[kristenb]

#1018003

For those of you who had rai.. What was your tsh when you found out you were hypo? I feel like mine was super high.. Also how long does it take for the replacements to start lowering that number. Also has anyone experienced efect from control pills?

[Ski]

#1062148

Once we are hypothyroid, there’s a certain point beyond which it’s literally impossible to be "more" hypo ~ in other words, the high levels of TSH are a chemical sent into the bloodstream from the pituitary gland which is supposed to "talk" to your thyroid to tell it to release more thyroid hormone. Since we have no thyroid after RAI, it doesn’t respond, and if our levels go uncorrected for a while, then the pituitary continues increasing the TSH in order to try and get through to the thyroid which is not responding. If you ever get to a point where there is NO thyroid hormone in your bloodstream (not very likely, especially when we anticipate this after RAI), the TSH may continue to rise, but it doesn’t mean you have "less than no" thyroid hormone, if you see what I mean.

Whenever you start taking thyroid hormone replacement, the TSH should begin to drop fairly quickly. Keep in mind that your body needs at least six weeks on a new dose of thyroid hormone replacement before your TSH levels will give you an accurate read on how you are responding to it, so wait that amount of time before having labs done in order to make sure the journey to YOUR best dose is as short as possible.

You should know that, when you either begin taking thyroid hormone replacement OR when you change a dose level (up or down), you will likely feel a bit up/down/all around for a couple of weeks, then your body will begin to settle into the dose, so it’s impossible to make determinations about the effectiveness of your dose by the way you feel the next day, or two days later.

That said, some people have reactions to the fillers that make thyroid hormone replacement into a pill, and there are different types you can try if that happens to you. Talk with your doctor about what to look for and what the options are.

It is literally impossible to "react" negatively to the actual thyroid hormone replacement, because it is chemically identical to the thyroid hormone that your body would generate, if your thyroid still functioned. Any negative reactions would be due to a dose that is incorrect ~ a dose too low will result in hypothyroidism, and a dose too high will result in hyperthyroidism, but it’s not a "fault" of the thyroid hormone, it’s a problem with the amount the patient is taking.

Pay very close attention to the rules for taking thyroid hormone replacement ~ take it with 8 oz. of water on an empty stomach (at least 3 hours after eating), and don’t eat for 30-45 minutes after you take it. Also, don’t take mineral supplements for at least 4 hours afterward. That’ll help you get through this smoothly too.

[snelsen]

#1062149

Ski wrote a great and informative answer to your questions about how all this works!
I think I would ask your endo about the combination of thyroid hormone and birth control pills. I suspect that it is not a problem. Most of the women who have Graves’ are childbearing age. Even better, ask you pharmacist.
Shirley

[Author]

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