Guest guest Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 Hi there... I'm sorry I can't remember your name?? What is the reference range for the T4 test? It very well could be that your doc is going by the totals and shouldn't be. Your TSH is high. With your symptoms you sound hypo. I'm sorry I can't offer any advice for the dizziness. The frees indicate how much thyroid is actually available to your body, right gang? Someone should jump in here.. I'm having trouble remembering the difference btwn frees and totals, I just know the frees are said to be a better indicator. Coincidentally, I'm having some similar issues with my labs, which I received today. I had to twist the guy's arm at Unilab to have them faxed to me. I had asked my doc to test the frees time before last, which she did. But as usual she was rushed last visit and hastily marked off total T3 and T4. I changed it myself back to the frees... but now apparently there was some confusion with the scribbling on my form because only my TSH and Free T3 were tested. Summary: THIS lab, while on 88 mcg Levoxyl and 10 mcg Cytomel: TSH .06 free T3 3.7 (2.3-4.2) PREVIOUS lab, while on 88 mcg Levoxyl and 5 mcg Cytomel: TSH .88 (.4 low end of range) free T4 1.6 (0.8 - 2.7) free T3 3.1 (2.3-4.2) I did not tell my doc I stayed on the 88 mcg... she wanted me to drop to 75 because I had asked to add some Cytomel. Well, she had forgotten to give me my prescription for the 75, and by the time I received it in the mail, I already had to refill and decided to just stay on 88 and see how I felt. I do NOT feel hyper. I just took my pulse and it is still less than 60 bpm... so this should be interesting if she phones me and wants me to lower my dosage of Thyrolar. Am I supposed to believe I'm hyper now that my palps are finally GONE..?? > I just heard from the doctor regarding my most recent TSH and T4 > (not a free T4). My TSH was 5.6 and my T4 was 11.4. Does that make > sense? Isn't the Synthroid I take T4? Why would that be elevated > instead of low? The nurse is going to talk to my doctor, but she > said he will probably just increase the Synthroid. I really would > like to try adding Cytomel or switching to Armour, but he is dead > set against that. Will increasing the Synthroid help at all with my > T4 already being elevated? HELP!! I'm SOOOOOOOo confused! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 23, 2004 Report Share Posted March 23, 2004 My name is Jo. I asked about the normals for the T4, and she only told me that over 11 was elevated, and mine was 11.4. I'm sure the T4 was total and not " free. " Should I insist at this point that he do a free T3 and T4, or should I wait and see what it is he prescribes? > > I just heard from the doctor regarding my most recent TSH and T4 > > (not a free T4). My TSH was 5.6 and my T4 was 11.4. Does that make > > sense? Isn't the Synthroid I take T4? Why would that be elevated > > instead of low? The nurse is going to talk to my doctor, but she > > said he will probably just increase the Synthroid. I really would > > like to try adding Cytomel or switching to Armour, but he is dead > > set against that. Will increasing the Synthroid help at all with my > > T4 already being elevated? HELP!! I'm SOOOOOOOo confused! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 24, 2004 Report Share Posted March 24, 2004 Right, exaxtly. And it is crucial to get a picture of what the Free T3 is, in this case, because, with all that bound hormone, that is not being absorbed by the cells, that's probably why the pituitary is still "antagonizing" the thyroid. In this case, the tissues have got to be literally "saturated" with T3 in order to force the tissues to respond correctly. I am one of those people also. I've upped my Armour to 90 mgs, which, according to the conversion charts at the Armour site, would be about equal to the 125 mcgs of synthetic T4 I was taking until the end of summer, but, in my case, as is obvious by my tests, it's still not enough to saturate. I think I'm probably looking at, as just an estimate, approximately 180 mgs, in the end. I've been adjusting upward, gradually for what, 6 months? I won't go back through the combinations and amts, but if you look at how far apart my testings were, and the length of the dosage intervals, it is going to be a much higher dose than originally anticipated. I think that this could be because the thyroid was slowly, "sneakily" failing again, after about 7 yrs, then, during this last yr, started on a steady faster downward spiral, right during the months before I started doing the changes in hormone to the Armour. Because of the way I was feeling ALL the time, I had a sense of urgency to do these changes. The first labs posted are after I had been on 30 mgs Armour combined with around 50 mcgs of synthetic T4. The second set of tests is 5 months later, after having dropped the synthetic about 2 wks after the first testing, and upping the Armour to 60 mgs, then half way through that time, upping it to 90 mgs. So you can see that it's probably still going to call for more. I've been 120 mgs for the last 5-6 days, and will test again around the end of May, though I'd prefer to go test at the end of April. I'm trying to give each dosage plenty of time to manifest and knock the TSH down, so that there is not a "lag" in the TSH. My goal is to get that down below 2, IF that is where I feel good at, AND bring the Frees into their upper end of upper range, or even over, if that's what it takes. If I start feeling toxic, then I'll cut it back a bit. I have been taking my pulse regularly, a couple of times a day, my tems, before rising from bed, midway through the day, and again late at night. It's registering 95.5 or so 9 out 10 mornings, while still in bed. It's registering anywhere from 96-96.5 during my first 3 hrs out of bed, doing mild activity in the house. Then it's registering sometimes up to 97 every once in awhile. This is all axillary, and, ordinarily we would add a degree to that, to actually get the internal temp, but guess what----I guess I'm a dead person, lol! because my oral temp is NEVER any more than 1/2 degree higher than my axillary temp on any of 3 thermometers, including the old type. I've been able to carry all this out at regular times of day because I've been on vacation for the last 2 wks. September 30th '03 Mine Lab Reference Range TSH 35.553 0.35 - 5.50 Free T4 0.6 0.8 -1.8 Free T3 2.8 2.3 -4.2 February 26th, '04 Mine Lab Reference Ranges TSH 10.038 0.35 - 5.50 Free T4 0.9 0.8 - 1.8 Free T3 3.6 2.3 - 4.2 There is also now a problem with my red cell counts and quality of hemoglobin, which is something I've never had. Anisocytosis and Macrocytosis, which is indicating a problem either with B12, Folic Acid, or both. I'm having the B12 run right now, and just got my papers in from HealthCheck for same today. I will have this run in the next few days to see. I'm going to have the serum Folate and the red blood cell Folate run also, but had lack of funds for all 3 at the same time right now, but will have to get the folates done soon. There is also the homocysteine and another having to do with maleonic acid, or something like that (I know, the spelling is screwed up--I wrote it down in my spiral). This is all going to depend on how the B12 and folates look. I think I may have found what it is that's making me feel so tired, though, and yes, the antibodies do have something to do with this. I would run the antibodies again right now, but, as I said, funds, and it is vitally important to get a handle on a low B12 count because it can have devastating consequences, once it plummets. I wrote a book, lol! Tx Re: Test Results Hi there, on my lab reports it says for T4 anything over 12 is considered high. guess different labs have different values. I think that was a total T4 that your doc did. yes, the Synthroid is T4. It sounds like you're having a conversion problem. In order for you cells and organs to get the thyroid hormones they need, that T4 HAS to be converted to T3. So, you've got a lot of T4 floating around but it's not being converted to T3. I think that would explain why your TSH might still be high? i might be wrong. I get confused sometimes about this stuff. ya'all correct me if I'm wrong. You are right on target! You need to either add Cytomel or switch to Armour. Adding more Synthroid is not going to help I don't think. If your doctor refuses to let you add Cytomel or switch to Armour, then I would change doctors. you can take his advice and try more Synthroid, but I doubt very seriously that it will make a difference. if you need help finding a doc, let us know. sorry this is not going well for you. hugs, sheilajookeefe_1960 wrote: I just heard from the doctor regarding my most recent TSH and T4 (not a free T4). My TSH was 5.6 and my T4 was 11.4. Does that make sense? Isn't the Synthroid I take T4? Why would that be elevated instead of low? The nurse is going to talk to my doctor, but she said he will probably just increase the Synthroid. I really would like to try adding Cytomel or switching to Armour, but he is dead set against that. Will increasing the Synthroid help at all with my T4 already being elevated? HELP!! I'm SOOOOOOOo confused! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2004 Report Share Posted March 25, 2004 Thanks for the info!! When you switched to Armour, you stayed on the synthetic T4 for awhile? Is that how I would need to do it if I switched over to Armour? Jo > I just heard from the doctor regarding my most recent TSH and T4 > (not a free T4). My TSH was 5.6 and my T4 was 11.4. Does that make > sense? Isn't the Synthroid I take T4? Why would that be elevated > instead of low? The nurse is going to talk to my doctor, but she > said he will probably just increase the Synthroid. I really would > like to try adding Cytomel or switching to Armour, but he is dead > set against that. Will increasing the Synthroid help at all with my > T4 already being elevated? HELP!! I'm SOOOOOOOo confused! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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