New labs. Any one want to touch this?

[Melissa1105]

Okay. Here are the results. The endo is putting me on synthroid 75 mcg plus Cytomel 2.5 mcg twice a day.

Vit D. 34.9 >30

B12. >2000 232-1245

Folate 19.0 >3.0

TSH 0.45 0.27-4.20

FT3 2.4 3.0-4.4

FT4 0.78 0.71-1.73

TGBAnti <1.0 0.0-0.9

TPOAnti 10 0-34

Any help is appreciated. What do you think of the endo wanting me to take the synthroid and cytomel?

Melissa-

[Melissa1105]

I have suffuse body aches and stiffness. That is my major symptom I’m trying to treat. Does any of this look like a concern?

[greygoose]

Well, your FT3 is under-range, so of couse it's a concern. Were these labs done whilst taking 75 mcg T4 plus 5 mcg T3? Or before starting that dose? How long have you been taking that dose?

[Melissa1105 in reply to greygoose]

I had no meds in me. I started them after he got these labs.

[Melissa1105 in reply to Melissa1105]

Oh. I’ve been on the synthroid and cytomel only three days.

[greygoose in reply to Melissa1105]

So, you've only just been diagnosed and he started you on that dose? It's a bit high for a starter dose.

But, hats off to your doctor for recognising that you have a problem, even though your TSH is low. You have what we call Central Hypothyroidism, where the problem is not with the thyroid itself, but with the pituitary or the hypothalamus.

You're not likely to feel much difference in just three days. It will take at least a week for you to start to feel anything. Did he tell you when to go back for a retest?

Did he tell you how to take your hormone? On an empty stomach and waiting an hour before eating or drinking anything other than water?

When you go back for your retest, make sure it's early in the morning, and that you've fasted over-night - have your breakfast after the blood draw. Leave a 24 hour gap between the last dose of synthroid and the blood draw, and 12 hours between your last dose of cytomel and the blood draw.

[Kell-E in reply to Melissa1105]

You had been on 2 grains of Nature-Throid up until 2 days before the blood work?

[Melissa1105 in reply to Kell-E]

Yes Kell-E.

[Kell-E in reply to Melissa1105]

You had taken 2 grains NDT for 6 months prior to the blood test. With two days in between. Your fT4 level probably only fell 10-15% but your fT3 level dissipates quickly. That's why your labs look like they do. TSH hasn't rebounded and fT3 looks much lower than it had been on NDT.

So now you are on 75 mcg levo and 5mcg Cytomel. NDT had provided the equivalent of 76 mcg levo and 18mcg of Cytomel. Therefore you have had a dose reduction. And your T3 is about half of what you had been taking. This is not likely to be an improvement.

Why did you change from NDT?

[Melissa1105 in reply to Kell-E]

The endo was t opposed to NDT but didn’t know how to dose it. The doc who wrote the script for the NDT did not test my blood the entire six months. I don’t trust him. I felt up against a wall. So I changed to the synthetics. In a couple weeks I’ll ask to up my meds. What should I ask to increase? Levo?

[Kell-E in reply to Melissa1105]

Cytomel.

[Melissa1105 in reply to Kell-E]

Oh. I got it backwards!! Lol. I need to reread the messsges before I push “reply”. Thanks hon.

[Melissa1105]

I’m DXed with anything. The nurse who called said he’s treating my symptoms not my labs. I have a large goiter. That’s screwing up my labs I bet. Anyway, yes. I’ve heard of pituitary and hypothalamus issues in conjunction with thyroid issues.

He said I won’t see anything for weeks ..but you know doctors. Yes. I’m being retested at 6 weeks. And no. He didn’t say a word about how to take my meds. But thankfully the pharmacist is a doll. She told me. I’m being a good girl. Only water for an hour. May I take the synthroid and cytomel together in the early am?

Thanks for all you advice. I hope this pain goes away.