Thyroid tests

Wiggleynose · 07-20-2004, 09:02 PM

Okay, I got copies of my bloodwork from my dr. office.

Free T4 - 1.0

TSH - 4.3

No T3 was ran.

What do you girlies think?

shenacat · 07-21-2004, 05:28 AM

To give you advice on the T4 I need to see the lab's ranges. The TSH is obviously elevated. Most ppl feel good with it about 1.0 - the AACE guidelines even say that if it is above 3.0 that should be an indication of a problem. I'd say the #1 article you should show your doc is the one by the AACE that states this.

From the lab ranges my own lab has your T4 is lower than I would feel comfortable with mine being.

Wiggleynose · 07-23-2004, 06:42 PM

On my bloodwork (sorry, it took me awhile to remember to bring it in out of my car) the Free t4 range per the lab is 0.8 - 1.8
So i'm like.. right at the low end.

Is that good or bad?

prunepie · 07-24-2004, 04:50 AM

ok well...for tsh the higher the number..means lower function.
for the t3 or t4s the lower the number the lower the function ..if that makes sense..

sooooo imo many many drs would treat you as hypo.

i suggest getting a free t3 and free t4.
and find a dr who will help you....

like shenacat said the median tsh is 1.5 ish...

but imo the most imp numbers also are the free's

so lets say your tsh is high =hypo
t3 or t4 low along with an elevated tsh=hypo

some drs will treat even if tsh is "normal" but the free's are low...

good luck xoxo jenn

shenacat · 07-26-2004, 05:08 AM

Yeah basically what it means is you need meds.

Wiggleynose · 07-26-2004, 04:02 PM

Should I ask for Syntroid or something like Levoxyl?

My appt. is tomorrow and I'd like to have an idea of maybe what's better or if there's a difference?

prunepie · 07-26-2004, 05:00 PM

i personally know alot of people who didnt like synthroid..... unithroid, levoxyl etc have helped alot of people. but honestly..its just trial and error with meds to find the one that works for you xo jenn

shenacat · 07-26-2004, 09:30 PM

I was started directly on armour, dessicated pig thyroid which contains all thyroid hormones and not just T4 which synthroid and levoxyl, unithroid etc contain. T4 is slow acting because your body has to convert it to T3 before it is useful. So, it takes weeks for changes in meds to take effect etc. I like the quick-acting T3 component in armour because I can see changes right away.

I have noticed that my thyroid fluctuates with my menstrual cycle so I take a little more armour after I ovulate and drop it back down again after I start my period. This works because the T3 kicks in right away. It wouldn't work with just T4.

Some people's bodies don't convert T4->T3 very well, either. So T3 can really be a lifesaver and nip those final nasty symptoms in the butt.

T4 only does work great for many people, but the option for T3 or a natural mixed drug should always be available if T4 only doesn't work best.

Ask your doctor if (s)he would be comfortable prescribing you natural thyroid or some T3 along with your T4 and see what (s)he says. A lot of dr's won't prescribe T3 because they think it's unnecessary (same dr's think that TSH of 5 is ok!). Feel your dr. out so you know whether or not you have breathing room if T4 only doesn't work for you. Also ask your dr. what TSH (s)he wants you to have - 0.5-1.5 is optimal. If (s)he says you'd be fine at 3 or should be fine now, state your concerns over that and see if you can work with the doc anyway - sometimes they see reason and are able to change their thinking to help you. If not, it may be worthwhile to find a new doctor.

prunepie · 07-27-2004, 12:10 AM

hi shena..i finally got armour about 2 weeks ago..currently on one grain..going to go up to one and a half..how much are you on??? ty xo jenn

ps do you split your dose during the day or take it all at once?? ty xo jenn

Wiggleynose · 07-27-2004, 03:00 AM

Okay, my appt. is tuesday.. Wish me loads of luck. I know i preach about not being afraid to talk to your dr. but I'M TERRIFIED!!!!!

I will ask him about synthroid... My brother was put on this awhile ago and said it worked good for him for about 3 months and then stopped working and he has an appt. to go back for something else... Maybe I should just ask for Armour right off the bat?

Bleh.. I hate going to dr. about this stuff.
*sigh*

My dr. told me I was fine with a 4.3 tsh level... =/

I'm personally hoping for a 1.0 - 1.7 level right now. I just hope I can convince my dr.... Maybe I'll just use him to treat my PCOS and find one of the thyroid endo's off of thyroid.about.com and use them for my thyroid. And then have them submit bloodwork back and forth.. HA HA

Thanks so much prune and shena for the advice.

prunepie · 07-27-2004, 03:42 AM

well i want to warn you.... if your dr thinks you are fine at over a 4..i highly doubt he would prescribe armour off the bat..if anything if he is a "typical " doctor would go for synthroid.

finding drs who really think outside the box in regards to thyroid are tough..so please please do not get discouraged if he blows you off again.

there are lots of drs who do think outside the box, but dotn wanna give armour bc of kickbacks from major thryoid medicine makers like synthroid.

hey ,,, who knows maybe he will go for it...but what you said about him thinking your tsh is fine...makes me worried. have you printed out all the info about new guidelines for him in advance?? xo jenn

shenacat · 07-27-2004, 04:40 AM

Jennifer I am on 90mg of armour (1.5 grains) and 25mcg of levoxyl. During and after pregnancy, my T4 wasn't going high enough on armour alone so I had to bump it up with the levoxyl. (Pregnancy increases your body's ability to convert T4 to T3.)

I used to split my dose with 1 grain in the AM and 1/2 grain around 1-2 pm but I did not really notice a difference when I started taking it all in the morning.

Wiggleynose - good luck with the dr. if yours is a dud, try looking at www.thyroid-info.com and check out 'top docs'. P.S. Howard Stern's website actually has content now?! OMG!

Wiggleynose · 07-27-2004, 03:29 PM

I printed out nearly every article about the new ranges and symptoms, etc. I printed out the checklist and checked the symptoms I have. I made a copy for him and will keep my highlighted copies and I printed out info on armour and highlighted sections of it to go over with him.

I even printed out info on syntroid vs. armour based on how most people don't convert T4 to T3 very well and would benefit from both as in Armour.

I made up a questionaire thingy for me so I don't get off course with this.

I'm going to try really hard not to get discouraged and I have NO problem going to a thyroid specialist and having my RE specifically for PCOS.

shenacat · 07-30-2004, 08:02 AM

If it makes you feel any better, it took me a few doctors before I found a good one. The biggest tragedy was that my primary car doc that had taken care of me since I was 10 years old totally missed all of this, pcos, thyroid etc. He should have known, he even mentioned once that I had dark skin patches on the sides of my neck and said something about it being a sign of diabetes, but he never went farther with it. I am soooo mad at him. But then, this is the dr. that treated my mom for "bursitis" in her (left) shoulder for months and then told her she had the flu the day she later had a myocardial infarction (blood clot - heart attack). Grrr... when the hospital checked her she had blood pressure thru the roof, they put her on bp meds and said there's no way anyone would have missed it since her bp would have been high all along...

I went through an endo, a general surgeon and so forth until I finally settled on my naturopath and got treatment. My RE even says she knows little of thyroid... but with the little she does know she wants my TSH 0.5-1.5!

Wiggleynose · 07-30-2004, 03:16 PM

I went to my dr. Tuesday and he said "Well your TSH and T4 are in normal ranges" so I showed him the paper work..

He said "Well, this is just a guideline for us to change our ranges, nothing has been offically approved to change the ranges" and I said "yes, but this, with my symptoms would indicate a problem" and went on with it. Then I showed him several more articles.

He still was stuck on me being "normal" but did agree to give me a full thyroid panel including antibodies and he said since he was an RE he wanted to treat my PCOS stuff only and would refer me out to a medical Endo.

And me, being so smart, already had one lined up just in case and gave him the name of the endo I got off of thyroid.about.com. So, after he gets my bloodwork results, he's going to call this endo and talk to her so they can work together with one treating my thryoid issues and IR and one treating PCOS.

Which is fine with me, he even kept some of the articles, which was cool. Now I just have to deal with getting an appt. for the new endo because she doesn't take appt.s until she has all notes and lab work from the referring dr. first. And then I have to get a referral from my primary care dr., who is a moron. But I can't change until after I get this referral.