Fibro.....thyroid......and T3 - Fibromyalgia Message Board

Glojer · 02-13-2007, 03:55 PM

Just been reading and catching up on some posts and have found elmhars info on thyroid to be great as usual and right on. I was going to post this thread to update everyone on my docs appt. yesterday. I went to my PCP who treats my fibro because I have been in a flare lately that wont quit and fatigue has been a MAJOR problem. When I read all the info about thyroid and T3 I had to let you all know how my appt. went to give you hope.

First let me say I have a great PCP (Dr. Kate) and I went prepared with copies of two years of thyroid bloodwork. I had been seeing an endocrinologist for my thyroid problem because my previous PCP was a believer of the very old school that if you were in range, you didn't need help. Well I was barely in range and I did need help and the endo did help me on that....BUT.....she did not treat my fibro and was not inclined to experiment outside of what she felt was good blood tests.

I did not need to take my bloodwork, Dr. Kate had it all in my chart and I showed her how even though my TSH has been leveling at a good level for me, my T3 was dropping and my fatigue was getting worse. She reminded me that endocrinology is not her field (she is a family medicine doctor) but I was able to show her in past tests how my T3 was higher and to remind her at that time how much better I was and that I was able to maintain an exercise routine etc. (she is a big advocate of exercise for fibro). She pulled out her book and checked the thyroid ranges and said you are within range and I said but I am on the low end of the range. She replied but you are within the range and I said but ...maybe not the right part of the range for ME!!!!! She didn't hesitate a second and said I can agree with that. That's the way it is suppose to work, in partners with your doc. Not the doc thinking they are gods and acting like they know everything.

So I am on a trial of cytomel to have a bloodcheck in 5 to 6 weeks, she says if I start to feel wierd (I love her medical terminology) let her know immediately. I think if my fatigue goes away that would feel wierd!!

I have always thought that T3 was an issue I would need to address some day and I did try to discuss it with the endo but the endo was not interested and said come back in a year things are leveling just fine. She was a nice doc and pulled me out of terrible thyroid slump when my previous PCP would not help but I will not be seeing her next year. As I told doc kate, I need the fatigue under control and the pain I can deal with in other ways. My rhuemy has possible hit upon something for my joint pain and that was another major issue. It is all about perserverence, don't give up. Keep records and be consistant and always stay on the topic or issue you are wanting help with from the doc. I have a problem with that, sometimes my rhuemy asks so many questions I drift away from the issue or I try to bring up too many things in one visit. I am working on that, even with doc kate I had everything written down and I kept running things through my mind for days to be sure I stayed on the issue I needed resolved and when that was taken care of then I moved on to a few lesser things.

Don't give up be your own best advocate!

Glojer

elmhar · 02-13-2007, 06:23 PM

Thanks for the update, Glojer. I hope the Cytomel helps you, and that whatever your rheumy has found for your joints is effective as well.

Best wishes.

Jeel · 02-14-2007, 11:54 AM

Interesting. I too have fibro and have been suffering from hypo symptoms, but all of my tests came back within the "normal" range. I also have a lot of hair loss, which someone said could happen with a low T3. My T3 is 30.5 and the "normal" is 30-39. My TSH is 0.85 though. How is the medication working? Were your ranges anywhere close to mine??

pa235 · 02-14-2007, 05:48 PM

My Dr. is always doing a complete thyrod test on me and also lupus, She has the idea that fm affects the thyroid or visa versa. so far so good with my tests.

Hope you do well oon the med.

I posted to you on Blues thread, fm take a back seat.

Hugs, Linda

Glojer · 02-17-2007, 09:17 AM

Thanks elmhar and Pa I am doing good so far, but with cytomel time will be the test. The new joint pain med is doing good right now, I think it is leveling out though. The test for that will be if it stays effective. Most of the joint med works great for me in the beginning and after it levels for a while it starts to become ineffective. I'm hoping the combination of both the T3 and joint med will be the magic one.

Jeel, sorry to take so long to reply to your question. Yes your T3 sounds like mine. My lab ranges are 230-420 and my T3 bottomed at 247. My tsh went down to 0.87 but it also has jumped to 1.35 and 0.99 and as it moves up and down my T3 goes steadily down. There was a little fluctuation in my T3 but not much. I'm not saying this is the answer but for me with the fatigue from the fibro I really felt the T3 was something that needed to be addressed, since my tsh was in a good range for me.

Hair loss is a definite sign of thyroid problems, I have never really had a problem with that until this past summer and then again a few weeks ago. When my thyroid is not working properly I lose the ends of my eyebrows. I know that sounds weird but that is a symptom of hypothyroid and that was the symptom a friend told me about that was the clencher for me a few years ago that finally got me to an endocrinologist. Good luck let us know what you decide and how you are doing.

Glojer