Is it important to test T3 &T4??

[dea4]

[QUOTE=phillipa;2809026]

Originally Posted by dea4

Anxiety, fatique etc are all signs that the free levels are not optimal for HER. very few have conversion problems and the FT3 doesn't need checking because we convert the T4 to T3 and if we have enough T4 then surely we have enough T3.

So it is rare to have conversaion problems? What is the mechanism for this.?

Not really rare, but a lot of drs think it is not as common as it is.

Originally Posted by phillipa

[
Had FANA screening test,Transfernins, TIBC, Actin SM AB, A1 Antryspin and Antimitochondri levels checked by Gastro guy and they are in range. Is there an enzyme that converts T4 to T3 that may be lacking and can it be tested/measured?

Not that I know of, but that would perhaps be a good question to post to Midwest1. I know she has done a ton of research.

My guess is there may be a problem with her FT3. Before I had mine checked I wasn't doing well at all. Felt horrible most of the time and had many symptoms most of the time. Once my FT3 levels was found to be low, (even though my FT4 was optimal), and additional T3 was added, I did much better.

[phillipa]

dea4, how do you add T3? Is there another name for it? How long did it take to notice a difference once you started adding it?

[dea4]

Originally Posted by phillipa

dea4, how do you add T3? Is there another name for it? How long did it take to notice a difference once you started adding it?

T3 can be added in several forms. There is the synthetic Cytomel which is T3only. Or there is Thyrolar which is also synthetic and is T4 and T3. Then there are the natural thyroid, one is Armour and the other Nature Throid. These two are both dessicated pig thyroid hormone. Sounds awful but its not as bad as it sounds and often tends to do the best job because it not only has T3 and T4 but traces of the other T's your body produces as well. This is probably why some do much better on it, they happen to be the ones that are in need of the other T's. Some people do fine on just Synthetic T4 and can't tolerate Armour or Nature Throid at all. Its a very individual thing.
They use pig because its the closest to our human thyroid.

For me, I need the added T3 and it made a world of difference in how I felt. On a scale of 1-10 I went from feeling like a 2 or 3 to about an 8 once put on T3. It is fast acting and a difference is generally noticed quite soon because its the active form and is short lived. T3 as your probably know is the one that gives a person the energy. Generally if on T4 med ans one still feels draggy and tired the T3 level is most likely low. Since its short lived in the body (about 6 to 8 hours) some people find they do best taking T3 and splitting the dose taking part in the morning and part in the afternoon. For me I just take it once a day and I do fine. My T4 does convert enough that I don't get the drop in the afternoon.

I took all of the above at some point over the years trying to find the combo that worked best for me.

Thyrolar worked o.k. but I got too much T3 and the drawback was it needs to be refrigerated.

Cytomel at the lowest dose wasn't enough at the next higher was too much for me. I took this wiith my T4 Unithroid.

Nature Throid seemed to work well for me at 1/2 grain along with the T4 Unithroid. Armour which is basically the same as Nature Throid only different fillers tended to not work as well on me. Some people find Armour works better than Nature Throid, they say its more potent. In my case though the Nature Throid seems to work best for me. I take the 1/2 grain along with Unithroid. Straight Nature Throid in a high enough dose for the T4 is too much T3 for me so I take just a little added to my T4. Many people find this works well becuse the natural thyroid T3 to T4 ratio is a little high for humans. Some can tolerate it well, others cannot. I'm one who can't. I need the added T4 with just a little T3.

Hope this helps you.

[Kezzalou]

Originally Posted by dea4

Antibodies you need TPO and Tg I believe for a Hashi's diagnosis

My hair is still thinner than it was. I have Hashi's so my levels still do fluctuate sometimes and when my frees are a bit messed up I loose more hair than usual. My hair is by no means super thin, it was just thicker than it is now. Plus as we get older our hair tends to thin a bit so I imagine that has something to do with it as well. I'll be 43 on Wednesday. I can turn that around and say I'm 34, ha ha

Hi

I spoke to my doctor this morning, she is still not going to let me get the free T3 & T4 test. I will probably end up just paying for this myself it seems...

I have not been tested for antibodies, she said I could have this done! Do you know what kind of results I should be looking for with this?

She said I was being tested for too many things and it would probably not help me! I was a bit annoyed as she knows I am still suffering but she never offers help and advice as to what I should do next!

I saw on this forum that low calcium can cause tingling so have asked for this to be checked also.

I'm a bit worried in case I do need to change medication. I am a vegetarian so would not feel happy using animal products

I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens with my hair... I am 34 but feel like 74 at the moment! Today my mouth has gone numb which is really scarey, I also keep getting swollen/sticky finger joints which is weird !

[dea4]

Originally Posted by Kezzalou

Hi

I spoke to my doctor this morning, she is still not going to let me get the free T3 & T4 test. I will probably end up just paying for this myself it seems...

I always have to pay for mine because I have no insurance.

Originally Posted by Kezzalou

I have not been tested for antibodies, she said I could have this done! Do you know what kind of results I should be looking for with this?

You would want to test negative for antibodies. My test showed that they should be below 2, mine were not.
The official names for them is Thyroglobulin (Tg) and Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO)

Originally Posted by Kezzalou

She said I was being tested for too many things and it would probably not help me! I was a bit annoyed as she knows I am still suffering but she never offers help and advice as to what I should do next!

As long as you don't have the answers to your problem then you keep searching for it. Having FT3 and FT4 tested is not testing for too many things. Its testing your actual thyroid hormones not just the indirect measure TSH.

Originally Posted by Kezzalou

I'm a bit worried in case I do need to change medication. I am a vegetarian so would not feel happy using animal products

If your referring to Armour or Nature Throid being from pig I hear ya. I struggled with this as well. Though I'm not a vegetarian I have the clean and unclean meat issue. But the hormone is not the flesh or meat of the pig, its the hormone.

Originally Posted by Kezzalou

I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens with my hair... I am 34 but feel like 74 at the moment! Today my mouth has gone numb which is really scarey, I also keep getting swollen/sticky finger joints which is weird !

Sounds so much like you have Hashi's. I would be surprised if your antibody test comes back negative. But at least then you would have that answered.

I know how you feel, you just plain feel like it ages you. It will get better, keep fighting to get the right treatment and to the cause of the symptoms.

Hang in there.