Overmedicated?

[crw2ddd]

Just got my latest test results back. I've been feeling off (not that I've ever been well since my diagnosis) but worse than usual. I have a burning tongue, body aches and worsening nerve tingles and burning in my hands and even groin area too (that's new). I've had a increased appetite and looser stools and a bit of nausea. I have jaw pain and soreness and now I wonder if my parotid glands or salivary glands are swollen like you see with Sjogrens. I'm headed back to rhumatologist next week and I'm going into the dentist today.

But the thought occured to me that my latest blood might show that I'm slightly overmedicated and that could account for some of the new and worsening symptoms. I took these labs first thing in the morning with no meds. It had been 26 hours since I had taken Synthroid and about 15 hours since Armour. I current take 3/4 grain of Armour daily and 50 mcg Synthroid daily.

Free T4: 1.4 (.83-1.77 ng/dL)

Free T3: 3.4 (2-4.4 pg/mL)

TSH: .292 (.4-4.5 uIU/mL)

TPO antibodies: 65 (0-34) This is the lowest they've been in the two years I've been testing them.

I feel it's likely that most of my symptoms are probably due to another cause at this point. I've been following the thyroid rabbit hole for a long time and symptoms are all over the place. I've been screened for other autoimmune disorders and I just have a positive ANA and nothing else found. I've had a negative nerve conduction test by neurology, a full blood workup by a hematologist, a colonoscopy, endoscopy, chest x-ray for sarcoids, I had my throat scoped by ENT. Just the typical runaround.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

When were vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 last tested?

What vitamin supplements do you currently take?

As you have Hashimoto's are you on strictly gluten free diet?

[crw2ddd in reply to SlowDragon]

B12: 402 pg/mL (200-1000)

Folate 19.5 ng/mL (>3)

Ferritin 38 ng/mL (15-150)

Vit D: 41.8 ng/dL (30-100)

I've been mostly gluten free for the past two years. I have accidentally had gluten several times at restaurants and parties. But yes, I've been gluten free.

[greygoose]

I would say that, if anything, you're under-medicated. If it were me, I'd be upping the NDT by 1/4 grain.

But, your nutrients - apart from the folate - are dire. And your body won't be able to use thyroid hormone correctly unless you optimise your nutrients. Might be a good idea to start supplementing before increasing your NDT.

[crw2ddd in reply to greygoose]

Thanks for your response. I was feeling like since it had been such a long time between when I took my Synthroid and Armour last and this test, that the results still seemed higher than I expected. I know on this site normally it is recommended to wait 8 hours after t3 and 13 hours after t4. I waited double that before taking this latest blood test. I wonder what my levels are if I take my bloods closer to when I take my medication.

[greygoose in reply to crw2ddd]

No, it's recommended to leave 8 - 12 hours for T3, and 24 hours for T4.

[crw2ddd in reply to greygoose]

Oh, I see. Well then I suppose my testing here isn't too far off then. As far as ferritin is concerned, I always understood that low ferritin actually showed hypothyroidism and if you corrected the hypothyroidism, then the ferritin would start to go up on its own. Whenever I take iron, it gives me diarrhea. I take 5,000 IU vitamin D like every other day and try to go in the sun everyday. I have a B12 spray of 500 IU that I've been using everyday, but sometimes I go through period of time when I don't use it. But, I've been wondering about the efficacy of micronutrient testing.

[greygoose in reply to crw2ddd]

The ferritin might go up on it's own when optimally medicated, or it might not. Mine never has. And with such a low ferritin it will probably affect how your body uses thyroid hormone.

I really don't think that's enough vit d to raise your level, and going out in the sun isn't likely to help much, either. People who live in very sunny countries can still be deficient in vit D.

As for the vit B12 spray, you'd have to take at least two sprays a day for it to do anything. And, you should also be taking a B complex, because the Bs all work together, and need to be kept balanced.

[crw2ddd in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for your advice. I have the b complex vitamin from Pure Encapsulations but when I take it I get wired and anxious. Is this a normal reaction?

[greygoose in reply to crw2ddd]

Not really, no. Maybe it has too much B6 for you?