THYROID DISEASE

Read and learn more about underactive thyroid treatment. For more, visit the Thyroid Disease website ThyroidDiseaseWiki.com.

Q: If I am diagnosed with an underactive thyroid will my bipolar treatment stop?

A: No, the underactive thyroid was probably caused by the bipolar treatment. Mine was.

Q: underactive thyroid?
I have had stomach issues my whole life and finally decided to go to a specialist. The doctor reccomended that I get an endoscopy (camera through mouth) and some blood work. The endoscopy turned out fine, but the blood work said that I have and underactive thyroid. Please answer these questions…

-What are some treatments for an underactive thyroid?

-Can the medicine they give you cause weight loss?

A: well im not a dr or anything but i had a friend who had an underactive thyroid and after she began treatment she dropped down to 100 lbs(shes 5′8!)and couldnt gain weight at all! thats really all i know about it…sorry i couldnt be much help

Q: Do you know of any alternative treatments for underactive thyroid?
Anything I can do besides taking Synthroid or pig hormone?

A: Actually it depends on why your thyroid gland is unable to produce sufficient hormone on it’s own.

If it’s been physically damaged from injury, disease, or poisoning, or due to a genetic defect, or autoimmune disorder you will need to provide your body with replacement hormone.

If perchance it’s under producing due to a shift in chemistry due to an eating disorder and/or insufficient caloric intake due to extreme dieting, you correct your eating habits.

If it’s due to a nutrient deficiency such as selenium (fairly common) or iodine (not likely) then you correct the deficiency.

So you’d need to get a determination as to what is wrong before you would be able to take a shot at some type of support to allow your gland, if actually healthy, to be able to provide sufficient hormone.

More likely than not.. it’s probably more a case of needing the replacement.

Synthroid is the brand name for the most commonly prescribed form of synthetic T4 hormone.. there are more than a dozen other brands, with a much better track record for consistency in potency.

Pig thyroid.. what’s actually used is dehydrated pig thyroid, ground to a powder and then, combined with fillers, is made it to pills or capsules. It too is sold under many different brand names.

Other alternatives, for a natural source of thyroid hormone, though not very commonly used, are dried cow thyroid and dried sheep.

For many folks synthetic T4 is not readily used by their bodies, it’s either not absorbed properly or their bodies are unable to convert it from the Storage stage (T4) to the active state, T3.

For those of us that aren’t able to use the synthetic, the desiccated, dried hormone, is a life saver, literally.

One common problem for a surprising number of folks that they are started on too large a dose of replacement and have a bad reaction, or, they are started the correct low dose, but are not told to return for labs and adjustments.

The correct way to start replacement is 25 mcg of T4 OR 15 mg (1/4 grain) of natural. You take your dose consistently every day for six weeks, then have a blood draw to determine how well your body is processing and converting the hormone.

With the synthetic T4 it also matters how you take it. Due to how it is manufactured you need to take it on an empty stomach (4 hours after a meal and 1 hour before a meal) since it requires stomach acid to remove the sodium molecule added during manufacture.

It’s also important to avoid taking calcium or iron rich foods (especially supplements) within four hours of taking thyroid hormone. Iron and Calcium both bind with thyroid hormone, making it unusable by the body.

You also need to be careful with how you use antacids and acid controllers cuz they too can cause the thyroid hormone to be unusable by the body.

I hope I’ve made enough suggestions so that your situation might be covered.. so that you can make a more informed decision.

The links below will add a bit more information if you’d like to get started researching your options more.

Q: Underactive Thyroid?
I got my blood tests back and been diagnosed with borderline underactive thyroid disease – as it is borderline my doctor has decided to take blood tests in a couple of weeks to decide if I need the treatment , has anyone got any information they could provide or personal experiences or symptoms?

I am 22 by the way. Thanks

A: Many patients remain borderline for many years, so your doctor is right not to be in any hurry to treat you. Once this decision is made you will be on levothyroxine for life.

Classically patients with frank underactive thyroids are cold, slow, have dry skin, slow pulse and may gain weight.

Q: Hyperactive thyroid and radioactive iodine treatment?
My husband was diagnosed with hyperactive thyroid ( Graves disease) and is going to go thru radioactive iodine treatment. I was wondering if you or anyone you know have gone thru it and if it worked well and if there was any side effects? Also how long did it take for the thyroid to become underactive requiring you to take hormone replasements?

A: I went through the radioactive iodine treatment two years ago. I remember throwing up a lot that evening and having a bad headache, but after that evening, I was fine. That may have just been how my own body reacted to the radioactive iodine though.

If I remember correctly it was about three or four months after my radioactive iodine treatment that they finally started me on my thyroid medication.

Q: I have Vit B12 deficiency, high BP and underactive thyroid?
I was diagnosed 5 months ago. I have had a course of B12 injections but no treatment for thyroid as yet. I have to have it checked again next month to see if it is still underactive. The problem is, even after my B12 injections, I am still so tired all the time and I can’t motivate myself to do anything. I have just got over a really bad cold which doesn’t help. Could the thyroid problem be causing the tiredness and lethargy? Are there any supplements I can take to give me more energy?

A: Both B12 deficiency & hypothyroidism can cause fatigue. You’ve got a double hit. I can only imagine how you feel.

I was treated for B12 deficiency (secondary to another issue) & it took me over a month until I felt better. In the meantime, I had profound fatigue. I wasn’t sleepy, I just had to lean on something or lie down. I also had other symptoms.
You might try researching both conditions. I put a link to a (B12 defic.) page I had found informative.
–I hope that you are getting rest & that your health issues will begin to resolve soon.

Q: Levothyroxine, anyone taking this medication for underactive thyroid?
Just commenced on this treatment a few days ago and have what can only be described as a panic attack feeling? Anyone on this medication that can tell me your experiences and if the medication has worked for you?
Thanks

A: Levothyroxine is the generic brand of synthetic T4-only. T4 is a storage hormone, meant to convert to the active hormone T3. And for some like you, there is a reaction to having only T4 as you are having. For that reason, you may want to investigate a different med to treat your hypothyroidism–desiccated thyroid like Armour, or Naturethroid, or Westhroid. They all give you what your own thyroid would be producing: T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin. It’s all explained here on a patient-to-patient website: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

Q: Has anyone had trouble conceiving because of thyroid problems? (underactive)?
I have been having trouble conceiving. My mum recently told me that she has an underactive thyroid, I know it is hereditory and I have most of the symptoms so am thinking this may be the cause of my hormone imbalance and irregular cycles.

What i want to know is, how long after beginning treatment did it take people to conceive?

A: Well, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at the age of 13 because I had a huge goiter on my neck. (I’m almost 23 now.) So, I’ve been on that small little pill for almost 10 years now.

Well, took my husband awhile to get pregnant. So, I took fertility blend and that helped immediately, but if you THINK you may have hypothyroidism and are not taking anything to help it. Then YES you will have a hard time getting pregnant probably. You need you thyroid to produce enough hormones, etc. . . to have a proper cycle in order to get pregnant. Even at that if it’s not under control you’ll have a hard time keeping your pregnancy going because it’s even more of a strain on your hormones/body while pregnant. You’ll want to go get checked out.

Q: Can I get pregnant whilst undergoing treatment for thyroid antibodies?
Hi everyone

My partner and I have decided to try for another baby. After my first child I was diagnosed with post-partum hyperthyroiditis, which eventually turned into an underactive thyroid, and then went on to develop thyroid antibodies.

I am currently on 75mcg thyroxine, having been increased from 50mcg a couple of months ago. I have been on thyroxine for about a year. The doctor recently told me that it is recommended to have a TSH level of between 0 and 4. Mine is currently 3.2, so it is in the recommended zone at the moment, but I have been warned that it will go up gradually.

I’m wondering, will I have trouble conceiving? I read somewhere that doctors like TSH levels to be between 0 and 2 if you are trying for a baby.

A: Samantha,
Sometimes – but certainly not always – thyroid disease can affect your fertility. According to Dr. Sheldon Rubenfeld, a practicing thyroidologist, and Founding Chairman of the Thyroid Society for Education and Research, fairly common problems caused by thyroid dysfunction are anovulation (no ovulation, or release of an egg) and menstrual irregularities. With no egg to fertilize, conception is impossible. However, if you have thyroid disease and are contemplating pregnancy, you would be advised to become educated about how thyroid dysfunction can affect fertility and pregnancy – and what to do about it. Read all you can, ask questions, and urge your doctors to perform the necessary blood tests to keep your levels in check. Thyroid dysfunction can halt ovulation by upsetting the balance of the body’s natural reproductive hormones. One way to tell if you’re ovulating is to test the level of a pituitary hormone called LH (or luteinizing hormone) by using an ovulation predictor kit. LH stimulates the ovaries to release an egg. The kit will show you if you have that surge in LH that indicates ovulation. If there is too much or too little thyroid hormone, ovulation might not occur.Remember…even though you may be menstruating regularly, you may not be ovulating – and may never know that fact until after years of infertility. Hyperthyroidism –is a condition in which the thyroid gland makes too much thyroid hormone, thyroxine. The condition is often referred to as an “overactive thyroid.” Hypothyroidism, on the other hand, means a reduced level of thyroid hormone. This can cause various symptoms, the most common being: tiredness, weight gain, constipation, aches, dry skin, lifeless hair and feeling cold. Treatment is usually easy by taking a tablet each day to replace the missing thyroxine. Treatment usually works well and symptoms usually go. Postpartum thyroiditis is a recently discovered problem that spans the spectrum of both hyper and hypothyroidism. This condition, which tends to occur immediately after pregnancy, may produce antibodies which damage thyroid tissue, thereby releasing thyroid hormone passively into the bloodstream and producing hyperthyroidism. During the recovery phase, thyroid levels may fall, producing either temporary or permanent thyroid failure. Since the discovery of thyroid hormones and its tremendous influence on the internal system of our body, in 1915, the thyroid gland and its diseases have been well studied. With the continuing development of medicine, it is possible to detect and diagnose the diseases in their very early stages. However, the treatment of thyroid disease has been proved, at times, to be somewhat troublesome. Sometimes the cure for hyperthyroidism has changed it into hypothyroidism and hypothyroidism is then treated as the final result. This, obviously, produces many problems for the patient. To this end, the situation should be discussed with your doctor or specialist to ascertain that the situation remains in control. When the body delivers too much thyroid hormone, both the mother and the baby can suffer. Miscarriages, premature births, and intrauterine growth retardation can occur when the disorder goes undiagnosed or untreated. These are the dangers of Hyperthyroidism – or having an overactive thyroid gland – and it can pose special concerns during pregnancy. Pregnant women with hyperthyroidism can also develop high blood pressure, and are at greater risk of heart conditions.

ALL ANSWERS SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY RESEARCHED, IN ANY FORUM AND ESPECIALLY IN THIS ONE. – MANY ANSWERS ARE FLAWED.

It is extremely important to obtain an accurate diagnosis before trying to find a cure. Many diseases and conditions share common symptoms.

The information provided here should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

I add a link with details of this subject

http://thyroid.about.com/
od/gettestedanddiagnosed/
a/7things.htm

Hope this helps
matador 89

Q: What could my mum possibly do to get her hair to start growing again as she has an underactive thyroid?
My mum has an underactive thyroid that is being treated with thyroxine but is on a low doseage at the moment as she has just been put back on treatment for it. The problems with her thyroid go back 50yrs as she has had it from being ten years old but it has gone both ways and seems to be affected by hormonal sequences in her life. If anyone can give me any ideas of what we could possibly try for her I would be most grateful? thanks for your time Julie xx

A: My OH has this, he takes a Brewers Yeast tablet one daily and it has helped thicken his hair. Your Mum could try this and buy some Tail and Mane shampoo, this will thicken her hair. Google Tail and Mane – it really does work. Its good for anyone who wants thicker hair, you mum will notice a difference. It’s about £2.99 a bottle and lasts for ages. You can buy it online.

Hope this helps, have a great week Hun

Q: Underactive thyroid, will I go back to normal???
I have just been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid, which went undetected for quite a while. I developed the typical characteristics, such as dry hair, brittle nails, and my facial features also changed slightly, due to puffiness. I haven’t started treatment yet, as I am waiting for blood results to come back.
When I am established on the treatment, will my symptoms disappear (especially the facial changes) as I now look older than I did, and my features have hardened???? Obviously, I am concerned about this, as I would like to feel attractive again.

A: Not if you take the doctors medication, you have to take the natural medicine to return to normal, please read on as it will be the most important information that you will find on the web…….

First off all if you are in the UK, 99% of doctors do not know how to treat thyroid disease. They only know about Thyroxin which is a synthetic CHEMICAL and should not be in your body. It has many side affects, some (few) don’t feel unwell on thyroxin as you may well find in a couple of months…weight gain, extreme fatigue, frequent bowel movements, puffy eyes and dry skin, and many others.

In the long term it leads to osteoporosis. In time you will experience these side affects, so please keep the information that I am about to tell you as you WILL need it. You can treat your thyroid by natural medication with NO side affects. The medication is called Armour Thyroid and is derived from pig’s glands that have a great success rate. They actually used to prescribe it in this country for people with thyroid disease. Yet most doctors don’t even know that, in fact most doctors will not have heard of it and advice you against it while not being able to give you scientific evidence why you shouldn’t! That’s because it’s all about money not health. Their problem with natural products is that nobody can patent them, so the government cannot have exclusive ownership. But they can by making up synthetic chemicals.

What you need to know is that about 85% of people are unable to transfer T4 into T3 when they use Thyroxin. T3 is essential to the function of the main organs of your body. Armour thyroid naturally has T4, T3 and T2 and T1 and it make you feel well with no side affects. Thyroxin does not have T2 & T1. Once you research it at the site below you can order it from the recommended site www.internationalpharmacy.com
I was on Thyroxin for two years and did not feel well on it I had absolutely no energy and my weight ballooned up to 19 and a half stone. I started my Armour in April this year and I am now 15 and a half stone with loads of energy. Armour Thyroid helps increase your metabolism where thyroxin slows it down. As you don’t know me, don’t take my word for your health go to www.tpa-uk.org.uk Sheila Turner (expert on thyroid disease) runs this thyroid patient advocacy site which will inform and educate you on your disease. There are over six hundred other people on that forum who are taking Armour Thyroid and can give you advice. Pretty soon you will see that doctors know absolutely nothing about treating the thyroid. They are ignorant about it.

Beware of people on this site who are not what they seem, and will try and discredit amour thyroid at every opportunity.

Q: What are the effects of an underactive thyroid during the first 2 -3 weeks of pregnancy?
There is link between mothers with hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) during pregnancy and developmental delays in their babies. 20% of these children have IQ scores of less than 85 compared to 5% of the children of women with normal thyroids. Unborn babies 12 weeks and younger are 100% dependent on their mothers for their thyroid hormones.

If a woman were only 2 weeks pregnant and was found to have an underactive thyroid and was only beginning to take medication for the condition, could the baby have cognitive impairments from the mother going the first two – three weeks without receiving treatment for her hypothyroidism?

I think it’s a possibility that I have an under active thyroid, which is why I’m concerned. I’ve been extremely tired lately, usually feel cold, constipated, have heavy irregular periods and have gained 15 pounds in the past seven months. I’m not normally a hypochondriac, but if I do have that condition, I’m concerned since it’s a possibility that I may be pregnant. I am having it checked next Tuesday.

A: For underactive thyroid Thats called hypothyroidism. I was hyperthyroid and I am not balanced. The natural way to go would be seaweed or blackcohosh,walnuts. I dont believe its dangeraous to the babay but check with your doctor. Seaweed treat hypoand hyperthyroidism. Nori has the least iodine and best to eat, and contains vitamin a&c. Can start with walnuts first and then see how it goes. if not better add little bit of nori vegetable to soup, salads or steam veggies. Medication has side effects and the natural form above barely has none. God Bless.

Q: hi just got blood results back &i have an underactive thyroid gland,it runs in my family,but i dont want to?
take thyroxine,can anyone tell me anything about this condition,im just hearing negative things like [ aw you ll put on loads of weight,and you ll have to take tablets for the rest of your life ,im 39 dont smoke dont drink,am pretty active and watch what i eat, can anyone shed some light on alternative treatments or anything about this.

A: Understanding Thyroid Problems – the Basics
What Are Thyroid Problems?
Through the hormones it produces, the thyroid gland influences almost all of the metabolic processes in your body. Thyroid disorders can range from a small, harmless goiter (enlarged gland) that needs no treatment to life-threatening cancer. The most common thyroid problems involve abnormal production of thyroid hormones. Too much of these vital body chemicals results in a condition known as hyperthyroidism. Insufficient hormone production leads to hypothyroidism.

Although the effects can be unpleasant or uncomfortable, most thyroid problems can be managed well if properly diagnosed and treated.

7 Causes of Fatigue in Women

WebMD Feature

We are in the midst of a global energy crisis but it has nothing to do with oil. The problem is unexplained fatigue.

“The single biggest complaint I hear from my patients, day in and day out, is fatigue,” says cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, MD, Director of the NYU Medical Center Women’s Heart Program and associate professor at the NYU School of Medicine.

If you are getting a healthy 7 to 8 hours a night and you’re still tired, Goldberg says it’s time for a check–up to uncover the causes for fatigue.

Read more about 7 causes of fatigue in women

Related to hypothyroidism symptoms, thyroid tests, TSH, medication, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, goiter, Underactive thyroid, synthroid, hyperthyroid, depression, thyroid surgery, thyroid disorders
© 2008 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
What Causes Thyroid Problems?
All types of hyperthyroidism are due to an overproduction of thyroid hormones, but the condition can occur in several ways:

Graves’ disease: The production of too much thyroid hormone.
Toxic adenomas: Nodules develop in the thyroid gland and begin to secrete thyroid hormones, upsetting the body’s chemical balance; some goiters may contain several of these nodules.
Subacute thyroiditis: inflammation of the thyroid causes the gland to “leak” excess hormones, resulting in temporary hyperthyroidism that generally lasts a few weeks but may persist for months.
Pituitary gland malfunctions or cancerous growths in the thyroid gland: Although rare, hyperthyroidism can also develop from these causes.
Hypothyroidism, by contrast, stems from an underproduction of thyroid hormones. Since your body’s energy production requires certain amounts of thyroid hormones, a drop in hormone production leads to lower energy levels. Causes of hypothyroidism include these:

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: In this autoimmune disorder, the body attacks thyroid tissue. The tissue eventually dies and stops producing hormones.
Removal of the thyroid gland: The thyroid may be surgically removed or chemically destroyed as treatment for hyperthyroidism.
Exposure to excessive amounts of iodide: Cold and sinus medicines, the heart medicine amiodarone, or certain contrast dyes given before some X-rays may expose you to too much iodine. You may be at greater risk for developing hypothyroidism, especially if you have had thyroid problems in the past.
Lithium: This drug has also been linked as a cause of hypothyroidism.
Untreated for long periods of time, hypothyroidism can bring on a myxedema coma, a rare but potentially fatal condition that requires immediate hormone injections.

Hypothyroidism poses a special danger to newborns and infants. A lack of thyroid hormones in the system at an early age can lead to the development of cretinism (mental retardation) and dwarfism (stunted growth). Most infants now have their thyroid levels checked routinely soon after birth. If they are hypothyroid, treatment begins immediately. In infants, as in adults, hypothyroidism can be due to these causes:

A pituitary disorder
A defective thyroid
Lack of the gland entirely
A hypothyroid infant is unusually inactive and quiet, has a poor appetite and sleeps for excessively long periods of time.

Cancer of the thyroid gland is quite rare and occurs in less than 10% of thyroid nodules. You might have one or more thyroid nodules for several years before they are determined to be cancerous. People who have received radiation treatment to the head and neck earlier in life, possibly as a remedy for acne, tend to have a higher-than-normal propensity for thyroid cancer.

Q: What is the best treatment and exercise for Rhumetoid Arthritis?
I have been suffering from RA for about 8 years now and its getting worse. I have some weight issues but its difficult to lose weight when you hurt everywhere all the time, I also have an underactive thyroid and take meds for it. I try and try but barely lose. It took me 6 months just to lose 11 pounds, and that was practically starving and ignoring my pain; actually my last blood test showed that I was dieting too hard (according to my doc), but doing it any other way takes off nothing. Any suggestions?

A: The first and most important step is to understand your disease and its treatment by seeking correct information. Take your medications exactly as prescribed, and tell your doctor, a rheumatologist if any drug seems to be losing its effectiveness or is causing adverse reactions or side effects. Successful management of your condition also depends on the proper mix of rest and exertion which only you can control. It s also important to maintain a regular, well balanced diet. Through trial and error you can learn when to push yourself and when to take it easy. This is one of the most crucial lessons to be learned in living with arthritis.

Q: Diagnosed with an Underactive Thyroid?
I had my son april 2007 and I started regular periods shortly after my 6 week check up. Then I didn’t get a period November or December, but did get one January and it was normal, and so far this month have not gotten AF. So I went to the doctors they took blood and said my thyroid levels were a little low and I could either go to my family doctor for treatment or go back to my OB doctor for treatment. My question is my husband and I have been TTC #2 and from what I understand having a low thyroid level could be the reason I haven’t been able to concieve yet. However, I wanted to know how long after starting treatment my cycles would regulate out so I could concieve. And also if any other of you have had a similiar problem Thank you all for your answers and opinions I appreciate it.

A: I too was about to start a fertility work-up when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, as we had been ttc #1 for 10 months with no luck. My OB was about to refer me to an endocrinologist when we got pregnant. She then started me on .75 mcg of synthroid (TSH was 4.7) and checked levels every four weeks. I’m now up to 125 mcg and at last look levels were 2.0. It may be a ttc factor for you or not but either way it’s good you found out now and can bring your levels down before you conceive so it doesn’t affect the development of your baby when you do conceive.