Hello, I am new on the forum even though I've been hypothroid since June 2015. I self-medicate with Metavive (90mg/day) after being prescribed Levothyroxine and feeling ill on it. I'm interested to know what people think of my new blood test results below, given that I haven't had a blood test since switching to Metavive. I know this wasn't a particularly good strategy but I couldn't face telling my doctor what I'd done. She knows now and was actually ok about it.
Results are as follows:
free T4 (ref range 12-22) - 23.6
TSH (ref range 0.27-4.2) - 0.05
free T3 (ref range 3.1-6.8) - 7.5
I am wondering whether I would be better on a 'proper' NDT? Although I like the Metavive, I've found that I have put on weight and feel tired in the morning, more than I usually should. My doctor said that the current results show that my TSH is too supressed and I need to cut down on the dose of Metavive I am taking. I started taking my basal temperature yesterday as well - it's low - 34.8 last night and 35.4 this morning and this doesn't seem right to me, so wondering if my adrenal glands aren't working properly?
Grateful for any insights and thank you in advance.
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My doctor said that the current results show that my TSH is too supressed and I need to cut down on the dose of Metavive I am taking
If your doctor is on board with your taking Metavive, does she actually know that taking any form of NDT (or T3) will often suppress TSH so that test is really irrelevant.
Can you just clarify please, how long had you been on Metavive when this test was done, and when did you take you last dose prior to the blood draw?
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly, I appreciate it. I started taking Metavive round about June 2016. Started on 30mg and gradually increased to 45mg, then 60mg and now 90mg. I can't remember the amount of time between each increase. My last blood test was Nov 2015 when I was still being prescribed Levothyroxine, and then my results were free T4 11.8, TSH 16.47 and Thyroid peroxidase antibody level >1300. They didn't test my free T3 back then.
I took my last dose of Metavive 24 hours before the blood draw which was 13 August 2018. I fasted as well. The blood draw was at 8.55am on Tuesday morning. My doctor wasn't mad at me for not telling her I've moved to Metavive, she just said I needed to lower the dose, but I don't think she understands the ins and outs of the different types of thyroid medication.
I am wondering if I am getting enough T4 because when I was on Levo I got 50mg
This is important. As you have mentioned in your first thread, you know you have Hashimoto's. Do you know much about it? Are you addressing it with a strict gluten fee diet and supplementing with selenium l-selenomethionine 200mcg daily to help reduce the antibodies, keeping TSH suppressed can help reduce antibodies too.
So we'll discount your TSH because you're taking Metavive and it's best kept suppressed due to the Hashi's, and concentrate on
free T4 (ref range 12-22) - 23.6
free T3 (ref range 3.1-6.8) - 7.5
As you took your last dose of Metavive 24 hours before blood draw, that was too long. It should have been 12 hours as we're classing it as a form of NDT.
Those results show you appear to be overmedicated. If you had left the recommended 12 hours, your FT4 and FT3 would be even higher.
However, because the Hashi's causes fluctuations in antibody levels, it's quite possible that at the time of the test you may have been experiencing a Hashi's "hyper" swing and that could account for the high hormone levels.
So there are two possibilities there.
Gaining weight and fatigue are hypo symptoms. With Hashi's you can have both hypo and "hyper" symptoms.
Also, how much Metavive are you actually taking? Here you say you are taking 90mg but yesterday you said you were taking 3 x 30mg plus 1 x 15mg.
So, not quite sure what we're looking at here - overmedication or a Hashi's hyper swing.
It might be worth repeating the test in 6 weeks time (if you feel OK to carry on your current dose) and see how things are then. If your FT4 and FT3 remain the same you could be on too high a dose, if they've lowered it may have been a hyper swing.
Have you had nutrient levels tested recently, and are you supplementing with anything? It might be an idea when you retest to do a Medichecks Thyroid Check UltraVit or a Blue Horizon Thyroid Plus Eleven to include the important vitamins and minerals.
Seaside Susie, thanks very much for your response and insight. I eat gluten free as much as possible and try and make paleo recipes as well. I'm not taking any additional supplements or nutrients at the moment, like selenium or iron. Yes it is a good idea to get another test done to check vitamin levels - I will look into that.
I am taking 90mg Metavive and an additional 15mg (sorry for lack of consistency - I just started taking the additional 15mg because I wasn't feeling optimal) - I wait two hours before eating anything to give maximum absorption. I don't feel like I've experienced any hyper swings - just getting more tired and no real energy to think of doing anything constructive - and can't shift the extra pounds round my waist. My doctor has agreed to refer me to an endocrinologist, primarily to check that my growth hormone is still working because apparently it plays a role in laying down and metabolizing fat and maybe that's why I have put on 8lbs. I found out recently that as I am a rubella baby, I am likely to have congenital rubella syndrome (CRS)- I am partially deaf and of very petite stature (due to growth of bones stopping too early) which are CRS symptoms; and congenital rubella can apparently have delayed manifestations including hypothyroidism and diabetes type 2 appearing later in life.
I didn't realize I only had to go without Metavive for 12 hours before the blood draw - that would have been so much better. I felt bad the whole of the day I didn't take anything. Thanks so much for your response, much appreciated.
How long between last dose of Metavive and blood test? If 12 hours or more, I'd reduce Metavive - not because of TSH but because of over range Frees. Unless you were taking a supplement containing biotin (this includes nutritional yeast) in which case results might not be accurate.
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