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Archive through December 30, 2007

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: Oct. 2007 ~ Dec. 2007: Health Center: Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain: Archive through December 30, 2007 users admin

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Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Friday, December 28, 2007 - 6:33 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
My doctor has me on Magnesium.. Blaine Mag-Ox 400 mg tablet twice a day (in my case for restless leg syndrome). He says they are more easily digested than some ..

Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Friday, December 28, 2007 - 7:51 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
Holly...so sorry I wasnt here for you earlier today...I really dont read/post at work

I see Kar was here for you and gave you the info I would have given....in case ya didnt know, Kar is great!!!

You sound like I was in July.....the Corvalen has been amazing, every month I am on it I feel better.

Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Friday, December 28, 2007 - 7:58 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
Kar, if you could transcribe it here I bet there are many of us that would love it!!! if thats too hard for you to do then a tape would be very cool!

Holly, arent the people here great!?? I see Mame also came to the rescue, she is another doll!!!

Ruby and Sea are also wonderful and are so kind to offer help and support here!!!

Hope you feel better soon! xoxxooxox

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Friday, December 28, 2007 - 11:37 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
I just know that for my particular problem, taking magnesium (I also take Potassium and calcium) helped my restless leg, more than when I was on Mirapex, and that had some really unfortunate side effects.

Hukdonreality
Member

09-29-2003

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 5:48 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hukdonreality a private message Print Post    
Symptoms of hypothyroidism include:

Fatigue
Weakness
Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
Coarse, dry hair
Dry, rough pale skin
Hair loss
Cold intolerance (can't tolerate the cold like those around you)
Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
Constipation
Depression
Irritability
Memory loss
Abnormal menstrual cycles
Decreased libido

If your physician prescribes a thyroid replacement medication such as synthroid and you don't take it, revisit your symptoms of fibromyalgia. Many are quite similar. I strongly suggest taking the synthroid as prescribed instead of deciding yourself that you don't want to.

Synthroid in and of itself shouldn't cause any side effects unless your blood levels have changed and you're getting an incorrect dosage. Until proper blood levels are reached, you may not feel quite right. Synthroid builds to a certain blood level over time, and that's why doctors test and retest blood levels frequently for up to a year or so. This is NOT like taking two Advils for headaches, where the doseage has been tested on a huge cohort of patients and its effectiveness is proven. Synthoid is a natural hormone found in our bodies and we need it for our organ systems to function properly.

Do yourselves a favor and read up on the complications from NOT taking it while you're hyperthyroid. You are risking thinning bones and cardiac issues along with ongoing muscle aches and pains and the other myriad of symptoms listed above by not taking it as prescribed. If you just "decide" not to take it for whatever reason, the next time you have your blood levels tested, the doctor is getting false results. WHY would anyone risk this?

Another thing: if you miss a few days worth of doses, you should not feel any differently right away. Synthroid builds up in the blood stream over time, not immediately. On occasion over the years, I could not afford to fill my prescription and have gone 4 days (at most) without it. The fatigue is palpable...but not until the week following my missed doses. You will not become fatigued during the days you miss doses, but not until later on when the blood levels drop.

I have NO thyroid gland as it was removed due to cancer. If I chose not to take my synthoid, I would die. This is not something that should be taken so lightly.

Holly
Member

06-19-2005

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 8:03 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Holly a private message Print Post    
Huk, I AM taking it. I'm thinking of stopping it as I had NONE of those symptoms before taking the meds. They only started after beginning the Rx, including hair loss which is a side effect of the synthroid for some people as well as muscle aches. I feel a whole lot worse than I did before starting this stuff and from talking to people, I'm not alone in hating what this med does to the body. Some people immediately feel better when put on it but many others just cannot tolerate the synthetic hormone and I'm more convinced each day that I'm in that group.

Do yourselves a favor and read up on the complications from NOT taking it while you're hyperthyroid.

I'm not sure that you mean by the above. Are you saying that I'm presently hyperthyroid because the dose I'm on is too high? It was prescribed to me because I'm hypo not hyper.

Pamy No worries! Kar came right on board and gave me the info I needed to order the Corvalen and Calm which I've done already. I hope I have the same good results with it as you both do. And thanks to Sea and Rubyroo too for their input. Yes, the people at TVCH are the bestest :-)

Hukdonreality
Member

09-29-2003

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 8:13 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hukdonreality a private message Print Post    
Sorry Holly, I meant hypo, not hyper in that above quote! Yes, I'm thinking that perhaps your doseage is too high. Your specific symptoms may be related to having too much! Best of luck with getting that regulated.

Holly
Member

06-19-2005

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 8:49 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Holly a private message Print Post    
Thanks Huk. I'm looking at a site for natural remedies right now. Sharinia posted some very helpful stuff a month or so ago re natural remedies, so I'm definitely ready to look into them now. Thanks again Sharinia :-)

Sharinia
Member

09-07-2002

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 8:53 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Sharinia a private message Print Post    
Hey Holly. I haven't been keeping up with this thread, but just popped in and saw your post. You are welcome :-)

eta: if you wanna ask me anything of course, don't hesitate.. if i miss it here, try my folder


Holly
Member

06-19-2005

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 9:40 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Holly a private message Print Post    
Hi Sharinia. I sure appreciate that offer and will be taking you up on it, I'm sure.

It all just gets so frustrating but knowing what you've personally been through and accomplished, gives hope and encouragement. Hope you had a great Christmas :-)

Karuuna
Board Administrator

08-31-2000

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 9:53 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karuuna a private message Print Post    
Sharinia, what natural remedies do you know of (if any) for hypothyroidism?

I'll try and transcribe that tape later today. I'm a pretty fast typist, so shouldn't be too hard.

Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 11:43 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
YAH Kar!

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 11:54 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
Holly, there definitely isn't a 'one size fits all' with sythroid. there also a ton of sythroid haters out there on website LOL
it took a while to find the right dosage for me. i also take a little armour thyroid too. i have been doing great for over a year. (it might have taken me almost a year to get it exactly right)
i go every 6 months and get re-tested. my doc is good about not just looking at my levels but at how i am feeling.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 12:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
Mameblanche, be sure you aren't taking your iron at the same time you are taking your thyroid meds. the iron with cause you not to absorb the thyroid med.

Mameblanche
Member

08-24-2002

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 12:20 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mameblanche a private message Print Post    
Wow. Thanks to Huk for her extensive list. I finally scored 100 percent on something. LOL. j/k Seriously you guys have made me rethink my stupidity. And her caring admonishment hit home. But Texannie, if I can't take the iron pills and the synthroid together... then how should I allocate them... morning and night? mealtimes?

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 1:42 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
probably synthroid in the am (cause it's supposed to be on an empty stomach) and iron at bedtime and/or dinner time.

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 1:56 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
MB, or call the pharmacy or the doc.

Holly
Member

06-19-2005

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 2:09 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Holly a private message Print Post    
Texannie, if I may ask, why do you take the armour thyroid on top of the synthroid?

I don't think I have the patience to play around with this stuff for a year or so. My doctor has been testing my thyroid every time I have bloodwork for years now and this "needing meds" just came out of the blue. I really didn't have any symptoms--it was just a regular b/w test. I just don't think I need to be on this stuff. Now I'm scared it's really screwed up my thyroid and might have opened a can of worms.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 5:22 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
Holly..synthroid is just T4 and armour is both T4 and T3. My doc feels you need a little T3 to make the T4 work better. (something about converting better)
i think why it took so long was i had the wrong doc. once i found my current doc, it was really a matter of 6 months or so, but it was worth it, i had every symptom in the book and feel SO much better now.

Holly
Member

06-19-2005

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 5:41 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Holly a private message Print Post    
Thanks, Texannie. I'm going to talk with my doctor about it next week and see if he'll change my Rx or let me come off it.

Mameblanche
Member

08-24-2002

Saturday, December 29, 2007 - 7:51 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mameblanche a private message Print Post    
Thx Tex & Jooj!

Sharinia
Member

09-07-2002

Sunday, December 30, 2007 - 9:24 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Sharinia a private message Print Post    
Holly, I didn't realize early that you had fibro - not just thyroid issues. I'm sorry It is tough - but yeah, there is hope and things can get better than you ever dared to imagine.

Kar, I will repost the thyroid info that I gave to Holly a couple of months ago.


Sharinia
Member

09-07-2002

Sunday, December 30, 2007 - 9:28 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Sharinia a private message Print Post    
I have never needed thyroid myself, but have a folder full of notes on it from some smart friends (phds) who have gone the alternative route. I kept what they said just in case.

Here are some of their recommendations:

"Levoxyl is the generic form of Synthroid. Try finding a doctor willing to help you explore the use of Armour, biothroid or other desiccated thyroids."

"You can get low doses of armour online

http://nutri-meds.com/order_domestic_products.shtml

Also these folks may be able to hook you up with a doctor:

http://www.brodabarnes.org/

Getting a thyroid supplement will help you get rid of mercury. Maybe later, you won’t need the thyroid. Try to find an alternative doctor that will start with a desiccated thyroid supplement (like Armour or Nutri-meds) and then add in a T3 supplement (Cytomel)."

"You can get what is equivalent to a quarter grain without a prescription from www.nutri-meds.com The porcine usually works better than the bovine, but everyone is different.

If you only need a quarter grain, then the Nutri-meds is at a good price. However, Armour and especially Bio-throid are a lot cheaper when you start using higher doses. You have to be careful though. There are some insurance plans that want a high deductible when you purchase Armour or bio-throid. They may not be on their "approved" list. So the insurance company will charge you a $50 deductible for a ONE month supply. This is outrageous. It is much much cheaper to tell the pharmacist that you don't want to run this prescription through your insurance. Then it will only cost you about $25 to $35 for a THREE month supply of Armour or Bio-throid."

"For those with low body temps - Dr. Wilson (Wilson Syndrome) latest newsletter is quite informative. It's the issue entitled "WTS / I have more energy than I've ever had." The website URL is www.wilsonsthyroidsyndrome.com

http://thyroid.about.com/cs/doctors/a/topdocs.htm

More from Ray Peat:

www.efn.org/~raypeat

newsletters on hormones:

www.efn.org/~raypeat"

Hope this helps. You may also want to look for a thyroid forum on the net that discusses these alternatives - I bet it would be super helpful and you could find people to help guide you through it. gl!


Holly
Member

06-19-2005

Sunday, December 30, 2007 - 10:06 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Holly a private message Print Post    
Thanks for reposting all of that Shar. I'm sure there are others who will find it helpful too.

I really think the acupuncture helped as I felt a lot better yesterday. It just took a while though. I don't know why, but I expected it to have some effect right away rather than taking until the next day! I'm thinking now that I'll give it another shot.

Pamy
Member

01-02-2002

Sunday, December 30, 2007 - 10:43 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Pamy a private message Print Post    
Shar, you are awesome to share all the notes you have gathered. I know your notes on fibro helped me! Thanks again!

Holly, glad you are feeling a bit better :-)

I did 3 sessions of acupuncture and felt no better..but I didnt really like the guy or office and found out last week it went out of business. He showed me the needles he used came out of sterile little bottles.

I have had a bad feeling about that place and worry that what he said wasnt true. I think I want to get a blood test just to be safe.

The last 2 days I have felt some fibro pains and fibro fatigue...not too bad just havent felt it in so long that I am bummed I feel it now.