I had neck and back stiffness for the last two years. I
generally felt like I was getting older, you know, creaking
in my old age. (I just turned 41!) Anyway, my new doctor,
just out of college, and so far terrific compared to my old
doctor, (both women), and also with a thyroid condition, she
had surgery on hers, told me to take extra calcium. I have.
about 600MG extra on top of cereal or multivitamin to a total
of 1000 MG per day (or 8 glasses of milk a day - too fattening),
and I have to admit. The aches are going away. I have been
doing this for 3 months. The hashi condition evidently puts
extra strain on the bones and depletes the calcium causing
osteoporisis at an earlier stage in life. If you have had
it for several years before your diagnosis, you may be well
along in this. Take extra calcium and possibly potassium, and
plenty of bananas if you can stand it. It will take a while
to feel a difference but it seems to work for me.
Unfortunately, my old doctor thought that .24 was really 2.4
on the thyroid tests...this I have deduced as my tests with
the new doctor. She and I have been experimenting..and she
has discovered that back on the original dose of synthroid
(generic) (we went to .175 mcg and combinations thereof back
down to .150mcg which I have been on for 6 years since she
raised it after my son was born - felt terrible ever since,
although I also have had many more stresses in my life...)
but anyway, I am now at .23, which is way too high ( I even
had anxiety attacks all through this period and depression).
Let me tell you my job is suffering! Anyway, I have probably
been at .23 for the last 6 years! I should be at 1.5 or as
close as possible, according to my new doctor. We are getting
there slowly, every 6 weeks we take a test, and adjust the
dose accordingly. .98 is real close, but I'd say still too
high ( you are hyper if the number is lower, hypo if the number
is higher than 1.5 ).
She also put me on a non-generic synthroid.
But in any case, find out what happens to you and provide your
body what it needs, like the requirement for extra calcium,
and don't expect quick results. Thyroid has a 1/2 life of
6-7 days...so the dose you took today stays with you for a whole
week. That's why we wait 6 weeks to do the tests. To make
sure we are getting a test of the new dose, not a mix of the
old and new dose.
> Approved-By: [log in to unmask]
> MIME-Version: 1.0
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
> Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 18:04:09 +0100
> From: Ruth Longoria <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re. Joint Pain & Stiffness / Depression
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> Hi,
> I am in my late 40's, was diagnosed with Hashimoto's and began taking
> Synthroid 5 wks. ago. I'm up to 75mcg. I have been reading this list a
> couple of weeks. I have had joint and muscle pain and stiffness and
> fatigue for about two years and this has not improved with Synthroid;
> at least not yet. I saw my Dr. this week. My TSH is .98, and basic
> arthritis battery is normal. He says I have Fibromyalgia, which is
> sometimes seen with Thyroid Disease and other autoimmune diseases. It
> is sometimes misdiagnosed as depression (some other symptoms are deep
> sleep disturbance, decreased concentration and memory loss). There is
> no diagnostic test; diagnosis is based on symptoms. Treatment is aimed
> at correcting sleep disturbance. He said the best medications to
> improve deep sleep are tricyclic antidepressants. The next best
> medication is Xanax. He has put me on a 2 week trial of Xanax at
> bedtime as a diagnostic tool to see if my symptoms respond to it. He
> says it is not an effective long term treatment. I guess if I do
> respond to this I'll have to consider a tricyclic antidepressant. I've
> read there is a connection between thyroid function, and depression;
> the neurotransmitter Serotonin. I don't understand it well enough to
> explain it here, but I got my information by searching "Fibromyalgia"
> on the internet. Apparently recent research has shown moderate
> exercise and the tricyclics effective treatment. Also, much of what
> I've read lists depression as a symptom of Thyroid disease. So which
> came first??? Are they even related to each other??? I don't know!!! I
> am pretty confused about all this. My TSH is normal now, but I still
> have the fibromyalgia. My Dr. is an internist and I believe he's
> really trying to alleviate my symptoms. In my experience thus far
> there are just no clear answers.
>
> The big question is should I try a "tricyclic"??? The treatment would
> be for at least 8 months.
>
> I empathize! I truly do! I'm pretty tired of feeling sick and tired
> too. Thanks for sharing and for listening.
>
> Ruth
*************************:)
Shining tears were in the Lion's eyes, and he said "Pain and grief are
great. Only you and I in this land know this yet...Let us be good to one
another." -Tales of Narnia
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