Test Results Through

[Jefner]

GP finally prescribed me some t3. Started taking 5mcg with 100 Levo (dropped from 125mcg) on 30th June and then upped to 10mcg t3 with 100 Levo on the 13th July. My levels are looking good so why am I still feeling absolute shite? Could it be solely from my high cortisol levels or just all in my head?

. What if my results are not actually true because I am taking beta blockers, although I take the odd 20-40mg through the early part of the day and not usually in after late afternoon. Am so lost at the moment

****26th July ******* after being on t3 for nearly a month

CRP 0.2 <5.0

Ferritin 100.4 (20-150)

FT4 19.38 (12-22)

FT3 4.74 (3.1 - 6.8)

TSH 0.51 (0.27 - 4.20)

T4 Total 115.3 (64.5 - 142.0)

Anti Thyroidperoxidase abs 393.5 <34

Anti Thyroidglobulin abs 261.7 <115

B12 873

Serum Folate 15.68 (10.4-42.4

****23rd June **** - this test was free from BH for comparable purposes and test was done mid afternoon and not morning so probably skewed - didn't expect to receive any results from them. Results before starting t3

FT4 27.61 (12-22)

FT3 3.68 (3.1 - 6.8)

TSH 1.77 (0.27 - 4.20)

T4 Total 159.8 (64.5 - 142.0)

Anti Thyroidperoxidase abs 410.2 <34

Anti Thyroidglobulin abs 272.4 <115

******7 June 2016 Results*****

CRP 0.2 <3.0

Ferritin 89.7 (20-150)

FT4 14.77 (12-22)

FT3 2.41 (3.1 - 6.8)

TSH 15.70 (0.27 - 4.20)

T4 Total 91.6 (64.5 - 142.0)

Anti Thyroidperoxidase abs 411.9 <34

Anti Thyroidglobulin abs 260.3 <115

B12 496 Deficient <140

Insufficent 140-250

Serum Folate 13.08 (10.4-42.4)

******21 April 2016 Results*****

CRP 0.2 <3.0

Ferritin 79.4 (20-150)

FT4 20.68 (12-22)

FT3 2.84 (3.1 - 6.8)

TSH 2.55 (0.27 - 4.20)

T4 Total 124.2 (64.5 - 142.0)

Anti Thyroidperoxidase abs 301.1 <34

Anti Thyroidglobulin abs 287.8 <115

B12 440 Deficient <140

Insufficent 140-250

Serum Folate 19.94 (10.4-42.4)

[Hidden]

Jefner - FT3 increasing nicely but that's a big decrease in antibodies in a month. Sorry, no good with test results but these stood out.

[Jefner in reply to Hidden]

cinnamon_girl

my antibodies go up and down every month, check out my profile, all results are there. I wonder if the decrease is because I have been dairy free for a month now

[Clutter]

Jefner,

Thyroid levels look good. TSH is low, FT4 lower than previously but in the upper range, and FT3 is better, but could be higher. I think there's scope to increase T3 dose to 20mcg in 2 x 5mcg increases without reducing Levothyroxine 100mcg.

B12 is suboptimal. Are you supplementing methylcobalamin and B Complex vitamin?

Folate is good.

________________________________________________________________________

I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

[Jefner in reply to Clutter]

Clutter

I didn't think my Folate was good to be honest. It has been decreasing all year In Feb it was 35.99!

Supplementing 1000mcg methylcobalmin but not B vits. Dr C told me not to but did say that if I was low to supplement with L-5-methyl folate.

Isn't TSH supposed to be low. I thought the lower the better?

Should my T4 be slightly lower?

Still not sure whether I should be on t3 or not as looking back at my results, in December my t4 was 22.06 and my t3 4.50 and tsh 0.03

[Clutter in reply to Jefner]

Jefner,

Not sure why you feel folate has to be high, I think 15.68 is fine. You can raise folate by supplementing methylfolate or folic acid but I don't think it is necessary.

I looked at the wrong B12 result. 883 is good but you'll need to continue supplementing to maintain that level.

TSH 0.52 is good. TSH doesn't have to be suppressed.

Hasn't there been improvement in your symptoms since you added T3? That's more important than thyroid levels.

[Jefner in reply to Clutter]

only little improvements hon but not every day. Won't the high t4 dose I am still taking increase my rt3? Someone on the STTM group just advised me to drop to 9mcg Levo and up my t3 ffs because of my high rt3

"Based on patient experience, we add in the amount of T3 that was in the NDT we dropped. For example, if we drop one grain of NDT, it contains 9 mcg of T3. A safe beginning dose would be 9mcg, or as close as one can get to it. Since we know that 25mcg of T3 is equal to one grain once the T4 converts to T3, we would add the remainder (16mcg) of the T3 over the next several days, in small 5 - 6.25mcg increments, upon the return of symptoms"

None of what she said makes any sense to me

[Clutter in reply to Jefner]

Jefner,

It's only been 4 weeks since you started adding T3 so it's very promising that you are already having improvement.

You aren't taking NDT so the STTM extract you've quoted is irrelevant.

You have reduced Levothyroxine and FT4 level has dropped so rT3 may have dropped too. The only way to check is to have another rT3 test.

[Jefner in reply to Clutter]

Clutter

I certainly don't follow their advice, just interested to read different stuff.

Isn't my t4 a smidge too high in the range? What if I drop my Levo to 75 when I up my t3. I know you said poss 2 x 5mcg but would it not be better to just up an 5mcg as I have been doing so not to upset the applecart too much? Won't my body still be continuing to store the t4 I am taking?

Had another rt3 test the other day, results through in a week or so hopefully

I remember you saying when I started t3 it would lower my T4 levels, but mine still seem to be high in the range. Is that because I have only been on t4 a short time?

[Clutter in reply to Jefner]

Jefner,

I think your FT4 19.38 is fine. It's well within range so I don't know why you are convinced it is too high.

I did say 2 x 5mcg increases.

[Jefner in reply to Clutter]

sorry hon I misread, I thought you mean to up by 10mcg split into two doses. Still at 100 Levo?

[puncturedbicycle]

The reason you're on t3 is (I assume) because your t3 has been consistently low, and with your t4 so high it looks like you may not be converting very well. As Clutter says, your t3 could be higher, so you might eventually change the proportion of meds so you're taking less levo (maybe none? if an increase in t3 works for you) and more t3.

I understand - believe me - that you're impatient to feel better, but thyroid stuff can take time to resolve, and it can be very gradual. I recommend (for what it's worth ) you do what you can to be kind to yourself, to relax, to reduce your expectations, and to aspire to be steady and constant rather than better and better. When you get it right you will look back and see improvement but in the case of thyroid stuff, it is a watched pot that never boils.

[Jefner in reply to puncturedbicycle]

yes I suppose I am being impatient but after 10months of feeling so ill I just want to see SOME improvement but to be honest I don't know what the real problem is anymore, it's just a jumbled up mess with my adrenals, thyroid and head You can see ALL my test results on my profile hon xx

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Jefner]

Yes, I do know you've felt unbearable and it's coming through loud and clear that there is a jumble of info that is more confusing than illuminating. It's frustrating.

For what it's worth I have adrenal problems and have followed my doctor's directions on how to improve that, have taken all the supplements suggested etc and my test results never really improved. I did a strict gf diet for a year and my antibodies didn't improve. I had my foot on the accelerator but I was in neutral and that was difficult, I was torturing myself. I feel a huge improvement now, on t3 + t4 + adjusting my outlook and setting achievable goals (or sometimes setting no goals at all).

I'm not sure what I'm trying to say to you except that I really feel for you. I think some things will fall into place and it will all begin to turn around, but you may not see it while it happens, you may only realise after the fact. It can happen so slowly, in tiny increments. I'm sorry you're still feeling awful, just hang in there. x

[Jefner in reply to puncturedbicycle]

thank you hon, it's been 10 months now and am just getting impatient that's all and I am pinning my hopes on the t3 helping me a lot. My levels are now better but don't feel much different, although there are tiny improvements.

I know it's a slow process but I live in absolute fear every day and I don't know how to overcome that feeling. I wake up in fear of the long day ahead because I struggle to keep myself occupied and cannot find anything to do that I actually enjoy anymore. I can't do much as I am so fatigued most of the time. My brains wants to do stuff but my body won't let me

The high cortisol levels are not helping my anxiety but I am back on the Holy Basil now and hope that will help. Dr C my Functional Medicine Doc doesn't really want me on it or anything else as he has now given me a load of supps to tackle my autoimmune condition which no Dr or Endo has tackled. He has also said that I should stay on the same dose at the moment (10mcg t3) because being on it only a couple of weeks won't give me accurate enough test results as it won't have stabilised, and if I add more t3 too soon I might miss my sweet spot and have to start again (as Goosey said)

Are you tackling highs or lows with your adrenals?

Have a list of questions regarding your t3 if I may ask?

1. When did you add t3?

2. What t3 dose did you start on with your t4 initially?

2. How often and what dosage did you increase by?

3. How and when did you decrease your t4?

4. How long before you felt a difference?

5. How often did you check bloods before adjusting meds?

Just looking for another perspective on how others do it, even though I know everyone is different.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Jefner]

1. When did you add t3? Three years ago (summer of 2013), maybe two or three years after starting levo.

2. What t3 dose did you start on with your t4 initially? 5mcg for something like a week, then 10. I was afraid it might increase my anxiety, so I did 5 to start, saw no difference and increased to 10.

2. How often and what dosage did you increase by? Just from 5 to 10 in about a week or maybe two weeks. Am still on 10.

3. How and when did you decrease your t4? Not sure. A month or two later - ? I did have a blood test first and I was a little overreplaced (t3 was a little over range).

4. How long before you felt a difference? 24-48hrs, constipation and bloating resolved. Within a few weeks my energy and strength came back. (It didn't stay that way, but it did come back fully for about six months.)

5. How often did you check bloods before adjusting meds? I think once before I reduced levo, but it has been checked every six months or so since then and I've reduced levo from 150 to 62.5. Recently increased to 75 because I suspect I've gone a little too far in the wrong direction. Might need closer to 100 to feel better again, but my symptoms are so subtle and incremental it's hard to know when I'm hypo until I'm on the floor.

Hope that helps. x

[Jefner in reply to puncturedbicycle]

You said your energy levels came back for about 6 months, so u obviously slumped again. How did you move on from that?

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Jefner]

Lol, am still figuring it out! Blood test next week. Am on ldn, which is I think responsible for having to reduce levo. So just being okay with being less active.

I was horribly depressed for many years, and single, impoverished and on benefits. I'm not anymore, so tbh I think I'm just feeling the benefit of that and I get a lot of mileage out of it. I'm a homebody really, an introvert, and I get on well with my partner. All these things are good for me and if I don't have a lot of energy I just arrange things so I won't need a lot of energy.

I fully acknowledge that I'm in the best possible position to take this attitude. I'm not at work and not reliant on benefits, so that is, for me anyway, a huge privilege that I am grateful for every day. I try to remind myself that I have choices, which is also great for the psyche.

[Jefner in reply to puncturedbicycle]

What is the ldn for? Wish i had someone around, live alone and rarely any visitors

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Jefner]

Yes, I'm aware that, for me, this is the best possible situation - I don't *have* to see other people if I don't want to, but I'm not isolated when I don't want to be. I'm also agoraphobic (w/o panic attacks, so no one really know what to make of this diagnosis) so it helps to have someone who comes home every day, otherwise I might not see another face for weeks.

Ldn is for inflammation and well-being. If you google it you will find out more, not that I wouldn't share info w you but the mechanism is kind of nebulous I think so I won't be any good explaining it. I half-suspect it is flimflam (if you read about it you may understand what I mean), but I felt better on it than w/o, so am still taking it.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to puncturedbicycle]

Any chance you could join a thyroid support group? Even as someone who self-isolates, I know it isn't any good for me. You might benefit from the exchange of ideas and support. x

[Jefner in reply to puncturedbicycle]

There is one about an hr away but cant travel that far

[Jefner in reply to puncturedbicycle]

Apparently its also used to get high antibodies down with hashis

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Jefner]

Yes, and there are all sorts of additional bells and whistles to do w mood and immunity. I'm not fully onboard as I don't understand how it can increase immunity but also decrease autoimmune activity, and I suspect it's one of those things that the researchers don't really understand either.

If you look at some of the support groups (there are several on fb) they seem to put a lot of eggs in the 'positive thinking' basket, and that tweaks my bs detectors. If it's down to positive thinking then why am I paying for ldn capsules, lol?

I don't know if it's helping w antibodies or not (it's such a palaver to have all that tested I can't be bothered as I'm already doing what I can do to sort it) but I seem to need less levo since I'm on it. Let's see what next bloods reveal.

Maybe not for you right now when you're at a low ebb, but in future you could start your own thyroid group. I did and it was very easy. If you find someone else near you to share the responsibilities (basically emailing everyone, finding a place to meet and showing up ) it's even easier. But that's just an idea. I found it comforting to meet so many other folk in the same boat.

[Jefner in reply to puncturedbicycle]

High or low cortisol?

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Jefner]

I don't have the results in front of me I'm afraid and it's so long ago I've forgotten. My doctor had me on adrenal supplements, dhea, massive doses of vit b, a supplement called LibidoStim(!) which was supposed to be good for energy (not just libido), also was told to quit caffeine and gluten. Is that any help?

Apparently after more test results my efforts hadn't helped so I guess I've downgraded it to a place of lesser importance and don't think about it much.