8.530 TSH and 2.8 T3 free, and 1.2 T4 free

I was on the natural thyroid medicine the Armor thyroid and both my Mayo Doctors and my personal physician recommended the Synthroid because the efficacy is better. Same dose each batch. Not sure what to believe. I felt better on the Armor Thyroid. Half my thyroid has been removed.

@tiredandthristy
It seems you are subclinical hypothyroid. Your thyroid gland is not making enough thyroid hormone needed and working extra hard.

Taking iodine can be dangerous.

I take levothyroxine for hypothyroidism after lobectomy. I am doing fine on the medication. I also have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Have you been tested for thyroid antibodies?

1. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/1998/0215/p776.html
2. https://www.thyroid.org/ata-statement-on-the-potential-risks-of-excess-iodine-ingestion-and-exposure/
3. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothyroidism/expert-answers/hypothyroidism-iodine/faq-20057929
4. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-Consumer/?c=youdoyou

Thanks for your response and I tend to agree though taking natural sources of iodine I don't think is dangerous. I have not heard of Thyroid antibodies. I was given a prescription for Levothyroxine which I have not filled yet as there are many bad reviews online.

I’ve taken Levothyroxine for many years due to hypothyroidism and am normal with this med. I haven’t had any issues with it. After starting it my exhaustion and freezing coldness left.

The Armor Thyroid looks interesting given its from natural sources.

It appears you are one in a hundred. I've trusted this site for med reviews for a very long time: https://www.askapatient.com/searchresults.asp?searchField=levothyroxine shows this drug to have a horrible reputation but it's nice to hear from someone who likes this med.

When I had a high TSH, I was told the pituitary gland was the cause and it was because the thyroid gland(s) were not producing enough of thyroid hormone. The pituitary gland stimulates the thyroid glands. I had two nodules, that were checked and benign. This was in 1988 and I have been on Synthroid ever since and have never had any negative anything. Armour thyroid is typically not covered by Medicare plans, fyi.

Hi All - I have been following this group since before having a partial lobectomy last August. Everyone’s input is wonderful. I opted to have half removed with the hopes of the other half producing what my body needed. It didn’t and I have been on levothyroxine since. Of course the numbers of have clinically “in the normal range.” All I can say is I have felt awful ever since. My body hurts to the bone, I am exhausted all the time, my hair is brittle and falling out, weight gain. These are all things I thought happened before someone was treated for hypothyroidism. I have another follow up appointment with the endocrinologist this week and have a list of questions but am wondering if anyone has some suggestions for me? I felt I made the right decision at the time but in hindsight I wish I didn’t have it removed and just continued to monitor the nodule. I just want to move forward. Take care!

Hi, I had a lot of negative side effects when I was prescribed Synthroid. The dosage was changed multiple times to determine if the side effects were due to too high/low of a dose but the side effects remained. I stopped taking Synthroid and the extreme side effects stopped. My numbers were good so it was very hard to figure out what was related to the medication itself; once I stopped taking it, the improvement seemed to support that it was the medicine. I had always thought everyone on Synthroid got a prescription and everything improved…this was not the case. My doctor told me that a lot of people have problems with Synthroid. I am currently on Levoxyl. Although I have some negative side effects, the doctor has been trying to tweak my dose to eliminate them. I had a recent increase in thyroid related issues (due to stress) so the doctor increased my dose. The issues decreased however very shortly after the side effects increased again. The doctor just decreased my dose again and the side effects seem to be improving again. I have a history of difficulties with side effects from medications however the thyroid issues seem to be much more sensitive to changes in dose, stress, etc.
It should be noted that stress and specific foods can change how the thyroid works, so sometimes things will change dramatically and side effects will manifest due to a combination of changes. My doctor said that I seem to be very sensitive to the side effects of the medicine so small changes can bring out or remove side effects. Good luck!

I had a lobectomy and I was having a lot of side effects on the medication….definitely change the medication you take! I tried several medications (Synthroid, Tirosint gel, Tirosint Liquid and Levoxyl) and several dosages…..it’s not just the TSH and T4 numbers it is how you feel that makes the medication good. My first Endocrinologist wanted me to wait 6 weeks before changing dosages even when I was having EXTREME reactions….. she also kept increasing the dose thinking the issue was too low of a dose! I changed Endocrinologists and now have a better system. The Endocrinologist at the cancer hospital helped to get a better start by changing medicines when side effects were too bad and changing the dosage to try and match my numbers from before I had surgery (I did not have a thyroid issues….just a big nodule which turned out to be cancer). The doctor I have outside the cancer hospital is also very good at listening to the side effects and making changes. Waiting 6 weeks is for the blood to show a change, however my blood work was always within the normal range (sometimes high end and low end). When my medication is changed I usually feel a difference (better or worse) shortly after. You should not feel terrible with side effects and waiting 6 weeks for blood work when symptoms are so bad is not right. I had an extreme reactions on Tirosint (I thought I was having a stroke!) I stopped taking it and all the side effects improved…..until the issues of hypothyroid started again so I had to find a different medication. Don’t give up, but don’t just let your blood test numbers determine if the medication is right for you….the side effects (muscle spasms, itching, burning mouth, depression, headaches, extreme fatigue, insomnia, hair loss, etc) have to be recognized as part of the issues. As one doctor told me, “There are plenty of options for medication, so why suffer?” Good luck!