Labs on Armour Thyroid

[sooz92]

Hello,

Switched to Armour thyroid approx 8 weeks ago following a year and a half on Synthroid with no improvement in energy, mental clarity, freezing cold, etc. etc.

After six weeks on 1 grain, results were:

TSH -- .06  ref range (0.40 - 4.5)

FT4 -- .8    (0.8 - 1.8)

FT3 --  260   (230 - 425)

Labs were done 24 hours *after* previous daily dose, following some suggestions on other sites.....

But now that I think about it, if one is trying to assess what, if any, impact the the meds are having on FT3 levels, wouldn't this result be misleading due to the 24 hour lag time? The FT3 level is low normal and not much different from when i was on T4 only??? While I have noticed some improvements in physical symptoms, i'm not sure what to think.....

[gimel]

I think you might like to read this article written by a doctor.  

http://www.hormonerestoration.com/Thyroid.html

If you notice in the article the conclusion reached is that FT3 and FT4 levels in the lower half of their range frequently result in hypo symptoms.  My assessment of the reason that test results just anywhere within the so-called "normal" ranges are frequently not adequate to relieve symptoms, is that the ranges for FT3 and FT4 have never been adjusted as was done for TSH 8 years ago.  

At that time, the AACE came to the conclusion that there were a lot more hypo people than they had assumed when they established the old reference range of .5 - 5.0.  When they carefully purged the data base of suspect hypo patients data, and recalculated the limits, they changed the range to .3 - 3.0, which was a huge change.  

This has never been done for the FT3 and FT4 reference ranges.  If doctors used the ranges as guidelines within which to adjust a patient's levels as necessary to relieve symptoms, it really wouldn't matter.  Instead, many doctors interpret a test result anywhere within the current reference ranges as "normal" and decline further treatment.

With my extensive experience in statistical analysis, if I had to estimate the effect of a data purge similar to that done for TSH, I would estimate that you would end up with roughly the upper half of the current reference ranges.  Is there any wonder why we hear from so many patients with FT3 and FT4 test results in the lower end of their ranges, and yet they have significant hypo symptoms?  Not a surprise to me.  

[mtgardner]

I am about to switch to Amour so I have been reading as much as I can find about it.
One doctor on line said that he normally starts a patient on 30 mg. and goes up one 30 mg. pill every two weeks until symptoms are optimal.  I suspect some are started on a higher dose but not sure.  Also I think most doctors would retest labs fairly frequently although I have heard an alternative view that some think if you have Hashimoto's the antibodies interfere with tests so you have to go more on symptoms. As a patient I think I would like to see the labs but would want my own fine tuned to my symptoms, kind of like tuning up an old fashioned  car.

I appreciated hearing the suggestions by gimel.  I will keep those in mind once we do labs on Armour.

Let us know what happens next.  Marie

[gimel]

From your labs and symptoms, I'd say that you need an increase in medication to get your FT3 and FT4 higher in the ranges.  Many times we hear from members that symptom relief for them required that FT3 was adjusted into the upper part of the range and FT4 increased to at least midpoint of its range.  

I hope you have a good thyroid doctor that will treat you clinically by adjusting FT3 and FT4 levels as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels.