Suggest Treatment For Under-active Thyroid

Hi Rachel, and thanks for asking us at HCM. I am sorry that your symptoms have not improved despite treatment. Low mood, emotional lability, low energy, anhedonia (not interested in pleasurable activities), lack of sexual interest, cold intolerance and anxiety all suggest that your hypothyroidism has not been treated satisfactorily and I am concerned that this might have led to depression. You did not mention your age but from the age of your children I am guessing you are in your late 30 s or early 40 s? Hypothyroidism can cause irregular and prolonged menses with heavy bleeding - are you experiencing this? You need to be holistic about your treatment. Please consider your diet - are you eating clean? If you have heavy periods, you are possibly having iron deficiency anemia - this is a very exhausting condition. Try to clean up your diet by eliminating processed foods, instant foods, junk food and excess carbohydrates. Cereals and high fibre foods must not be taken with your medication. Cereals are not healthy. Fibre can be taken at night not i in the morning. Currently, try to cut caffeine out if you are on it as it will slow down your recovery. Try to incorporate light, regular exercise to begin with. I know you are very tired - do try to go for 10 mins daily first and then gradually increase it until you can reach 30 mins. This is necessary to amp up your resting metabolic rate and force your thyroid gland into greater activity. 75mg of Eltroxin may not be enough to treat your problem, especially if you have autoimmune thyroiditis (a disorder where your body is forming antibodies against thyroxine). The best way to diagnose this is to perform a blood test for thyroid antibodies. This test is costly but after 3 years of no improvement, I think all bases should be covered. The other investigations that should be considered is an ultrasound study of your thyroid gland along with a full blood workup covering lipids, sugar control (oral glucose tolerance, serum insulin levels, HbA1c) as well as iron studies. In my experience, ladies who have underactive thyroid have iron deficiency as well as dyslipidemia (high triglycerides and cholesterol). I am both a family medicine and anti-aging Dr - I treat my patients by helping them change their diet, lifestyle and putting them on supplements and medication. I treat hypothyroid patients by putting them on bio-identical thyroxine. Bio-identical thyroxine is made from plants and is very similar to the thyroxine produced in our bodies. Eltroxine is synthetic - a higher dose is required to achieve symptom control compared to patients on bio-identical thyroxine. This higher dose is often accompanied by nasty side effects which include palpitations, tremor and irritability. Also, the dose needs to be gradually increased to achieve symptom control as your body develops a tolerance to the drug. With bio-identicals, we tailor the dose according to what you need based on your symptom severity and blood test results. I do not know where Ireland stands on Bio-identicals, some countries frown upon it while in many countries, both options are available to the patient. Meanwhile, let me tell you what supplements you must take on a DAILY basis religiously to start you feeling better. Of course, the most important step on the road to wellness is a clean, healthy diet. 1. Selenium 200 micrograms - long term to support your thyroid function 2. Ashwaganda (if you can get this) - to improve thyroid health 3. Omega 3 - at least 1.5 gram (high quality fish oil ) - this is an important building block for your body to make functional hormones and can aid in weight loss 4. Probiotics - many people who have endocrine problems do not have healthy gut bacteria. Find a good probiotic and stick to it. 5. Vitamin B complex - to kickstart your energy levels 6. Consider supplementing iron if your periods are heavy and iron levels are low. Do be cautious as iron can cause constipation. 7. Calcium, magnesium, phoshorus & Vit D complex - you need to start looking after your bone health, more so if you are overweight and have hormonal issues. These supplements can help your current situation but it will take time - at least 2 weeks before you start feeling some difference. It would be great if you have access to a nutritional and anti-aging doctor. Good luck and I hope this advice helps. I am from a holistic medicine background and I always encourage my patients to approach their condition holistically.