I put in a call to Dr. F as requested, and let him know my labs had been done the day before. The receptionist took a message and told me they would call me back as soon as my results got to their office.
Within 2 hours (which seemed like 20) Dr. F's nurse called me. She told me that Dr. F wanted to push my Synthroid up to 225 and stay away from the Meridia for now until we can get my numbers to a more normal level. I agreed and she said she would call in the 225 right then so I could start it the next morning.
I have never been over 200 on Synthroid before and my only concern in my mind is that if you get higher than you need to be, your bones can become brittle and you have a much higher risk for osteoporosis.
I went the next morning and got the 225, and started it that day. So here we go, April 29, 2010, let's see what 225 does to my body! ugh
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Update Tuesday April 27, 2010
Well I saw Dr. F today. He was incredible. I immediately felt comfortable when he walked into the room. I was very concerned about a particular thing which was bad on my part, but as soon as I saw him, I knew my concerns were unfounded.
Well Dr. F asked me some questions, and actually LISTENED! It was great! He did mention that it might be a good idea for me to go on Meridia. But I told him my concerns of any further weight pills, due to my experience with Phenteramine. He told me that Phen was very dangerous and that Meridia wasn't like that. Same family, yes, but much safer. Then he said, we needed to get updated labs done first, and IF my numbers were normal, he would call in some Meridia and try that for only 3 months, that it would give me a good jump start. He also said he wanted to check my sugar levels too, to make sure that I wasn't becoming diabetic. I was totally fine with that.
I went and got my labs done as soon as I left Dr F's office. I verified with the lab tech what was being checked and she said thyroid and sugars. I felt great at this point, knowing that this doctor might just be the one that will be able to help me. ;) I looked forward to the results the next day and to find out what Dr. F would end up doing.
I went home that night and researched Meridia. It seems to work on a lot of people, no doubt. But as soon as people stop taking it, they gain the weight back, and then some. I also read that people have headaches so bad they have to quit. And that it is very pricey and is not covered by insurance. So out of 2000 some odd reviews, those were the general concensus. I decided not to stress about it, and just see what happened the next day with my lab results.
...to be continued
Well Dr. F asked me some questions, and actually LISTENED! It was great! He did mention that it might be a good idea for me to go on Meridia. But I told him my concerns of any further weight pills, due to my experience with Phenteramine. He told me that Phen was very dangerous and that Meridia wasn't like that. Same family, yes, but much safer. Then he said, we needed to get updated labs done first, and IF my numbers were normal, he would call in some Meridia and try that for only 3 months, that it would give me a good jump start. He also said he wanted to check my sugar levels too, to make sure that I wasn't becoming diabetic. I was totally fine with that.
I went and got my labs done as soon as I left Dr F's office. I verified with the lab tech what was being checked and she said thyroid and sugars. I felt great at this point, knowing that this doctor might just be the one that will be able to help me. ;) I looked forward to the results the next day and to find out what Dr. F would end up doing.
I went home that night and researched Meridia. It seems to work on a lot of people, no doubt. But as soon as people stop taking it, they gain the weight back, and then some. I also read that people have headaches so bad they have to quit. And that it is very pricey and is not covered by insurance. So out of 2000 some odd reviews, those were the general concensus. I decided not to stress about it, and just see what happened the next day with my lab results.
...to be continued
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Update Sunday April 25, 2010
I forgot to mention that my friend (the nurse), called me Friday and she had asked her ER doctor, and a few other doctors, and they highly recommend Dr. F as an endo. I immediately called to set an appointment, because I knew it would be quite some time before I could get in with him. I get to see him on TUESDAY April 27, 2010! Dang... here I go getting my hopes up again, but at least I didn't find this doctor on the internet. *sigh*
Wish me luck, I am at my wits end. All this writing may not seem like a lot, but struggling with this thyroid problem for so many years has really been a pain... can't my TSH levels just be normal? Can't I just work out and lose weight like other women? I could understand the way I feel and the way I look if I just sat down and never did anything. But I am working my butt off, and not getting anywhere, and could it just be me? Could all these doctors really not know what to do to help??? I am willing to travel at this point, just to go to a world renowned endo...
I just want to feel NORMAL!!!
Why is my health such a battle???
Will update soon...
Wish me luck, I am at my wits end. All this writing may not seem like a lot, but struggling with this thyroid problem for so many years has really been a pain... can't my TSH levels just be normal? Can't I just work out and lose weight like other women? I could understand the way I feel and the way I look if I just sat down and never did anything. But I am working my butt off, and not getting anywhere, and could it just be me? Could all these doctors really not know what to do to help??? I am willing to travel at this point, just to go to a world renowned endo...
I just want to feel NORMAL!!!
Why is my health such a battle???
Will update soon...
A Little History... well, not SO little... Part 10
I had a complete and utter fit on the way home. My dreams had been dashed, from one simple statement from this doctor who knew me no more than 10 minutes. Who is he to tell me that I will never change? That I have zero chance of ever getting thin again? Is he freaking kidding me? Who the hell does that man think he is? He didn't even have any labs to go by! At least I got a few more prescriptions for my normal Synthroid. I can always use that, right?
I got very mad.
I got very sad.
I had my pity party.
I swore off doctors saying I lost all that weight before, I can do it again, and I can find herbal remedies or something, I will FIX MYSELF DAMNIT!
Good Lord if my steering wheel could talk...
... and then I got strong.
I decided that I could not give up. My health was on the line here. I have a family that needs me, and needs for me to be around a long, long time.
So I started researching, AGAIN. I started researching other big cities for a good Endo. I have a friend who is a wonderful nurse, so I asked her if she could recommend anyone and she said she would get back to me on that.
On Wednesday, April 21, 2010 I was feeling just fine. Had a very busy day, and didn't eat much at all, but I did mess up by having several pieces of chocolate from the freezer throughout the day. At night, before bed, I started feeling a little nauseous. I brushed it off for a few hours. When I stood up and went to go to bed, I told my husband I was going to go throw up, which is something I never do. I went into the bathroom, and nothing came out but I felt really yucky really fast. I laid down and couldn't lay comfortably, my tummy was upset. I woke up an hour later and had projectile vomiting, as well as water (from the other end, sorry). I have NO idea where that came from! I was fine all day, and the flu begins with several days of achy joints, right?
Needless to say I had a very rough night and by Friday I was still feeling horrid, having to sleep on my hands and knees because laying any other way was painful in my upper abdomen. My husband was getting mad at me because I didn't want to go to the doctor for something stupid like that, and we had a very busy weekend ahead of us. I don't have TIME to be sick much less go to the darn doctor!
Well, when I woke up in a heavy sweat on Saturday morning and I still felt terrible, I took it upon myself to call my husbands family doctor, Dr. P, and go in to satisfy him, and to also see if I could feel better because Saturday was too busy and I couldn't lay in bed all day feeling awful!
SO I show up at Dr. P's office and I end up leaving with a twigs and berries diet, and a wonderful new Peptic Ulcer. Ok, so can anything ELSE happen? Why is this body such a battle! Where in the world did THAT come from!? I am quite frustrated now because everything I do eat, I can't eat. But I was vegitarian 2o years ago, maybe I can go back to that lifestyle. I did like it, but I need to learn it all over again. *sigh* What's next?
to be continued... we are finally at the present!
I got very mad.
I got very sad.
I had my pity party.
I swore off doctors saying I lost all that weight before, I can do it again, and I can find herbal remedies or something, I will FIX MYSELF DAMNIT!
Good Lord if my steering wheel could talk...
... and then I got strong.
I decided that I could not give up. My health was on the line here. I have a family that needs me, and needs for me to be around a long, long time.
So I started researching, AGAIN. I started researching other big cities for a good Endo. I have a friend who is a wonderful nurse, so I asked her if she could recommend anyone and she said she would get back to me on that.
On Wednesday, April 21, 2010 I was feeling just fine. Had a very busy day, and didn't eat much at all, but I did mess up by having several pieces of chocolate from the freezer throughout the day. At night, before bed, I started feeling a little nauseous. I brushed it off for a few hours. When I stood up and went to go to bed, I told my husband I was going to go throw up, which is something I never do. I went into the bathroom, and nothing came out but I felt really yucky really fast. I laid down and couldn't lay comfortably, my tummy was upset. I woke up an hour later and had projectile vomiting, as well as water (from the other end, sorry). I have NO idea where that came from! I was fine all day, and the flu begins with several days of achy joints, right?
Needless to say I had a very rough night and by Friday I was still feeling horrid, having to sleep on my hands and knees because laying any other way was painful in my upper abdomen. My husband was getting mad at me because I didn't want to go to the doctor for something stupid like that, and we had a very busy weekend ahead of us. I don't have TIME to be sick much less go to the darn doctor!
Well, when I woke up in a heavy sweat on Saturday morning and I still felt terrible, I took it upon myself to call my husbands family doctor, Dr. P, and go in to satisfy him, and to also see if I could feel better because Saturday was too busy and I couldn't lay in bed all day feeling awful!
SO I show up at Dr. P's office and I end up leaving with a twigs and berries diet, and a wonderful new Peptic Ulcer. Ok, so can anything ELSE happen? Why is this body such a battle! Where in the world did THAT come from!? I am quite frustrated now because everything I do eat, I can't eat. But I was vegitarian 2o years ago, maybe I can go back to that lifestyle. I did like it, but I need to learn it all over again. *sigh* What's next?
to be continued... we are finally at the present!
A Little History... well, not SO little... Part 9
We're getting closer to the current, but there's a few more details about the recent history.
Well I started my 5mcg of Liothyronine that Thursday. On Friday, I decided, since I am now on the right dose, and my body will be "allowed" to lose weight now, I am going to go join a gym. So I researched the local gyms and found one I liked. I went that very day and joined, and had a great 3 hour workout! Felt good to push myself, too. I measured myself, and weighed in (at home) for a great starting point to measure goals by.
I went daily, and worked out a minimum of 1 hour and a max of 3. I didn't take a day off for 2 weeks. Finally my friends told me I needed to take at least one day off every now and then or I would burn out. I agreed. Plus I noticed during the 2nd week, that I was getting winded quite quickly. As time passed, I noticed simply walking to the phone, or standing up folding laundry, I would get out of breath. By the 8th time someone asked me if I was running when I was on the phone (and I wasn't) I realized I must be having some sort of side effect to the T3. So, I went to the computer and read up on the side effects and sure enough, difficulty breathing is a definite side effect, as well as the mild "pulsating" headaches I was having.
I went back to Dr. M and told him about this and he said I needed to be on the 5mcg for a minimum of 4 weeks before he could do labs to have a true result. So I left, not knowing any more than I did when I went in, only carrying with me, orders for the labs in 2 weeks.
2 weeks came and went. So did 3 weeks. I was delaying having my labs done, but why? I think I just didn't want Dr. M to send me away for yet another 6 weeks, saying everything would be ok. My workouts had started going from 7 days a week upwards of 3 hours per workout, to 4-5 days a week and maybe an hour and hour 1/2, mostly because I couldn't breathe properly and my heart would pound terribly during a workout and I was afraid of keeling over right there in the middle of the gym! My reps on the strength machines were becoming increasingly harder too and I hated that.
March 23, 2010 I went to yet a new doctor, a true endocronologist, Dr. S thinking wow, this will be great! I can just use Dr. M for my primary care doctor and use Dr. S for my endo, right? (Dr. M was an O.D but had high feedback online from endo patients) I will finally have the answers I long for!!! I mean after all, I am not looking to be anorexic, or even 98 lbs again and I am most definitely not wanting any stupid weight loss pill... I just want to feel NORMAL for goodness sakes and maybe my exercise efforts pay off, well, at least a little! I measured on Sunday and weighed in and I have gained and I have increased by at least an inch. I was fed up and I was hoping that this doctor could at least give me some answers.
After once again giving my life history to him, and having him *scarcastic tone here* "draw out my thyroid and show me how it works" Dr. S bluntly told me that T3 doesn't work, none of his patients are on it, so stop taking it. Then he said something very interesting to me...
He said, and I quote, "Some people are simply destined to be overweight. You are one of those people. Don't go chasing mirages of ever being thing, because it won't happen. You need to live your life the way you are. But don't stop doing what you are doing because working out won't work for you in the physical sense, but it is working wonders for your cardiovascular system and keeping you from getting diabetes".
*...silence*
to be continued (in tears)...
Well I started my 5mcg of Liothyronine that Thursday. On Friday, I decided, since I am now on the right dose, and my body will be "allowed" to lose weight now, I am going to go join a gym. So I researched the local gyms and found one I liked. I went that very day and joined, and had a great 3 hour workout! Felt good to push myself, too. I measured myself, and weighed in (at home) for a great starting point to measure goals by.
I went daily, and worked out a minimum of 1 hour and a max of 3. I didn't take a day off for 2 weeks. Finally my friends told me I needed to take at least one day off every now and then or I would burn out. I agreed. Plus I noticed during the 2nd week, that I was getting winded quite quickly. As time passed, I noticed simply walking to the phone, or standing up folding laundry, I would get out of breath. By the 8th time someone asked me if I was running when I was on the phone (and I wasn't) I realized I must be having some sort of side effect to the T3. So, I went to the computer and read up on the side effects and sure enough, difficulty breathing is a definite side effect, as well as the mild "pulsating" headaches I was having.
I went back to Dr. M and told him about this and he said I needed to be on the 5mcg for a minimum of 4 weeks before he could do labs to have a true result. So I left, not knowing any more than I did when I went in, only carrying with me, orders for the labs in 2 weeks.
2 weeks came and went. So did 3 weeks. I was delaying having my labs done, but why? I think I just didn't want Dr. M to send me away for yet another 6 weeks, saying everything would be ok. My workouts had started going from 7 days a week upwards of 3 hours per workout, to 4-5 days a week and maybe an hour and hour 1/2, mostly because I couldn't breathe properly and my heart would pound terribly during a workout and I was afraid of keeling over right there in the middle of the gym! My reps on the strength machines were becoming increasingly harder too and I hated that.
March 23, 2010 I went to yet a new doctor, a true endocronologist, Dr. S thinking wow, this will be great! I can just use Dr. M for my primary care doctor and use Dr. S for my endo, right? (Dr. M was an O.D but had high feedback online from endo patients) I will finally have the answers I long for!!! I mean after all, I am not looking to be anorexic, or even 98 lbs again and I am most definitely not wanting any stupid weight loss pill... I just want to feel NORMAL for goodness sakes and maybe my exercise efforts pay off, well, at least a little! I measured on Sunday and weighed in and I have gained and I have increased by at least an inch. I was fed up and I was hoping that this doctor could at least give me some answers.
After once again giving my life history to him, and having him *scarcastic tone here* "draw out my thyroid and show me how it works" Dr. S bluntly told me that T3 doesn't work, none of his patients are on it, so stop taking it. Then he said something very interesting to me...
He said, and I quote, "Some people are simply destined to be overweight. You are one of those people. Don't go chasing mirages of ever being thing, because it won't happen. You need to live your life the way you are. But don't stop doing what you are doing because working out won't work for you in the physical sense, but it is working wonders for your cardiovascular system and keeping you from getting diabetes".
*...silence*
to be continued (in tears)...
A Little History... well, not SO little... Part 8
I started the Liothyronine 25mcg on a Tuesday. I remember it, because it was only a few months ago. Thursday night, I started having mild headaches that lasted. Friday all day I had this headache that wasn't TOO bad, but it would not go away even with Tylenol or IB. I noticed I was sweating quite a bit, but just figured it was part of the process. I went to bed with a headache Friday night, and my heart was starting to pound, so much that it shook the bed.
Saturday morning, I woke up in a huge panic. It felt like a wrecking ball was hitting my head over, and over, and over. It was just about as bad as after my surgery! The sheets were soaked. I was shaking like a leaf. I could hardly breathe, and I stunk! OMG I have never stunk like that, even after a long run or a hard workout! Sweat? Yes, but stink?!? EEWW! I went to the bathroom and noticed my face was beet red. I went out to see my husband and he got quite concerned that I needed to call the doctor. I did, but had to leave a message, so I called the pharmacy.
The pharmacist (Mr. T) said it sounded like an overdose and he asked me what the doseage was. I told him that it was 25mcg. He said I needed to call the doctors office right away because it should have been 5mcg, and he pulled the prescription and told me he could see how it could have been misconstrued for 25mcg. I panicked, because on Sunday I was supposed to start taking 2 a day. What would have happened?
So I persisted, and finally got the doctors nurse to call me back and she said stop taking that immediately, and confirmed it was supposed to be 5mcg not 25. She said she would call in the 5mcg but she wanted me to wait until Thursday to start taking 1 a day, and then in one week, start taking 2 for a total of 10mcg.
I was more than happy to stop taking what I was taking but the headaches didn't subside completely until around Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, and at that point they were mild, and I could handle that no problem, after what I had just experienced.
to be continued (things calm down... a little...)...
Saturday morning, I woke up in a huge panic. It felt like a wrecking ball was hitting my head over, and over, and over. It was just about as bad as after my surgery! The sheets were soaked. I was shaking like a leaf. I could hardly breathe, and I stunk! OMG I have never stunk like that, even after a long run or a hard workout! Sweat? Yes, but stink?!? EEWW! I went to the bathroom and noticed my face was beet red. I went out to see my husband and he got quite concerned that I needed to call the doctor. I did, but had to leave a message, so I called the pharmacy.
The pharmacist (Mr. T) said it sounded like an overdose and he asked me what the doseage was. I told him that it was 25mcg. He said I needed to call the doctors office right away because it should have been 5mcg, and he pulled the prescription and told me he could see how it could have been misconstrued for 25mcg. I panicked, because on Sunday I was supposed to start taking 2 a day. What would have happened?
So I persisted, and finally got the doctors nurse to call me back and she said stop taking that immediately, and confirmed it was supposed to be 5mcg not 25. She said she would call in the 5mcg but she wanted me to wait until Thursday to start taking 1 a day, and then in one week, start taking 2 for a total of 10mcg.
I was more than happy to stop taking what I was taking but the headaches didn't subside completely until around Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, and at that point they were mild, and I could handle that no problem, after what I had just experienced.
to be continued (things calm down... a little...)...
A Little History... well, not SO little... Part 7
Ok. So I have ruined my metabolism, and my hard work of losing all the weight, by blindly taking a weight loss pill from Dr. J. My fault. But I tell you one thing, I will NEVER take a new medicine like that again, without researching the heck out of it. We are very lucky these days to have the internet. What amazing amounts of information out there for all of us to read to make sure what we take, is right for us BEFORE we take it! Gosh this is so very important.
I let everything settle down, and did not go back to any doctor concerning my thyroid again for some time. In the mean time, I did go to my gyno (sorry lol) and had myself tested for every std under the sun. All negative! Yippee!
In October 2009, I went to a new doctor. Dr. M I finally decided I have to get things straightened out, because now, not only can I lose, but I am GAINING! ARGH! I mean it isn't like I am sitting around eating bon bons all day! My first visit with Dr. M was basically informational, and he had me go get some labs done to check my T3/T4 levels. He went through the whole process of drawing out my thyroid and explaining what T3 ad T4's do and just how my thyroid works. I told him of my weight concern, and he told me that right now where I stand, my body is probably needing some T3, in order to ALLOW myself to lose weight.
The following week, I went and had my labs done, after fasting for 10-12 hours. When I went back in a few weeks later, Dr. M told me that he would recommend that I go on Liothyronine (T3) to allow my body to lose weight. He said my numbers were very high (2.76 when the normal should be around .02) and so along with the T3, he will most likely lower my synthroid, but he wanted this to settle in first, and then I would come back for more labs and see where we stood then. I researched the heck out of this medicine and it is sooo controversial... I really had to think long and hard about this one, but when he explained what it did and how it would help, I gave in and said OK. So I went home and started taking the Liothyronine in addition to the Synthroid.
to be continued (the plot thickens)...
I let everything settle down, and did not go back to any doctor concerning my thyroid again for some time. In the mean time, I did go to my gyno (sorry lol) and had myself tested for every std under the sun. All negative! Yippee!
In October 2009, I went to a new doctor. Dr. M I finally decided I have to get things straightened out, because now, not only can I lose, but I am GAINING! ARGH! I mean it isn't like I am sitting around eating bon bons all day! My first visit with Dr. M was basically informational, and he had me go get some labs done to check my T3/T4 levels. He went through the whole process of drawing out my thyroid and explaining what T3 ad T4's do and just how my thyroid works. I told him of my weight concern, and he told me that right now where I stand, my body is probably needing some T3, in order to ALLOW myself to lose weight.
The following week, I went and had my labs done, after fasting for 10-12 hours. When I went back in a few weeks later, Dr. M told me that he would recommend that I go on Liothyronine (T3) to allow my body to lose weight. He said my numbers were very high (2.76 when the normal should be around .02) and so along with the T3, he will most likely lower my synthroid, but he wanted this to settle in first, and then I would come back for more labs and see where we stood then. I researched the heck out of this medicine and it is sooo controversial... I really had to think long and hard about this one, but when he explained what it did and how it would help, I gave in and said OK. So I went home and started taking the Liothyronine in addition to the Synthroid.
to be continued (the plot thickens)...
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