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

[gimel]

Sorry, I hit the wrong button.  I also wanted to add that in regard to the issue of osteoporosis, here is a previous reply I made to another member.


Keep in mind that numerous sources have said that conditions for bone loss are not caused by excessive thyroid levels.  If bone loss conditions don't exist, then thyroid levels would have no impact.  If bone loss conditions already exist, higher metabolism due to increased thyroid levels may increase the rate of bone loss.  Effective treatment should be to address the conditions causing bone loss, not by withholding thyroid meds.

[gimel]

Just a couple of thoughts to add to Tamra's info.  Many doctors mistakenly interpret a low TSH level as a great concern, because they have the "Immaculate TSH Belief".  By this I mean that they think TSH is a diagnostic, by which to determine medication and dosage.  It is inadequate as a diagnostic.  At best it is only an indicator, to be considered along with more important indicators, which are symptoms and the levels of the actual biologically active thyroid hormones, which are free T3 and free T4. TSH is a pituitary hormone that is affected by many variables and does not correlate very well at all with hypo symptoms.  TSH only affects the body by signaling the thyroid glands to produce more/less of the actual thyroid hormones that regulate metabolism and many other body functions.  

A low TSH result can only indicate potential A fib problems, if it is correctly signaling that the levels of the active thyroid hormones are too high.  My question would be why not just monitor and adjust the levels of FT3 and FT4, rather than relying on TSH?  For example, since I am on medication, my TSH level has been less than .05 for over 20 years, without any hyper type problems.  In fact I suffered with lingering hypo symptoms until my FT3 and FT4 levels were finally adjusted properly.  

[TamraW]

Find an endo who treats your frees and not your TSH, which is a pituitary hormone and not a direct indicator of what the thryoid is doing.

Much of the negative publicity about the natural drugs comes from misinformation spread by the big pharma synthetic compaines.

However, if the natural stuff doesn't work for you, then try synthetics.

I'm on synthetics. I have a doctor who is willing to treat my symptoms, then my frees, and he doesn't really pay much attention to TSH. Who cares that your TSH is below one if your frees are low?

Here's the site where I found my endo:
http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/

My endo treats 75 percent thyroid, not diabetes, as so many do. That's what happened with my last endo who refused to raise my Synthroid higher than 75 or add Cytomel because the beloved TSH was 1.2. I'm now on 112 Synthroid and 5 Cytomel. I honestly don't know my current TSH because my new endo hasn't tested it lately, but I feel great, and isn't that what's most important?

:) Tamra