Re: my endo appt. today-armour upped-cytomel dropped

[Guest guest]

Sheila,

I assume you meant to type Free ThyroXine Index? Still, I have no

idea what that is.

Your NP does not sound like she knows what she's talking about as

far as adrenals go -- unless she has changed her mind. If you have

CFS, you have adrenal fatigue; they are two names for the same

thing.

Glad to hear you are getting decent -- if not ideal -- care. I hope

you continue to improve.

Hugs,

> Hi all. saw the nurse practitioner today at my endo's office. I

told

> her all the positive changes that occurred since starting Armour.

We

> talked about T3. We decided to up the Armour and drop the Cytomel.

> My endo concurred.

>

> So I am now taking 120 mgs. (2 grains). I was only taking 5 mcgs.

of

> Cytomel twice a day, so the Armour increase will be like like 60%

> more...something like that...when you take into consideration the

> Cytomel I was taking.

>

> Hopefully I'll see some improvement in cognition and energy.

> wouldn't that be wonderful!!

>

> We talked about those borderline ANA antibodies. When I asked her

> what that " borderline " ANA result meant, she

> told me she honestly wasn't sure. She said she did recently refer

> one patient

> with borderline results like mine to a rheumy and they refused to

> see the

> patient, even though my doc wanted her evaluated.

>

> She told me that these rheumies will NOT see patients unless their

> test results

> come back positive, which, of course means by that time, the

patient

> is probably

> feeling pretty bad and in pain. In addition, by this time, there

may

> already be

> damage to organs, particularly with scleroderma.

>

> Anyway, she told me that rheumies seem to be a bunch of docs who

are

> on the

> " gruff " side with patients...at least the ones in my city anyway.

> She said there

> is no rheumie in this city who will see a patient without first

> seeing their

> labs...and that the patient must test positive. They did call to

see

> if they

> would see me. Since I already have one autoimmune disorder, am

> having symptoms

> of another autoimmune disorder, and also had borderline results,

> they felt it

> was adviseable for me to see a rheumie. She did warn me that since

> my results

> were borderline, they probably wouldn't even see me.

>

> Well, I got a call less than an hour after leaving my endo's

office

> which really

> surprised me. The lady I spoke with said they got a call from my

> endo's office

> regarding my situation. In addition, she said my endo's office

faxed

> them my

> labs, as well as my doctor's notes.

>

> She said one of the doctors reviewed my history and wants to see

me

> in two

> weeks. I was really surprised about that. I was expecting a call

> from my endo's

> office saying they wouldn't see me because I didn't test positive

> for RA,

> Sjogrens, etc.

>

> I was told my appointment would last 2-3 hours. Jeesh! I guess

I'll

> need to

> bring lunch!!!

>

> We talked about the adrenal issue. She said she has been diagnosed

> with adrenal problems...interesting. Anyway, she said I don't seem

> to look like someone with adrenal problems. Granted, thyroid &

> adrenal problems do run hand in hand and look a lot alike.

>

> Anyway, we decided to see how it goes with the increased Armour

and

> then go from there. I am fine with that. I will just order my own

> tests if I want.

>

> I forgot to talk to her about the diagnosis she gave me last time

> (chronic fatigue syndrome).

>

> I asked her why she RXed the Cytomel along with the Armour. She

said

> she wanted to try it and see if it helped me...vague...

>

> My glucose level came back in the high range...just barely. Looks

> like I'm in that prediabetic stage as my doc has said I was. We

> talked about my diet, exercise...she said my diet is right on the

> money.

>

> I am going to contact my old nutritionist. I do NOT want to become

> diabetic!!!

>

> Interesting that my total T3 went down...way down, particularly

> since I was taking ARmour/Cytomel. Armour has T3 in it. When I was

> taking Levoxyl/Armour, my T3 was one point away from being high.

>

> I had asked my endo last week if he would test my free T3/free T4.

> He said yes and I saw him write an order on the fee ticked. I

> couldn't see what he wrote though.

>

> Well guess what...neither my free T3 or free T4 were tested. I

have

> no idea why. When I asked the nurse practitioner about my free

> T3/free T4 (because I didn't see them), she pointed and

said, " here

> they are...they're in the normal range. well I saw the word free

and

> figured I'd look later.

>

> Well what they ended up doing was this:

> TSH 0.958 range: 0.350 - 5.500

> thyroxine 4.8 4.5 - 12

> T3 uptake 31 24-39

> Free Thyroine Index 1.5 1.2 - 4.9

> T3 131 85 - 205

> Glucose 100 65-99

>

>

> Whatcha guys think? Hugs, Sheila

[Guest guest]

Have they ever tested your sed rate? Usually that will be high when

there's a positive or borderline ANA and usually is used to test for

rheumatoid arthritis, which is another auto-immune disease.

> Hi all. saw the nurse practitioner today at my endo's office. I

told

> her all the positive changes that occurred since starting Armour.

We

> talked about T3. We decided to up the Armour and drop the Cytomel.

> My endo concurred.

>

> So I am now taking 120 mgs. (2 grains). I was only taking 5 mcgs.

of

> Cytomel twice a day, so the Armour increase will be like like 60%

> more...something like that...when you take into consideration the

> Cytomel I was taking.

>

> Hopefully I'll see some improvement in cognition and energy.

> wouldn't that be wonderful!!

>

> We talked about those borderline ANA antibodies. When I asked her

> what that " borderline " ANA result meant, she

> told me she honestly wasn't sure. She said she did recently refer

> one patient

> with borderline results like mine to a rheumy and they refused to

> see the

> patient, even though my doc wanted her evaluated.

>

> She told me that these rheumies will NOT see patients unless their

> test results

> come back positive, which, of course means by that time, the

patient

> is probably

> feeling pretty bad and in pain. In addition, by this time, there

may

> already be

> damage to organs, particularly with scleroderma.

>

> Anyway, she told me that rheumies seem to be a bunch of docs who

are

> on the

> " gruff " side with patients...at least the ones in my city anyway.

> She said there

> is no rheumie in this city who will see a patient without first

> seeing their

> labs...and that the patient must test positive. They did call to

see

> if they

> would see me. Since I already have one autoimmune disorder, am

> having symptoms

> of another autoimmune disorder, and also had borderline results,

> they felt it

> was adviseable for me to see a rheumie. She did warn me that since

> my results

> were borderline, they probably wouldn't even see me.

>

> Well, I got a call less than an hour after leaving my endo's

office

> which really

> surprised me. The lady I spoke with said they got a call from my

> endo's office

> regarding my situation. In addition, she said my endo's office

faxed

> them my

> labs, as well as my doctor's notes.

>

> She said one of the doctors reviewed my history and wants to see

me

> in two

> weeks. I was really surprised about that. I was expecting a call

> from my endo's

> office saying they wouldn't see me because I didn't test positive

> for RA,

> Sjogrens, etc.

>

> I was told my appointment would last 2-3 hours. Jeesh! I guess

I'll

> need to

> bring lunch!!!

>

> We talked about the adrenal issue. She said she has been diagnosed

> with adrenal problems...interesting. Anyway, she said I don't seem

> to look like someone with adrenal problems. Granted, thyroid &

> adrenal problems do run hand in hand and look a lot alike.

>

> Anyway, we decided to see how it goes with the increased Armour

and

> then go from there. I am fine with that. I will just order my own

> tests if I want.

>

> I forgot to talk to her about the diagnosis she gave me last time

> (chronic fatigue syndrome).

>

> I asked her why she RXed the Cytomel along with the Armour. She

said

> she wanted to try it and see if it helped me...vague...

>

> My glucose level came back in the high range...just barely. Looks

> like I'm in that prediabetic stage as my doc has said I was. We

> talked about my diet, exercise...she said my diet is right on the

> money.

>

> I am going to contact my old nutritionist. I do NOT want to become

> diabetic!!!

>

> Interesting that my total T3 went down...way down, particularly

> since I was taking ARmour/Cytomel. Armour has T3 in it. When I was

> taking Levoxyl/Armour, my T3 was one point away from being high.

>

> I had asked my endo last week if he would test my free T3/free T4.

> He said yes and I saw him write an order on the fee ticked. I

> couldn't see what he wrote though.

>

> Well guess what...neither my free T3 or free T4 were tested. I

have

> no idea why. When I asked the nurse practitioner about my free

> T3/free T4 (because I didn't see them), she pointed and

said, " here

> they are...they're in the normal range. well I saw the word free

and

> figured I'd look later.

>

> Well what they ended up doing was this:

> TSH 0.958 range: 0.350 - 5.500

> thyroxine 4.8 4.5 - 12

> T3 uptake 31 24-39

> Free Thyroine Index 1.5 1.2 - 4.9

> T3 131 85 - 205

> Glucose 100 65-99

>

>

> Whatcha guys think? Hugs, Sheila

[Guest guest]

Hi , Agree with you about my nurse practitioner. It doesn't

make much sense, does it? But you know what, eventually I will get

adrenal tests on my own or just ask them to do saliva tests if I see

symptoms continue.

Also, I wonder how many of my symptoms are related to problem with

glucose...

Here's something I found that describes the symptoms. I have all of

them except muscle cramps and yeast infection.

Here's the link:

http://www.diabeteshome.ca/pages/symptoms-of-diabetes.html

Symptoms of High Blood Glucose

Why do I feel so awful when my blood glucose is high? When the blood

glucose is high, many people feel unwell. Here are the most common

symptoms, and the reasons for them:

TIRED. Your cells need glucose for energy, and the glucose is not

getting to them. In fact, your cells are starving and cannot work

efficiently. This makes you tired.

INCREASED URINATION. All blood is filtered by the kidney. If there

is excess glucose in the blood, this also goes to the kidneys. The

kidneys can RE-ABSORB and recycle normal amounts of glucose, as the

body does not want to lose it in the urine. However, when the

glucose is too high, it can exceed the kidneys' ability to re-absorb

it. The excess glucose then goes out in the urine, literally

dragging water with it. This means that more urine is produced, and

you have to urinate more often.

THIRST. The increased urination caused by blood glucose dehydrates

you. Your body perceives the need for extra fluid, making you feel

thirsty. Excess glucose in the saliva may also contribute.

WEIGHT LOSS. This directly results from the loss of glucose in the

urine. Keep in mind, glucose is a sugar, and represents calories to

the body. Losing glucose in the urine means losing calories in the

urine. This is like eating a piece of bread and having some of the

calories from it lost in the urine. You are not using all the

calories in your diet and - as you effectively starve - weight is

lost. Furthermore, uncontrolled (high) glucose boosts the metabolic

rate, making it easier to lose weight. This might sound like a good

thing, and it might be, if the weight lost was only lost as fat.

Unfortunately, muscle is lost as well, and you can feel quite unwell

and weak as this goes on.

CHANGE IN VISION. This is directly due to a physical change in the

shape of the lens of the eye. When the glucose in the blood goes up,

extra glucose gets into the lens of the eye. When this happens,

water again follows it (very similar to the water following the

glucose as it passes through the kidney). When extra water enters

the lens, it alters the shape of it. The lens loses its ability to

focus light for the eye, which you perceive as blurred vision. This

is often a most annoying symptom to the newly diagnosed diabetic

person, and it must be emphasized that any visual change that occurs

with high blood sugars is TEMPORARY, i.e., it corrects with

correction of the glucose. However, this takes time, and it may be

as long as 6-8 weeks after glucose has been corrected that vision

returns to its baseline, and stays there. Prescription eyeglasses

should not be prescribed when the glucose level is high, or changing.

MOODINESS. The brain does not like an environment of high glucoses,

and moodiness is a very common symptom of high sugars. DECREASED

ABILITY TO CONCENTRATE is also common for the same reason.

MUSCLE CRAMPS. As discussed under weight loss, muscle mass is lost

when glucoses are uncontrolled. There is some tissue breakdown, and

there is considerable loss of " electrolytes " . These are salts that

are present in all tissues of the body, and are abundant in muscle.

When they are lost, the muscle becomes very prone to a cramping pain.

NUMBNESS OR TINGLING OF THE HANDS OR FEET. As the glucose goes up,

more of it passes into the nerve tissue. This radically alters the

electrolytes (salts, see above) in the nerves, as well as changing

many other functions, and even structures of molecules (protein and

enzyme) in the nerve. When the nerve is so affected, it gives false

messages to the brain, and this is perceived as numbness, tingling,

or even pain.

YEAST INFECTION. Yeast live well in the environment of the vagina.

If the blood glucose is high, more glucose is available in the

vagina as well, and the yeast organisms like it even more. One or

two yeast organisms will multiply, causing a significant,

uncomfortable infection. This initiates a vicious circle where high

glucose makes the yeast grow better, and the yeast infection (like

any other infection) makes the glucose higher, which worsens the

infection, and so on. Generally, one must treat both the high

glucose and the infection before both will improve. Yeast infections

can also occur under the foreskin of the penis, by a similar

mechanism.

The most common symptom of high blood sugars is to have no symptoms

at all! This is why there are so many people walking around with

diabetes without knowing it - they have no symptoms.

Okay, regarding the free thyroxine index, it is somewhat confusing.

Here's something I found that explains the difference between it and

free T4.

Free Thyroxine Index (FTI or T7) : A mathematical computation allows

the lab to estimate the free thyroxine index from the T4 and T3

Uptake tests. The results tell us how much thyroid hormone is free

in the blood stream to work on the body. Unlike the T4 alone, it is

not affected by estrogen levels.

Free T4 : This test directly measures the free T4 in the blood

rather than estimating it like the FTI. It is a more reliable , but

a little more expensive test. Some labs now do the Free T4 routinely

rather than the Total T4.

Here's the link to where I got the above info:

http://www.mail-

archive.com/pituitarytumor@.../msg00055.html

Take care,lady...Hugs,Sheila

> > Hi all. saw the nurse practitioner today at my endo's office. I

> told

> > her all the positive changes that occurred since starting

Armour.

> We

> > talked about T3. We decided to up the Armour and drop the

Cytomel.

> > My endo concurred.

> >

> > So I am now taking 120 mgs. (2 grains). I was only taking 5

mcgs.

> of

> > Cytomel twice a day, so the Armour increase will be like like

60%

> > more...something like that...when you take into consideration

the

> > Cytomel I was taking.

> >

> > Hopefully I'll see some improvement in cognition and energy.

> > wouldn't that be wonderful!!

> >

> > We talked about those borderline ANA antibodies. When I asked

her

> > what that " borderline " ANA result meant, she

> > told me she honestly wasn't sure. She said she did recently

refer

> > one patient

> > with borderline results like mine to a rheumy and they refused

to

> > see the

> > patient, even though my doc wanted her evaluated.

> >

> > She told me that these rheumies will NOT see patients unless

their

> > test results

> > come back positive, which, of course means by that time, the

> patient

> > is probably

> > feeling pretty bad and in pain. In addition, by this time, there

> may

> > already be

> > damage to organs, particularly with scleroderma.

> >

> > Anyway, she told me that rheumies seem to be a bunch of docs who

> are

> > on the

> > " gruff " side with patients...at least the ones in my city

anyway.

> > She said there

> > is no rheumie in this city who will see a patient without first

> > seeing their

> > labs...and that the patient must test positive. They did call to

> see

> > if they

> > would see me. Since I already have one autoimmune disorder, am

> > having symptoms

> > of another autoimmune disorder, and also had borderline results,

> > they felt it

> > was adviseable for me to see a rheumie. She did warn me that

since

> > my results

> > were borderline, they probably wouldn't even see me.

> >

> > Well, I got a call less than an hour after leaving my endo's

> office

> > which really

> > surprised me. The lady I spoke with said they got a call from my

> > endo's office

> > regarding my situation. In addition, she said my endo's office

> faxed

> > them my

> > labs, as well as my doctor's notes.

> >

> > She said one of the doctors reviewed my history and wants to see

> me

> > in two

> > weeks. I was really surprised about that. I was expecting a call

> > from my endo's

> > office saying they wouldn't see me because I didn't test

positive

> > for RA,

> > Sjogrens, etc.

> >

> > I was told my appointment would last 2-3 hours. Jeesh! I guess

> I'll

> > need to

> > bring lunch!!!

> >

> > We talked about the adrenal issue. She said she has been

diagnosed

> > with adrenal problems...interesting. Anyway, she said I don't

seem

> > to look like someone with adrenal problems. Granted, thyroid &

> > adrenal problems do run hand in hand and look a lot alike.

> >

> > Anyway, we decided to see how it goes with the increased Armour

> and

> > then go from there. I am fine with that. I will just order my

own

> > tests if I want.

> >

> > I forgot to talk to her about the diagnosis she gave me last

time

> > (chronic fatigue syndrome).

> >

> > I asked her why she RXed the Cytomel along with the Armour. She

> said

> > she wanted to try it and see if it helped me...vague...

> >

> > My glucose level came back in the high range...just barely.

Looks

> > like I'm in that prediabetic stage as my doc has said I was. We

> > talked about my diet, exercise...she said my diet is right on

the

> > money.

> >

> > I am going to contact my old nutritionist. I do NOT want to

become

> > diabetic!!!

> >

> > Interesting that my total T3 went down...way down, particularly

> > since I was taking ARmour/Cytomel. Armour has T3 in it. When I

was

> > taking Levoxyl/Armour, my T3 was one point away from being high.

> >

> > I had asked my endo last week if he would test my free T3/free

T4.

> > He said yes and I saw him write an order on the fee ticked. I

> > couldn't see what he wrote though.

> >

> > Well guess what...neither my free T3 or free T4 were tested. I

> have

> > no idea why. When I asked the nurse practitioner about my free

> > T3/free T4 (because I didn't see them), she pointed and

> said, " here

> > they are...they're in the normal range. well I saw the word free

> and

> > figured I'd look later.

> >

> > Well what they ended up doing was this:

> > TSH 0.958 range: 0.350 - 5.500

> > thyroxine 4.8 4.5 - 12

> > T3 uptake 31 24-39

> > Free Thyroine Index 1.5 1.2 - 4.9

> > T3 131 85 - 205

> > Glucose 100 65-99

> >

> >

> > Whatcha guys think? Hugs, Sheila

[Guest guest]

You are exactly right.

Tx

Re: my endo appt. today-armour upped-cytomel dropped

> Have they ever tested your sed rate? Usually that will be high when

> there's a positive or borderline ANA and usually is used to test for

> rheumatoid arthritis, which is another auto-immune disease.

>