8.530 TSH and 2.8 T3 free, and 1.2 T4 free

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!

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.

Do you have Hashimotos Thyroiditis? In my opinion, it seems to make the thyroid be a bit erratic…..symptoms really seem to fluctuate. I think the recommendation for taking medicine is to bring down the TSH number which is supposed to lower the risk of cancer regrowth while bringing up your T4 and T3 so symptoms should improve. If you deal with a lot of issues, the medication might stabilize your symptoms. It certainly seems like it might be something to try….getting stabilized on medication can be tricky, however if you keep a symptoms journal it really helps to see trends. Good Luck!

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!

Well, another good review for synthroid although the generic has even worse reviews than the synthroid but I'm starting to lean toward giving it a try. Yes, I know armour thyroid is not covered but if it's natural and it works, I don't care.

I was surprised to see the negative effects people say they have with Synthroid. I have taken it since 1988 and never have had any problems. My endocrinologist says the generics can vary in their strength. I do know a person shouldn't switch between generic and brand. I hope you are being seen by an endocrinologist and can access the Amer. Thyroid Assoc info.