I saw my hormone doctor a few days ago, and my thyroid still isn’t responding to the medication after a manufacturer change in late summer.
It’s frustrating because the only change from starting to function in August to going downhill in October is a different manufacturer for my T3 medication, liothyronine. I asked if we could aggressively treat my thyroid this time around, as it’s been 12 years total since my thyroid started to fail, 3 of those years seeing her and having near-close functionality, even almost optimal in November of 2021, and she said she wasn’t comfortable doing that. So another slight increase in T3 (liothyronine) while keeping the lowered dose of T4 (Tirosint) from October, hoping my body will respond this time. We also discussed Ozempic for my insulin resistance. I’m not a diabetic but have another hormone issue, in this case, insulin. I need to get a handle on it before it’s an issue. If only I had this doctor when my thyroid started failing in 2012, maybe I wouldn’t have all of these secondary issues now.
T4 should be mid-range, and T3 should be near the top of the range for optimal function. As you can see, I am at the very bottom of the range for both.
August 2022
- Free T4 – 1.0 / Reference Range: 0.8-1.8 ng/dL
- Free T3 – 3.1 / Reference Range: 2.3-4.2 pg/mL
October 2022
- Free T4 – 0.8 / Reference Range: 0.8-1.8 ng/dL
- Free T3 – 2.8 / Reference Range: 2.3-4.2 pg/mL
December 2022
- Free T4 – 0.8 / Reference Range: 0.8-1.8 ng/dL
- Free T3 – 2.4 / Reference Range: 2.3-4.2 pg/mL
I feel fucking awful all of the time. Cold, fatigue, my hair is shedding like crazy… and that’s on top of having migraines, an autoimmune disease, and being in my 40’s. I take a ridiculous amount of supplements. I am so strict on when I take my medications, when I take my supplements, and how soon before I ingest anything after I take my thyroid meds (one full hour), I eat two brazil nuts a day, I naturally eat lower-carb, and that’s if I’m able to eat at all because I rarely if ever have an appetite or even think about food.
I called my sister to discuss my appointment, as I’ve always done, and she ended up hanging up on me. I am still unsure why. I suspect it’s because I asked her to stop arguing about my health, she always tells me I’m doing things wrong, and I said I called her for support. Still, it hurt my feelings, and it’s another layer of stress I have to deal with.
My doctor’s office left a voicemail that I need to get some more blood work done this upcoming week as they are working on doing a prior authorization for the Ozempic. I must do it by Tuesday because the weather is getting bitterly cold, and we keep having these mini bursts of snow. It doesn’t stick but makes driving challenging because people seem to freak out and drive crazy whenever the weather isn’t perfectly sunny and dry.
Does anyone else have chronic health issues? Is it always this frustrating? I’m going on 10 years of trying to get better!
I don’t personally have any chronic conditions other than anemia and weight. I currently take Adipex for weight loss. My friend is struggling with chronic health issues and they’re very similar to what you mentioned in terms of symptoms, she has a partial thyroid. However, as a nurse, in my previous position before I started working Psych, I supported my patients who dealt with chronic health issues, and I know how frustrated many of them felt when it was difficult to find the right medication. ❤️
It’s ridiculous how I’ve been treated over the last 10+ years over what I assumed was a “simple” issue. I was almost killed, I mean that literally, TWICE, by a former doctor. I’ve had other doctors tell me I should have sued for malpractice. It caused my PTSD to develop into CPTSD, and I still panic in medical settings.
Anemia sucks. I have two forms of it. I can’t get a handle on it. Do you take any supplements for it?