Should I call endo monday???

[froggy0936]

It's me again with more questions! Lol. Quick recap..TT 12/17/09. Endo started me on Synthroid a week later..50mcg. Low dosing was due to the fact that I have anxiety. Had 1st set of labs and TSH was 66.060! On Feb 13th he bumped me to 75mcg. Due to have bw done March 12. Obviously, I'm extremely hypo. I might have 2 to 3hrs of energy out of the day and that is it. I literally feel as though i can't function. Extreme brain fog and depression. Never had a problem with depression before. I don't have many of the other hypo symptoms but the 2 that I have are ruining my life!! I can't concentrate, my body feels like lead and I cry or am mean for no reason. Do I really need to wait another 2wks for a bump in med? I'm sure I'm so far in the hole that with even this bump to 75mcg..I feel no different..in fact I feel worse!! I can't imagine continuing to feel this way. I'm so keyed up on the inside (I never feel relaxed for some reason) but it's hard to be up and doing things for a couple of hours! I'm sleeping at night and do not take naps. I have my 1st and only labs in my previous posts. They are within range. I'm looking at my script for my bw March 12 and it says T4 Total, T3 Uptake and TSH high sensitivity. I see people say to have "Free T3 and Free T4" tested but my endo said that would be done only if TSH came down to where it should be and I'm still not feeling well and I'm only a little over 2months post op. I want to call him Monday and beg him to raise med or do something..as this is the worst I've felt since TT. How am I going to feel like this for another 2 weeks? I was never depressed nor felt like this in my life! An antidepressant is not an option. I've tried them for my anxiety and there are way to many side effects. I'm very sensitive to meds and I don't need to feel worse. Please advise if I should push endo or just sit here and suffer!! Thank you all in advance!                

[Smilerdeb]

I agree with stella, Barb and especially goolara.
I will give you a classic example of why TSH alone should not done.

Due to stress, (yeah THAT word lol) , I went borderline HYPER.
My FT4 was near the top of the range and so was my FT4 ...YET...my TSH was 4.7.
Work that one out.

So I decided that rather than feel like my head was gonna explode, that I'd be up for attempted murder against my Sisters...to drop my meds by 12.5mcg weekly, until I felt better.
I had all the symptoms of HYPER but ALSO all the symptoms of HYPO too.

I found that by dropping my meds by 12.5mcg for 4 weeks, it brought the FT3 and FT4 down and my TSH stayed the same.

Persoanlly I have found that my TSH seems to have a mind of its own , REGARDLESS of my dosage soooooo...I go by the Free's.

Now that I feel good and now that I am a little cold the last 3 days, I have gone back up to my origianl doeses.
So PLEASE do not go by the TSH alone......look at the Free T4 and Free T3 THEN the TSH if all else fails.

Hope that helps.....

Ooops ..forgot to tell you ..none of us is normal lol :o)

[goolarra]

T3 is total T3 (TT3).  It measures the total T3 (thus the creative name!) in your blood.  However, much of the TT3 is chemically bound by protein and thus unavailable to your cells.  FT3 measures what is actually available to your cells.  This is what you want to know.  Likewise for FT4 vs. TT4.

FT3 correlates best of the three tests to symptoms.  FT4 is next, and TSH barely makes the list.  T3 uptakes is an obsolete test...it's been replaced by FT3 now that techniques for measuring FT3 have been inproved and cheapened

.If you want to learn how good a diagnostic TSH is and how reliable it is in determining your dose, just read the comments on this forum from people being treated on the basis of TSH, without FT3 and FT4 to back it up.  They are miserable.  There are several posts every day from people being treated by TSH, who are totally disgusted with their treatment.

Read, read, read...I've been doing so for about a year and a half now, and I know what poop TSH is without FT3 and FT4 to back it up.  Many doctors are convinced of the sanctity of TSH because it's what they were taught in med school...when?...thirty years ago.  Apparently many of them have never picked up a medical journal since.

[froggy0936]

I don't think we are ever going to understand this! Lol. If you look at some questions on Dr. Lupo's forum....I get the impression that TSH is very important in showing if you are hypo, etc. and how to adjust your dose. Hopefully you and I learn as time goes by! ....QUICKLY!...........Lynda xo.

[blsdnsvd]

What is the difference between T3 and Free T3 and why is it more important than the T4 testing with TSH???? I also have labs drawn only for T4 Total T3 Uptake and TSH.....

[froggy0936]

Just wanted to mention again that my script says...T4 Total, T3 Uptake and TSH High Sensitivity. You are all saying I need to ask for FREE T3 and FREE T4...correct? That's the message that I left for Endo. FREE is different than what he is testing for, right?.......I just don't want to sound like a fool when talking to him! Lol. Thank you!

[froggy0936]

I appreciate all comments. My next labs are just on a print out sheet from Endo. I left a message at his office so he would get it first thing in the morning. I told him I would like to have the "free's" tested and to send me a new prescription. I'll be sure to post what he says. I don't know how to explain it besides..although my body is exhausted, I always feel "keyed up" on the inside, seems like I have trouble concentrating? It's all so confusing because as I said, I do have a problem with anxiety, but I've cut out the Klonopin and just take .5mg @ bed. I did that reduction under a dr's care, of course. I did it because it seemed if I took a bit in the day..at this stage of the game I didn't need to feel MORE lethargic on top of this! I never took more than 1mg total anyway. But Ive read here and have also been told by others that the anxious feeling can come from both hypo or hyper, it can also be a side effect of synthroid, or just plain old anxiety! How is a person to know? I have alot to learn, I see! Knowing the Endo, I have a feeling that he won't raise med until next labs on the 12th...but I will be insistent on the Free's being drawn! Bottom line....anxious on inside and lethargic on outside...Blah. It's so weird to me now..how do you know if what you are feeling is from having TT and getting adjusted..or if something else is wrong?? Thank you all for listening to me ramble and trying to help me!!!...........Lynda  xo