First set of labs after starting NTH and HC - bit scarey!
OK I've been taking HC (32mg) for about 5 months now and solely NTH (not Armour but the same!) for 3 months (90mg) - I've just got a copy of my results and they're a little bit
alarming to me! Here goes:-
Before starting HC & NTH these were my results (August 08):
After New Meds (Jan 09):
TSH: *6.3 (0.40 - 3.50)
FT4: *6.7 (9.0 - 19.0)
FT3 : 2.8 (2.6 - 6.0) I was surprised to see this had dropped so much
RT3: 183 (140 - 540) I'm happy to see this reduced
Dheas: *0.8 (2.0 - 11.0) big drop! Could this be because I'm taking too
much HC??
Free Testosterone: *<0.1 (0.1 -13.5) what the??
SHBG: *23 (30 - 110)
Ferritin: 79 (15 - 200) - happy with this - I've been taking 100mg
elemental iron per day which has obviously done the trick
Cholesterol: 5.4 (3.9 - 5.5)
Triglycerides: *1.9 (0.5 - 1.7)
HDL Cholesterol: *0.0 (0.9 - 2.1)
LDL Cholesterol: *4.5 (1.7 - 3.5)
I obviously need an increase in NTH which I'll start today. There are a few
things that concern me - the one being my dheas. why has that dropped so
much? Could it be that I'm taking too much HC?
Your advise as always is very much appreciated! !
Thanks
Rachelle
__________________
Rach xxxx
Total Thyroidectomy Oct 06 due to Massive Multi Nodular Goiter and Hashi
Adrenal Fatigue
180mg NTH
28mg HC
2 x Caltrate
Re: First set of labs after starting NTH and HC - bit scarey!
wow, that is pretty amazing. Perfect example of how labs can look normal and we still feel horrible. I am starting HC tomorrow and am hoping for the same results.
Not sure about the DHEA. How do you feel compare to before??
Re: First set of labs after starting NTH and HC - bit scarey!
Quote:
Originally Posted by keav
wow, that is pretty amazing. Perfect example of how labs can look normal and we still feel horrible. I am starting HC tomorrow and am hoping for the same results.
Not sure about the DHEA. How do you feel compare to before??
You're hoping for the same results? You do realise that the labs at the top are the 'before' and the labs below 'after' dont you? Most of my labs are now out of range. I've got a bit of work to do to get them back on track.
That said.... I didnt think they would look like this because I actually feel better now than I did when I was on T4 only meds and my labs were in range!
__________________
Rach xxxx
Total Thyroidectomy Oct 06 due to Massive Multi Nodular Goiter and Hashi
Adrenal Fatigue
180mg NTH
28mg HC
2 x Caltrate
Re: First set of labs after starting NTH and HC - bit scarey!
Yes, I realize how horrible your labs are now. what I am saying is that we can be saying "I feel horrible" and doctors say "your labs look fine, there is nothing wrong with you". You clearly need tons more thyroid support. I am just amazed that the adrenal support can get some of the "pooled" thyroid hormone into the cells where they are screaming for more. I am hoping that my starting of cortisone will do the same and then I can balance out the thyroid.
Re: First set of labs after starting NTH and HC - bit scarey!
Quote:
Originally Posted by keav
Yes, I realize how horrible your labs are now. what I am saying is that we can be saying "I feel horrible" and doctors say "your labs look fine, there is nothing wrong with you". You clearly need tons more thyroid support. I am just amazed that the adrenal support can get some of the "pooled" thyroid hormone into the cells where they are screaming for more. I am hoping that my starting of cortisone will do the same and then I can balance out the thyroid.
Whats strange is that when you look at the conversion chart for comparing T4 meds with Natural Thyroid Extract (armour for example) I was on the correct dose! Just goes to show that you just cant go by those charts at all. It stated I should be on 90mg NTH but I'm guessing with my new labs I'm going to need at least an increase in 30mg... possibly 60mg!
What I am pleased to see is that my thyroid labs are sitting in the right place - FT4 is now lower than my FT3 so hopefully with the increase that pattern will remain and I'll be able to get my FT3 up in the top third and my FT4 just below it
__________________
Rach xxxx
Total Thyroidectomy Oct 06 due to Massive Multi Nodular Goiter and Hashi
Adrenal Fatigue
180mg NTH
28mg HC
2 x Caltrate
Re: First set of labs after starting NTH and HC - bit scarey!
Quote:
Originally Posted by tygwyn
I was only on 112 mcg Thyroxine (T4) - nothing else.
HC is known to lower Free Testestorone by lowering DHEA so thats probably the cause of those lowering quite a fair bit.
tygwyn, why did you lower the DHEAS? The hormones interfere with one another IMO. One should be very careful with balancing them.
You know many hypothyroidism patients are deficient in Zinc. And it is said that Zinc can lower the Cortisol. thus, zinc supplement can lower the DHEAS, too?
Re: First set of labs after starting NTH and HC - bit scarey!
Quote:
Originally Posted by cutejenny77
tygwyn, why did you lower the DHEAS? The hormones interfere with one another IMO. One should be very careful with balancing them.
You know many hypothyroidism patients are deficient in Zinc. And it is said that Zinc can lower the Cortisol. thus, zinc supplement can lower the DHEAS, too?
'I' didnt lower the dhea jenny, the HC did I take HC because I have low cortisol. It is known that HC can lower DHEA and as a result lower Free Testosterone. I will now supplement with DHEA. My doctor gave me DHEA after seeing my first labs of 6.8 but I opted to add one new med at a time so that I knew which one was doing which to me. I'm glad I did it that way for sure. She gave me dhea which is 20mg per tab but I'm a bit cautious of taking that amount straight off so I've just ordered some 3mg tabs and I'll start at 6mg a day and work from there
Hows things going for you now?
__________________
Rach xxxx
Total Thyroidectomy Oct 06 due to Massive Multi Nodular Goiter and Hashi
Adrenal Fatigue
180mg NTH
28mg HC
2 x Caltrate
Re: First set of labs after starting NTH and HC - bit scarey!
tygwyn, I remembered you said you were put on the HC wrongly? Is that you?
I didn't have 24 saliva cortisol tests yet. I am now just on 27 mg of iron (I remembered you too had just 27 mg, why add the dose up to 100mg? Or 100 mg of iron is lower but real iron in them? ), 15 mg of zinc (The test showed I am low in zinc and mid normal in Copper),as well as 1/4 of B 50, 1/4 of Vit C 1000.
Also I had high DHEAS in the last lab, I am not sure if I have AF. But I have mild and constant tinittus (It is said zinc can treat it somehow as well as adding Ginkgo Biloba) don't know if it is caused by AF or the bad blood circulation.
I was on 75 mg of Levo (my TSH at 3.7) , but after upping the dose to 87.5 mg, I went hyper. So I cut down back to 75 mg again. Not sure if I would feel good at 81.25 mcg, or just 75 mcg is sufficient enough. I have red veins (congestion) in my eyes after incremental dose as well as higher P.R. in the evening. So I just cut back down.
Last edited by cutejenny77; 02-07-2009 at 07:03 PM.
Re: First set of labs after starting NTH and HC - bit scarey!
Quote:
Originally Posted by cutejenny77
tygwyn, I remembered you said you were put on the HC wrongly? Is that you?
I didn't have 24 saliva cortisol tests yet. I am now just on 27 mg of iron (I remembered you too had just 27 mg, why add the dose up to 100mg? Or 100 mg of iron is lower but real iron in them? ), 15 mg of zinc (The test showed I am low in zinc and mid normal in Copper),as well as 1/4 of B 50, 1/4 of Vit C 1000.
Also I had high DHEAS in the last lab, I am not sure if I have AF. But I have mild and constant tinittus (It is said zinc can treat it somehow as well as adding Ginkgo Biloba) don't know if it is caused by AF or the bad blood circulation.
I was on 75 mg of Levo (my TSH at 3.7) , but after upping the dose to 87.5 mg, I went hyper. So I cut down back to 75 mg again. Not sure if I would feel good at 81.25 mcg, or just 75 mcg is sufficient enough. I have red veins (congestion) in my eyes after incremental dose as well as higher P.R. in the evening. So I just cut back down.
No you've got the wrong person Jenny - thats obviously where the confusion is
I was put on HC after having a 24 hour urine test and finding my results in the bottom third. I put my self on elemental iron as my doc believed a ferritin reading of 36 was fine - I disagreed and wanted to get mine up to 70-90, which I've done
__________________
Rach xxxx
Total Thyroidectomy Oct 06 due to Massive Multi Nodular Goiter and Hashi
Adrenal Fatigue
180mg NTH
28mg HC
2 x Caltrate
