Blood tests and tremor

[shirleyann123]

Had total thyroidectomy last year for graves (couldnt tolerate meds and couldnt have radio because of previous breast cancer), after op i felt GREAT, tremor had instantly gone too. they test for calcium while i was in hospital.
Three months later started to get tremor again. Cramp in feet at night when stretching and one a day a sudden muscle jerk/twitch.
Had blood test
T3 2.85 (within range)
T4 1.18 ( 0.58  - 1.6)
TSH - 0.08 (0.34  - 5.60)
So he droped my meds and sent me to see specialist.
had new test results
T3 2.55 (2.5  - 3.9)
T4 0.69 (0.58  - 1.6)
TSH - 8.25  (0.34  - 5.60)
Specialist said it was good because it showed there was not a problem with my pituartry gland but because i am now hypo i need to increase from 50 to 62 (previous 75 too high for me). She said the tremors i am having cant be because of thyroid. Then she asked when my calcium level had last been checked so i am due a blood test for this.
Could calcium levels give me the tremor? i am worried now i might have parkinsons or something else!
I only had the tremor start when i was orginaly diagnosed with graves and then it complety went after my TT, why have i still got them?
Have taken blood temp for afew days and its 34.7 everytime i check it.
I feel great apart from this tremor - not tired. I have just started some magnesium supplements.
Any advice please as i am really worried about it.

[Applesan]

My doctor told me to take the same amount of thyroid med every day so that the amount is constant in my system.  Not sure splitting it and doing the every other day thing is good.  
Your last blood test had your Free T3 at 2.55 which is the low end of the scale.  When you take Levo your body is supposed to manufacture it's own T3, but maybe you need more to get you out of the hypo state when you take 50.  Have you ever asked your doctor about getting Cytomel to supplement the Levo?  From what I've read you take the Levo in the morning, and the Cytomel later on in the day.  I'm finding that this just isn't an exact science and that you need to experiment until you find what's right for you.  I also heard that the Free T3 is really the key in determining the correct thyroid level in your system.

[shirleyann123]

I am on Levothyroxin. But what is difficult to understand its that if i am hyper on 75 and hypo on 50 then increase to 62 and hypo getting worse????? so today i took a 50 and 3/4 of a 25, shall i do that every day or just the extra 1/4 (as normally would take 1 and 1/2 to make it 62) every other day?

[Applesan]

Are you on levothyroxin and not Synthroid or Levoxyl?  For me I found Synthroid to be more effective than any of them, but it's really an individual thing and how it reacts to your body.  I take 75 and still reflect hypo symptoms because I'm not sure that my body is making enough of the T3, but since I changed doctors I can't get the T3 supplement yet (Cytomel).  As to the acceptable TSH, Free T3 and FreeT4 ranges, what is considered good for one person may not necessarily be good for another.  Again, it's all individual.  My doctor tells me I'm fine, yet I don't feel fine, so I'm still trying to get them to adjust things as needed for me.  If once I get the Cytomel I find that it doesn't work my next step is to go to the natural thyroid meds like Armour.

[shirleyann123]

I meant everyother day 3/4 plus the 50 and 62 the other day

[shirleyann123]

Whats going on , HELP.
Have been on 62 levo for afew weeks now, still have tremor and other signs of being hyper BUT had bloods done and since the slight increase in levo i am now MORE hypo. How can you increase your meds but conitinue to show signs of increasing hypo,
Shall i increase meds to 62 every other day and 3/4 of a 25 the other day?
My T3 and T4 havent changed much.

[Applesan]

You could check with your doctor and with a pharmacist regarding the units you are taking for both Vitamin D and Magnesium to see how they should be taken.  They do sell vitamins that have Vitamin D3 and Magnesium together.  Here is a link on taking vitamins but not sure if it will help you 100%:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/148428/how_to_take_vitamins.html?cat=51

[shirleyann123]

Just had a letter from my specialist.
She said because my Vit D is lacking she wants me to have an ampoule d'uvedose for 15 days.
As i have already started the magnesium supplement does anyone know if its ok to take Vit d ampoule and magnesium at around the same time or afew hours inbetween?

[Applesan]

The doctor told me the same thing, that it would just be adjusting my meds and I would be doing great.  NOT  Here it is two years later and I'm still suffering.  But you aren't alone as there are countless thyroid sufferers that just can't seem to get it to work.

I don't consume much in the way of dairy; just in my coffee and cheese once in awhile, but nothing really more than that.  Again, let me know how you do with these things and I will also let you know how my "trial and error" goes.  I'm getting more aggressive now because I'm really tired of this.

[shirleyann123]

I am going to cut out some milk/cheese, hard when you live in France! i love cheese.
This magnesium supplement i have started comes in liquid form and its a months course so i will take it all and then i will be in the sun for a long summer shortly so hopefully that will help the vit d but i will be seeing the GP soon.
When i had my thyroid out i thought it would just be a few chnges of meds and i would have it easy!!!

[Applesan]

My calcium was 9.3mg/dl with the range at 8.6 to 10.2.  I have heard that high calcium can be the cause of a parathyroid tumor, but some people can have those for years and not even know it.  Probably best to just have your doctor continue to monitor the level, but you are within the acceptable range right now so I wouldn't worry about it.

My Vitamin D count was 18 and the normal range per the lab where it was analyzed was 20 to 60 so my doctor put me on 50,000iu Vitamin D3 twice weekly, and after one month I go to 2,000iu daily.  I live in the midwest so apparantly the lack of sun in the winter is not good for us at all up here.

As to your tremors, I started getting them when I went hypo and started on thyroid drugs.  Right now my thyroid levels on 75mgs of Levoxyl are:
TSH 1.42 [range 0.40-4.50]
T3 Total 99 [range 76-181]
T4 Free 1.4 [range 0.8-1.8]
My T3 is a little low so might ask for Cytomel to boost it a bit, but I'm leery of adding another drug.  I personally feel that my body has a sensitivity to the medication coupled with the fact that when my thyroid died it took some important functions with it that my body is also not happy with.  Not all of us can fall into that nice little slot of feeling great on Levoxyl or Synthroid.  My doctor is checking other levels like Magnesium to see how that's doing, so maybe that coupled with the Vitamin D issue can be corrected with vitamins and do something positive for the tramors.  My plan of action is to try just a bit longer with the synthetic meds and if after this next trial period it doesn't get better, I'm going to switch to naturals thyroid meds like Nature-throid.  
I will let you know how this regimen goes in the hopes that it can help you as well.  The tremors are not life threatening but very unnerving.  I know how you feel.

[shirleyann123]

Just had blood test results for calcium and vit D

calcium    99 mg (normal 89 - 103) result after TT was 95
Vit d (D2+D3) 19 ng   no before results

my calcium is at the higher end of normal, i have been reading terrible things about having high calcium means 100% a tumor!

[Applesan]

I started doing 75mcg of Levoxyl one day, half that the next day, and I'll alternate a while to see if that works.  I'm getting my magnesium levels checked on Friday to see how that may or may not be affecting the way I feel.  My doctor didn't want me to split the 75mcg but I feel like I'm taking too high a dose at 75 per day because of the way it makes me tremor, and it's affect on my eyes.  Thanks Shirleyann123; let me know how you continue to do with this.

[shirleyann123]

I am now on my new dose of levo of a 50 tab and a 25 cut in half. Afew days ago i also started to take liquid magnesium supplement and yesterday found i had a slight reduction in the tremor and morning temp had gone up this morning from 34.4 to 34.9. So dont know if its the new meds or the magnesium!  I also had a blood test yesterday for my calcium and vit d levels and should get the results tomorrow.
The specialist said 75 was too high but 50 to low hence the 62.50

[Applesan]

What meds are you taking?  I'm taking Levoyx 75mcg and my tremors are awful.  My doctor also said the tremors weren't from being hypo but they started about six months after RAI therapy and I've had them now for two years.  

[Smilerdeb]

Buy a pill cutter, they only cost a few dollars and are a blade that cuts without crumbling.
I've had mine 3 years now and still works great.
I keep the 'remnants' in the fridge in a small plastic container and use them up so that means even if the dose is a fraction out one day...you get the right dose during the week.

[shirleyann123]

Thanky ou so much for your comments - i was very worried when she said that the tremors are from something else because i am now hypo. I thought that that a jump of 0.08 to over 8. was alot in a couple of weeks so maybe thats why i still have this horrible tremor. Yes, i have to cut a 25 mcg tab in half and take with my other 50, it crumbles when i cut it but i dont suppose that matters.
I am waiting for the nurse to come and do my calcium blood test

[Smilerdeb]

I have had tremors and have Graves too.......its usually when the FT4 is a bit low and the FT3 high.......
You do need a boost to your meds but like me..sensitive to meds so take baby steps....62.5mcg is the next reccomended dose.
I doubt whether a Doc will prescribe T3 with the drug sensativity.

I too have had a TT and also RAI and am doing fine now (done 2008).
You are at the stage of 'tweaking meds' and this is a little bit of a bumpy ride.
Journal everything..dosage, symptoms etc....this will be a great help to you.

[shirleyann123]

thats made me feel so relieved thankyou so much. I think i went hyper to hypo quickly. I find it odd that i dont have any other hypo symptoms, not tired or anything. how do you add t3 and t4?

[laura1967]

Well you are definately hypo now and need quite a boost.....I would also keep an eye on your conversion in future.....may warrant adding a little T3 to your T4 med. I get the tremors when i go hypo. Try not to worry....sounds completely like hypo symptoms now.
Believe it or not, quite a few of the symptoms carry over from hyper to hypo.  :)