Blood Test Results

[EmmaConstantine]

Hi everyone

Please see attached my latest blood test results

I have been taking 2 grains of armour thyroid, and I split the dose into 2 the day before the test, 1 grain first thing in the morning then 1 grain at 9-10pm the night before.

This was a fasting blood test.

Should I be concerned about the T3 level because apparently this is too high?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

How do you feel, that's supposed to be the guide when on NDT? It's a bit over range and we're told to keep FT3 within range, but whether slightly over range is a concern I don't know.

You could trial a reduction of 1/4 of a grain and see you you feel with that.

[EmmaConstantine in reply to SeasideSusie]

I’m going to drop down to 1.5 grains. My doctor says he’s worried about my ‘suppressed TSH’ ....looking at my results from 1 grain to 2 grains and I think 1.5 grains could be the perfect range for me. 2 grains isn’t that bad, I did get rather hot and sweaty a couple of hours after taking it

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to EmmaConstantine]

I wouldn't drop by half a grain, I would just drop 1/4 of a grain to start with, wait 6 weeks and see how things are then, you can always drop the other 1/4 of a grain if necessary. You could very well miss your sweet spot so gradual dose change is the answer. The reason being that your FT4 is 52% through range which is a reasonable place to be when on NDT, it will most likely lower when your reduce your dose of NDT.

My doctor says he’s worried about my ‘suppressed TSH’

Is your doctor prescribing your Armour? If so then he ought to know what happens to blood test results when taking it. The blood tests were designed for people taking Levo, they don't mean the same when someone is taking NDT. Taking T3 in any form - be it synthetic T3 or the T3 in NDT, that is going to lower, even suppress TSH and it also tends to lower FT4. The important results when taking NDT (or T3) is the FT3 result. TSH is irrelevant.

A previous post by member Diogenes (scientist and thyroid researcher with many published papers), although not specifically about NDT, says

"......... there are papers showing a) TSH is unreliable in monitoring therapy b) all 3 parameters TSH,FT4 and FT3 should be used as monitoring tests and c) the primary aim is to get FT3 in the upper part of the reference range (by T4 or T4/T3 combo) and pay most attention to this, and not to TSH or indeed FT4.

"

Sorry, I don't have a link to the post.

[EmmaConstantine in reply to SeasideSusie]

Cutting the pills in half is an absolute nightmare, letting alone cutting into quarters!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You also need vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 tested plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies if these have never been tested

Previous post from 9 months ago

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[EmmaConstantine in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks, my antibodies are fine.