Ask Me Help Desk - Is hypothyroidism a disease?

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and have been taking my t4 replacement but I have extreem symptoms of hypo still and was wondering well a lot of things like, is it a disease or an illness or disorder? With my dizzy spells, blindness,(200/20) depression weekness, tired all the time, brain fog, unable to focus, forgetfulness, loss of consentration, suffercation feeling with out a gorter that I know of at least, weight gain, loss of apitite, sometimes I sit down and next thing I know I'm waking up and hours have passed and I don't even remember closing my eyes, my heart will get really slow at times and really fast other, I zone out on things all the time, I have been emotional really bad, and get angree and that is not me, please help me I need to know if all this is normal for hypothyroidism and if so is there a chance it can get better? And if not normal is there other tests other illnesses or deseases I should have my doc check for and if so what test should I ask for? Please help me... I feel like I am dying and at times I feel as though death would be better then the illness...

Hypothyroidism is not a disease; your thyroid controls most of your personality functions that is why you feel the way you do. Medication for this has to be fine tuned.

Hypothyroidism means that your thyroid gland isn't producing enough hormones for your body, hence the long list of symptoms that you've described. You need to get your thyroid hormones tested and get on a hormone replacement. Synthyroid is one that I am aware of. You'll need to start this, and go back every three months so they can tweak the dosage. Once they've got the dosage tweaked it will be every six months to monitor and adjust as required.

It will take a while but things should even out and some of your symptoms, especially the lethargy and passing out, will vanish.

It will take a while but it can be sorted out.

Craven, your information is not exactly correct. Hypothyroidism is an 'underactive' thyroid and to say that 'synthroid' (not synthyroid) is the drug for this condition is not the correct information. Actually, it takes many tests and many different thyroid treatments before one is found that actually balances a thyroid out.

Actually Craven was correct. Synthroid is the drug of choice for hypothyroidism.

Synthroid comes with restrictions, as posted below from Drugs.com

Since thyroid hormone occurs naturally in the body, almost anyone can take Synthroid. However, you may not be able to take this medication if you have certain medical conditions.

To make sure you can safely take Synthroid, tell your doctor if you have:

A thyroid disorder called thyrotoxicosis;

Heart disease, coronary artery disease, or a history of blood clots;

Diabetes;

Anemia (lack of red blood cells);

Problems with your pituitary or adrenal glands;

An untreated or uncontrolled adrenal gland disorder; or

If you have recently had a heart attack, or are having any symptoms of a heart attack (chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling).

If you use insulin or take diabetes medicine by mouth, ask your doctor if your dose needs to be changed when you start using Synthroid.

FDA pregnancy category A. Synthroid is not expected to harm an unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking Synthroid, do not stop taking the medicine without your doctor's advice. Having low thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy could harm both mother and baby. Your dose needs may be different during pregnancy. Levothyroxine can pass into breast milk, but it is not expected to be harmful to a nursing baby. Do not use Synthroid without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. Your dose needs may be different while you are nursing.

I'll totally agree with that Tickle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tickle

Craven, your information is not exactly correct. Hypothyroidism is an 'underactive' thyroid and to say that 'synthroid' (not synthyroid) is the drug for this condition is not the correct information. Actually, it takes many tests and many different thyroid treatments before one is found that actually balances a thyroid out.

Fair point.

I was going on information I had gathered from someone who had Hypothydroidism. Her thyroid gland didn't produce enough thyroid hormone, or was underactive as you put it; six versus half a dozen in my opinion but whatever. Because of this she took Synthroid.

You're also right in that the cause for this could be a few different things, first being a defect in the gland itself, or a defect in the pituitary gland that hinders the production of TSH, or the hypothalamus producing TRH. Is it is the source of the hormone or is it one of the glands in the chain that causes the Thyroid hormones to be produced? Which hormone of the thyroid gland is she missing?

The original poster said that she was on T4 replacement hormones, so chances are that is what the problem is. The most popular hormone is Levothyroxine, or L-Thyroxine. The most common source for that, at least in Canada is from the Abbott Laboratories and marketed under the name of synthroid.

I misspelled it in my original post. Ooops.

Forgive me for being blunt but why did you post the information from Drugs.com? All it really told us is that the drug shouldn't be given to people who don't have hypothyroidism. If you got hyperthyroidism, too much fuel for her fire. If the defeciency is in the chain that stimulates the thyroid to produce T4, than you treating the symptom and not the problem. The rest of the warning is typical of a drug that is mucking about the metabolic pathways in the body. Which is understandable.

Her symptoms match what I understand is Hypothyroidism. She is taking the T4 replacement. What seems to be the case here is that her dosage is off; too low IN MY OPINION (not to be confused with actual medical advice). She needs to get to a doctor and get them to adjust her medication. She also needs to make sure she has her levels checked at least once a year if not twice or more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CravenMorhead

Fair point.

I was going on information I had gathered from someone who had Hypothydroidism. Her thyroid gland didn't produce enough thyroid hormone, or was underactive as you put it; six versus half a dozen in my opinion but whatever. Because of this she took Synthroid.

You're also right in that the cause for this could be a few different things, first being a defect in the gland itself, or a defect in the pituitary gland that hinders the production of TSH, or the hypothalamus producing TRH. Is it is the source of the hormone or is it one of the glands in the chain that causes the Thyroid hormones to be produced? Which hormone of the thyroid gland is she missing?

The original poster said that she was on T4 replacement hormones, so chances are that is what the problem is. The most popular hormone is Levothyroxine, or L-Thyroxine. The most common source for that, at least in Canada is from the Abbott Laboratories and marketed under the name of synthroid.

I misspelled it in my original post. Ooops.

Forgive me for being blunt but why did you post the information from Drugs.com? All it really told us is that the drug shouldn't be given to people who don't have hypothyroidism. If you got hyperthyroidism, too much fuel for her fire. If the defeciency is in the chain that stimulates the thyroid to produce T4, than you treating the symptom and not the problem. The rest of the warning is typical of a drug that is mucking about the metabolic pathways in the body. Which is understandable.

Her symptoms match what I understand is Hypothyroidism. She is taking the T4 replacement. What seems to be the case here is that her dosage is off; too low IN MY OPINION (not to be confused with actual medical advice). She needs to get to a doctor and get them to adjust her medication. She also needs to make sure she has her levels checked at least once a year if not twice or more.

I posted the Information from drugs.com to show just how it's application is limited, and not entirely the drug of choice for diabetics.

Where did you read it shouldn't be taken for hypothyroidism?

Patients with any kind of thyroid disorder should be tested every six months, but even then the fine tuning of an under or over thyroid is hit and miss as you can appreciate as you seem to know thyroid science.

Tickle, where did you read that the OP was diabetic?

I have hypothyroid, so does my husband, SIL, and sister. We all take synthroid/levothyroxine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_9

I have hypothyroid, so does my husband, SIL, and sister. We all take synthroid/levothyroxine.

Okay, J, I have diabetes and thyroid problems and I can't take synthroid; they are still trying to figure out what I can take. When I know, I will let you know.

So, why didn't you say this at the outset of the thread? You proved your point, but at the same time inconclusive as I can't take it.

The original question was 'is hypothyroidism a disease'; I answered no... so...

I'm not arguing with you Tickle, I just don't see where you read that the OP was diabetic.

I would be very interested to find out what you can take once they figure it all out because I did not realize that it was contraindicated in diabetics.

Post no. 6 which I posted from drugs.com mentions synthroid is not suitable for diabetics. There is a list of medical issues that are not suitable for synthroid.

I didn't read that the OP had diabetes, the OP doesn't have diabetes. I said I do.

I know you are not arguing, 'arguing' is such an easy word on AMHD. No one can argue on the internet, it just doesn't work. I don't even argue in my personal life.

I was on thyroid meds once upon a time and found that I didn't feel any different on them. At that time my thryroid was only slightly off balance. I went off the meds cause didn't want to take another pill. Long time ago and forgot what it was it was that important.

I don't have , and my doctor doesn't have, an issue with my thyroid being off balance, so am not worried about it. My thyroid is checked every 6 months, as well as my diabetic issues. I will let you know what the med is if an ever I go on anything for my thyroid if I am still around at the time.