My Lab Results--Thyroid & Adrenals

[Guest guest]

I started being treated last year for borderline hypo with hashis and very high cortisol. I can't remember the exact numbers for each time of day, but my doctor told me I was heading for adrenal fatigue. My overall cortisol load was 61 (normal 23-42). Was diagnosed gluten intolerant as well. He put me on Armour, Seriphos, Adapt, selenium, sea salt, and I began to steadily improve over most of the year. A couple months ago, during a period of very high stress, I started feeling out of sorts again, and this has continued to get worse. I feel depressed and stressed, highly irritable, and don't know if it's the thyroid, the adrenals, or some combination of the two. I am thinking of asking my doctor to put me on some kind of specifically anti-anxiety drug, something to take the edge off. I

hate to do that, would rather just get my hormones back in order instead of likely screwing up my system even more with anti-anxiety drugs, but I am around my kids all the time (homeschool), and my irritability is having a negative impact on them. The stress in my life that precipitated this decline in health has continued, and I am having a hard time tolerating it, much less handling it.My doctor was running very late today so I didn't press him for too much info, as I have another appointment next week and will discuss in more detail with him then. He told me to double my Armour in the am, and to continue taking my regular dose of Armour at 2:00 pm. He gave me 5 mg. of cortisol and said to take one in the AM for a few days and if it doesn't increase anxiety take one in AM and one at noon. Also said to continue on with the Seriphos and to increase Adapt to 2x/day instead of

1x/day.Here are my latest results. Any insights would be appreciated.Free T4: 0.85 (0.82-1.77)Free T3: 2.5 (2.0-2.4)TSH: 0.67 (0.45-4.5)Cortisol8:00 am: 5 (13-24)11:00 am: 3 (5-10)4:00 pm: 4 (3-8)10:00 pm: 1 (1-4)Cortisol load: 13 (23-42)DHEA + DHEA-S: 6 (3-10)InsulinFasting: <3 (3-12)Non-Fasting: <3 (5-20)Progesterone: 34 (23-100)Total Salivary SIgA: 11 (25-60)Thanks in advance,

[Guest guest]

Recheck your lab report for that Free T3 range. It does not look right. 2.3-4.2 would be a more typical range for Free T3.

Your Free T4 looks quite low in its range.

Most of us need both our Free T3 and Free T4 to be in the upper half of their ranges to feel well.

I would work on getting the Free T3 and Free T4 optimized before resorting to any drugs.

Your cortisol levels are now all quite low. You may need to quit taking the drugs to lower it, and you may even need to take some hydrocortisone.

What you may need is highly individual.

>> I started being treated last year for borderline hypo with hashis and very high cortisol. I can't remember the exact numbers for each time of day, but my doctor told me I was heading for adrenal fatigue. My overall cortisol load was 61 (normal 23-42). Was diagnosed gluten intolerant as well. He put me on Armour, Seriphos, Adapt, selenium, sea salt, and I began to steadily improve over most of the year. A couple months ago, during a period of very high stress, I started feeling out of sorts again, and this has continued to get worse. I feel depressed and stressed, highly irritable, and don't know if it's the thyroid, the adrenals, or some combination of the two. I am thinking of asking my doctor to put me on some kind of specifically anti-anxiety drug, something to take the edge off. I hate to do that, would rather just get my hormones back in order instead of likely screwing up my system even more with anti-anxiety drugs, but I am around> my kids all the time (homeschool), and my irritability is having a negative impact on them. The stress in my life that precipitated this decline in health has continued, and I am having a hard time tolerating it, much less handling it.> > > My doctor was running very late today so I didn't press him for too much info, as I have another appointment next week and will discuss in more detail with him then. He told me to double my Armour in the am, and to continue taking my regular dose of Armour at 2:00 pm. He gave me 5 mg. of cortisol and said to take one in the AM for a few days and if it doesn't increase anxiety take one in AM and one at noon. Also said to continue on with the Seriphos and to increase Adapt to 2x/day instead of 1x/day.> > > Here are my latest results. Any insights would be appreciated.> > Free T4: 0.85 (0.82-1.77)> Free T3: 2.5 (2.0-2.4)> > TSH: 0.67 (0.45-4.5)> > Cortisol> 8:00 am: 5 (13-24)> 11:00 am: 3 (5-10)> 4:00 pm: 4 (3-8)> 10:00 pm: 1 (1-4)> Cortisol load: 13 (23-42)> > DHEA + DHEA-S: 6 (3-10)> > Insulin> Fasting: <3 (3-12)> Non-Fasting: <3 (5-20)> > Progesterone: 34 (23-100)> > Total Salivary SIgA: 11 (25-60)> > Thanks in advance,> > >

[Guest guest]

Just based on my own experience, I would work with the doctor on

anything BUT an anti-anxiety drug. Once you start chemically altering

your brain, it's VERY hard to get off that type of medicine, and it can

totally screw up your life.

Marti

> I started being treated last year for borderline hypo with hashis and

> very high cortisol. I can't remember the exact numbers for each time

> of day, but my doctor told me I was heading for adrenal fatigue. My

> overall cortisol load was 61 (normal 23-42). Was diagnosed gluten

> intolerant as well. He put me on Armour, Seriphos, Adapt, selenium,

> sea salt, and I began to steadily improve over most of the year. A

> couple months ago, during a period of very high stress, I started

> feeling out of sorts again, and this has continued to get worse. I

> feel depressed and stressed, highly irritable, and don't know if it's

> the thyroid, the adrenals, or some combination of the two. I am

> thinking of asking my doctor to put me on some kind of specifically

> anti-anxiety drug, something to take the edge off. I hate to do that,

> would rather just get my hormones back in order instead of likely

> screwing up my system even more with anti-anxiety drugs, but I am

> around my kids all the time (homeschool), and my irritability is

> having a negative impact on them. The stress in my life that

> precipitated this decline in health has continued, and I am having a

> hard time tolerating it, much less handling it.

>

> My doctor was running very late today so I didn't press him for too

> much info, as I have another appointment next week and will discuss in

> more detail with him then. He told me to double my Armour in the am,

> and to continue taking my regular dose of Armour at 2:00 pm. He gave

> me 5 mg. of cortisol and said to take one in the AM for a few days and

> if it doesn't increase anxiety take one in AM and one at noon. Also

> said to continue on with the Seriphos and to increase Adapt to 2x/day

> instead of 1x/day.

>

> Here are my latest results. Any insights would be appreciated.

>

> Free T4: 0.85 (0.82-1.77)

> Free T3: 2.5 (2.0-2.4)

> TSH: 0.67 (0.45-4.5)

>

> Cortisol

> 8:00 am: 5 (13-24)

> 11:00 am: 3 (5-10)

> 4:00 pm: 4 (3-8)

> 10:00 pm: 1 (1-4)

> Cortisol load: 13 (23-42)

>

> DHEA + DHEA-S: 6 (3-10)

>

> Insulin

> Fasting: <3 (3-12)

> Non-Fasting: <3 (5-20)

>

> Progesterone: 34 (23-100)

>

> Total Salivary SIgA: 11 (25-60)

>

> Thanks in advance,

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Yoga has been shown to be a very effective way to manage stress. The good thing

about it is that it's something you can do at home and you can get your kids

involved. You can get videos at your local library.

You might also consider some activities for your kids that give you a break. I

totally understand the motivation for folks to homeschool, but that is likely

one of the most stressful jobs in the world. They found that stay at home moms

(that weren't even homeschooling) had stress levels equivalent to soldiers on

the front lines on the battlefield. Your body cannot heal if it's under

constant stress. My oldest sister home schooled and also encountered

significant health issues. I'm not saying that the health issues are entirely

due to raising kids - it was a combination of the genetic predisposition and the

environment. One thing she found that helped a lot was to trade activities with

other home school families. For example, she taught tennis to several families

and then the other families did activities like music and art. That gave her a

few breaks during the week AND it gave her a chance to do something she really

enjoys - tennis.

You might also consider that you have hidden gluten in your diet. In general as

close as you can get to 100% is necessary to benefit from a gluten free diet.

Even a small amount of gluten can damage the gut and exacerbate autoimmune

issues due to the inflammatory reaction and gluten is a known contributor to

depression. Prescription drugs are a very common culprit, in particular if you

are taking any generics. Supplements can also be very problematic. I will not

use a supplement or Rx drug unless I can verify with the manufacturer that it is

gluten free. The same with food products. I do not consume products that have

been manufactured in a location that also processes wheat. There is too much

potential for cross contamination. You have to be very careful of companies

that label their products as not containing any ingredients for gluten as that

implies they do not guarantee in any way that the product is truly gluten-free.

The safest products are those that indicate the manufacturer does regular

tests for gluten in their products.

Also, many of us that are gluten intolerant also have other food intolerances.

Egg whites bother me a lot. Another consideration is that many of us with

autoimmune issues have issues with toxins (note the previous discussion on

methylation defects related to low vitamin B12). Toxins can contribute to

anxiety. I am extremely sensitive to EMF. I do not use WiFi in my home. I

learned this when our router broke and we did not have WiFi for a week - I had

one of the best weeks I had had in years. Then when we got the router fixed,

the problems returned. So, I started keeping the WiFi off during the day as I

work at home. I would turn it on when my kids came home from school and I was

noticing one night after they got home I was in the kitchen fixing dinner and

all of sudden felt extremely anxious - there was nothing going on. The kids and

I were in a fine mood when they got home from school. Whenever I go out of town

my sons turn the WiFi on and I sometimes forget that and then realize (as my

anxiety increases) that the WiFi is still on.

I know I've gotten slightly OT, but for many of us the thyroid and even adrenal

issues are just one piece of the puzzle.

Good luck.

B.

>

> I started being treated last year for borderline hypo with hashis and very

high cortisol.� I can't remember the exact numbers for each time of day, but

my doctor told me I was heading for adrenal fatigue.� My overall cortisol load

was 61 (normal 23-42).� Was diagnosed gluten intolerant as well.� He put me

on Armour, Seriphos, Adapt, selenium, sea salt, and I began to steadily improve

over most of the year.� A couple months ago, during a period of very high

stress, I started feeling out of sorts again, and this has continued to get

worse.� I feel depressed and stressed, highly irritable, and don't know if

it's the thyroid, the adrenals, or some combination of the two.� I am thinking

of asking my doctor to put me on some kind of specifically anti-anxiety drug,

something to take the edge off.� I hate to do that, would rather just get my

hormones back in order instead of likely screwing up my system even more with

anti-anxiety drugs, but I am around

> my kids all the time (homeschool), and my irritability is having a negative

impact on them.� The stress in my life that precipitated this decline in

health has continued, and I am having a hard time tolerating it, much less

handling it.

>

>

> My doctor was running very late today so I didn't press him for too much info,

as I have another appointment next week and will discuss in more detail with him

then.� He told me to double my Armour in the am, and to continue taking my

regular dose of Armour at 2:00 pm.� He gave me 5 mg. of cortisol and said to

take one in the AM for a few days and if it doesn't increase anxiety take one in

AM and one at noon.� Also said to continue on with the Seriphos and to

increase Adapt to 2x/day instead of 1x/day.

>

>

> Here are my latest results.� Any insights would be appreciated.

>

> Free T4:� 0.85 (0.82-1.77)

> Free T3:� 2.5 (2.0-2.4)

>

> TSH:� 0.67 (0.45-4.5)

>

> Cortisol

> 8:00 am:� 5 (13-24)

> 11:00 am:� 3 (5-10)

> 4:00 pm:� 4 (3-8)

> 10:00 pm:� 1 (1-4)

> Cortisol load:� 13 (23-42)

>

> DHEA + DHEA-S:� 6 (3-10)

>

> Insulin

> Fasting:� <3 (3-12)

> Non-Fasting:� <3 (5-20)

>

> Progesterone:� 34 (23-100)

>

> Total Salivary SIgA:� 11 (25-60)

>

> Thanks in advance,

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Not everyone does well on the RT3 protocol. I would say to the doc, I am not doing well on this protocol and would like to go back to a combination of T4 with just a small amount of T3. If there was a dose where you felt fairly well, then I would ask to go back to that dose. What dose of T4 were you on before you started the T3?

I have RT3 out the wazoo.

I also believe that all changes in thyroid hormone dose should be made stepwise and slowly. I knew I did not want to go directly to all T3, so we reduced my ERFA and started adding T3. I did not feel well the whole time (cold and constipated), so I went back to a slightly larger dose of straight ERFA and then asked for a small amount of T4 to add to it. I have since gone to all compounds, but am on approximately the same doses of porcine thyroid plus extra T4 that I had been on since 2006.

If he is not willing to work with you on this, then you may need to see a different doc. I know that Launius, the wife of Launius, got her RT3 down on a combination of T3 and T4. If you do not need hydrocortisone, you may be better off with Launius or Gutsmann.

> >> > >> I started being treated last year for borderline hypo with hashis and> very > > high cortisol.� I can't remember the exact numbers for each time of day,> > > but my doctor told me I was heading for adrenal fatigue.� My overall> cortisol > > load was 61 (normal 23-42).� Was diagnosed gluten intolerant as well.�> He > > put me on Armour, Seriphos, Adapt, selenium, sea salt, and I began to> steadily > > improve over most of the year.� A couple months ago, during a period of> very > > high stress, I started feeling out of sorts again, and this has continued> to get > > worse.� I feel depressed and stressed, highly irritable, and don't know> if > > it's the thyroid, the adrenals, or some combination of the two.� I am > > thinking of asking my doctor to put me on some kind of specifically> anti-anxiety > > drug, something to take the edge off.� I hate to do that, would rather> just > > get my hormones back in order instead of likely screwing up my system even> more > > with anti-anxiety drugs, but I am around> >> my kids all the time (homeschool), and my irritability is having a > > negative impact on them.� The stress in my life that precipitated this> decline > > in health has continued, and I am having a hard time tolerating it, much> less > > handling it.> >> > >> > >> My doctor was running very late today so I didn't press him for too > > much info, as I have another appointment next week and will discuss in> more > > detail with him then.� He told me to double my Armour in the am, and to > > continue taking my regular dose of Armour at 2:00 pm.� He gave me 5 mg.> of > > cortisol and said to take one in the AM for a few days and if it doesn't > > increase anxiety take one in AM and one at noon.� Also said to continue> on > > with the Seriphos and to increase Adapt to 2x/day instead of 1x/day.> >> > >> > >> Here are my latest results.� Any insights would be appreciated.> >> > >> Free T4:� 0.85 (0.82-1.77)> >> Free T3:� 2.5 (2.0-2.4)> >> > >> TSH:� 0.67 (0.45-4.5)> >> > >> Cortisol> >> 8:00 am:� 5 (13-24)> >> 11:00 am:� 3 (5-10)> >> 4:00 pm:� 4 (3-8)> >> 10:00 pm:� 1 (1-4)> >> Cortisol load:� 13 (23-42)> >> > >> DHEA + DHEA-S:� 6 (3-10)> >> > >> Insulin> >> Fasting:� <3 (3-12)> >> Non-Fasting:� <3 (5-20)> >> > >> Progesterone:� 34 (23-100)> >> > >> Total Salivary SIgA:� 11 (25-60)> >> > >> Thanks in advance,> >> > >> > >> > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------> > > >