bloods yo yo again!

[smudgerthepainter]

Does anyone else have this problem? every timeI get my T3/t4 values up and start to feel well the Gp says i'm over replaced and reduces my dose to get my TSH up. Once again having reduced my T4 /t3 meds to improve my TSH value I have put on 3lbs in 2 weeks and I live in fear of sliding into crippling depression again.

My tsh has gone up from 0.02 to 0.19 but my t4 has crashed from 15.8 to 5.1 and my t3 has gone from 5.3 to 2.8. My ferritin iron levels have also plummeted from 46 to a dismal 23. How can I improve the figures and my metabolism! Is Iron supplementation the only way forward or am I missing some other significant factor in the t4- t3 conversion chain? If I just use T3 for the time being so my cells actually have something to metabolise how much should I use 10mcg 20mcg or 30mcg daily, split at 4 hourly intervals?

Suggestions please.

[Hidden]

Your doc is being silly and he doesn't understand how it works..... when you have enough thyroid meds, the TSH doesn't need to rise as it doesn't need to stimulate your thyroid to make more hormones.....

Go back to level of meds at which you felt ok, and if he queries it and tries to take it down look him in the eye, tell him that your T3 and T4 are within range and you feel fine and that when /if the t3 and t4 go out of range you will consider a change in meds.

He will harp on about the low tsh causing heart and bone problems.... ask him for the scientific evidence for this (there isn't any).

I have read somewhere about excessive t3 causing problems with bone loss, but this is the sort of excessive t3 you get with graves however the docs ger very confused.

Nel.

[nanniejan]

I have been to endo today and my blood results are TSH 0.07 T3 4.9 and T4 13.8 , He did not like my TSH and he wanted to take away my T3 , but because I feel ok he said he will leave it as I have to get a machine for sleep apneoa that he said will make me feel better and will see me again in 6 mths to see how I am then .

So don't let them change your meds if you feel well .

Jan Xx

[Poppy03]

endocrinology.org/press/pre...

print this off and go back to your Dr. If you were feeling well enough on the higher dose this should sort him out. Did he change both your doses? How can he say that your T3 now is in range? Drives me crazy!

[Muffy]

Hi,

Do you take your meds the day of your blood tests, if so don't. The T3 in particular pushes the TSH down. I give mine a couple of days before the blood test and then take them again after the test .

Has your GP ever told you not to take your meds on day of blood test?

Also, you could show him The British Medical Association FAmily Doctor Guide to Thyroid Disorders, by Dr. Anthony Toft. In the paragraph, Thyroid Blood Tests, Dr. Toft states that, " Typical results would be FT4 24 pmol/l and TSH of 0.2. In some patients a sense of well-being is achieved only when FT4 is raised, e.g. 30 pmol/l and TSH is low or undetectable. In this circumstance, it is essential that the T3 level in the blood is unequivocally normal in order to avoid hyperthyroidism."

I believe that Dr. Toft used to a former physician to the Queen when she was in Scotland!

[smudgerthepainter in reply to Muffy]

I NEVER take meds the day of a test and could not believe the endos comments to my GP last year " Take meds BEFORE your test". That will just create a false high! Isn't that like askinga diabetic to scoff choc just before a test!!

Will be checking out Tofts info though thanks

[smudgerthepainter]

Forgot I even had Tofts book tucked away with all my other Thyroid stuff. Thanks for the prompt. Have reread it and reminded myself of other useful stuff. Thanks.

Now how to handle GP when they phone to discuss my results?