Hi! Just thought I'd introduce myself.

I've been on low carb (Atkins) for the last several months (having been familiar with low carb for many years as well). Also I was recently diagnosed as hypothyroid. I just started taking levothyroxine 1 month ago (25 mcg 1xday) but haven't really notice any improvement yet.

My TSH test was 6.79, which as far as I can tell is not as high as a lot of folks test, so I guess I feel somewhat fortunate. But I do know I've had symptoms of low thyroid for a number of years, even though the tests have always been "normal." (this is the first time it hasn't!) About 10 years ago, I had a great doctor in Los Angeles that noticed my temperature was quite low (96 something) so he had me test it over the course of a week and bring him the results. It was generally in the 97 range. So he started me on T3 therapy, based on a protocol called Wilson's Thyroid Syndrome (now renamed Wilson's Temperature Syndrome). Anyway, I felt it worked in one respect - chronic constipation was gone! So, that was amazing in itself, I would say.

Since then, I've had alternative doctors that tested me tell me that my thyroid was sluggish and have taken natural supplements (Standard Process Thytrophin) which seemed to help at the time.

Anyway, recently I have been having a lot of hypo symptoms, including constipation, no real weight loss even though quite low carb, no energy, sleep too much and just generally feel blah.

In another month I plan to get not only my TSH but my free T3 and free T4 tested as well. I have a feeling that 25 mcg is not going to cut it, just based on what I've seen that others take. I guess I just have to be patient, but am hoping to get the right dosage ASAP.

In addition to the medication, I'm also seeing a wonderful alternative doctor that's helping me a lot with general nutrition and we've discussed how he feels I have autoimmune issues that may be at the crux of things. Interesting.

Well, thanks for reading, and I welcome any input.

Hi there, betsypear1...you and I are right at the same place, except I'm a month further on than you are. I was tested for the same symptoms as you - and I was freezing and have lost about 1/3 of my hair too....my TSH was 6.20 and my idiot doctor said that wasn't so bad....I got very upset and forced him to give me Synthroid - he put me on .25 but I doubled it!!! After 5 weeks I have noticed a slight improvement in that I am a bit warmer.

My energy has not come back but I do feel better because my last blood test showed my TSH number is now 2.29!!!! A huge improvement.

As far as I'm concerned I want to go by how I feel not by what number my DOCTOR says I should be. After all the scale is HUGE. I might feel better way down at .35 whereas someone else might be fine way up near 5!!! So being told at 6.2 that "it's not that bad" is just malpractice....especially as I really would like to have a full head of hair!!!

My doc has also scheduled an ultra-sound for my thyroid and an appointment with a specialist to see why I have hoarseness in my voice - could be swollen thyroid gland (?). I'm afraid of Hashimoto's as this hoarseness is a symptom of that. But once this is diagnosed it doesn't really matter what it is....because then at least they will know and begin to treat me appropriately!!!!

So I hope you too are on the journey to better health.

Don't give up until you are feeling better. Do your homework. Get all the information you can here on these threads - there is so much information shared here - you do have to be careful because just because someone says something doesn't make it so!!! But in general at least you can sift through the chaff to find the nuggets of gold!!

Good luck on your weight loss journey. Please post often and let us know how that goes as you get your thyroid problems fixed. It would be interesting to know if fixing that really does allow your metabolism to drop your weight on low-carb. My weight is STUCK and will not budge no matter what I do.

Hi Topacoma, thanks for your response. Wow, I'm surprised you had to talk your doctor into giving you the meds. Mine insisted on it. When I said that I thought it was low compared to others, I was mainly referring to things I've seen online, of folks with astronomical TSH numbers in the 100s and such.

Anyway, that's awful about the hair loss. I haven't had that, but I definitely do feel cold a lot of the time, especially my feet. Lately, since I've been taking the meds, I seem to alternate between too cold and too warm. I do a lot of putting on a sweater and then having to take it off, lol!

You know, I should by all rights be able to lose weight fairly easily since I have a lot to lose, but I'm also older and so the old metabolism is just generally slower, in addition to the slow thyroid, as well as meds for blood pressure, I guess. I'll definitely shout it from the rooftops here if things start moving again!

Glad to hear you're feeling warmer. And good luck with those tests.