Oh wow thanks. I used an online lab and was charged over $200. I'll have to look around for a different lab.
Thank you, I am going to lower my dose a bit. How long should I wait to get retested?
I went off of thyroid hormones for several years and got back on it because I couldn't get warm and my pulse was really slow. I didn't actually get tested at that time which I know I should have. The tests that I had done recently I ordered on my own. When I was tested while off thyroid hormones a while back, my tsh was typically between 2 and 4. I was asymptomatic at that time. No other tests were ordered.
In the past my b-12 levels have been high and iron levels normal. My D levels are also normal. I have started taking selenium.
I guess I need to find a doctor who will order either T3 or natural thyroid. In the meantime I think maybe I should decrease my Levoxyl to 25mcg, get retested and maybe find a doctor who will prescribe a small dose of cytomel.
Oh I have not had a thyroid ultrasound done.
Thank you
Yes, antibody counts can decrease and/or increase again... Mine went way down once, then increased, but now they're almost non-existent again. I've been told my thyroid is "dead" and there's nothing left for them to attack.
When you went off the med, how long is "a long time" that you were off them and didn't seem to need them? Did you have any labs done during that time? If so, what were your actual thyroid hormone levels?
Was that the first time you'd gone off your med like that in the 2o yrs since your diagnosis? What caused you to start taking the med again 4 months ago?
Sorry to ask so many questions, but again, you aren't hyper unless you have hyper symptoms and if a TSH level is what caused you to be taken off med in the past, you've been mistreated.
Have you had a thyroid ultrasound done to determine if you have nodules on your thyroid?
Also, have you had Vitamin B-12, Vitamin D and ferritin tested? Vitamins B-12 and D are necessary for the proper metabolism of thyroid hormones. Ferritin is the iron storage hormone; iron is necessary for adequate conversion of Free T4 to the usable Free T3. Selenium has also been shown to help with conversion of Free T4 to Free T3.
If you haven't had Vitamins B-12, D and ferritin tested, I'd recommend you do so, if possible.
If your doctor is ignoring your Free T4 and Free T3 levels in favor of the TSH, you might want to think about a different doctor.
I'm guessing you're looking at the TSH level - right? You're only hyper if you have hyper symptoms...
Although your Free T4 is a bit higher than it needs to be, at 61% of range, your Free T3 is actually too low at only 33% of range. This indicates that you're actually still hypo and not converting the Free T4 to Free T3 like you should be.
Is it possible for you to get your doctor to prescribe an additional source of T3 medication, such as cytomel or it's generic, liothyronine? Sometimes, this is necessary if we don't adequately convert Free T4 to the usable Free T3.
If you could get a source of T3, it would then be necessary to decrease your Levoxyl a small amount.
However, if you're feeling totally comfortable the way things are, there's nothing wrong with leaving it the way it is...
Do you know if you have Hashimoto's?
How long have you been on your current dosage?