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normal TSH and free T3, but low free T4

I am on Armour thyroid medication.
My TSH = 0.757 (0.350 to 4.500)
Free t3 = 3.9 (2.3 to 4.2)
Free t4 =0.68 (0.8 to 1.8)

So my free t4 is low. My Dr. says my thyroid is doing fine and to stay on the same Armour dose. Is that correct? Does stress lower free T4?
Best Answer
734073 tn?1278896325
Many people who stayed with Armour after the reformulation of their product's fillers/binders about a year ago noticed the return of hypothyroid symptoms (fatigue, joint pain, hairloss etc.) and a much lower t4 level then they had on Armour before reformulation. Many changed to Nature-Throid which is the other desiccated med available in the US. most did well on this but unfortunatly the formula for this med was recently changed to in a similar way this spring. This is the reason that we have now switched to Erfa brand desiccated thyroid from Canada. It is made in the way (similar fillers and binders) that Armour use to be. It is a good product and my thyroidles daughter is doing fantastic on it now for 2months. It is a prescription medication that can be mailed to you by a Canadian mail order pharmacy.
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734073 tn?1278896325
Can you pleses post the laboratory reference ranges along with your result so I can better comment.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
my Free t3 is 1.94
Freet4 iws 066 and my TSh is 2.772 What does this mean?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Magpieannie,
Thanks again for your great answer. Can I ask you, if you have a preferred online pharmacy from Canada? Do I just get an prescription from my Dr. for Armour thyroid and fax it to the pharmacy myself?

Thanks,
Leeann
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you all so much for all the information. I decided to take a small amount of T4 with my Armour for now and have a blood test done. But I will ask my Doctor to switch me to Erfa brand. I think, I will feel more comfortable taking that one.
Hope you feel better Fuel1212. I know how hard it is when you have symptoms and no one can help you.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My symptoms are usually in the morning and can go into midday.
Nerve Pain, ear fullness, and ringing, achy all over, burping...fun stuff

Thanks
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Fuel1212, can I ask you, what kind of symptoms do you have?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
ERFA is a Canadian dessicated thyroid replacement.

I have been on it for about 4 months and feel pretty good. I too have really low FT4 and normal TSH and good FT3.

I have symptoms from time to time but not sure if it would be the low FT4?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you so much for your help.
I am considering to add some T4 only medication. However my Dr. thinks I will become Hyper doing that. I think, I will try a very small amount and get retested.

The only symptom I have is hair loss, which could also be from other things.

What is ERFA thyroid?

Helpful - 0
231441 tn?1333892766
Hi,

do you have any symptoms?

Your FT3 is looking good, as does your TSH.  But, yes, your FT4 is too low.

I agree that you shouldn't increase your armour dose.   The proportion of t3 and t4 in armor is different from the proportion that you would get from your own thyroid (pigs have higher levels of T3 than humans).

But what you could do, is to ask your doctor to add in a low dose of T4 only med to get your FT4 up to mid-range.

I actually take a combination of ERFA thyroid and T4 med.  Currently I take 215 mcg of ERFA and 100 mcg of T4 med.  (I am pregnant though, so my doses are a bit higher than someone who wasn't pregnant).  BUt this combination can definitely be done.
Helpful - 0
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