Thyroid

[Chelly2003]

Hello everyone.

For the past few weeks I've noticed the feeling that I have something stuck in my throat. Along with the urge to BURP. Anyway I went to the doctor and he found a lump on my thyroid, I went the next day to have an ultrasound - they did find the lump said it was "small" (1 centimeter).

I'm going back to the doctor on Monday, and then to my homeopath on Tuesday.

What should I expect will happen next?
How can I tell if my thyroid is working properly at this point?
I've had HUGE hair loss in the past four years (I even broke the vacumn cleaner - the motor got jammed up with hair and we had to replace it)
I'm always tired - but what mom isn't. I've put on so much weight its scary - ok not THAT much, but I used to be 135 pounds now I'm 151 pounds, I even started working out again (around Christmas time) about three times a week and I continue to put on weight.

Any advise/tips/experience appreciated.

Thanks in advance
Chelly

[ladylee]

Chelly--surrounding you with positive thoughts! I didn't want this to slip through the cracks--hopefully someone will have information for you. I'll be thinking of you...

[lilyka]

Sounds like low throid to me. A simple way to test is to take your basal tem for 10 days. If it is below 97*F for most of the days your tyroid is low and in need of treatment. I use 4gr of natural thyroid by Biotech. It is natural, cheap and effective. I really hesitated because i didn't want to be on medication but I can't believe how much better I feel. It is just one very small capsule once a day. Very simple.

I also wanted to add that even if your blood work comes back normal it doesn't mean you don't have a problem. Mine came back that I was the healthiest person in the world

[Chelly2003]

Lilyka,
My thyroid blood test results actually came back today - they said normal.
My homeopath gave me a suggestion of a thyroid boost - I need to pull the name of it out my purse. He also gave me some belladonna.
Thanks for your reply!!
Chelly

[AutumnMoonfire]

Chilly did they look at you TSH? You sound so hypoactive lots of these docs can't interpret thyroid funtion tests to save their souls
if the Sups do not work go to an Endocrinologist!!!!

I have been hypothyroid and on synthroid or it's predecessor all my life. Any time I have been managed by a family doc it has been loused up.

Also your thryroid may enlarge in order to produce more hormone. Did they check the nodule by doing a needle biopsy?

I wish you health and answers

[Alstrameria]

@lilyka

Can you tell me more about Biotech? I believe my thyroid is low. I certainly pass your temp test, that is it's low, and there is a history in my family of thyroid issues.

Thank you,

Jen

P.S. Sorry Chelly, I didn't mean to co-opt your thread!

Jen

[Chelly2003]

The next step I have to take is to have some kind of Dye injected and then they'll scan to see if the nodule took in the dye or not. I should be getting a call from my doctors office early next week.
If after that they find the nodule did not take up the dye - they'll do the biopsy. If it does they won't.
I have to find out more about this dye trick...........

At least I don't feel like I have a pill stuck in my throat anymore.

ANyone know if it would be a problem if DH and I continued to TTC?

Chelly

[alie]

I don't know about TTC--I had a lump on my thyroid, too. I worked at UCSD at the time and was sooo scared. A doc looked at it, drained it, it turned out to be a cyst. Personally, I felt it had to do with some emotional issues and not speaking my truth. It actually recurred, but once I cleared the issue up, (a relationship) it went away. I wouldnt believe in the mind body thing so much if it hadnt happened to me! And that was ten years ago. Good luck with everything, I know it is so scary to not know. One note, my sis had a lump the size of a golf ball, had to have her thyroid removed and went through so much. Try anything before you go to that point! It sucks. Plus after going thru radiation, you cant conceive for years, if ever.

[lilyka]

Biothech is the brand my Dr. prescribes. The actual medicine is natural dissicated thyroid. Even though it is natural thyroid it is perscription only.

Here is a little blerb about it I found on the internet. it kinda makes it sound like you can get it without a perscription. :

Natural dessicated thyroid is not like taking a medication,
it is a natural hormone that the body requires. There are
no toxicity problems or allergic reactions involved, because
our own bodies produce thyroid. There probably is nothing
that is any safer. Of course you will want to check with
your doctor first before starting any supplements.


This is a link to a great book about thyroid. it was writtten by the guy who started with the temp. test.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846

I have to go see my Dr. in about 2 weeks. If you let me know where you live I can see if he can recomend someone in your area. Also if you like I can get the perscription insert page thing and send it to you.

Sorry this is so scattered but here is a good link on the drug. Apparently there is another company called Armour who is the leading distributor.
http://www.bites-medical.org/hypo/med/dthyroid.html

There is tons of information out there. i don't think any one brand of natural thyroid is better but I do think natural has advantages over synthetic. Mostly there is no bad side effects and nothing becides thyroid in it. Also you get T3 and T4 instead of just on or the other. which really is a big deal.

I hope this wasn';t to disoganized and you were able to find some helpful information.

I just feel so much better since I have been on it andit is so good to know I am not just loosing it. My dh thinks it is a plecebo and thet I am a toital nut and even he was right I will still keep taking it because hey better is better even if it is all in my head

[Alstrameria]

Thank you!

Thanks lilyka, I am in Northern Ontario so it might be difficult to get a referral. But, I am going to get myself in to a naturopath. I have a recommendation so I just have to make the appt.

I've been tested many times and always come back low normal. Not enough for my MD to treat me.

I will keep asking for the test, eventually the levels will fall enough so that I can get help.

Thanks for the links and information. There is so much out there it's nice to get a head start!!

Jen

[cathe]

I found out I had hypothryroidism. I was exhausted to the point where it was affecting my relationship with my husband and kids for the first year after my second daughter was born. First I thought tiredness was from lack of sleep, then nursing but when I weaned her out of desperation to get some energy back, I was still so tired. My midwife referred me to a doc who did TSH test and found I was low. Syntroid was like a miracle - after a month, I was my old self again. Good news is that I was just able to lower my dose so hopefully will be able to get off of it soon.

Anyway, thryroid problems after birth are frequently undiagnosed because tiredness is attributed to other causes. When I called the doc initially, he wanted me to go to post partum depression counseling, he didn't beleive it was a physical problem. . Luckily, I stood my ground and got the test.

[alie]

I have a question, cathe, do you plan to be on synthroid indefinitely, or do they phase you out? What are side effects of synthroid? My sis has to be on it forever because her thyroid was removed, I havent asked her, but I was wondering.. Also, why are thyroid levels low, did the docs ever explain, thank you. Sorry this is off original topic, I've just been interested in this, thanks.

[glh]

It depends on why you are hypothroid. Sometimes it can be temporary especially following pregnancy. I think that most of the time it is permanent though and you have to take it for the rest of your life. Mine is permanent even though it was discovered 14 months after my last child was born. I get tested every year now to see what my TSH level is. BTW, if anyone else has to pay out of pocket for Rx like I do, Unithroid ( a newer brand name) is about $10 a month cheaper than Synthroid. Can anyone tell me how much the natural Armour costs? Most of my symptoms are better, but I would like to know more about it.

A very good book to read is "Living Well with Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You... That You Need to Know"
by Mary J. Shomon. She also has a website: www.thyroid-info.com

[cathe]

The doctor told me it was permanent and I would be on the hormone replacement forever. I got my levels checked again recently and found that they were high so I got to drop down my dosage. Maybe it's wishful thinking that I can get off of it . . .

I actually take the generic version of synthroid called levoxyl which is much cheaper (I pay out of pocket too).

According to docs and my own research, there are no side effects for this if you take the correct dosage because it is not a drug - just the missing hormone. If you take too much though you can go into hyper-thyroid which makes you the opposite - edgy, hyper, lose weight.

Also thru research for natural alternatives couldn't find anything - advises B-complex vitamins but more for the depression and stress that comes along with the hypothryroid.

As for why it was low, as glh above said, it can be caused by pregnancy but it usually rights itself - but sometimes it doesn't. That's what they think my case was.

[bananasmom]

Chelly2003 - what thyroid tests did they do? What were your results? Did they just do TSH or did they test for anti-thyroid antibodies as well (ATA)? I ask, because if you have a high number of ATAs, that can effect how you feel. (I have auto-immune thyroid disease w/high ATAs... dx after pregnancy)

lilyka - I take Synthroid (diagnosed recently, in December), and plan to talk to my doctor about a T3 supplement soon. Have you had any troubles with maintaining your doseage? I have read that the natural thyroxine is not an exact dose.

For anyone considering the dessicated pig thyroid, I understand that it is challenging to find a doctor who will prescribe it. Especially if you are doing OK on synthroid. I think their concern is that if you are OK w/synthroid, then your body is already converting the T3... with the T3/T4 natural combo, you end up getting double the amount that you do with just thyroxine.

there are no side effects for this if you take the correct dosage because it is not a drug - just the missing hormone

ITA

[lilyka]

It is hard to say if I have had trouble maintaining the dose. Everytime we get it worked out something changes. First I got pregnant, then I weaned #2 then I gave birth and now I am niursing again. He has me come in every one to 6 months and once things stop changing and we get the dose figured out I will have to go in once a year to reeveluate. i am on 4 grains (240 milligrams) right now which is a pretty high dosage.

It was hard to find a Dr. who precribed it but he swears by it. the only reason he has ever put someone on synthroid is because he could prescribe it in a smaller dose and she needed so very little.

I only oay about $8 a month and that is without insurance coverage. Not to shabby. I am convinced the only reason synthroid is so commomnly perscribed is because the drug companies can make more money off of it.

[alie]

Cathe, thanks so much for answering my questions! I really really appreciate it.
Ali

[KatherineinCA]

Alie--

I'm right with you on the mind-body connection. I think that's why thyroid disease is so common among women.

I was on Synthroid for 14 years, then switched to Armour for a year. Then I found a naturopath who is very intuitive with muscle testing. By using homeopathics and herbs and lots of talking, we were able to clean the Synthroid out of my system, support my body with herbs, and address long-hidden emotional issues that needed to be looked at. Somehow I am now Synthroid-free, feeling great and my labs have been normal for a year. It's my absolute best success-story with alternative medicine. I don't take anything specifically for my thyroid (alternative or allopathic). It's functioning well for the first time since I was 15.

Katherine

[EarthWind]

I just want to thank everyone for the great information in this thread. It was a very timely thread for me to read. I have a deep suspicion that my thyroid levels are pretty low - I have many of the symptoms. Lately I've been seriously considering finding an internal medicine doctor to check levels and all that jazz - but I can't remember the last time I used western medicine for illness (besides the homebirth turned hospital birth - and that is something I'd rather not repeat!!!).

Katherine -

I am wondering if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area (it says Northern CA in your profile). If you do, who is your naturopath? I've been looking for someone like the naturopath you refer to and really like the way you describe your approach to healing your body. You can pm me the info or post it here. I'd be so grateful if you could pass on the information because my dh and I would like to conceive our 2nd child soon and I'd like to get this portion of my health worked on.

Again, thank you all for this thread! I can't believe how incredibly timely it is!!!

Peace,

Michelle

[alie]

Katherine,
Thank you for sharing your personal story. I think it takes so much courage to listen to your inner voice and go that way. Not that other ways aren't valid for each person, it's just heartening to hear that you worked through things and went inside. Congratulations and continued good health. I know that unless you have experienced it or someone in your family (my grandmother healed her breast cancer after being told she had three months to live)it's hard to believe. But I am a believer, not to invalidate other paths of healing. Your story just touched me very much. A