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For those of you who take meds for hypothyroidism did it take a while to get the dosage right.
Did you feel a noticeable difference in your energy levels or a lifting of depresssion?
It's been about a year, I started at 0.025 mcg and have been at 0.050 for several months now. Blood work last month shows my levels are good but Have not felt any improvement.
Also, I take 300 mg of Wellbutrin for the depression and was on it long before bloodwork showed need for thyroid meds.
Do you take it with a full 8 oz of water and wait at least 30 minutes before ingesting anything else? How critical are those 2 things?
My ten year old daughter is hypothyroid. She actually had Hashimoto's, so her immune system is attacking her thyroid. She was diagnosed just over a year ago, and the only thing that has brought her relief was the supplements that were prescribed by a Naturopath. Some MD's will not look any further if your test results are normal. My daughter had that problem. She was taking 50mcg of Levothyroxine and her results were normal on that dose, but she felt horrible.
A few thoughts would be to have your adrenal function checked, and see if your doctor would try putting you on Armour. I have heard great things about it. You may want to consider seeing a Naturopath - it has been a blessing for my daughter!
I do have my daughter take her meds first thing in the morning before eating, and she drinks plenty of water with it.
If you are interested, here is a link to another thread where I told my daughter's "story".
I am on meds for the opposite problem - hyperthyroidism diagnosed as Graves Disease. The meds suppress my thyroid function, and must be constantly monitored to prevent me going into hypothyroidism. My endocrinologist also seems to depend too much on the results of the blood tests and not on how I feel. Also, there is some disagreement on exactly what levels are normal. My current levels are within the normal range, but much different than my levels used to be before I developed the disease. When I told him I'm tired all the time, he said all his patients say that.
I have had to change my insurance benefits provider (my previous provider plan was dropped as an option), so I now have to change doctors. I am hoping the new doctor will pay more attention to how I feel (sluggish, no stamina, weight gain (45 lbs in the year and a half since I've been on the meds), difficulty concentrating...just a "blah" feeling) and less attention to what range is considered "normal".
For those of you who take meds for hypothyroidism did it take a while to get the dosage right.
Did you feel a noticeable difference in your energy levels or a lifting of depresssion?
It's been about a year, I started at 0.025 mcg and have been at 0.050 for several months now. Blood work last month shows my levels are good but Have not felt any improvement.
Also, I take 300 mg of Wellbutrin for the depression and was on it long before bloodwork showed need for thyroid meds.
Do you take it with a full 8 oz of water and wait at least 30 minutes before ingesting anything else? How critical are those 2 things?
Hi, I'm probably late to your questions, but I will answer them anyways. I have had Hypothyroidism since I was 15 years old, which is when I was diagnosed. You do notice a big difference in energy levels once you get on the right dosage. I feel like age also has lots to do with it as well, as I didn't feel like I feel now reaching my 40's. I notice lots of things I didn't notice when I was 20. You are taking a very low dosage, I'm taking 150mcg, but when I was 15, I took 100mcg.
It's hard to get to the right dosage though, and remember your T3 and T4 also need to be check, as TSH by itself, may not be the problem. To answer your other question, about taking the medication 30 minutes before you eat; yes, do that, it makes a tremendous huge difference. I take mine 1 hour before breakfast, yes, I have to set my alarm at 5:30AM
But, I didn't do that before and the Doctor though, my medication wasn't working, and it was that I wasn't taking it, in an empty stomach.
Since Jan. 7 of this year, I am on 150mcg and I take it on an empty stomach w/a full glass of water. I wait at least 1 hr before I eat. I had zero energy and no strength at all before this (had my over-active thyroid ablated). the hopeless depression lifted almost immediately after the ablation and I haven't had any problems since. The weakness has improved a good bit but still not back to normal.
Going to the lab next week to see if my levels are where they are supposed to be.
For those of you who take meds for hypothyroidism did it take a while to get the dosage right.
Did you feel a noticeable difference in your energy levels or a lifting of depresssion?
It's been about a year, I started at 0.025 mcg and have been at 0.050 for several months now. Blood work last month shows my levels are good but Have not felt any improvement.
Also, I take 300 mg of Wellbutrin for the depression and was on it long before bloodwork showed need for thyroid meds.
Do you take it with a full 8 oz of water and wait at least 30 minutes before ingesting anything else? How critical are those 2 things?
I've been taking it for years and still are trying to up it. Dr's play alot with numbers and not always with how the patient feels. If you've ever wondered around on the Mary Shoman, "About.com: Thyroid Disease" website, you may have noticed that. I've been doing ok and excercising and all on the 88.mcg but now dr sent me prescription for new dose and only explaination on the form was "abnormal result" - no numbers. It's the same as getting your temp and blood pressure checked. I always have to ask what the numbers are because you can't see them from where they have you positioned. This unit is on wheels and the staff is quick and off to the next patient. When I used to go to the Naval Med Ctr. before I moved, they always would tell you and you didn't even have to ask.
It's just odd that it feels like I'm asking for their 1st born child or something. I just want to know. I thought that as a patient, it's our right to know and if we want to take charge of our health, how can we do it if they're gonna make it so difficult. I'm thinking, don't their other patients WANT to know? Must not, [or very few do] if they race in and out like that. Sorry.. my venting. I had one really good dr at the med ctr and he was shipped off to Portsmouth. I don't think he really wanted to go either.
I do wish you luck w/ your meds and doctor-patient relationship.
I lost my ex-wife to Thyroid cancer..she didn't die, but we got divorced 2 months after they removed her thyroid. I begged to her parents that what she was doing was irrational and was because her hormones were all out of wack. I begged to the doctor. nobody listened....they thought it must have been relationship problems. 8 months later, she was calling me and crying me and telling me she missed me. go figure. Thyroid cancer is devastating. In the months leading up to her diagnosis, she also changed big time. Her begavior was agressive, extremely emotional with mood swings and temper tantrums...smoking a lot, drinking a lot. very sad.
Luckily...I moved on...rebuilt my life, met a wonderful girl and we a wonderful 4 month old baby boy. Life is good now, but I went through a lot.
Once your meds are regulated, you will have much more energy, but it takes a while. I take my synthroid before I go to bed and that way I don't have to watch the clock before eating. I also take a multi-vitamin and resveratrol. Your age and activity level also play a large part in how you feel.
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I don't think he really wanted to go either. 
