Aa
Low TSH Low FT4 Low T3Free
Hello
I'm new here, but not new to hypothyroidism. It took me six doctors to get one who would treat me and my lab results I've been with her for three years, however, I don't believe she is knowledgeable enough to continue - esp since I am not feeling well.
On Thursday, I have my first appointment with a doctor recommended and discussed at length in Suzanne Somers' books. I am excited.. but want to be as prepared as possible.
I got my labs and am trying to get a good grasp of where I am....
will you please give me your input?
I am 52. Up until 5 years ago, I was 5'6", 128-130#, active and healthy. I am perimenopausal and taking:
240mg Thyroid (was Armour, now compounded thyroid due to Armour shortages)
100mcg Levothyroxine
100mg Progesterone (compounded capsule)
1mg Estradiol 4 (sublingual liquid drop)
4mg Folate (prescription not OTC)
180mg Fexofenadine HCL (Allegra) – for sinus congestion and cough
1 Nutralite MultiVitamin/MultiMineral
5,000iu Vitamin D3, liquid drops
1,000mg New Chapter Whole Omega (3-5-6-7-9)
2ml Cyanocobalamin (B12) – injection 1-2x week
My thyroid labs:
TSH Sensitve 0.01 (0.35-4.94)
FT4 0.85 (0.70-1.48)
Thyperoxide ab 16 (less than 35)
T3 Free 231 (230-420)
My symptoms:
Lack of energy, fatigue - everything seems to be “too much work”
Brain fog – diminished mental clarity, memory lapses
Formication – feels like bugs are crawling under my skin (especially torso, head, tongue, lips and toes)
Weight loss is pitifully slow (though I have lost 22# of the 80# I gained in past five years, it took a year of serious dieting)
Mild depression – sometimes a sense of “why bother?”
Insomnia
Chronic sinus congestion and cough (doctor said it is allergies, though I have never had allergies before)
Again, input is appreciated. Thank you!
I'm new here, but not new to hypothyroidism. It took me six doctors to get one who would treat me and my lab results I've been with her for three years, however, I don't believe she is knowledgeable enough to continue - esp since I am not feeling well.
On Thursday, I have my first appointment with a doctor recommended and discussed at length in Suzanne Somers' books. I am excited.. but want to be as prepared as possible.
I got my labs and am trying to get a good grasp of where I am....
will you please give me your input?
I am 52. Up until 5 years ago, I was 5'6", 128-130#, active and healthy. I am perimenopausal and taking:
240mg Thyroid (was Armour, now compounded thyroid due to Armour shortages)
100mcg Levothyroxine
100mg Progesterone (compounded capsule)
1mg Estradiol 4 (sublingual liquid drop)
4mg Folate (prescription not OTC)
180mg Fexofenadine HCL (Allegra) – for sinus congestion and cough
1 Nutralite MultiVitamin/MultiMineral
5,000iu Vitamin D3, liquid drops
1,000mg New Chapter Whole Omega (3-5-6-7-9)
2ml Cyanocobalamin (B12) – injection 1-2x week
My thyroid labs:
TSH Sensitve 0.01 (0.35-4.94)
FT4 0.85 (0.70-1.48)
Thyperoxide ab 16 (less than 35)
T3 Free 231 (230-420)
My symptoms:
Lack of energy, fatigue - everything seems to be “too much work”
Brain fog – diminished mental clarity, memory lapses
Formication – feels like bugs are crawling under my skin (especially torso, head, tongue, lips and toes)
Weight loss is pitifully slow (though I have lost 22# of the 80# I gained in past five years, it took a year of serious dieting)
Mild depression – sometimes a sense of “why bother?”
Insomnia
Chronic sinus congestion and cough (doctor said it is allergies, though I have never had allergies before)
Again, input is appreciated. Thank you!
Wow... the new doc was great! She spent almost two hours with me. I actually saw the nurse practitioner (MN, RN-C, FNP are after her name), but she is with the doctor so highly recommended in Suzanne Somers' books.
My thyroid is practically non-functioning despite high dosages of two kinds of T4 (Armour and Levothyroxine). She is stopping the Armour and adding T3 (Cytomel). She hopes that will jump-start the thyroid. She feels "something" is blocking my absorption of the thyroid replacement and has ordered more tests. I pick up the cytomel today. She said to give it a week to see any changes in how I feel. So I am now on 100mcg levothyroxine and 10mcg cytomel early a.m. and 5 mcg cytomel at 2p.m.
From a physical exam, she believes I have nodules on my thyroid and has ordered an ultrasound, which I will have on the 22nd.
She likes the low-carb diet, , and wants me to stay on it, but says I am have a lot of inflammation in my body. She wants me to go gluten-free. There is not much gluten in the my lower carb diet, but the Smart Carb protein bread I have each morning has gluten in it, as does soy sauce, some bleu cheeses, malt vinegars, many spices, cold cuts, etc. Yikes, who knew? I've never known anything about gluten.
She said my B12 is very low, in spite of giving myself B12 shots 1-2x week. So she is adding an injectible B-complex and changing the type of B12 I am 'shooting up'. The hope is that the complex will help the body better absorb the B12. I took my first combo injection Friday afternoon and had so much energy - it felt wonderful!
She told me to stop taking the estradiol and can't believe any doctor would give that to me (three doctors have over the years) since I still have menses. Excess estrogen is causing many of my probelms (weight loss difficulty, fatigue, brain fog, malabsorption, etc). She changed me to cycling my progesterone instead of taking the same dose every day of the month as I have been for several years.
She suspects my adrenals are shot, because the thyroid is so low. She will know more with the next round of labs. She kept saying "No wonder you don't feel good and nothing seems to be working even though you are doing it all right!"
She ordered 11 more lab tests, they took 13 vials of blood. I will meet with her as soon as they are complete, so we can make some more changes.
She said sleep is so important that she gave me Xanax, since it is the only Rx I've found that seems to work, and said we will deal with weaning off of it once all the hormones are regulated. She told me to take a magnesium supplement called Calm (you mix it in hot water like a tea) right before bed. It helps the bones and has a calming effect. We bought it and hubby and I both like it.
She also said it was time to get back to water aerobics which I used to do 3x week before my knee surgery in Sept, but have not gotten back into it.
Anyway.... this is sure a journey.... thanks for your support!
My thyroid is practically non-functioning despite high dosages of two kinds of T4 (Armour and Levothyroxine). She is stopping the Armour and adding T3 (Cytomel). She hopes that will jump-start the thyroid. She feels "something" is blocking my absorption of the thyroid replacement and has ordered more tests. I pick up the cytomel today. She said to give it a week to see any changes in how I feel. So I am now on 100mcg levothyroxine and 10mcg cytomel early a.m. and 5 mcg cytomel at 2p.m.
From a physical exam, she believes I have nodules on my thyroid and has ordered an ultrasound, which I will have on the 22nd.
She likes the low-carb diet, , and wants me to stay on it, but says I am have a lot of inflammation in my body. She wants me to go gluten-free. There is not much gluten in the my lower carb diet, but the Smart Carb protein bread I have each morning has gluten in it, as does soy sauce, some bleu cheeses, malt vinegars, many spices, cold cuts, etc. Yikes, who knew? I've never known anything about gluten.
She said my B12 is very low, in spite of giving myself B12 shots 1-2x week. So she is adding an injectible B-complex and changing the type of B12 I am 'shooting up'. The hope is that the complex will help the body better absorb the B12. I took my first combo injection Friday afternoon and had so much energy - it felt wonderful!
She told me to stop taking the estradiol and can't believe any doctor would give that to me (three doctors have over the years) since I still have menses. Excess estrogen is causing many of my probelms (weight loss difficulty, fatigue, brain fog, malabsorption, etc). She changed me to cycling my progesterone instead of taking the same dose every day of the month as I have been for several years.
She suspects my adrenals are shot, because the thyroid is so low. She will know more with the next round of labs. She kept saying "No wonder you don't feel good and nothing seems to be working even though you are doing it all right!"
She ordered 11 more lab tests, they took 13 vials of blood. I will meet with her as soon as they are complete, so we can make some more changes.
She said sleep is so important that she gave me Xanax, since it is the only Rx I've found that seems to work, and said we will deal with weaning off of it once all the hormones are regulated. She told me to take a magnesium supplement called Calm (you mix it in hot water like a tea) right before bed. It helps the bones and has a calming effect. We bought it and hubby and I both like it.
She also said it was time to get back to water aerobics which I used to do 3x week before my knee surgery in Sept, but have not gotten back into it.
Anyway.... this is sure a journey.... thanks for your support!
I would be asking to be checked for Cushings Syndrome.
I dont think you are Hypothyroid...just a thought, a gut instinct.
I dont think you are Hypothyroid...just a thought, a gut instinct.
YOU MAY WANT TO CHECK YOUR POTASSIUM LEVELS. I HAVE SEVERE ATTACKS THAT ARE DUE TO LOW POTASSIUM LEVELS. I REALLY THINK THIS MAY BE YOUR PROBLEM. HOPE THIS HELPS!
~ SEARCH LOW POTASSIUM EPISODES OR ATTACKS HERE ON THIS SITE. BEST WISHES!
~ SEARCH LOW POTASSIUM EPISODES OR ATTACKS HERE ON THIS SITE. BEST WISHES!
Thank you all for your insight... one more day to go til my new doc appt. I have a lot to ask!
Oh, to add. I didn't look properly at your meds.
B12 deficiency is also a classic sign of malabsorption (one cause of which can be celiac).
B12 deficiency is also a classic sign of malabsorption (one cause of which can be celiac).
I agree on the adrenals. However, SOMETHING is stopping your meds from getting into your bloodstream. Celiac, perhaps? Liver function tests? You have all that going in, yet FT3/4 levels remain low. A higher dose of meds? I don't know...I think something else is going on, but it's beyond my knowledge. Absorption is my best guess. The B12 injections are for perncious anemia?
Wow! with the FT3 and FT4 levels you are obviously still undermedicated and still need a higher dose of meds. TSH should be ignored in your case.
Have you been tested for malabsorption issues? In particular be tested for celiac. Do you have any GI (gastro) issues?
Have they done proper testing of your adrenals to see that they are functioning?
No answers, but some more things to consider.
Have you been tested for malabsorption issues? In particular be tested for celiac. Do you have any GI (gastro) issues?
Have they done proper testing of your adrenals to see that they are functioning?
No answers, but some more things to consider.
Thanks! I am also trying to make sense of this.
No doc has ever said why I am hypo. Except in 2005 a naturopath said she thought it was due to a trauma that happened in 2000 (I was almost murdered) and the resulting extended adrenaline drain burned out my thyroid and adrenals. Have never had that confirmed.
I started on low dosage Synthroid back in 2004 when I had freezing hands & feet, brain fog, lethargy and unexplained weight gain. When I went to a naturopath in 2005, she switched me to Armour 60. Increased to 90 in 2006. I changed to an internist in 2007 and she upped me to 120 and added 100 mcg levo. In 2008 she upped me to 180 Armour. In Jan 2009, she upped me to 240. (Started bio-identicals in 2005)
My January 2009 labs she based the Armour increase upon:
TSH Sensitive 0.39
FT4 0.82
T3 Free 306
no Thyperoxide ab was done
No doc has ever said why I am hypo. Except in 2005 a naturopath said she thought it was due to a trauma that happened in 2000 (I was almost murdered) and the resulting extended adrenaline drain burned out my thyroid and adrenals. Have never had that confirmed.
I started on low dosage Synthroid back in 2004 when I had freezing hands & feet, brain fog, lethargy and unexplained weight gain. When I went to a naturopath in 2005, she switched me to Armour 60. Increased to 90 in 2006. I changed to an internist in 2007 and she upped me to 120 and added 100 mcg levo. In 2008 she upped me to 180 Armour. In Jan 2009, she upped me to 240. (Started bio-identicals in 2005)
My January 2009 labs she based the Armour increase upon:
TSH Sensitive 0.39
FT4 0.82
T3 Free 306
no Thyperoxide ab was done
Very interesting labs...
You are taking a megadose of thyroid meds (240 mg of compounded dessicated and 100 mcg of levo per day?), and your FT4 is very low, and your FT3 is on the floor, but your TSH is almost non-existent.
Since you are not new to hypo, have you always been on such high doses? Have your FT3/4 ever been higher? Have you ever had a diagnosis of the cause of your hypo, since TPOab is negative, and it's unlikely Hashi's. How long have you had these symptoms?
Sorry for all the questions, but trying to makes sense of all this.
You are taking a megadose of thyroid meds (240 mg of compounded dessicated and 100 mcg of levo per day?), and your FT4 is very low, and your FT3 is on the floor, but your TSH is almost non-existent.
Since you are not new to hypo, have you always been on such high doses? Have your FT3/4 ever been higher? Have you ever had a diagnosis of the cause of your hypo, since TPOab is negative, and it's unlikely Hashi's. How long have you had these symptoms?
Sorry for all the questions, but trying to makes sense of all this.
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