Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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  • WWWI2
    Participant
    Post count: 137

    I am aware that TSH lags once ATDs are initiated. However, it seems that when my T4 is normal, my T3 is high and when my T4 is low, my T3 is normal. I know I have to await doctor input on this but how do I know when it’s time to reduce my meds again if my T3 won’t behave?

    Thanks.

    WWWI22

    Bobbi
    Participant
    Post count: 1324

    No idea. And, since the T3 is the form of hormone used in the body’s cells (T4 must be converted to T3), having elevated levels of T3 isn’t good.

    vanillasky
    Participant
    Post count: 339

    I have been told there are other thyroid pills that help convert T4 to T3 or contain Armour, (pig thyroid) but my doctors don’t feel it’s safe. What about Cytomel?

    Bobbi
    Participant
    Post count: 1324

    Think about it: at least from my understanding of what you wrote, your T3 levels are consistently higher than they should be RELATIVE to T4. So, why in the world would you want to switch replacement products to add more T3? I’m not understanding your question at all perhaps.

    WWWI2
    Participant
    Post count: 137

    Today I met with a new endo. Unlike the first one, the first question I asked was “Have you ever successfully treated someone with Grave’s?” Bottom line is he has treated many, over many many years in practice. So whether he’s any good I don’t know but he’s certainly ahead of the last one.

    It also turns out that the previous doctor was testing my total T3 and not my free T3 which he explained gives a squewed picture of what’s really going on. Not sure what that means but going to google to find out. This doctor didn’t seem concerned that the t4 and t3 are out of whack.

    Kind of an interesting twist tho.. He’s going to keep me at 15 mg Methimazol but he’s adding .02 mc? mg? of Levothroid to the mix. Something about Methimazol bringing my levels down and with managing levels is like trying to move a mountain and therefore controlling the levels by using levothroid to help regulate things. I’m not sure if this is what they mean by the block and replace method or not. Gonna google that too.

    Not sure how the above will work, but considering I have been absolutely terrified that he was going to once again drop the Methimazol, considering how incredibly badly it was handled by my previous doctor (Dropped from 20 mg to 10 mg and when I called to tell him that I’d gone hyper again and was in horrible pain, the levels were confirmed by the tests, he told me he never told me to go to 10 (liar – Like I’d drop to 10 all on my own), to go up to 15 mg and since I wasn’t seeing him for another 6 weeks, to go see my Primary care doc if I was having any problems, which I was) I’m glad I dont’ have to drop again. I’m almost phobic about it at the moment.

    So anyone ever heard of adding levothroid to the mix?

    WWWI2
    Participant
    Post count: 137

    I should probably add that as of last week, my T3 (apparently total t3) is within normal range (although it sounds like that may not be good information since it’s not free t3) and my t4 is low.

    Bobbi
    Participant
    Post count: 1324

    Free vs not free…. Thyroid hormone can be tied to other molecules in the blood — or it can be untied, i.e. “free.” When the hormone molecule is bound up with something else (like iron, for example), it is not used in cell metabolism. Only the free hormone gets used in cell metabolism. At least that is my “amateur” take on the readings that I have done on the subject. So, knowing total T3 levels is not quite as helpful as knowing Free T3 levels, because that is the hormone available for the cells to actually use.

    WWWI2
    Participant
    Post count: 137

    Bobbi,

    It’s amazing how much I learn here! That helps me understand the difference really well :)

    Thankyou!

    WWWI

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