Saturday, September 16, 2006

So Tired

I've been rather MIA the past weeks haven't I? I don't really have an excuse, except I'm just tired. Really, really, scarily tired.

I expended a lot of mental energy trying to figure out why I'm so tired and I can't fix on any one thing. Unfortunately there are just too many potential reasons.

The biggest possible reason in related to my thyroid hormone dose. It's been 6 years since my diagnosis and surgeries and it's standard practice to lower the dose of levothroxine after 5. So, for the past year, every few months my dose gets pushed down another notch. Right now I'm at 100 micrograms a day with the understanding that it will most likely need to go down further to get my T3, T4 and TSH levels in the "right" range.

I have a request. I've done some research by I'm not having any luck finding this answer. What the standard dose of thyroid hormone given to a female with no thyroid? I have a feeling I'm edging into the dosages of women who actually have a partial functioning thyroid which seems like a bad idea. So my request is this: If you take or know someone who takes thyroid replacement hormone (Synthroid, Levoxyl, levothyroxine), could you let me know what dosage? If you wouldn't mind including approximate age and weight and what condition is being treated, that would all be worthwhile info as well. Leave a comment or send me an email at hiphipcrochet at yahoo dot com. Thank you.

As far as the other reasons go, none of them have changes recently but they're all still viable. Major depressive disorder and medication for that, lack of exercise, eating like crap, allergies and subsequent sinus headaches, stress from school and life in general and so on. Like I said, all potential reasons for exhaustion, but they've been pretty static for a while now.

Ugh, quite the downer post, isn't this? I promise I'll try to write more (and more positively) soon.

7 comments:

Deneen said...

Pam, I hope you feel better. I have heard that thyroid dosage adjustments are pretty crappy. My mother has been going through it after years of one dose. I will ask her what her dosages are. She had her thyroid and parathyroid removed and has to take high dose calcium supplements with her synthroid and prescription vitamin D.

Give me a few days.

Creative Genius? said...

Hey babe,

Ok I am on synthroid and have been for several months (for hypothryoid and hashimotos) ... they keep uping my dose.

I started at 117lbs and 29 years old... and I think they started at either 35 mcg or 50 mcg (but I need to check)... I then went up each time my blood was checked.

I am now at 100mcg, 144lbs and 30 years old (pregnant too)... so not sure if that is going to help you at all - but figured I'd give you all the data... You know where to find me if you need more!

Good luck babe!

:-) AL

Ashley said...

Hm. My mom has her thyroid, but at some point in my fetal development 28-ish years ago, it stopped working altogether. So, it's basically a place marker.

I'll find out what she's on and what dosage and let you know! =)

Becky said...

Pam,

I can answer that question for you... give me a write
rldewey@cox.net

Becky

Anonymous said...

I had to go find my pill bottles... I'm on 50 mcg of Levothyroxine, and 25 mcg of Cytomel. That dose pretty much keeps my thyroid from attempting to work, because when it attempts to function I look like I have an adam's apple. :(

Anonymous said...

Ack, I meant to point you over to
Thyroid.About.com. The site has a ton of information, I'm thinking she's probably answered this question before.

Stephanie said...

oh - sorry to hear about the low low energy - I've bene in a fair slump myself, and I'm also tending towards more up late in the evening, more wanting to sleep in in the morning...could be the change in weather? (yes, fall is here, even with it being over 90 still)