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Thyroidectomy, 1 Year On

Posted , 5 users are following.

Roubaixsl3
Roubaixsl3

Hi,

I had a full thyroidectomy just over one year ago due to a suspicious lump. I've been on 150mg of levo since. I am very active and train for long distance cycling events. My physical ability hasn't changed since the op and neither has my weight. However, I am cursed with regular fuzziness in the head, chest pains and itchiness all over. I take the levo as soon as I wake in the morning and have breakfast about 20 minutes later. I start to feel crap as soon as I get up and it comes and goes all day. I find that hard exercise makes my head feel normal again but normal activity in the office has me feeling I'll even just walking up stairs. My doctor says all my blood tests are normal and that I am just stressed !. Is it possible to test normal but still be suffering from the levo ?. Its making my life a misery feeling like this, and my doctor doesn't seem interested. This is probably a common story but can I try anything myself ?. What if I take the levo at night before bed, will that make a difference?.

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • MtViewCatherine
    MtViewCatherine Roubaixsl3

    Posted

    From my experience, all the levo does is show up in the bloodwork. So from that persopective it works. From a physiological perspective, it's crap and doesn'nt work right. Try the NDT, go to a gluten-free diet. There are other things that help depending on how bad things are. None of the meds work perfectly- it can't. But at least the natural dessicated stuff seems to be easier on the body and more effective. I would make sure you choose one without any additives like dairy, corn, wheat or dyes. I use a compounded NDT to assure there are no additives.

     If you need help getting yourself back on track, acupuncture is a great help. Get someone who trained in the orient.

    Good luck.

    • Roubaixsl3
      Roubaixsl3 MtViewCatherine

      Posted

      Catherine,

      What is NDT ?. I haven't been researching this for any length of time therefore am not familiar with the options available. I asked the pharmacist today when I picked up my levo if there was an alternative and he said there wasn't,

      Robin

  • Search_tpa
    Search_tpa Roubaixsl3

    Posted

    Yes, it is possible (and highly likely) that your bloods are reading normal but yet you have some strange side effects.  I don't know you but I would say you are either

    1, Not suffering from stress which is manifesting as a fuzzy feeling, or

    2, if you are stressed, it is secondary to the poor management of your thyroid hormone levels.  Anyhow you sound as if you are active enough to burn off any negative stress.

    firstly, it's important to ask for your actual blood results including the lab ranges.  The results will not tell you much unless you have the ranges.  You are entitled to this information and should get it over the phone.  If your GP surgery is precious about sharing the information just submit a written request.  You don't have to give a reason. It is your health and you are entitled to that information.  There is lots of research that strongly suggests that gluten should be avoided when you are under active, I'm not sure if this still applies to 'complete removal' patients.  Worth checking it out.  

    There re is a great website called THYROID PATIENT ADVOCACY that has lots of great articles and a friendly forum.

    I'm not into 'GP Bashing'  but I've had to work with a few of them.  Getting them to change their behavior is very very hard work and that's when they are on your side.  Unfortunately, our medical care is fanatical about evidence based care and with thyroid care blood results are everything. There seems to be a lot of people with thyroid problems who are asking similar questions from their doctors but the doctors of today are just overly focused on blood results.

    ndt is an option but there is also synthetic t3.  T3 has made such a difference to my life that I feel myself 'well up' thinking about the contrast.   But before making any changes I would suggest a few hours browsing the thyroid patient advocacy site.  Make sure your diet is thyroid friendly, get to know you basal temperatures before getting out of bed in the morning, get you blood results since the onset of the problem and go from there.

    when asking for results, ask for TSH and range, free T4 and range and free T3 and range.  Once you have these results you can always post them on the Thyroid  Patient Advocay forum and people will be happy to share their experiences with you.  They are not medically qualified but they are expert patients and that's just as good in my eyes.  Best wishes.

    • Roubaixsl3
      Roubaixsl3 Search_tpa

      Posted

      Thank you for the very detailed response. I'll do as you suggest and try to get the full results from my gp to start with. Presumably a gp will not appreciate being queried like this but if I am entitled to ask then I shall. I hate the way I feel every day, there must be something that can improve things,

      Robin

  • juan80950
    juan80950 Roubaixsl3

    Posted

    Yah basically that's how my day goes to and well I'm on 50mcg , and I've heard taking it at night is great but I've also heard that it doesn't work for many but its something you really have to try , I want to try it my self but I'm afraid I will go back to terrible hypothyroid symptoms
    • cameronita
      cameronita juan80950

      Posted

      Hi there...I just began taking mine at night and I am on 90 of armour and I feel more energy in the AM. The armour also has T3 in it so for me that is good. I have hashimotos. My theory is the absorption rate may be better at night. It will be unobtructed by my vitamins and mineral supps I take in the AM. Since we are suppose to take thyroid med alone and not certain vitamins and minerals and antacids for up to 4 hours afterwards. So I thought I would give it a go....

      Cameronita

  • cameronita
    cameronita Roubaixsl3

    Posted

    Hi there...

    The levothyroxine when I was on it made me feel like total crap. I gained twenty pounds on it. I would also check my levels of estrogen and progesterone and .DHEAs.....If you are low on certain vitamins and minerals and also other hormones then it also will cause palpitations and fuzziness in the head. I am on  armour thyroid and doing better on it.  I also am on hormones...So things are looking up a bit for me. But do have a full metobolic panel done...it could only help.

    Cameronita

    • MtViewCatherine
      MtViewCatherine cameronita

      Posted

      Right on the levo. I think it causes horrible autoimmune stuff. I had been taking armour years ago when they switched the formula and added some grain products to it, which causes me to get really sick, so I went through several of the NDT meds before the levo, now, finally doing a compounded NDT to avoid any irritating additives.

      Right about the hormones. When my thyroid levels were way too low, my hormones were also way low and prematurely perimenopausal. Cycle was totally messed up. It takes 6 months to a year after getting the meds right to re-regulate the cycle. Once I got the thyroid right, and my body had time to recover, (recover time was minimized by acupuncture) my hormones were fine, still are.

      The low thyroid will throw you into early meopause if you aren't careful.  Keep in mind, thyroid controls all the metabolism of the body. If that slows down, it's the equivalent of running the body like a very old person. For us women, like a 90 year old woman, depending on how nad the thyroid is. You can probably relate, as if you've had a tough time with the thyroid, you've had t imes where you felt 100 years old.

      To getthings back on track, try acupuncture. It was really key for me in staying functional through this process!

      Good luck!

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