Still don't feel well

[Luciana761]

I was diagnosed with hypothyroid in Dec but I'm on 75 thyroxine and I still don't feel well. I'm still waiting on blood work for my medication review and because I haven't heard anything I'm thinking everything is ok. To complicate matters my endo has discharged me from her clinic. My symptoms are getting rabbit pellet stools every day and there is pain in my bottom and the urge to go is very sudden and there is dry skin all over my face, nose, lips, in my ears which makes them itchy and dryness in my eyes. Can anyone advise what the best thing to do is please?

Dec 2014 TSH: 5.3 (0.27 to 4.27) FT4: 19.3 (12 to 23), FT3: 4.9 (4.1 to 6.8)

[goolarra]

Well, if the endo has discharged you, and your PCP is now managing your thyroid condition, he may have a different idea on where your TSH should be.  However, your TSH is clearly above range, which would indicate an increase is in order.  With your FT4 on the high side, and your FT3 low, rather than increase T4 meds, you might actually decrease T4 meds a bit and add in some T3.  Some PCPs have no idea how to prescribe T3 and are not comfortable prescribing it.  If this is the case with yours, you might have to ask for a new referral to the endo.

"I'm still waiting on blood work for my medication review and because I haven't heard anything I'm thinking everything is ok."  Don't rely on that.  Call them and ask for results or a copy of the lab report.  If you get your results verbally, be sure to ask for the reference ranges, too.  You can see that your results are not okay and that you still have symptoms, so you might have to insist on an appointment to sit down with your doctor and go over these results and re-evaluate your symptoms.  Don't settle for "no news is good news"...

[Luciana761]

No I haven't asked my doctor about adding T3 to my medication but the nurse who took my blood typed in that I did. I didn't want to question her because she was just doing her job. I have TPO antibodies as well and they were 297 (range below 34) but this was done months ago and so the doctor referred me to the endo. My endo wrote back to my doctor to say that my TSH needs to be around 1 but because I've been discharged from the endocrine clinic I'm now worried that the endo saying in her letter about the TSH needing to be around 1 may not apply to me anymore because I'm not a patient of hers if that makes sense.

[goolarra]

our Ft4 is a little on the high side.  It's 66% of range, and the rule of thumb for FT4 is 50%.  FT3 is only 30%of range, and the rule here is 50+%.

Your TSH agrees that you are still hypo.

Have you talked to your doctor about adding some T3 to your meds?