Doctor Lowered Synthroid and I feel horrible
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hello all,
I struggled for six years prior to getting diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I found an endocrinologist in 2009 who has been treating me and I have felt wonderful until the last few months.
In 2009, I started at 175mcg synthroid and .025 cytomel. I have fluctuated a bit over the last nine years but always felt good when she changed my dosage. She has always been great at listening to my symptoms and has told me that I am super sensitive to the slightest change in meds.
I was recently on 100mcg synthroid and .025 cytomel. I felt great. I had routine labs early July and was to follow up late July with the doctor. They called stating the dr wanted to lower my synthroid a bit stating my TSH was low. She had me take 100mcg synthroid 6 days a week and 50mcg one day a week. Not a huge change. But, four weeks after changing, I noticed my hair started falling out and I started having hot flashes.
I had an appt late July and mentioned my hair but she felt it was too early to run new labs and that the change in meds would help. By late September I was (and still am) loosing handfuls of hair. I called and had labs re ran thinking they would move me back up. But, instead, they called saying my TSH was way too low and lowered my dose to 75mcg synthroid and .025mg Cytomel. Thinking she was correct, I started the new dose on September 24th. I feel horrible, almost as bad as I did when this mess first started in 2003. I am irritable, my blood sugar is fluctuating, I am having hot flashes. my hair is still falling out, I feel shaky on the inside and weak.
Do you feel like this is because she dropped my meds? Or, is it because I am hyper as the TSH is indicating. I don't have my labs to post .. I can get them Monday. I used to get a copy but after years of feeling good I got lazy and stopped.
If my TSH is low due to being suppressed by the synthroid, how low can it be?? She mentioned it being close to zero.
0 likes, 6 replies
brownyrocks shelly26982
Posted
I doubt very much your are hypErthyroid, it sounds as though you are HypO as your symptoms have returned due to your reduced dose. Doctors are obsessed with a suppressed TSH and do not look at the T4 and T3 levels, and often they do not take symptoms into account.
Post your results when you get them and if your T4 and T3 are low insist your Doctors puts your dose back up to the dose when you felt well. If your T4 and T3 are in range then you cannot be hypEr.
Good luck.
shelly26982 brownyrocks
Posted
I also posted in TPAUK.
mar75090 shelly26982
Posted
A suppressed .TSH does not mean you are. hyperthyroid if hasur Free T3 is in range. To be hyper your FT3 will.be double even triple the upper range. The TSH is about the pituitary which has different transporters etc. Healthiest people have TSH at 1 or below. 6ou may need a low TSH just to get your FT3 in range....especially healthy range. Hair loss can be cyclic a few months of loss then few months regrowth...Anyway call your doctor and complain and get your dose up to make you feel your best. It's.easy for your doc to lower dose--she doesnt have to live with hypo feelings. Being undermedicated does more damage than overmedicated.
shelly26982 mar75090
Posted
They didn't even have the T3 results when they changed the dosage. Evidentally, the lab didn't send them over so they are calling for them this morning. They are mailing me my last five labs since I live so far away. They did say my ferritin, CBC, D3 were good. TSH was 0.17 (0.36-3.74) T4 098 (076-1.46).
I understand cyclic hair loss .. this is different. I typically shed 2 times a year but this is more than I have ever seen fall out.
To make matters worse, my doc had surgery last week. Now, I am dealing with another doctor in her practice.
mar75090 shelly26982
Posted
Feel sorry for you with your low T4 don't know how they would eben consider lowering your dose. I had this done to me many times with a low TSH but FT3 at low normal and FT4 at upper normal which just means I dont convert very well and there are so many reasons for this it's hard figure out what reason. But I did not accept any decrease and told them that I would complain to insurance etc and online. That undermedicating is more dangerous to one's cardiovasculsr system and more heart problems arise from undermedicating than overmedicating. Maybe they can draw FT3 FT4 and RT3 from same blood sample. Don't know your estrogen levels but high levels intefere with conversion.
shelly26982 mar75090
Posted
Mar75090,
I don't know where my estrogen levels are right now. I am now having to wait to hear back from my doctor since she had surgery on Wednesday. I am trying to get an appointment to get in to see her so she can see how I feel instead of relaying it through her nurse.