request for feedback on new labs

[Brucergoldberg]

I had these labs done end of year.  These were done with my most recent bump of naturethroid.  I am currently on the  following protocol:

1.25 grain naturethroid at 2 am
1.5 grain naturethroid at 2 pm

I am a little nervous because even though these labs look pretty decent, these were done 3 weeks into my new dose, and another member and I were discussing how this may not be long enough to have a true picture.  Im afraid i could go hyper, i feel like I'm crossing over at time but at other times I'm hypo.

main symptoms are  ears ringing, brain fog, tired, but still unable to go to sleep at night.  Ears are always clogged up and ringing.

I am now about 2 months into taking naturethroid

tsh  .96   (range .40-4.50)   down from 25!!
t4 free  .9   (0.8 -1.8)    scary
t3 freebie  4.1  (2.3-4.2)  I think this is pretty good
TPA  235     Down from 2000!

I need advice.   either that or a swift kick in the a$$ :)

[Brucergoldberg]

I knew you would say that!!!   I was just curious though.  

test 1 was on 2.75 erfa
test 2 was on 2.75 erfa

I felt more HYPER on test 2.  

also can anyone tell me the best place to buy erfa?  i have my script, and it looks like erfa.com charges 40.00 for shipping on one bottle

[goolarra]

If I recall correctly, it was between these two labs that you started decreasing your NT.  So, that would explain your FT3 and FT4 falling.

As to your symptoms...I think you have a lot of "cross over" symptoms.  Some of us get basically the same symptoms whether hypo or hyper, just whenever levels "aren't right".  

However, these are a bit of a moot point since you've switched to ERFA.  I'd say wait for your next labs that reflect the switch to ERFA and see what those say...go from there.

[Brucergoldberg]

Please help me again.  So i posted above my labs on 2 months naturethroid.  I have recently switched to 1.25 grains of ERFA however, I got my test results back from 3 months on naturethroid where i felt very hyper, horrible ear ringing, shaky, diahreah etc.  The lab results were very disturbing to me and i really don't understand.

So this is 2 months on 2.75 grains NT

tsh  .96   (range .40-4.50)   down from 25!!
t4 free  .9   (0.8 -1.8)    scary
t3 freebie  4.1  (2.3-4.2)  I think this is pretty good

and this was 3 months on NT

tsh  (not tested)
t4 free  .7  (.8 -1.8)   WTF?
t3 freebie  3.1  (2.3 -4.2)    it dropped too.

SO there i was feeling all hyper and stuff, but in reality i was going in the opposite direction according to my labs.   I do not understand this..

On the lab test by the way the ".7" next to the t4 free was in red and it said "seek medical help".   nice

[karasagency]

hi is low and low is high in thyroid land

[Brucergoldberg]

I have read that the perfect labs, most people have a tsh of around 2.  may i ask the opinion of the "elders" on here?

[Brucergoldberg]

yes but you can dish out advice better than any mother I've ever had.  And that, I give you credit for.   Hoping my doc will reduce the naturethroid and throw in a drop of t4.    Man i can't wait to see how bad my ears ring from that cocktail!

[goolarra]

The "pushed and pulled" is due to the imbalance...FT3 a little high, FT4 a little low.  FT3 is going to vary, so when that gets low, you don't have the FT4 available for conversion to tide you over.

NT seems to be working for you best of anything, so just work with it...don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

I keep telling you I am not old enough or ugly enough to be your mother!  But, you're welcome anyway...

[Brucergoldberg]

I agree.  I was wondering if adding a little t4 maybe as a generic is the answer.  I still don't feel right.  I feel like I'm being pushed and pulled at the same time still.  Im still not sustaining my levels as usually by about 5 pm, i could give two flips about anything and am ready to climb in bed and forget the world even exists.

I truly believe that if i only could tolerate the t4 only, i would not be having this conversation.  

I have learned a lot from this board over the last two years and have actually given the same advice to some other folks off this board that has really helped meet to where i am now.   I was a 1 on a scale from 1 to ten.  I think I'm about a 5 or 6 now, which is scary because my labs look fairly decent.  Im going to see my hormone lady weds and ill keep y'all posted.  

Thanks Mom!

Bruce

[goolarra]

I agree that you should wait out the full time on this dose and retest before changing anything.  I was just saying that the T3 portion of the meds should be completely reflected in your FT3 level.  Even if FT4 continues to rise, it's SO low right now that I doubt the next couple of weeks are going to get you into the red zone.

As usual, Bruce, no "right" answers!  C'mon, you didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you?  LOL

You could try a couple of different things, and your doctor just might have a preferred way of handling this.  One alternative is to add a little synthetic T4 to your current desiccated dose (perhaps dropping the desiccated a bit to compensate).  That would raise your FT4.  The other alternative would be to go to compounded product that contains a little less T3.  NT seems to be working better for you than anything you've tried (damned by slight praise?), so perhaps you want to upset that as little as possible and go with alternative #1???

[Brucergoldberg]

I will wait. But I do feel like crap and the testosterone shots have done some weird things to me too.  Just ready to feel normal or close to it.  This might explain why I feel hyper and hypo at the same time.

[kl42]

numbers can definitely change. in the next 3 weeks.  need to settle level out.

[Brucergoldberg]

OK but if it doesn't, what am i going to add?   a compound of t4?  yes i will wait.  I'm seeing the dr. weds.  maybe she will switch me to a compound of something.   what is the right answer to that goolarra?

[kl42]

wait it out the full 6 weeks and retest it could change by then.  

[goolarra]

It looks to me like you might need to add some T4 to the NT.  Your FT3 is almost to the top of the range, but your FT4 is just off the bottom.  If you try to raise your FT4 by adding more NT, you're going to be over the top on FT3.  That's something you could tak about with your doctor.  

[Brucergoldberg]

I still feel like Shiz

[Brucergoldberg]

I took the naturethoid at 2 am. But my test was not until 3 pm that same day, 13 hours later.

[goolarra]

Not sure which will do you more good!  LOL

Well, you're looking less hypo, but your results are still a little unbalanced.  I wouldn't worry too much that it was only 3 weeks into this dose that these labs were done.  The T3 component of the NT will show up in labs quite quickly, and your FT4 is so low that if it continues to rise, it's still going to be low.

Had you taken your NT before the draw?