New Supplement for Fibromyalgia...personal experience

[Guest guest]

Interesting that this news hit the pages of this forum when I'm going

through a personal revelation about my fibromyalgia. I was initially

diagnosed with hypothyroid, having just about every symptom a person

could have. I was at the point where I literally had to crawl on the

floor to get to the bathroom in the morning. After testing and being

diagnosed with hypothyroid, I was prescribed Synthroid. In a few weeks

I went back for a follow-up, and I was feeling only very slightly

better. Another thyroid test was done, and my numbers were in the

" normal " range, so rather than test further for thyroid problems,

focus was shifted to look for another cause of my typical thyroid

symptoms...the same exact symptoms that prompted them to look at my

thyroid in the first place. After a year of testing for everything

under the sun that turned up nothing, I was finally diagnosed with

fibromyalgia by the use of the " tender points " test. You must have 11

of the 18 tender points. I had all 18, plus more. In fact, where ever

they touched was tender. I thought it was strange, but my questions

were ignored and I was stamped with FMS. For the next seven years I

continued on the Synthroid and had the same persistent symptoms. I

changed my diet, my lifetsyle, all to support general health. While I

would improve slightly I could never get actual relief. Then one day

recently, when my usual doctor was out of the office for two months,

her stand-in reduced my thyroid meds. Within two days I was having

very severe symptoms of hypothyroid. While waiting the two months for

my doc to get back, I went downhill by the day. When I finally got in

to see my doctor, I had done some research and found some information

about using a different type of thyriod replacement called Armour,

which contains the full range of thyroid hormones instead of T4 only

like Synthroid. In the two weeks leading up to my visit with her, I

did a crash course in endocrinology, and was curious that my FMS might

actually be undertreated hypothyroid. My doc prescribed me some Armour

as I requested (she's the exception not the rule), and within ONE DAY

I felt a world of differnce. By the second and third day, much of my

FMS symptoms were greatly reduced. I literally feel better by the day.

This is the first time in seven long years of debilitating pain and

fatigue, plus a host of other symptoms, that I've actually felt good.

I've had days of different levels of bad, but never once have I felt

GOOD. So, for lack of proper thyroid testing and not being told I had

options on what hormone replacement to use, my doctor took it upon

himself to relegate me to the untreatable void of FMS. For anyone out

there suffering from FMS, it's so vital that you get your thyriod

checked properly. Instead of using the standard TSH and T4 test, a

free T3 and free T4 test are the bottomline most important. These will

tell how much of the active T3 is in your system and available for

your cells to use. Synthroid, a T4 only replacement, is worthless for

those of us who lack the ability to fully convert the T4 into the more

important T3. I've been very upset about this since my discovery and

am contemplating a lawsuit against the diagnosing doctor. Not for

money, no amount of money can buy back what I've lost, but for a

change in thyroid treatment protocol. It pains me to think of the

millions of people walking around feeling like the living dead for a

lack of T3 in their system. To me it's downright criminal. The method

of testing for TSH and T4 only needs to be changed ASAP!!! Especially

when you consider that 99% of FMS patients are hypothyroid...can't

they see the connection here? I'm not sure what to do legally, and

because I've been on diability due to the severity of my symptoms I

have no extra money, but be sure I will be screaming loud and clear

about this travesty and medical malpractice. I can't in good

conscience just roll over and let this one go. I'm taking this very

personal. If anyone reading this has had a similar experience or are

facing the proposition of misdiagnosed hypothyroid, or have anything

to offer in terms of a way to make a loud enough noise to effect

change, I'd love to hear from you. This just simply cannot be allowed

to continue!

Screamin' Mad, Kat