Irritability with Hashimoto’s

[Sealsharp1952]

I have been on Synthroid most of my life I am 68 but am having a lot of extreme irritability and I read Synthroid can cause this. My TSH is off so dr raised my dosage and all my other numbers such as T3, T4, free T3 are in normal range but wondered even if they are normal could you still not be converting T4 to T3? Has anyone also had extreme irritability from taking any of the medications and if so was there anything you take now that helps? I have taken Naturethroid before but did not feel better. Thank you for any help or feedback.

[Mostew]

It’s good to do something like meditation or mindfulness .

Or something else that helps calm the mind

[Sealsharp1952 in reply to Mostew]

Thank you yes I know this but I wondered if anyone has had side effects from taking Synthroid because it can cause irritability.

[Mostew]

Ps I take Levothyroxine 50 and also a homeopathic remedy thyroxine ‘ . Been on same dose for 15 years and don’t really know if homeopathy helps but don’t have any negative symptoms .

( I have Hashimoto and under active thyroid )

[Sealsharp1952 in reply to Mostew]

Thank you for your input.

[greygoose]

It's not the Synthroid, it's the lack of thyroid hormones. Hypothyroidism can make you very, very irritable. But, it seems to be the fashion to blame the medication, rather than the disease.

If your doctor raised your dose, then you must have been under-medicated - TSH over-range - and that's what caused the irritability. Just having FT4/3 somewhere in the range means nothing. They've got to be in the right place in the range for you, as an individual. Do you have your actual numbers: results and ranges? The ranges are much too wide.

It know how well you convert, you need to have your Free T4 and your Free T3 tested at the same time (TT4 and TT3 aren't much use because they don't give you any useful information at this level). If your FT4 is high in range, and your FT3 is low, then you are a poor converter. And, it's low FT3 that causes symptoms. So, very, very important to get a print-out of your results, and learn to understand them.

[Sealsharp1952 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for your help and I always get a print out so here are my results:

TSH 6.390

Reverse T3 serum 19.5

T3 81

Thyroid antibodies TPO 12 peroxidase

Thyroglobulin antibody less than 1.0

Free T3 2.1

Free T4 , Direct 1.52

My dr said based on these results I am converting T4 to T3

How do you feel Greygoose about dedicated vs Synthroid please

[greygoose in reply to Sealsharp1952]

Sorry, but we need the ranges for those results. They vary from lab to lab, so we need the ranges that went with your results.

Even so, I can see from your TSH that you are very under-medicated. When on thyroid hormone replacement, the TSH should come down to 1 or under.

Really not worth testing the rT3, it doesn't give any useful information.

I've never taken Synthroid, but I have taken other brands of levo. And, personally, I can't tolerate either levo or Dessicated thyroid. I need to be on T3 only to be well. So, I really don't have an opinion. It's a very personal thing. What suits one, won't suit another, so we need to try these things to find out how they suit us as individuals. A lot of people do very well on levo only.

[Sealsharp1952 in reply to greygoose]

Ok here are the ranges

T4 0.82-1.77

TSH 0.450-4.500

Reverse T3 9.2 - 24.1

T3 71-180

Antibodies 0-34

Free T3 2.0-4.4

Thank you

[Sealsharp1952 in reply to Sealsharp1952]

I am also having a hard time losing weight and have a stomach is this common with Hashimoto’s and being 68? Thank you again

[greygoose in reply to Sealsharp1952]

TSH 6.39 (0.450-4.500)

Free T3 2.1 (2.0-4.4)

Free T4 1.52

These are the results that interest us. As I said before, your TSH is much too high, so you are still hypo.

Your FT3 is right at the bottom of the range. But, you haven't given a range for the FT4, so impossible to say how well you convert. But, given your FT3 level, I rather doubt you convert well. How much Synthroid are you taking?

Not surprising you can't lose weight with that low FT3. It would need to be nearer the top of the range for you to be able to lose it.

You say you have Hashi's, but your antibodies are negative. Did you have a former test where they were higher? The inability to lose weight, and the stomach, are more to do with being low on thyroid hormones, rather than the Hashi's itself.

[Sealsharp1952 in reply to greygoose]

The T4 is free T4 direct is that what you needed to know? My ferritin was also 16 which I think is low. Range for that is 15-150 so I wondered if that could make me irritable. Do you feel I need to ask for T3 alone maybe and that may help? Thank you

[greygoose in reply to Sealsharp1952]

'Direct' doesn't mean anything. I need the range. You've given the range for the FT3, the numbers in brackets, I need the same thing for the FT4, or else I cannot tell you anything further.

Your low ferritin would certainly be having all sorts of undesirable effects, but I don't know if mood is one of them.

There's no way of knowing if T3 only would make you feel better without trying it. One cannot guess at these things, it's all trial and error. Certainly, that low FT3 level will be causing all sorts of problems. But, without the FT4 range, I cannot tell if you need T3 added to your levo, or if you're just under-medicated on levo. Hope that's understandable.

[Sealsharp1952 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you and I gave you the range did you see it in my last response it is 15-150 for the direct T4. So the low ferritin or not being regulated yet could cause a form of dyspnea breathing issue? Greygoose how do you know so much because you are so knowledgeable.

[greygoose in reply to Sealsharp1952]

Are you sure about that? 15-150 is more likely to be the range for ferritin, not FT4.

But, yes, low ferritin can affect your breathing.

I've spent the last 20 years reading and talking to people. That's the only way to learn.

[Sealsharp1952 in reply to greygoose]

My apologies that was for Ferritin for T4 the range is 0.82-1.77

[greygoose in reply to Sealsharp1952]

OK, so your FT4 is 73.68% through the range, but your FT3 is only 4.17%. That means that you are a very poor converter.

That could have something to do with your very low ferritin, however, so you really need to get that sorted. How are your other nutrients: vit B12, folate and vit D? Sorry if you've already given those results, I'm getting a bit lost in this thread.

[Sealsharp1952 in reply to greygoose]

No worries I sincerely appreciate your help and I take D3, a multiple b but not b12 alone should I take this also separately? I do not take folate but I believe it’s in the multiple b vitamin. Now I need to find another dr who believes me when I say I don’t feel well and if I am not converting does this mean I need to maybe take a dessicated with T3 and T4? Or would I just take T3 like Cytomel? Thank you again.

[greygoose in reply to Sealsharp1952]

Whether or not you need B12 depends on your result. What was your b12 when it was tested? The B complex might be enough provided it contains methylcobalamin (B12) and not cyaocobalamin. It needs to have methylfolate, too, not folic acid.

Adding synthetic T3 to your levo is the most flexible way of doing it. But, you could also try stopping your levo and traying NDT instead.

[Sealsharp1952 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you again sincerely and my B12was good so now will go further and hope a new dr can help me either with T3 or NDT. Best regards

[Sealsharp1952 in reply to greygoose]

So would you say 16 is low ferritin?

[greygoose in reply to Sealsharp1952]

I would say it's a very, very low ferritin, and needs further investigation by your doctor.

[Sealsharp1952 in reply to greygoose]

Ok thank you

[Sealsharp1952 in reply to greygoose]

I also am having a hard time losing wetland have a stomach is this normal for Hashimoto’s and being 68?

[Sealsharp1952 in reply to greygoose]

Sorry meant losing weight

[greygoose in reply to Sealsharp1952]

I understood.

[shaws Administrator]

Never accept 'normal' with regard to thyroid hormones. We need 'optimal' which means a TSH of 1 or lower with both Free T4 and Free T3 in the upper part of the ranges (not 'somewhere' in the range).

We also need vitamins/minerals to also be optimal.

[Sealsharp1952 in reply to shaws]

Thank you