Confused, need a little help.

December 2, 2005

Short background about me -- d/x's w/ moderate/severe case of Graves

last year, was put on PTU but never was able to stabilize. Had a

total thyroidectomy 3 months ago, put on Synthroid and doing well on

Synthroid for the most part.

Also went to stage 5/6? of TED, pretty severe vision loss, had

radiation therapy and on Prednisone for the next 6-8 months.

My thyroid levels have been relatively stable. Last blooodtest 1

1/2 weeks ago: FT4 -- 2.75 TSH -- 1.25 Sorry, this is off the top

of my head, don't have my results w/ me so I don't know the actual

ranges but my FT4 was high and the TSH was smack dab right in the

middle of these ranges. Endo didn't test FT3 for some reason.

I seem to repsond really quickly to Synthroid dose changes and I

have been experimenting w/ doses on my own (my doc is ok w/ this but

she does prefer that I try to give at least four weeks on one dose).

Right after my surgery, the surgeon put me on 50 mcgs of Synthroid

and was on this low dose for two weeks. Got really sleepy all of

the sudden and my endo raised my Synthroid to 88 and 100,

alternating days. Did ok for about a week and started to become

cold all the time and still pretty sleepy.

I asked my doc to raise my Synthroid so she put me on 112 mcgs. I

stayed on 112 for 2 weeks but I knew this was too much because I

became very jittery, nervous, jumpy, tachycardic etc.

So I went back down to 100 mcgs, stayed on 100 and was immediately

hit with -- depression! among other slightly hypo symptoms I wasn't

expecting this, began sighing A LOT right away, and lasted two weeks

on 100 before I decided this wasn't for me.

I've been back on 112 for the past week and a half -- major

difference! But I don't have the nervousness or jitteriness I had

the first time around? I feel like this is maybe not the absolute

right dose but a better dose (at least for now). My next endo appt.

is Dec. 12 so I'm going to stick with this dose no matter what to

see what my labs will read.

I saw my endo right before Thanksgiving and she told me to stick w/

100 because my numbers were good but she could also tell that

although the numbers were good, I wasn't happy and that it's clear I

fall somewhere between 100 and 112. My doc suggested I alternate

one week on 112 and one week on 100, but I'm scared to fall back

into that weird depression. Literally on the first day I went back

on the 100 mcg, w/i the hour I was sighing.

Questions:

Is this normal to respond so quickly to dose changes?

Do I need to wait 4-6 weeks to really see the Synthroid effects?

Does this response mean I don't need a T3 supplement (at least for

now)?

Is alternating dosages the only way to get an exact dose right for

me? Because when I was alternating between 88/100, I felt more

sluggish on the 88 days also.

How is Synthroid based on weigth? Is it really based on weight only

w/ those w/o a thyroid?

About my TED:

It's active -- if I went hypo on 100 mcgs, will my TED get worse?

If 112 makes me hyper, will it make my eyes get worse?

How do I understand my lab results? I'm still unsure of how to read

them and why everyone's range is so different. Again, my FT4 was

higher than high number in my range (it was something like .3-1.87)

and this was two weeks on 100 mcgs.

TIA for any input. I'm confused about everything.

December 2, 2005

>

> Short background about me -- d/x's w/ moderate/severe case of

Graves

> last year, was put on PTU but never was able to stabilize. Had a

> total thyroidectomy 3 months ago, put on Synthroid and doing well

on

> Synthroid for the most part.

>

> Also went to stage 5/6? of TED, pretty severe vision loss, had

> radiation therapy and on Prednisone for the next 6-8 months.

>

> My thyroid levels have been relatively stable. Last blooodtest 1

> 1/2 weeks ago: FT4 -- 2.75 TSH -- 1.25 Sorry, this is off the

top

> of my head, don't have my results w/ me so I don't know the actual

> ranges but my FT4 was high and the TSH was smack dab right in the

> middle of these ranges. Endo didn't test FT3 for some reason.

>

> I seem to repsond really quickly to Synthroid dose changes and I

> have been experimenting w/ doses on my own (my doc is ok w/ this

but

> she does prefer that I try to give at least four weeks on one

dose).

>

> Right after my surgery, the surgeon put me on 50 mcgs of Synthroid

> and was on this low dose for two weeks. Got really sleepy all of

> the sudden and my endo raised my Synthroid to 88 and 100,

> alternating days. Did ok for about a week and started to become

> cold all the time and still pretty sleepy.

>

> I asked my doc to raise my Synthroid so she put me on 112 mcgs. I

> stayed on 112 for 2 weeks but I knew this was too much because I

> became very jittery, nervous, jumpy, tachycardic etc.

>

> So I went back down to 100 mcgs, stayed on 100 and was immediately

> hit with -- depression! among other slightly hypo symptoms I

wasn't

> expecting this, began sighing A LOT right away, and lasted two

weeks

> on 100 before I decided this wasn't for me.

>

> I've been back on 112 for the past week and a half -- major

> difference! But I don't have the nervousness or jitteriness I had

> the first time around? I feel like this is maybe not the absolute

> right dose but a better dose (at least for now). My next endo

appt.

> is Dec. 12 so I'm going to stick with this dose no matter what to

> see what my labs will read.

>

> I saw my endo right before Thanksgiving and she told me to stick

w/

> 100 because my numbers were good but she could also tell that

> although the numbers were good, I wasn't happy and that it's clear

I

> fall somewhere between 100 and 112. My doc suggested I alternate

> one week on 112 and one week on 100, but I'm scared to fall back

> into that weird depression. Literally on the first day I went

back

> on the 100 mcg, w/i the hour I was sighing.

>

> Questions:

>

> Is this normal to respond so quickly to dose changes?

> Do I need to wait 4-6 weeks to really see the Synthroid effects?

> Does this response mean I don't need a T3 supplement (at least for

> now)?

> Is alternating dosages the only way to get an exact dose right for

> me? Because when I was alternating between 88/100, I felt more

> sluggish on the 88 days also.

> How is Synthroid based on weigth? Is it really based on weight

only

> w/ those w/o a thyroid?

>

> About my TED:

> It's active -- if I went hypo on 100 mcgs, will my TED get worse?

> If 112 makes me hyper, will it make my eyes get worse?

>

> How do I understand my lab results? I'm still unsure of how to

read

> them and why everyone's range is so different. Again, my FT4 was

> higher than high number in my range (it was something like .3-

1.87)

> and this was two weeks on 100 mcgs.

>

> TIA for any input. I'm confused about everything.

>

TED is seperate from your thyroid condition and is based on the

activity of TSI ( grave's antibody) .some people can be Eurothyroid

and still have active TED. TED runs its own course. Having your

thyroid hormone levels either too high or too low can agrevate the

eyes though so you want to monitor symptoms.

Synthroid works different compared to PTU.

PTU you feel the effects immediately..usually 3-4 weeks is the

average lab draw while on ATD's...and the half life of ATD's is

usually something like 3 hours and needs to be taken 3 times a day.

Synthroid has a 1/2 life of 7 days..labs for Synthroid should be

done and dose adjustments should be done every 6 weeks. This is how

long it takes the body to reach optimal dose adjustments at any

given strength.

Waiting sucks..but usually someone new to synthroid or having a dose

adjustment will feel off after about 2-3 weeks..by 5 weeks they will

level off. 6 weeks is new blood work then if it needs to be

increased or lowered you will know for sure.

What happens though is the blood work that you had especailly the

TSH is based on how your body was doing 6 weeks ago.

Synthroid is based on wieght being 1 mcg per lb or 1.6 mcg per Kilo.

this also needs to be adjusted though based on thyroid function but

also based on antibodies, blocking antibodies and how well your body

is able to convert plus other medications and medical conditions you

may have.

I would pick a dose, remember to take it on an empty stomach, avoid

iron and calcium for at least 4 hours and wait 6 weeks for bloodwork

and before adjusting meds.

And make sure you get TSH, Free 4 and Free 3 run..

The tests need to continue like this every 6 weeks until you are on

an optimal dose and feel well. Then one more set in 6 weeks to make

sure it stays there..after that you can go with follow ups not so

frequently.

Kats3boys

December 2, 2005

>

> Short background about me -- d/x's w/ moderate/severe case of

Graves

> last year, was put on PTU but never was able to stabilize. Had a

> total thyroidectomy 3 months ago, put on Synthroid and doing well

on

> Synthroid for the most part.

>

> Also went to stage 5/6? of TED, pretty severe vision loss, had

> radiation therapy and on Prednisone for the next 6-8 months.

>

> My thyroid levels have been relatively stable. Last blooodtest 1

> 1/2 weeks ago: FT4 -- 2.75 TSH -- 1.25 Sorry, this is off the

top

> of my head, don't have my results w/ me so I don't know the actual

> ranges but my FT4 was high and the TSH was smack dab right in the

> middle of these ranges. Endo didn't test FT3 for some reason.

>

> I seem to repsond really quickly to Synthroid dose changes and I

> have been experimenting w/ doses on my own (my doc is ok w/ this

but

> she does prefer that I try to give at least four weeks on one

dose).

>

> Right after my surgery, the surgeon put me on 50 mcgs of Synthroid

> and was on this low dose for two weeks. Got really sleepy all of

> the sudden and my endo raised my Synthroid to 88 and 100,

> alternating days. Did ok for about a week and started to become

> cold all the time and still pretty sleepy.

>

> I asked my doc to raise my Synthroid so she put me on 112 mcgs. I

> stayed on 112 for 2 weeks but I knew this was too much because I

> became very jittery, nervous, jumpy, tachycardic etc.

>

> So I went back down to 100 mcgs, stayed on 100 and was immediately

> hit with -- depression! among other slightly hypo symptoms I

wasn't

> expecting this, began sighing A LOT right away, and lasted two

weeks

> on 100 before I decided this wasn't for me.

>

> I've been back on 112 for the past week and a half -- major

> difference! But I don't have the nervousness or jitteriness I had

> the first time around? I feel like this is maybe not the absolute

> right dose but a better dose (at least for now). My next endo

appt.

> is Dec. 12 so I'm going to stick with this dose no matter what to

> see what my labs will read.

>

> I saw my endo right before Thanksgiving and she told me to stick

w/

> 100 because my numbers were good but she could also tell that

> although the numbers were good, I wasn't happy and that it's clear

I

> fall somewhere between 100 and 112. My doc suggested I alternate

> one week on 112 and one week on 100, but I'm scared to fall back

> into that weird depression. Literally on the first day I went

back

> on the 100 mcg, w/i the hour I was sighing.

>

> Questions:

>

> Is this normal to respond so quickly to dose changes?

> Do I need to wait 4-6 weeks to really see the Synthroid effects?

> Does this response mean I don't need a T3 supplement (at least for

> now)?

> Is alternating dosages the only way to get an exact dose right for

> me? Because when I was alternating between 88/100, I felt more

> sluggish on the 88 days also.

> How is Synthroid based on weigth? Is it really based on weight

only

> w/ those w/o a thyroid?

>

> About my TED:

> It's active -- if I went hypo on 100 mcgs, will my TED get worse?

> If 112 makes me hyper, will it make my eyes get worse?

>

> How do I understand my lab results? I'm still unsure of how to

read

> them and why everyone's range is so different. Again, my FT4 was

> higher than high number in my range (it was something like .3-

1.87)

> and this was two weeks on 100 mcgs.

>

> TIA for any input. I'm confused about everything.

>

TED is seperate from your thyroid condition and is based on the

activity of TSI ( grave's antibody) .some people can be Eurothyroid

and still have active TED. TED runs its own course. Having your

thyroid hormone levels either too high or too low can agrevate the

eyes though so you want to monitor symptoms.

Synthroid works different compared to PTU.

PTU you feel the effects immediately..usually 3-4 weeks is the

average lab draw while on ATD's...and the half life of ATD's is

usually something like 3 hours and needs to be taken 3 times a day.

Synthroid has a 1/2 life of 7 days..labs for Synthroid should be

done and dose adjustments should be done every 6 weeks. This is how

long it takes the body to reach optimal dose adjustments at any

given strength.

Waiting sucks..but usually someone new to synthroid or having a dose

adjustment will feel off after about 2-3 weeks..by 5 weeks they will

level off. 6 weeks is new blood work then if it needs to be

increased or lowered you will know for sure.

What happens though is the blood work that you had especailly the

TSH is based on how your body was doing 6 weeks ago.

Synthroid is based on wieght being 1 mcg per lb or 1.6 mcg per Kilo.

this also needs to be adjusted though based on thyroid function but

also based on antibodies, blocking antibodies and how well your body

is able to convert plus other medications and medical conditions you

may have.

I would pick a dose, remember to take it on an empty stomach, avoid

iron and calcium for at least 4 hours and wait 6 weeks for bloodwork

and before adjusting meds.

And make sure you get TSH, Free 4 and Free 3 run..

The tests need to continue like this every 6 weeks until you are on

an optimal dose and feel well. Then one more set in 6 weeks to make

sure it stays there..after that you can go with follow ups not so

frequently.

Kats3boys

December 2, 2005

Thanks Kat! This makes sense to me, so I really should wait it out

for 6 weeks, or at the very least 4, no matter how I feel in

between? I don't mind feeling off, as long as it's temporary, but

as long as I'm guaranteed to feel better in the end since this is

still new to me and don't quite understand how everything is

supposed to work having no thyroid and on Synthroid.

It's just been so strange since the very first day I would change

dose from 88/100 up to 112, down to 100 and then back to 112 I would

feel an immediate difference within the hour of taking the higher or

lesser dosages. I do notice that on each change about a week later

certain other symptoms would follow suit (like on the 100 I became a

little more constipated and **severely** lethargic). I also

developed a symmetrical rash on my lower back, not itchy but small

bumps also which is now gone.

It was this weird depression that really just hit me right away and

it just got worse. I kept telling myself to snap out of it but I

couldn't. And the morning I decided to go back on 112 mcgs made a

huge difference. It was almost night and day, Jekyll and Hyde.

I remember on PTU, I started to feel much better after 2 weeks and

really optimum after 1 month. Unfortunately I had a doctor who kept

me on the same 6 pill dose for 4 months, became *severely* hypo

until he told me stop taking it and I wound up in a thyroid storm.

What does halflife mean?

> >

> TED is seperate from your thyroid condition and is based on the

> activity of TSI ( grave's antibody) .some people can be

Eurothyroid

> and still have active TED. TED runs its own course. Having your

> thyroid hormone levels either too high or too low can agrevate the

> eyes though so you want to monitor symptoms.

>

> Synthroid works different compared to PTU.

> PTU you feel the effects immediately..usually 3-4 weeks is the

> average lab draw while on ATD's...and the half life of ATD's is

> usually something like 3 hours and needs to be taken 3 times a day.

> Synthroid has a 1/2 life of 7 days..labs for Synthroid should be

> done and dose adjustments should be done every 6 weeks. This is

how

> long it takes the body to reach optimal dose adjustments at any

> given strength.

> Waiting sucks..but usually someone new to synthroid or having a

dose

> adjustment will feel off after about 2-3 weeks..by 5 weeks they

will

> level off. 6 weeks is new blood work then if it needs to be

> increased or lowered you will know for sure.

> What happens though is the blood work that you had especailly the

> TSH is based on how your body was doing 6 weeks ago.

> Synthroid is based on wieght being 1 mcg per lb or 1.6 mcg per

Kilo.

> this also needs to be adjusted though based on thyroid function

but

> also based on antibodies, blocking antibodies and how well your

body

> is able to convert plus other medications and medical conditions

you

> may have.

> I would pick a dose, remember to take it on an empty stomach,

avoid

> iron and calcium for at least 4 hours and wait 6 weeks for

bloodwork

> and before adjusting meds.

> And make sure you get TSH, Free 4 and Free 3 run..

> The tests need to continue like this every 6 weeks until you are

on

> an optimal dose and feel well. Then one more set in 6 weeks to

make

> sure it stays there..after that you can go with follow ups not so

> frequently.

>

> Kats3boys

>

December 3, 2005

What does halflife mean?

Half life is the medical term used to determine how long medication

will stay in your system..it is just that..the time when the

medication is determined to be at 1/2 the strength after reaching

optimal dosing.

Kats3boys

December 3, 2005

What does halflife mean?

Half life is the medical term used to determine how long medication

will stay in your system..it is just that..the time when the

medication is determined to be at 1/2 the strength after reaching

optimal dosing.

Kats3boys

December 3, 2005

What does halflife mean?

Half life is the medical term used to determine how long medication

will stay in your system..it is just that..the time when the

medication is determined to be at 1/2 the strength after reaching

optimal dosing.

Kats3boys

December 5, 2005

You're GOING to be confused, staying on one dosing regimen for only a couple

of wks, then raising, then falling back, then so on. You must stay on a

dose for about 6 wks or so before that dose actually comes into play, with

T4 dosing-only. Also, even if it's been 3 months since thyroid removal,

your concentration of too much thyroid hormone actually produced by that

same thyroid is STILL falling, and you won't know for awhile what exactly

your " good " dosing schedule will be. IMO, you're still having a few ebbs

and flows of thyroid hormone that was naturally produced by your own

thyroid, so this is going to be a little wacky for awhile. 6 to 8 wks on

ONE dosing schedule. One thing I've got to say about your endo is that

he/she is not letting you fall completely to the floor before upping your

dose and seems to be afraid of this happening, but it's going to be touch

and go for awhile. What was his/her explanation for not doing the Free T3

testing? I would ask. No, it doesn't mean that you're not eventually going

to need direct T3 given. There was some original reason why our healthy

thyroids used to produce tiny amts of direct T3, and this is something I

would do, if my thyroid was removed altogether. Evidently, certain body

parts need these tiny quick bursts of direct T3, or our natural glands would

never have produced it at all. Thyroid eye problems, I'll leave to someone

who has been there.

Confused, need a little help.

> Short background about me -- d/x's w/ moderate/severe case of Graves

> last year, was put on PTU but never was able to stabilize. Had a

> total thyroidectomy 3 months ago, put on Synthroid and doing well on

> Synthroid for the most part.

>

> Also went to stage 5/6? of TED, pretty severe vision loss, had

> radiation therapy and on Prednisone for the next 6-8 months.

>

> My thyroid levels have been relatively stable. Last blooodtest 1

> 1/2 weeks ago: FT4 -- 2.75 TSH -- 1.25 Sorry, this is off the top

> of my head, don't have my results w/ me so I don't know the actual

> ranges but my FT4 was high and the TSH was smack dab right in the

> middle of these ranges. Endo didn't test FT3 for some reason.

>

> I seem to repsond really quickly to Synthroid dose changes and I

> have been experimenting w/ doses on my own (my doc is ok w/ this but

> she does prefer that I try to give at least four weeks on one dose).

>

> Right after my surgery, the surgeon put me on 50 mcgs of Synthroid

> and was on this low dose for two weeks. Got really sleepy all of

> the sudden and my endo raised my Synthroid to 88 and 100,

> alternating days. Did ok for about a week and started to become

> cold all the time and still pretty sleepy.

>

> I asked my doc to raise my Synthroid so she put me on 112 mcgs. I

> stayed on 112 for 2 weeks but I knew this was too much because I

> became very jittery, nervous, jumpy, tachycardic etc.

>

> So I went back down to 100 mcgs, stayed on 100 and was immediately

> hit with -- depression! among other slightly hypo symptoms I wasn't

> expecting this, began sighing A LOT right away, and lasted two weeks

> on 100 before I decided this wasn't for me.

>

> I've been back on 112 for the past week and a half -- major

> difference! But I don't have the nervousness or jitteriness I had

> the first time around? I feel like this is maybe not the absolute

> right dose but a better dose (at least for now). My next endo appt.

> is Dec. 12 so I'm going to stick with this dose no matter what to

> see what my labs will read.

>

> I saw my endo right before Thanksgiving and she told me to stick w/

> 100 because my numbers were good but she could also tell that

> although the numbers were good, I wasn't happy and that it's clear I

> fall somewhere between 100 and 112. My doc suggested I alternate

> one week on 112 and one week on 100, but I'm scared to fall back

> into that weird depression. Literally on the first day I went back

> on the 100 mcg, w/i the hour I was sighing.

>

> Questions:

>

> Is this normal to respond so quickly to dose changes?

> Do I need to wait 4-6 weeks to really see the Synthroid effects?

> Does this response mean I don't need a T3 supplement (at least for

> now)?

> Is alternating dosages the only way to get an exact dose right for

> me? Because when I was alternating between 88/100, I felt more

> sluggish on the 88 days also.

> How is Synthroid based on weigth? Is it really based on weight only

> w/ those w/o a thyroid?

>

> About my TED:

> It's active -- if I went hypo on 100 mcgs, will my TED get worse?

> If 112 makes me hyper, will it make my eyes get worse?

>

> How do I understand my lab results? I'm still unsure of how to read

> them and why everyone's range is so different. Again, my FT4 was

> higher than high number in my range (it was something like .3-1.87)

> and this was two weeks on 100 mcgs.

>

> TIA for any input. I'm confused about everything.

December 5, 2005