How do you all feel about a high FT3?

[Jackie419]

I had thought that taking Celebrex a day or two before tests may have skewed them, as that had happened once when I took a migraine pill before tests. I am posting past two tests for comparison. I was about to go get retested, but realized that the ft3 was just over the high end of range.

Sept 2011- on 3 grains compounded:

FT4- 1.32   (0.82-1.77)
FT3- 3.5        (2.0-4.4)
TSH .006     (0.450-4.500)

I thought my ft3 could stand to come up and felt somewhat hypo so I added 1/2 grain of armour to the mix, but then knocked it back to 1/4 grain well before the next test when I started to lose weight.

Jan. 28, 2012-- on 3 grains compounded plus 1/4 grain armour:

FT4- 1.59      (0.82-1.77)
FT3- 4.7          ( 2.0-4.4)
TSH .006
Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) Ab <6     (0-34)
Antithyroglobulin Ab                <20      (0-40)

I was going to get retested as I thought that 1/4 grain could not have possibly raised my ft3 that much, but since getting that test, I have cut out the 1/4 grain of Armour and feel extremely HYPO now, just burned out. My weight is still lower than I'd like and as I had stated in another post, would like to try a different thyroid med. Besides the weight being down, I have mainly hypo symptoms, no palps at all, not cranked up....really tired, eyes ache, shoulder pain/joint pain etc. Would appreciate any thoughts, thanks!

[Jackie419]

Well, I got my FT3 tested yesterday and just got the results: FT3- 3.6  (range is 2.0-4.4)!!  I knew it! So you dont have to scroll around, 2 weeks ago it was 4.7, i lowered my dose by only a 1/4 grain for the past 2 weeks and guessing that change wouldnt even show up in tests yet but it sure made me feel awful since I cut that out.
So now the question is, is an FT3 of 3.6 adequate? Thats where I was last fall when I added that 1/4 grain to kick it up a notch as I was having hypo symptoms still. I am not concerned about not testing my FT4 again as I can kind of gauge where it must be going by my test of Sept and where my FT3 is now upon retesting. Thank God, because I surely couldn't understand how I felt so hypo with an FT3 of 4.7!!!!!

[Jackie419]

I order my own tests, as I don't have insurance. The test I would need to get is too much right now but I can print the blood test order within minutes of ordering it so that isn't a problem. I have no intention of anything other than just seeing where my FT3 is right now- I figure it will help me know if the Celebrex did affect the test or not. This is strictly to ease my mind. I believe my last dose of Celebrex was sometime within 24 hours of my thyroid test and I never take my meds together, ever!
Like I said before, last summer I was on my way out the door for bloodwork and got a migraine, popped a Midrin- didnt think anything of it and then my tests results came back crazy high- at that time it was my ft4 that was off the scale- I kept my thyroid dose the same and went back for tests soon after and they were back where they should be (well, not should be, still hypo- but not crazy high)
I still can't imagine that a 1/4 grain of armour drove my ft3 up from 3.5 to 4.7- oddly, I went for the bloodwork as I was feeling a bit hypo and wanted to see where I was and surely didn't expect to see my FT3 so high!

[Barb135]

Have you researched how long it would take to get the celebrex out of your system?  And have you been off it that long? I don't think the celebrex changed your levels that much unless you took it at the same time as thyroid med, which is a "no no"...

Sorry to say that FT3 by itself is not going to help you, at this point.  You need FT3, FT4 and TSH all drawn at the same time, in order to give you, or anyone else, a good picture; if they're not tested all at once, they are pretty much a waste of time and money....

To my knowledge, you can't "just call and order" a B12 test at the last minute; it has to be on the lab order.  

[Kristina538]

Hi Jackie,  No I wasn't particularly constipated on those levels, although I wasn't particulrly regular either.   The 5 months I was 'euthyroid' inbetween RAI and tending hypo were wonderful - great energy, regular bowels.   I fully intend to get there again!!

(I've been B12 deficient before, some years ago, but was tested and can take oral supplements - they did give me an injection twice (the nurse read the results wrong), and strangely, it totally cleared my sciatica - magicallly and virtually immediately - I didn't make it up!!).  B12 is a Godsend!

[Jackie419]

Reading about B12 deficiencies, ataxia and paresthesia jumped out at me...although I have not experienced that in some time, last spring and summer into fall, I was experiencing those things with more frequent migrianes and attributed them to being new migraine symptoms....so much to take in and so many conditions with symptoms the same....ugh...

[Jackie419]

Barb, Thanks so much for your concern! I just ordered a FT3 test only, for $45 and not really to see if the decrease in dosage changed anything but to see what the level is with no celebrex in my system and to see exactly where it is with what I am feeling now. I think I may call and add the B12 test in my next round of tests, so thanks for that input-and if it's cheap enough, I may add it for tomorrows test.
As far as what else I may try, in a recent thread here about Acella NP Thyroid- I stated that I thought that was what I may have been adding a 1/4 grain of to my current dose, only to find out they had put Armour in a bottle marked as Acella- now knowing I have never taken Acella and that there is NO cellulose in it, I would really like to try it as I cannot afford the compounded anymore. While I do like the compounded a lot, it';s hard to adjust med levels as it is in a capsule and it IS very expensive, especially when you need to split your dose.
I believe the Celebrex may have affected the last test because another pain med had made a previous test have just crazy numbers and when i retested then, all was normal. I just felt my FT3 had to huge a jump for just going up a 1/4 grain, especially since it was that weak new armour....will update when I know more! Thanks!

[Barb135]

Forgot to mention - you said you'd been taking celebrex prior to your last blood test... I don't know if celebrex would raise your levels that much, but you can check drugs.com for interactions.

What other thyroid med did you have in mind to try?

[Barb135]

Have you had your vitamin B12 levels tested?  B12 deficiency can cause even more debilitating exhaustion than hypothyroidism can - yes, believe it or not, that's possible...... I fought undiagnosed B12 deficiency for years and finally in 2007 was dx'd with pernicious anemia and started on B12 shots. Those helped immensely, but I still had a lingering fatigue/never ending need to sleep.  Finally, in 2008, I begged to get thyroid tests and was finally dx'd hypo........  I take weekly B12 shots in order to keep my level near the top of the range, or I don't feel well.  Since pernicious anemia is another autoimmune, I'll take the B12 shots for the rest of my life, right along with my daily thyroid med.  Without them both, I don't function/feel well.

If you are suffering from constipation at your thyroid levels, you might try adding a fiber supplement (not taken at the same time as thyroid med).  I like Fiber Advance gummies....... A probiotic might also help.  I also find that eating a apple a day, does wonders.

You tested on Jan 28, so testing again now, would probably be a waste of money, since it takes 4-6 weeks for a med change to take full effect.  I don't know how expensive your labs are, or if you  have insurance, but since you said you can't afford to retest, you might want to check out a couple of websites, from which you can order the blood tests and the cost is often more reasonable that what you'd get going through your doctor.  One site I used was healthcheckusa - I got TSH, FT3 and FT4 for $85; I ordered the tests I wanted, they e-mailed me a lab order and told me which lab to go to.  Fortunately, there was a branch of that national chain, not far from my house; I had the blood drawn and the report was e-mailed to me within 2 days.  This site offers tons of other tests, so you can get the B12 done there, as well.  Just throwing out another option.

[Jackie419]

Kristina, just wondering if you were extremely constipated at those levels as well. Thanks

[Jackie419]

Thanks for the input, but i really still doubt that a 1/4 grain made my ft3 go from 3.5 to 4.7 as it took me a long long time to get it up to 3.5. My tired is groggy, heavy/sleepy and as i has stated, this started after I knocked that 1/4 grain off of my dose as well as increased shoulder pain, boils. I am calm, not nervous and my life is even upsidedown at the moment! I am on beta blockers, have been for over 20 years for migraines. I also take xanax to sleep and had to lower my dose of that when i lowered the thyroid dose as the dose i was on then knocked me out a lot easier and left me groggy in the morning. I will feel the way I did when I woke up today, all day and into the night when I go to bed.
I suppose now I will have to test again just to be sure, can't afford it but I feel so damned bad, it's the only way to know. to be honest I felt way better when my ft3 WAS 4.7!!!!

[Kristina538]

My TSH, FT3 and FT4 were almost exactly the same when I was subclinical hyper, and had very similar symptoms as you describe.

The 'tired' was more drained/exhausted - the hypo tired is heavy/sleepy.   The main difference for me was that my heart rate was faster when I was hyper (progressively got faster until 82-88 was my norm), and I felt 'nervous' but not 'anxious'.  If I hadn't had sleep meds I wouldn't have managed so well and probably insisted that something was done sooner.  I ended up on betablockers.

[Jackie419]

I did not take meds before tests, never do. I had thought celebrex in the days before the test may have effected it possibly raising it. At those levels, I was feeling fine with the exception of losing a little weight, but felt I had some hypo symptoms at the time and feel I have no way of knowing if it was the celebrex that raised it or that what it actually was. With the dose i am on now (3 grains) I would imagine my levels are what they were in the first set of results I posted from sept. 2011.
I feel groggy all day, need less xanax to go to sleep, memory/word problems, increased shoulder/joint pain (since lowering dose) basically feeling how i did with the Sept '11 results which is why i had raised my dose after those results. I guess the only way I can really know is to test again, but broke and have to believe those tests were right for now.
I don't think I knew that symptoms can be the same for both things!! yikes! I just know when I have overmedicated in the past, I surely knew it, I would have palps, feel agravated easily, not sleep well, etc.
Which levels would you give your eye teeth for?? lol....and thanks!

[Barb135]

I'd give my eye teeth for your FT3 and FT4 levels........ lol  

Did you take your thyroid med before you had the blood test?  That could cause FT3 to be inflated....

What are your symptoms? and are you aware that symptoms can "cross over" (apply to both hyper and hypo)?

[Jackie419]

I should add that obviously, I had taken Celebrex prior to the 2nd test I posted, while on 3 grains compounded and a 1/4 grain armour. I will add that last summer I had taken a migraine pill right before a test with high results and tested a month later to be sure and it made a huge difference my ft4 went from being 2.28 to 1.32 the following month and my ft3 went from being 4.2 to 3.5 and all because of a medicine I was taking! We have to watch EVERYTHING!