New Thyroid Lab Results as % of Reference Range — comments please

[Joyya]

I just ran my new labs through a thyroid calculator and I am meeting with my doctor tomorrow morning.

I would like to increase my Cytomel by taking 1/ 4 of 25 mcg pill 3 times per day, rather than adding an extra 5 mcg Cytomel (currently taking 2 ) while keeping Synthroid the same, at 0.75 mcg.

Note added:instead of asking the doctor to increase my Cytomel by 5 mcg (1 more pill) = 15 mcg (I am currently taking 2 x 5 mcg = 10 mcg) to ask him instead to increase to 3 x 1/4 of a 25mcg Cytomel = 18.75 mcg. The difference between those is an extra 3.75 mcg (total difference is 8.75 mcg more).

On what basis can I best ask for this (and should I)?

Thanks

[radd]

Joyya,

Your results are good and the effectiveness of these levels will improve as your iron levels raise. If you raise dose you risk missing your sweet-spot and too much can prove as negative as too little. You also risk lowering TSH further which is something you have indicated concern about.

Deiodinases (D1, D2, D3) are enzymes that activate/deactivate thyroid hormones that are influenced by each other (although can have independent activity), but also by the levels of thyroid hormones. Adding T3 meds improves deiodinase behaviours so the amount of FT3 you end up with is often more than the amount you have added.

'Frees’ can even increase without a dose raise as over weeks/months other systems re-regulate. If these were my results I would leave alone, concentrate on raising iron, prepare for a wait and reassess in 4-6 months. 

Have you read any of Tania Smiths blogs on ...

Deiodinases -

thyroidpatients.ca/2021/02/...

T3 suppresses TSH -

thyroidpatients.ca/2019/09/...

[Joyya in reply to radd]

Thank you! This makes sense and I think my doctor would be more comfortable with that anyway.

Yes, the "interview" with Utiger really helps. I see that a very small increase in T3 can really overshoot the mark.





[Lisajane747]

Wow where do you get a thyroid calculator please, I have the last 24 years looking at books to interpretation of thyroid results

[radd in reply to Lisajane747]

Lisajane747,

Here. .... thyroidcalculators.com/calc...

And there is also the 'Dopiaza' calculator made by a members kindly husband who then named it after his favourite curry 🤣, pinned on the forums front page here .. .. thyroid.dopiaza.org/

[Imaaan in reply to radd]

Hi Radd,

My brain is away on break and I'm hoping you can help. I plugged in my numbers on both links and there is a discrepancy between the free t3 results. I'll post a screenshot of the two. The question is which is right??? By any chance do you know how to do the % calculation without the links???

48% Free t3

[Imaaan in reply to radd]

Free t3

55.17% Free t3

[radd in reply to Imaaan]

Imaaan,

Gosh, you had me freaked out then 🤣 ..... but when I did it, FT3 came out the same at 48%, so not sure what you did 😁.

And then for good measure as you asked, if   ….  x = (c- b) ÷ (a- b) x 100

a = top of range

b  = bottom of range

c = lab value

x = % through range

So for your FT3 results ….  

FT3 4.6 (3.4 -5.9) = 48% through range

(4.6 - 3.4) ÷ (5.9 - 3.4) x 100 = % through range 

(1.2 ÷ 2.5) x 100 = 48% through range

[Imaaan in reply to radd]

Sorry didn't mean to freak you out..lol Hopefully it wasn't because I put you on the spot. Thanks for coming to my rescue. I redid it and both results were the same. Not sure why there was a discrepancy before since I plugged in the exact numbers now as before. Also appreciate you breaking down the mathematical equation for me.

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods and I hope you enjoy the rest of your Thursday.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Lisajane747]

Lisajane747, We have a list of pinned posts (usually on the right of the screen unless you're on a phone). A thyroid percentage calculator post can be found in that list. Here's a direct link to the post healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Lisajane747 in reply to RedApple]

Thanks that's perfect

[Lisajane747]

Perfect thank you

[greygoose]

Joyya, a quarter of a 25 mcg pill is 6.25 mcg, not 3.75.

[Joyya in reply to greygoose]

Sorry, what I meant was, instead of asking the doctor to increase my Cytomel by 5 mcg (1 more pill) = 15 mcg (I am currently taking 2 x 5 mcg = 10 mcg) to ask him instead to increase to 3 x 1/4 of a 25mcg Cytomel = 18.75 mcg. The difference between those is an extra 3.75 mcg (total difference is 8.75 mcg more).

[greygoose in reply to Joyya]

Ah, ok! Compicated! lol

[Joyya in reply to greygoose]

Yeah, sorry.

I think from what Radd wrote above, that even taking 1/2 a 25 mcg Cytomel per day divided in 3 doses (which is an extra 2.5 mcg more from what I am taking now) may overshoot the mark.

[greygoose in reply to Joyya]

Could be. But, there are some people that do need much higher levels of T3. But, maybe give it more time before increasing.

[Joyya in reply to greygoose]

that's what I will suggest to my doctor this morning. Hopefully he won't want to reduce it due to the TSH, but he has a few academic papers now (thanks to tattybogle) to support continuing as is.

[Joyya]

I just posted an update under subject "Post MD meeting - thank you for your support!"