Thoughts on new results on daughter?

[soupybp]

Daughter started 1 grain Armour thyroid just over 5 weeks ago (first treatment received).

New results: (tests in early morning. Just over 24 hours since last dose of medication. No food or drink prior to test.)

TSH: 6.3 (.3-3.8) was 6.81

fT4: 1.18 (.8-1.8) was 0.91

fT3: 3.24 (2.3-3.8) was 2.71

Seems that the medication is helping move things in the right direction. We started vitamin D3 supplementation about 6 weeks ago due to deficiency, but we did not retest yet.

Thoughts on these results?

[greygoose]

24 hours is too long. With NDT/T3 you only leave 8 to 10 hours between the last dose and the blood draw. Plus, 5 weeks is too soon to test because the T4 in the NDT won't yet be fully synthesised. So, her FT3 is actually higher than that, and will probably keep rising as more T4 is converted to T3.

I would recommend retesting in 2 to 3 week's time, leaving just the 8 to 10 hour gap. And the FT3 will be higher, and the TSH lower. But, by how much, impossible to say.

[soupybp in reply to greygoose]

So that would put the testing in the afternoon as she is only taking the armour in the morning.

[greygoose in reply to soupybp]

Well, she'd have to change the time she takes it on the day before the test. That's what most people do.

[shaws Administrator]

With NDT you can increase dose every 2 weeks by 1/4 tablet taking note of pulse/temp and if either goes too high reduce to previous dose. These Chapters may be helpful and were made by one of our Advisers (deceased):

tinyurl.com/ycxpz565

tinyurl.com/ya5blrr2

tinyurl.com/y7ejh9sh

[soupybp in reply to shaws]

I know, but ob/gyn won’t increase on that schedule. Because she has a bipolar diagnosis (which may be thyroid), he is inclined to be more cautious.