A PSA of Sorts
Sunday, August 1st, 2010 10:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rolanniThose who have been reading along at home will perhaps recall that I have an underachieving thyroid. It's no big deal; is, as I understand it, fairly common, or at least not uncommon; and perfectly treatable with a daily dose of a prescribed medication. You can read about it here, if you're interested.
Now, one of the interesting things about the hormones produced by your thyroid, my thyroid, and the thyroid of the woman at the coffee counter trying to decide if she wants a double-shot of espresso, is that "normal" is a range -- between X and Y is normal function.
With me so far?
Good.
The aim of medicating people with hypothyroidism is to supplement hormone levels to "normal," which makes perfect sense.
Except that -- and despite the fact that hypothyroidism is a pretty common problem for Women of a Certain Age -- apparently no one takes a baseline of "normal" thyroid function when you -- General You -- are young and healthy and presumably firing on all cylinders, so that there's an on-file "normal" to return you to, should your thyroid suddenly come up lazy.
This potentially leads to circular discussions with one's doctor about if one's supplemented hormone level is "normal" on the scale, but one is still experiencing symptoms, could it be that one had been used to a higher "normal" production level of hormone, back in the day?
So! If you're a young woman -- ask your doctor about a thyroid test the next time you get blood work, so you have a baseline on-file, should the day ever come when you need supplements. You might have to get a little chesty with him or her, but, hey, it's your blood and your future.
Now! Another cup of coffee, and to the couch!
Now, one of the interesting things about the hormones produced by your thyroid, my thyroid, and the thyroid of the woman at the coffee counter trying to decide if she wants a double-shot of espresso, is that "normal" is a range -- between X and Y is normal function.
With me so far?
Good.
The aim of medicating people with hypothyroidism is to supplement hormone levels to "normal," which makes perfect sense.
Except that -- and despite the fact that hypothyroidism is a pretty common problem for Women of a Certain Age -- apparently no one takes a baseline of "normal" thyroid function when you -- General You -- are young and healthy and presumably firing on all cylinders, so that there's an on-file "normal" to return you to, should your thyroid suddenly come up lazy.
This potentially leads to circular discussions with one's doctor about if one's supplemented hormone level is "normal" on the scale, but one is still experiencing symptoms, could it be that one had been used to a higher "normal" production level of hormone, back in the day?
So! If you're a young woman -- ask your doctor about a thyroid test the next time you get blood work, so you have a baseline on-file, should the day ever come when you need supplements. You might have to get a little chesty with him or her, but, hey, it's your blood and your future.
Now! Another cup of coffee, and to the couch!
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no subject
Date: 2010-08-01 08:16 pm (UTC)Since I changed doctors and they've been monitoring my vitamin D levels along with everything else, things seem to be better.
I do have a baseline measurement from when I was young, but unfortunately I had hyperthyroidism at that point and my heart rate was 132 bpm at rest, so they don't want me anywhere near that. The doctor does little eyebrow raised frownies when I suggest it :)
Synthyroid, vitamin D supplements, try to eat lots of seaweed (sushi, miso soup etc.) because it is a good source of iodine and the thyroid is the only thing in your body to use iodine, and some sort of exercise (yuck) and I feel somewhat human.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-01 09:24 pm (UTC)I was moved from Lamictal to its generic lamotragine. On 200mg Lamictal I was fine, but I needed 300 of lamotragine. Claire said that generics have to have a minimum of only 80% of the chemical of the brand name, and some of them ARE noticeably lower in activity.
I've been moved to a generic of Effexor XR, and we'll see how that goes.
For migraines, I take Fiorinal. A generic of Fioricet (acetominophen rather than aspirin in with the main med) is no use to me, as acetominophen has no effect on me, and at the time, there was no generic for Fiorinal, at least not in the states. Dr. had to write specifically, no generics, capsules only.