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7827959 tn?1394547733

T3 & T4 Levels

Do my free T3 level matter if  I am post op TT 26yrs for a papillary carcinoma?  I'm a 53yr old female with a 6mm pituitary adenoma, I have been taking 200mcg levothyroxin for 6 years, 9months ago I started to have heart palpitations, anxiety, irritability, hair loss, sleep deprivation and cold intolerance. I self dropped my dose to 100mcg to see what would happen, and I felt GREAT.  The only problem is my TSH raised to 14, so my doctor raised my dose to 175mcg brand name Synthyroid.  Now I am starting to have hair/sleep loss, anxiety, and heart palpitations again.  Free T3 is not something I have heard about before and none of my doctors have ever checked it b4 except for one, my level was 3.4 pg/ml I wonder if it could be effecting my body, I also have mild anemia.
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Avatar universal
You might want to interview your endo over the phone before making an appointment.  Unfortunately, some endos are TSH-only types as well.

If you call the office and ask to speak to a nurse, you can ask which tests they customarily order for hypo patients.  You want to hear FT3, FT4 and TSH.  If they say TSH only, you know you want to run.  If they say FT4 and TSH, you can go on to ask if they test FT3 on patient request.

You can also ask which meds they're pen to using.  All meds should be on the table.

A couple of quick questions like that, plus any other concerns you might want to address, will weed out the worst of the worst without having to wait two months for an appointment.  
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7827959 tn?1394547733
My GP has been maintaining my thyroid medicine, but I made a appointment with an endocrinologist because it is time a specialist steps in.  Thanks to this forum I realize that I am playing with fire, when I allow general practitioners  to  adjust my meds according to TSH levels.  There is so much more to the bigger picture, that I have not been keeping up with, mostly because I just didn't know better.
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Avatar universal
Would you copy and paste the above into your own thread?  We don't want to hijack BarbieK128's thread, and it's easier if all your information stays in one thread so that all members can reference it and comment on it.  Thanks so much.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi goolarra just seen your. reply back to this topic I'm hoping you will be able to read my partners blood test results and see if they are normal and I'm not just over reacting I have no results for T3 only T4 levels and TSH levels
Free T4 levels are 15  Pmo/L  ( 9-20 )
TSH 12.75 mU/L ( 0.35 _ 4.94 )
His also got elevated levels of CRP 124 mg/L  ( <1 )
His on levothyoxine 100 mcg
Weight is 59 kilos  ( February 2014 )from around 65 kilos ( September 2013 ) 74 kilos ( July 2013 )
His had symptoms of breathlessness , lethargy , sickness , rapid weight loss , atrial fibrillation , vocal cord paralysis , lots of phlegm on his chest , pulmonary congestion ,
His symptoms mainly started in September 2013 when he changed his levothyoxine dose from am to pm this has since changed back
Do you think it's all related some how or just coincidental of timing , I don't no what to do anymore , his peg fed so I have been trying to increase his weight to see if it makes a difference but that's another problem I have been giving him 2,400 calories per day and his weight gain is extremely slow since January his only gained 1kilo in weight
Any advice would be very much appreciated x
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
FT3 levels matter for ALL of us.  FT3 is the test that correlates best with symptoms because FT3 is the biologically active form of the thyroid hormones.  It's absolutely essential (if you want to feel well) to test FT3 every time blood is drawn.  If that one FT3 isn't recent, it wouldn't be very useful.  If it is recent, what was the reference range?  Please also post any other current thyroid labs with reference ranges.

You cut your dose way too much.  Typically, levo is adjusted in increments of 12.5-25 mcg at a time.

Anemia will also affect how well your cells can utilize thyroid hormone.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Barbie K my partner is having the same trouble as you I am to fed up of doctors not listening , his was due to radio therapy from throat cancer his TSH levels are 12·75 but but doctors and nurses keep telling me it's within range, now his scheduled for a cardioversion on the 26th of this month basically to stop and restart his heart, I don't no what to do either I'm use to his treatment for the throat and did a lot of research to make sure I was giving him the best care I could give without causing additional problems but all this heart and vocal problems are completely new to me and I don't want to go against the doctor but I feel like they are just treating his symptoms and not the underlying cause, hope you get some answers my partner is 52 years of age so not far from you , can you please keep me posted on any answers you receive and I will to with you hopefully we can work this out together, x
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