should I have a T3 test?

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/15/2004 1:48:26 PM Eastern Standard Time,

sue.marchant@... writes:

> --she said that most people don't tolerate

> it as well as they do levothryoid. Is that true?

>

No.

If you have Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroid disease, perhaps the thyroid is

getting worse causing you to need more medication.

cindi

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/15/2004 1:48:26 PM Eastern Standard Time,

sue.marchant@... writes:

> . She told me that

> the T3 test was only for 'hyper' not 'hypo'--I accepted her answer

> since I couldn't argue otherwise.

>

Ridiculous. The Free T3 tell what the active thyroid hormone level is. In

my opinion...and a lot of others...it really should be the " gold standard " test

for thyroid function.

Cindi

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I am new to this group and I have a question. I have been hypothyroid

for about 3 years (I am 60 years old). My dr had me take levothyroid

25 mg one a day except one day a week when I was to take two. After

about 2 years, my TSH shot again. (is it normal or usual for the TSH

to keep going up periodically even when you are on meds?)

Dr had me increase to taking two pills 2

days a week instead of one on those days. I just got tested again

after a couple of months, and my TSH is still up (9.1) so she is

increasing my dose to 50 mg, 1 a day. I asked her if I could switch

to Armour and she said

to wait and see how the 50 mg of levothyroid works and if it doesn't

then she'll prescribe armour--she said that most people don't tolerate

it as well as they do levothryoid. Is that true?

I also asked if I could have a T3 test. I thought I had read somewhere

that some people need a combination of med for high TSH plus low T3

and do well on those. I didn't have any info with me when talking on

the phone to her so couldn't back it up with data. She told me that

the T3 test was only for 'hyper' not 'hypo'--I accepted her answer

since I couldn't argue otherwise.

So, my question is this: was I correct? If so, I would like to have

some information on T3/hypothyroid that I can present her with so

maybe she will change her mind and let me have the T3 test-----are

there any other tests I should request?

One last question......I drink alot of water and last Nov we purchased

a new refrigerator with the water filter and ice cold water. That is

what I have been drinking since Nov--I no longer purchase bottled

water. I very recently read that flouride is not something one with

thyroid problems should ingest. Now I am wondering if by my drinking

the 'tap' water I started getting alot of flouride. I drank it for

about 4-5 months before the test that showed my TSH up again (of

course I don't know what the TSH was right before I started on the

refrigerator water since I hadn't been tested in about a year). Does

anyone have any ideas on this? Would flouride from tap water (I don't

know how much flouride is in it) really create a big problem?

Thanks so much for your help!

Sue