Looking for some help for my Hypo Sister

[guysgrams]

My Sister has hashi and is hypo. She is currently taking .135 Synthroid I think. She just had labs done and these are results:

TSH 1.04 (.45-4.5)

FT3 3.4 (2.0-4.4)

FT4 1.93 (.82-1.77)

TPO 105 (0-34)

I told her I thought she should get her FT3 up a bit since it isn't in upper range. I also told her she needed to get her vitamins and minerals in balance. This was her annual and doc didn't even order vitamin D. I know she has been on the low side for vitamin D before.

What would/could cause FT4 to be over range?

She couldn't get the doc to do RT3 but will order the test privately.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[greygoose]

She's not converting very well. That's why her FT4 is over-range and her FT3 is just about mid-range. She needs to lower her Synthroid and add in some T3. There's really not much point in testing rT3, it's going to be high, due to that high FT4.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

I can only agree with Greygoose; your sister seems to be a poor converter. If she is taking a full replacement dose of T4 with those results, she needs to add some T3 to the mix.

It's my impression that people with Hashi's are often poor converters. I know I am; I never felt well on any amount of T4 (went as high as 200 mcg daily), and only felt well after I added T3.

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

That's true. Hashi's people are often bad converters.

[Bailey611 in reply to Hidden]

Can you please tell me what T3 is

[Hidden in reply to Bailey611]

T3 = triiodothyronine, the active form of thyroid hormone. In a healthy individual, about 5-10% (depending on source) of the T3 needed is produced directly by the thyroid gland, whereas the rest comes from peripheral conversion of the inactive hormone T4 (sometimes called a pro hormone). However, in many hypothyroid patients, that conversion process is impaired, meaning that no matter how much T4 they take, they cannot adequately convert it to T3. Without sufficient T3 you remain hypothyroid, regardless of how much T4 you have in your system.

[guysgrams in reply to Hidden]

Thanks so much

[guysgrams in reply to greygoose]

Thanks Greygoose

[greygoose in reply to guysgrams]

You're welcome.

[Piper729]

I don't pay much attention to the test resuls but the others are probably correct in that she's not converting the T4 to T3. This happened to me. I was on Synthroid and Levo for about 4 years before I realized this. While on these synthetic meds, my symptoms worsened. I felt like an 80 year old woman when I was only in my early 40s. Always very tired, very achy, foggy brain, wasn't sleeping well, dizzy spells, heart fluttering, tons of hair loss, blood pressure went up, depressed, etc. etc. Then I found this website and the StopTheThyroidMadness website and realized there was a natural option called Armour Thyroid that included both T4 and T3. It changed my life. My symptoms got 85% better. If she's not converting, please look at a natural alternative like the Armour Thyroid. Also gluten-free helps alot.

[guysgrams]

Thanks for your input