Anyone take synthroid?

[BABY1]

Just got this from the doc. What do you take it for?

[guns01]

Re: Anyone take synthroid?

i believe it is a combo of both t/3 and t/4 used to not suppress your natural levels but just enhance them

[rnixon]

I thought it was just t4 and I take it for hypo thyroid, under active

[vx1]

Re: Anyone take synthroid?

nixon is correct it is just T4.
It is the standard treatment for hypothyroidism. However, there are a couple of things to be aware of.
First of all, most docs just do a blood test for TSH (thyroid stimulting hormone), then if needed prescribe T4.
It is very important to get a complete thyroid panel done that shows TSH, T3, T4, etc. A full panel will also show how much hormone is in bound form and how much free.
T4 doesn't always work for everyone with hypothyroidism. This is because the body must convert T4 to the more bioactive form, T3. This is done by deiodinase enzymes that remove an iodine molecule from T4.
Some people don't produce enough of the deiodinase enzyme, which means that they have high levels of T4 together will low levels of T3. This can happen for various reasons including dieting. When you reduce your caloric intake the body responds by lowering its metabolic rate to conserve energy. It does this by blocking the deiodinase enzyme. So, if your hypothyroidism is the result of failure to convert T4 to T3 then taking T4 is not going to help. You need to take T3 or a combo of T4 and T3. I suggest that you check with your physician to see what your T3 levels are. If he didn't test T3, be sure to get a full thyroid panel done. This is very important.

[BABY1]

Re: Anyone take synthroid?

Well my t3, t4 and tsh are in the normal range but I was tested for thyroid antiboids also and they were very high. Doc said it is indictive of Hashimotos Disease. I a a bbit apprenhensive to just start the med as I have heard pros and cons about it for Hashimotos.

[vx1]

Re: Anyone take synthroid?

It sounds like you might be one of the few to have a good physician. The reason I say this is that 90% do not treat Hashimoto's disease in the absence of symptoms, if all other thyroid tests are normal.
However, there is evidence that early treatment with T4 can be beneficial and prevent the formation of enlarged thyroid (goiter), which in some cases requires surgical removal. So, I think it is very good for you to take T4, just as your doc suggests. It is very important to continue to monitor your thyroid function on a regular basis. For more information, here is an informative website about Thyroid issues: Thyroid Disease Manager

[BABY1]

Re: Anyone take synthroid?

Well I have a siling, maternal aunt and other women on my Mom's side that have thyroid disease. I stressed that at my visit with her

[guns01]

Re: Anyone take synthroid?

nixon is correct it is just T4.
It is the standard treatment for hypothyroidism. However, there are a couple of things to be aware of.
First of all, most docs just do a blood test for TSH (thyroid stimulting hormone), then if needed prescribe T4.
It is very important to get a complete thyroid panel done that shows TSH, T3, T4, etc. A full panel will also show how much hormone is in bound form and how much free.
T4 doesn't always work for everyone with hypothyroidism. This is because the body must convert T4 to the more bioactive form, T3. This is done by deiodinase enzymes that remove an iodine molecule from T4.
Some people don't produce enough of the deiodinase enzyme, which means that they have high levels of T4 together will low levels of T3. This can happen for various reasons including dieting. When you reduce your caloric intake the body responds by lowering its metabolic rate to conserve energy. It does this by blocking the deiodinase enzyme. So, if your hypothyroidism is the result of failure to convert T4 to T3 then taking T4 is not going to help. You need to take T3 or a combo of T4 and T3. I suggest that you check with your physician to see what your T3 levels are. If he didn't test T3, be sure to get a full thyroid panel done. This is very important.

man i was thinking of something else then. good catch vx

[vx1]

Re: Anyone take synthroid?

Well I have a siling, maternal aunt and other women on my Mom's side that have thyroid disease. I stressed that at my visit with her

That makes a lot of sense then. Based on both your family history and the presence of antibodies, she made a good call. Even though your thyroid hormones are in the normal range now, it is possible they will decline as the antibodies continue to do more damage. This will very likely result in hypothyroidism in the future. Hashimoto's disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. Unfortunately, as far as I know, there is no way to eliminate the antibodies. You have an autoimmune condition in which your body inexplicably starts to attack itself. The only treatment is to replace the necessary thyroid hormones. It is very important to continue to monitor your levels and adjust any medication as needed. Low thyroid hormones can lead to many other problems in the long run. They can also lead to decreased levels of SHBG. It is very important to maintain healthful levels of SHBG, because this regulates all sex hormones including estrogen and androgens. Good luck, baby.

[cb1]

Re: Anyone take synthroid?

My wife has graves disease. They gave her the radioactive iodine to kill off part of thyroid function. Now it bounces all over the place. She took syntharoid for a long time now she takes Armor which I think doesnt need the conversion to t4. Kind of foggy on the details havent looked into it for awhile. Her energy was terrible for a long time. I blamed it on thyroid and I now think it was more anemia which is very common in women.