Sunday, May 27, 2007

Trying Combination Therapy For Hypothyroidism

After all I've read yesterday and today on Hypothyroidism I am kicking myself for waiting so long to educate myself. I have always just went along with whatever the doctor told me. I never even asked what my TSH levels were.I just took the medication the doctor prescribed and tried to deal with the symptoms that never went away or improved as best as I could. I am now learning that it is very possible that I have never been on the correct dosage of levothyroxine and that I may even need what is called combination therapy.

Combination therapy is a combination of synthetic levothyroxine T4 and synthetic liothyronine T3. The traditional treatment of Hypothyroidism is T4 only. That is what I have always been on. I tried to get one doctor to prescribe T3 about a year ago after reading an article in Fitness RX but he said no. My doctor now is more open to patient imput and I believe he will actually prescribe me a drug called Armour which is a combination drug containing both T3 and T4. I am going to make an appointment for this week and see if I can get this thing straightened out.

I always knew that it took a lot for me to lose weight after I became Hypo but I didn't think there was anything I could do about it. I have been reading and it seems that I am going to have a more difficult time than the average person to lose weight, but I have always known that. I tried to tell my Dad this but he thinks that I just eat too much. I may not make the wisest food choices but I do not eat a lot.

In the past every time I began a new diet or exercise program I would get real excited that THIS time I will actually lose weight. Three times in my life I have had to lose weight that I gained from being sedentary and I did not lose any weight until I got a job that was very physical. I had to be moving for eight hours a day to lose the weight. I love working physical jobs. I am good at it but right now my husband and I have decided it is best if I stay home and work form here. We can' t afford the extra gas, insurance and car payment. I do admit that since September I have not excercised like I promised myself I would but I should not have gained 46 lbs. I just didn't eat emough. I am praying that this new medication will help me to lose this stupid weight.

I am going to be doing more research about Hypothyroidism and become as proactive in my treatment as I can. There has got to be a better way than just settling for being fat!

No comments: