Not Really A Question Rather Answers to My Questions

[SwanSong]

I am finally stabilized on my thyroid medication. It only took 13 years of frequent dose changes and lots of bouts of subacute thyroiditis to get here. Last year I opted to skip my flu shot because each time I took it I got subacute thyroiditis, nearly every year I took it. The SAT always attacked the right side of my neck. One year I experimented with the flu shot and asked them to put it in my left arm. Both sides of my thyroid swelled up huge and I felt as if I had the flu.

The other thing I discovered were allergies to foods and a strange reaction to the active form of folate. While I suffered from these problems, it appeared I had high blood pressure (which I did not) and all sorts of other ailments. Since I was taking a supplement which sometimes caused gas in people, I assumed my gas problems were related to that. Eventually I discovered the culprits were Annatto, a food coloring, and Agave Syrup, a supposedly healthy alternative sweetener. All my symptoms including the high blood pressure are now gone. And because I'm not reacting to allergens, my thyroid functions better as well.

And now I'm losing weight. Finally!

[gimel]

Okay, good.  I misunderstood.  

[gimel]

If I gave the impression that adequate Free T3 levels alone will guarantee weight loss, that certainly was not my intent.  Of course there are other factors, including diet and exercise, as mentioned also.  However, if diet and exercise are not a problem, but Free T3 is low in the range, that is what I would start to work on first, to get it optimized, and then go from there as needed.  

[Barb135]

This is what I was referring to:  "I've read extensively on that and discovered that if you've got a lot of weight to lose and are older, your FT3 will be out of whack."

[Barb135]

Increasing Free T3 will not guarantee weight loss.  My FT3 was, at one point, at the very top of the reference range and over and I still wasn't losing weight.  There may be other factors involved in weight loss...

[gimel]

Being just anywhere within the reference ranges does not mean fine.  Optimal for D is at least 50 and ferritin should be at least 70.  Are yours at least at those levels?

Yes, in susceptible people, excessive T3 med may cause A-fib until the dosage is reduced.  But that is the exception not the norm.  Were you actually tested for Free T3?  Have you tried to take T3?  If so, at what daily dosage?  

Low Free T3 is a common cause for low metabolism and weight gain.  Along with a good diet and exercise you will need to optimize your Free T3 level in order to lose the weight, not the other way around.   Without adequate Free T3 levels it is difficult to lose weight and maintain the loss.

[gimel]

Thanks for all the info.  Just wondered if at any time you had been tested for Free T3, ferritin and Vitamin D?

[SwanSong]

Ferritin a year ago and it was fine. Vitamin D is fine.

Now FT3 is a problem.

I've read extensively on that and discovered that if you've got a lot of weight to lose and are older, your FT3 will be out of whack. I've got both of those factors.

I cannot take any LT3 because it causes heart palpitations.

I look forward to the day when I've lost more weight and my FT3 level goes up as it will.

[Barb135]

Hi... Since you seem to be doing so much better, would you mind telling us what your current thyroid hormone levels are (with reference ranges), so we can compare to what we, typically, recommend for our members?  Also, it would be interesting to know your medication(s) dosage(s).  

Do you have Hashimoto's?

It would also be interesting to know what supplements you were taking and had reactions to, since we do, often, recommend supplements to members.

It's amazing how things can affect our blood pressure and we don't realize it.  It's good that your blood pressure went back to normal once you eliminated the supplements and foods you were allergic to.

Any further information you care to give us is welcome...

[SwanSong]

Barb135,
Yes, I have Hashimoto's.

I take Levoxyl 175 mcg.

My TSH is .91 R: 0.40 - 5.00
FT4 1.72 R: .90 - 1.70

Supplements I take daily:
4000 I.U. Vitamin D/Vitamin K, sublingual.
5000 mcg Vitamin B12, sublingual soon to be changed to a liquid version with 3000 mcg due to too many ingredients in the tablet form.
Nature's Way B-50 Complex.
Kirkman Labs 400 mg Magnesium Glycinate.
2 capsules Probiotics 10 Billion per day soon to change to a different brand which is 50 Billion.
Bio-Response DIM 150mg X 2.
500 mg Vitamin C Complex, divided dose.
Kirkman Labs Multivitamin X 2 with Vitamin A (no Beta-carotene) and no iron.

I took B-Right vitamin B Complex and that had the active folate in it also called Quatrefolic, giving me the horrible reaction. I felt as if I was sped up and couldn't sleep for more than two hours at a time. I also had achy joints, sore muscles, irritability, acne, severe anxiety, palpitations, and headaches. I'm the type of person who rarely gets headaches.

I'm allergic to the parsley group which includes many foods: parsley, parsnips, carrots, celery, caraway, celeriac, celery seed, celery leaf, chervil, coriander, cilantro, cumin, dill, dill seed, fennel, gotu kola, lovage, and sweet cicely.

In addition I'm allergic to:
Annatto, a food coloring.
Agave syrup.
Raw hazelnuts.

Annatto causes system wide symptoms which look similar to thyroid problems such as achy joints, anxiety, palpitations, headaches, irritability, and GI symptoms.

I think I covered it all.

[SwanSong]

Oops! Forgot one thing. I now have a full set of eyebrows and full eyelashes. Amazing!