Low TSH, low FT3 & FT4

[Emmy4337]

43 years old. Hashi diagnosed in 2/2007, partial TT 4/2006 (negative for suspected cancer) on Armour 75 mg to 120 mg increasing does from 4/06 to 8/09.  Changed to Nature-Throid 8/09 130mg in morning.  Numbers fluxuate greatly and I feel like crap.  Any suggestions?  Endo just changed me to synthroid 137mg on 12/14. She is willing (she says) to add T3 is need be. Says can't regulate on T3/T4 mix and low TSH means will get a-fib and osteo.  Labs to be run 1/18/10 to check TSH, FT3 & FT4.  Very scared I'm going to go truely hypo.  Bone scan great 2 years ago. High cholesterol ranging from 222-305 since 8/2001. Sometimes the dr. or lab didn't run the FT 4 as requested.  Any suggestions?  Family is against dessicated and to get them off my back I agreed to try synthroid.
TSH FT4 FT3
0.29 1.14 457
2/3 of my thyroid removed
0.48 295
1.6 260
1.04 0.8 236
0.21 0.82 224
<.04 313
25.23 190
0.13 0.94 356
0.08 317
0.88 289
0.11 0.86 330
0.11 0.76 201

[goolarra]

I apologize...in my last comment I should have said "if you get any HYPER symptoms...".

Most people on Cytomel (an most take far less than 25 mcg) split the dose into at least two.  Usually, one is taken in the morning with your levo, and the second is taken sometime in the afternoon (you have to experiment with when is best for you).  Cytomel is very fast-acting and neutralized by your body if not used promptly.  If you take it all in one dose, you are going to have peaks and valleys of hormone levels.  You'll have a morning "high", followed by an afternoon "crash".

Check the archives for what others have to say about splitting Cytomel.

[Emmy4337]

I emailed back and forth with the dr. yesterday.  He though he had reduced it to 125 but I thought we were going to leave it at 137 (this is before deciding to add T3).  The samples he gave me to last till the next testing (4 wks) were 137.  His directions are to take the 25 mcg once a day.  I even called the pharmacy last night to see if the dose was a time release and was it normal to take it all at once.  He said it wasn't time release and take at one time.  I did it this morning so I have probably taken too much.  My joints aren't hurting but I feel alittle fuzzy headed.  It will be okay though for 1 day I know since I took 130 Nature Throid along w/ my 137 Syn when I crashed during changing medicine.  

[goolarra]

That's a lot of Cytomel, especially since your levo hasn't been decreased.  Cytomel is roughly four times more potent than levo, so it's like ADDING 100 mcg of levo.  If you have any hypo symptoms, please call your doctor immediately and get him to reduce the Cytomel.  I'd think 5 mcg of Cytomel to start, perhaps increasing to 10 mcg would be more appropriate.

[Emmy4337]

I started my Cytomel this morning and have a bad headache now.  I took 12.5 at 7am adn 12.5 at noon. This is along w/ 137 of synthoid.  The dr. wants to drop me to 125 synthroid so I'll do that tomorrow.  My joints quit hurting this morning but are hurting again this afternoon.

[Emmy4337]

Update:  After 8 wks on Synthroid (weeks 3-5 I felt great & weeks 6-8 felt worse than before) my dr. has agreed to add T3-Cytomel!  I told him would rather be on Nature Throid and feel as I was before than have the aching/painful joints.  He didn't want to at first since my TSH was 0.02 and even wanted to lower my Syn. dose.  We are leaving it at 137 and adding T3 (not sure how much yet) and retesting in a month.  I did 2 different days last week on my old medicine and the aches, brain fog and low mood went away so I feel very sure the T3 will help.  Now hopefully the Dr. won't freak out about the TSH staying low.  We'll see in a month I guess.  I'll find all my research about low TSH-regular Frees not leading to osteo and fibrilations and have it ready to show him.  I can always go back to NT if I have to and try to find a dr. that can actually work with me on dosage.  Thanks for everyones comments and suggestions!

[gimel]

I'm having a hard time understanding the point you are trying to make with your post.  Forum members only advocate taking thyroid medication adequate to achieve the desired clinical results  (symptom relief),  by achieving  adequate levels of FT3 and FT4, nothing more.

If you spend the time reviewing a multitude of studies, as I have,  you will find that the major causes for bone loss lies with insufficient sex hormones and vitamin D.   Only in those cases does excessive levels of thyroid hormones have a secondary effect on bone loss, due to resultant increased metabolism.

If you take the time to also think about the quote from the brochure, I think you couldl agree that its primary purpose is as a disclaimer to help protect the manufacturers from the possibility of asssumed liability.   So I see nothing that it adds to our discussion here, other than to possibly confuse members.