I was diagnosed with Hashimoto last year and still have symptoms. I recently switched from Synthroid to Armour. I wanted to see if Armour would work better for me. I am still having symptoms. I'm wondering if its a dosage problem?
I had to switch doctors because my endo does not like Armour. The first few weeks I felt great on Armour but then it seemed to level off. I have been on Armour for about three months and still have some symptoms and my hair has started shedding again. This had stopped on Synthroid. I'm wondering if this is all a dosage problem?? Also I found out the my new doctor does not usually do Free T3 and Free T4 tests. I had to ask for them. But then again my Endo would not do Free T3 tests as standard unless you asked for them. See I've been studying what tests to have done.
9/19/03
TSH 4.23 (Range .400 - 4.000)
Free T4 1.1 (Range .7 - 1.7)
T3 Total 140 (Range 70 - 170)
Tyrod Per. AB 1000 (Range 0 - 35)
Endo did not do Free T3 Test
2/18/04 (on Synthroid 75 mg and Cytomel 10 mg)
TSH 1.350 (Range .400 - 4.000)
Free T4 1.0 (Range 0.7 - 1.7)
Thyrod Per. AB 1000 (Range 0 - 35)
T3 Total 132 (Range 70 - 170)
Free T3 317 (Range 230 - 420)
I had to ask Endo to do Free T3 test
8/11/04 (on Armour 90)
TSH 2.264 (Range .350 - 5.500)
T4 6.0 (Range 4.5 - 12)
T3 205 (Range 85 - 205)
Triiodothyronine Free Serum (I think this is Free T3 not sure?)
2.9 (Range 2.3 - 4.2)
Free T4 .94 (Range .61 -1.76)
It seems that my TSH level has gone up and that my Free T3 and Free T4 levels are not above middle range.
On a follow up visit doctor said I could increase dosage to 120 mg for two days during the week.
Its hard to find a doctor to prescribe Armour. At least when I asked for the Free T tests they did do them.
I'll try this two days a week increase and then if I feel better on this after a few weeks ask for dosage to be increased to all week.
Do these lab results look like dosage increase should be for just two days?
In my opinion the dose increase should be more than 2 days, your Frees are pretty low. It will help your levels some, but your Free levels really need to be in the upper 1/3 of the lab range or the symptoms and hairloss will continue.
I agree with dea about your levels and dosage. Your FTs weren't really high enough on the Synthroid and Cytomel, either, indicating a dose increase would probably help.
Just want to add that your hair may be shedding again from a temporary fluctuation of your FT levels while you made the switch in meds, and not from the Armour itself. If this is the case, the hair should stop shedding within about 6 weeks to 3 months. Of course, it's possible what you really need is that dose increase, and the shedding won't stop until you get it. The fact the new doc doesn't monitor by using the FT tests is worrisome. Most people cannot reach their optimal dose if the doc goes by TSH alone. Most often, if TSH doesn't fall to 1 or well below, symptoms continue; but most docs don't like to see TSH that low, and so they habitually underdose.
Just thinking out loud here... a thought that may or may not be of use to you. But I find it interesting that on your last round of tests, the total T3 was at the top of its range, but the free T3 was woefully low. Just goes to show how worthless the 'total' test is.
I do think my numbers are low. I called the DR's office and asked why dosage increase for only 2 days a week and was told that to increase the dosage for the entire week would be to much according to my labs. I told them I like to go by the Free T3 and Free T4 numbers and they didn't seem that high. I said I will try the 2 day increase and see what happens. This just confirms that they are not going by the Free T numbers.
I think eventually I'm going to have to find another DR. that goes by Free T numbers if I don't improve. Can anyone recommend someone in the NJ area?
