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Low T4, bad reaction to T4 medication

Posted , 2 users are following.

mikee5
mikee5

I am a 23 year old male. 5'9, 175 lbs. Here are my thyroid results:

TOTAL THYROXINE(T4) 69 nmol/L 59 - 154 

THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE 2.87 mIU/L 0.27 - 4.2 

FREE THYROXINE 13.8 pmol/l 12.0 - 22.0 

FREE T3 6.0 pmol/L 3.5 - 7.7 

IMMUNOLOGY

THYROID ANTIBODIES 

Thyroglobulin Antibody 11.2 IU/mL 0-115(Negative) 

Method used for Anti-Tg: Roche Modular 

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies 5.0 IU/mL 0 - 34 

My T4 and free T4 appear to low and this is more evident from my symptoms. Impaired cognitivity, poor short term memory, chronic fatigue, excessive sleep, thinning hair, weight gain, brain fog, poor dental health, reactive hypo, grogginess, debulitating head pressure. 

I was prescribed 25mcg levothyroxine by a reluctant doctor and reacted severely, with my symptoms intensifying and worsening. Particular weakening of my left limbs. I had the same reaction to dessicated natural thyroid and raw adrenal. However, I could only stick to the medication for a few days as my symptoms were incredibly debilitating. 

Is this just my body adjusting to the medication? Hormones adapting? 

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • rumraisin
    rumraisin mikee5

    Posted

    Trust your instincts, the drugs are poisoning you. I'm the same. I can only control my hypothyroid symptoms with diet. Of course, I do have Hashimotos' which is an autoimmune condition so just treating the thyroid and not the autoimmune problem doesn't do a bit of good.

    Based on what I've read (I am NOT a doctor), the drugs suppress your thyroid causing more problems and pituitary hypofunction. Some people benefit from a higher dosage or (like me) just get worse. Same with raw adrenal although I have not yet tried raw adrenal. I've heard with adrenal you should not take it for very long, only to jump start your adrenals because if your adrenals aren't working nothing will help with the thyroid issues. After a while, your adrenal stops working all together because the drug is doing the work for them, symptoms get worse, and the drug dosage needs to be increased in order for it to continue working OR like thyroid, just makes you worse.

    Good luck.

    • mikee5
      mikee5 rumraisin

      Posted

      Diet has never been sufficient enough to notice ANY improvements in my symptoms. Chronic dieting is what led me here anyway, toying with low carb and other restrictive diets. 

      So would you suggest I aim for higher dose, maintain the dose and wait for the adjustment period to wear off or start with a minimal dosage? 

      This is pshychological torture and has completely destroyed my life. I need to recover asap. 

    • rumraisin
      rumraisin mikee5

      Posted

      It is torture. I'm sorry. I understand. I'm right there with you. I hate to say it, but there is no fast cure so asap might not happen. I've met few people who are totally cured at all and they've been on thyroid drugs for years still suffering from symptoms and with no other option.

      I'm really not in a position to give medical advice, especially since drugs don't work for me and I'm not really familiar with levothyroxine. I read somewhere the number one mistake people make is not increasing their dosage consistently, but not too fast. That might just be for desiccated thyroid though. Levothyroxine is a chemical so the rules might be different. It's really up to your doctor. You don't want to over medicate or as I said in the last post, you'll get really bad symptoms anyway and sometimes worse than pre-drugs. BUT you said all the drugs have created bad symptoms so it seems to indicate the drugs are only making things worse. That's a huge sign something is wrong. Don't be so impatient that you do some real damage with drug poisoning. I know you are desperate, but be very cautious.

      You mentioned you reacted to raw adrenal too so I'm assuming you've attempted to rectify any adrenal fatigue which needs to be done in order for the thyroid to work. Unfortunately, conventional doctors don't really deal much with adrenal fatigue and I've found even holistic doctors don't have a lot of answers.

      Are you using compounded drugs? Specially formulated without fillers and additives? You could be reacting to the fillers which so many people do. BUT your symptoms don't seem to indicate a filler reaction, but a thyroid or pituitary reaction. I don't know, but it seems like the drugs are not what you need. Our bodies really often know and the symptoms are the way they communicate something is wrong.

      A lot of those chemical drugs are mixed with iodine to give the thyroid meds a little help. If you have Hashimoto's you can't be near iodine or it will incite an autoimmune response which would produce worsening symptoms. Consider that...

      Tell me about your dieting. What did you do? Have you read Kharrazian's "Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When My Lab Tests are Normal"? Or have you seen his website/blog? The diet he promotes is for Hashimoto's which is an autoimmune condition attacking the thyroid. From what I understand, most people with thyroid problems have Hashimoto's, but few doctors bother testing the antibodies for it. He says if you don't address the autoimmune condition, no amount of thyroid drug will help. The diet takes a LONG time to kick in because it takes a long time to kick out all the poisons in your body. Like I said, I went through years of hell with all medications making me violently ill before I finally found this diet that helped. Most of what I am saying in this post is from this guy's book. It saved my life.

      I hope this has helped or has given you ideas. Good luck.

  • rumraisin
    rumraisin mikee5

    Posted

    Have you seen that website StoptheThyroidMadness (I think that's what it's called)? It also has some very good information.
    • mikee5
      mikee5 rumraisin

      Posted

      Thank you for the response. This condition was not gradual, I had a physiological event in my body when I switched to a low carb diet. It may have just accerelated the process as I was already chornic dieting but my health seriously suffered. I am a young male and an optimistic person. I refuse to give up or wait endlessly in misery hoping that eventually I will recover. There are clear hormonal abnormalities that need to be addressed. So far my condition is deterioating, I am not feeling any better. 

      I have tweaked with every diet and supplement. Nothing has improved my overall wellbeing. I do not have Hashimotos. This is a marginal thyroid disorder with adrenal complications. I will not allow myself to suffer. Thank you for the recommendation.

      I have read experiences where people reacted badly to medication and were patient until their bodies adapted to the hormones. Perhaps the negative reaction was an indication that my body was 'hungry' for thyroid and it compromised my overall function while it adapted. I have been in this state for nearly two years. 

       

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