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Good Cancer, My Ass
But my life is serving as an amazingly good warning as to the side effects of thyroid hormone replacement therapy.
Pick your poison: death by cancer or death by diabetes. It’s going to be one or the other. And frankly, I’m tired of dying.
To explain… just over two years ago, I was given a clean bill of health. After battling diabetes (Type I & II) for five years, I had gone into remission! No pills needed whatsoever. No insulin. No reason to even check my sugars unless I was feeling sick. My kidneys were functioning normally. My cholesterol was perfect. My doctors were amazed. My doctors applauded me. My doctors were proud of me. My doctors introduced me to other doctors, “this is the girl who put diabetes in remission by her 28th birthday!” My doctors told their other patients about me, “She did it. So you can you! It’s possible!”
That was the happiest day of my life.
Then, in August 2008, we found the tumor on my thyroid by accident. My doctors weren’t worried about any complications from a thyroidectomy – after all, I was now in perfect health. “You’ll beat this,” they all said.
My partial thyroidectomy was in October 2008, and my blood sugars started to creep up. So the doctors put me on 500 mg of Metformin. No big deal.
November 2008, I started on 125 mcg of Synthroid and my blood sugars shot up. So the doctors upped my dose to 500 mg of Metformin twice a day. Okay, still not a big deal.
December 2008, I had my completion thyroidectomy and my Synthroid was upped to 150 mcg. Blood sugars skyrocketed and I was put on 1,000 mg of Metformin twice a day.
February 2009, we added 5mcg twice a day of Cytomel to the mix. Blood sugars shot up again and I had to start taking heart medication.
By September 2009, we added 100 mg of Januvia to the mix to control my blood sugars.
October 2009, they upped my Synthroid to 175 mcg. By December, I had to add 4 mg twice a day of Glimepiride for my diabetes.
January 2010, my Synthroid was increased to 200 mcg. By February, I was back on insulin – 14 to 16 units at bedtime.
Do you see the connection? I sure as hell do. All you have to do is read the information on Synthroid and Cytomel. They both come with a warning of high blood sugars and potential diabetes as side effects.
Some friggin’ side effect.
Today, I had my yearly exam with my primary care physician, and he’s scared. All the medications I’m on could kill me. I could slip right into a coma. He told me flat out that right now, I’m dying.
So surviving cancer is causing me to die from diabetes. If I quit the Synthroid and Cytomel, my diabetes will be back under control, but then, well, we all know what happens without Synthroid.
My life will continued to be lived in hospitals, as now I will be spending most of my time in my PCP’s hospital getting my blood chemistry back in line and experimenting to see if we can get my body back together.
So, technically, I’m dying from cancer via diabetes.
You want to tell me again how I got the “good Cancer”?
Chris P.
Tags: cautionary tales about Synthroid and Metaformin, diabetes medications impact on thyca, diabetes type I and thyroid cancer, side-effects of thyroid hormone, synthroid and diabetes meds, thyroid cancer and diabetes
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8 Responses to “Good Cancer, My Ass”
Leave a Reply to Amy
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It might help if you switched to a natural thyroid replacement. I take Armour Thyroid.
I am sending you healing good wishes.
My heart aches for you Chris.
Ugh, I’m so sorry for your struggle. Can you look into hormone replacement with desiccated thyroid? (Naturethroid/ERFA from Canada etc) Cytomel is a T3 synthetic med, maybe you would do much better on desiccated as it has “natural” T3 and T4 in it (It’s been in use since the late 1800’s) Hang in there….we’re pulling for you. (To find a Dr. who rx’s desiccated, go to Mary Shomon’s top doc list, or go to lowcarbfriends.com, post your story on the thyroid board and in the subject line direct it to “Pam” (nonstickpam is her user name there) Pam is great, has been a patient advocate for a VERY long time and understands all of this VERY well.
Hang in there and a big HUG to you.
Dear Chris,
The “good cancer.” Ha. I get nearly a homocidal type of rage when people say that to me. It’s been five years since my diagnosis so people have finally quit saying it b/c they see I’ve only gotten sicker, yet I’m cancer free. The treatment for my thyroid cancer destroyed my body. I very much relate to how you feel. I’m on this accelerated path to death and the rest of my life is being spent in and out of hospitals and doctors offices, tests, more tests and procedures. I don’t know what to say except thanks for writing that. And screw the people who say “take something natural.. blah, blah” or “have you tried…?” I hate that. Like any advice anyone has ever given me is going to reverse the damage that has been done and give me my life back? Well, thanks again for writing that. I loved it.
-Amy
@aimlessaimers on Twitter
I’ve actually been arguing with my endocrinologists before I was even put on thyroid hormone that I wanted to go on a natural replacement. Maybe my PCP can help me to get them to see the light.
Thanks folks for all the support. It’s a pretty scary time in my life right now.
I’ve been reading about the amazing potential of virgin organic coconut oil which helps bring down sugar levels in diabetes patients,it is also great for increasing metabolism in thyroid patients.
as well as amazing results for Alzheimer’s patients..
Natural Dessicated thyroid is a far better treatment and here at TANZI we suggest you take it 3 times per day to prevent the T3 surges.
Hang in there Chris and we are thinking of you
Caroline
Coconut oil
http://www.coconut-connections.com/diabetes_symptoms.htm
While I understand how frustrating it can be to live with the after effects of the “good cancer,” (13 years myself). If you want to try a natural version, to see if life will be better, then fight for it. It’s your body and you are the one living in your skin, so talk them into trying it for 6 months or a year.. if nothing changes accept it and try something else. I’ll keep you in my thoughts and I wish you the best of luck!
No such thing as good cancer and I do hope you can get your diabetes under control i would try for dessicated thyroid/Armour apposed to synthetic, at least see if they will give you a trial on it you never know it might just be the right thing for you in controlling your diabetes and thyroid levels.
Hang in there you will get this figured out and stable just got to keep on fighting for yourself to get what you want and don’t give up.
Lolly