Help with understanding tests

[Coquito53]

I have been taking cytomel 7.5 mcg and synthroid 110 mcg for the past 6 monthts for a diagnosis of hypothyroidism.  When i started this med regime my hair started growing beutifully and i was feeling great. . Suddenly a few weeks ago i started feeling tired and my hair is now falling in clumps.  I was re tested and my dr. States that all tests are normal with a twist of possibile hyperthyroidism.  Mr. Dr. Stated that for hair loss, she can possibly reduce the synthroid to 105 mcg and keep the cytomel at 7.5 mcg.  Althought my dr. Is very open to experimentation and change she does not appear to be super knowleadgeable.  The problem is that i havent found a dr. Who is knowledgeable and open minded to want to try t3 t4 med combo like she is.  My last three doctors only wanted to prescribed synthroid and go by lab tests only and not how i was feeling.  I need help with interpreting my test results.

My results are as follows.
Tsh.    0.922      Range of 0.450 - 4.500
T4 free 1.27       Range  0.82 a 1.77
Thyrozine (t4).  7.7   Range 4.5 -12.0
T3 uptake.         32%.           Range 24 - 39
Free thyroxyne index.    2.5.   1.2 - 4.9
Triiodothyronine (t3).     82        Range 71-180
Triiodothyronine, free, serum.   2.4         Range 2.0 4.4

[Coquito53]

I dont fully have those results because although i always ask to be tested for current thyroid test my dr. continues to test me for other things for example.  When i was feeling great she tested me for the following:

T4 free 1.1.     Range of 0.8-1.8
T4 total     8.2 range of 4.5-12.0
Tsh. 0.27. Range of 0.40-4.50
T3 uptake. 30 percent.  Range of 22-35
T4 free calculated. 2.5 units.    Range of 1.4-3.8
T3 total   66 range of 76-181

[flyingfool]

When people take T3, it is quite common for TSH to be completely supressed.  Thus making TSH from a poor test to virtually completely useless.

I agree with Barb

I would have expected the Dr to RAISE your T3 medication.

I would have been particularly interested when you were feeling better what your blood labs were.  In particular your FT3 levels. (Triiodothyronine, free, serum.   2.4         Range 2.0 4.4)

Rule of thumb is Free T4 to be 50% and your tests above show you at 47% kwhich is pretty darn close.  AND Free T3 to be about 67%. But yours are only testing at 16% so there is plenty of room for improvement.

[Barb135]

Most likely, your doctor was looking only at the TSH, which, unfortunately, is very common for doctors to do.

Do you know what blood tests were done that determined no Hashimoto's?  If you have the antibody results, please post them, along with their reference ranges.

[Coquito53]

Hi Barb thank you for your repply.   I was tested with blood and followed up with a sonogram type test and i was told that i do not have hashimotos.  I will tell her to bump up my cytomel from 7.5 to 10.  I dont understand why she told me that if i reduced the synthroid that my symptoms will dissapear.

[Barb135]

Of all those tests, the only ones you really needed were TSH, Free T4 and Free T3.   The rest are considered obsolete and a waste of money.

I can't see where your doctor is getting hyper out of those labs.  Your TSH is good, and so is your FT4. Your FT3 is near the bottom of its range, and looks like you might be able to stand a bump up on the cytomel.

Hair loss is a hypo symptom, which is why your hair began growing again, when you got on medication. Now, you're becoming hypo again, and it's beginning to fall out.

Do you know if you have Hashimoto's?  Hashimoto's is progressive, so meds have to be adjusted periodically, to keep you feeling well.