Stopped taking thyroid medication and......

LBelle
LBelle Member Posts: 42
edited March 2014 in Thyroid Cancer #1
Had total thyroidectomy last November due to Hurthle Cells Ardinicoma (non-cancerous) along with two suspicious lymph nodes. Since I took Lex 137 MG, my body gradually went crazy with unexplainable symptoms (heavy leg, constantly tired/sleepy, quick weight gains). So three days ago I decided to quit taking the meds and FINALLY feel way better!!!!! Far more energetic and happy. I guess it has to do with Lex meds- the last blood test went great and my TGH went undetectable too.

So any of you had quit taking the meds and feeling much better without them?

Comments

  • Margaret@luv7.net
    Margaret@luv7.net Member Posts: 1
    natural thyroid
    I hope someone else responds also, but I am concerned for your health. Your body needs some form of thyroid to function properly. Not taking any medication can be very harmful.

    I would suggest looking into natural thyroid replacements, some are Armor and Naturethroid. Others have had success with these alternatives to synthetic thyroid (ie Levoxyl, synthroid)
  • weberdns
    weberdns Member Posts: 154
    Please call your doctor
    You need some type of Thyroid replacement therapy. You can't live without a thyroid or some type of supplement. The Thyroid controls your metabolism, energy, etc. Eventually you will run out of the thyroid hormones in your body and will become totally hypothyroid!! Run.....don't walk and call your doctor and have them do something to adjust your meds. Your next set of blood work will not be as good! Thyroid hormones control so much in your body and you can't function without them!!

    Here is what your thyroid gland does: The function of the thyroid gland is to take iodine, found in many foods, and convert it into thyroid hormones: thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Thyroid cells are the only cells in the body which can absorb iodine. These cells combine iodine and the amino acid tyrosine to make T3 and T4. T3 and T4 are then released into the blood stream and are transported throughout the body where they control metabolism (conversion of oxygen and calories to energy). Every cell in the body depends upon thyroid hormones for regulation of their metabolism. The normal thyroid gland produces about 80% T4 and about 20% T3, however, T3 possesses about four times the hormone "strength" as T4. The thyroid gland also produces calcitonin, which participates in the regulation of parathormone and phosphate metabolism in the bones. Calcitonin also acts to regulate calcium levels in our bodies. Low calcium levels in the blood will inhibit the calcitonin output. Our sex glands, parathyroid glands, pituitary gland and our bodies metabolism are influenced by our thyroid gland function. Please either put yourself back on medication or call your doctor and tell them what you have done!! You cannot live without any type of thyroid supplement since you have no thyroid gland!
  • weberdns
    weberdns Member Posts: 154
    Please call your doctor
    You need some type of Thyroid replacement therapy. You can't live without a thyroid or some type of supplement. The Thyroid controls your metabolism, energy, etc. Eventually you will run out of the thyroid hormones in your body and will become totally hypothyroid!! Run.....don't walk and call your doctor and have them do something to adjust your meds. Your next set of blood work will not be as good! Thyroid hormones control so much in your body and you can't function without them!!

    Here is what your thyroid gland does: The function of the thyroid gland is to take iodine, found in many foods, and convert it into thyroid hormones: thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Thyroid cells are the only cells in the body which can absorb iodine. These cells combine iodine and the amino acid tyrosine to make T3 and T4. T3 and T4 are then released into the blood stream and are transported throughout the body where they control metabolism (conversion of oxygen and calories to energy). Every cell in the body depends upon thyroid hormones for regulation of their metabolism. The normal thyroid gland produces about 80% T4 and about 20% T3, however, T3 possesses about four times the hormone "strength" as T4. The thyroid gland also produces calcitonin, which participates in the regulation of parathormone and phosphate metabolism in the bones. Calcitonin also acts to regulate calcium levels in our bodies. Low calcium levels in the blood will inhibit the calcitonin output. Our sex glands, parathyroid glands, pituitary gland and our bodies metabolism are influenced by our thyroid gland function. Please either put yourself back on medication or call your doctor and tell them what you have done!! You cannot live without any type of thyroid supplement since you have no thyroid gland!
  • loispol1
    loispol1 Member Posts: 84
    Did you have a TT? I have a
    Did you have a TT? I have a FNA dx of Hurthle cell neoplasm. You are the first person I have seen that reported having an adenoma as opposed to malignancy. I have Hasimotos DX and I felt horrible on synthroid. It took many years to find a docotr who listened and then put me on Armour. I found out recently I also have a very high reverse T3 ratio which causes a whole host of problems where T4 (like synthroid) can not be absorbed by the body causing all kinds of hypo symptoms & other problems. I had to ask for these tests to be done by my GP doctor, who then had to insist the lab run them as ordered. But anyway, it sounds like you need thyroid medication of some kind. I felt over 100 times better going off of Synthroid and onto Armour, I'm just still not great. Maybe my situation has to do with what is going on in my thyroid (still have it until surgery). Please try to find a doctor who understands that synthroid and it's varieties of T4 only, is not for everyone, and is willing to do more than the normal thyroid tests and prescribe natural thyroid medication, if you need it. I had to drive several hours to see a doctor like this (holistic MD) back in 2004, and pay out of pocket, but it was very well worth it! I know a ton of people who went from horrible, to almost better, with just with the change in medication. I hope this helps! Lois
  • weberdns
    weberdns Member Posts: 154
    loispol1 said:

    Did you have a TT? I have a
    Did you have a TT? I have a FNA dx of Hurthle cell neoplasm. You are the first person I have seen that reported having an adenoma as opposed to malignancy. I have Hasimotos DX and I felt horrible on synthroid. It took many years to find a docotr who listened and then put me on Armour. I found out recently I also have a very high reverse T3 ratio which causes a whole host of problems where T4 (like synthroid) can not be absorbed by the body causing all kinds of hypo symptoms & other problems. I had to ask for these tests to be done by my GP doctor, who then had to insist the lab run them as ordered. But anyway, it sounds like you need thyroid medication of some kind. I felt over 100 times better going off of Synthroid and onto Armour, I'm just still not great. Maybe my situation has to do with what is going on in my thyroid (still have it until surgery). Please try to find a doctor who understands that synthroid and it's varieties of T4 only, is not for everyone, and is willing to do more than the normal thyroid tests and prescribe natural thyroid medication, if you need it. I had to drive several hours to see a doctor like this (holistic MD) back in 2004, and pay out of pocket, but it was very well worth it! I know a ton of people who went from horrible, to almost better, with just with the change in medication. I hope this helps! Lois

    Actually with a Hurthle cell neoplasm you have
    a 30% chance of it being malignant, and a 70% chance of it being benign according to my surgeon, but without removal and examination of the total tumor they don't know which it is.
  • loispol1
    loispol1 Member Posts: 84
    weberdns said:

    Actually with a Hurthle cell neoplasm you have
    a 30% chance of it being malignant, and a 70% chance of it being benign according to my surgeon, but without removal and examination of the total tumor they don't know which it is.

    wouldn't it be great to have more information?
    I can't believe how varied all the information is on Hurthle cell. I have read it varies from 15&-65% with a FNA biopsy. The ATA 2009 thyroid nodules guidelines state: "Indeterminate cytology, reported as "follicular neoplam" or "hurthle cell neoplasm" can be found in 15-30% of FNA specimens and carries a 20-30% risk of malignancy.
    It worries me that I am finding a lot about this on my own. I have over 8 nodules, most have not been biopsied. I am not feeling well and the stress of waiting to know has not helped at all! In the same article from the ATA - it goes on to discuss the advantages of FDG-PET scanning -"it has been utilized to distinguish those indeterminate nodules that are benign from those that are maglignant". "FDG-PET scans appear to have relatively high sensitivity for malignancy but low specificity, (I wonder, they can't tell what type of malignancy?) but results vary among studies."
    Lois
  • loispol1
    loispol1 Member Posts: 84
    weberdns said:

    Actually with a Hurthle cell neoplasm you have
    a 30% chance of it being malignant, and a 70% chance of it being benign according to my surgeon, but without removal and examination of the total tumor they don't know which it is.

    Look what I just found! I copied it below:
    Endocr Regul. 2010 Apr;44(2):65-8.

    Clinical significance of Hürthle cells in fine needle aspiration biopsy for multinodular goitre.
    Keskek M, Ocak S, Ozalp N, Koc M, Tez M.

    Abstract
    Objective. So far, the significance of Hürthle cell predominance in fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) in multinodular goitre (MNG) appears not definitely clarified. The aim of this study was to determine if there are any clinical factors that can be used to distinguish either malignant or benign disease with the aid of FNAB specimen that contains a predominance of Hürthle cells in multinodular goitre patients.
    Methods. Among 623 patients who were evaluated for multinodular goitre between July 2004 and March 2009, 411 had a FNAB specimen. In 37 (9 % of them) the FNAB specimen was interpreted as consistent with a Hürthle cell lesion. These patients comprised the study population and were reviewed retrospectively and their demographical and clinical factors were investigated to determine if there is any predictor of malignancy.
    Results. Among 37 patients with Hürthle cell predominance in FNAB, 29 had benign diseases and 8 had malignant diseases resulting in 21.6 % prevalence of malignancy. There were no differences in age, sex, functional status of the thyroid gland, and nodule size between patients with benign versus malignant disease.
    Conclusion. Total thyroidectomy should be recommended for all multinodular goitre patients with Hürthle cell predominance in FNAB, since there is no preoperative predictor of malignancy in these cases. Keywords: Hürthle cell - Fine needle aspiration biopsy - Multinodular goitre.

    PMID: 20429635 [PubMed - in process]Free Article