Re: lab results back - remission?

[Guest guest]

Hi Pam!

Congrats on the new numbers and your TSH moving! Woo-hoo! That's a step in

the right direction!

As for what's going on, I can only say, welcome to the club (it's the

" what-the-heck-is-going-on-club " ). Your labs so closely mirror what mine are

doing, it's freaky!

Shortly after my TSI's took a big dive down, the TSH started coming up. My

Free T4 has been sitting on the border of hypo for almost a year now. Never

seems to dip below. I've also got the mid-range Free T3 - mine was 3.1

(2.3-4.2) how much more middle can you get?

You've got the advantage of more frequent AB tests than me, but I suspect

mine are behaving similarly. I had super high TPO when I started. This is

just my *theory* as to what is happening. I notice that your TPO went up

slightly from Feb. to March with a decrease in TSI during the same

approximate timeframe. It's my suspicion that the changes in thyroid levels

are a result of the changes in AB's. You've got an increase in TPO with a

decrease in TSI - I wonder if that kind of " reverses the balance " of the

AB's in favor of the TPO, and you get thyroid cell destruction and a shift

towards hypo end, although not necessarily actual hypo because the

difference in AB amounts isn't great enough. I envision it like a see-saw

kind of, with TSI at one end and TPO at the other and currently there is

just a slight favor to TPO. I know this is purely unscientific, but it's

about the only remotely rational observation I can come up with based on

results I have. And along with the " reversal " , the TSH comes back up. This

is just about exactly what happened to me. The TSI went down, the Free T4

went down, the TSH came up. I'd love to know what my AB's are now.

Now I'll be really weirded out if you develop the yo-yo TSH that I've been

having the last year. Up and down. Never out of normal range, just up and

down. And the Free T4 stays the same. It's very odd. I imagine it's

something to do with the AB's and TSH receptors. But who knows? I'm

currently at the highest TSH I've ever had and due to get the next one in

May. If it stays true to the pattern, it'll be down again.

Wish I had some concrete answers for you on exactly what is happening! I

think it's an excellent trend, however. Things are going in the right

direction - I'd say keep on keepin' on!

Watch out now that the TSH is coming back up. When mine starting coming

back, oh man did I feel it! It was awful for a while - felt just like full

blown hypo! I'd be sure I was hypo, only to go and find out everything was

normal. Just got to ride out the changes, unfortunately.

Hugs and congrats again!

lab results back - remission?

> I finally got my long awaited numbers back. These were drawn on the 11th,

> which was 9 days after stopping all of my tincture, and the day I started

> coming down with the flu... and after about 4 sleepless nights because my

> kid kept me up with his flu... don't know if that would do anything to the

> numbers.

>

> Anyway, it's the first time my TSH has moved at all in over a year, and my

> TSI's are down by more than half from December! I really don't know what

is

> going on with FT4 being almost hypo yet FT3 is mid-range - I don't think I

> ve ever had both Free's done at the same time before.

>

> I know I've done this differently from most, and in the end have not done

> things at all like anyone else - but what would be my status here do you

> think? Not remission because I still have antibodies? But off meds and

> feeling better than I have in years... though I'm still working on food

> allergies... yet is it still to early to say?

>

> 3/11/03

> TSH - .42

> FT4 - .83 (.8-1.7)

> FT3 - 2.2 (1.4-3.8)

> TPO - .6 (0-2)

> TSI - 210% (<130%)

> Antithyroglobulin: 2.8 (0-1)

>

> 2/4/03:

> FT3 - 1.79 (1.4-3.8)

> T4 - 5.8 (4.5-12)

> TPO - .05 (0-2)

> Anti-Thyroglobulin - 5.8 (0-1)

>

> 1/8/03:

> TSH - .01 Low

> FT4- 1.19 (.8-1.7) Normal

> T4 - 7.1 (4.5-12) Normal

> T3 - 116 (40-150) Normal

> TPO - .7 (0-2) - Normal

> AntiThyroglobulin - 2.7 (0-1) High

>

> 12/19/03:

> TSI: 497%

>

>

> Pam B.

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

>

>

> -------------------------------------

> The Graves' list is intended for informational purposes only and is not

intended to replace expert medical care.

> Please consult your doctor before changing or trying new treatments.

> ----------------------------------------

> DISCLAIMER

>

> Advertisments placed on this yahoo groups list do not have the endorsement

of

> the listowner. I have no input as to what ads are attached to emails.

> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Pam!

Congrats on the new numbers and your TSH moving! Woo-hoo! That's a step in

the right direction!

As for what's going on, I can only say, welcome to the club (it's the

" what-the-heck-is-going-on-club " ). Your labs so closely mirror what mine are

doing, it's freaky!

Shortly after my TSI's took a big dive down, the TSH started coming up. My

Free T4 has been sitting on the border of hypo for almost a year now. Never

seems to dip below. I've also got the mid-range Free T3 - mine was 3.1

(2.3-4.2) how much more middle can you get?

You've got the advantage of more frequent AB tests than me, but I suspect

mine are behaving similarly. I had super high TPO when I started. This is

just my *theory* as to what is happening. I notice that your TPO went up

slightly from Feb. to March with a decrease in TSI during the same

approximate timeframe. It's my suspicion that the changes in thyroid levels

are a result of the changes in AB's. You've got an increase in TPO with a

decrease in TSI - I wonder if that kind of " reverses the balance " of the

AB's in favor of the TPO, and you get thyroid cell destruction and a shift

towards hypo end, although not necessarily actual hypo because the

difference in AB amounts isn't great enough. I envision it like a see-saw

kind of, with TSI at one end and TPO at the other and currently there is

just a slight favor to TPO. I know this is purely unscientific, but it's

about the only remotely rational observation I can come up with based on

results I have. And along with the " reversal " , the TSH comes back up. This

is just about exactly what happened to me. The TSI went down, the Free T4

went down, the TSH came up. I'd love to know what my AB's are now.

Now I'll be really weirded out if you develop the yo-yo TSH that I've been

having the last year. Up and down. Never out of normal range, just up and

down. And the Free T4 stays the same. It's very odd. I imagine it's

something to do with the AB's and TSH receptors. But who knows? I'm

currently at the highest TSH I've ever had and due to get the next one in

May. If it stays true to the pattern, it'll be down again.

Wish I had some concrete answers for you on exactly what is happening! I

think it's an excellent trend, however. Things are going in the right

direction - I'd say keep on keepin' on!

Watch out now that the TSH is coming back up. When mine starting coming

back, oh man did I feel it! It was awful for a while - felt just like full

blown hypo! I'd be sure I was hypo, only to go and find out everything was

normal. Just got to ride out the changes, unfortunately.

Hugs and congrats again!

lab results back - remission?

> I finally got my long awaited numbers back. These were drawn on the 11th,

> which was 9 days after stopping all of my tincture, and the day I started

> coming down with the flu... and after about 4 sleepless nights because my

> kid kept me up with his flu... don't know if that would do anything to the

> numbers.

>

> Anyway, it's the first time my TSH has moved at all in over a year, and my

> TSI's are down by more than half from December! I really don't know what

is

> going on with FT4 being almost hypo yet FT3 is mid-range - I don't think I

> ve ever had both Free's done at the same time before.

>

> I know I've done this differently from most, and in the end have not done

> things at all like anyone else - but what would be my status here do you

> think? Not remission because I still have antibodies? But off meds and

> feeling better than I have in years... though I'm still working on food

> allergies... yet is it still to early to say?

>

> 3/11/03

> TSH - .42

> FT4 - .83 (.8-1.7)

> FT3 - 2.2 (1.4-3.8)

> TPO - .6 (0-2)

> TSI - 210% (<130%)

> Antithyroglobulin: 2.8 (0-1)

>

> 2/4/03:

> FT3 - 1.79 (1.4-3.8)

> T4 - 5.8 (4.5-12)

> TPO - .05 (0-2)

> Anti-Thyroglobulin - 5.8 (0-1)

>

> 1/8/03:

> TSH - .01 Low

> FT4- 1.19 (.8-1.7) Normal

> T4 - 7.1 (4.5-12) Normal

> T3 - 116 (40-150) Normal

> TPO - .7 (0-2) - Normal

> AntiThyroglobulin - 2.7 (0-1) High

>

> 12/19/03:

> TSI: 497%

>

>

> Pam B.

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

>

>

> -------------------------------------

> The Graves' list is intended for informational purposes only and is not

intended to replace expert medical care.

> Please consult your doctor before changing or trying new treatments.

> ----------------------------------------

> DISCLAIMER

>

> Advertisments placed on this yahoo groups list do not have the endorsement

of

> the listowner. I have no input as to what ads are attached to emails.

> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks ! I know it - every time something changes for you I need to

make a mental note that that's what's next for me ;-) When you finally get

to the point where things are good and normal *THEN* I will celebrate

because I will know my day is coming soon!

I'm wondering if she told me wrong about the TPO or if it really did go up a

little - .6 or .06? either way that seems pretty tiny - think that few

antibodies can do much damage? I'll find out Wednesday when I go to Bastyr

which it was...

I am so hoping I don't get your " weird yo-yoing " of TSH - I do feel like

maybe I'm dipping into hypo every now and again - I get freezing cold and my

arms fall asleep etc... but I *think* that is typical of when you first get

into normal ranges and things are trying to stabilize. Plus I think I

over-do it when I feel really good and then pay for it the next day by being

a little tired/slow.

Pam

[Guest guest]

Thanks ! I know it - every time something changes for you I need to

make a mental note that that's what's next for me ;-) When you finally get

to the point where things are good and normal *THEN* I will celebrate

because I will know my day is coming soon!

I'm wondering if she told me wrong about the TPO or if it really did go up a

little - .6 or .06? either way that seems pretty tiny - think that few

antibodies can do much damage? I'll find out Wednesday when I go to Bastyr

which it was...

I am so hoping I don't get your " weird yo-yoing " of TSH - I do feel like

maybe I'm dipping into hypo every now and again - I get freezing cold and my

arms fall asleep etc... but I *think* that is typical of when you first get

into normal ranges and things are trying to stabilize. Plus I think I

over-do it when I feel really good and then pay for it the next day by being

a little tired/slow.

Pam

[Guest guest]

Hi Pam,

I think you're almost there, and a job well done. You're not yet in remission

and won't be until your TSI levels fall to around <2% activity. That will

show that your immune system is no longer producing them. About 20% of people

who achieve remission with ATDs or no treatment spontaneously move into

hypothyroidism. This happens when they begin producing more blocking than

stimulating TSH receptor antibodies. So you do want to keep an eye on your

levels, checking them every few months. When hypo does develop it's usually

mild. It's just something to be aware of. Take care, Elaine