HBP and hyperthyroid

[jean1623]

After a thyroidectomy at the age of 17 I have struggled with proper dosages for 37 years.  Up to a week ago I took 3 gr. Naturethroid daily.  I have been experiencing heart palpatations, skipped beats, and HBP for the past few years.  After many tests no artery blockages were found. A thyroid test a few weeks ago revealed the dose was too high.  My doctor lowered it to 2 gr.  Along with this, but taken at different times of the day, I take Losartin 50mg. and Carvedilol 12 mg (for HBP), and at night a bioidentical hormone replacement.

My questions are:
What is 'normal' free t3/t4?  
Is the monitoring of tsh important when there is no thyroid gland?
Could overdosing be contributing to my heart problems?
Does the bioidentical hormone replacement interfere with the thyroid replacement drug?
Does 2 gr. Naturethroid seem like enough when there is no thyroid gland?

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

TSH is more important to monitor than T4 or T3.
Ranges vary from lab to lab -- must look at the assay reference range.
Too much thyroid medication (especially from pig thyroid preparations such as naturethroid and armour) can cause heart disease.  2 grains is a high dose -- if continued, would divide into 1 grain in am, 1 grain in early afternoon, but levothyroxine is preferred.
Any change in estrogen medications can alter thyroid hormone requirements.

[jean1623]

In reference to my earlier post and your response.  If overdosing of Naturethroid has potentially cause my heart disease, is it possible to reverse it by lowering the dose?