New blood results are confusing - what to do?

[wiseoldwoman]

Hello people, please could you advise what I should do as the Medichecks thyroid results (finger prick 9 Jan) are showing TSH 0.005(0.27-4.2) FT3 5.8(3.1-6.8) FT4 18.1(12-22) Thyroglob antibodies 16.1(0-115) Thyroid Perox antibodies 9.2(0-34). Previous Genova test in september 23 showed TSH 3.27(0.40-2.50), FT4 9.27(7.86-14.41), FT3 4.0(3.8-6.0).

Began Armour after Genova result september on half grain working up half grain every 2 weeks until end November on 2 and a half grain. After about 5 days on this dose, ankles and feet swollen (only part of me that is usually tiny!) lasted about 3 weeks 🤷‍♀️now slight swelling only. After about 10 days on 2 and half grain, heart thudding especially night-time and day-time often can feel heart beating which is unusual for me. Also really horrible nervous tummy spasms almost like really strong 'butterflies' before waiting to do something disliked or feared.

Began Holy Basil mid December as I thought all this was due to high cortisol so adrenals needing support. I did see GP about cortisol but was told I had no Cushings symptoms and we needed cortisol and she had never heard of saliva testing... No real improvement in feeling anxious and jittery so finally worked out it must be over-medication of ndt...???? anyway reduced back to 2 grain about 10 days ago and heart thuds bit less but nervy symptoms still happening. Seems Medichecks confirming incorrect dosage?

Still Hypo symptoms of low energy/mood, dry itchy skin, cold extremities, stiff/achey but try to walk about 30 minutes daily (not so much in snow!) and I am less totally exhausted but not well really. Lost about 5lbs during first month on Armour, now at a plateau, overweight by at least 20lbs.

Sorry to be so long to get to the questions: did I go too quick and too much on Armour? Is something else an undiscovered as yet problem?! (Urine iodine test Dec was 99(100-199)What should I do? Have not taken any since yesterday mid-morning (I split dose with around 5am and noon) and do not know if I should have a day off so to speak and take one or one and a half grain going forward? Any advice/comments very gratefully received!

[PurpleNails Administrator]

Can you please clarify what dose pattern you had had leading up to test.

ie date / dose level.

Had you been on a single continuous dose at least 6 weeks prior to test?

As it reads you altered dose quite quickly based on symptoms which can sometime result in confused results. (As your system is still settling & finding an unadjusted final level)

[wiseoldwoman in reply to PurpleNails]

Hi PurpleNails, thank you for replying. Dates/Doses as follows: 26/9 half grain, 4/10 one grain, 11/10 one and quarter grain, 21/10 one and half grain, 4/11 two grains, 27/11 two and a half grains until 9 January when I reduced to 2 grains. Test done 9 January before meds following fasting etc protocols. So I was on two and a half for 6 weeks but as you suggest, maybe had raised too quickly prior? Felt pretty rough on that dose after about 10 days but put it down to high cortisol as temperature still low although raised from average of 34.8 to average 35.6 over the past 4 months... low BP is normal for me, usually average 110/72 P70 altho it got to 120/89 P65 at 03.00 when I had an especially strong thudding happening!

Do you think my ft4 is converting properly to ft3? Am confused as my symptoms are not lessening really.

[pennyannie]

Hello Wiseoldwoman ;

I read that if and when you get to 2 grains - hold that dose for 6-8 weeks so to allow it to bed in - and then take a blood test to compare with bench mark readings.

So if we compare blood tests alone - you ' look ' to be much improved - I wonder if this was all a bit too quick for you ?

Are you ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D up and maintained at optimal levels ?

I suggest dropping back to 2 grains and see how that suits you in around 6-8 weeks time :

I went up in 1/4 grains rather than 1/2s -

did you track on your resting pulse, blood pressure and temperature twice daily - am and pm - any changes in these ?

What were you taking previously in the way of thyroid hormone replacement - do you have a diagnosis of a thyroid health issue -

Sorry - could have looked back -- but just wanted to try and give you some reassurance - and sorry you are feeling so uncomfortable.

[wiseoldwoman in reply to pennyannie]

Hi pennyannie and thank you for replying. Yes the results are improved but symptoms do not seem to be lessening except for not being crushingly lethargic and fatigued hence being able to walk most days... ferritin 322, high according to GP but not to lab figures as SlowDragon very helpfully told me, vit D was 77.7 (over 50 range) but have been spraying better you D+K2 for 2 months, B12 not tested recently but due next week at GP - I do wonder if it is low as symptoms do overlap don't they... BP etc as in reply to PurpleNails. I was diagnosed in 2003 used Armour, moved to France but after a few years they banned it so went on to ThyroGold from Dr Lowe's company, did ok not as well as on porcine but when I moved to Guernsey in 2016 I was told I did not need any thyroid replacement hormone.... leading to wipe-out in March 2020 .... having learned from this forum now I know I should have been receiving treatment as they only test TSH and T4 ... so grateful to have found you all!

Have not taken meds today, will try one and a half (split) tomorrow as the heart pounding and nervy feelings are not really going away.... Thank you for helping x

[pennyannie in reply to wiseoldwoman]

Do you remember what dose of Armour you settled on back in 2003 and were symptoms relieved ?

So you have more energy - not so fatigued - better temperature but some way still to go - but now uncomfortable with symptoms of anxiety and nervousness that sound more like over medication to me - and this frightening thudding in the chest.

I do not split my dose and seem to only need 1 + 1/2 grains NDT which I take at around 2/3.00 am - at a toilet break and easily fall back to sleep for around 3 hours.

I think you may need to revert back to the dose where you noticed some weight loss -

I know it was't much in the overall scheme of things but a positive clue as to where you appeared to start metabolising and stay there for a month or two - and just see how things pan out.

As for adrenals - I also take adrenal glandular and started these a couple of years prior to switching to NDT as I read these also take up RAI which I was treated with back in 2005 for Graves Disease - so presume I'm now without a thyroid and with collateral damage throughout my body.

[wiseoldwoman in reply to pennyannie]

I don't remember sadly! Thank you for the good advice... the high cortisol seems to be result of zero treatment for the past 7 years. Sorry you have your issues too, sometimes it is hard to keep going without support from the so-called health service. I have small bruises on my ankle bones since the swelling which feel sore, so weird but am trying to ignore all these things and hope when my thyroid meds intake gets optimal everything will go away🙄😂