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New Diagnosis for Me: Hypothyroidism

DarkWalker

DarkWalker

Member
Over a month ago, I had blood drawn for my Lithium levels. The doctor said my TSH levels were high. Today, I found out that means I have an underactive thyroid. The part of my brain (the anterior pituitary) is pumping out four times the usual amount of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) to compensate for my underactive thyroid. They're starting me on a low dose of Sinthroid (25mg) once a day to see how I react, and they'll push more as necessary.

Does anyone have any experience with hypothyroidism?
 
DarkWalker said:
Over a month ago, I had blood drawn for my Lithium levels. The doctor said my TSH levels were high. Today, I found out that means I have an underactive thyroid. The part of my brain (the anterior pituitary) is pumping out four times the usual amount of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) to compensate for my underactive thyroid. They're starting me on a low dose of Sinthroid (25mg) once a day to see how I react, and they'll push more as necessary.

Does anyone have any experience with hypothyroidism?
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:wave2 A fellow hypothyroidism sufferer.I am on a higher dose.The Synthroid is a good thing.As you know it is the lowest dose you can take.Be sure and take it on an empty stomach 1 hour before you eat if your pharmacist did not tell you.
 
Kathi said:
:wave2 A fellow hypothyroidism sufferer.I am on a higher dose.The Synthroid is a good thing.As you know it is the lowest dose you can take.Be sure and take it on an empty stomach 1 hour before you eat if your pharmacist did not tell you.
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I haven't picked up the prescription yet, but I will be sure to go over that with them when I do pick it up. Thank you, and thank you for the correct spelling: Synthroid. That makes sense: synthetic thyroid.
 
Kathi said:
Have you had any symptoms of hypothroid or did they just tell you and you did not know you had it?
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I had been feeling fatigued, but I attributed it to depression from bipolar disorder. My TSH levels were four times what they should have been, so it wasn't a total surprise when they told me.

Christ_empowered said:
can lithium cause this?
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I've heard Lithium can exacerbate some of the symptoms of thyroid problems, but I can't speak as to whether Lithium can cause it. I know in my case I was experiencing symptoms long before I was ever on Lithium.
 
DarkWalker said:
I had been feeling fatigued, but I attributed it to depression from bipolar disorder. My TSH levels were four times what they should have been, so it wasn't a total surprise when they told me.


I've heard Lithium can exacerbate some of the symptoms of thyroid problems, but I can't speak as to whether Lithium can cause it. I know in my case I was experiencing symptoms long before I was ever on Lithium.
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That is what happened to me.I could hardly get off the couch I was so fatigued.I thought I was depressed but I found out otherwise.
 
I think you should ask about an anticonvulsant. I take Trileptal and Lamictal. They're both generic and neither requires too much blood work (I think blood sodium levels for the Trileptal).
 
Christ_empowered said:
I think you should ask about an anticonvulsant. I take Trileptal and Lamictal. They're both generic and neither requires too much blood work (I think blood sodium levels for the Trileptal).
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That is something that DarkWalker should definately ask his physician about before ever taking it.
 
DarkWalker said:
Over a month ago, I had blood drawn for my Lithium levels. The doctor said my TSH levels were high. Today, I found out that means I have an underactive thyroid. The part of my brain (the anterior pituitary) is pumping out four times the usual amount of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) to compensate for my underactive thyroid. They're starting me on a low dose of Sinthroid (25mg) once a day to see how I react, and they'll push more as necessary.

Does anyone have any experience with hypothyroidism?
Click to expand...

I too am hypo, I was 32 when it was found and only then because an unrelated symptom. I had gained too much weight with my first pregnancy and got on a very strict diet to get it off. After that I remained very weight conscious and noticed that I now gained weight easily so ate little to compensate. My life style meant I always got lots of exercise.
There was one other symptom, I was now cold when others were not and the summer heat, even 90's did not cause me to be uncomfortable and I didn't even sweat when active.
Hypothyroidism can cause thinning hair and even things like having a bad short term memory.
I started out at 100mg and now take 150mg.
I'm glad I was diagnosed, I could start eating normally again after starving myself for over 10 yrs.
 
Deborah13 said:
I too am hypo, I was 32 when it was found and only then because an unrelated symptom. I had gained too much weight with my first pregnancy and got on a very strict diet to get it off. After that I remained very weight conscious and noticed that I now gained weight easily so ate little to compensate. My life style meant I always got lots of exercise.
There was one other symptom, I was now cold when others were not and the summer heat, even 90's did not cause me to be uncomfortable and I didn't even sweat when active.
Hypothyroidism can cause thinning hair and even things like having a bad short term memory.
I started out at 100mg and now take 150mg.
I'm glad I was diagnosed, I could start eating normally again after starving myself for over 10 yrs.
Click to expand...
I was diagnosed with a very large nodule on my thyroid which put me into hypothryroid and I started going through menopause at the same time.I then virtually had no metabolism at all.
 
Kathi said:
It was.They had to put my on this really high dose of synthroid.I went into V Tach (a dangerous heart rhythm)
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My daughter-in-law was diagnosed with Hyper - thyroid when she was a teen, she had something like you and it could have caused her to have a heart attack. To treat it they had to kill her thyroid with radiation and then put her on synthroid so that the pituitary gland would produce the correct amounts of TSH.
 
I looked it up, and hypothyroidism is common on those on long term lithium maintenance. The brief article I read encouraged using lithium if you have "refractory" mood issues, which I guess is just saying do what your doctor says to do and don't quit lithium (dropping lithium suddenly is obviously a bad call, lol).

Personally, I find lithium scary on multiple levels, which is why I've avoided it for so long. That and I have BP I w/psychotic features, which doesn't respond near as well to lithium as "classic bipolar I," so...what's the point?
 
What do they have you on for the Bipolar? Depakote? Careful with that stuff, the side effects are bad. They had me on that for years (as an anti-convulsant) and it affected my teeth and vision in a big way. I cut my own dosage it was so bad and eventually refused to take it at all anymore.
 
I appreciate that. Depakote is *rough*. Once, I was (involuntarily) hospitalized, briefly. They put me on too much Depakote. When they finally did my blood levels outpatient, I was nearing toxic levels :-(

These days, I take Trileptal. Its like Tegretol, an older drug, but cleaner. The only blood work is to make sure your blood sodium isn't low, and that's infrequent. It in generic now, which is good. I also take a low dose of Lamictal which doesn't usually require blood work, thank goodness. Also generic. I also take Abilify which, honestly, isn't as good as the TV and magazine ads make it out to be, lol. Its just not as sedating as Seroquel and doesn't seem to cause twitches like Risperdal. Considering the price tag, you'd think it'd be some kind of wonderful, cure all for the mentally ill, lol.
 
the 'B' vitamins, complex, has been called the "happy pill" for a about a hundred years for good reason. inexpensive though, so not used.
remember many soy products destroy the thyroid, and almost no pros will talk about it. (look up interweb search).
adelle davis, in the 50's or 60's, then maureen salaman later, helped thousands of people by publishing the need for 'E' and iodine for their well being(specifically thyroid). again, inexpensive, so the pros won't discuss it most any time.
 
DarkWalker said:
...

Does anyone have any experience with hypothyroidism?
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dogs and cats have benefitted from vit e.
people have been told they may need iodine.
dogs and cats and people can get hypothy... from almost any soy flour-protein-product, which also prevents the absorption of needed nutrients/minerals in babies, toddlers, teens, and adults. i.e. it is almost always harmful.
 
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