DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am a 25-year-old female. For more than a year I have been very tired, have gained weight, my menstrual cycles have been irregular or non-existent some months, and I am very intolerant of the cold. This last feature is quite surprising, since I have never been bothered by the cold before.
I have had my thyroid checked several times and was always told the readings were normal. Because of my doctor closing her practice, I was forced to select another primary care physician. When I told him of my symptoms, he did blood thyroid work that came back abnormal. This lead to a scan with iodine uptake that was negative. When I visited him to go over the results, he decided to be governed by the blood work results rather than the results of the scan. He prescribed medication that I now take every morning. So far I haven’t seen any appreciable difference, but the medication is quite new.
Can I expect a reduction or disappearance of symptoms if I keep taking my Synthroid?
DEAR READER:
The thyroid gland makes and stores hormones that help regulate body temperature, blood pressure readings and the rate at which the heart beats. Each patient differs in response time to the medication. Generally speaking, you should notice positive results within three weeks, while more difficult cases can take longer.
From everything you tell me, you are exhibiting the classic symptoms of hypothyroidism, the most common thyroid abnormality. To get the ball rolling, a physician will generally order laboratory testing. Following that, a scan can determine if the gland is producing hormones. To complicate the issue, there are instances when the results of the scan are questionable. When this occurs, medication with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), a synthetic hormone, can be prescribed. The medication is prescribed throughout the lifetime of the patient with hypothyroidism.
I commend your physician for being so thorough and personally feel he or she is treating you appropriately. It appears you unknowingly made a successful transition from the previous physician you were seeing to a new one who was more aggressive in getting to the bottom of your issue.
To give you more extensive information, I am sending you a copy of my new Health Report “Thyroid Abnormalities”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
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