LOW TSH AND NORMAL TO HIGH T4,T3

[GSKED]

I AM A 37 YR OLD MAN AND  WAS DIAGNOSED WITH GRAVES 7 YRS AGO,I RECIEVED RADIACTIVE IODINE TO KILL MY THYROID.I HAVE BEEN ON LEVOXYL EVER SINCE. THE DOSE I AM ON IS 150MCGS I WEIGH ABOUT 190 LBS , MY LABS ARE TSH 0.555 AND T4 TOTAL 9.5 T3 UPTAKE 34.08.LATETLY I FEEL VERY TIRED AND I AM GAINING WEIGHT.HARD TO REMEMBER LITTLE THINGS,I FEEL MY FACE IS GETTING PUFFY.I FEEL HYPO,BUT THATS NOT WHAT MY TSH SAYS.WILL SWITCHING MEDS HELP?
I JUST WANT TO FEEL OK AGAIN..

[roro57]

A related discussion, Movement disorders was started.

[GSKED]

HAS ANYONE TAKEN ANY OF THE SUPPLEMNTS OFFERED ON THIS WEB SIGHT ? MAYBE I CAN TAKE SOMETHING WITHOUT HAVING TO INCREASE MY DOSE..

[Chocobabe]

Hi. Wanted to tell you that my previous doc kept dosing me by the TSH as well. When I switched docs due to moving, and switched to Armour, this new doc stopped dosing me by the TSH.  She looks at my free T3 mostly, which she keeps at the top of the range. She has explained to me that dosing by the TSH was leaving all of her patients with hypo symptoms like the ones you are still having!

[Ussie]

I agree, the tests Ft4 and Ft3 are the best and need to be in the upper 1/3 of the range. In this range your symptoms should diminish.

[nelsonchatham]

If I were you, I would ask the doctor to run the more updated tests which show the actual thyroid hormone available for use by your body:  Free T4 and Free T3.  I understand it is best to have these in the upper 1/3 of the range to avoid having hypo symptoms like you are reporting.  Also, you might want to think about adding T3 to your protocol to enhance mood and aid cognitive function since that has been shown to help those hypothyroid symptoms.  

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

The TSH is in the target range -  there may be some benefit in trying a t4/t3 combo treatment (ie levoxyl + cytomel) or armour thyroid.  Switching to another brand of T4 is unlikely to help. If your are otherwise healthy, bringing the TSH to 0.2-0.5 could be tried as well.  Also ask your doc to look into other causes of your symptoms -- too often, patients assume that any problem stems from the thyroid.