RE: Re: Understanding TSH/ T3

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the article link. I'm printing it out to read through today, assuming I can clear the brain fog for a few hours.

Question::::: Is anyone out there on this forum on T3 only therapy? Or did anyone start with T3 only and then add T4?

To: Texas_Thyroid_Groups From: texasthyroid@...Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:01:37 +0000Subject: Re: Understanding TSH

It is nearly impossible to supplement what the thyroid gland is making. Almost any dose of thyroid meds will tend to suppress the TSH and shut down production to a greater or lesser degree. Here is the link to an article called, "Intrinsic Imperfections of Endocrine Hormone Therapy."

http://www.eje.org/cgi/reprint/149/2/91

Once you are diagnosed, TSH is of little importance unless it is too high.

The cortisol replacement should help with your thyroid hormone intolerance. If not, then you may wish to have your ferritin levels tested.

If neither one helps, then you may wish to look into environmental factors causing thyroid hormone resistance/intolerance. Heavy metals, insecticides, wood preservatives, xenoestrogens are among the things that can gum up your receptors. Folks with those issues often need large doses of T3, but have a limited tolerance for T4. Some of them need T3 only either temporarily or permanently.

>> This is probably a silly question but I've posted on other sites and > never really got a clear answer.> > Let's say your TSH is 6.0 and you're diagnosed as hypothyroid. And > let's say your Free T4 is 1.2 (range .61-1.76), your Free T3 is 2.2 > (range 2.3-4.2). You have no thryoid antibodies to speak of (<5), so > you're not a Hashi's patient. And, throw into the pot, you feel awful > and have numerous and debiliitating hypothyroid symptoms.> > So...if you start taking meds, and increasing your dose over time, > the body starts to compensate by shutting down what thyroid hormones > you are making on your own in lieu of supplementation.> > If a falling TSH.....means a LARGER number....from original 6.0 to > whatever....why wouldn't that number grow...from say 6.0 to 20.0 > (hypothetically)? Why, if the TSH is totally suppressed in Hashi's > patients wouldn't the number be huge instead of "0"?> > What is the TSH number supposed to do as time goes by and you're > optimizing on thyroid meds and you're supplementing all your thyroid > production over time? > > I just started thyroid meds again after not being able to tolerate > them (I was finally diagnosed with 's and now on full > Hydrocortisone @ 25-30 mg. a day.) My doc has started me on low dose > timed released T3 (4th week in now @ 10 mcg. a day). I'm tolerating > it, but now we have to deal with adding the T4 in very small > increments to see if I can tolerate it and not 'crash' again. I need > to understand how to interpret my numbers as we continue to test and > monitor.> > Thanks,> Stevie Lyn> Instantly invite friends from Facebook and other social networks to join you on Windows Live™ Messenger. Invite friends now!