Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 Here are my lab results that I received a few days ago. I started to up my Armour to 120mgs, but changed my mind again, and added back 50 mcgs of Eutirox just a few days ago. I had raised the dose of Armour to 90 mgs around 6 wks or so ago, but evidently my T4 is not going to come up with Armour, though I'm sure that the T3 can afford to come up a few notches. I might be able to afford to go up a few notches on it, but my T4 doesn't seem to budge on this, so any suggestions? Also, for the first time, my red blood cell counts are screwed up, plus hemoglobin. It doesn't surprise me, as long as I've stayed in the hypo state, but I'm thinking the B12 story here. Now is when I need to see a doctor, but I am going to have the CBCs run one more time in another week or so because we could be talking lab error here. Meanwhile, I have increased my B12 and folic acid (In a case like this, NEVER increase folic acid without increasing B12, and I'm even being "shady" here because I NEED a B12 level taken, along with folic acid; we can mask a B12 deficiency, increasing the folic acid ALONE, when we don't know). My original testing on 02-26-----HealthCheck was calling me, telling me that the lab where I had the blood drawn did not submit or do the CBCs for red and white cells. Anyway, I told them that I had noticed that when I went in online to view my results, and was just going to call them. She said that they didn't draw a lavender-topped tube. I told her that I distinctly remembered that the lab tech asked the so-called expert which tubes to get, and he told her just two yellow. So, I would tell any of you who have not had experience with this to be on the alert for which tubes are drawn for various things. This is sort of like a universal code, so I have discovered. Good thing that I remembered that, but I was unaware of the color coding for different things, at the time of this draw. Anyway, it's a good thing that I opted for HealthCheck to send me more paperwork, instead of just getting my money back. I did go out and have a second blood draw, but it was on a Saturday morning, so I've really got to wonder how old that specimen was when it was tested. I have NEVER been anemic in my entire life, even thru 4 pregnancies and some terrible diets, but this is showing that I am. All other bloodwork, like liver and kidney functions, etc...look good, but not my thyroid function and not my red counts, and, to me, my white cell count is normal, but isn't very high, considering all the sinus infections that I carry, during all my allergy seasons. I did have a redraw, and funny that, in just 5 months, my red cell counts look funny. So here they are, the ones on September '03 first, then the ones on February 26th, '04. All I can say is that I think that all this last year, evidently, my gland had gone into a "total failure" mode, after remaining stable for a few yrs, then mildly failing for around 2 yrs. It's seeming that I need this big whopping dose of thyroid med that I didn't even require at this time last year, when I found this site. I think that it revved up within this last yr, and I think that's antibodies, but haven't run the antibody test yet. I know that I need to, along with B12 and Folic Acid levels, plus probably Sedimentation rate. I did have an ANA test, for the first time in my life, back on September 30th '03, and it was negative. Lupus was somewhere in my head, I guess. September '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 Red Cell Counts Perfect, As Always Have Been 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 Hematology--Red Blood Cells (and White) Mine Lab Reference Range Hemoglobin 11.3 12.0 - 16.0 G/DL Red Blood Cells 3.30 4.20 - 5.40 MILLION/ (# of cells) MCL MCV 129 82 -102 FL MCHC 26.7 30.0 - 37.0 G/DL RDW 18.5 11.5 - 14.5 % Anisocytosis Slight Macrocytosis Moderate The MCV, MCHC, and RDW all have to do with the number of red blood cells, odd sizes here and there, red blood cell width, and the hemoglobin has to do with the concentration and color of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells. In my white blood cells, my eosinophils were up to the last #, 8, on the highest end of normal, which means, more than likely that I'm having all kinds of trouble with allergies, allergic asthma, (that they sure didn't have to tell me!). All white blood cell counts were 4.2, in a range of 4.0 - 11.0, then it goes on to list different types separately, which are all in a very normal range. Comments on lab sheet: Remarks: Results may be affected by specimen age. Hmmmm----Sure makes me wonder, being as my local lab bunged up the first test, then sent in the second specimen. (Wonder if they sent in the FIRST specimen the SECOND time, lol). I will have the CBCs run again within a week or so, again, to make absolutely sure that this testing is legit. One thing I know is that I've never been iron-poor. I eat loads of red meat, but I have been slacking a little lately on the green veggies, so I don't know. Any input? Tx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 I see a tremendous improvement in your labs and seriously think you are on the right track, just need more Armour. Your Free T4 DID come up just not enough. Your T3 could be higher too so more Armour should help, just increase slowly as you have trouble adjusting to it. Long term hypothyroid has MANY horrible side effects! I can remember when the doctor in CA thought I had Lyme Disease. I had all the symptoms, and the swelling in my legs was horrible which no one out of 5 doctors i went to could help me with. I also had high blood pressure which they attributed to a " bad diet " because my cholesterol was also VERY high. Well they were wrong. All that was wrong with me was a bad thyroid crash. The stress of leaving an abusive boyfriend and moving across country to start a new life almost did me in. I even had tendonitis diagnosed in my right arm.. not that I have it now on a WAY higher dose of Armour. Anyway... I think you are scared of taking more. If you feel this way with your labs still showing you this hypo, maybe you should break for a doctor opinion. It will do one thing or another.. remind you why you started treating yourself.. or Pi$$ you off so bad you aren't afraid of dosage changes! LOL -- Artistic Grooming * Hurricane, WV artisticgroomer@... http://mysite.verizon.net/vze6zcr9/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 You are right about the fear of dosage, but also, it has confused me a bit because this time last year, I had just been brought up to a dose of 125 mcgs of Levoxyl, after having been on 100 mcgs during the 9-10 yrs before that. Obviously, I was underdosed before that, also wrong med for me, but what confuses me about my present readings of being on anywhere from 60-90 mgs Armour for 5 1/2 months, which was supposed to originally match or even override what I was taking in the Levoxyl, one yr later I'm needing, possibly, double that. That's why I said that my thyroid may have been going into a fast downhill mode during this last year, even right before I made this change to Armour. The symptoms that I have when I increase it too fast are extreme excitability, fast breathing, and lack of concentration, plus some pains in my arms. This is everytime I have increased too fast, thus, the slow slow turtle increases I've been doing. Supposedly, I have no heart problems, so I don't know what that's about, but obviously, from my bloodwork, I need to be on a much higher dose, and I'm thinking that I should do this really fast because, from my red cell counts, I'm thinking that the pac people are at work, namely antibodies. Tx Re: My Labs---Not Good > I see a tremendous improvement in your labs and seriously think you > are on the right track, just need more Armour. Your Free T4 DID come up > just not enough. Your T3 could be higher too so more Armour should help, > just increase slowly as you have trouble adjusting to it. Long term > hypothyroid has MANY horrible side effects! I can remember when the > doctor in CA thought I had Lyme Disease. I had all the symptoms, and the > swelling in my legs was horrible which no one out of 5 doctors i went to > could help me with. I also had high blood pressure which they attributed > to a " bad diet " because my cholesterol was also VERY high. Well they > were wrong. All that was wrong with me was a bad thyroid crash. The > stress of leaving an abusive boyfriend and moving across country to > start a new life almost did me in. I even had tendonitis diagnosed in my > right arm.. not that I have it now on a WAY higher dose of Armour. > Anyway... I think you are scared of taking more. If you feel this way > with your labs still showing you this hypo, maybe you should break for a > doctor opinion. It will do one thing or another.. remind you why you > started treating yourself.. or Pi$$ you off so bad you aren't afraid of > dosage changes! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 I agree you should be on a higher dose. But slow will not kill you. I was under treated for 30 years and it has taken over a year to get back feeling good and a higher dosage of Armour than what USED to make me feel normal (way back in my 20's when the last time I felt " normal " was! LOL). I do think Hashi's is progressive and many of us DO need more over the years. I also think that when under medicated we are doing even more damage to our thyroids as well as the rest of our organs that are barely functional. I have always thought this way, when hypo your heart beats half what it normally would and rests much more. When you increase thyroid meds to even the correct dosage, your heart is out of shape from moving so slowly just like any other muscle that doesn't get worked enough to stay toned. The first thing your heart does on the proper dose is draw all the oxygen out of your system as suddenly it needs more. The palpations are often just an angry lazy muscle that is straining to tone up. Ever strain your arms or legs? Know how they get shaky the next day? I think the heart muscle does this same thing when the thyroid dosage is upped too quickly. Now some of us have better heart muscle tone than others, probably from less undertreatment. The longer you have been undertreated, the slower you will need to increase your dosage to avoid the side effects, which ARE temporary! I had a few at first with the addition of the Cytomel, but not now! -- Artistic Grooming * Hurricane, WV artisticgroomer@... http://mysite.verizon.net/vze6zcr9/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.