Thyroid and Minocyclin

[JBJBJB]

Recently after I got back from Australia, I went to see my family physician. He ran some routine tests and found my thyroid test TSH is high. However, My Free T3 is normal. I had my thyroid test done a year ago, they were all normal (I need to go to to my rhuemy and find my first thyroid test, I bet it was on the high end of normal range).

My TSH is 5.08 (.40-4.20) . My Free T3 is normal at 3.1 (2.4-4.4).

I have been on plaquenil, minocyclin and anti-acid prescription drug. Could these medicine induce my higher than normal TSH? Yes, I have a lot of soy protein in my diet. I also have Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder, plus lung problem, with possible pulmonary fibrosis. Could this contribute my higher TSH?
 
By the way, I am also under a lot of stress, with poor adjustment of jet lag when I went to the test.
 
Second question is, IF the doctor will find me to have hypothyroidism, do you think all my joints and muscle pain, plus fatigues were caused by thyroid problems? However, all my ANA, DNA and other tests were positive. Were they supposed to be negative if my problems were due to hypothyroid?

Thank you in advance,

JB

 

 

 
 

[tish]

hey jb,

hope you are ok, but if your thyroid is out of wack everything else is and it will cause you to have extra aches and pains.  i don't think the other meds would really cause thyroid test to be messed up.  i  have had low thyroid for a long time.  i have my test at work, will look it up.  it will take some time to get thyroid leveled out. if i can help let me know.  i have a couple of books on the thyroid.

[JBJBJB]

Thanks, Tish. I am trying to figure out why my T3 is perfect (in the optimal center) and my TSH is wacky. I may need to redo the test, just to make sure it wasn't an error.
I also try not to take as many medicine, fearing to interfere my AP treatment.

JB

 

[tish]

jb,

i understand about other meds, and this would just be another one.  i've been on synthoid for 15 or more years, before i started antibiotics. so i really don't think it would interfere.  also if i were you i would try armour thyroid before synthroid.  i've been going to an alternative m.d. who said that anytime someone takes synthroid, they will be low on iodine.  she wanted me to take 1 drop of lugal's iodine, twice daily.  but when my thyroid became low, i was just dragging, and gained weight, also achy.  do you have any of those symptoms?  i am at work so will look at my books tonite.  sorry wish i could tell you right now.

[JBJBJB]

Tish,

Really appreciated all the information you gave me. I am really new to this. I am reading up some links Rose sent to me.  I also called my rhuemy's office this morning, so they faxed two Thyroid test results to me. I had TSH at 2.45 in 2004 (at that time I did not have any problems with my joints and muscle pains), and then I had TSH at 3.77. This time my joints and muscle pains were unbearable. Even though 4.0 was normal, but it was on the higher end.

I am wondering if all of these Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder were the results of my thyroid problem?

Also, if AP can control my inflammation, perhaps I could get over with this thyroid problem, also. Or vise versa, I'd get a good control of thyroid and all the symptoms of MCTD would go away. :roll-laugh::roll-laugh::roll-laugh:

Wishful thinking as always.

Thanks,

JB

 

[Tiff]

JB,

Thyroid testing is notoriously unhelpful.  I was screened by an endocrinologist  and given a clean bill of health.  Two years later I had a complete thyroidectomy and it was determined that I had both thyroid cancer and Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and those diseases don't crop up that fast!  Tests don't amount to much if they miss those things, eh?

Ask for (be pestersome!) a thyroid antibody test for Hashimoto's thyroiditis.  Hashi's is an “autoimmune thyroid disease” which eventually leads to hypothyroidism, and it is the most common cause of hypothyroidism.  People with this disease are prone to other AI diseases.  The problem is that you can have this disease (complete with symptoms) for a long time before your TSH becomes abnormal enough to be caught.  Thyroid levels might swing wildly for a while until the thyroid is mostly destroyed- which might explain why you could have a high TSH and a normal T3 on a given test day.

 

[JBJBJB]

Tiff,

Sounds very scary. I will have those tests done. I am also wondering if my undefined connective tissue disorder is the underline problem of this hypothyroidism.

I am reading up everything I can now to educate myself. If I could get thyroid problem under the control, my joints and muscle plain could be controlled, too. Perhaps it can improve my circulation, and my Raynaud's will go away. That will be super. 😀

JB

[DianeWI]

Hi JB,

I believe that my thyroid has been low most of my life.  My temp is normally about 97.2    I never had a weight problem until after I had my second child and then it blew me up.  I think the thyroid and hormones have been issues for a long time.

The thyroid readings can flucuate.  In Fall, mine went way up and so did my heart rate.  I ended up at the Cardiologist only to find out that my Armour Thyroid needed to be stopped.  I got off for three months and then it dropped way down.  I have heard from other people on AP, that their thyroid readings flucuate as well.  Another pain in the back-end to deal with. 

I honestly don't think that the meds cause the thyroid to be off.  If anything, I think prolonged stress can induce it. 

Hugs,

Diane/WI

[A Friend]

[user=266]JBJBJB[/user] wrote:

Recently after I got back from Australia, I went to see my family physician. He ran some routine tests and found my thyroid test TSH is high. However, My Free T3 is normal. I had my thyroid test done a year ago, they were all normal (I need to go to to my rhuemy and find my first thyroid test, I bet it was on the high end of normal range).

My TSH is 5.08 (.40-4.20) . My Free T3 is normal at 3.1 (2.4-4.4).

I have been on plaquenil, minocyclin and anti-acid prescription drug. Could these medicine induce my higher than normal TSH? Yes, I have a lot of soy protein in my diet. I also have Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder, plus lung problem, with possible pulmonary fibrosis. Could this contribute my higher TSH?
 
By the way, I am also under a lot of stress, with poor adjustment of jet lag when I went to the test.
 
Second question is, IF the doctor will find me to have hypothyroidism, do you think all my joints and muscle pain, plus fatigues were caused by thyroid problems? However, all my ANA, DNA and other tests were positive. Were they supposed to be negative if my problems were due to hypothyroid?

Thank you in advance,

JB

 

JB,

All of the following “P.S.” about thyroid were found to be very informative.  The Lowes, Mary Shoman, and Udo Erasmus are all names that have been prominent in these areas for years.  Hopefully, you will find some helpful information in them, too. 

Good luck,

AF

PS:  The links mentioned above about Thyroid: 

Thyroid… excerpt from http://www.drlowe.com/jcl/biojcl.htm

http://www.drlowe.com/QandA/askdrlowe/mostrecent.htm#Date:%20September%207,%202000
The link just above explains T-3 and T-4 information we definitely need to know about and understand.  Just  click it to read this information.
 
An excerpt from writing about Dr. Lowe is cited below from this link.  To read more the excerpt below, click on the following link:
http://www.drlowe.com/jcl/biojcl.htm
 

[align=center]Underpinnings of Dr. Lowe's Work[/align]

[align=left]Underpinning Dr. Lowe's work are his two main intellectual interests: (1) theoretical-deductive science, the highest level scientific activity, which enables one to make the best possible sense of study findings in a research field; and (2) symbolic (mathematical) logic, the discipline one uses to determine the validity or invalidity of his own and others' arguments.[/align]

[align=left]Dr. Lowe is a devout critical rationalist. This means that he subscribes to the hypothesis (proposed by Sir Karl Popper and articulated by David Miller and others) that the ultimate job of logical, scientific thinkers is to falsify ideas, beliefs, hypotheses, and theories. The reason for falsifying these is to eliminate their errors. Free of at least some of their errors, the ideas, beliefs, hypotheses, and theories may become more accurate representations of truth. If eliminating errors makes it obvious that an idea, belief, hypothesis, or theory is  entirely false, then we can?having learned from the falsification?replace it with one that's hopefully more accurate.[/align]

[align=left]He is also an active critical analyst. This means that he analyzes his own thinking and beliefs and those of others to learn whether or not these are accurate and rational. In recent years, drug and medical device corporations have largely co-opted medical research, the medical profession and its institutions, medical practice guidelines committees, and the US Congress. These corporations have essentially turned all of these, to varying degrees, into marketing tools for the products of the corporations. This has brought about a necessity for patients and health care practitioners to protect themselves from marketing disguised as scientific findings. Through critical analysis, Dr. Lowe is exposing such marketing disguised as science in the fields of fibromyalgia and thyroidology. He is doing this in two new books, Speeding Up to Normal and Tyranny of the TSH.[/align]

[align=left]Examples of Dr. Lowe's critical analyses are his critiques of the recent T4 vs T4/T3 studies and the false and potentially harmful beliefs of the self-proclaimed “real thyroid expert,” Dr. Richard Guttler.[/align]

[align=center]History[/align]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` 

Next:

Thyroid and Mary Shoman and Udo Erasmus on EFA's

http://www.udoerasmus.com/interviews/02_mary_shomon.htm
 
http://members.tripod.com/thyroidinfo/
 
 

[Silvia]

Hi there:

I'm hypothyroid was first diagnosed about 2 years ago with an extremely high TSH, was put on meds and got stabilized.  about 6 months ago it started going up again, I went to an endocrinologist and she increased my meds.  it started going down again but then had another blip upwards.  she questioned me as to when I take my thyroid med, what else I take it with, or what foods.  she said anti-acids interfere with the absorption of thyroid meds because you need the stomach acid to break down the thyroxin and get it absorbed.  also bran should not be taken near the time you take your thyroid meds, which should be on an empty stomach.  Hope this helps!   S.

[JBJBJB]

Silvia,

This is a very good information since I am also taking anti-acid reflux med. Thank you for telling me this.

Yesterday I went to see the doctor, he prescribed me Disiccated thyroid (a natural form of T3 and T4). I was asked to take 1/2 gr. each day. I am still trying to figure out how to space acid reflux med, minocyclin and Disic.

One thing I noticed is this morning, when I woke up, my shoulder joints were not as painful. I sure hope this thyroid med along with minocyclin will get my muscle and joint pain under the control.

The doctor also checked my mineral level. I had to pay $100 out of my own pocket, but it was really worthwhile. I am boarder line Zinc deficiency, insulin resistance, as well as antidetoxic (?) deficiency —- dangerous:sick:

He put me on 100 mg Zinc. I am only taking 25 mg.  

Oh well…

JB

[tish]

jb , what does antidetoxic mean? hope you're doing well. hugs and prayers.

[JBJBJB]

Thank you, AF, for the information. It's really very helpful.

Diane, thank you also for the message. I hope I can get this thyroid thing figure out soon. Yes, I am easily stressed out.

Tish,

Sorry about mis-spelling. I went back to my report. It's called “Spectrox” (Total Antioxidant Function. This test is done by Spectracell Laboratories.

Spectrox measures the net ability of antioxidant and repair mechanisms of each individual's own cells, giving a total assessment of antioxidant function.

My Spectrox was low.

Hope you are doing well and feeling better.

JB

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