I have hypothyroid disease and am ALWAYS tired?

Question

I was on 30 mg of armor thyroid and i guess I felt ok. I have never had a s*x drive since being on it, my hair gets thinner and thinner and every day all day long I feel like I just rolled out of bed. Plus, I am ALWAYS naucous. So then they switched me to .75 of synthroid for 3 wks now im on the generic and feel even worse. Are people supposed to actually live their lives like this? I have a 13 month old and I just feel like a vegetable. Plus I feel like my face is always puffed up!

Answer 1

Kandykane is right - armour is very variable and it causes a lot of side effects and problems. Synthroid is a much more reliable option in the long term, but it needs patience to get the dose right. If you stick with it and take it regularly things will slowly improve. It's not at all surprising that you might temporarily feel worse when coming off armour. Armour has too much T3 in it, which is very potent form of thyroid hormone. On armour you will have had a high T3 and a low T4 (the other type of thyroid hormone) - your blood results probably looked a bit weird. When you stopped armour, the T3 will have plummetted, causing you to feel rough, but when you start to take synthroid (which is just another name for T4), it unfortunately takes 6-8 weeks to get the T4 up to where it should be, and even then the dose might need to be increased.

Answer 2

Unfortunately there is no easy answer.  I too have hypothyroidism -- please keep in mind that not everyone does well on a generic and needs the regular brand. Having a 13 month old takes a lot of energy, continue to follow your doctor's orders but keep him informed as to how the medication is working also question him as to the possibility of a vitamin deficitency.  Using a cold washcloth on your face throughout the day may help with the puffiness feeling.  I hope this helps.

Answer 3

I'm on synthyroid,but my MD told me not to take generic because you could be getting a different manufacturer each time you get a refill.  Since you have only been on it 3 wks you may need to check with your endocrinologist.  Have you had a CBC, you could be anemic.  Do you take vitamins?  Do you eat right?  Talk to your MD the nausea, and puffiness doesn't sound right.  You need to get this corrected so you can enjoy your little one.  

Answer 4

Tell MD to put you back on Synthroid & write "DAW" on prescription.  They never change thyroid meds.  I take 75mcg of Synthroid.  In addition I take Cytomel (T3) because my MD was concerned I wasn't able to convert T4 (Synthroid) to T3.

About every 3 months I get blood tested for not just TSH, BUT also Free T3, Free T4, Calculated T4, Calculated T3 & you can get the antibodies tested for.  You should not be having these side effects.

Check with your GYN about your hormones because of your recent birth.

Are you getting your thyroid treated by  Endocrinologist...if not, I suggest you get a referral to one who specializes in the thyroid.

Good luck

Answer 5

Armour Thyroid causes unpredictable levels of thyroid in the body.  Synthroid is definitely more predictable.  It does take at least 6 weeks for the levels to become stable.  Then, your doctor will recheck your TSH and adjust the Synthroid level according to the results.  You may not be at the right dose of Synthroid yet, so just be patient while you get to the right dosage of your medicine.

Answer 6

Sometimes it can take up to 6 wks for Armour to work. I suffer from hypothyroidism as well and only recently started taking medication. I am exhausted all the time, have no s*x drive, y joints hurt, my face is swollen,my saving grace is that the medication starts working SOON.i HAVE A 13 MO. OLD SON AS WELL!! Please just know there is light at the end of the tunnel for us both. It may take more medication doseage adjustments but you will get to feeling normal again. God bless.