Lower dose syntheroid to treat low thyroid levels?

[Brenda1951]

I had a complete thyroidectomy in 1988.  Since then I've been plagued by excessive weight gain, resulting in a gastric bypass in 2004.  Initially I lost seventy pounds, but over the past year have regained thirty of those pounds.

Also the past year, I've been more lethargic than ever before, depressed, sensitive to the cold, etc.  I had no health insurance for awhile, so ignored the symptoms as best I could.  Finally got insurance, and visited a new doctor.  Blood tests indicate my thyroid levels are very low - no big surprise there.  

However, the doctor is prescribing a lower dose of thyroid supplement to treat this condition.  The nurse tells me this is standard treatment, but cannot explain why.  It seems entirely counter-intuitive to me.  Can anyone explain if this is true, and why?

Thank you!

[scottishfairies]

As long as you play the up and down med game until it is back in range with the levels that make you feel better. PS; What is Thyroid Pro?

[goolarra]

I'm not familiar with Thyroid Pro.  Are you taking this under your doctor's supervision?  Does it require a prescription?  What kind of as doctor are you seeing?

If all that was tested was TSH, and your levels were "low", then hyper or overmedication might be indicated.  However, you are taking meds (Thyroid Pro) which contain T3, and often T3 meds artificially suppress TSH so that it becomes unreliable and cannot be used to adjust meds.  You have to have FT3 and FT4 tested to see what your actual thyroid hormone levels are doing...their levels are much more important than TSH in determining treatment.

No, I believe the nurse was saying that your TSH was low, indicating hypERthyroid (overmedication), and that's why they want to lower your meds.

Without FT3 and FT4, you have no idea what's going on.  You have hypo symptoms at the moment...don't let them lower your meds until you have further testing.  

[Barb135]

You have that backwards -- hypothyroidism is when your thyroid levels are low, meaning you don't have enough thyroid hormones; usually, but not always with high TSH.

Hyperthyroidism is when your thyroid levels are high, meaning you have too many thyroid hormones; usually, but not always with low TSH.  

[Brenda1951]

I believe the nurse was saying I am hypothyroid.  This would certainly jive with my recent weight gain, lethargy, sensitivity to cold, etc.  Thanks for the info. . .I will ask for clarification at my next visit.

[scottishfairies]

When your levels are low that means you are hyperthyroid and you are getting too much thyroid hormone so they have to lower your dosage to get you back into range. If your levels are too high you are hypothyroid and not getting enough thyroid hormone so they would have to raise your thyroid hormone to get you back into range. Good Luck

[Brenda1951]

I will ask my Dr. for these results when I see him this coming Friday.  I know FT3 levels were not tested - and don't think FT4's were, either.  All I recall seeing on the lab request form was a TSH test.

I'm currently taking 100 mcg. of Eltroxin daily, along with 60 mg. of Thyroid Pro (a full spectrum substitute for Armour, purchased online).  I used to take pharmacy compounded full spectrum thyroid hormone, but my old doctor moved out of town and I was unable to get a new script for it.

Thanks for your input!

[goolarra]

Please post your results for FT3, FT4 and TSH.  Also, include reference ranges for FT3 and FT4 since ranges are speciific to your lab and must come from your own lab report.  Your doctor must provide these to you upon request.

Which meds are you taking an at what dose?