Latest labs: would love an opinion

[crw2ddd]

Currently taking 15 mg armour at 7 AM, 7.5 mg armour at noon, 15 mg armour at 5 pm, and 50 mcg Synthroid in middle of night around 2-3 AM. I just added the extra half at noon, the labs below reflect am and pm 15 mg armour and nighttime 50 mcg Synthroid. I dose all day because I could feel the medicine not working after a few hours if too much times passes between dosing. However, this regime is not really working for me at all. I have morning diarrhea, muscle aches, eye grittiness and light sensitivity, sinus pressure, pins and needles in hands and arms, burning tongue, and fatigue. Not to mention, it's hard to find time to eat and take supplements that doesn't interfere with medicine. I'm not sure how to proceed or to change this regime to make it work for me. My doctor said she's happy with my recent labs. I am starting to wonder if there is in fact another thing causing my symptoms or if it's hashi? For reference, my mom and aunt have hashi and they have no lingering symptoms and take 120 mg armour and 90 mg armour, respectively. My uncle and cousins have hashi and they just take Synthroid and seem okay on it.

T3 free: 2.6 pg/mL (2.0-4.4)

Reverse T3: 25.5 ng/dL (9.2-24.1)

TSH: 1.440 uIU/mL (.450-4.500)

Folate: 19.5 ng/mL (>3.0)

T4 Free: 1.39 ng/dL (.82-1.77)

TPO: 142 IU/mL (0-34)

Thyoglobulin antibody: 1.0 IU/mL (0.0-0.9)

Thyrotropin receptor antibody <.50 iu/L (0.0-1.75)

Vitamin D: 41.8 ng/mL (30-100)

Vitamin B12: 402 pg/mL (232-1245)

Ferritin: 38 ng/mL (15-150)

[greygoose]

So, those labs were on 1/2 grain NDT and 50 mcg Synthroid. That equals 69 mcg T4 and 4.5 mcg T3. That's little more than a starter dose. And your labs reflect that. Your FT3 is much too low, so not surprising you're still having symptoms. Why the 50 mcg Synthroid? Why don't you just take 1.5 grains of NDT? Even then, you're probably going to need an increase in dose. Nothing is going to help you if you don't take enough of it.

It doesn't look like you have Hashi's, but blood tests are not always conclusive.

Oh, and if you take enough of it, you might not have to take it so frequently. NDT should also be taken on an empty stomach and leaving one hour before eating, etc.

[crw2ddd in reply to greygoose]

Yes, I take 50 Synthroid and 1/2 grain armour. I would like to move towards just taking armour but I'm not sure how to do it - gradually increasing the armour and decreasing the synthroid or just a cold turkey switch. I've been diagnosed with Hashimotos -- my TPO antibodies we're 9,000 upon diagnosist In 2017 and through medication, going gluten free, selenium, zinc, Omega 3s and glutathione, the antibodies are now still high 142 as seen above. My doctor would like to see them under 100 and ideally in remission at some point.

[greygoose in reply to crw2ddd]

Doesn't make any difference what level your antibodies are, it doesn't change the fact that you have Hashi's. They fluctuate, anyway. Getting rid of antibodies does not put Hashi's into remission. It's not the antibodies that attack the thyroid. You are more likely to have a period of remission just after an attack, when the thyroid hormone levels come down from being very high, and stay euthyroid for a while. But, eventually they will come down to hypo levels again. And it doesn't matter what the antibody levels are.

Gradually increase the NDT, 1/4 grain every two weeks, and reduce the Synthroid slowly at the same time.

[pennyannie]

Hello crw2dd

I think you need to take a closer look at your vitamins and minerals. In order for any thyroid hormone replacement to work effectively, ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D need to be optimal, and apart from the folate I don't think your levels are good.

If you check through other's posts you will see answers by SeasideSusie who is the No. 1 on this speciality on this amazing website.

[crw2ddd in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you for your response. I take selenium zinc, vit D, iron, b complex, Omega 3s glutathione and a probiotic. Im wondering if I should add vit K due to 5,000 vit D I've been taking? Folate is on the higher end so I'm good there but I agree that the other vitamins should come up.