Any suggestions for doctor visit ( a bit long)?

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Hi Val and others,

I haven't been on this list or the NTH list for quite some time.

I'm going to my doctor this Thursday, after several months, and will

be updating him on all that I've been doing. As I still don't feel a

great deal better, I'm wondering if there are any other tests I should

request when I see him. He is pretty open to suggestions.

So here's a recap of things(sorry for the length):

The only test results I have are from about a year ago (I will repost

in another post). They showed that I had low cortisol in the morning,

all the rest were elevated. My doctor advised me to take 10mg HC in

the AM only and started me on Armour. I got up to 60mg without much

effect.

I found this list right before I went back to school (I'm a Montessori

teacher, 1-3rd grade). I tried splitting my Armour dose and that

didn't seem to do anything. I managed to do a full switch over to T3

around the beginning of September. Was working on increasing it

gradually when Ike hit and I was without power for 2 weeks (it's still

pretty hot here in September). So I kind of put things on hold then

too for a bit.

The last time I saw my doctor (I think it was back in October or

November), he agreed to switch my T3 doses from 5mg to 25mg pills and

to increase it to 100mg a day, allowing me to multidose as I saw fit.

I finally just upped my last dose the other day so I am on the 100mg

(25mg 4x's a day, times are fairly close to HC dose times below).

For my HC, I am on 32.5mg, dosed 4x a day (10mg-upon rising, 10mg

between 10:30am-12pm, 7.5mg between 1:30-5pm and 5mg right before

bed). I was starting to get concerned that maybe my HC doses were too

high (due to testing saying high cortisol for all but morning), but

now I don't know. I've been somewhat bad about taking my temps (it's

hard to remember to do it at school) but have recently gotten a bit

better about it and will definitely start graphing again.

My worst time is still about 14-15 days before my period. I start

feeling really tired, sometimes nearly zombie state, want to cry quite

a bit. Easily upset. This is when I will most often get a bad

headache, usually if I go to bed it's gone when I get up. I am really

starting to dread them. I have used progesterone cream in the past,

but got nervous after reading some recent posts here or on the NTH

list about it. I couldn't stand it anymore though and used it for

several days this last time. It helped a bit I think.

The rest of the time I feel somewhat alert mid-morning to

mid-afternoon, but I could stop and lay down and take a nap at any

point in the day. I am usually wiped out by the time I get home

around 5:30-6pm and often just veg in front of the t.v. or computer

(this is a slight improvement, as I used to lay down for a short nap

as soon as I got home). I get very frustrated because I really have

stuff I need to get done, but just can't seem to summon the energy

(mental or physical) to do them. I would say I feel somewhat better

than I have in the past, but I know I'm still not there.

am pretty sure I still need to increase the T3, so will have to

" convince " my doctor to increase my prescription – he wasn't too sure

about the increase to 100mg, but I feel like he will do this for me.

I think the HC scrip is okay (it's for 40mg/day) – I still have some

" leftover " amount to play with the dose if I need to.

I'm on Vit. D supplement (megadose), taking HCL with Betaine,

prescription digestive enzymes, and Omega-3 caps.

Is there anything else you can think of that I might need to bring up

with him, any other testing I should do?

Thanks in advance,

Heidi H. in Houston