Rt3 rears it's ugly head! Please advise!

[Alittleblues]

To compare, labs from Feb:

                       Range
Ft3  4.0          2.0-4.4  pg/ml
Rt3 10.0        9.2-24.1 ng/dL
Ft4 .80          .78-2.19 ng/dL           low
TSH. .02         .465 - 4.68 uIU/ml
tot. iron  55   30-170  ug/dL
TIBC  284       265-497  ug/dL
% sat  19        20-50%                    low
Ferritin  51.4  (no range given)
Vitamin D  32.3    30-100


April labs: Taken 14 hours after last Armour dose

Ft3  5.1           2.0-4.4 pg/ml        high
Rt3  33.1        9.2-24.1 ng/dL      high
Ft4  1.53        .78-2.19 ng/dL
no TSH on this lab
tot. iron 52      30-170  ug/dL
TIBC 288        265-497  ug/dL
% sat.  18       20-50%                  low
Ferritin 87.0  (no range given)
Vitamin B12 1000.00    239-931 pg/mL  high
Vitamin D2 <1.0       ng/mL
Vitamin D3 106       32-100 ng/mL     high
Endomysial antibody Iga      negative
t-transglutaminase tTg IgG    9 positive


t-Transglutimanase IgA         10 positive

Due to the high Ft3 and suppressed TSH from Feb., my doctor asked me to reduce my Armour by a 1/4 grain before we had RT3 results. He told me there was really no specific way to treat it, but I know from STTM there are. He said if my cortisol saliva test shows a problem we can treat that. I take the saliva test next week and will have results two weeks later.

Ferritin and Vitamin D increases are from supplementing: 2 TBS Black-strap molasses and 10,000 IU Vitamin D3 daily for two months. I reduced Vitamin D to 3000 five days ago.

Please advise from what you see here. I'm not sure what to do next. Should I call my Dr? My next appointment is in November.

Thank you sincerely.

[goolarra]

Yes, I think you have it.

We had a real deep freeze before the holidays, but it's pretty mild now.  Thanks, I'm well.

Happy New Year!

[Alittleblues]

weird. I sent you a reply but it isn't listed here. I agree, I don't think I need a supplement, but I wanted to know for myself how he figured it out. It was 50mgs. so the division/multiplication gives me: 75686. Is that and excretion of 76%? Seriously, you don't want me doing math. :-)


I do the skin patch text now and then but it all disappears in 12 hours. Not sure how reliable that is but I figure the little amount of iodine I get from the patch test can't hurt.

Hope you are well and have no issues with harsh winter!

[goolarra]

I don't know a thing about iodine testing, but I did just find this:

"The percentage excretion is calculated by dividing the patient's mg/24-hour iodine results by the oral iodine/iodide dosage (mg) provided on the requisition form by the practitioner, then multiplied by 100."

So, I guess you divide 38293 by the mg of iodine you take and multiply that by 100 to get the percentage.

As I said, I know nothing about these tests, but I would think one would have to infer that you might not need to supplement???

[Alittleblues]

Hello! How are you this wonderful holiday season? :-)

I did a 24 hour iodine test a couple weeks ago, but my dr's office didn't give me an excretion percent. I'm not concerned with the high numbers since I took iodine tablets, but how to figure out excretion. He said it's normal but I would like to understand how to he came to that. Do you have any idea how to figure this?

results from the lab:

Iodine, Urine   15317.2   High    range is 28.0 - 544.0 ug/L    LC

Iodine, 24 HR U   38293.0    High    range is 100.0 - 460.0  ug/24 hr     LC      Limit of quantitation = 20

Thanks

[Alittleblues]

Yes, my plan is to take an iron supplement two to three times a week and one Hallmark movie a day. :-)

[goolarra]

They look great!

You might not want to stop the iron completely.  Don't forget that these labs reflect your supplement.  If your diet hasn't changed, you probably still need the iron.  I might cut back a little, but maybe not cut out???

6.0 as upper limit of range IS scary...

[Alittleblues]

Hey, I just went out to the mailbox and found these waiting! Still have to do the iodine loading test and lipid panel but here are the Nov labs so far:

Ft3 4.8   range 2.3 - 4.2
Ft4  1.4  range .7 -1.8
TSH .01  range .38-6.0  (6.0 as the top of the range; scary!)
My liver function tests have improved.

Ferritin 122 (up from 89) range 10-200
TIBC 299  range 250-450
saturation 40! (was 18!) range 15-50
unbound iron 180 no range given
iron  119  range 35-145

I quit taking 65mg iron pills a couple weeks back but wonder if I should take them every other day as a maintenance dose. I'm shocked the saturation went up so far. I have never seen it above 19.

I'll be curious what triglycerides and cholesterol will be when I get the lipid panel.

So, do these numbers look good or what?  :-)

[Alittleblues]

Thanks for tip! I may see if I can get one for home. I have heard of using it to check for drops upon rising too.

I have always had healthy blood pressure so two high takes in two months is alarming. I like the idea of checking for a few days before, because I know if I start worrying it really will go up at the drs.

I really enjoy being able to write to you. Thanks

[goolarra]

I have one of those home monitors.  They're not horribly expensive, but you want to get one that fits on your upper arm, not one that you put on your wrist.  My BP was always higher at the doctor's office...white coat syndrome...your BP goes up the minute you see a cuff coming at you or you think you might have to fight them not to lower your meds.  LOL  Anyway, my BP is never high at home, in fact, it's quite low at some times of day.  Before I have a doctor's appointment, I usually check my BP for several days and bring the results with me.  Strangely enough, this has almost cured my white coat syndrome.  

Work into it slowly.  You'll bounce back.

[Alittleblues]

Happy to let you know how its going! Drs office called me and said Ft3 is high but it's transient. Not sure what that means exactly but the woman who called me didn't seem concerned. They said everything else was normal. I still need to look at the labs myself.

No, I don't take my BP at home. It has never been high at the drs office until the last two times. I said in an earlier post that I have suffered setbacks and this may be part of that. I was biking 70 to 100 miles a week a couple summers ago and almost nothing this past summer because I get too exhausted! The inability to do what I normally do to be fit and to relieve stress is really getting me down. I have to find something active to do this winter!

I could probably run in to the pharmacy near my house to take my blood pressure. Hoping they calibrate the machines regularly.

Agh! I did some yoga this morning after not doing it in awhile and my legs trembled the whole time. I'm hoping this dose, the progesterone and the other vitamins I take will get me turned around. Thanks for checking in!

[goolarra]

It sounds like everything is moving in the right direction.  

Do you take your BP at home?  Mine is always higher at the doctor's office than it is when I'm more relaxed.

Thanks for the update.

[Jackie419]

That's great! Sounds like you got the cream, the right cream too- glad to hear it. Keep in mind to not use too much of it and it does take a little while to see results, maybe a few weeks. Thanks for the update, I think I need to see your doctor...lol.

[Alittleblues]

Just saw my Dr again. He wants me to stay on 3.75 grains Armour for now and start progesterone on my next cycle. I've been looking forward to trying it and bought Progest from his office. He said the puffiness, fatigue, abdominal fat and other issues may be related to this.

My blood pressure was high and I think its because I haven't had any consistent exercise in months. I'm going to start walking indoors. I have always had normal blood pressure but the last one  was 140 and this time it was 148. That scares me.

He wrote an order for all my desired labs, and added an iodine loading test. I hope to do that next week.

So for now, I think we're on the right track. It will be interesting to see if symptoms improve with the progesterone.

Wanted to let you all know how I'm doing.

[Alittleblues]

Hi! Sorry, I haven't been on the forum for a couple weeks! I didn't realize there were posts!

I've been at the higher dose for a few weeks but not seeing improvement yet. Going to be patient. It took months to see some improvement before so I'm giving it time.  I do feel blessed to have found this Dr. I want to give it time to see how things are going and also if things are not working, what he recommends. i was shocked and delighted he asked about four grains. That told me he was open to doing whatever works.

I've been depressed and low energy for months and had little endurance this whole summer. Now I have less muscle tone and more fat than ever in my life. I really feel the past months were a huge setback. Scares me but there is hope.

The thing that surprised me was that he asked if I was familiar with a Dr... agh! can't recall his name!... and how he has been comparing the TSH to actual thyroid health for years. I had not heard of the Dr he mentioned but I asked him if he had heard of Dr Derry in Canada and he said no, so I plan to send him this article:

http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/david-derry.htm

It is great information from a Dr who knows how to treat thyroid patients! Jackie, I'll write when I have a little more time.

Thanks, both of you!

[Jackie419]

I'm so jealous and so happy for you. Wish I could hear a doctor say those things to me! I am commenting because of your mention of progesterone cream. Like I stated earlier in this thread, it has made all the difference in some of the problems I was having in addition to my thyroid problems. It has helped dramatically actually. You need to be sure you're getting the right cream though, as many don't really have what we need in them and many made with wild yams etc, give you estrogen too. PM me if you haven;t gotten any yet and I'll tell you what I use. Also, you want to use the smallest amount possible and go up from there.

Very happy for you, that doctor is the needle in the haystack!!!

[goolarra]

It sounds like you hit paydirt!  If he's not into TSH, you're at least halfway there.

Wow, it really sounds like he knows what he's talking about.  I'm so happy for you.  I think he'll do what it takes to make you feel well.

I'm good, thanks.  Despite crappy labs for over a year now, I just got back from vacation at 6,000-7,000 feet, and it didn't kill me!  LOL  It becomes more obvious all the time that there's more to this than the current tests indicate.  Luckily, as long as I feel good, my doctor doesn't push it...

Hope you continue to feel better and better...

[Alittleblues]

Saw my new doc and wanted to tell you all about it. It went well. I told him my troubles and he gave me the rundown of why the TSH test has hurt many patients since it came out. He said he works toward eliminating symptoms. He also told me it's hard for drs to go against their training because that is all they know. I said, "But you went beyond your training. You found alternatives." And he said, "Yes."

He asked me what I was taking when saw relief from symptoms and I explained that I saw some improvement at 3.75 grains but still had other symptoms. He asked if i had ever tried 4 grains. I said no, so he said we will start where I was feeling better, at 3.75 grains and then work from there.

I asked him about the Rt3 because it was higher at that dose and he said he generally goes by how the patient's doing, more than by that number because stress can cause it to go up but I might be doing just fine.

He was professional and somewhat reserved, and his philosophy for treatment matches my own, so I am happy! He told me giving up wheat would probably help me a lot and I told him I keep trying but every couple weeks I eat it again. He said to keep trying or get to a point where I don't eat it. He also recommended einchorn wheat, the old strain. He said having no wheat would be better, but if I'm going to eat it now and then einchorn would be a better choice. I may have to send away for some.

He's testing my iron but isn't doing the % sat. He said it didn't matter if it was low, that ferritin would be a better inficator. I didnt push it, but I wish I had insisted for tracking purposes, if for nothing else. However, I walked out with a prescription for 3.75 grains Armour and a suggestion to try progesterone cream to see if it helps. "You won't know until you try it." I was going to buy it right in his office and forgot.

So I see him in six weeks and really hope raising works. I cant see it not helping,because it did before. I feel hopeful that we can turn this around.

How are you doing, goolarra?

[Alittleblues]

I will! I feel like I could cry right now. From relief.

I'm cautious. Just hoping he will be able to figure it all out.

[goolarra]

Perfect!  You don't even have a very long wait.  Keep me posted...

[Alittleblues]

Talked to his receptionist today. She called me back with a couple answers to earlier questions. She said specifically that he always does Ft3 and Ft4 labs and he uses the new TSH range. And he often prescribes natural hormone therapies. I asked about Armour and she said absolutely. My first appointment is set for the first week of October!

[Alittleblues]

He's an MD but his wife, who is his partner in the practice, is a DO.

[goolarra]

He sounds like a good prospect.  I doubt he wouldn't prescribe desiccated with the listing for "natural" hormones.  Is he a D.O.?

[Alittleblues]

Thanks!

I asked his receptionist (or nurse, not sure) some questions and gave her some information about why I'm frustrated. She told me he will "work with it" until he gets it right and he is not caught up on the TSH.  She said he looks at all the hormones and the whole person to determine health, and would look for underlying issues as well.

She said I can call back if i have other questions, and she will call me when they are ready to set up an appointment.

This is from his website:

Complementary Services:

The body, mind, and spirit all affect our health. There are often many valid approaches to any particular health problem. The Center offers the following alternatives:

Functional Medicine
Osteopathic Manual Medicine
Acupuncture/Chinese Herbs
Autism
Homeopathy
Vitamins and Herbs
Natural Hormones
Allergy Elimination
***

[goolarra]

Good for you...best not to burn your bridges until you see if the new doctor is better than the old.  

You can preinterview him over the phone (probably through a nurse).  A few key questions can weed out the worst of the worst.  You can ask which tests he customarily orders for his hypo patients...make sure FT3 is included.  You can also ask which meds he's open to using.  Some doctors just won't prescribe desiccated, so it's best to find that out before you waste an appointment.  You can also ask if he treates clinically to eliminate symptoms or if he treats "by the numbers".  

If the phone is answered by a rabid receptionist bent on protecting everyone in the office from ever answering the phone, just ask her the questions.  It probably won't take long before she knows she's out of her league and will refer you to a nurse.  

Good luck with it!