In Spite of Standard of Care, People Still Suffer (thyroids) (soreness, ache)
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Because 21 million people have problems with their thyroids! You don't find that number shocking and sad?
And I'm sure there are millions more that have borderline problems that don't need meds yet. I just never realized that so many people had thyroid issues that require life long prescriptions.
And I'm not sure of anything about the 21 million but knew and know enough who take the synthetics and "think" they do OK, but really are not. Many just cannot get to a doctor to help them with NDT. That's my major thinking on the 21million. And most likely only a small portion of those seeking better health, are not doing a lot of searches on thyroid support groups. A lot are popping anti depressants and drinking all kinds of energy drinks or living on caffeine.
On the iodine deficiency, just remember the halogens that remove iodine from our bodies...if one thinks iodized table salts are doing the job...many too, are using less and less salts due to blood pressure issues.
And the HypoT issues in the first place could really be due to iodine deficiency...
I hear from enough who take Syn and still tired, fatigued etc etc...their adrenals are not being supported either...
Many who can afford any health insurance are members of HMO's and the doctors in HMO's stay in line with the standard tests and drugs. Many have no insurance and can't get help. And many of us choose to stay out of HMO's due to the restrictions of their hardline drugs.
I work with straight medicare PPO and thank goodness my area has integrative MD's and some still accept medicare patients. They are a dying bunch though.
Last edited by jaminhealth; 10-26-2016 at 12:36 PM..
Why would over 21 million people fill prescriptions each month for something they were unhappy with?
Some cannot find a doctor that will give them the alternative they want, even if they ask for it. I *know* I don't do well on Levo. What happens when I move out of the area and my new doctor refuses to prescribe me anything but Levo? Too many doctors go by the numbers rather than how the patient feels.
Many are not told there are alternatives. Some are actually told that this is all there is, which is not even remotely true.
Random unexplainable cramps, shooting pains, and throbbing pain that moves from one body part to the next from day to day with no apparent cause. It usually goes away without treatment in a day or two and starts somewhere else. One day my shoulder will throb, the next I might have shooting pains in a knee, or a forearm that feels like a pulled muscle, no rhyme or reason to any of it.
Went to my doctor yesterday. Requested to be put on NDT. He didn't want to - said it was too hard to get the right dosages. :-(
He said I was actually taking too much Synthroid at 100 mcg. and reduced my dosage to 88 mcg.
Meanwhile my test results showed my TSH as low. It was .04 when the normal range is .36-3.74; my free T3 was in the normal range but my Free T4 was high. He said he was going to put me on some T3 in additional to lowering my Synthroid but I realized when I got home he didn't give me a script for it.
Also my CPK was extremely high: 357 when the normal range is 26.0-192.0. He never said a word about that. I had to look it up myself when I got home. (I didn't get a copy of my blood test results until I was checking out). Could be something very serious or it could be a result of my BP meds. So now I have to call him and ask him about that.
He wants me to go in every month for blood tests for the thyroid.
Edited to add: he said my adrenal gland function appeared fine but I can have more involved testing done if I don't start feeling better.
That seems to be what those MD's say: the NDT is too hard to get the right dosages. I've heard this over and over. I don't know what CPK means, have to look that up. Wonder how he knew adrenal function looked fine. It's all in how a patient feels.
That seems to be what those MD's say: the NDT is too hard to get the right dosages. I've heard this over and over. I don't know what CPK means, have to look that up. Wonder how he knew adrenal function looked fine. It's all in how a patient feels.
Yeah, that "hard to get the right dosages" is crazy to me, when the patient knows for sure Synthroid isn't helping her feel better. Might as well TRY something else, even if the doctor does have some dosing concerns.
Been hypothyroid for more than 12 years. Always on Synthroid or L-thyroxine. Any other issues with fatigue, aches, etc have all been able to be attributed to other conditions/diagnoses or age - and dealt with.
Since, as most of us know, most MDs are reluctant to prescribe NDT, or other alternatives to Synthroid, I thought I'd share what my MD told me as to how and why she came to view thyroid treatment differently. She has a brother, also an MD, who is hypothyroid, and for years felt terrible on Synthroid. Long story short, he began researching, learned about alternatives and tried them on himself, and greatly improved. He shared his experience with his sister (my MD), and she came around to understand the value of meds other than Synthroid. It was a fabulous coincidence that I ever even heard of this doctor, but she has changed my life.
Since, as most of us know, most MDs are reluctant to prescribe NDT, or other alternatives to Synthroid, I thought I'd share what my MD told me as to how and why she came to view thyroid treatment differently. She has a brother, also an MD, who is hypothyroid, and for years felt terrible on Synthroid. Long story short, he began researching, learned about alternatives and tried them on himself, and greatly improved. He shared his experience with his sister (my MD), and she came around to understand the value of meds other than Synthroid. It was a fabulous coincidence that I ever even heard of this doctor, but she has changed my life.
You are fortunate, being at the right place at the right time. Timing.
I spent a decade trying to get thyroid support and when finally on NDT, no labs nothing from my D.O. went thru more wrangles with endos trying to get my dose optimal. Spent a lot of time talking to many and reading books,,,,glad thou I finally seem to have it right....NDT, selenium and iodine.
Went to my doctor yesterday. Requested to be put on NDT. He didn't want to - said it was too hard to get the right dosages. :-(
He said I was actually taking too much Synthroid at 100 mcg. and reduced my dosage to 88 mcg.
Meanwhile my test results showed my TSH as low. It was .04 when the normal range is .36-3.74; my free T3 was in the normal range but my Free T4 was high. He said he was going to put me on some T3 in additional to lowering my Synthroid but I realized when I got home he didn't give me a script for it.
Also my CPK was extremely high: 357 when the normal range is 26.0-192.0. He never said a word about that. I had to look it up myself when I got home. (I didn't get a copy of my blood test results until I was checking out). Could be something very serious or it could be a result of my BP meds. So now I have to call him and ask him about that.
He wants me to go in every month for blood tests for the thyroid.
Edited to add: he said my adrenal gland function appeared fine but I can have more involved testing done if I don't start feeling better.
Keep in mind that a low TSH means there is too much thyroid hormone, not too little. The excess T4 has actually suppressed the pituitary gland's output of TSH. That is why your Synthroid dose was reduced.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kayanne
Yeah, that "hard to get the right dosages" is crazy to me, when the patient knows for sure Synthroid isn't helping her feel better. Might as well TRY something else, even if the doctor does have some dosing concerns.
There is no way for ground up pig thyroid to be standardized. The amounts of hormone in it varies greatly from batch to batch. Every time you get more you could be getting a higher or lower dose than you got before.
That is why the real thyroid experts do not like to use it.
As lunetunelover has pointed out, symptoms that persist after being placed on levothyroxine are usually not due to the hypothyroidism at all.
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