NORMAL, BUT STILL HYPO!!!!!

[maymay28]

hello all. I am new to this forum and I am gaining so much information from this site. First of all, I am in the USA, so sometimes you all levels are confusing to me lol !!! I was diagnosed hypothyroid in 1992, went on meds and had little to no issues. This January, after a bout with a sinus infection I became hyperthyroid and very ill. My PCP continued to treat me basically the same amount of synthroid meds and my thyroids literally crashed. At this point, I was extremely ill and yet my PCP refused to refer me to an endocrinologist. I paid for a private endocrinologist and that is how I FOUND OUT THAT my thyroids crashed because I had been severely overmedicated when I'd become hyper. I had to come off meds and allow the meds to flush out my system. That took about two weeks and I was still so sick with every hypo and hyper symptoms. I LOST about 50 lbs, became extremely emotional, started suffering from panic attacks, anxiety, dizziness, tremors, shakiness and heavy leg. I was always in the emergency room , especially for the heart thumping. Anyway after the two weeks my tsh levels went from .008 to 1,2.My endo then had me go back on meds at .25 mg. Prior to this, I WAS at .2mg. Overtime, my tsh got up to 2.8, my t4 free 1.0 and my t3 free 1.8. My endo now states that I am in normal range, but I still have basically the same symptoms, including insomnia and constipation, but she feels tHAT I am fine and like your doctor she is suggesting anti-depressants. I NOW HAVE a new symptom and that is crying for no apparent reason. I checked on line and all the doctors state that this is one of the symptoms of incompleted thyroid treatment and once you are completely treated, this will go away. I KNOW that my endo feels that she has done her job but fortunately I have an integrative function medical doctor that is more than willing to take full care of me and hopefully I should be at optimal level within two months. I have already taken every blood test, he has me on adrenal gland supps, vitamin d3 (50,000 iu) for my deficiency and he's putting me on the natural meds along with some t3. Blessings to you all and GOOD HEALTH !!!!

[Boohbette17]

Hi maymay28, greetings from Ohio Im sure others will jump on as its now Monday morning in Europe & the fine folks welcome us with open arms... Love them!!😍😘

What a voyage you've had! You'll find SOO much information here. I personally have Hashimotos & my vitD levels were also very low -10 & it helped bring on the crying in me. Little by little you'll feel better🙏 stay off gluten & dairy as its very often a contributer to feeling bad. Wishing you well soon!Happy 4th coming up!!🎉🇺🇸 🎈💥😃❤️

[maymay28 in reply to Boohbette17]

Thank you Boohbette17, I'm trying to change my diet . Happy 4th to you also.

[Boohbette17 in reply to maymay28]

Thank you! 😍

[eeng]

A norwegian academic study of about 10,000 healthy people found that over 90% of them had a TSH between 0.5 and 1.5. This is why you will find on this forum that people need their medication raising until the TSH drops to around 1. Some doctors think that getting their patients into the middle of the 'normal' range (or even anywhere in the range) means they will automatically be well. The TSH range is meant for initial diagnosis, not treatment. Some people have a raised TSH due to an infection or something temporary, to the top end of the range is high to stop people from being unnecessarily diagnosed as hypothyroid. However once someone is diagnosed the treatment range should be much lower (something like 0.5 to 1.5) and some people even need a TSH of zero to feel well. So long as your FT3 and FT4 levels are in range (and they ought to be above half way in the range) you won't be over medicated.It's a question of what makes you feel well, and not a one-size-fits-all approach. I would feel terrible with a TSH of 2.8.

You also need to get your Iron, Ferritin, Folate, Vit D and B12 at least half way up their ranges in order for your Levothyroxine (synthroid?) to be used properly. I take B12 supplements regularly and I feel SO much better without having to take more Levothyroxine. I also take Vitamin D during the winter months, about 20,000iu a week.

[maymay28 in reply to eeng]

Thanks for responding Eeng. I'm working on my vitamin d now; taking 10,000 iu per day as I am very deficient. I also take Folic acid 2 mg and Magnesium 300-400 mg and I get b12 injections 1000 mcg once a week. I am seeing an integrative functional doctor and he now has me on Nature throid 65mg. I hope it works and don't increase my anxiety.

[greygoose]

Hi maymay28, welcome to the forum.

It's very difficult for us to relate to what you're saying without the ranges to the results. Although, a TSH is always a TSH and yours is too high at 2.8. But, be very, very wary of your integrative function medical doctor's claim to have you on the right dose in two months! That, to me is not realistic. To begin with, he cannot possibly know how much you are going to finally need - and if he claims he does, he's a charlatan. Secondly, you must not increase too quickly or the whole thing will backfire on you. You must only increase your dose by 25 mcg (sorry, only know how to talk in mcg) every six weeks. Anymore than that will stress your body.

Secondly, 'thyroids' don't crash. The 'meds' - Synthroid, I imagine? - are thyroid hormone replacement, just replacing the hormone your thyroid can no-longer make enough of to keep you well. It has no effect your your actual thyroid gland. Although it might make it stop working, it certainly won't make it produce more hormone, so if you were on less thyroid hormone then than you are now, I don't see how it could have made you 'hyper'. I think it's more likely that you have Hashi's, and that you had a Hashi's 'hyper' swing. Have you had your antibodies tested? If not, then you really should ask your new doctor to test them. And don't let him fob you off by saying that 'it doesn't matter because the treatment is the same', it actually matters very much that you know if you have Hashi's - as witnessed by your experience of 'going hyper'. So it should be a top priority to get those tested.

The type of doctor you're now seeing, whilst full of self-confidence, usually does not know very much about thyroid - we see that on here all the time. So, double check everything he tells you, and don't let him increase your dose too fast, or put you on iodine! Keep your wits about you, and you should be fine.

[maymay28 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you Greygoose for your valuable info. My functional doctor actually stated that we will have you in the right direction in about two months as we will be retesting your levels at that time. He now has me on 1 grain of naturethroid. I was previously on ,75mg of synthroid. Do you think this is too much as I am experiencing some anxiety and don't know if it's just from the change.

[greygoose in reply to maymay28]

It's difficult to calculate the exact equivalence between T4 only and NDT. It could be that you've actually had a reduction in dose, but I doubt it's too much. Anxiety is also a hypo symptom.

[Celestialbeing]

Hi maymay, agreeing with the above responders, TSH is a pituitary hormone. You need to know the Free T4 and Free T3 levels and where they should be for you to feel good. Depending on how well your body converts the T4 into T3, and what kind of replacement you use, in USA measurements, people feel decent when FT4 is 1.1 - 1.5 and FT3 is 3.5 - 3.9. Again, much depends on the conversion or addition of a T3 replacement med such as cytomel or switching to NDT such s NatureThroid.

[maymay28 in reply to Celestialbeing]

Thank you for responding Celestialbeing. I a definitely one of those that feel better with those ranges. That is what I was trying to explain to my endo but she wasn't listening. I am now looking for another endo.

[Roadrunnergreg]

Hiya welcome maymay28, in addition to greygoose comments being very possible you have hasimotos, and the reason for the swing from hypo to hyper, need to see if you have a critter like Candida EBV Lyme etc. In thus case it's most likely the root cause of your thyroid problem, I don't believe that the body just starts attacking itself for no reason, check your metals also these 3 zinc, iron, copper. Some believe high iron attracts critter overgrowth, personally I'm on the fence with this but thought you deserve to know...

Hope that helps you

[maymay28 in reply to Roadrunnergreg]

Thank you Roadrunnergreg for your suggestion. I tested negative for the lyme disease but h pylori was detected.

[Roadrunnergreg]

There's your problem I'd bet, sort that out and thyroid will.most likely correct itself within a month after... if that's the only critter... Hope that helps...