Levothyroxine Treatment was Not Working

Twelve months ago I was on levothyroxine and was not at all well. I was being treated for M.E./fibromyalgia amongst a whole list of other ailments that went hand in hand with the thyroid and M.E. On 125 mcg of levothyroxine (T4) and I was still not well.

I went from being told there was no more they could do and the blood tests were showing that the amount I was on was perfect for me, the bloods were excellent! I agreed and carried on with the horrid symptoms of M.E., never able to stay awake beyond 9pm at night with around 6 other separate sleeps in the day.

I was in so much pain and this time last year I was addicted to tramadol for the pain on top of gabapentin, paracetamol, naproxen and any thing else that would be safe to take with all of it, with no real relief from pain, the only thing that ever really worked was Oramorph but I believed this only worked because it knocked me out.

On a bad day I couldn’t get out of bed.

I would visit my GP around 3 or 4 times a week every week. My eyesight was horrific and slowly getting worse, I had to use dry tears all the time and ended up with huge cysts growing out of my eyeballs that I had to have popped at the eye clinic regularly due to rubbing so bad because they were dry, I also wore glasses full time and needed eye tests more regular than most because my eyes kept changing.

I used walking sticks on a good day. On a bad day I couldn’t get out of bed. I have suffered like this since around 2004.

New year 2011 I made a pact with my self to try every last thing to get well so I rejoined a thyroid site which I’d been to in 2004 and just sat and read and read everyones’ sufferings and everyones’ successes.

I realised I needed a visit with an endocrinologist but had no idea how to go about it. This is where I met with very helpful people, one in particular I have to say and he showed me the way, how to write to the endo before seeing him and what I need to ask for and giving me the right pointers instead of going back in and sounding neurotic.

March 17th, 2011 at 11.10am would be the day that changed my life, I saw a fantastic endo who listened, agreed and began the testing.

We changed the levo to be taken at night for the first 6 weeks, this helped in the first few weeks and I felt great but it soon ebbed away.

The second appointment was when I started the T3 along with the T4 which worked initially then stopped – something was making me sick. It was the T4.

So, I got permission and got rid of the T4 altogether leaving only T3 treatment.

I Began to Get Well on T3 (Liothyronine) Treatment

I am starting to live a normal life again.

So now after an awful lot of hard work and a process of elimination and learning how to use the T3, with a very patient mentor, I want to tell you how I feel.

I no longer need to be in bed until a proper bedtime! I have got rid of most of the pain now – the rest is rheumatoid arthritis.

I can do many things I haven’t been able to do for years and I am learning to drive. My eyes are now clear. I no longer wear glasses.

I no longer need the false tears or the masses of Cetraban for my skin.

I am starting to live a normal life again. I just need to build up all the muscle I have lost over the years due to such severe fatigue.

I’ve learnt there are very important properties in vitamins and minerals that we need.
I am now on 20mcg of T3 at 4:30 am (early morning!), 20mcg of T3 at 11:00am and 15mcg of T3 at 5:00pm.

This is working for me. I got up with energy this morning enough to do a list of jobs that I would never of dreamed of being able to do again.

I hope to feel even better!!!!!!