Just diagnosed with Slightly Underactive Thyroid - Help!!?

Question

Hi, Ive just been diagnosed with slightly underactive thyroid - my doctor has put me on Thyroxine. Does anyone know how long it will take to work? I can't stand the tiredness anymore - it is starting to affect my life - I sleep all night and sleep in the day and am still tired!! I have put on weight and am mentaly sluggish and have brittle nails - even though the doctor says he doesn't know why I am having these side affects!!!! Please help someone!

Answer 1

Ok. These symptoms you have are all side affects of Hypothyroidism. I have a very bad thyroid problem and have had it for many years. I was sleeping 24 hours a day and the doctors gave me about 10 blood tests because they didn't know what was wrong with me. I was diagnosed with a thyroid problem when I was only about 16 years old. I just woke up to take a drink or eat something small and never got out of bed. Once you are on your medication (which is not really "medicine", it is just a replacement horomone since your thyroid is not producing the right amount of horomones) for a while these symptoms will go away. Make sure that you take your pill every day an hour BEFORE you eat or 2-3 hours after you eat. I recommend taking it before you eat in the morning. If you eat with the pill it will not absorb correctly into your system. Make sure that you are eating well and eat jello and stuff like that to help your nails out until your body adjusts to the Thyroxine. I went to my Endocrinologist every 3 months at first, then every 6 months, and now I only go once a year. Your thyroid controls your skin, hair, nails, fatigue, you can get depressed, short term memory problems, and menstrual cycles. So when your thyroid is not working correctly it greatly affects your everyday life! Just hang in there and take care of yourself.....give it a month or so (give or take time because everyone is different) and you will be completely better...Good luck and don't worry you will recover! Post another question if you have any more questions I will be glad to answer. =)

Answer 2

It may take some time to get you to the correct dose. The doctor may have started you on 25 or 50 mcg. He will after 6 weeks or more take a blood test to see if this was the correct dose. If not the dose will be raised and you again wait 6+ weeks for another blood test. Sometimes it takes months to get the correct dose. You may never feel 100%, I would say I am 90%, I had my thyroid removed and am totally dependent on thyroid medication.

You are have symptoms of being hypothyroid, under active thyroid. By your symptoms it doesn't sound slight but severe. You may wish to speak with an endocrinologist, he is a specialist.

You may also wish to look at your blood tests. TSH is usually what doctors go by, high means underactive.

Answer 3

Before you do anything have a look at this site: www.quantumwellness.co.uk
I am not convinced that Thyroxine is the best solution as there are natural substances that can do the same thing such as Bovine. It is worrying that your doctor doesn't know some of the more obvious side effects of having an underactive thyroid. You need to read up & research this subject. I had a slightly underactive thyroid as I wasn't eating enough protein / getting enough rest. I came across this site & I am pleased to report that I am better now. Good luck.

Answer 4

If you are a good converter of T4 to T3, you will see improvement in about 3-6 months. If you are a poor converter, then you will need to switch to a T4/T3 thyroid medication. The med you have been put on is a T4 med. Many people convert the T4 into T3, but just as many don't. You won;t know this until your doctor tests your t3 levels.

Always test first thing in the morning to get the proper dosage of medication. Most doctors adjust dosage by TSH and this can cause problems if you test at different times of the day. TSH is at its highest while we sleep, so you want to test first thing in the morning. Around 2PM, TSH is at its lowest point.

If possible, get a free t4 and free t3 as well as TSH. These tests are more accurate than the TSH. Make sure to get your TSH below 2.0, close to 1.0. So many labs have outdated ranges and doctors aren't aware of this,

Links fo thyroid below.

Answer 5

well glad i saw this. i have an underactive thyroid ive had it now for about 9 years don't worry,these are all side affects of an under active thyroid. it should'nt take too long it depends on the dose.and wether its the right one, have you had a blood test since you've started taking it? im on 150mcg aday. i put on weight, my voice changed and i was knakered. it took a little while for the docs to get my dosage right but i did feel the difference quite quickly. i hope you feel better soon!

Answer 6

Are you uncertain to no rely if or no longer you be stricken by hypothyroidism? Does your physician inform you that your TSH stages are advantageous yet you nonetheless have faith which you’re hypothyroid? in case you spoke back definite to the two of those questions then this hypothyroidism symptom checklist can help. issues of TSH sorting out It’s properly everyday that TSH stages are no longer an particularly precise indicator of hypothyroidism. yet for some reason, the scientific community keeps to apply it, and frequently as a results of fact the only reference factor. yet there are a number of properly everyday factors that would decrease TSH stages in hypothyroid people which this attempt does no longer account for. and as a results of this, hypothyroidism has replace into fairly under-clinically determined as we communicate. yet that’s additionally the place a great hypothyroidism symptom checklist can are available obtainable. it might provide you a great indication of no rely if or no longer hypothyroidism is the possibly wrongdoer of your hypothyroidism indicators. utilising this hypothyroidism symptom checklist is undemanding. All you will desire to do is place a verify mark next to any symptom under which you’ve experienced greater those days or as a new child. via utilising this hypothyroidism symptom checklist to look decrease back at your childhood it is going to become common to work out in case you have been in possibility of hypothyroidism as a new child which oftentimes worsens over the years Sampleof this verify checklist: Hypothyroidism Symptom . . . . . . . . . .. . As a new child. . . . . . . . . . . . . at present I also have a clinically determined thyroid problem I also have a family individuals historic previous of thyroid ailment i'm gaining or dropping weight inappropriately i won't be in a position to shed weight with weight-help plan/workout I in many cases sense and look puffy I even tend to learn weight around my mid-section I don’t have a lot of an urge for nutrients I even have Irritable Bowel Syndrome i'm constipated I even produce different gastrointestinal issues i'm comfortable to good odors (perfumes, cigarette smoke, and so on.)

Answer 7

You will initially have regular blood tests until the correct dose of levothyroxine is reached. This can take a little while to get right.
You may start on a low dose of levothyroxine, which may be increased gradually depending on how your body responds. Some people start to feel better soon after beginning treatment, while others don't notice an improvement in their symptoms for several months

My friend suffered for hypothyroid 2 years ago. she read a book on the internet which is useful for her disease. you can see the book at: http://adola.net/go/hypothyroidismrevolution/

Good luck!

Answer 8

It sounds like you're not on a high enough dose yet. The symptoms of hypothyroidism include dry skin and weight gain. Have your doctor order some lab tests to check your levels. If you're on the correct dose, but it's not effective for you, you might ask him to change you to another thyroid replacement medication, like Synthroid.

Answer 9

you will soon feel better once the thyroxine kicks in. You have to take them for the rest of your life,but thats not hard to do.