To cut to the chase, I had RAI done in 2002, went hypo and have been working to get better since. I'm currently taking 200mcg Levoxyl & 5mcg of Cytomel daily. My doctor does not want me on Cytomel & before my most current labs he had me discontinue use. I have ALREADY switched doctors as of yesterday b/c of a Blood Pressue med he prescribed me that was completely wacky. I am a bit upset at the moment, but REALLY want some help figuring out what my most recent labs might mean.
09/10/04 on 5mcg Cytomel
TSH 1.34 (.4-5.5)
Free T4 1.6 (.8-1.8)
Free T3 280 (230-420)
01/24/05 without Cytomel per Docs orders
TSH .3 (.4-5.5)
Free T4 1.2 (.8-1.8)
Free T3 218 (230-420)
His instructions were to stay off the Cytomel because my TSH is too low. What a moron! Obviously my Free T3 is too low too!!! The labs I had done on 09/10/04 were the best labs I've ever seen for me in my life, but I can't figure out what's going on now for the life of me! My Free T4 has dropped, my Free T3 is low out of range & my TSH is crazy low?? Can anyone give me any hypothesis?
To cut to the chase, I had RAI done in 2002, went hypo and have been working to get better since. I'm currently taking 200mcg Levoxyl & 5mcg of Cytomel daily. My doctor does not want me on Cytomel & before my most current labs he had me discontinue use. I have ALREADY switched doctors as of yesterday b/c of a Blood Pressue med he prescribed me that was completely wacky. I am a bit upset at the moment, but REALLY want some help figuring out what my most recent labs might mean.
09/10/04 on 5mcg Cytomel
TSH 1.34 (.4-5.5)
Free T4 1.6 (.8-1.8)
Free T3 280 (230-420)
01/24/05 without Cytomel per Docs orders
TSH .3 (.4-5.5)
Free T4 1.2 (.8-1.8)
Free T3 218 (230-420)
His instructions were to stay off the Cytomel because my TSH is too low. What a moron! Obviously my Free T3 is too low too!!! The labs I had done on 09/10/04 were the best labs I've ever seen for me in my life, but I can't figure out what's going on now for the life of me! My Free T4 has dropped, my Free T3 is low out of range & my TSH is crazy low?? Can anyone give me any hypothesis?
Thanks in advance.
Your right, your dr is a moron.
Your FREE T4 should be about 1.5, your FREE T3 should be about 363
Usually your TSH stays supressed for quite a while after RAI in my understanding. Also even those of us who have not had RAI and are just hypo or have Hashi's need the TSH supressed in order for the free levels to be optimal.
IMO you need more meds and you DO need the cytomel, even on the cytomel your FT3 was too low.
Thank you so much for your response! I was quiet upset yesterday and I think my post was a little emotional. My PCP was treating my thyroid & like I mentioned, I've switched PCP's. I believe I will ask for a specialist right out of the gate this time. I'm kind of wondering if Armour would make any kind of difference in my numbers OR if I were to back off my Levoxyl a little bit and take more Cytomel? I think maybe all that T4 is what is supressing my TSH so well and if my T4 didn't have to work so hard to convert itself into T3 (because I would be taking a higher dose) it's number wouldn't drop, my TSH would be in a "doctor happy" zone & my T3 would start looking up.
I don't know though - I'm kind of at my wits end here and I'm looking forward to finding a doc who can answer my questions.
It's normal for the TSH to be supressed when you're taking T3 in any form, be it synthetic or natural. Mine is 0.03, my FT3 is just above the range and my FT4 is in the middle and I FEEL GREAT
Unn is right, the TSH needs to be supressed for the Free levels to be where they need to be for you to feel well.
Don't go by the TSH, it can be very very deceiving once you are on treatment, the FREE levels are your actual thyroid hormones, you need to base treatment on those. The TSH is only a pituitary response, its not a thyroid hormone, your body NEEDS the free levels at a certain area of the range (upper 1/3) in order for your body to function properly.
On my last labs on 11-03-04 my TSH was .004, Free T4 .81 and T3 was 170. The doctor wasn't concerned about the TSH but how I was feeling. Even though my Free T4 is low, I was feeling fine. Your doctor needs to listen to how your feel.
Thank you all for your responses. At the present I don't feel great... I did for a while, but last week I started getting "brain foggy" again and a little anxious. I told one of my friends that I just "felt" that my thyroid levels were off. I never imagined my TSH would be so low though. I do meet with a new doc today - not an endo, but a PCP & I'll see how she approaches things. I think I would like to see a specialist at this point. I've also got to get my Blood Pressure under control and it all stresses me out a little bit.
For the life of me, I can't understand why doctors are so concerned with TSH numbers over the thyroid hormones. Is there some kind of side-effect to having such a low TSH? I mean, healthwise?
For the life of me, I can't understand why doctors are so concerned with TSH numbers over the thyroid hormones. Is there some kind of side-effect to having such a low TSH? I mean, healthwise?
Thanks again everyone!
Most drs were taught to "worship" the TSH, they were taught that it is the test to watch for thyroid function and for thyroid problems in general, they were not taught about the FREE levels and where they need to be in the range in order to feel well. They haven't really updated their knowledge, they don't have time, they are too busy undertreating their patients and they are so busy because the patients still are not feeling well because the dr is watching the TSH, so they keep going back to the dr complaining of not feeling well.
Its a roller coaster ride, that's why we have to learn as much as we can so we can assure we get the treatment we NEED.
And keep in mind that most GP's don't have but maybe an hour training in thyroid disorders, some have even admitted to not knowing how to interpret the test results.
Learn learn learn and then go in kicking and screaming to get the treatment you know you need.
