I was just like you. Although my FT3 was lower, my TSH, FT4 was just like yours. Everytime I increased to 62.5, I felt symptoms of hypo. So, I backed down to my normal 50 mcg thinking 50 mcg is what I should be on. Every endo and every body experienced in thyroid issues knows that 50 mcg is really a starter dose. Guess what, I was still tired and getting fat but I didn't think an increase would benefit me. A TSH in the 2.xx is not where you should be. TSH should be at 1.xx to feel good unless you had thyroid cancer, which you need to be at .xx.
I was on 50 mcg for over 3 years and then there was a time when I wasn't on any meds and I found that the labs with 50 mcg Synthroid is no different then when I wasn't on meds. Light bulb over head! I can't live on a starter dose. My TSH is at 2.xx and I don't feel good. My endo didn't want me to go hyper so she got me 125 mcg pills and told me to take half of a pill each day. First week on 62.5 mcg, I was foggy, tired, and gaining weight. As each week progressed, all that retention went away and I was feeling so much more alive. It's been so long in hypo-land that I forgot what it was like to live a normal life. Your FT3 is great and I wished I could convert like you. Don't pay attention to RT3 and you need to look at it more positively instead of dwelling on the RT3. Your FT4 needs to move a bit higher and your tSH needs to decrease, so just go for the increase. It will feel up and down on the increase but at the 5th or 6th week mark, you will notice a difference AND you will know whether you need an increase or stay at that does. I can guarantee you that you need to go to 62.5 mcg at least.
Just giving you my two cents as I've been in your shoes and suffered thinking higher dosage won't make me better. I thought the hell with the numbers since they show no signs of hyper and decided to start improving my well-being and my sanity.
Good luck!
The Following User Says Thank You to librarygirl2 For This Useful Post: bee01 (04-28-2012)
My TSH is around where yours is, it fluctuates between 2.3-2.9, my FT4 is the same as yours and my FT3 is 2. I don't have weight issues but I do have terrible fatigue, low grade depression, low energy, unexplained infertility and joint pain.
Hi Bee01,
I am also working with fertility docs. My TSH was 2.79, FT3 around 2.5, and FT4 around 1.57. I was wondering if your TSH needs to be between 1 and 2. Not sure what your dosage is but have you tried an increase to see if it will sort things out with fatigue and fertility? I read so much about how women got on thyroid treatment and it helped them to get pregnant. Regarding liver, have you heard about freshly squeezed lemon juice in hot water in the mornings to cleanse the liver? I heard about this from Dr. Sami David's "Making Babies" book.
The Following User Says Thank You to librarygirl2 For This Useful Post: bee01 (04-28-2012)
Hi Bee01,
I am also working with fertility docs. My TSH was 2.79, FT3 around 2.5, and FT4 around 1.57. I was wondering if your TSH needs to be between 1 and 2. Not sure what your dosage is but have you tried an increase to see if it will sort things out with fatigue and fertility? I read so much about how women got on thyroid treatment and it helped them to get pregnant. Regarding liver, have you heard about freshly squeezed lemon juice in hot water in the mornings to cleanse the liver? I heard about this from Dr. Sami David's "Making Babies" book.
Hi Librarygirl,
Dr Sami's book is one of my favourite fertility books (I have purchase many ;-). It's one of the reasons I chose to pursue the thyroid issue. Every question/ issue that arose always pointed to hypothyroidism. I was on a pathetic dose of 25 mcg synthroid for 6 weeks. Clearly, my RE knows NOTHING about the thyroid because she wasn't going to increase my dose until I got pregnant. It is clear from my lab work that I am not converting T4-T3.
So, I made an appointment with a holistic doc (for $450!!) in order to desiccated thyroid. I'm only on 30 mcg right now but I really hope she is going to bump me up to at least 60. We'll see what the lab work says. Seems I am always waiting these days, as the months tick away.
Everyone has provided interesting information. so, Librarygrl, you think I am going to be able to get off the couch if I am on 62.5 or 75 mg Synthroid? I just don't see it.
ALso, it seems no one else here has had RT3 issues. It's my waistline that will grow if you are all wrong, not yours.
I'm thinking if a little Synthroid (50) makes me put on 15-20 lbs, the weight will continue to creep up if I add to the dosage. I am thinking the reverse T3 will also creep up and from what I read in a quick internet search - high rt3 means weight gain. I have experienced this first-hand.
Spencer, your RT3 hasn't gone up that much. It should not account for that much weight gain. Your FT3 is pretty good. Perhaps there are some alternate reasons for your weight gain. I really do believe that attitude makes a difference- have your eating and exercise habits changed? Have you had your insulin and glucose levels checked?
Oh, and I think if your back is hurting near the adrenals, it is more likely to be your kidneys you are feeling.
Have you had your kidney function checked out to see if there is a reason you might be gaining water weight?
Have you had your cortisol levels checked? Perhaps your fatigue is related to adrenal function rather than thyroid.
And I have to say, it seems that everyone here had given you sound advice, and from their own personal experience. I'm not sure it's fair to question their sincerity by saying they're not the ones who have to deal with the weight if it doesn't work.
You have a few options. You can stop taking the medication and live the rest of your life on the couch, you can up your dosage and see if that makes a difference (I think getting your TSH down is a good idea), you can change the brand of T4 medication, or you can find an alternate cause for your symptoms.
Everyone has provided interesting information. so, Librarygrl, you think I am going to be able to get off the couch if I am on 62.5 or 75 mg Synthroid? I just don't see it.
ALso, it seems no one else here has had RT3 issues. It's my waistline that will grow if you are all wrong, not yours.
Hi Spencer1,
I think the 62.5 or 75 is going to be much better than what you are on now. If you don't have hyper symptoms but you feel tired and gaining weight with a TSH over 2.xx then you need to up your meds. Sometimes hyper can make you tired but your numbers don't indicate that. After going through 6 years of Hashi's, I know exactly what you mean about waistline. I hope you realize that we all suffer and we are just trying to help. That is what a discussion forum is for, to share ideas and wisdom. Thyroid disease is not a disease where you take a pill for a quick fix. It takes time to titrate dosage and then see how you feel. I have low FT3 which usually means an RT3 issue but when I tried Armour or Naturethroid it was a total disaster. Not sure if it's an adrenal or liver issue. I am just focusing on getting to the right dosage, eating way less sugar (I am addicted to sugar), and trying to work out more to get my body to heal. I hope you get better soon because this disease is so awful and I just don't have the patience but I am forced wait and measure. I know how it feels like you have it worse than others but please know that we have gone through the same thing esp. when we think that the next increase is supposed to help us. I am on 75 mcg Synthroid now and I get a ton of fluctuation now with my weight, waistline, mood, and energy levels. This is driving me crazy b/c I wonder if it's working or not but I know that I have to wait another 3-4 weeks to see what is going on with my thyroid levels.
In a nutshell, we empathize and hope you get better.
I don't feel better on the Synthroid, my Reverse T3 has gone up from 20 to 27 in six weeks on Synthroid, I have gained 15-20 lbs since getting on Synthroid, it's harder for me to walk........
and yet, everyone still thinks I need to just up my Synthroid and that is what is going to make me feel wonderful?
I don't feel better on the Synthroid, my Reverse T3 has gone up from 20 to 27 in six weeks on Synthroid, I have gained 15-20 lbs since getting on Synthroid, it's harder for me to walk........
and yet, everyone still thinks I need to just up my Synthroid and that is what is going to make me feel wonderful?
Hi Spencer,
We are all just giving you what we know from book sources, experience, and your numbers. Another option is to try a different brand. Maybe the fillers in Synthroid are not for you. Are you lactose intolerant? There are other T4 brands such as Levoxyl and a fave generic from Mary Shomon's site is Lannett's Unithroid. You can also add some Armour but if it wasn't working for you that may be something to do with adrenal fatigue which you might need to supplement with Cortisol or some other adrenal supplement.
If you need nutritional help for T4->T3 conversion, perhaps selenium or 1-2 brazil nuts per day? What about your Vitamin D levels? If you don't have Hashi's perhaps you can supplement with iodine?
Librarygirl - thank you! I am on my phone right now, but are you at all concerned about your Reverse T3? I thought you mentioned it before. Are you still waiting on blood tests? What are you waiting to see/ or hope to see? Are you changing your meds again? To what?
I can't take Armour or Cytomel probably b/c of my adrenals and I think I may have too much cortisol. I know there is Wilson's treatment for RT3 where they flood you with T3 but that is very questionable and good luck finding a doc to help you with that. I've tried everything with T3 in it and it only makes my adrenals worse so I have to stick with T4 treatment. Currently, I'm at 75 mcg Synthroid from 62.5 and am on my second week. Feeling a lot better but I think 62.5 is better for me. I'm glad I upped it to 62.5 after years of thinking 50 was best for me when really I was fatter, tired, and depressed on that dosage. Everyone noticed I lost weight at a higher dose.
Have you tried to go with Levoxyl or something else? If the weight is also adding up, have you looked into glucose intolerance testing?
I can't take Armour or Cytomel probably b/c of my adrenals and I think I may have too much cortisol. I know there is Wilson's treatment for RT3 where they flood you with T3 but that is very questionable and good luck finding a doc to help you with that. I've tried everything with T3 in it and it only makes my adrenals worse so I have to stick with T4 treatment. Currently, I'm at 75 mcg Synthroid from 62.5 and am on my second week. Feeling a lot better but I think 62.5 is better for me. I'm glad I upped it to 62.5 after years of thinking 50 was best for me when really I was fatter, tired, and depressed on that dosage. Everyone noticed I lost weight at a higher dose.
Have you tried to go with Levoxyl or something else? If the weight is also adding up, have you looked into glucose intolerance testing?
LibraryGirl - we sound very similar. I cannot handle anything with T3 either, it makes me nerves go crazy. I am considering the 62.5. A doctor I saw today wanted me off Synthroid and do to slow release T3 only. So many opinions to chose from! Not sure what to do.
Are you actually feeling better? You lost weight once you got up to 62.5, as compared to the 50?? Well, that is a good sign I would say. What is your current game plan? You must not be feeling 100% if you are still waiting around on labwork, I guess?
I did have glucose testing - everything came back perfectly normal. I have never tried any other T4 med besides Synthroid.
Sammy (and everyone) - do you have any sort of reference or someone on this board or elsewhere who had a similar situation a mine with elevated Reverse T3 and who was actually helped by getting on MORE T4 med? Do you know of any success story, if you could point me in that direction?
I believe you are way too fixated on your RT3 issue. You simply cannot believe everything you read online. I have had MUCH higher RT3 than yours (it actually states HIGH on the lab results) for years, now. If you search my users name you will see a thread under here where Sammy tired helping me on this matter. I’ve ran down this path just as you have. The only advice I can give you is to listen to your doctor and things that Sammy has said. Optimize your T4/T3 levels and forget about RT3. Dr. Wilsons theories were never medically accepted and if you do your research you will see that he no longer practices and was suspended from practicing multiple times.
I too thought that RT3 was causing my increase in weight but it was really my diet. I too am physically tired all day but starting slow on exercise and reduction in calories will make a world of a difference. If you tell yourself that you’re too tired you will be too tired. Just like others have said in here if you go into something already thinking negatively your outcome will be just that. I wish you the best in finding out what is causing your fatigue. Acceptance sometimes is more the issue when dealing with stuff like this. I spent thousands going down the RT3 road. Just don’t want to see another person lose $ as well if they don’t need it.
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The Following User Says Thank You to AlwaysTired247 For This Useful Post: bee01 (05-08-2012)
Also, I just have never felt well on Synthroid. I really feel like it is HARDER for me to walk down the street on the 50 Synthroid, not easier. It is so hard for me to believe that if I took a little of something, and it made me feel worse, that actually taking MORE of it would make me feel better. That just doesn't seem logical to me.
I am still new to hypothyroidism and meds but what I am wondering is, no one has mentioned trying T4/T3 combination or T3 only! Those are 2 other avenues you could research or try. I was in the same boat as you, tried Synthroid and no matter how high I raised it (started at 75 mcg and went up to 125) - no difference, still exhausted, still gaining weight. I dont know if we're allowed to post links on this forum but if you do a search for Dr. John Lowe, he has a website and in the question and answer section it talks about how too low of a dose of synthetic T4 can actually make a person gain weight because a small dose is enough to lower your TSH a little but not enough thyroid hormone to actually help with your symptoms. So your body sees that there is extra thyroid hormone from Synthroid, TSH goes down a little, your body lowers its production of its own thyroid hormone a little, and you gain weight. A way to correct that would be to increase the dose of T4 to compensate for the lowered TSH with still too low T4. However..... from what i've been reading (and i've been doing a lot of it since T4 alone did nothing for me) T4 alone is not a magic bullet that helps everyone. Some people do great on it, but from what i've read quite a few people need to add in a little T3 before they see any improvements. And from what I'm reading there are others who, because of RT3 issues, don't do well on any T4 at all and end up doing a T3 only protocol. Which is what I am now switching over to. There is a book I highly recommend called Recovering with T3 by Paul Robinson and it is written by a man who did not get better on any T4 or T4/T3 combination (could be because of RT3???) but he did very well on T3 only. If you do a search he has a website also.
It might be worthwhile researching the T4/T3 combo first though, before resorting to T3 only, but I wanted to mention it because you had concerns about Reverse T3.
I hope this helps, I completely understand your frustration with the Synthroid not working and the weight gain issues! Hopefully this gives you some more avenues you can look down and research.
