Re: Lab Results

[Guest guest]

Hi Sonya,

The T4 is your level of total thyroxine or T4. This includes the free active

portion and the hormone that's bound to protein and inactive. Total T4 results

can be influenced by changes in binding proteins and the T3 Uptake measures how

well your proteins bind with hormones. Your levels are normal, showing that your

total T4 is not being falsely elevated.

The FTI index is an estimation of what your Free T4 is based on calculations.

This is an old-fashioned test, and today most doctor's order Free T4 (FT4)

levels, which are more accurate.

Because your levels are still slightly elevated, your doctor thinks that you

need a higher dose of Tapazole. While the higher dose should reduce your thyroid

hormone levels, bringing them into the normal range, you'll also have to watch

for symptoms of hypothyroidism, making sure that this dose isn't too high for

you. Good luck, elaine

[Guest guest]

Thanks Elaine,

All of this is very confusing right now. Since he increased my dose,

I feel sick on my stomach every day, I'm very tired, and very, very

depressed. I also, have times where I'm suddenly very cold and my

body hurts like I'm getting the flu. My main concern is I keep

having pains on the side of my chest. I'm afraid I'm going to have a

heart attach. Is this normal? I don't have another appt. until

September. I really don't want to wait that long feeling like this,

but I want to give it time to work. If my levels are only slightly

elevated, should I even be taking medicine? Although when I wasn't

taking medicine I felt like my heart would beat out of my chest, and

I couldn't hardly function for shaking. Maybe I should just take a

lower dose for a longer time period. I don't know what to do.

Sonya

> Hi Sonya,

> The T4 is your level of total thyroxine or T4. This includes the

free active portion and the hormone that's bound to protein and

inactive. Total T4 results can be influenced by changes in binding

proteins and the T3 Uptake measures how well your proteins bind with

hormones. Your levels are normal, showing that your total T4 is not

being falsely elevated.

> The FTI index is an estimation of what your Free T4 is based on

calculations. This is an old-fashioned test, and today most doctor's

order Free T4 (FT4) levels, which are more accurate.

> Because your levels are still slightly elevated, your doctor thinks

that you need a higher dose of Tapazole. While the higher dose should

reduce your thyroid hormone levels, bringing them into the normal

range, you'll also have to watch for symptoms of hypothyroidism,

making sure that this dose isn't too high for you. Good luck, elaine

[Guest guest]

Hi Sonya, did you take a look at the symptoms list in the files section of

the graves_support site? It should help you figure out when/if you go hypo,

but you are listing some hypo symptoms. I would call your doctor and insist

that he see you sooner rather than later, tell him you have hypo symptoms,

and if that doesn't work, go see your primary care doc so he/she can help

you figure out what is going on. Depression, feeling cold and achy and

chest pains are all hypo symptoms and if that is what it is, it's only going

to get worse if you keep taking the meds.

Good luck!

Pam

[Guest guest]

Hi Pam,

I looked at the symptoms list and I have both hypo and hyper symptoms in the

same day. Am I oscillating between the two extremes that quickly or is this to

be expected?

Thanks,

Tori

In a message dated Mon, 1 Jul 2002 10:26:38 AM Eastern Standard Time,

pam@... writes:

> Depression, feeling cold and achy and

> chest pains are all hypo symptoms and if that is what it

> is, it's only going

> to get worse if you keep taking the meds.

[Guest guest]

That's what happened with me, too, Tori. I never knew if I was hypo or hyper.

Don't think the doctor did, either.

Donna

Re: Re: Lab Results

Hi Pam,

I looked at the symptoms list and I have both hypo and hyper symptoms in the

same day. Am I oscillating between the two extremes that quickly or is this to

be expected?

Thanks,

Tori

In a message dated Mon, 1 Jul 2002 10:26:38 AM Eastern Standard Time,

pam@... writes:

> Depression, feeling cold and achy and

> chest pains are all hypo symptoms and if that is what it

> is, it's only going

> to get worse if you keep taking the meds.

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[Guest guest]

Hi Sonya,

Some of your new symptoms suggest that you might be becoming hypothyroid.

I think if you had been on you last dose longer before having blood tests, your

results would have been normal. It can take up to 8 weeks for a change in dosage

to kick in.

Why don't you call your doctor's office and ask to speak to one of the nurses.

Tell her your symptoms and ask if you could go back on the dose you had been on.

She can always order more labs for you to have done before your next appt. take

care, elaine

[Guest guest]

I think I'm going back and forth between the two also! I seem to

have symptoms from both lists and different times. Talk about being

in limbo! So does that mean it's a free for all and I can have all

of the symptoms from both lists?

Learning???

Sonya

> Hi Pam,

>

> I looked at the symptoms list and I have both hypo and hyper

symptoms in the same day. Am I oscillating between the two extremes

that quickly or is this to be expected?

>

> Thanks,

> Tori

>

> In a message dated Mon, 1 Jul 2002 10:26:38 AM Eastern Standard

Time, pam@w... writes:

>

> > Depression, feeling cold and achy and

> > chest pains are all hypo symptoms and if that is what it

> > is, it's only going

> > to get worse if you keep taking the meds.

[Guest guest]

Hi Sonya, yes the symptoms do seem to overlap. I have had both sets of

symptoms in the same day also, but it is getting a lot better for me now.

If it were me, I would print out list, highlight all the symptoms you are

getting now and take it to the doctors with you, especially if you are

heading toward hypo. If you wait too long, you might not have the motivation

or energy to get out of bed, never mind get to the doctors office.

Hope you are feeling better soon,

Pam B.

my story: http://www.webmosaics.com/thyroid

[Guest guest]

Hi Sonya,

Now that you have made me think back, I realize it may have been a 'good

thing' I did not have a symptom list there in the beginning. LOL It sure

would have confused me even more. I turned into the 'symptom of the day

girl'.

I swear, every morning, I would wake up and something brand new would be

wrong. = :-o

I know I had been hyper for years, and then was REALLY hyper when diagnosed.

So I think all the huge changes my poor body went through , those first

couple of months, as I went down and down to normal, just set off

everything.

Once you get closer to right, in time you will find things do stableize, and

then symptoms tend to be more weekly, then monthly...and so on and so on.

The posts I have written today about my endo visit, are symptoms that for me

now are a 5 month trend. Much easier than your several times a day things

you are facing now.

Hang in there, it really does get better.

And if you are young and have not had this forever, you most likely will not

have the issues I do. So please do not let me scare you.

-Pam- ( Ladd)