Hypothyroidism - Baldwin Park,CA

Hi I was recently diagnosed w/ Hyperthroidism too and am waiting to see the Encronologist which my general Dr recommended, (it was all in a result of trying to get back to Lindora to loose some weight before going on a upcoming family vacation), what the Dr's have been telling me this will never go away, have to see the specialist and will have to take a recommended dose of meds that they perscribe. My regular Dr is puzzeled over the fact that I gain weight which is a sign of "low thyroid",. if I could just see the Dr tomorrow and I could worry less. Email if ya have any other Q:
T. B. :)

Hi I had thyroid problems too a few years ago, and my whole family on my mom side has thyroid problems (all kinds). So first, no, it's not fatal. The good news about thyroid problems is that it's rarely fatal, even in the case of the thyroid cancer. Furthermore, I read awhle ago, that synthoid is one of the very few meds that you want to try sticking to brand names (no, it was not published by the manufacturers, lol). Thyroid hormomes need to be in a pretty exact level in your body, and the generic kind tends to have a lot more fluctuations in its dosage pill by pill than the name brand, the studies show. So do some research and if you can afford to switch to name brand, I'd do it.

I'm also taking Synthroid for this and I know you're not supposed to eat/drink anything for about 45 minutes to an hour after you take the Syntrhoid so I would wait a little bit before taking the birth control. Maybe take it at night? I know you can't take iron supplements for 4 hours after you take it. It can be fatal in extreme cases but if you're blood work is coming back normal you should be fine. It probably won't go away but you can control it so don't worry. You will probably have to take the Synthroid forever though. As far as the weight, I'm struggling with this too so if I find any good ways to lose it I'll let you know! It's driving me crazy too. Good luck, and don't worry, once you get your symptoms under control you will feel much better. Just let your doctor know if you have heart palpitations or dizziness because that could mean your medicine is too high.

I'm sensing a bit of panic in your comments. Take a deep breath, you're going to be ok!!! Should be fine to take synthroid and BC at the same time (i did, but it was 20 years ago). It would be a good idea to talk to your doctor and pharmicist about when to take it and are there any other meds it might react with ( they find out new stuff all the time). It's not fatal; it's controlable, but usually does last the rest of your life. My mother has been on synthroid for over40 years. I took it for about 15 years (started when I was a teen); before I got pregnant for the 1st time my doctor took me off it just to see if my own thyroid would kick back in -- it did and I haven't had to take the synthroid since. However, I think I'm the exception. You should have blood tests done periodically to insure the dosage is correct. Good luck.

Okay, first, I am going to say that I am not a doctor or a nurse, but I am a family nutrition/wellness coach and mom who has educated herself, been trained in WELLNESS not sickness and here is what I know:

I know that at the age of 32 I too was put on Synthroid. I was told "forever". I gave it some though and decided that the next 60 years, taking some wort of "synthetic drug" was NOT for me. So I did the research. I looked at what was causing my challenges and I looked at how I could correct it naturally. I do not fault my doctor she is ignorant to health, she only understand sickness. When I really thought about it...the only time I needed her was when I was sick, then she would prescribe me something and I would feel better and I wouldn't see her again until I was sick. I came to realize that she was my "sickcare" practitioner and I need to be in control of my wellness.

Here I am 4 years later, and I (and my family) are completely pharmaceutical free! Not even an aspirin. I am off ALL my meds - naturally and without any ill effects.

I will never forget the day of my very last visit to my family doctor. After 18 months with my doctor, gaining weight, staying sick and jut adding "1 more drug" with each visit, I made a personal decision to stop all my meds. It was six months later: I stopped taking all my pills, I had been on a super nutrition plan for over 5 months, AND I had dropped 42 pounds... it was time for a "follow up". I walked into her office looking fabulous, a spring in my step and a new outlook on life without pain or sadness. She looked at me and said, and I quote, "wow, you look great, I guess we finally found the combination of meds that works for you!" I told her that I had not put even one of her medicines into my body for the last 6 months. I told her I had learned how to feed my body for my health, not to keep me sick. And I told her that I was a whole new person. And you know what she did, she yelled at me...she called me irresponsible, she told me I was reckless, and that I was risking my life. I was stunned, here I was healthier than even and she was condemning me. I walked out of her office and never went back.

Oh sure there will those who argue that their doctors are great. And yes, when my daughter almost broke her arm last year, I was grateful for the x-rays and the sling from the medical world, however they still wanted to prescribe my 12 year old daughter with narcotics "for the pain". Again I do not fault doctors for their ignorance in health. They are trained to give us a pill for every ill. It is their job.

Whatever your spiritual belief you have to know that you are a child of this universe. A healthy, vibrant child that is natural and alive. When a doctor says "forever" for medicine, I trust Socrates: Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.

If you want "wellness" options, I am here.

B.
Family Nutrition Coach

Call your doctor or pharmacist and ask about taking the birth control pills at the same time. Since both are hormones, it is probably ok to do so, but your doctor or pharmacist should be able to answer that question for you better than anyone else. Some other prescription medicines, some vitamins and even antacids can interact or interfere with how your thyroid medicine works, so be sure to talk to your doctor or pharmacist about any other things you take at the same time. Usually it is a good idea to take vitamins/antacids 4 hours away from the time you take your thyroid medicine, but again, please discuss this with your doctor or pharmacist. Also, some over the counter medicines (cold remedies / decongestants for example) can worsen or aggravate your thyroid condition. Please remember to read all the labels on any medicine that you will take, and if you have any questions ask your doctor or pharmacist.

I have had hypothyroidism for over 13 years. It is not fatal, but it does require that you actively manage your condition. The good news is that with proper management of the condition, it is possible to feel close to normal again! It usually doesn't go away (thought pregnancy induced hypothyroidism sometimes does). You can ask your doctor to find out what type of hypothyroidism you have, if you really want to know. I have Hashimotos Thyroiditis, which means my immune system is attacking my thyroid. This type of hypothyroidism does not go away.

Taking your thyroid medication as directed can help you lose weight, but it is not a magic pill. You will need to eat healthy and be more active (exercise, even if just walking). The medicine will help your metabolism return to a more normal state, but it will take some work to undo the weight gain.

There is a book called "The Thyroid Solution" by Ridha Arem, which I highly recommend. This book is written by an expert and has a lot of information which will help you take an active role in managing your condition. There is no reason for you to not have a long and happy life!

I don't know about the birth control thing, but it doesn't seem to me that it would be a problem. I have hypothyroidism also, and taking the right amount of the the replacement thyroid hormone keeps it under control. If you take the pills as instructed (mine are one a day every day before breakfast), it will help to balance out your emotions, help any possible swelling in your extremeties, and also help you to lose weight brought on by lack of hormones. So, if your blood tests come back normal and you've been taking the drug religously, keep taking it religiously. Ask your doctor about the birth control pills, and also about any other hormone replacements that might benefit you, such as Estroven. The only other drug that I know for sure you shouldn't take with it is any kind of stomach medicine, like Tums, because it will coat your stomach and make your thyroid meds ineffective. And trust me, if the drugs work, keep taking them as instructed-when I forget or don't pick them up for a week, I start to get unbalanced again.

I have had it for years! While I know you cannot take Iron or minerals within 4 hours of taking it, I am unsure about birth control pills. You might loose some weight, but you will start having more energy after about 6 weeks, depending how far out of whack you were. It is actually very common. Yes it is a lifetime of taking the little pill, but no it is not fatal. It will need periodic blood tests to possibly adjust the level of medicine. I have been taking it for 10 years and there were no side effects either. Good luck!

you WILL ALWAAYS HAVE THIS IF YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF IT IS NOT FATEL YHY DONT YOU TALK TO YOUR DR HE OR SHE HAS THE CORRECT ANDSWERS NOT A BUNCH OF STRANGERS WHO CAN ONLY GESS USE YOUR BRAINS AND GET THE CORRECT ANDWERS A. RETIRED R N A. NO HILLS

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ASK YOUR DR LET HIM OR HER TELL YOU THE CORRECT ANSWER NOT A BUNCH OF STRANGERS A. FORMAL R N NO HILLS