Synthroid & Estradiol
Monday, February 9, 2009 at 1:00PM Synthroid is manufactured by Abbott Labs and is a brand name of levothyroxine (LEE voe thy ROX een).
Synthroid is a synthetic replacement for a hormone that is normally produced by your thyroid gland to regulate the body's energy and metabolism. Synthroid is given when the thyroid does not produce enough of this hormone on its own.
This medication is used to treat hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone). It is also used to treat or prevent goiter, (enlarged thyroid gland), which can be caused by hormone imbalances, radiation treatment, surgery or cancer.
Why I Was Put on Synthroid
I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer twelve years ago. I had two surgeries to have the thyroid completely removed and one dosage of radioactive iodine to burn off any remaining tissue in that area.
Thyroid cancer develops in the thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck, just below the Adam's apple. Although the thyroid gland is small, it produces hormones that regulate every aspect of the metabolism, from your heart rate to how quickly you burn calories.
I was informed that the prognosis for having my type of thyroid cancer (Papillary carcinoma) was excellent. The cancerous nodule they removed along with my thyroid was unusually large, approximately an inch in diameter. The nodule was very slow growing so they determined that mine had started growing in my mid-twenties. This would also explain the rapid weight gain I experienced around this time. I went from a size 1 to a 7 (that's 3 sizes in clothes!) in a matter of a few months. My doctor at that time chalked it up to my night life!! How wrong he was!!
Keep in mind, I went to many doctors for the next 12-13 years before I finally got one to take me seriously enough to order a thyroid scan. A thyroid scan is a nuclear medicine examination that uses a radioactive iodine tracer to see how well the thyroid gland is working.
My Symptoms
- insomnia
- constant and persistent fatigue
- bulging eyes
- lack of libido
- weight gain
- hair loss
- dry hair, nails and skin
- irritable (okay, you would be too if you were suffering with all of these symptoms!)
My Treatment & Dosage
I am currently taking 175 mg daily of Synthroid.
UPDATE: February 2009
Because Synthroid is a synthetic drug, I am very interested in the alternative use of bio-identical drugs. I have an appointment with a doctor that deals with bio-identicals this week. I will keep you informed of my findings and what I choose to do after my visit.
Estradiol is a form of estrogen. Estrogen is a female sex hormone necessary for many processes in the body.
Why I Was Put on Estradiol
Complete hysterectomy in 2004.
My Dosage
1mg Daily