melbro

Hi, thanks for having this message board and thanks for reading and helping!

A few months ago I had stomach issues (irregular bowels, nausea, exhaustion from "gut kicked" sensation). I'd had this twice before, once when I was newly in business 8 yrs ago, and then again while my Grnadmother was sick and passing last year. Each "episode" lasts about a month.

After the last one was over, I went to Doc for labs to check into things. My Doc is a Physician Assistant and the only doc I have gone to for about 20 yrs. I am rarely sick and rarely see her ( once every 3 yrs for "that" check up). Our relationship is one where she lets me guide treatments within her scope of medical knowledge and comfort of course.

Initially we did a few labs, once of which revealed an elevated TSH among other issues. After initial research, I requested other labs. ALL accumulated labs are listed below.

PA told me we did not HAVE to treat the hypO right now, but could watch and take labs every 6 months instead. She said the same for the VitD levels, but wanted me to start Niacin for the HDL levels. (I did not)

IF I did chose to start thyroid treatment, she wanted to Rx Synthroid, but of course I was not game for that. I prefer natural to synthetic/bioidentical, so researched and found the desiccated thyroid. I chose Erfa as the fillers were fewer than the American Armour. My PA rx'd the Erfa, I ordered it, but it sat on my shelf for a few weeks while I continued gathering labs and research.

I DO NOT seem to have any *classic* hypO symptoms such as hair loss, weight gain, exhaustion, brain fog, etc.

However, I do deal with lifelong depression ( ealriest memory of depression is 7 yrs old), hypoglycemia (lifelong and finally Dx in my mid 20's) and chronic muscle pain ( life long since grade school), all of which I control/maintain with supplements, proper diet and the depression is kept at bay by using the bc pill- the specific one Lo/Ovral since 1994. As I further research, I find these 3 things ARE hypO related.

Furthermore, when looking back at labs from years prior, my TSH levels have been right around 5.00 (2003 5.00, 2005 4.18, 2011 5.18) but never flagged until recent lab ranges lowered.

So, instead of starting thyroid treatment directly, I continued research but in the meantime, I started a liquid, then gel cap supplement of D3 and re-testing about 6 weeks later had raised my D levels (see below).

That brings us to current- I finally started the Erfa last Monday. I was taking 1/4grain or 15mg in the morning only. I took it Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tuesday I got the new VitD labs that had raised to "normal" and PA suggested cutting my VitD dose in half for maintanence so I did that Tuesday afternoon by ommitting the second dose of the day. I went from 5000IU TWICE a day, to 5000IU ONCE a day.

By Wednesday afternoon I'd developed a terrible feeling in my chest...like being relentlessly tickled ( like when you laugh as reaction, but want to cry b/c it is so uncomfortable) from the INSIDE out...across my chest and upper stomach a relentless merciless tickle...I kept taking deep breaths to try to lessen the feeling, but it didn't help. My mood was short and my head kept trying to go to dark places, but after years of dealing with depression I am pretty good at distracting myself- By Weds night I was incredibly uncomfortable from this and no longer able to distract.

Thursday morning I did NOT take the Erfa dose and I DID return to the 5000IU VitD TWICE a day to try to stop the feeling- not knowing if it was from taking the Erfa or lowering the VitD dose suddenly.

The feeling did not subside AT ALL until Friday evening when I had taken ONE benedryl for an allergy issue...within a few hours of taking the bendryl for allergies, I felt the feeling in my chest become less- not gone, but tolerable. So I took a second benedryl Fri night and by Saturday morning the feeling was very tolerable and barely there. Gone by Saturday afternoon.

When I started my research on hypO, I could see there was conflict about whether hypO is a cause or a symptom.

There were several other issues revealed in my labs- low HDL, low VitD, high Iron ( in part...ferritin was okay- confusing), low testoterone, a high evening cortisol, a lot of inflammation and a magnesium level that *might*benefit from supplementing. ( I did not test estrogen and progestrin due to bc pill use)

Initially my thought was, instead of taking a billion supplements to adress all the "other issues", I was thinking to rectify the thyroid itself with Erfa so that a healthier thyroid function may help the rest of the issues "line up" just with thyroid treament alone.

Now that I have had that reaction, I am thinking of going the other way around for now and taking selenium, tyrosine, magnesium and more Omega 3 to maybe address the inflammation that may help the thyroid line up. I'm not willing to take a bunch of Niacin for the HDL at this point (my PA said to take as much as it takes to make me feel sick, then I know I am taking enough to raise my HDL...um, don't think so) and I am not sure about the testosterone creme right now, so that's out for now.


One thing I DO know is that I really need to be able to focus and run my seasonal business which is just about to bust wide open with BUSY...I can NOT be experiencing that terrible overwheleming inside tickle thing in my chest (some folks said that was a 3 day Panic Attack?)....IF I do go back to a thyroid treatment, it will have to wait until November, when my business slows and I can afford to have the distraction of settling into meds.

For now, I am looking for any suggestions, feedback or experiences here on any level....whether it is to suggest thyroid treatment or supplements only or a combination. I am open to all and interested in all feedback, thank you.

A few arbitrary bits of info- I am a vegetarian ( lacto-ovo) Little to NO SOY- I eat Quorn mytoprotein now, I am 40 this week, female, I have no other health issues than what are mentioned here, am drug free, drink free, do not smoke, am physically active in my business (landscape contractor) and I take the following supplements: whey protein powder ( amino acids), gluc/chond/msm liquid, VitD3 gel caps, Antioxidant liquid, Omega 3-6-9 gel caps and chewable multivitamin wafer (changed from 18mg to 5 mg iron to lower iron level).

Please find my labs below and comment freely as you feel necessary. I'll ask questions if I get confused by responses.

THANKS ever so much for your time and energy

Melbro

These lab results flagged:

HDL 38 (39+) (Flagged LOW)

TSH 5.18 ( 0.45 – 4.500) (Flagged HIGH)

Vitamin D, 25 Hydroxy 28.5 (32.0 – 100.0) (Flagged LOW)
Current re-test is 74.5! (taking 5000IU D3 TWICE a day)

CRP 6.3 (0.0 – 4.9) (flagged HIGH)

Iron Serum 158 (35 – 155) (flagged HIGH)

Cortisol PM 1.6 (0.4 – 1.0) (flagged HIGH)


All lab test results:

Iron TIBC 345 (250 – 450)

UIBC 187 (150 – 375)

Iron Serum 158 (35 – 155) (flagged HIGH)

Iron Saturation 46 (12 – 55)

Ferritin 69 (13 –150)

Magnesium RBC 4.8 (4.2 – 6.8)

NO Potassium RBC available

Vitamin D, 25 Hydroxy 28.5 (32.0 – 100.0) (Flagged LOW)
Current re-test is 74.5! (taking 5000IU D3 TWICE a day)

Vitamin B-12 757 (211 – 946)

Folate >19.9 (>3) (2.2 – 3.0 Indeterminate, <2.2 Deficient)

TSH 5.18 ( 0.45 – 4.500) (Flagged HIGH)

Free T4 0.98 (0.82 – 1.77)

T4 8.3 (4.5 – 12.0)

Reverse T3 205 (90 – 350)

Free T3 2.9 (2.0 – 4.4)

Antithyroglobulin (TgAb) <20 (0 – 40)

Thyroid Peroxide (TPO) 20 (0 – 34)

Rheumatoid Arthritis Factor 6.9 (0.0 – 13.9)

CRP 6.3 (0.0 – 4.9) (flagged HIGH)

SED rate 0 (0-20)

DHEA 135.7 (60.9 – 337.0)

Testosterone <0.2 (0.0 – 2.2)

Celiac:
Deamidated Glidan Abs, IgA 3 units (0 –19) (negative)
Deamidated Glidan Abs, IgG 4 units (0 – 19) (negative)
t-Transglutaminase tTG, IgA <2 (0 – 3 negative, 4 – 10 weak positive)
t-Transglutaminase tTG, IgG <2 (0 – 5 negative)
Endomysial Antibody IgA Negative ( Negative)
Immunoglobulin A, Qn, Serum 162 (70 – 400)

Electrolyte Panel:
Sodium serum 140 (135 – 145)
Potassium serum 4.1 (3.5 – 5.2)
Chloride serum 106 (97 – 108)
Carbon dioxide 22 (20 – 32)
Calcium serum 9.0 (8.7 – 10.2)
Magnesium serum 2.3 (1.6 – 2.6)

Cortisol panel:

AM 7.4 (3.7 – 9.5)
Noon 1.6 (1.2 – 3.0)
Eve. 1.4 (0.6 – 1.9)
PM 1.6 (0.4 – 1.0) (flagged HIGH)