For the first time in years, I slept through a winter night without needing an electric blanket. That was last night. Since starting this Iodine trial three weeks ago, while still cold, I have definitely been feeling warmer. The few times I took my temp, it wasn't higher, but I think I'm due for another trial. This is also the first evening in three weeks that I've had that odd, weary, ill feeling (instead of twice a week) and I haven't been noticing as much hair falling out each morning. Finally, I've been having no trouble falling asleep and that symptom had been getting particularly exasperating.
So, slight change in plans. The endocrinologist offered me no assistance that appealed to me (still treating thyroid based on TSH labs and T4 only meds) except that she wants to figure out the cortisol issue (and she did do a quick ultrasound to confirm no change in my thyroid). So, my plan is to work through the cortisol issue with her. I have my regular annual appointment with my primary doctor tomorrow and I'll ask her for her help (lab test) to rule out out a reverse T3 issue and test iodine levels. But, I don't plan to do any thyroid trials until I test my iodine level and I'm thinking that I'd like to give this supplementation another month. If I keep getting cozier and my symptoms keep getting better, then maybe I just needed a bit of Iodine and I'll be hunky dory soon!
Wow, super-awesome! HOORAY!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are doing so well! Good luck with your doctor. I hate that dealing with doctors is such an uphill battle for so many people. Yay for iodine!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the friendly notes! I actually had an awesome visit today. My primary care doc said yes to everything and she pointed out how careful one needs to be with thyroid hormones. She said that you can certainly make yourself feel really good, but the labs are a useful indicator of norms. She cautioned that treating beyond the labs to "feeling good" can lead to floppy hearts and weak bones later in life. She new about free T3/T4 and has attended naturopathic seminars to understand the claims. Her concern was that the "feel good" parameter can lead to over treating and feeling worse in the long run and she's seen it in her practice. Hmmm, food for thought.
ReplyDeleteJust FYI, Mary Shomon says that the claim that TSH suppressed below 1 leads to osteoporosis is controversial, at best. She writes:
ReplyDeletehttp://thyroid.about.com/cs/symptomsproblems/a/osteoporosis.htm
"While the research is contradictory and sometimes confusing, the predominance of the evidence is pointing toward the conclusion that non-suppressive thyroid replacement does not dramatically increase the risk of osteoporosis, and that a key risk factor seems to be age and menopausal status. It does not seem logical for doctors to refuse to treat to lower-normal TSH level, or to provide supplemental and not excessive T3 treatment - both therapies which may help resolve major hypothyroidism symptoms for some patients - solely on the basis of concerns over osteoporosis. This is particularly true for patients who are pre-menopausal."
Of course, if osteoporosis is a worry, you can always do periodic bone scans to test for that directly. The risks of failing to adequately treat hypothyroidism are pretty severe too, particularly for heart health -- and for making life worth living!
That being said, to induce a hyperthyroid state from excessive doses of thyroid hormones would be very bad too -- and definitely a risk to the heart, from what I understand. So if you're on thyroid meds, you should definitely know the symptoms of hyperthyroidism.
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/basics_starthere/a/symptoms.htm
Symptoms of Hyperthryodisim (An overactive thyroid)
nervousness
irritability
increased perspiration
thinning of your skin
fine brittle hair
muscular weakness especially involving the upper arms and thighs
shaky hands
panic disorder
insomnia
racing heart
more frequent bowel movements
weight loss despite a good appetite
lighter flow, less frequent menstrual periods
And for the heck of it:
Symptoms of Hypothyroidism (An underactive thyroid)
fatigue, exhaustion
feeling run down and sluggish
depression
difficulty concentrating, brain fog
unexplained or excessive weight gain
dry, coarse and/or itchy skin
dry, coarse and/or thinning hair
feeling cold, especially in the extremities
constipation
muscle cramps
increased menstrual flow
more frequent periods
infertility/miscarriage
Oh, just one more thought: It's perfectly reasonable to be a bit conservative, as your doc seems to be. So long as you get to where you want to be!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. It was really good to hear her experienced perspective and I think she was focused more on watching T3 than TSH. The whole hormone thing is so complicated; I'm looking for the Dr. Eades post too!
ReplyDeleteIn my personal opinion the blood test for thyroid levels is routine and not very costly - of course you need to check it out too. Hypothyroidism is a very simple thing to handle. Together with thyroid supplements natural , hypothyroidism can get you out in a world of trouble a lot quicker!
ReplyDelete