Re: high readings on latest blood tests

[Guest guest]

Shell,

You really don't want the free t3 to be over range, not according to the pulse

magazine article (in the files).

It would make sense that you would have to reduce the meds BUT, when had you

taken the meds? Had you left them off for 24 hours before the test? If not

the results might be wrong as T3 spikes in the blood a few hours after taking

the tablets.

.

> I received a letter through the post today asking me to contact my GP to

discuss results of latest blood test so I went tonight and have been told to

reduce my Armour from 2 grains to 1 1/2 grains:

>

> Free T3 9.2 (3.5 - 6.5)

> Free T4 24.4 (11 - 23)

>

> However, the TSH was low <0.05 (0.35 - 5.5)

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Shell

Did you take your Armour on the morning you had your blood

drawn? If so, ask your GP if you can have another thyroid function test done

after not taking any Armour that morning. Tell him that the T3 peaks in the

blood between 2 to 4 hours after taking it so blood drawn after taking it would

be flawed. However, your free T4 is very high, so it could be that you are not

converting this mainly inactive thyroid hormone to the a\active T3 - and may

mean you would need T3 only, and not T4. Why did Dr S recommend adding a

further 25mcgs levothyroxine? Was this because of the results of a previous

blood test, and if so, can you let us know what your previous results were

please?

The TSH will always remain very suppressed in those taking any

form of T3, either synthetic or natural. This is because thyroid stimulating

hormone (TSH) is secreted by the pituitary gland when it recognises there is

insufficient thyroid hormone in the blood, so it secretes more TSH (so the

number rises) to tell the thyroid gland to pump out more thyroid hormone. When

it sees there is sufficient thyroid hormone in the blood, it has no need to

secrete ANY TSH whatsoever.

Whatever thyroid medication you are taking Shell should be

titrated to how you are feeling, and not by blood test results alone. If you

are feeling good and you don't have hypothyroid symptoms left, and you are not

suffering with symptoms of hyPERthyroid, i.e. palpitations, over-active,

agitated, sweating, dizziness, feeling spaced out, 'dire-rear' etc, then you should

stay on the medication that is making you feel good. If, on the other hand, you

have symptoms of hyPERthyroidism, then you should definitely reduce your dose.

Doctors insist in treating you according to blood tests alone when it comes to

thyroid disease, and they must not.

As far as your

serum cortisol level is concerned, what I have found is that during acute illness, a

cortisol level of less than 500nmol/l may be consistent with hypoadrenalism,

while a level of less than 200nmol/l is highly abnormal and strongly supports

the diagnosis. A level of 550nmol/l or above excludes the diagnosis. See http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/hypoadrenalism.htm

Luv - Sheila

Free T3 9.2 (3.5 - 6.5)

Free T4 24.4 (11 - 23)

However, the TSH was low <0.05 (0.35 - 5.5)

I also had a cortisol test done (just the basic blood test) and the results

were 320. It doesnt give a reference range although it does state underneath

that 'Only cortisol levels >500 exclude adrenal insufficiency.' The locum GP

said my results were fine coz they wanted it to be under 500??????????

[Guest guest]

Sheila - I totally agree with your statement. However, I'm not knowledgeable enough to reconcile this with the fact that TSH will also be low when a person is HypErthyroid. Can you say more about this?Thank you,MargeOn Dec 9, 2011, at 2:44 AM, Sheila wrote:The TSH will always remain very suppressed in those taking any form of T3, either synthetic or natural. This is because thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is secreted by the pituitary gland when it recognises there is insufficient thyroid hormone in the blood, so it secretes more TSH (so the number rises) to tell the thyroid gland to pump out more thyroid hormone. When it sees there is sufficient thyroid hormone in the blood, it has no need to secrete ANY TSH whatsoever.

[Guest guest]

Hi

I did not take any meds on the day of the blood test until I got home

afterwards.

Dr S had put me on Levo as well as Armour because i went to him 4 wks ago not

feeling well. He was generally concerned and asked my GP for numerous tests. I

am hoping to speak to him in the morning. As for how i am feeling now, i am in a

sort of busy busy busy mode and in a way i am concerned that if i reduce the

meds i will become knocked out again. My last results at beg of sept 11 were:

Free T3 7 ( 3.5 - 6.5)

FT4 17.2 ( 11-23)

TSH <0.05 (0.35 - 5.5)

Also - please can you remind me if Armour is T3 or T4 I get so confused and

forget!

thanks Shell

>

> Hi Shell

>

> Did you take your Armour on the morning you had your blood drawn? > However,

your free T4 is very high, so it could be that you are not

> converting this mainly inactive thyroid hormone to the a\active T3 - and may

> mea

[Guest guest]

Hi Marge

When levels of T4 and T3 are detected as too high in the blood

(hyPERthyroidism), the thyroid hormone stimulation (TSH) secretion decreases so

TSH is suppressed. When levels of T4 and T3 are detected as being too low, TSH

secretion increases, because it needs to tell the thyroid gland to start

secreting more hormone. Increased levels of TSH are seen in primary

hypothyroidism, thyrotropin producing tumours, and thyrotoxicosis. Decreased,

or suppressed levels of TSH are seen in hyPERthyroidism and secondary and

tertiary hypothyroidism.

Luv - Sheila

Sheila - I totally agree with your statement. However,

I'm not knowledgeable enough to reconcile this with the fact that TSH will also

be low when a person is HypErthyroid. Can you say more about this?

Thank you,

Marge

__

[Guest guest]

Let us know what Dr S says about your very high

levels of fT3 and fT4 Shell, you might need to reduce your dose as you did not

take any thyroid hormone the morning you had your blood drawn. Be sure to tell

Dr S that you had not taken your hormone that morning to keep him fully in the

picture with what's going on. Natural thyroid extract, i.e. Armour Thyroid,

Erfa 'Thyroid' Nature Throid and Westhroid contain T4, T3, T2, T1 plus

calcitonin and possibly other unspecified enzymes.

Luv - Sheila

I did not take any meds on the day of the blood test until I got home

afterwards.

Dr S had put me on Levo as well as Armour because i went to him 4 wks ago not

feeling well. He was generally concerned and asked my GP for numerous tests. I

am hoping to speak to him in the morning. As for how i am feeling now, i am in

a sort of busy busy busy mode and in a way i am concerned that if i reduce the

meds i will become knocked out again. My last results at beg of sept 11 were:

Free T3 7 ( 3.5 - 6.5)

FT4 17.2 ( 11-23)

TSH <0.05 (0.35 - 5.5)

Also - please can you remind me if Armour is T3 or T4 I get so confused and

forget!

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila

I spoke to Dr S this morning and he said that seeings as I dont have any

specific hyper symptoms and the duty doc i saw the other night didnt take my

pulse or temp or BP then he cant understand why they thought i was thyrotoxic by

only looking at the blood test results. He asked me to see my usual GP (who is

very good) and ask her to write Dr S a letter to see what she thinks...

meanwhile for me to carry on with my usual medication and let him know how i get

on.

Shell

>

> Let us know what Dr S says about your very high levels of fT3 and fT4 Shell,

>

> I did not take any meds on the day of the blood test until I got home

> afterwards.

> Dr S had put me on Levo as well as Armour because i went to him 4 wks ago

> not feeling well. He was generally concerned and asked my GP for numerous

> tests. I am hoping to speak to him in the morning. As for how i am feeling

[Guest guest]

>

> Sheila - I totally agree with your statement. However, I'm not knowledgeable

enough to reconcile this with the fact that TSH will also be low when a person

is HypErthyroid. Can you say more about this?>

If my figuring out is correct, someone who is HyPERthyroid is naturally

producing way too much T4 already, which the Pituary gland detects. The Pituary

therefore see's no reason to produce TSH so the level is automatically low or

non-existant.

2

[Guest guest]

That's great Shell. Let us know the outcome and as Dr S

suggests, if you are feeling fine, you should carry on taking the medication as

normal.

Luv - Sheila

Hi Sheila

I spoke to Dr S this morning and he said that seeings as I dont have any

specific hyper symptoms and the duty doc i saw the other night didnt take my

pulse or temp or BP then he cant understand why they thought i was thyrotoxic

by only looking at the blood test results. He asked me to see my usual GP (who

is very good) and ask her to write Dr S a letter to see what she thinks...

meanwhile for me to carry on with my usual medication and let him know how i

get on.

Shell

,_._,___

[Guest guest]

Hi there, i disagree, the TSH is not that important and the FT3 being over the ref-range is ok and the FT4 maybe is her set point seems OK. ???it all depends on how you feel, we all worry if the results are ok, more inportant is have our symptoms gone away, and if not why.!we are all different and in our own set points we differ . Angel.

[Guest guest]

Thanks to everyone who has commented on the blood test results and the fact that

i am actually feeling ok at the moment and so that along with dr S advice i am

now confindent in continuing with my current meds and seeing how it goes.

Shell