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I am being screened for recurrance of thyroid cancer. Thyroid removed last year and radioiodine treatment completed. Have been off synthroid for 3 weeks; 3 weeks left before screening. Feeling cold and tired. Was wondering how long the body can sustain life without hormone therapy. How does it take in nutrition meanwhile without the homones?
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I was without mine for 4 months, finally went to a new Dr. and she could not believe that my other Dr. would hold out on calling in a prescription. Your best bet would be to look for a different clinic, or go to the ER. I've had other problems ... asked my old Dr to send me for MRI ... he never even acknowledged that e-mail.. if ya don't coverage, it seems like you get the run around and ignored. It shouldn't be allowed to happen, but it does all the time. Good luck Hun, hope everything works out for you. Try something natural, if it works, let me know! Thank you!
July 11, 2016 - 12:06pmThis Comment
My thyroid ceased to function (my doctor believes it was killed off by my own white cells, due to auto-immune issues) some time in 1991. Not sure how long I was without the hormones the thyroid produces, but can tell you I ended up in the hospital in November that year, unable to walk, for five days before the problem was diagnosed. I have been taking synthroid or levothyroxin ever since. I recently went ten days without levothyroxin, due to problems getting a prescription filled. I began noticing numbness in my hands and feet after about seven days. Due to the aforementioned hospitalization, I wouldn't want to have to find out exactly how long I could go without medication, before finding myself semi-paralyzed again.
December 17, 2015 - 10:54pmThis Comment
I have no thyroid , from thyroid cancer , had it removed in October and am not on any medication , bc they want to wait till after radiation, and they pushed my radiation back till January bc my specialist is teaching a conference in Australia and won't be back till January, so I'm wondering the same thing
November 9, 2015 - 8:36amThis Comment
Anon,
Here's our response from Theodore Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., the Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine (and chief of the Endocrinology Division) of UCLA:
"What most endocrinologist do is to follow your thyroglobulin. If it's low, then you don’t have to worry. If it's going up, then you can do a thyrogen-stimualted WBS plus thyroglobulin. This avoids you having to go thru hypothyroidism.
"Withdrawal for monitoring is no longer being recommended. If you need treatment, your endo can put you on Cytomel (T3) 6 weeks before ablation, then nothing for the last two weeks . You can survive for several months without thyroid hormones, but will feel miserable. Your reaction time will be low, so I wouldn’t drive."
Does this help, Anon? Could you talk with your doctor about why she or he believes you must withdraw from the Synthroid before your screening?
January 13, 2010 - 9:24amThis Comment
Just want to add (from experience.......my brief is under anonymous, from 1991, above) based on my occurrence, I would be careful doing much of anything if one has gone a significant period of time without meds. I found out when I got off a forklift at work, and fell flat on my face. Fortunately, I was not crossing a busy street, or carrying my baby daughter, when it hit me.
July 30, 2017 - 4:22pmThis Comment
Anon,
This may be a question best left for your doctor, who knows your history and can answer you personally. Can you tell us what she or he told you?
However, if you can hang in there for a few days with us, I would like to submit your question to one of the experts on our Medical Advisory Board.
January 12, 2010 - 9:16amThis Comment