Wellness

[PhatCat]

For you people who have adrenal/thyroid issues. I know from the good people here that in order for your thyroid to run efficiently, the adrenals first have to be addressed. My 8am cortisol level was 2.7 (saliva) normal low is 3.9. My naturopath put me on bovine adrenal supplement and quite frankly, I feel worse. For those of you who have gone through this, does it get worse before it gets better (herxheimer affect)?? or is the supplement just not working.

Also, I get a dexa of the forearm done on a yearly basis, I have lost slightly over 10% of my bone density in one year. This also can be due to adrenals according to the net so I need to really get serious about fixing this adrenal thing once and for all.

This is so frustrating, my levels (thyroid, hormone, adrenal) go up and down up and down, going through this for over a year.

thanks,

Cath

[LilacTree]

Because of being on prednisone for so long, I have long suspected adrenal exhaustion. However, tests were taken and the endocrinologist said it was normal. I don't know if he actually looked at the test though because he couldn't find it when I asked. I am still suffering from extreme exhaustion and going to call his office Monday and have a nurse look into my file to see if the test is there.

My thyroid test was normal, he did have that one in front of him when I spoke to him. So I continue on 100 mcg of Synthroid, which has stayed pretty stable for over 20 years.

I hate to say it, but have you solicited a second opinion, because that just doesn't sound right.

It's also amazing how dexa scans can suddenly fall. My spine is -5.1, and my hips are -4.3 and -4.4. I have ten compressed vertebrae from severe osteoporosis, and just had surgery on two of them in August. It's urgently important to try to keep those scores from falling. However, the meds are so dangerous too, I don't take them. My heart goes out to you.

[meem120]

I would suggest a dexa of hip rather then forearm for a more accurate read.

[PhatCat]

thanks for your reply Ford. Yes, I have an appt with my endocrinologist mid February. I still keep up with him because I have thyroid nodules that need ultrasounds yearly to keep track of. I am hoping my adrenals are not to the point where I have Addison's disease.

My naturopath is wonderful but I do wonder if I went the pharmacutical route if I would be better by now. I do take Nature-thryoid and that I would never give up on. My thyroid numbers are good as well, she has me taking a thyroid supplement with lots of iodine but too, I wonder if just a higher does of Nature-throid would do the trick. Her office doesn't use Armour or Nature-throid, which to me is weird, I don't think she's all that familiar with it but she does know enough to tell me that I do not convert T4 to T3 so Synthroid for me is out of the question.

Take care.

[PhatCat]

On 1/18/2014 mcall1020 said: I would suggest a dexa of hip rather then forearm for a more accurate read.

Yes, I am going for the full DEXA next week. My Rheumatologist does the forearm as well, I am pretty sure that she believes the forearm is a better read. With all that is going on, I actually was going to skip the dexa if the forearm was normal but since it's not, thankfully I am on my every other year so the insurance will cover the test. (I have had three previously)

[adelle38]

On 1/18/2014 FATCATinCT said:

thanks for your reply Ford. Yes, I have an appt with my endocrinologist mid February. I still keep up with him because I have thyroid nodules that need ultrasounds yearly to keep track of. I am hoping my adrenals are not to the point where I have Addison's disease.

My naturopath is wonderful but I do wonder if I went the pharmacutical route if I would be better by now. I do take Nature-thryoid and that I would never give up on. My thyroid numbers are good as well, she has me taking a thyroid supplement with lots of iodine but too, I wonder if just a higher does of Nature-throid would do the trick. Her office doesn't use Armour or Nature-throid, which to me is weird, I don't think she's all that familiar with it but she does know enough to tell me that I do not convert T4 to T3 so Synthroid for me is out of the question.

Take care.

If you have an endocrinologist you feel comfortable with, you should discuss all your concerns with him. He is likely to have a better understanding of your issues than the naturopath. Since you already have bone density problems, you should be very careful about increasing any thyroid meds as they can contribute to that problem.

[LilacTree]

On 1/18/2014 FATCATinCT said:

thanks for your reply Ford. Yes, I have an appt with my endocrinologist mid February. I still keep up with him because I have thyroid nodules that need ultrasounds yearly to keep track of. I am hoping my adrenals are not to the point where I have Addison's disease.

My naturopath is wonderful but I do wonder if I went the pharmacutical route if I would be better by now. I do take Nature-thryoid and that I would never give up on. My thyroid numbers are good as well, she has me taking a thyroid supplement with lots of iodine but too, I wonder if just a higher does of Nature-throid would do the trick. Her office doesn't use Armour or Nature-throid, which to me is weird, I don't think she's all that familiar with it but she does know enough to tell me that I do not convert T4 to T3 so Synthroid for me is out of the question.

Take care.

Those meds are not familiar to me, so you must be mostly hyper than hypo, which is automatically harder to treat, especially if you have nodules, which I have never had.

I also worry about Addison's Disease because I can't seem to taper down less than 8 mgs of prednisone without Mack Truck pain (I have RA).

Trying to keep all of these hormones at a normal level is a juggling act for sure. Good luck.

[PhatCat]

Ford, I feel for you being on prednisone. It is a great drug for pain and inflammation but whenever I take it I become an uncontrollable raging wild woman. I was on it in the summer of 2012. 40mg for 6 days then weaning down taking a month to end. i stopped mid-way, I felt like a crazy homicidal wild woman and went off not knowing I could have gone into cardiac arrest. Could very well have been the start of my decline.

[PhatCat]

On 1/18/2014 adelle38 said:

On 1/18/2014 FATCATinCT said:

thanks for your reply Ford. Yes, I have an appt with my endocrinologist mid February. I still keep up with him because I have thyroid nodules that need ultrasounds yearly to keep track of. I am hoping my adrenals are not to the point where I have Addison's disease.

My naturopath is wonderful but I do wonder if I went the pharmacutical route if I would be better by now. I do take Nature-thryoid and that I would never give up on. My thyroid numbers are good as well, she has me taking a thyroid supplement with lots of iodine but too, I wonder if just a higher does of Nature-throid would do the trick. Her office doesn't use Armour or Nature-throid, which to me is weird, I don't think she's all that familiar with it but she does know enough to tell me that I do not convert T4 to T3 so Synthroid for me is out of the question.

Take care.

If you have an endocrinologist you feel comfortable with, you should discuss all your concerns with him. He is likely to have a better understanding of your issues than the naturopath. Since you already have bone density problems, you should be very careful about increasing any thyroid meds as they can contribute to that problem.

I wasn't aware thyroid meds can contribute to bone issues. Thanks for that info!

[LilacTree]

On 1/18/2014 FATCATinCT said:

On 1/18/2014 adelle38 said:

On 1/18/2014 FATCATinCT said:

thanks for your reply Ford. Yes, I have an appt with my endocrinologist mid February. I still keep up with him because I have thyroid nodules that need ultrasounds yearly to keep track of. I am hoping my adrenals are not to the point where I have Addison's disease.

My naturopath is wonderful but I do wonder if I went the pharmacutical route if I would be better by now. I do take Nature-thryoid and that I would never give up on. My thyroid numbers are good as well, she has me taking a thyroid supplement with lots of iodine but too, I wonder if just a higher does of Nature-throid would do the trick. Her office doesn't use Armour or Nature-throid, which to me is weird, I don't think she's all that familiar with it but she does know enough to tell me that I do not convert T4 to T3 so Synthroid for me is out of the question.

Take care.

If you have an endocrinologist you feel comfortable with, you should discuss all your concerns with him. He is likely to have a better understanding of your issues than the naturopath. Since you already have bone density problems, you should be very careful about increasing any thyroid meds as they can contribute to that problem.

I wasn't aware thyroid meds can contribute to bone issues. Thanks for that info!

I wasn't either, but I believe it because I have been on Synthroid for 20+ years, and prednisone for only ten years, and at a fairly low dose (10 mg, but right now 8 mg because I am trying to taper). One is dammed if they do and dammed if they don't with these kinds of hormonal and autoimmune issues.