Living with Thyroid Disease

In 2006 I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, papillary carcinoma. They say that if you were to have thryoid cancer, that is the best one to have. Not that any cancer is good to have at all, but this form is very treatable and not as aggressive as the other forms of thyroid cancer.

Upon biopsy results, health care personnel determined that I needed total thyroidectomy. I was scared to have that surgery because I am a singer and used to travel and hold concerts. The thyroid gland is located very close to the vocal chords.

Those who are not familiar with the thyroid gland's role and anatomy, let me just give you a little overview on this small, but important gland in our bodies. It has a butterfly shape and it is located in the anterior part of your neck, right in front of the larynx. It has role in metabolism, heart rate regulation, and the hormones T3 and T4 that it produces are crucial to keeping one's body healthy.

How do I know that? Well, I learned that on my own skin just this past week. Since I have no thyroid whatsoever anymore due to thyroidectomy, now I am relying on Levothyroxine to keep me going. Some people use the brand name Synthroid for that. Now everyone needs the same dosage of these medicines. It really depends on what disease you have and how much of your thyroid functions normally if any. Some take any from 100mcg to 150mcg or more of these medicines. Others take the natural medicine, Armour, and have seen better results than with the synthetic medicines.Armour used to be sold in natural stores over the counter, but now the FDA regulates it and you need a prescription to purchase it in the United States. The problem with that is that some MDs will not prescribe it. I recommend you find one that does. I found out about an MD that does that here in Birmingham, AL just by calling the natural health food store and the naturist there told me about it. My next stop is this clinic where this MD works.

Why would I want to change from Levothyroxine to Armour?

First of all it is natural. Armour is made of pig thyroid gland and pig thyroid is the only one that has the hormones necessary for a body to function properly, especially for those who have no thyroid whatsoever.
Those who do have a thyroid, but it just doesn't function to full capacity, can get some help using bovine derived thyroid hormones which currently is NOT regulated by the FDA.

Secondly, I heard that many people are doing much better on Armour than Synthroid or Levothyroxine. Some people say that once they changed to Armour they feel like they finally woke up. Yes, even on Levothyroxine I feel sleepy a lot and tired. Not taking Levothyroxine for a few weeks made me end up in the ER last week. I did not know it would get that bad, but it did. That little gland has an enormous role in our bodies. So, today I am back on Levothyroxine, but as I said, my next stop is to see the MD that will prescribe Armour. At least I want to try it and see how I feel. I am tired of feeling tired and sleepy. Also, my energy levels are low. I am also praying for a new thyroid gland. I wonder if they even do transplants? Just a thought...

It is not fun not having a thyroid. Every morning I have to remember to take a pill. No big deal, if I want to feel fine and not end up in the emergency room again, but I sure miss my thyroid gland. But, some of us do not have that luxury anymore, so we have to do the best we can with what we have.

I definitely feel much better since I am back on Levothyroxine than without, but something is still missing. I also take B12 daily, just to make sure I have that extra boost to carry out daily activities, but sometimes just scrubbing the bathtub makes me want to sit down and I am only 32!

Another problem we face is weight gain. Some of us even on these hormones still experience weight gain. Since our metabolism slows down in comparison with a healthy person's metabolism, we have trouble losing the weight even though we do not eat that much. Everything gets processed slower. I am about to start on a new diet soon to see if it will help me kee the weight down. I will try vegetables and fruit mostly and less pasta, bread, and potatoes. I hate exercising, but will try since I want to look better than I do. Again, I can't wait to see that MD on Armour; maybe it will do the trick.

If you have a different experience with thyroid medicine, how are you doing on it? Is there something you find to help you that might help others, too? Care to share with us?