Please Help Me Understand My TSH Levels and Why I Feel Bad All The Time

[DD2992]

Please help me understand my tests. I am on llovoxyl 100 mcg. I am feeling moody, loss of energy, cold hands feet. Just not feeling myself.

TSH, 3RD GENERATION=1.94
T4, FREE=1.2
T3, FREE=2.5

Would I feel better if I began taking cytomel with my llovoxyl?

Thanks!

[Barb135]

With TPOab of 223, I'd say you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune disease in which the body produces to antibodies to attack and destroy the thyroid.  This process can take many years, or it can go really fast.  As the thyroid is destroyed, its function declines, and doses of medication have to be adjusted.  

Your symptoms (and FT3) indicate that you are still hypo.  Additionally, it appears that you aren't converting the FT4 to FT3; therefore, addition of a T3 component would be helpful.  If you 5 mcg cytomel was too much, you might try splitting the pills and taking only 1/2 and see if that helps.  

It's not unusual for patients to report feeling worse after a dosage change, for a while until the body adjusts to the new dosage.

[sarasue444]

Hello,
We exchanged info over a year ago, and I kind of gave up trying to figure out what to do when my labs seemed the same over one year's time.  No apparent jumping around.  I felt really hyper most of last year.

I went hyper with TSH of .28 (.3 - 3.0), free t4 of 1.55 (.88 - L1.8),  ft3 1.10 (.76 - 1.81) on a synthroid dose of .625 mgm.  my dose was lowered to .375 mgm for 7 months.  .65 tsh, 1.31 ft4, and ft3 3.17 (2.3 - 4.2) were lowest/highest my lab values measured during that period.  

When my synthroid dose was lowered, I began to have horrible daily migraines, which still persist 21 months later.  I increase my dose 6 months ago to .50mgm, and have more energy, but difficulty sleeping.  No more hyper feelings.  My latest tests in October were tsh .652 (.45 - 4.5)' ft4 1.41 (.82 - 1.77), and ft3 2.6 (2.0 - 4.4).  I am very tired--some days cannot get out of bed until 11 AM.  Mood pretty good, but migrines continue.  When my MD tried to add .5 cytomel at a synthroid dose of .44 MGM, the headaches increased.  I have many hypo symptoms.  

My MD suggested I increase my dose back to .625 MGM, but I got really bad palps at night and couldn't sleep.

My current anti-TPO 223 (0-34), higher than when this first started (125).

Question:  any ideas.  Can upping synthroid suppress the thyroid and make someone even more thyroid

[Barb135]

Cytomel is a "T3 only" med and will only affect your FT3 levels, not FT4.  FT4 must be converted to FT3 in order for the body to use it, and some of us don't convert properly. FT3 is the one that correlates best with symptoms, so even a small dose can do wonders.  

Good luck

[DD2992]

FTB4: I was on Synthroid for 4 years and those were the worse years of my life. I felt awful on Synthroid! I feel a world of difference on Levoxyl. Thanks Char4317 the endo sent Cytomel to my pharmacy and will begin taking cytomel as well as Levoxyl. I feel this will do the trick.  Taking the cytomel will bump up my T3 and T4 levels and hopefully allow me to feel better with more energy?

Thanks for all your advice. FTB4, if I were you, I would try Levoxyl. I didnt have all the horrible side effects I had on Synthroid.

Thanks!

[Char4317]

I've been on Levoxyl for a great many years.  When I first started I felt like you do.  When my Endo doc. added Cytomel I felt soooo much better.  It seemed all the bad stuff just disappeared.  He only added Cytomel 5 but it was enough.  Also if you're not on the brand name of Levoxyl you should consider trying that change.  Don't know why but that also made a huge difference in my levels and the consistency of those levels.

[FTB4]

Something I forgot to mention, some members here advise to try and get your T3 in the top third of the T3 range on your labs, the range on mine is 2.0 to 4.4, so I would need to bump mine up at least another point from 2.9 to at least 3.9

[FTB4]

Your labs are pretty close to mine, and I feel like crap too, I am on Synthroid
TSH 0.146
T3 2.9
T4 1.58
The TSH is not close but that does not matter that much anyway, I was advised to try and get my MD to give me Cytomel also, I guess from what I read here that MD's don't like to prescribe Armour or Cytomel? Why? they don't get any kickbacks from thos drug manufacturers?  Good Luck FTB4