If my dose or anything is off it would protrude out, but has been fine for years also.

Anyhow was you get regulated you should be fine.

Also it was in the family on my Mom's side....the majority of her sisters (she had 6) had thyroid problems. Some of the them had surgery and had it removed.

Good luck......R.

C.,
Great questions. Nutrition is my field as well. Nice to meet you. :)
The low result could be because of an insulin resistance. This causes the T4 to not convert to T3 and throws off the test.
Or it could be a lack of plant hormones in the diet. Humans require 50-80mg a day of plant hormones from food and in the US we eat on average 2-4mg a day.
You can definitely get any part of your body to regenerate with proper nutrition. The cells of our bodies change over every day. Within 90 days you have a totally different supply of red blood cells, the lining of the stomach changes every 3-4 days, just to give a few examples. That's the miracle of the human frame.
Hope this helps.
C.

There is an amazing iodine cream that you rub into your thyroid gland. Your thyroid should be squishy with iodine. This is a high quality absorbable iodine cream. The brand is Natural Iodine Balance. The web site below. You can order it on-line or ask if your health food store carrys it.

http://www.stayinbalance2.com/

I met the owner at a talk at Staff of Life in Santa Cruz. and she is amazing. She has her own lab and does research and manufactures her own high quality ingredients. She also works with Dr Lee the Hormone research Dr. I use both her products and love the iodine. She did this simple iodine test and if it fades on your skin in 8 hours you desperately need iodine. I bought it on the spot. (It has also helped me lose weight). I have sensitive skin and this cream makes my skin feel wonderful.
GOOD LUCK.

Hi C.,

I walked in similar shoes. I lost my baby-weight within eight weeks after delivery, then saw my weight begin increasing faster than it ever had in my whole life (including while pregnant). I struggled to produce enough breastmilk and had many hypothyroid symptoms, but my PCP never suggested thyroid problems. A couple of years after my first, I still hadn't been able to conceive again, so I went to a TCM (traditional Chinese medicine/acupuncturist) practitioner and she gave me a list of tests to request from my PCP doctor. Because of the AMA's stranglehold on medicine, the TCM couldn't diagnose (tell me what was up), but she did offer me a list of tests she thought I should get. (TSH, Free T3, Free T4, one for antibodies and one for adrenal function)

Naturally I googled the list and surmised the TCM thought my thyroid function was low. After the tests came back, my PCP wanted to put me on Levothyroxine, but having done my research, I insisted to be put directly on Armour. It took awhile to slowly ramp up my dose until I felt normal again, and I had to switch off Armour to Nature-Throid when Armour reformulated this past Spring, but other than that, I've been stable and symptom-free now for a couple of years. Sadly, my biological clock ran out during the time I was untreated and then optimizing my dose.

I did see an endocrinologist whose office is near Snell & Blossom Hill Rd. His practice focuses on diabetes. Once he'd satisfied himself I'm not diabetic, he lost all interest in my case. He had no information to add to what I've learned online, and in fact knew nothing about the FDA's interference with dessicated thyroid sources or Armour's reformulation. Basically, visiting the endo was an expensive waste of time.

I too believe that any part of the body can regenerate, and in addition to a modest dose of Nature-Throid, I take Iodoral for iodine, and a selenium supplement. I've recently begun drinking raw milk and have found it helps. If I can keep a supply in the house steadily it appears I will be able to reduce my dose, and possibly eliminate the Nature-Throid eventually. I really truly don't like the idea of being on ANY medication for life.

Best wishes for your successful treatment and hopefully full recovery.

If I were you... i would suggest they check your blood for HASHIMOTO'S (Thyroiitis) to rule out or treat better!!! The check for specific antibodies that attack the thyroid!!! This would be very helpful so that you know if autoimmunity is a component of your hypothiroid issues!!! If so... i would suggest you start LDN!!!

I have Hashimoto's and currently feeling better after being on Levoxyl + LDN + Iodine

I was diagnosed 5 years ago, and I managed to get pregnant twice without problems. As long as your condition is controlled, there should be no problem. That being said, there are people with hypothyroidism that don't do well on T4 replacement only because they don't convert the T4 into T3. I'm one of these people and I take Cytomel and Synthroid. Not all doctors believe that, however, so it's important to see one who's on top of his game. I've been seeing Dr. Kamrath, Richard O
Ste N, 2255 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek,###-###-####‎.
You might have to take medication all your life, but it could also be a temporary situation.

I found out I had hypoth after my first child. I have been on meds for 10 years. I had the same symptoms as you and thought nothing of it, except the hair that continued to fall out. MANY people in my extended family have it so it is hereditary and an auto immune disease (I also have arthritis). Now my son has the same thing and he is 11-- he is not looking forward to taking meds for the rest of his life, but it is an easy fix. We have an appt. to see an endrocronologist in Jan for him, I have never seen one as my dr. seem to always be able to explain and manage this for me. I agree, as far at auto immune diseases this one is so much better than others that you can have. They should be able to run a test to find out what is causing yours. I don't like taking pills but I do feel better and I have no side effects that I have seen in 10 years, so I can live with it.

Good luck!

I have Graves Disease, so I think mine is exactly opposite of yours. I am surprised that they haven't checked your T3, and I would definitely recommend seeing an endocrinologist right away. I go through Sutter doctors and hospitals, and my endo is in downtown Sac, Dr. Ginger McMullen. She is awesome, super patient and interested in everything that is going on. The medication is par for course. Yes, you will most likely be on medication for the rest of your life. I would recommend getting into and endo soon, or at least making an appointment to see one, because the waiting period to get in can be upwards of 6 months. Hope this helps, good luck!

I discovered I was hypothyroid many years ago, but my TSH level was a high 75!!!!!!!!!!!! not 7.5 -- actually 75!!, that's how bad mine was. (I still have the paper to prove it.) So I went on the Levothroid (levothyroxine) and never looked back.

Your TSH is only slightly high, at 5.18 (like I said, mine was 75!), so if you want to try other things, go ahead. However, dry skin and hair loss are not fun, so a little Levothroid might not be a bad thing.

By the way, my weight was never any different either way, I wasn't heavy when my thyroid was very low, although I had every other symptom, so taking thyroid hormone won't necessarily change that.

I had no problems getting pregnant before or after.

Hi C.,
Sorry to hear about your thyroid issues. While thyroid problems can generally be easily "fixed" with medications, it isn't always as straightforward as that.
I was hyperthyroid (overactive)after my first child was born and I wanted to have another baby. I did not lose weight (wouldn't you know!!!) as most people do, but my main symptom was drastic heat intolerance. I wore summer clothes all winter and was still miserably hot! I was told I had Graves disease (by a respected endocrinologist) . I was put on something like Propylthuriacil (it sounded like that). I had my second pregnancy shortly thereafter.

After that pregnancy, I felt less and less alive every day.I thought it was because I had twins but it continued and worsened. I had no energy at all physically or mentally. It was dreadful. I was told my Graves disease was an error and that I was now hypothyroid, with Hashimoto's disease (apparently sometimes you can swing from one to the other). I was put on Levothyroxin as well. It made a big difference initially but I never regained my former self again. Getting the meds just right was usually only temporary. I have been sick for years with all sorts of related problems.

I finally got recommended Armour Thyroid medication by an acupuncturist. Armour is more natural and made from pig's (or cow sometimes) thyroid gland but it is a proper clean and screened medication. It was used forever before the synthetic came around. It contains both T3 and T4 compared to the synthetic which only has one of those. The theory is that the one it has (I forget now but maybe you know) will convert into the other but, as the acupuncturist explained, that is what is supposed to occur in thyroid healthy people and may not work as well as it should. This Armour Thyroid completely changed my life! I am sooooo much better on Armour than the synthetic. I will never go back. Perhaps you will want to ask your doctor about it.

Thyroid issues are definitely hereditary and yes, I wouldn't waste any time going to an endo where you can talk to them about your concern about the dr immediately prescribing meds. Perhaps there is an alternative for you.

Good luck!!

Hi there, I was diagnosed 2 years ago with thyroid cancer. I also had some of the same symptoms as you did, the rapid weight loss after the baby, tired, dry skin, etc etc. I also however had and still do have HORRIBLE insomnia due to it. You mentioned that you dont add salt to anything, I'm not sure if you know or not but iodine is in way more stuff than you think. I have to go on a low iodine diet every year for radiation and testing and most of what I normally eat I cannot due to the ingrediants in the food. The Thyca website can help you learn more about the iodine part. When they did your TSH did they do thyroglobulin check also. If not you may want to ask your Dr. about that. An Endrocrinologist could probably give you more answers on this subject since that is that is their area of study. I learned a lot from mine and am very glad I saw him when I did. Good luck to you and I hope you are well again soon.

Hi C.,

Before self prescribing iodine I'd suggest going to an Endocrinologist or a Natorpathic Doctor and get a full panel done. I have Hashimoto's and was taking Synthroid but not feeling much better. My GP just discounted my continueing symptoms and said this was the only option. The Natorpathic MD I see did a full test and found I am NOT difficient in Iodine. She also changed my presciiption to Natur throid as well as suggesting suplements and I am doing much better. Basicly the point is, your situation may be different than mine or others. I do have a friend who was able to go off of Thyroid medicine after awhile. I probably never will be able to because of my situation but I'd like it to be managed as well as possible.

Hi C.,
I developed Hypo-thyroid 8 months after my son was born. I was told I would be on the meds the rest of my life. My mother had also developed it after having me and has been on meds ever since so I figure I would be too. Well, I am not and have not been for the last two years!! I have had blood work done to ensure that I do not have a thyroid issue any longer. I fixed my thyroid by drinking Organic Pastures raw milk. Interestingly, there is more iodine available in raw milk. Best of luck to you!

Hi Claire:

I started having thyroid issues ~4 months into breastfeeding (Jan 2009) and ended up severely hypo after a short episode of being severely hyper for about 5 weeks.

I too was immediately put on Synthroid without much explanation/discussion. (FYI: When I went to have the Rx filled they gave me levothyroxine at first, and then they refilled my script with levothroid just a few months ago b/c they were out of levothyroxine -- both are generics for Synthroid but its really important to just stick with whichever one you start on as the hormone levels are slightly different and the change made all my hair fallout a second time!!)

I was freaked out and really wanted to stay as natural as possible, so I sought out some known successful alternate therapies in addition to agreeing to take the drugs after being reassured thru tons of research and a lot of pointed questions to 3 different drs that it was 100% safe for the baby. I did acupuncture and chinese herbal medicine (this was hard b/c no research on impacts of breastfeeding and some of the time the herbs had crazy impacts on the baby's poop color, etc) but I do feel it helped me get out of the hole I was in energy level-wise so I could start functioning more at my old-self, pre-kid level.

I stopped the chinese herbs and I have not been able to go off the drugs yet, because I got pregnant with our second right after my son's first birthday this fall. (happy accident!) I did start to feel like things might be self-correcting at that time -- as they do for about 80% of women around 12-18 months post-natally -- and was excited I might be able to try weaning off the drugs. (My dr was not as enthusiastic about this, but was going to support me)

Needless to say, I was pretty bummed when I was referred to an Endo to watch my thyroid thru the second pregnancy -- since your metabolic needs change each trimester and everyone felt a specialist was in order. She basically said while my levels all looked good (and I successfully got pregnant) that we shouldn't rock the apple cart and think about going off the drugs or switch to Armour (a natural version of the thyroid hormone taken from pigs) until I weather the storm of my second post-natal go round.

Given everything I have read (and its a lot, I even bought Dr. Langer's thyroid book "Solved") and everyone I talked to, I have thru the course of the year decided it is not that big of a deal to take the drugs. They really do help. (I do also recommend acupuncture but its harder to find the time and money to be consistent at it.)

If its any consolation, your dose is super tiny. But expect that they may have to ramp it up a little after your next round of tests. Also, I prefer to get the whole panel not just T4, but that's b/c I am a control freak. It really doesn't change anything in terms of your treatment plan.

Not sure if that helps, but feel free to ping me if you have more Qs.

-J.

p.s. If you are breastfeeding and/or still taking a prenatal vitamin you should not (according to what I have read) take kelp/iodine or any other mineral supplements like zinc, etc. Supposely evening primrose oil helps with the hair falling out but I can't find anything about if its safe for breastfeeding or pregnancy. But Omega3s for memory, etc are ok.

I have Hashimoto's auto immune tyroid. I'm on 100 mcg's levoxothroxine a day. I also was diagnosed after I had a child. My doc started me on 25mcg's and I had blood tests every 6 weeks until they found the correct dosage I am on now. Have they tested you for the antibody for Hashimoto's? If you have it, the only recourse is to take the medication because it's an auto immune disease and believe me, compared to other AI diseases, you want this one. If you don't have Hashimoto's, hypothyroid is still easy to treat. As far as I know there's nothing to do except take the medicine. I'm an athlete and I never gained the weight, but I got many of the other symtoms. Just be glad it was caught early. I buy a 3 month supply of levoxothroxine for about $16 at Costco. Don't be surprised if you end up needing a higher dose. They always start you as low as posible and test you every 6-8 weeks until the correct dosage is found. Then you go back for a follow-up blood test after 6 months to check again on the dosage. Hope this helps.

Has anyone looked at your adrenal gland function which is also part of the endocrine system?

http://www.ithyroid.com/coconut_oil.htm

C.-

You have been given a lot of good advice. I too was diagnosed with Hashimoto's after the birth of my first child. I have been on ever since. During my second pregnacy, they very carefully monitored my levels and adjusted the meds accordingly. I do recommend seeing an endo and not just your PCP. I see Dr. Ammon in Orinda- he is good but no bedside manner. Make sure you always ask for the non-generic drug. It makes a big difference. I also recommend looking into Mary Shomon's book "Living with Hypothyroidism." She is a major patient advocate regarding thyroid issues and has some interesting insights.
The good news is that this is manageable and the drugs are well research and have no side effects. Good luck.