Darla’s Story

Darla had Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and was stuck on Synthroid for 20 long debilitating years. After losing her health and her business, and being told she needed to be tested for Alzheimer’s, natural desiccated thyroid (NDT) saved her life.

Diagnosed with hypothyroidism at 26, I was given Synthroid and Prozac. The Prozac made me quite insane, so I threw it out after about 3 months. As I look back, I am sure I had been hypothyroid since childhood.

Doctors kept telling me that I must feel pretty good now that I took Synthroid. I did not.

During that 20 years I developed carpel tunel and plantar fasciitis. I had to give up my faux finishing/mural business. I couldn’t stand for long periods of time and eventually couldn’t hold a paint brush. Infertility was an issue, and at 38 I had a hysterectomy for multiple fibroid tumors and dysplasia. Muscle weakness was so bad that I couldn’t climb the stairs in our house. My hair was everywhere, except on my head. I had become obese, had high blood pressure and insomnia. In later stages I started stuttering and couldn’t finish a sentence without skipping words or getting totally lost. At 45 I was told I should be tested for Alzheimer’s.

My TSH would fluctuate between 3.5 and 14.6. I was told the reason I was tired, couldn’t lose weight and kept gaining was because I was overeating, “SLEEP EATING”, and not exercising. I asked doctors repeatedly if there was anything besides Synthroid that I could take. They said it was the only drug available for hypothyroidism and I was usually given prescriptions for anti-depressants that I wouldn’t fill.

The fall of 2006 I found Yahoo groups and a different approach to hypothyroidism that I had never heard of. These women and NDT changed my life.

So I started searching for a doctor that would prescribe NDT. I went to several that were total disasters, but one gave me bio-identical estradiol. At least the hot flashes were going away. After one really nasty doctors visit sent me home in tears, I ordered my own NDT. I had had enough, and I was going to get well despite them all.

I started NDT on February 27, 2007 and I giggled all day. 🙂 I finally felt …something …anything!! In less than a month I could climb our stairs again, and the stuttering and pain stopped.

I took a saliva test that showed I had Stage 5 adrenal failure and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. I started low dose Hydrocortisone and felt even better.

At this writing I am doing really well. No carpel tunnel, no plantar fasciitis, no muscle aches, no brain fog. I can race my Hubby up and down the stairs and tend to my garden. My hair and eyebrows came back in!! And sleep, oh I can sleep like a baby now.

I turned 50 a few months ago. I feel so much better now than I did at 30. My new business should be up and running within the year. I am so excited. Talk about a second chance.

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