Aa
Adrenal problems?
Hi there, I have been having problems feeling completely well on the T4-only medication I am on (50mcg) and this morning I woke up and had some pain in my lower back over my right kidney area. The pain was at best I can describe as being knife like or like an electric shock and I don't know why this could be.
My doctor has said my thyroid and ferritin results look fine, I'd like to know if I could possibly have an adrenal problem or if it's something else.
Thanks!
!Serum ferritin - Normal - No action needed: 28 (30-400)
TSH - Normal - no action needed: 0.60 (0.2-4.2)
Free T4 - Normal - no action needed: 15 (12-22)
Free T3 - Normal - no action needed: 4 (3.9-6.7)
Anti-TPO antibodies - Elevated level: 166 (<34)
My doctor has said my thyroid and ferritin results look fine, I'd like to know if I could possibly have an adrenal problem or if it's something else.
Thanks!
!Serum ferritin - Normal - No action needed: 28 (30-400)
TSH - Normal - no action needed: 0.60 (0.2-4.2)
Free T4 - Normal - no action needed: 15 (12-22)
Free T3 - Normal - no action needed: 4 (3.9-6.7)
Anti-TPO antibodies - Elevated level: 166 (<34)
This post was typed yesterday, but was unable to submit as MedHelp was down for maintenance.
And BTW, your temperature readings are indicative of under-regulated (type one or type 2) hypothyroid and/or primary adrenal fatigue with secondary hypothyroidism.
Reverse rT3 converts from T4, so Levothyroixine- if this is indeed the case -won't serve you well, so Cytomel would be better suited to address your low thyroid and dosing would be according to symptoms, with ongoing dose adjustments.
This of course barring the presence of adrenal fatigue, where addressing low thyroid becomes very delicate.
Not sure about attempting to address the adrenal issues on your own, but please read on.
From my saved post of yesterday:
"It would be good -the 24 saliva test for adrenal stress profile-if you have a knowledgeable practitioner to guide you though all this, as it can be rather complex.
In prolonged emotional or physiological stress, your cortisol levels will be dysregulated and excess T4 will likely be converted to rT3 (reverse T3) attempting to put the body in a low energy state for adrenal recovery, so any effort to address the resulting low thyroid state by increasing your thyroid hormone intake, is contra-indicated.
You're welcome to post your basal temp. results any time.
(You already did!)
The rT3 is an expensive test as it is rather complex.
Blue Horizon Labs in the UK (not necessarily a recommendation, just FYI)
charges £111.15, plus single medical fee of £29.95 for the rT3 test."
Hope this helps.
Niko
And BTW, your temperature readings are indicative of under-regulated (type one or type 2) hypothyroid and/or primary adrenal fatigue with secondary hypothyroidism.
Reverse rT3 converts from T4, so Levothyroixine- if this is indeed the case -won't serve you well, so Cytomel would be better suited to address your low thyroid and dosing would be according to symptoms, with ongoing dose adjustments.
This of course barring the presence of adrenal fatigue, where addressing low thyroid becomes very delicate.
Not sure about attempting to address the adrenal issues on your own, but please read on.
From my saved post of yesterday:
"It would be good -the 24 saliva test for adrenal stress profile-if you have a knowledgeable practitioner to guide you though all this, as it can be rather complex.
In prolonged emotional or physiological stress, your cortisol levels will be dysregulated and excess T4 will likely be converted to rT3 (reverse T3) attempting to put the body in a low energy state for adrenal recovery, so any effort to address the resulting low thyroid state by increasing your thyroid hormone intake, is contra-indicated.
You're welcome to post your basal temp. results any time.
(You already did!)
The rT3 is an expensive test as it is rather complex.
Blue Horizon Labs in the UK (not necessarily a recommendation, just FYI)
charges £111.15, plus single medical fee of £29.95 for the rT3 test."
Hope this helps.
Niko
I live in Australia and hired the book out from the library. It's a pretty old book now but the info from the book is 5 years worth of research and endorsed by Thyroid Australia. I've read plenty of other thyroid books as well. You might find a few good books at your local library.
When I started thyroxine, besides a week of hyperthyroid symptoms and another month of worsening hypothyroid symptoms, I had to deal very bad untreated adrenal fatigue (didn't have time to treat the condition first due to severe bradypnea). My symptoms I had to "ride out" included sleeping 15 + hours a day in a coma/drugged like state and if conscious in bed I could barely move or speak (able to slur a few words out at best), extreme dizziness, numbness.
There are a few home tests for adrenal fatigue if you are interested. I wrote an old answer about this but at the time I didn't have a blood pressure machine to do the first test.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Adrenal-Insufficiency/ACTH-Stimulation-Test/show/1742344
When I started thyroxine, besides a week of hyperthyroid symptoms and another month of worsening hypothyroid symptoms, I had to deal very bad untreated adrenal fatigue (didn't have time to treat the condition first due to severe bradypnea). My symptoms I had to "ride out" included sleeping 15 + hours a day in a coma/drugged like state and if conscious in bed I could barely move or speak (able to slur a few words out at best), extreme dizziness, numbness.
There are a few home tests for adrenal fatigue if you are interested. I wrote an old answer about this but at the time I didn't have a blood pressure machine to do the first test.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Adrenal-Insufficiency/ACTH-Stimulation-Test/show/1742344
Thanks. :) I looked at getting hold of this book via Amazon, it's currently unavailable but it could be because I'm in the UK.
The lowest recorded temperature I've ever, ever, ever had - and this is going back to 2008 when I started to feel very hot despite it being the middle of December - was 34.3 degrees Celsius. I think that might have been the beginning of the Hashimoto's but I can speculate about that all the time which won't change the way things are now.
So -- maybe I need some form of adrenal support? One of my friends bought something called Adrenal Cortex. Not sure if that's very well known at all.
She also recommended I do the saliva test for cortisol (which for me is very hard to do because although I'm only giving a small sample my mouth goes dry really quickly after 1-2 spits)
I bought some T3 a while back (Cytomel) and one tablet equals either 25mcg or 30mcg I'm not sure. My doctor doesn't know I bought it (being in the UK) and so because I know about ferritin needing to be at least 70 for the conversion of T4 to T3 to be optimal I'm not sure what I need to do.
The lowest recorded temperature I've ever, ever, ever had - and this is going back to 2008 when I started to feel very hot despite it being the middle of December - was 34.3 degrees Celsius. I think that might have been the beginning of the Hashimoto's but I can speculate about that all the time which won't change the way things are now.
So -- maybe I need some form of adrenal support? One of my friends bought something called Adrenal Cortex. Not sure if that's very well known at all.
She also recommended I do the saliva test for cortisol (which for me is very hard to do because although I'm only giving a small sample my mouth goes dry really quickly after 1-2 spits)
I bought some T3 a while back (Cytomel) and one tablet equals either 25mcg or 30mcg I'm not sure. My doctor doesn't know I bought it (being in the UK) and so because I know about ferritin needing to be at least 70 for the conversion of T4 to T3 to be optimal I'm not sure what I need to do.
This is a except from the book Running On Empty by Robyn Koumourou...
"It is not uncommon to start thyroid hormone therapy and find that your symptoms become worse before they get better. When you begin taking thyroxine the areas in the brain that control thyroid hormone production sense the increase in T4 levels within the blood stream. This feedback system will then cause the thyroid glands natural production of thyroid hormones to slow down.
Less natural T4 and T3 will then be produced and released and blood levels may remain stagnant or even decrease temporarily. Less free T3 hormone available to the body will slow down cellular metabolism. The symptoms of hypothyroidism may become worse until an increase in thyroxine is taken or an optimal dose is found.
On the other end of the scale, some people are particularly sensitive to T4 and find that their initial T4 dose produces hyperthyroid symptoms. In these cases smaller starting doses are required with smaller and slower increases."
"It is not uncommon to start thyroid hormone therapy and find that your symptoms become worse before they get better. When you begin taking thyroxine the areas in the brain that control thyroid hormone production sense the increase in T4 levels within the blood stream. This feedback system will then cause the thyroid glands natural production of thyroid hormones to slow down.
Less natural T4 and T3 will then be produced and released and blood levels may remain stagnant or even decrease temporarily. Less free T3 hormone available to the body will slow down cellular metabolism. The symptoms of hypothyroidism may become worse until an increase in thyroxine is taken or an optimal dose is found.
On the other end of the scale, some people are particularly sensitive to T4 and find that their initial T4 dose produces hyperthyroid symptoms. In these cases smaller starting doses are required with smaller and slower increases."
06/10 SATURDAY - 36.2 degrees Celsius
07/10 SUNDAY - 36.3 degrees Celsius
08/10 MONDAY - 36.1 degrees Celsius
09/10 TUESDAY - 36.1 degrees Celsius
10/10 WEDNESDAY - 36.2 degrees Celsius
11/10 THURSDAY - 36.5 degrees Celsius
12/10 FRIDAY - 36.3 degrees Celsius
13/10 MONDAY - 36.1 degrees Celsius
14/10 TUESDAY - 35.9 degrees Celsius
07/10 SUNDAY - 36.3 degrees Celsius
08/10 MONDAY - 36.1 degrees Celsius
09/10 TUESDAY - 36.1 degrees Celsius
10/10 WEDNESDAY - 36.2 degrees Celsius
11/10 THURSDAY - 36.5 degrees Celsius
12/10 FRIDAY - 36.3 degrees Celsius
13/10 MONDAY - 36.1 degrees Celsius
14/10 TUESDAY - 35.9 degrees Celsius
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