[Ski]

#1072996

Oh dear, you’ve got an issue here, haven’t you?

Synthroid is NOT a medication, it is the thyroid hormone your husband’s body is no longer able to produce, because his thyroid was destroyed. Thyroid hormone is literally the fuel for every cell in the human body, and without it, your husband can, quite literally, run out of gas. It can be fatal to be hypothyroid over a long period of time.

Whatever symptoms he was having may have been due to taking a little too much, or a little too little, but he NEEDS that thyroid hormone in his bloodstream in order for everything to WORK. It may take a little while to get him back into normal ranges, even, at this point, and then you’ll need to work with his doctor to find HIS normal point (the range is quite large, and we need to find our personal best point within that range in order to feel our best).

Thyroid hormone replacement is chemically identical to the T4 thyroid hormone our body produces, so it is not processed through the liver like a pharmaceutical. If he’s stopped taking it because it may be "toxic," he’s got it all wrong.

Start by having his blood drawn and his thyroid hormone levels tested. Try to convince him at least to CHECK his levels. If his TSH is sky-high, he is hypothyroid. TSH has an inverse relationship to thyroid hormone (T4). When one is high, the other is low. If he needs to see the full thyroid panel in order to "believe," ask the doctor to test him for TSH and T4.

PLEASE let us know what we can do to help. This has to be extremely tough on you. We can e-mail him, if you’d like. Send me a private message if you’d like me to do that.

[netsrik95]

#1019633

I am new to this site, I have read many previous post and I think I am more confused than when I joined.

My husband was diagonsed about 2000/2001 with Grave’s Disease at age 26, he took Radio-active Iodine to "kill" his thyroid. He has seen several doctors since, 1-because we moved twice; 2-because he is a stubborn male who if he doesn’t like what the doc says he stops going. His weight has been up/down, he excersizes regularly (gym at work), goes on crazy diets bacause his office runs "Biggest Loser" contests often, but he eats lots of fruits/veggies regardless of contest, no red meat. I write today because about 3/4 months ago he decided he wasn;t taken any more meds., synthroid 137 mcg tablet. His moods have been irregular and I really never know what kind of attitude I am dealling with from day-to-day. We also has 2 small children. He is under stress with the economy and commutes 1 hour each way to work, so he blames that for his health. He has "cold" symptoms but again the stubborn side of him just deals with it. Thyoid disease is also in his family, at least 2 cousins, 1 uncle and 1 sibling.

He does not listen to me when I tell him he needs to go back on the meds. I need someting to show him so he knows this a serious condition. He had bad eye sight before he was diagonsed and doesn’t believe me when I say it could get worse, because I don’t have thyroid disease you know. He started snoring REALLY bad when he went off the meds. To me he is seems depressed and sluggish and again he says its because of his commutte.

How can I get the message across to him he needs to go to a doctor.

[DianneW]

#1072997

I’ve sent you a private message. As Ski said, this is an urgent situation. You will need outside intervention if your husband won’t listen to you. I’ve alerted Dr. Patterson to this situation since her training and experience are so well-suited to advising people how to proceed when problems like this occur.

You’re doing the right thing to look for help. I know that spouses can be stubborn; especially ones with Graves’ Disease. (I know because I AM one!!) Going to doctors does get old, and I understand the kind of frustration that would lead to his choice to essentially pretend Graves’ Disease doesn’t exist. Unfortunately, that choice will eventually be fatal, and we can’t let him do that to himself.

Hang in there. You’re not alone!

[Madame_X]

#1072998

Call the police and have them take your H. to the local ER.

I very much doubt he would argue with cops.

Your H has a gripload of problems — his vision may not even be adequate enough for him to entail driving a car. I’d hate to see him get into an accident where he or somebody else could be injured badly.

He could also go into thyroid storm or something else could happen to him while he is on the road.

If his vision has worsened it’s likely he will not fess up.

[npatterson]

#1072999

If he has stopped his Synthroid, he will eventually get slower, sleep more, and have a hard time concentrating. There is no way to tell how long this will take. It may be that his job will "call this to his attention", and insist that he goto a doctor. Unless I missed something, calling the police is not going to work. For now, you may have to give him his space. Hopefully, others on the board will post their experiences when they stopped taking their Synthroid, and you (or he) will get some more insight. My e-mail is "nancyngdf@bellsouth.net". I may have some bulletins to send you as attchments.

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