My doctor informed me I am fluctuating between hypothyroid and hyperthyroid. I am on Synthroid 137mcg and he recently added liothyronine 5mcg. My body is not converting T4 to T3. How long will it take for the liothyronine to make a difference in the way I am feeling? I am depressed, having hot and cold flashes, dry skin and eyes, unmotivated, tired, not sleeping, having severe muscle and joint pains and my thyroid is swollen just to name a few symptoms. In the past I have suffered with raspy throat, inability to swallow, foggy brain and weight gain and loss. I am on Synthroid 137 mcg and my latest test results are as follows:
TSH: 0.46 (range 0.40-4.50 mlU/L)
T4, Free: 1.4 (range 0.8-1.8 ng/dl)
T3, Free: 2.8 (range 2.3-4.2 pg/mL)
Thyroglobulin Antibodies: <1 (range < or =1 IU/mL)
Thyroid Periodase Antibodies: <1 (range <9 IU/mL)
Is it also possible I still may have Hashimoto's as I have been hypothyroid for over 20 years? Any assistance would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Written by
matahari
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You don't have Hashimoto's because your antibodies are below the range. Antibodies need to be high for hashi's to be confirmed.
I suspect that you are not converting your dose of Sythroid into T3 because your FT3 is low. Also the dose of T3 at 5mcg is risable to have much effect. I shall give you an excerpt of a link which research has shown that a 3:1 T4/T3 has shown to be the beneficial. Go to page 80. Extract:
Dose Selection in T3/T4 Study RCTs
The second logical basis for a conclusion
is the actions taken, i.e., the doses given to the
subjects. Most subjects received T3 below its
adult starting dose of 25 mcg/day.
The subjects in RCTs received T3 in some ratio to the
I believe that endocrinologists take more notice of the TSH rather than the disabling clinical symptoms which is supposed to be the purpose of taking thyroid hormone replacements. I will give you a link from a doctor who was also an Adviser to TUK who died through an accident and he hated the way we are now diagnosed/medicated.
Thank you for responding to my questions with this information. I am more afraid than ever because I have been feeling so badly for too long. I am also angry that more has not been done for me. I blame myself for not speaking up sooner and not taking the initiative and digging deeper to find underlying causes. I am too trusting and have given doctors too much credit thinking they knew better. I am also afraid that even with proof he will take this as an assault on his credibility. For some reason doctors and officials in Europe seem to be more willing and open to their patient's thyroid needs. We cannot walk into a drugstore and buy T3 and T4 without a prescription. I will try to get him to work up to the higher doses or even start over with a new doctor. In the US I think this has become a racket and it is more lucrative to keep medications under tighter controls so that everyone makes money other than the patient getting the needed benefits.
You are correct and Doctor Lowe stated that it was brought about by Big Pharma who could see an opening to make good profits and that doctors were paid to prescribe it and gradually, by corruption, that levo became the No.1 thyroid hormone replacement, plus blood tests. Also you must add in the other prescriptions given to try to control or ease clinical symptoms.
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Treatment for possible Hashimotos?
suppressed TSH and high T4 in Hashimotos. Possible causes?
Curious if I could have Hashimotos which is being overlooked by my GP
Could it be more than hashimotos?
Hashimotos?
