So results from blood letting numero dos returned.  Drum roll please?

I still have hypothyroidism according to the blood work.  TSH is super elevated and T3 and T4 are super low.  And my testosterone is elevated as well.  Weird.

My doctor's office called the other day to let me know.  I expect my results will be coming in the mail soon.

The other point of news?  My doc is referring me to an endocrinologist.  I don't know how I feel about that.  Good mostly, I guess.  Hmm.

I still need to write the post about Synthroid.  I'm having trouble concentrating on writing it.  I don't know why. It's fairly annoying.  And by fairly I mean very.  Sleeping all the time doesn't help.

Tomorrow

Another (albeit mini) blood letting is scheduled for tomorrow.  On the menu?  More TSH, T3 total, and T4 total,  and Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (to address some confusion with my testosterone results from my previous blood letting).  Of course I'll be updating with my results as soon as I get them.

I've been feeling pretty good, with the occasional mood swing, but still sleeping a lot.  I haven't noticed weight gain at this point, although I will keep that in mind to watch for tomorrow if I am weighed.  I feel like my hair isn't falling out quite as much, which is of course a positive in more than one way.  No sign of my period, and trust me, there is no possible way I could be pregnant.  Overall, I'm hanging in here!!  Still doing the iodine painting, although probably not as regularly as I should.

Look forward to a blog in the near future discussing the problems with Synthroid. :)

Struggling, a bit

And finally, the results from my June 1 "blood letting" have officially arrived.  I already have been informed that my dose of Armour thyroid was too high and I am thus experiencing hyperthyroidism.  I'm not really sure which is worse, except that at least I lost weight.... My other results came back mostly normal, including cortisol, LH and FSH.  That's where it gets a little odd.  The blood test came back showing that I had elevated testosterone, which, if you read this post you'll understand why having  normal LH levels and abnormal testosterone levels is a bit weird.  Evidently, however, there can be false positives when testing testosterone, so my doc isn't too concerned at this point.  I will have another blood letting on July 3.  That said, my doctor has ultimately decided that we need to find out what my levels are for my thyroid as well as retest my testosterone and such.  He also seems to believe that I may not need thyroid therapy at all.

Yes, you read that correctly.  As of today I am five days thyroid-medication free (I forgot on Monday, what a doof).  I feel like crap.  Of course, I felt like crap before, but this is a different crap that's kind of combined with the old crap.. Sorry about the crap.

I'm really trying to have a positive outlook on this.  I'm hoping that Dr. Singer's idea that my thyroid has figured itself out is correct.  Maybe I'm lucky in all of this?  Maybe my body figured it out or maybe it's been as a reaction to my no longer taking birth control pills (because I haven't had any action and I don't seem to be getting any anytime soon) and iodine painting (albeit, half-heartedly) and eating better?  I have no idea, but I'll keep you guys posted.

In the mean time I mentioned I feel like crap.  I am having terrible insomnia at night.  I lie in bed for hours, tossing, turning, spinning, moving, trying to fall asleep.  But I am also experiencing chronic fatigue.  My body wants to go to sleep when I can't and doesn't want to sleep when I can.  I don't know what the deal is, but I wonder if it has to do with the thyroid roller coaster and I pray that these are left over symptoms that will ultimately choose a side.  I've lost weight but who knows what will happen with that.  I'm very hungry.  I'm cold.  I'm intolerant to heat.  And I'm sad.  That low grade depression is back, folks.  At least at night.  And when I'm not depressed I'm overly happy.  I don't know, I mean.. I've always believed that creative people feel things differently than others, and maybe that's why I'm this way, because I feel everything so deeply.  Maybe I'm wrong.  Maybe I'll be back in control shortly.

I'm starting to doubt myself a lot, too.  I feel like I'm making excuses for myself on one side, and on the other that I know that I am not.  That this is something my body is doing and I, unfortunately, don't have control of.

On the plus side, I am not having too much trouble deciding when my thyroid emotions are acting up.  I've been a little grumpy to my family, and they are grumpy back, which just upsets me more.  I kind of feel alone.

I really didn't start this post with intention of complaining, I promise.  But I'm struggling tonight.

Usually these feelings are jump started by something, like asking someone for help and receiving no help.  Like thinking I was on a date and half-way through realizing that, no, this is not a date and that once again I got my hopes up for something that was a purely platonic relationship.

Blah.  Sometimes it helps me to write and see how ridiculous all of this is.

All I can hope, is that someone else with hypothyroidism reads this and understands what it's like, and knows that I understand what it's like.  And no matter how many times your body tells you that you are alone in this, you aren't.

My birthday is Monday and I am just hoping for a good day overall.  That said, I think I'll turn on some good music and clean, and then watch Glee on Netflix.

xo

Iodine and the Thyroid Gland

Allow me to start off by saying that since I've started this process of figuring out why I have hypothyroid and what this is all about and how I can take care of it in a more natural way I've also noticed a huge desire to talk to people about what I am learning.  The endocrine system is extremely intricate.  One of my favorite people in the whole world is a physical therapist.  As he always says, everything is connected.  For a long time I understood this to apply to the muscles and the bones, but now I am finding that this statement applies to all the systems in the body and the body as a whole.

Now I know I failed to have this up when I said I would, but here it is now.

The thyroid gland produces thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), and calcitonin.  In order to make these hormones, the gland absorbs iodine, which it combines with tyrosine (an amino acid, or protein).  A gland in our brain, called the pituitary gland releases thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in response to the hypothalamus (another gland that is located in the brain) releasing TSH Releasing Hormone (TRH).  This process is jumpstarted by inadequate levels of T3 and T4 in the body.  TSH then stimulates the thyroid to start the process of creating T3 and T4, raising the levels in the blood and returning the body to homeostasis.  Theoretically.  Then there's us.  Now it gets a little more complicated then that, but for sake of me not having to pull out my Anatomy and Physiology book at 3 o'clock in the morning, that will do.  Even to an uneducated eye there are three obvious things that could be going wrong to create hypothyroidism: the hypothalamus does not release enough TRH, the pituitary does not release enough TSH, or the thyroid does not release enough T3 or T4.

But what about iodine?  The thyroid gland is the only place in the body where iodine can be absorbed, and we can not create it ourselves; in fact, iodine must be taken in through diet (most commonly, through iodized salt, but also through kelp, seafoods, cheese, and other foods, such as these on this website).  If there is not enough iodine in the body for the thyroid gland to absorb, it cannot properly produce T3 and T4.  If there is not enough T3 or T4 in the body, then we have hypothyroidism.

So how do you know if you have an iodine deficiency?  There are multiple ways.  A more simple and easy test is to purchase tincture of iodine (or weak iodine solution) from a grocery store -- it is relatively cheap, liquid form of iodine that can be used as a disinfectant.  Once purchased, "paint" a good sized circle on your bicep (upper underarm) with the want that is included.  Iodine will stain clothing, so be careful to wear something dark or allow the area to dry before allowing it to touch clothing.  If there is not an iodine deficiency the color should be uniform and consistent for 24-hours.  A 24-hour stain indicates that the body is not trying to absorb the iodine in to the bloodstream.  If the spot changes it's shade of color (it's going to be an orangish red initially, and should only get lighter) within or up to 2-hours after application, this could indicate a severe iodine deficiency.  Anything in between suggests some degree of iodine deficiency.

Another method to test for iodine deficiency would include a visit to your doctor for an iodine loading test.  This procedure involves consuming a large amount of iodine and then monitoring urine for a 24-hour time span to see how much the body is retaining.

The importance of thyroid health is significant, as the thyroid gland really effects the body as a whole, and I believe that finding some natural ways to increase this vital gland's health is well worth the time and effort, so looking into an iodine deficiency is something I would suggest.  For me personally I have tried the painting method and have found that the iodine begins to fade very quickly and is nearly gone in roughly five hours.  I'd like to look into having an iodine loading test with my doctor.

Best of luck, and please share any experience or knowledge you have with iodine in the comments section! :)

Oh, and fun fact: a few drops of iodine in non-sanitized water (such as rain or river water) makes it safe to drink and it can also be used as an antiseptic. Good to have around if there were to be a zombie apocalypse I'mjustsaying....

Hello, Ma'am

I am lucky enough (so far) to have  PCP (primary care physician) who might be open minded.  He is also quite the character and fairly hilarious. (He said "Hello Ma'am" upon entering the room.  Reminder: I'm 21 and he's a wee bit crazy in the best, non-Hypothyroid way).

So when I went in today to tell him I wanted to work on getting to a natural solution for my low functioning thyroid, and also figure out if I have low adrenal function (I promise to talk about this in a future post) I was fairly nervous that he would laugh in my face, but also confident that he wouldn't.

And he didn't, although he grimaced about the fairly large stack of papers I brought him, and asked me where the spark notes were. 

So, after being on Levothyroxine and Synthroid for nearly 3 years, I will start by changing to Armour Thyroid, a "natural, porcine-derived thyroid hormone replacement containing both T4 and T3" (www.armourthyroid.com).  In four weeks I will participate in what my doctor referred to as a "blood letting" and will test my TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone), T3 Free (Free Tridothyronine), T4 Free (Thyroxine Free), Testosterone Free and Total, FSH/LH, Cortisol (A.M.), and DHEA-S (Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate).  Blood letting it seems.

Now, those of us with Hypothyroidism will recognize the first three hormones quite immediately, the following are being tested for reasons contributing to my Hypothyroidism, but I have failed to write that post yet.  First, I wanted to be able to get some information out here, track what is going on with me today, and now I have to study my pants off for finals next week.

Thanks for reading!

What is Hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism is characterized by a low functioning thyroid -- an endocrine gland located in the neck/throat area.  The symptoms are extensive and they can present differently in different people.  Hypothyroidism is checked/diagnosed through a blood test, which looks at TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone), T3 Free, and T4 Free (both of which are hormones made by the thyroid gland).

There is a lot of information out there about symptoms for Hypothyroidism, why it occurs, how it can be solved, and etc.  WebMD (I know, I know) offers a pretty decent overview on underactive thyroid here: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/hypothyroidism-topic-overview

So what about me?  I have had Hypothyroidism for roughly three years, and throughout those years my symptoms have probably only been truly gone for a matter of six months off and on.   As for my symptoms, they are wide and many.

• I sleep.  I sleep for hours and hours, more than I should need (we are talking upwards of ten, eleven, twelve hours) and then I wake up, and if it's a day off I eat and I go back to sleep.  I am not being sarcastic.  When my hormones aren't right, I could spend forever in bed.
• I have insomnia.  Weird, right? Obviously not this and the above at the same time, but it will alternate.  I once was up for forty-five hours straight.
• I have heart palpitations (this is not usually a symptom of Hypothyroid, but more so one of low adrenal function, which we will get to later).  When "normal" (what is "normal"?) my heart rate is less than seventy, greater than sixty.  But at times, it races to 110 at resting (siting, standing, lying, not exerting).
• I am extremely defensive.  I am also extremely sensitive. 
• Everything seems worse.  Stress is at an all time high, which isn't good for your thyroid either.  My five page paper quickly becomes twenty-five pages and everything is just a disaster and THE WORLD IS CAVING IN!
• I'm lonely, but not with a sex drive.  I just want to be held and loved.
• I'm constantly fatigued, and in a different sense than that of sleeping all the time.
• I have Attention Deficit Disorder.
• In the late evening and night time, I have extreme hunger.
• A LOT of hair loss.
• Low grade depression.
• Increased sweating.

Those are the primary symptoms I notice.  Also included under the realm of Hypothyroidism is weight gain, intolerance to cold or heat, low body temperature, shaking, memory problems, constipation, irregular menstruation, muscle aches and cramps.

Basically, it feels like someone implanted a chip into my brain and is controlling every aspect of my body through some remote.  (Disclaimer: I am not starting in about conspiracy theories or things as such, I am just using my writer's mind to describe how much Hypothyroidism SUCKS.)