Aa
Good news- wife FINALLY getting FT3 test
After a long and bumpy road where my wife's Dr refuses to test for Free T3 (they will do FT4), and my wife resisting me on the importance of FT3 testing. My wife finally decided to go to HealthcheckUSA and ordered the test on-line. We have to pay for this out of pocket but we'll FINALLY know where she stands.
She will go to have blood drawn Monday. Hopefully the results will follow soon after.
her last test in Mid July was
FT4 0.68 ( 0.75 - 1.54)
TOTAL T3 1.46 ( 0.7 - 1.7)
TSH 3.67
Since that test her Levo was increased a measly amount. From 112 to 120 mcg. Dr. said TSH should be between 1 and 2. So it is clear her Dr has immaculate TSH theory. But since she was BELOW the bottom of the range on FT4 it was clear she needed an increase in her dose.
I have guessed that this latest increase will result in the following. It will be interesting to see how close my guess is.
I believe that she will now be slightly below mid range on FT4 and she MAY be mid range in FT3.
My Guess:
TSH 2.2
FT4 0.85
FT3 maybe to mid range or very slightly above mid range. certainly below the upper 1/3
We all know that symptom relief is a target around mid range FT4 and UPPER 1/3 range FT3.
After never having an FT3 test performed it is a complete and utter guess. But in the past she has seemed to respond to T4 dosage increase reasonably, So I don't think she has a conversion problem. But we maybe now will have a chance to be able to determine is she does or does not have a conversion problem.
She will go to have blood drawn Monday. Hopefully the results will follow soon after.
her last test in Mid July was
FT4 0.68 ( 0.75 - 1.54)
TOTAL T3 1.46 ( 0.7 - 1.7)
TSH 3.67
Since that test her Levo was increased a measly amount. From 112 to 120 mcg. Dr. said TSH should be between 1 and 2. So it is clear her Dr has immaculate TSH theory. But since she was BELOW the bottom of the range on FT4 it was clear she needed an increase in her dose.
I have guessed that this latest increase will result in the following. It will be interesting to see how close my guess is.
I believe that she will now be slightly below mid range on FT4 and she MAY be mid range in FT3.
My Guess:
TSH 2.2
FT4 0.85
FT3 maybe to mid range or very slightly above mid range. certainly below the upper 1/3
We all know that symptom relief is a target around mid range FT4 and UPPER 1/3 range FT3.
After never having an FT3 test performed it is a complete and utter guess. But in the past she has seemed to respond to T4 dosage increase reasonably, So I don't think she has a conversion problem. But we maybe now will have a chance to be able to determine is she does or does not have a conversion problem.
I WISH it was the same as M&Ms, I think we should all be able to heal ourselves with chocolate !
MSM stands for methylsulfonylmethane, a source of organic sulphur. You can look it up on Wikipedia and it will give the pros and cons in thinking about it, and here is another link:
http://www.all-natural.com/msm.html
It's a component in connective tissues, hair , and nails, is used to reduce inflammation, and has to do with cell membranes as well as insulin production. It also relates to muscle and joint pain. I think all those things could integrate with thyroid issues. All I know is that it really affects how fast my hair and nails grow, and because I'm lazy and cavalier about taking my vitamins (with the exception of D and B-12) I know what happens to ME if I slack off. I was taking it on the advice of a doctor for pain following car accidents, long before my thyroid started malfunctioning. Before I could get any doctor to believe my thyroid was wonky, my nails in particular were splitting down into the quick and peeling in layers. I remembered my old buddy MSM and started taking it again. I noticed the results right away, though it still took thyroid meds to stop the splitting and peeling completely.
Good luck !
MSM stands for methylsulfonylmethane, a source of organic sulphur. You can look it up on Wikipedia and it will give the pros and cons in thinking about it, and here is another link:
http://www.all-natural.com/msm.html
It's a component in connective tissues, hair , and nails, is used to reduce inflammation, and has to do with cell membranes as well as insulin production. It also relates to muscle and joint pain. I think all those things could integrate with thyroid issues. All I know is that it really affects how fast my hair and nails grow, and because I'm lazy and cavalier about taking my vitamins (with the exception of D and B-12) I know what happens to ME if I slack off. I was taking it on the advice of a doctor for pain following car accidents, long before my thyroid started malfunctioning. Before I could get any doctor to believe my thyroid was wonky, my nails in particular were splitting down into the quick and peeling in layers. I remembered my old buddy MSM and started taking it again. I noticed the results right away, though it still took thyroid meds to stop the splitting and peeling completely.
Good luck !
Dear FF,
I agree with all of the others, my take would be to add T3 and see how she feels. I suspect she may need a raise in both, but the conservative path is to raise one at a time and monitor.
Speaking from my own experience, if your wife is still losing hair, which is a gross (in the sense of large) symptom, she is under-medicated. I use hair loss as the easiest way to monitor whether I am under-medicated, as it happens almost instantaneously when some stoopid endo has insisted on lowering my T3 meds, and grows back as soon as the T3 is raised. I have gone through the hair-loss/re-growth process 3 times now. The other symptoms of dry skin. weight gain, irregular periods.....all her remaining symptoms went mostly away almost immediately with the addition of Cytomel/T3, and return with under-medication. My period is especially sensitive to T3, and was extreme before I went on thyroid supplementation.
A couple of notes: Selenium supplementation is essential, I really notice the difference when I don't take it and it has a lot to do with processing the hormones.
Please note that if your wife is taking an estrogen supplement, this can bind the T3 and cause the patient to need more. That's why my doctor uses the DIRECT Free T4 test, it has a wider range and allows for the estrogen binding capacity. I believe Dr. Holtorf recommends that version of the test.
Has your wife been tested for Ferritin and iron ? A Ferritin test is sort of like the Free T tests in that it shows the amount of iron available in the blood in a useable form, which is different from just the measurement of iron in the blood. Pernicious anemia is often associated with hypothyroidism, and in retrospect was my first symptom. I had unusual bruising, which is why my blood was first tested. The blood doctor recommended I take 1500 units of sub-lingual methylcobalamin-sourced B-12 daily. Again, I really notice it when I forget. The NOW brand is the one she recommended to me, it has the other Bs as well.
For energy, i also notice the difference when I forget to take MSM. It's a basic building block of life, and has been largely lost in our diet due to farming practices. It's in GRASS, amongst other things. The way I notice the difference is that when I take it regularly, my fingernails grow twice as fast and are much stronger. It also affects the growth rate of my hair. The other hair-related supplements are Biotin, Evening Primrose Oil and Silica. I also take Chromium to regulate blood sugar and to promote muscle. None of these vitamins are available in any multi-vitamin I know. There is also an Indian herb, Ashwagandha, that promotes thyroid function.
If you have not yet investigated Dr. Holtorf's website I highly encourage you to do so. His recent Live Chat with the Forum is archived here on MedHelp, and I think the links to his 2 sites are listed there. As I recall, he lists the lab work that he thinks is most essential. It's a really good resource.
Best of luck, glad to hear you are making progress. It is unbelievably sweet, the way you help your wife. Renews my faith in men !
I agree with all of the others, my take would be to add T3 and see how she feels. I suspect she may need a raise in both, but the conservative path is to raise one at a time and monitor.
Speaking from my own experience, if your wife is still losing hair, which is a gross (in the sense of large) symptom, she is under-medicated. I use hair loss as the easiest way to monitor whether I am under-medicated, as it happens almost instantaneously when some stoopid endo has insisted on lowering my T3 meds, and grows back as soon as the T3 is raised. I have gone through the hair-loss/re-growth process 3 times now. The other symptoms of dry skin. weight gain, irregular periods.....all her remaining symptoms went mostly away almost immediately with the addition of Cytomel/T3, and return with under-medication. My period is especially sensitive to T3, and was extreme before I went on thyroid supplementation.
A couple of notes: Selenium supplementation is essential, I really notice the difference when I don't take it and it has a lot to do with processing the hormones.
Please note that if your wife is taking an estrogen supplement, this can bind the T3 and cause the patient to need more. That's why my doctor uses the DIRECT Free T4 test, it has a wider range and allows for the estrogen binding capacity. I believe Dr. Holtorf recommends that version of the test.
Has your wife been tested for Ferritin and iron ? A Ferritin test is sort of like the Free T tests in that it shows the amount of iron available in the blood in a useable form, which is different from just the measurement of iron in the blood. Pernicious anemia is often associated with hypothyroidism, and in retrospect was my first symptom. I had unusual bruising, which is why my blood was first tested. The blood doctor recommended I take 1500 units of sub-lingual methylcobalamin-sourced B-12 daily. Again, I really notice it when I forget. The NOW brand is the one she recommended to me, it has the other Bs as well.
For energy, i also notice the difference when I forget to take MSM. It's a basic building block of life, and has been largely lost in our diet due to farming practices. It's in GRASS, amongst other things. The way I notice the difference is that when I take it regularly, my fingernails grow twice as fast and are much stronger. It also affects the growth rate of my hair. The other hair-related supplements are Biotin, Evening Primrose Oil and Silica. I also take Chromium to regulate blood sugar and to promote muscle. None of these vitamins are available in any multi-vitamin I know. There is also an Indian herb, Ashwagandha, that promotes thyroid function.
If you have not yet investigated Dr. Holtorf's website I highly encourage you to do so. His recent Live Chat with the Forum is archived here on MedHelp, and I think the links to his 2 sites are listed there. As I recall, he lists the lab work that he thinks is most essential. It's a really good resource.
Best of luck, glad to hear you are making progress. It is unbelievably sweet, the way you help your wife. Renews my faith in men !
COMMUNITY LEADER
Looks like I've been too slow getting here - goolarra and gimel have said all the good things......
I think it might be worthwhile to try a quality selenium supplement, as studies have shown that selenium can help with the conversion of FT4 to FT3. Selenium can be toxic is too large doses are taken, so stick to around 200 mcg/day.
I've probably asked you this before (too lazy to go look), but have your wife's vitamin B12 levels been tested? If so, what was the level? B12 deficiency can cause absolute, debilitating fatigue.... I have it, so I know all too well. AND like thyroid levels, just being "in range" isn't good enough for some of us.
One thing to remember about adding a T3 hormone, is that it will be critical for your wife's FT3 levels to be monitored. Since your doctor has refused this in the past, will she be agreeable to monitor it now? I can't help wonder if she will even be agreeable to adding a T3 hormone.
I think it might be worthwhile to try a quality selenium supplement, as studies have shown that selenium can help with the conversion of FT4 to FT3. Selenium can be toxic is too large doses are taken, so stick to around 200 mcg/day.
I've probably asked you this before (too lazy to go look), but have your wife's vitamin B12 levels been tested? If so, what was the level? B12 deficiency can cause absolute, debilitating fatigue.... I have it, so I know all too well. AND like thyroid levels, just being "in range" isn't good enough for some of us.
One thing to remember about adding a T3 hormone, is that it will be critical for your wife's FT3 levels to be monitored. Since your doctor has refused this in the past, will she be agreeable to monitor it now? I can't help wonder if she will even be agreeable to adding a T3 hormone.
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