Thyroidism?

ErinC
0 Recommendations

In my physiology lecture this afternoon, my professor briefly touched on thyroid hormone's effects on bones.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when I was 11 and have been on Synthroid .05mg for half of my life now.

I was wondering if anyone else has thyroid issues and/or have any theories or information on this and bone loss.

I found some articles that may be useful:

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=18637

http://mend.endojournals.org/cgi/rapidpdf/me.2007-0033v1.pdf

50 replies

windblown

Hi Erin: Sorry that you have so many challenges at such a young age. I was dx'd in my early 30's, so it's not all that unusual to have osteoporosis at a young age. I think you'll find quite a few on this board that are close to your age (maybe a little older) dealing with the same or similar problems.

I don't have any thyroid problems, but my Endo is within the group that thinks thyroid meds can make bones weaker. Not all (endocrine) Drs believe this, so I would do some reading on it and ask your Dr what he/she thinks. I found out about this connection when they found 2 thyroid nodules, and the Dr didn't want to rx any thyroid suppressing meds because of my low t-score. Now your situation is different since you're hypothyroid, so I would look into what effect, if any, synthyroid might have. Since there are 2 schools of thought on this, look into it and see what you find. Generally "hyper"thyroid--to much thyroid hormone causes bone loss--but you say you are "hypo"thyroid, so I don't know if just taking a med to increase your level--because it's low-- would have an effect on the bone. My thyroid levels are always normal, so the Dr was just concerned about the med in my case, but who knows if he's correct in his thinking. I'm 54 now and have turned my scores around completely from severe osteo to normal (spine) and osteopenia (hip) from different osteo meds, and the usual supplements and exercise. I took Actonel, Forteo and now Evista, and didn't see much of an improvement until I went on Forteo for 2 years, and I'm finished with that now.

I just noticed your other post where you mention an eating disorder, and I just wanted to add that anorexia, can lead to bone loss and has many contributing factors, but it's a "medical disorder" and NOT something that you caused. Current research shows a biochemical/biological cause for this, and also a possible genetic factor, since it can run in families.

Please don't be afraid of seeing an Endocrinologist... Hopefully he/she can help a lot, and you need the help of a specialist in this area to regain your bone loss so you will be able to have a family. If you have a secondary cause of osteoporosis along with primary ones, they can be treated successfully but it takes this type of Dr to determine what treatment you need. Secondary causes of osteo are treated differently than just rxing bone meds, so don't hesitate to follow through on this, the help you need may be really simple and quite effective for decreasing your bone loss.

You may like to read about possible secondary causes of osteoporosis, so you are prepared with a list of things that can be checked with a simple blood or urine test, along with some other easy-to-do-tests. The NOF has a list of secondary causes of osteoporosis that you can read and take to the Dr if you like.

Here's the link to that page at the NOF. The secondary causes are listed towards the bottom of the screen, but I recommend reading the whole section on this, so you'll have more information at your finger tips, ready for use when you need it.

http://www.nof.org/prevention/risk.htm

Good luck to you and I hope you find out about the thyroid connection and any other possible cause.

wilsonaa

Hi! I am 48 years old and have been on Synthroid for 20 years and have just been diagnosed with osteo. My T-score was -2.5. I definitely believe there is a link between my Synthroid use and my loss of bone density after the research I've done...although I have had a complete hysterectomy also which didn't help. I am now on Actonel weekly and am highly considering taking a product I am researching called Ezorb Calcium that seems to be getting rave reviews on message boards. I hate that I have to remain on Synthroid for the rest of my life. It can't be helping my bone density.

Andrea

ErinC

Andrea.. Wow, the Ezorb Calcium almost sounds too good to be true. If you decide to start taking it, please let us know how it works out for you.. I may end up trying some for myself after some more research.

Thanks for the information.

Lulubell

i also take synthroid for the last 30 yrs..what is ezorb calcium?

wilsonaa

Lulubell...

Here is the link for Ezorb Calcium http://www.elixirindustry.com/ezorb/index.html and you can Google it and go to message boards and hear from people who have used it with great success in their bone density scans.

Andrea

wilsonaa

Here's a link to a great message board...you can search "Ezorb" and read the threads.
http://www.healthboards.com/ It's free. You just have to register. There's like one negative message out there from some unknown guy, but overall the info on Ezorb is really good.

Andrea

reversiblecat

Thanks wilsonaa for the tip on Ezorb. I did some research and really couldn't find anything negative about it - only that one unknown guy's comments, (who for all we know could work for the competition). I contacted the company because I looked on their site and couldn't tell if the Ezorb was processed with gluten, soy or any allergens that might affect me.

Here is their reply to my inquiry:

EZorb is consisted of a single ingredient that is calcium aspartate anhydrous. It's the single ingredient that can be extracted from over a hundred of different plants. There's nothing else gets carried over to the final product. It is 100% pure. There's absolutely no wheat or gluten related source. EZorb is perfectly safe for people with Celiac's disease.
EZorb doesn't have ANY side effects. It doesn't interact with any other medications or supplements. It's perfectly safe.

So, I placed an order. We shall see...

ErinC

I may have to order some..

In fact, I'll probably be putting my order in once I get paid on Friday --My birthday, wee :o)

reversiblecat

ErinC,

So you get to celebrate Thanksgiving AND a birthday. Sounds like fun. Happy Birthday!

If you (and anyone else) do decide to try the Ezorb, we will have to compare our experiences - somewhere down the line. Best of luck to you.

SharonG

How can they say it does not interfer with any other medications when there is so much medical literature about not taking calcium and thyroid medication together and how calcium/wD reduces absorbtion of a daily vitamin? I am not so easily convinced by drug companies making statements without studies by reputable medical journals to back them up.
Sharon

reversiblecat

Sharon,

Why not e-mail them and ask them those very questions and get back to us? I never take my thyroid med with my calcium anyway. As for studies being in reputable medical journals - as far as I can tell, the costs to small businesses to get their products tested and approved is so overwhelming, so costly, and so time-consuming, that only the big pharma companies can afford to do it. And just look at how many "approved" medications later prove to be disasterous. I understand your being cautious tho. I hope you will ask them and let us know their answer.

ErinC

reversiblecat: Thanks. :o) It falls on Black Friday this year, just like it did the year I was born. I think it may fall on Thanksgiving next year. Boo. Oh well.. Huge dinner in my honor! :o)

I think that's a really good idea about sharing our experiences. I'll probably order some after my endocrinologist appointment on 12/12. I may get a little daily planner and just jot down any side effects I notice (aches, pain, dry mouth, upset stomach, etc.). Each month, I'll post it in a journal or something and then after my next DEXA, I'll post a comparison of my scores. If each of us do this, we could compare and come up with the "Inspire's NOF Message Board Study."

It may not be "official" but it'll be real, you know? Half of the time, the studies some of these companies toss on their websites are so questionable. It's almost like they make them so complicated and confusing so that we think, "Hm.. It MUST be legit.."

Sharon: I never take my Synthroid and calcium together. I take my Synthroid first thing in the morning, and I make sure I wait at least four hours before I take any calcium, antacids, or multivitamins -- And when I do, I always take them with food because it helps with absorption and it'll make me nauseous if I take it on an empty stomach.


I think I'm getting my hopes up about this Ezorb. I pray it doesn't let us down.. I know we all really want this to work. *Keeps fingers crossed*

SharonG

Will do.
Sharon

SharonG

Erin,
That's my point. On the websit for Ezorb it says it does not interfer with any medications. I will write to them and ask them. I just wonder why no other calcium company is using this type of calcium if it is so great. Too expensive perhaps? It's been around for a while.

I take my Synthroid very early in the morning or in the middle of the night so that I can have breakfast at 6:15 am and take my calcium and glucosomine. I take my vitamin at lunch and repeat calcium and glucosimine at dinner. I take my blood pressure meds with a glass of soy milk at bedtime. Whew!
Sharon

wilsonaa

Hey guys...I'm "in" on the Ezorb too! I get paid tomorrow and I'm going to order mine also. It's organic so I am all for it and the pros far outweigh the cons as far as I can tell. I think the Actonel I'm taking is causing my joints to hurt although I cannot be 100% sure. As long as we don't take it with the thyroid meds, I think we will be fine. Please everyone let's keep in touch about how we feel...I'm hoping it helps my joint pain like it has helped others. I really am thinking about stopping this Actonel. It is so toxic.

Thanks for your help and support.

Andrea

reversiblecat

wilsonaa,

Good...another guinea pig! ;o) We can all support each other! I am kind of with ErinC in that this sounds a little too good to be true, but I want to try everything I can before having to take the drugs my doctor is pushing.

Erin, I am taking so many things to fight osteoporosis that "IF" my scores improve, I don't know that I will be able to say for certain that it was the Ezorb that helped me. I'm taking Bone Builder, Strontium, calcium/magnesium, boron, Vit. D, alkaline drops, eggshells, weight exercises, etc. Also, I went off of gluten which I hope helps. But I'll keep a record of my progress (or lack of) & I will be reading the progress of others as well.

Sharon G, Are you hyper or hypo-thyroid? I have read that soy depresses thyroid function, so being hypo, I am supposed to avoid it. (?) Maybe it is different for hyper-thyroid people? I really miss soy milk and spicy Vietnamese tofu (to die for!).

ErinC

Sharon: Yeah, that has me a little ehh.. hesistant, if you know what I mean. But we'll see. Maybe since they don't have the studies to prove its effectiveness, they don't have the complications with other medications? But then again, if that were the case, they shouldn't claim that it doesn't interfere with other medications unless they've tested and proved it.

I take my Synthroid in the middle of the night sometimes, too. I am usually half asleep and I'm fumbling around in the dark bathroom (lights will wake me up and I'll never fall back to sleep). I have to keep my bottle out in the open after I've taken it, otherwise I can't remember if I really did take it or if I dreamed that I took it.

It's really sad how I have to plan my breakfast and lunch around my supplements and Synthroid. I'm sure I come off as OCD to some people. :oP

reversiblecat: Does soy really affect people with hypo-? I have access to medical journals through my college's library, so maybe I'll look into that. I hope there's not much truth in it since eat soy on a daily basis.

But if it depressed thyroid function, wouldn't it show up in my blood work and my doctor would adjust my dose? I've been on the same dose.

ErinC

Alright.. So I did some brief research. I only found a single thing relating thyroidism or Synthroid to soy:

" Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in January 2002 suggests that high intake of soy isoflavones might interfere with thyroid function. Endocrinologist Ridha Arem, author of The Thyroid Solution, cautions people with thyroid problems against eating more than three servings of soy a week.

Soy-based foods should not be consumed at the same time that thyroid hormone is swallowed. In one case, a woman taking levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levothroid, Levoxyl) diminished the absorption of her supplement by drinking a soy shake at the same time."


So when I looked up the article it referenced, I got "Effect of soy protein on endogenous hormones in postmenopausal women" found at http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/75/1/145?ck=nck.

Hm. I'll have to bring this up with my endo.

SharonG

Hi all,
I am hypothyroid. I feel pretty ok with taking the Synthroid hours apart from the soy products. I need the Soy because I am post menopausal and it helps to add that bit of phytoestrogen to my body to avoid hot flashes and those pesky chin hairs LOL
Erin, I'd suggest getting a day to day pill container. I'd be lost without it. I actually have two, one for my calcium and the other for my vit. bld pressure and glucosamine. If I remember I shove in a couple baby asperins somewhere inbetween. I know what you mean about appearing OCD. :-)
Sharon

wilsonaa

I ran across this today and thought it was of interest to us that are going to take the Ezorb Calcium. The doctor they are referring to Dr. Hans Nieper, was a German doctor who evidently was instrumental in the development of calcium aspartate (which is what is in Ezorb). Hope this link works.

http://www.ghchealth.com/forum/calcium-orotate-and-ezorb-discussion-1232.ph p

Andrea

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