new meds

Hmmm...abnormal thyroid levels?

Well, that's interesting.  I recall that my mom had those issues, and that she took synthroid for decades.

This could explain lots of things.

In my research about it (which you can bet I did!), I have learned that those evil nighttime leg cramps and foot cramps that I get can be caused by low thyroid levels.
(and yes, I know all of the "remedies" for those that are supposed to work...I've done them for years....and get the cramps once in a while anyway, sometimes pretty frequently. I also get horrible foot cramps that wake me up or cripple me in the middle of dance class.)

I have learned that gain of an annoying less than 10 pounds that one simply CANNOT LOSE no matter what one does can be caused by low thyroid levels (still struggling incessantly...working out every day, eating as clean and light as is humany possible...and I have lost ONE LOUSY INCH, and gained a pound of weight).

I have learned that feelings of anxiety, nightmares, and sleeplessness can be caused by low thyroid levels.

Not to mention mood swings. Dave will attest, I feel like I've been angry since April.  This is starting to remind me of my mother, who was constantly angry for no reason.

I do not want to become my  mother.  I'm already cursed with looking exactly like her, and that's enough.

Some of my friends and family may recall that I have historically been very sensitive to drugs, and have preferred "natural" remedies to chemical drugs for most of my life whenever possible.  I have been interested in herbal remedies and natural health since my first job in a health food store at the age of 17---I've got two certifications in herbal medicine (which I can't use professionally, of course, and never would try!), and a lifetime of study in natural health, fitness, and nutrition to enhance my profession as a massage therapist, and as a way of life for myself.

I tend to be allergic to medications....like antibiotics.  I can only take one that I know of that doesn't cause me to have rashes or pass out.  And I was prescribed Paxil for my anxiety attacks last year, and it made me very ill.  I only took one pill, but the nurse confirmed that my experience was an allergic reaction.

The only time I've been prescribed a long term medication in my life has been the hormones I take for those horrendous periods.

SO, I did the research, and sincerely hoped to be able to manage this situation without drugs....but almost all of the "natural remedies for low thyroid" articles that I read seemed to indicate that it's really hard to successfully manage this issue with herbs and diet.

The doctor (my gyne) had said that the dosage would be very low, so I let her office call it in.  I picked up my new medication the other day.

On purpose, I did NOT READ the potential side effects until after a day or two of taking the medicine.  Because of my tendency to be sensitive or allergic, I didn't want to "set myself up."

On the first day, I had a leg cramp in the middle of the day, while sitting at my desk at work.  Then I had overall joint pains that came out of nowhere, and lasted about an hour.  Then I got this weird headache, but the headache responded very well to a single ibuprofin (which my headaches do not usually do).  Then I had the worst leg cramp in MONTHS that night.

The next day, I had the runs, but none of the other bizarre symptoms.

THEN, I decided to read the info sheet from the pharmacy.

Leg cramps.  Joint pain.  Stomach cramps. Diarrhea. Headache.

Interesting. 

There are those who would say "it's just your imagination."  Okay, whatever.  How could I imagine something I didn't know about?

I  DO, however, know my body very, very well, and I do not normally feel these things!  I also know that I have always been hyper sensitive to medicines.

Because of the hyper sensitivity, I am pretty sure that these symptoms were my body  saying "hey, there's something different in here...."  but I didn't stop taking it.  I didn't panic.  I decided to just keep going and see what happens.

More runs yesterday, but no more leg cramps, no more joint pains, no more headaches, and today, everything seems okay.

I have a feeling it will take several weeks before I notice any BENEFITS from the medication.  But I am going to give it a try.

In the meantime, my doctor is ready to test me to see if I can come off of the hormones.  We'll do that testing in October, and probably check the thyroid level again at that point, too.

If the test reveals that I am in menopause, I can stop the hormones.  I'm kind of hoping for that.  You all know I'd prefer to be all natural. *smile*

Next week?  Mammogram and bone density testing. Whee.

Oh, and I  hate to jinx us, but our summer weather has been less brutal, in large part, than the past two years.  We were easily getting up to 110 and hotter by this time last summer, maybe 105 the summer before...but this year, our over 100 days have been far fewer.

For this, I am EXTREMELY grateful.  I posted a few weeks ago that I was certain that hell was here, and would be for three months, but I am being proven wrong, much to my joy.

I just wish it hadn't moved to the upper midwest instead.