Test results, Hashimoto's, Feeling better with less NDT?

[Geography1]

Hi, I need help deciphering test results please, this are my latest results:

TSH 7.16 mIU/L range 0.40-4.50

T4 Total 6.1 mcg/dl range 5.9-11.9

T4 Free 1.1 ng/dl range 0.8-1.8

T3 Free 2.9 pg/ml range 2.3-4.2

T3 Total 101ng/dl range 76-181

Thyroglobulin antibodies 28 Reference Range: < or = 1 IU/mL

Thyroid peroxidase antibodies 183 Reference Range: <9 IU/mL

That was on Tuesday June 2nd, the Friday before that I was in the hospital with anxiety and numbness in my hands, had scans done, checked heart, blood, etc, they said I had compression in nerves on my spine and anxiety attack and near syncope. they tested my TSH on that day and it was 2.550 uIU/mL, six weeks before was 4.5, I have been on 1/2 a grain (30mg) of NP thyroid since January this year, I felt great first 4 months then starting feeling anxious, they increased my dose to 45mg to try, that made me feel bad, so I kept it at 30mg, dr said was ok, then after that hospital visit I felt like lowering my dose to 15mg, felt better, now I'm lowering it to half of that, and I do feel better, I m getting hot flashes, which I had never gotten, Doctor referred me to a endo, which I wont see till August 16th. I think I am feeling a lot better on this super low dose, my anxiety has gone down a lot, oh I also Fainted at the Dr. office the day they drew my blood, I had my hear checked and it was ok, I am just a bit lost, I was lucky enough to find a DR here in the USA that would prescribe me NDT and treat me before reaching a TSH of 10, now I got to see the endo, from my test results, what should I do? keep taking the low dose? I do feel better, and I also have this results from January:

Ferritin 28 Reference Range: 16-232 ng/mL

Vitamin D I know I am in the lower range, this was from Jan 2020

Vitamin Total27.7 ng/mL Ref Range>29 ng/mL

My antibodies have gone down since starting thyroid therapy and going gluten free, the only thing that keeps fluctuating its the TSH and my anxiety, but overall I do feel better, especially now that I lowered my dose.

Please advice on what to ask my new endo, which tests, and should I supplement vitamin d?, magnesium?, I have calcification tendonitis and joint pain, help pls, Doctors here get upset when you ask any questions, it is unbearable.

Thanks in advance

Jaya

[shaws Administrator]

If you feel better with less NDT, then that's the dose for you.

Before blood tests were introduced, NDT was the only replacement of thyroid hormones. There were no blood tests then and dose was adjusted up/down according to how we, the patient, felt. If well we stayed on that dose.

The TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) will give different results if our dose is adjusted (up or down). It will also vary if we get blood drawn at different times during the day.

The main question is 'How do you feel on your present dose'?

The endo should be able to advise you as he should be the knowledgeable expert in how to help you recover your health.

[Geography1 in reply to shaws]

Good day, thank you for the reply Shaws, I do feel better with less, I did feel good at the beginning with more, but not now, I really hope the Endo can help, my GP would not treat me, even tho she knew I miserable, just wanted to give me anxiety meds, not even after fainting one time during my monthly, that is how I fount this Gyno that helped me, I think my temperature ha increased, I can sleep better, my mood swings got better, but anxiety was swinging, feel less anxious with less, only thing is my muscles and joints hurt and I have calcific tendinitis in my shoulder, which is extremely painful, I found some articles saying it could be related to the thyroid.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Geography1]

You are correct in that the condition can be connected to hypothyroidism. Excerpt:

A retrospective, observational cohort study of 102 consecutive patients (125 shoulders) with calcific tendinitis is presented. Of the patients, 73 (71.6%) were women and 29 (28.4%) were men. Compared with population prevalences, significant levels of endocrine disorders were found. We compared 66 patients (62 women [93.9%] and 4 men [6.1%]; mean age, 50.3 years) (81 shoulders) with associated endocrine disease with 36 patients (11 women [30.6%] and 25 men [69.4%]); mean age, 52.4 years) (44 shoulders) without endocrine disease. The endocrine cohort was significantly younger than the non-endocrine cohort when symptoms started (mean, 40.9 years and 46.9 years, respectively), had significantly longer natural histories (mean, 79.7 months compared with 47.1 months), and had a significantly higher proportion who underwent operative treatment (46.9% compared with 22.7%). Disorders of thyroid and estrogen metabolism may contribute to calcific tendinitis etiology. Classifying calcific tendinitis into type I (idiopathic) and type II (secondary or endocrine-related) aids prognosis and management.

researchgate.net/publicatio...

I hope you can consult with a specialist about this condition.

[Geography1 in reply to shaws]

Thank you, yes, I have a follow up appointment with an orthopedic doctor, he did an X-ray and an ultrasound, now we will discuss what is next, I will be bringing up the question of relation to thyroid, he is older generation so I hope he has some knowledge of it.