Guest guest Posted September 24, 2004 Report Share Posted September 24, 2004 - thanks for your response. Here are the answers to your questions: >>>This one looks more complex than some because of the liver enzymes and >>>the unexpectedly T4 and T3 results. I think that the liver enzymes are the key here, i.e., not processing the thyroid med properly, which is the main job of the liver with almost any substance. Because of the amt of Armour you're taking, it's not the Armour that's to blame, rather something else going on in your body, namely the liver, IMHO. The body stiffness and pain you're experiencing, I think, has to do with adrenal issues, namely adrenal fatigue. Were you ever tested for a.m. and p.m. cortisol or any other adrenal substances? NO - my docotor won't do it. Were you ever tested for antithyroid antibodies? ====> I have Hashi's , if that's what you mean......... How soon after first having symptoms of low thyroid did you begin ANY type of thyroid hormone treatment (initiated with the T4 synthetic)? =====> I was caught by surprise when my ob-gyn did a TSH and told me I was hypothyroid. All my life I was cold when nobody else was, but that's all. I was immediately put on synthroid. How long were you actually on the synthetic T4 treatment before initiating Armour treatment? ====> I'm not sure - probably 10 years or more. Hashimoto's Disease can begin quickly, but has a steady downhill course in some people, and in some, a fast steady destruction of the gland. =====> I DID NOT KNOW THIS. In other words, as you initiated your Armour treatment, antibodies could have already begun a fast rate of destruction, thus, being right in the middle of steadily needing even more thyroid hormone for all this time, even as you had begun to bring up the dose of the Armour. I think this is what happened to me, in that, at the point when I was beginning to feel my worst is when I made the change to Armour, thus, the mystery of needing so much more hormone in comparison to when I had first started and ended treatment with synthetic T4 hormone. ====> This makes sense. I've had many mysterious, unexplained things happening to me the last 2 years and feel steadily worse. It's scary. Have you gotten any more feedback on the liver enzymes yet? NO New Labs > I would appreciate any input. My recent labs are not what I expected. > I fasted and did not take any medicine that morning. > > I started Armour 4/29 after being on .125 levoxyl . Ferritin is 75. > B12 is good. I was on 3 grains Armour when this blood test was taken, > but have since upped to 3 1/2 (2 grains 6am, 1 1/2 grains whenever I > remember in the afternoon; sublingually). I am slightly less fatigued, but > do crave naps when I can get them, and fight falling asleep at my computer > on the job 3-4 hours after rising and again in the afternoon. I have > headaches. But the worst thing is I have body aches that I never had > before - head to toe. Sometimes I can barely move, or get up from a > chair, or from the bed. Once I am moving, the pain eases, but does not > totally disappear. > > I had these tests done by a different hospital lab so the ranges are > different. For reference, I am also listing labs from this May and one > year ago. It seems my T3 is lower than one year ago (after increasing > after I first started Armour) and the T4 is decreasing since I started > Armour. > > TSH 0.00 (0.38-4.7) > FT4 0.73 (0.75-1.91) > FT3 2.32 (1.45-3.48) > > > 5/2004: TSH .19 (.4-5.5) 9/2003: 0.69 > 5/2004: FT4 .8 (.8-1.8) 9/2003: 1.3 > 5/2004: FT3 289 (230-420) 9/2003: 249 > > I also have slightly elevated liver enzymes AST and ALT, and the doctor > wants a retest in 4 weeks. I have no idea what this implies, and will have > to do some research. This is a new doctor, and he is not commenting on > the thyroid results. He marked them 'normal'. He knows I am > self-medicating with Armour. > > If anyone has any observations, I would love to see them! > > Thanks, joan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 Guessing here, but the achiness looks to me more like a combo of STILL low thyroid, with issues of a pituitary that seems to not be working right, PLUS, looks like adrenal issues that are unresolved, since you were chronically hypo for so long (physical stress ongoing, plus whatever life stresses were/are happening). There's something on one of the explanations for liver enzymes being low or high on the www.healthcheckusa.com site, but I can't remember what it is. If you've ever been on that site, you would know what I'm talking about by clicking into the explanations for different tests. Alkaline Phosphatase would be one of these liver enzyme tests, but I can't remember the names of the others. You might run over to that site and check it out. Re: New Labs / > > - thanks for your response. Here are the answers to your questions: > > > >>>This one looks more complex than some because of the liver enzymes and > >>>the > unexpectedly T4 and T3 results. I think that the liver enzymes are the key > here, i.e., not processing the thyroid med properly, which is the main job > of the liver with almost any substance. Because of the amt of Armour you're > taking, it's not the Armour that's to blame, rather something else going on > in your body, namely the liver, IMHO. The body stiffness and pain you're > experiencing, I think, has to do with adrenal issues, namely adrenal > fatigue. > > Were you ever tested for a.m. and p.m. cortisol or any other > adrenal substances? NO - my docotor won't do it. > > Were you ever tested for antithyroid antibodies? > ====> I have Hashi's , if that's what you mean......... > > How soon after first having symptoms of low thyroid did you begin ANY type > of > thyroid hormone treatment (initiated with the T4 synthetic)? > =====> I was caught by surprise when my ob-gyn did a TSH and told me > I was hypothyroid. All my life I was cold when nobody else was, but > that's all. > I was immediately put on synthroid. > > How long were you actually on the synthetic T4 treatment before initiating > Armour > treatment? ====> I'm not sure - probably 10 years or more. > > Hashimoto's Disease can begin quickly, but has a steady downhill course in > some > people, and in some, a fast steady destruction of the gland. > =====> I DID NOT KNOW THIS. > > In other words, as you initiated your Armour treatment, antibodies could > have already > begun a fast rate of destruction, thus, being right in the middle of > steadily needing even more thyroid hormone for all this time, even as you > had begun to bring up the dose of the Armour. I think this is what happened > to me, in that, at the point when I was beginning to feel my worst is when I > made the change to Armour, thus, the mystery of needing so much more hormone > in comparison to when I had first started and ended treatment with synthetic > T4 hormone. > ====> This makes sense. I've had many mysterious, unexplained things > happening to me the last 2 years and feel steadily worse. It's scary. > > Have you gotten any more feedback on the liver enzymes yet? NO > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 I'm referring to the effect that Prilosec has on killing your stomach acids and causing an absorption problem for most everything, including the thyroid hormones. Re: Re: New Labs / > > - Are you referring to the Free T's or the liver enzymes? I was > taking levbid for years for IBS and in the last couple of years, prilosec > daily. Earlier this year I decreased the prilosec to just a few times a > week, or less. What I'm saying is that I am taking LESS medicine now > than before. However, regarding the liver enzymes, I saw on one > website that any kind of pain meds can elevate the AST and ALT. I was > taking aleve around the clock for 2 years and a year ago a kidney specialist > told me to take tylenol instead because the aleve elevated my creatinine. > But again, this medicine is not new for me. Thanks for helping > to try and figure this out! I appreciate you sharing your knowledge! > > .... joan > ======================================= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 I'm referring to the effect that Prilosec has on killing your stomach acids and causing an absorption problem for most everything, including the thyroid hormones. Re: Re: New Labs / > > - Are you referring to the Free T's or the liver enzymes? I was > taking levbid for years for IBS and in the last couple of years, prilosec > daily. Earlier this year I decreased the prilosec to just a few times a > week, or less. What I'm saying is that I am taking LESS medicine now > than before. However, regarding the liver enzymes, I saw on one > website that any kind of pain meds can elevate the AST and ALT. I was > taking aleve around the clock for 2 years and a year ago a kidney specialist > told me to take tylenol instead because the aleve elevated my creatinine. > But again, this medicine is not new for me. Thanks for helping > to try and figure this out! I appreciate you sharing your knowledge! > > .... joan > ======================================= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 I'm referring to the effect that Prilosec has on killing your stomach acids and causing an absorption problem for most everything, including the thyroid hormones. Re: Re: New Labs / > > - Are you referring to the Free T's or the liver enzymes? I was > taking levbid for years for IBS and in the last couple of years, prilosec > daily. Earlier this year I decreased the prilosec to just a few times a > week, or less. What I'm saying is that I am taking LESS medicine now > than before. However, regarding the liver enzymes, I saw on one > website that any kind of pain meds can elevate the AST and ALT. I was > taking aleve around the clock for 2 years and a year ago a kidney specialist > told me to take tylenol instead because the aleve elevated my creatinine. > But again, this medicine is not new for me. Thanks for helping > to try and figure this out! I appreciate you sharing your knowledge! > > .... joan > ======================================= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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