I have mixed emotions about finding this site. I think it is great, it just has saddened me some (or perhaps that's the depression of my hypothyroidism). I am 52 years old and a total thyroidectomy for a multinodular thyroid compressing my espohagus (it was benign). I have never felt the same since. I have better and worse times but never the same. I gained 30 pounds during the year after my surgery that have never come off despite combined diet and exercise over the years.
I have used Levoxyl and more recently Armor Thyroid (T4) + Cytomel (T3). My TSH has decreased more and more over the years (0.01 ) and is no longer in any way indicative of my thyroid hormone level. I feel better with a significantly elevated T3. The T4/T3 combination was a change in plan and I have reached the limit of the dosing my physician will give me (240 mg of Armor and 50 mcgs of Cytomel) a day. His point was prior to labs they would medicate a patient until they showed symptoms of hyperthyroidism and back off from that dose. i never showed any signs of hyperthyroidism and he finally stopped increasing my dosage. Despite never losing the weight I gained, my weight stablilized after a couple of years until the past few months.
I changed primary care physicians and in April was concerned about being tired. He thought perhaps I was having a paradoxical effect of having a T3 that was 3-4x the normal range(Cytomel). He took me off my Cytomel and by August I had gained 20 more pounds, my hair is shedding, my nails are in terrible shape, I have frequent headaches, am tired always and have been irritable and depressed (despite being on 20 mg of Lexapro chronically for migraine headache prevention).
I am going to go for the first time to an endocrinologist that specializes in thyroid problems, but can't get in to see him until February. As it seems I had my thyroidectomy longer ago than most, what I would say for someone having a thyroidectomy is do not let your primary care doctor take care of your thyroid hormone post-operatively, even if he or she has treated your thyroid problems before sugery. Instead, find an edocrinologist that speicializes in thyroid disorders to manage your thyroid hormone from the very beginning.
I will know better in latter February if this is the case. I'll let you know if I learn anything new. The other thing I try to impress upon my physicians is to look at me, the patient, and not just my numbers.
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I have mixed emotions about finding this site. I think it is great, it just has saddened me some (or perhaps that's the depression of my hypothyroidism). I am 52 years old and a total thyroidectomy for a multinodular thyroid compressing my espohagus (it was benign). I have never felt the same since. I have better and worse times but never the same. I gained 30 pounds during the year after my surgery that have never come off despite combined diet and exercise over the years.
I have used Levoxyl and more recently Armor Thyroid (T4) + Cytomel (T3). My TSH has decreased more and more over the years (0.01 ) and is no longer in any way indicative of my thyroid hormone level. I feel better with a significantly elevated T3. The T4/T3 combination was a change in plan and I have reached the limit of the dosing my physician will give me (240 mg of Armor and 50 mcgs of Cytomel) a day. His point was prior to labs they would medicate a patient until they showed symptoms of hyperthyroidism and back off from that dose. i never showed any signs of hyperthyroidism and he finally stopped increasing my dosage. Despite never losing the weight I gained, my weight stablilized after a couple of years until the past few months.
I changed primary care physicians and in April was concerned about being tired. He thought perhaps I was having a paradoxical effect of having a T3 that was 3-4x the normal range(Cytomel). He took me off my Cytomel and by August I had gained 20 more pounds, my hair is shedding, my nails are in terrible shape, I have frequent headaches, am tired always and have been irritable and depressed (despite being on 20 mg of Lexapro chronically for migraine headache prevention).
I am going to go for the first time to an endocrinologist that specializes in thyroid problems, but can't get in to see him until February. As it seems I had my thyroidectomy longer ago than most, what I would say for someone having a thyroidectomy is do not let your primary care doctor take care of your thyroid hormone post-operatively, even if he or she has treated your thyroid problems before sugery. Instead, find an edocrinologist that speicializes in thyroid disorders to manage your thyroid hormone from the very beginning.
I will know better in latter February if this is the case. I'll let you know if I learn anything new. The other thing I try to impress upon my physicians is to look at me, the patient, and not just my numbers.
September 8, 2012 - 6:42pmThis Comment
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