greygoose

Well, the August results say you're still under-medicated. The TSH should be down to 1 or under when you're on thyroid hormone replacement. And your FT3 is very low, so not surprising you're feeling bad. It's low T3 that causes symptoms. Right now, you need a 25 mcg increase in your levo.

Don't you have any antibody results?

twinx60 in reply to greygoose

Thanks for your reply greygoose my antibodies were 1300.0 (<34) in March and 187(<34) in August so I'm assuming I have Hashimotos thyroiditis although doctor only said I was at risk of developing it.

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greygoose in reply to twinx60

Yes, well… Fat lot they know about it! Yes, you do have Hashi's, which means that your levels will sometimes jump around.

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twinx60 in reply to greygoose

Thanks again Greygoose. You and Shaws have been a big help.

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greygoose in reply to twinx60

You're welcome.

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shawsAdministrator

Your doctor should incrrease your dose of levothyroxine by 25mcg every six weeks until the TSH is 1 or lower.

The very fact that the following :-

FREE T4..13.20...........(12-22)

FREE T3..3.87..............(3.1-6.8)

are both at bottom of the range shows the reason why you don't feel well. Both should be nearer the upper part of the ranges. TSH is unconnected to the thyroid gland, it comes from the pituitary gland so once diagnosed/dosed TSH is only a guide but doctors adjust doses according to it alone when the Frees should be optimum but rarely tested.

It may be that you need T3 added to your dose of 75mcg levo - even an increase of 25mcg might be helpful but in reality if 100mcg doesn't increae both FT4 and FT3 your GP should consider adding T3 to your T4.

He probably wont as most have been told not to prescribe. I think that is a terrible decision by the BTA etc to remove T3 due to its cost - they surely should be able to source cheaper T3s.

They completely ignore that fact that many patients who do not improve on levo alone need the addition of T3 to T4. Many feel much better. Why are these Professional Association so dire in that they are supposed to be the 'experts' yet on this form it is the members who know more than any of them because we are in the firing line and searching of why we aren't recovering/improving and symptom-free on the 'modern' method.

They will probably prescribe anti-d's or anything else for the remaining symptoms as they are ignorant altogether about how thyroid hormones work in our bodies. We don't need to read as we are experiencing daily the effects of inappropriate dosing/medications.

hormonerestoration.com/Docs...

hormonerestoration.com/Thyr...

hormonerestoration.com/file...

twinx60 in reply to shaws

Thank you Shaws, I suspected my T3 and T4 being at lower end of range might be a problem. Think I'm going to try increasing levo first by 25mcg, do you know how long I should wait for another thyroid panel blood test?

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shawsAdministrator in reply to twinx60

I think we can spend too much money on blood tests and believe that we should concentrate upon our clinical symptoms being relieved. As you have hashimoto's - the Autoimmune Form of Hypothyroidism - going gluten-free can help reduce them as they actually attack the thyroid gland until you are hypo. They wax and wane.

One of our Advisers (now deceased) only took a blood test for the initial diagnosis and thereafter the dose was adjusted slowly according to patients' clinical symptoms until they were relieved. He only prescribed NDT (natural dessicated thyroid horones) or T3 for thyrod hormone patients. These are three chapters from his book:-

tinyurl.com/ycxpz565

tinyurl.com/ya5blrr2

tinyurl.com/y7ejh9sh

Before increasing by 25mcg now, take note of your symptoms before (i.e. improving or getting more) and after six weeks I'd only get a TSH tested. If not 1 or lower I'd increase again by 25mcg. if you feel the need too. The main and most important fact is how we, the patient, is 'feeling' on particular doses. Read the questions/answers on the followig. You can then get a TSH and FT4 and FT3 to see if the latter two in particular are improving.

Broda Barnes was the original doctor whose method of diagnosing/treating patients was proven over and over again. You might find the following of interest.

brodabarnes.org/who_we_are.htm

Re taking iodine. it is recommended on the forum not to add it as it is within thyroid hormones.

mayoclinic.org/diseases-con...

Please keep in mind I am not medically qualified

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twinx60 in reply to shaws

Thank you so much for all the info and advice you have offered. I have been travelling today but I will certainly be having a good look at things tomorrow.Still trying to get my head around it all, but I believe in being proactive about ones health so I shall certainly persevere.

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shawsAdministrator

I have made an amendment to my response after the Frees in the second para.