Metabolism/ Hormones

Welcome @sonogirl. I can understand your concern for your daughter. I am tagging fellow Connect members who have or are taking Synthroid, and manage thryoid issues. I hope you can learn something from their experiences. Please meet @popolopo @cahnny @taterjoy @michellecrcrn @katemn @lynnkay1956 and @akogut

You might also be interested in this discussion started by @coloradoroses called Lingual thyroid http://mayocl.in/2e83Yb3
Is your daughter seen by an endocrinologist?

Thanks for the tag. - as a fellow thyroid sufferer, I will say the most important test is antibodies. That's the auto immune factor. Be sure your daughter gets tested for thyroglobulin and peroxidase. Vitamin levels such as vitamin D and iron. Ferritin and selenium. I also suggest that she cut out inflammatory foods such as dairy and gluten. It's an elimination diet and she must be strict with it. After a few months she can slowly introduce one at a time and she will be able to see also if certain foods are causing her issues. I'm in the process myself of doing allergy testing and looking to see why levothyroxine is bothering me now after 20 years of being on it. I found lennett laboratories manufactures it now and acquired Levo roughly a year and half ago. / so could be ingredient formula change. Hope your daughter feels better / I felt the same and just got dxd with Hashimotos last December. I've been on AIP diet and noticed a huge difference but something still us bothering me and only thing it could be is Levo. It's a very hard disease to live with and each of our cases is different, but I do know the thyroid controls the whole body and each cell thrives on t3. When we take t4 pill our liver converts it to t3. Have a full thyroid test done and tsh doesn't mean squat if you have Hashimotos.

Thanks for responding to the tag, Michelle. So good to hear from someone who has been there!

I've taken thyroid medication for almost 25 years. My hypothyroidism symptoms have been on-going for most of those years even with adjustment of synthroid as my numbers changed. However, several years ago I read that taking name-brand synthroid might be beneficial opposed to generic. I asked my doctor to specify only name-brand and "no generic" on my prescriptions. Since that time my symptoms have decreased and feel so much better without all the ups and downs I use to have. Insurance companies encourage people to go back to generic to save money, but the difference in how much better I feel is worth every extra dime I pay! Generic might be fine for some people, and we are told there is no difference, but for me....I will never go back to generic.

Welcome Sonogirl, I responded to Cherriann below .. but now just saw your post. If you read the below you will see I did not for years bother to see a proper specialist .. if your daughter is not seeing the BEST Endocrinologist in your city. As I noted .. even though my tests show " normal" .. I STILL have symptoms .. he regulates me better by adding/subtracting T3. But it takes a specialist to be able to be able to work with T3 I think. Your daughter is lucky to have a wonderful concerned Mom like you!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hello Cherriann, I absolutely agree with you .. having taken Synthroid for nearly 30 years! I have fought numerous battles to maintain taking the Synthroid brand .. and NO generics! Reason .. we are told that generics are EXACTLY the same as name brands .. but hooey .. there are FREQUENTLY slight variations .. AND our thyroids are SO sensitive even a SLIGHT variation can reek havoc on our bodies! Frankly as I have aged .. dealt with a bout of a serious lung disease .. taking 4-5 antibiotics for thirty months (so who knows how much that threw off my body) .. I began to lose my THICK hair by the hand fulls! So for the first time ever I decided to see the best Endocrinologist in the city .. he now has me taking T3 in addition to Synthroid. BUT what I have learned is our thyroid is SOOO touchy .. we can have symptoms .. such as hair loss if we are taking TOO much OR .. TOO LITTLE!! All while our thyroid tests show "normal"!! I couldn't believe it!!

That is just how complex that little gland is! So it has been a frustrating journey for me. Balancing too little .. too much .. dealing with feeling "bald" after a lifetime of a HUGE head of hair .. but what is .. is! Could be worse! So those of you taking medication .. CONTINUE to insist on NOT getting the generic .. it is worth it!

Hello. I agree that despite levothyroxine treatment for hashimotos Thyroiditis and hypothyroidism, symptoms can persist. I also have weird hot flashes and my dose needs altering at least 3 times per hear. That said, your daughters weight gain is concerning and I wondered if she has been tested for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (which I have, concomitantly with Hashimotos). It can cause huge hormone issues including weight gain and sometimes acne on face or on back or buttocks, depression, hirsutism, infertility, glucose metabolism issues, menstrual irregularity or cessation (but not always). I hope she sees a top notch endocrinologist to evaluate all of her symptoms, and will feel better.

Hi! I am a 60 year old female that unexpectedly gained 50 lbs and use the same thyroid drug. I exercise and always eat right yet I can not lose any weight. When I complain to my endocrinologist she just says let’s focus on your thyroid results. Now they are good but I still can’t lose a pound. It is very depressing since I was and still am very active. Your advice please

Are you taking generic or name brand drug? I sure understand your frustration. I had fluctuating weigh loss and gain when I was on generic some years ago. I did some research on my own and found out that others taking generic had experienced this same thing. I went back to my doctor and requested a new prescription that stated "name brand" only Synthroid. This helped stabilize my weight issues a lot. My numbers do change once in awhile and so the amount of Synthroid I take has to be adjusted accordingly, and this of course might cause slight weight gain or loss, depending on whether you are getting the correct amount of medication.

@cherriann
Hi I am taking name brand
And I was recently told my thyroid numbers are now perfect but not my weight!
She does not want to discuss my weight issue.
I don’t know what to do?

@cherriann It's hard to lose weight have you looked at the Mayo diet?