? About the T3 nad T4

[hapybratt]

I have learned allot after days of reading this forum.  I do have a question about my free T3 and T4 also antibodies.  None of those were tested prior to my taking Levothyroxine.  I started on 50mcg and against Dr. consent went down to 25mcg.  I could not tolerate the pounding heart, obviously caused by over medication.  It went away as soon as I lowered my dose. Thanks to this forum!   Anyway back to my question.  If I do have those other tests done now, are they going to tell me much since I'm already on the medication for my tsh being 8.1 or will the results be medicated results?  Hope this makes since.  My Dr. said those tests are not necessary unless the Levo doesn't correct my tsh results.  Another issue I have is, my Dr. Isn't really a Dr. but a Nurse Practitioner.  Cant afford the real thing.  

[hapybratt]

Thank you so much for the info.  I sometimes feel I'm alone in this and it gets very frustrating.  The pain and confusion that I feel daily is getting so intense, don't know how much more I can endure.  I am finding it harder and harder to get up for work and to actually perform is another story.  Thank you so much for your willingness to share your stories and knowledge.  You are appreciated!!!

[goolarra]

After my PCP, anything was an improvement!  I really do like my endo...he took a little convincing.  He kept raising my dose until I went slightly hyper, but backed off as soon as I called him and let him know that.  He was very willing to throw TSH out the window, which you know for me is essential.  I don't think endos are the be all and end all, but if you're not the "typical" patient and your PCP isn't willing to do some research...wow, what a deadly combination.

[stella5349]

I think goolarra had better luck with endo than I did. I found they were even more blanted with the TSH test. I had 4 of them in 7 years and pooh-poohed every one of them.

I have had superior assistance from my MD that now moved over into Intergrative Medicine.

[stella5349]

Your Free T3 levels correlates with the cardio vascular system - so if your FT3 levels became high with your conversion of T4 meds into T3 hormone - then the heart palps would be noticable. Your body was saying "Too Much!" Throw in a magnesium depletion as a possiblity with that treatment basing everything on a TSH and that could - as goolara says, could be "irresponsible."

Testing your free T3 is extremely important to control/protect the cardio vascular system.

[goolarra]

Yes, the FT3 and FT4 results will be medicated results, but once you start on levo, that's exactly what you want to see...how the levo is affecting your FT3 and FT4 levels.  It would have been interesting to have your pre-meds levels, but it's too late for that.  We all have FT3, FT4 and TSH run periodically to see if our dosages have to be tweaked.  Thyroid replacement hormones do not change antibodies, so those will be similar to pre-meds levels.

If your doctor  (RNP?) is treating you based on TSH only, you really need to find a new doctor, preferably an endo.  TSH does not correlate well with symptoms, plus there are many factors that can get in the way so that TSH becomes virtually meaningless (pituitary issues, etc.)  I, personally, feel that treatment based on TSH only is flat out irresponsible...I know, I have a pituitary issue, and my PCP tried to kill me with levo to get my TSH "right"...not really, but I felt like she was!.

You may have been overmedicated, or you may have just been started on too high a dose, which didn't give your body time to adjust to the new meds (these both feel pretty much the same).  You may find that you'll eventually end up at 50 mcg, but in two (25, 50) or three (25, 37.5, 50) or even four (25, 37.5, 44, 50) steps.  I was on the four-step program!  But I'm a meds wuss!

Once you've been on 25 mcg for four to five weeks, get your FT3, FT4 and TSH tested.  Then you'll know where your dosage has to go from there, or if it's fine where it is.  You might as well do the antibodies, TPOab and TGab, at the same time so you'll know if it's Hashi's you're dealing with.