Questions about Thyroid Treatment

[rnewman]

For those of you on thyroid replacement therapy...


I started taking Levoxyl around this time last year and recently my doc switched me to Armour thyroid. My question is this:: for those of you on medication, do you have more hair loss BEFORE you started the hormone replacement, or AFTER, while on the medication? I am loosing hair and its driving me NUTTY.....I thought it would be fixed by starting the thyroid meds, as I know hair loss is a sign of hypothyroidism....but now I have heard from many people (including my hairdresser!!) that the medication itself causes hair loss.

Any ideas, anyone? Just curious if anyone had any experiances/thoughts!

Thanks in advance...
A wonderfully, happy new year to all.
Hugs, kissing |
Rachel

[havingsuccess]

I am doing Dr F's antibiotic therapy and I take 1 grain of armour a day. He recommended it to keep it my body temp up plus my tests were borderline. I have always had a little hair come hair come out especially after i shower and comb it and after 4 months of the 1 garin it's still about the same. I also thought it would be fixing it but as long as I don't start losing handfulls I'm fine with it. Hope you get it figured out, when you do let me know!!!

Thanks,
Success

[rnewman]

We'll see what my doc says when I go!!

Havingsuccess, I know you are doing Dr. F's therapy...how do you control yeast??


Just curious! IT was tough for me!! Thanks
Rachel

[havingsuccess]

I eat absolutely no foods containing yeast and sugar. I eat a few carbs a day because i think my body needs them. I take nystatin pills once a day, and diflucan 1 pill every other day. I also use monistat 3 nights a week just in case and I take plenty of probiotics, acidophilus, and some other enzymes and supplements I got from a guy I heard about thru Dr F. He supplies supplements especially for IC patients. My meals are quite bland actually mostly chicken, turkey, and loads of fish and steamed veggies or sometimes salads with just a tiny bit of salad dressing. So far it's kept away the yeast and I'm losing some of the weight elavil packed on me. PM me with any other questions. I talked to Dr F today and learned some new info about antibiotics. If your interested just let me know.

Success

[Silverfox]

Hi all,

I'm one of those who takes 3 1/2 grains of Armour thyroid. I was on 2 grains for 17 or so years.
My Dr. decided I was on too low a dose of Armour about 2 years ago because of some severe bowel troubles. He does the thyroid blood tests, but in my own peculiar situation, he increased my thyroid on trial basis.(telling me about 3 grains is what the normal thyroid produces each day) I have read that the thyroid produced daily is not always the same amount anyway, and the body does need more thyroid in the winter than in the summer. I know thyroid patients who adjust their thyroid up when they are feeling colder and tired.
And on those hot August days laying around they lower their own dose.

Rachael, how much Armour do you take?, perhaps your dose should be increased. It can take a while for thyroid to get into all the cells in the body and so you also may have to wait for several months for the total effect. If you are undertreated you will not get the best result. Sometimes the thyroid blood tests fail to give a truly individual answer. Many with Hypothyroidism have had to experiment to find out what is the dose that is best for youself. Many patients have had to search out a Dr. who understands this. If your Drs. are open to it you may ask just for an increase a small amount at a time, and if you get to an amount that makes you feel "Hyper" than you lower it just a little.
Hope this makes sense...Oh, be sure to ask your Dr. for a TSH, Free T3 and Free T4. These are a baseline of thyroid blood tests. But understand, the truth is in how you feel! Also, do not fear, Armour thyroid will not give you mad pig disease.

My own thyroid hair story is very interesting. I began getting grey hair before I was 16 and by age 20 I was using hair color and later hair dyes to cover my dull drab hair. I was first aware and upset as my hair color was so dull and drab when I was only a teenager. I had silver white hair by the time I was in my 30's, never realizing that premature greying is a Hypothyroid symptom as is hair loss. As I grew older, my hair was getting finer and less thick, but I never had any balding or extreme thinning. I do remember that my scalp would feel so very sore, if I brushed or washed it too vigorously. I suppose their were times I was losing some hair but the loss of color was more upsetting for me.
I think that low thyroid can effect each person in very individual ways, that is why Drs. often miss it. The thyroid blood tests should catch it but for many even the tests results fail to show how severe the Hypothyroidism is. I have not figured out the adrenal situation in my own case, and I keep waiting for some good ideas on this.

My own hair dresser now notices that my hair grows really fast. I like to keep it short, that means I see her more often. I gave up coloring my hair a few years ago as my white hair just resists hair dye. Some of my relatives are kind of shocked, and they asked me if I was bleaching it this color. They are in their 80's and 90's and still have color in their own hair.

Before my hair troubles, I started having bladder troubles when I was just a little girl. I remember getting in trouble at school for going so often. Strange too, that is when my Mother told me that "some woman live with bladder frequency and pain all their lives." eek ... It sent a chill down my spine, and that is why I remember her words so vividly...And now today both my Mother and sister live with bladder frequency and pains and have been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism.
I was diagnosed with end stage bladder at age 35 and diagnosed with Hypothyroidism by age 38. Good thing I didn't believe the Urologists that told me that.
Okay, I am always learning(I am a slow learner baby )

Recently, I quit the HRT (premarin)
and I have noticed how much better the thyroid seems to work. Wished I had quit the HRT sooner!
Other things that will interfere with thyroid in the body, are some drugs, some foods like brocoli and large diet of soy foods, calcium, and floride in dental products and drinking water.

So far I find Armour thyroid the best thing I have ever tried. Wish I had known about Armour thyroid when I was a sick little kid.
Hope this helps...

SYMPTOMS OF HYPOTHYROIDISM ARE MANY AND VARY BUT OFTEN INCLUDE:
*fatigue, trouble awakening in the morning, daytime sleepiness
*Feeling cold when other people do not
*Drier skin and hair;hair loss
*Muscle cramps
*New or worsening memory lapses
*Depression
*High cholesterol level
*puffy face
*weight gain
*Heavy menstrual bleeding

People with family history of thyroid problems or other autoimmune diseases are much more at risk!

Remember, JANUARY IS THYROID AWARENESS MONTH!
BE SURE TO TELL OTHERS, ESPECIALLY OLDER WOMEN!
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HAVE A THYROID DISEASE AND DON'T KNOW IT!

Personally I like diversity here. I like to hear all sides so I can be the most informed that I can.

Peaceful happy new year to all
Silverfox

[Susan2]

Hi Silverfox
You have been so helpful. I sent you a P.M. when you get a chance would you read it?
Hugs
Susan

[Silverfox]

Hi Susan

I sent you a pm. Hope you can make good use of the information. Yell at me if I can help further. Take care and keep learning and you will find you are stronger for it. When you show any Dr. that you are learning so much, he will want to help with this. Think postive!

Sincerely yours, Silverfox