I'm hoping someone can give me some insight on my thyroid labs. I will list the results below..I know the numbers are off, but I don't know what I should take to fix them. My LLMD is quite good, but he's not a thyroid expert.
Here is a little background info first:
I tried a very small dose of Armour thyroid a while back, and it made me feel worse. It exacerbated a lot of my symptoms and made me a bit more jittery, so I stopped that (took for probably a week or less).
I recently tried taking half of a very small dose of Cytomel (T3 only) in the morning. I started almost 3 weeks ago give or take. I really felt it was making a positive difference and was quite pleased (I experienced more energy, felt a little more like myself, better attitude, able to do more than usual, etc.).
However, during the last week or so I've noticed my hair is coming out terribly!!! I'm so upset, as I just got my hair looking really good again(from taking very good supps and good diet, etc.)
I've had intermittent trouble with hair loss since I became sick, so I am SO HAPPY to have good hair again. It makes me crazy that it's coming out so badly again.
Also, I think the Cytomel seemed to induce early PMS this monthly, with very severe symptoms (my PMS is usually very bad, but it was worse this month). I felt very bloated and swollen, breasts swollen and painful, very, very moody, feeling unstable, etc. Thankfully I got my period today, it's definitely early though.
I was hopeful about the Cytomel and thought it was something that could truly help me, but now I'm scared that it could be hurting me and throwing things off further??
I'm in the process of searching for a real thyroid expert that can help me out, but in the meantime, I'd really love your input.
I would also like to point out that I've been trying to address my adrenals for a long time now. I know some can't tolerate thyroid treatment without adrenal support in place, so I wanted to make sure I mentioned this aspect.
I've been taking a low dose of Cortef for a long time (5 mg. at b-fast and 5 at lunch).. I also take a few other supplements for adrenal support, so I was hoping to be covered there, but who knows. My numbers are below� Thank you in advance for your input!!!
T4, FREE: 1.2 (reference range is 0.8 to 1.8)
T3, FREE: 2.8 (reference range is 2.3 to 4.2)
T3, TOTAL: 64 (LOW) (reference range is 76 to 181)
REVERSE T3, LC/MS/MS: 13 (reference range is 7 to 24)
Posted by OtterJ (Member # 30701) on :
Skies, did you have any pituitary hormones tested?
Posted by skies (Member # 28064) on :
I am not sure. What would those be called on the lab paperwork?
Posted by faithful777 (Member # 22872) on :
Your free T3/4 is better than mine.
It took me a year of low doses of Nature Throid before I could even take cytomel at all. Even then I cut a 5 mg tablet in quarters.
I took pregnenolone and ashwaganda to support my addrenals and they are a lot better now. This took almost a year of supplementing before my hair stopped falling out.
Now I take 3 grains of Nature Throid and cytomel 5 mg 4 times a day.
All this takes time.
Posted by skies (Member # 28064) on :
I also think my adrenals are a lot better now due to the supplements and the Cortef.
Faithful, is Nature Throid the same as Armour? Armour made me feel badly and I had to stop it.
Does your LLMD help you with this, or do you have a separate thyroid doc?
I am quite overwhelmed by it all. What else is new Ugh.
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
Have you tried iodine?
Posted by skies (Member # 28064) on :
Catgirl:
My twice daily multi has 75 mcg of iodine in it..that's probably not enough to make a difference, is it?
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
I'm not sure. We are all different. I took additional 200mcg 3x a day for a week (also took multi vitamins), then 200 mcg per day for a while until I started showing signs of too much (side effects), so I backed off. Now I just take it once a week (200mcg), but it's still in my daily supplements, but in a lower dose.
I also discovered my dhea and prenenolone were low, so I started supplementing with them a few months ago and felt better. I also take adrenal supplements.
I felt better in layers. First I started adrenal supplements. Then dhea an preg and felt better. Then with iodine, even better. And recently calcium/mag (even though my mag levels were normal). This little bit made me feel better too. I'm not sure what exactly did it (combo maybe), but my thyroid no longer hurts, and my levels are back in the normal range.
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
Skies, I forgot to mention that during my quest to fix my thyroid, I would just go off of most of my supplements as it seemed like the more I took the sorer my thyroid got. So now I take a break on the supplements (usually once a week I take nothing but some ala, nac, C, D and adrenal support).
Posted by OtterJ (Member # 30701) on :
The pituitary works in conjunction with all of the major glands like the adrenals. It provides continuous feedback to the adrenals in a kind of loop system. It the adrenals aren't making enough cortisol, the pituitary sends out more adrenal stimulating hormone. If your pituitary isn't working well, The adrenals won't respond. The lab is a blood draw with the pituitary hormones being checked. You want to focus on Thyroid Stimulating Hormone or TSH. The same loop system works on the thyroid.
Posted by skies (Member # 28064) on :
Thanks for the input guys.
Catgirl:
It looks like they did a couple blood tests for things like DHEA, etc.:
Dihydrotestosterone: 8 --range is 5-46
Sex hormone binding globulin: 67 --range is 17-124
DHEA Sulfate: 104 --range is 40 to 325
Progesterone: <0.5 ng/ml... No range or anything listed
Estradiol: 170--range is 64 to 357
Testosterone, free and total LC/MS/MS: 21--range is 2-45
Free testosterone: 1.9--range is 0.1. to 6.4 pg/ml
Does any of this mean anything to anybody?
Thanks again.
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
No, it doesn't mean much to me, but I'm no doc. However, it doesn't look like you were tested for pregnenolone. Your pcp can run it. Pregnenolone is the mother of everything (my lyme doc missed it).
I forgot to mention this and it's important, I also got my amalgams out. Mercury messes with the thyroid big time.
Posted by skies (Member # 28064) on :
Unfortunately I don't have a PCP.
I'm actually supposed to start chelation (through my LLMD) shortly. I tested high for lead and somewhat high for mercury.
I have 2 mercury fillings. I'm always torn as to whether it's a bad idea to do chelation while I still have them. The doc didn't seem concerned with them.
I don't know if I have a choice, honestly, I don't have extra $$ to get them taken out, but I'd like to, that's for sure.
Posted by koo (Member # 30462) on :
What was the small dosage of your Armour? Your labs don't look awful, especially if you look at the FT3/reverse ratio...it is over 20.
I agree that it might be worth looking into pituitary (HGH) hormone and even adrenal hormones.
You can supplement with DHEA over the counter, although I did not feel I derived any benefit from it.
Posted by skies (Member # 28064) on :
Koo:
I have to check the bottle when I get home to be sure, but I want to say it was 30 something or other (don't know if they use mg or mcg)..
Is that a low dose?
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
I have high lead too. Lead makes mercury 100x stronger (worse). I tried chelating with them in my mouth. Big mistake, for me at least. It just pulled the metals out of my mouth and re circulated them in my body.
My doc didn't seem concerned about chelating with them in either (I got worse though). I've found most docs simply don't know enough about metals. Dr. K is the only one who has a clue, IMO. All of Gigi's posts on metal are spot on. The woman has it down.
Posted by Catgirl (Member # 31149) on :
Skies, an obgyn can test you for pregnenolone and TSH too.
Posted by skies (Member # 28064) on :
Oops, I forgot to post my TSH above... it is 1.3, and the range is .40 to 4.50...
I'm still having trouble.. I felt so much better on the Cytomel at first, but then all hell seemed to break loose around my period, after being on it for about 3 weeks I just can't stand that the hair loss is so bad, it makes me so upset..I've been extremely emotional and depressed lately too, crying over everything..
I'm trying to find an expert to help me balance thyroid, etc., but I'm not having a lot of luck so far.. The couple of docs that I looked into are so expensive, they're more than my LLMD, so I can't afford to go.
If someone happens to know a really good doc in CT. that can help with thyroid/adrenals/hormones, please be sure to let me know!
Also, any other input on my posts above would be appreciated.. Thanks.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)