Guest guest Posted December 18, 2003 Report Share Posted December 18, 2003 PattiSue, Thanks for your help. I have had DHEA, ACTH, and 24 hr cortisol and they told me the adrenals were fine. I don't live in Michigan....I live in Pennsylvania. I have not been checked for reverse t3. My current doc doesn't believe in any testing. I got the thyroid panel from my PCP. Can you tell me what reverse t3 is and what is means if not normal? Thanks for the website info...I'll look into that. Dee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2003 Report Share Posted December 18, 2003 Janie, Thanks for your response. I really don't want to up the Armour because the ft3 is over the range and I've read that high t3 causes osteoporosis. Have you heard that? I noticed my glands were swollen today so I called my PCP and am going to the lab this afternoon for the EBV test. I'll let you know what happens. Sorry for the short response. Two days without Armour....had the time released t-3 yesterday and slept for 2 hours and then was awake all night. I am exhausted....what else is new? I have to tell you though, yesterday morning I felt good and had not had Armour the day before. It might have been because I took some Benadryl (I know that's a no-no and don't do it often) and actually slept for 8 hours. Take care, Dee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2003 Report Share Posted December 18, 2003 Patti, Yep, that's right about my doc. He does a lot of things I don't like. Prescribed progesterone cream when I already get synthetic progestin from an IUD. Wanted me on hydrocortisone when my 24 hour cortisol, DHEA, and ACTH tested fine. The lying down/standing up blood pressure thing showed my adrenals were OK too. Well, I tried them both but they didn't agree with me. A 5 mg hydrocortisone pill gave me every possible side effect. I figured it meant I didn't need it....he said it meant I needed it even more. He's got me so confused. My temperature flucuates throughtout the day. When I wake up it's usually around 96 degrees. Sometimes will get as high as 98.2 degrees. But usually around 97 degrees. Thanks for your help, Dee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2003 Report Share Posted December 18, 2003 Hi! I don't know about the female hormones. I'm going to have those checked after I have my IUD removed early next month. I am going to get some iron though despite what the two docs say. Thanks, Dee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2003 Report Share Posted December 18, 2003 I am not a doctor by any means. But feel that you should be feeling better in some way from the Armour. Have the docs checked you for reverse T3? This is always a possibility. I've heard of T4 being added also. After running that Reverse T3 test and if it comes back normal...you may want to try the T4. Where are you in Michigan? I am in the Port Huron area (in a little farming community called Goodells) and I go to Georgia to see a great doc. There is no one in this area that is worth even walking in the door for. Another thing also...you may be suffering from adrenal disfunction too. It is pretty common with hypo. go to this website http://users.bestweb.net/~om/thyroid/ and see if your symptoms fall under adrenal also. Mine do. There is a place where you can click on and I think it says adrenal vs hypo...something like that. It really opened my eyes to the fact that I also suffer from adrenal problems. The symptoms of adrenal / hypo are closely related so they can be confused. Let me know if this helped you .... PattiSue 29:11 OH...PS...I don't think that you would have to decrease your armour to add the T4. But have those Reverse levels checked first if you can. Armour not working?? Hi! Hope you can help me. I've been on different doses of Armour and always have hypo symptoms even when labs show hyper. Tried adding cytomel to Armour and had hyper symptoms. My latest labs on 2 grains of Armour are: TSH 0.01 ft3 428 (230-420) ft4 1.5 (0.8-1.8) ferritin 37 (10-232) I feel awful. Felt awful on 90 mg. Felt awful on 180 mg. I have read that some people feel better adding t4 along with their Armour. I thought maybe I could reduce my 90 mg of Armour and add in 25 of a synthetic t4. How do you think that would work for me? Could you also tell me what t4 med would be better for me since I have lactose, wheat, and gluten intolerance. I heard synthroid has lactose in it so that would be out for me. I guess I should mention I have been the cytomel only route too with no luck. Doc just put me on protocol and that's not working either. HELP!!! and THANKS!!! Dee PS. Changing docs again. My current one won't take any labs which scares me with osteoporosis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2003 Report Share Posted December 18, 2003 Hi Dee! Did you see my response to you on the other site?? And I am thinking you haven't read my response to you a few days ago here. I, too, don't think you need to be changing your meds. Your labs look great. The Armour IS working great. If anything, you might even be able to increase 1/4 grain more. But to decrease your Armour in order to add T4 makes no sense. Right now, your T4 is great on Armour. And if you decrease your Armour, you will lose out on that great fT3 AND calcitonin. Be sure and read the posts above on Calcitonin and osteoporosis. Dee, no matter what the labs say on your adrenals and Ferritin, I would give them a chance. I take Isocort, which is OTC and you can get it via the Internet. Just go to google, type in Isocort, and see what you get. I take 4 tabs in the morning. It's very safe. Additionally, you might try adding iron tabs to your daily meds (though at a different time if you are swallowing your Armour--I can't remember if you are!) Yes, your Ferritin looks good, but it wouldn't hurt to raise it. And Dee, I would strongly recommend considering that you might have other issues going on that resemble hypo, such as Epstein Barr Virus. EBV is common with hypo patients. 90% of adults have the EBV in their systems, but dormant. In hypo patients, it can become active and cause excessive fatigue. I am sure you are desperate, and understandably so. But focusing on your thyroid meds may be the wrong focus here. Hope this gives you food for thought. Keep coming back and let us know, ok?? Janie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2003 Report Share Posted December 18, 2003 HI Dee, Sorry that I couldn't respond quickly to your Reverse T3 question...was at the store. But Janie answered it quite well. Have you been taking your temperature to see where you are at? If you don't I can give you the instructions how too. Did you say that your doc will not take tests on your thyroid? Blood and uptakes at stuff? That isn't right. You need to be monitored and you obviously have something going on that the Armour is exacerbating right now. Let me know Patti 29:11 Re: Re: Armour not working?? Janie, Thanks for your response. I really don't want to up the Armour because the ft3 is over the range and I've read that high t3 causes osteoporosis. Have you heard that? I noticed my glands were swollen today so I called my PCP and am going to the lab this afternoon for the EBV test. I'll let you know what happens. Sorry for the short response. Two days without Armour....had the time released t-3 yesterday and slept for 2 hours and then was awake all night. I am exhausted....what else is new? I have to tell you though, yesterday morning I felt good and had not had Armour the day before. It might have been because I took some Benadryl (I know that's a no-no and don't do it often) and actually slept for 8 hours. Take care, Dee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2003 Report Share Posted December 18, 2003 I think in this set of tests the lab used their own gauge and her ferritin falls low on that scale too. Armour not working?? Your ferritin is way low. It should be 80 - 100. What about your female hormones? Val in Boulder, CO From: dm12420@... Hi! Hope you can help me. I've been on different doses of Armour and always have hypo symptoms even when labs show hyper. Tried adding cytomel to Armour and had hyper symptoms. My latest labs on 2 grains of Armour are: TSH 0.01 ft3 428 (230-420) ft4 1.5 (0.8-1.8) ferritin 37 (10-232) I feel awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2003 Report Share Posted December 18, 2003 > Did you say that your doc will not take tests on your thyroid? >Blood and uptakes at stuff? That isn't right. Will, yes and no. Generally, a doc who doesn't do tests is paying more attention to symptoms rather than labs. Dee's labs already look great, so paying attention to symptoms is not bad. We have recently all been impressed by the words of Dr. Derry in Canada who reminds us that before the TSH came out in 1975, docs went totally by symptoms, and successfully. The advent of the TSH and other labs has been the downfall of thyroid treatment since docs pay WAY too much attention to them. Labs are an adjunct, not a replacement, for symptoms. On the other hand, it would not be a bad idea for Dee to try another doc. And the Armour may not be " exacerbating " something. Instead, the Armour may be revealing something that still needs correction. And that is her mystery--to find that. Ferritin may be an issue. EBV may be an issue. And who knows what else! Janie aka ThyroDiva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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