Every Hypo is Different

For a year and a half, I didn't understand the term "hypo hell," which we thycans use to refer to that period of time when we have no thyroid and have not yet started to take thyroid hormone replacement (required to continue living) or when we have to stop taking our thyroid hormone replacement (I take Synthroid) for 4-6 weeks when we are preparing for testing to see where we stand with our disease.

After I had my thyroid removed (and went hypo before receiving my first RAI treatment) and the first two times I withdrew from Synthroid to go hypo for scans and/or treatment, I felt pretty tired but not horrible.

This last December I went hypo for testing, and the experience absolutely flattened me. For almost 2 months (on the way to hypo and on the way back), I was freezing cold, exhausted as if a train had hit me, I gained weight, fell asleep at night at 8 pm, woke up exhausted, had insomnia, dreamed weird dreams all night when I did sleep, woke up sweaty in the middle of the night, lost hair, had very puffy eyes. I felt depressed and couldn't wait to feel like myself again.

I've been back on Synthroid for 6 weeks now, and I am finally feeling almost back to normal.

After this experience, I told my endocrinologist (who's in charge of my thyroid cancer treatment and follow-up) that I never wanted to go off my Synthroid again, and she agreed that we could do my scan with Thyrogen next time. YIPPEE! Thyrogen is an injectable drug that prepares your body for testing by raising your TSH (making you clinically hypothyroid) without having to stop taking your thyroid hormone. (I'd been prepared to find a new endocrinologist if she had insisted I go hypo. I felt that bad.)

Everyone's experience is different, and they say every hypo period is different, but I didn't believe that until this last round of testing. I'm here to tell you that it's true.

Three cheers for never withdrawing from Synthroid again!