[jenm05]

#1059925

I’ve been anxious about this first set of tests since diagnoses. It looked like my liver and WBC were tests came back good. If my endo suggests at my appt next week that we increase the methimazole to get the TSH moving…wouldn’t it throw my FT4 into Hypo? I just want to make sure I am correctly understanding the results. ***I know you are not doctors***

Diagnoses 2/22/13 (started meds 3/1):
TSH <0.01 (0.35 - 4.00) uIU/mL
T4 FREE 1.7 (0.8 – 1.5) ng/dL

5/1/13:
TSH <0.01 (0.35 - 4.00) uIU/mL
T4 FREE 0.8 (0.8 – 1.5) ng/dL
T3 (“TOTAL”) 92 (58 – 159) ng/dL
TPO AB 100.1 <5.6 IU/mL

[Ellen_B]

#1178800

It is hard to second guess what the doctor will do. You are right I am not a doctor. How much methimazole are you on now? It can take time for the thyroid hormones to go down. It is my understanding that our thyroid has stored thyroid hormones. It takes 4- 6 weeks to get rid of these stored hormones. After that one can find out what the methimazole can do without any interference. I guess you will have to get the answer from your doctor as to whether more Tapazole is needed.
Remember also it takes time for your pituitary to get going again because it has been suppressed so long with the high thyroid levels. Your doctor will know if it is time to look at the TSH test or whether he should look at the FT4 and T3 tests instead.
Whatever the case your doctor should test you at the right intervals to make sure you are not too long on too high a dose. He should make sure you do not remain hypo for any length of time. Be sure to let your doctor when you develop any of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. If you do become hypo I have heard other patients say that the hypothyroid side affects went way in about a week after stopping the tapazole.
Let us know things go.
Ellen

[emmtee]

#1178801

Don’t worry about it. Your blood test results look great for being on your medication for such a short time. Your doctor won’t change your dose based on TSH this early. It can take a really long time for TSH to catch up with T3 and T4.

When I first started on methimazole, it took 4 months and 2 dosage increases for my T3 and T4 to get into the normal range, but in all that time my TSH didn’t budge. Then, my pituitary gland suddenly woke up and I went hypo. The normal TSH range for my lab is .45 to 4.5, and mine went from <.006 to 12.7 in 5 1/2 weeks. My endo decreased my dosage twice, but I kept getting more hypo. My TSH was 64.96 when my endo finally took me off the methimazole completely. At my next blood test 7 weeks later, I was hyper again - right about where I started, with TSH back down to <.006. I've been back on methimazole at a much lower dosage for almost 7 months now. My T3 and T4 have been normal since December, but my TSH didn't even budge until March, and even then it was still low (.014). I just had another blood test on Monday and don't have the results yet, but as of March, I had been diagnosed for 17 months and had yet to ever have a normal TSH.

[Harpy]

#1178802

With your FT4 at the bottom of it’s range, it really can’t afford to go any lower.

Regarding TSH it all varies, some have had it return to normal in as little as three months, some like my partner didn’t have it return for a full 5 years, she was a stubborn one.
Her symptoms stabilised within 6 months and then it was just a waiting game, the endo said her TSH would not return after the first 18 months, well the Endo was wrong, her TSH, FT3 & FT4 have all been normal for over 12 months now and she is weaning down meds to go into remission soon.
The antibodies are a more important predictor for when TSH will return to normal and one is approaching remission.

It is important to not go into Hypo range, there is nothing to be gained by aggravating your symptoms, the important thing is it can’t be forced, as with with Emmtee’s example, you can force it up with excessive medication, but it will not stay there when you reduce the meds.

[jenm05]

#1178803

Thanks all for taking time to respond. I saw the endo today. He decreased dosage from 20 mg to 10 mg due to the FT4 being so low and I’ll redo blood tests in 6 weeks. So far, the process has gone in line with what I have researched and feel it should go so I’m not sure why I seem to gear up for the opposite.

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