I had posted about my .22 TSH level recently and that the doctor was concerned it was too low even though I am hypo symptomatic - she is also concerned about oesteoporosis. Responses to this gave me some real insight, particuarly with the links from Dr. Toft, which I read and also 'Grey's' comments.
Dr. called me today to talk about what to do. She gave me my levels of Free T4 as 19.3 in a lab range of 9.5-21.5. She believes this to be too high, although I said that I have hypo symptoms, which she is aware of. She told me the lab do not do T3 testing - well what do you know! lol. Apparently their TSH test range is .3-1.5.
She has asked if I would do alternate days onf 100/125 mcgs of Levo instead of daily 125mcgs and have another blood test in June to see what the results are then.
She seemed reasonably open to what I had to say and that I was a member of Thyroid UK, but she seems very stuck with this bone thinning and fractures and as I can't get a test for T3, I do not know whether this is too high, but logically I don't see how it can be, as I have symptoms of hypo not hyper.
Thank you for any advice you can give. It is appreciated.
Best wishes
Heather
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Heather77
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This is part of an excerpt from a study and if you go to page 6 and read the penultimate part of this. I was unable to copy so could only type this part:-
(9) “Keeping both the FT4 and FT3 levels at the high end of their normal ranges will cause osteoporosis.”This concern was merited 30-50 years ago when much higher doses of thyroid hormone were used in the treatment of most cases of hypothyroidism This author, however,has not observed this complication in over 19years of his more aggressive approaches to treatment. In fact, his treatment-optimized-hypothyroid osteopororic patients' bone density scans not only dont deteriorate from one year to the next but almost invariably improve by statistically .......without the use of any other drugs........
The most important thing is how you feel not what the numbers are. Taking any sort of thyroxine can supress the TSH and it is NOT dangerous, is unlikely to cause heart or bone problems, however not taking enough medication can result in much worse problems.
Hi If at all possible,I would pay for a Free T3 test.Your T4 is a bit high, but you may need less T4 and some T3,to feel well.Impossible to tell without the test. sometimes, the body does not convert the T4 to free T3 as it should.
I hope that helps. It is also dangerous, for lots of reasons to be under medicated.
You need to press "reply to this" if sending a question/statement back to someone other wise we do not get the post unless trawl. I use Blue Horizon, thyroid UK site or main site, thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/te Quote TUK 10 for a discount. I pay £61 for TSH, T4 and Free T3. I like all 3 but I think you can get just FT3. I use them as the same Lab really as all the private hospitals use so all docs know them ,for treatment on the results. Some can be a bit funny! They are very quick, do not post Thurs to Sun because of rotten postal service. Results, very quick.on line to you. ( with ranges). They are also checked by their Harley st. doc ,so anything very odd, they tell you.they did me!
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