Synthroid

[D0831]

My T3 was 31.2, T4 was 7.2 & total TSH was 4.63.  Is this enough testing to be put right on Synthroid?  

[D0831]

I saw my doctor yesterday & told him I stopped the Synthroid.  I told him how I had been feeling for the last year (achy, headaches, always hungry, etc.) He said it's opposite of what I should have felt.  He said those are symptoms of someone before they started on Synthroid. I told him I had been so achy that I didn't want to do anything. He told me he had never heard anyone say that after being on Synthroid which surprised me. I told him I've spoken to people on & off the internet that had felt the same way. He asked how I was feeling & I told him better than I had for the last year. He said until I notice any symptoms, to remain off meds. I asked him how my blood work was when I first started & he said not bad. So, I said why was I put on Synthroid & he said because I said I felt tired. But I have never had a lot of energy all of my life so he said maybe that is just me.  He doesn't want me to do any thyroid bloodwork unless I feel symptoms. He say most likely down the line I will.  More women than men get thyroid problems.  I really like my doctor & have been going to him for years, but even my husband said, who was with me, it almost seems like the doctors are getting a kickback from the drug companies.  Three of my friends have all started on Synthroid in the last few mths.  One of them goes to my doctor. So, I will be off Synthroid for now & hopefully for good.  He also said if I need to go back on the meds that there are two other kinds that we could try & maybe then go to a specialist.  Meanwhile, I feel good & that counts for a lot.  Thank you for your concern & I will check in occasionally.  Bye for now...

[goolarra]

You were on such a low dose of meds that I certainly think there is no danger in going off.  See how you feel when you don't take it.  You don't have to wait a full 3 months before retesting.  Most of the T4 you were taking will be out of your system in 4 weeks, and all in about 6 weeks.  When you get retested, be sure they test FT3, FT4 and TSH.  In the interim, if you do feel hypo symptoms, add antibody testing to that list...TPOab (thyroid peroxidase antibody) and TGab (thyroglobulin antibody) to see if you have Hashi's.

Let me know how it goes...

[D0831]

Yes, It was probably a couple of weeks last June I was on 25 mcg.  I stopped completely this past Saturday. This morning, Monday, my left leg is a little achy, but my back & the rest of me feels pretty good.  I do take cholesterol medicine which I know has made my left leg achy in the past so I think that may remain. But I feel so much better.  I hope it lasts.  Do you think I'm right in stopping the Synthroid & having my blood tested in about 3 mths ?  I hope my doctor agrees!!!  Again, thank you for your comments

[goolarra]

Your labs before being put on meds looked good, in fact FT4 was a bit on the high side, which could mean a little bit hypER.  As far as your labs were concerned, it would seem meds were a mistake, but bear in mind that your doctor has examined you and has your history, so he may have had other reasons to start you on meds.  A starting dose of 100 mcg is very high for anyone over 50.  Dosing instruction recommend starting at 12.5-25 mcg and increasing as needed and as tolerated for us older folks.

Your other two sets of labs are while on medication, which we have to keep in mind.  We can't use either of them to determine if you needed to be on meds at that point or not since both endogenous (what your thyroid makes) and exogenous (what you take) hormones contribute to the figures.  

Your doctor ordered an impressive array of tests considered obsolete.  T3U, despite its name, is an indirect measure of T4 and considered just about useless.  Total T4 doesn't give nearly as much information as free T4.  FTI is a calculation based on TT4, so a calculation based on an iffy test to begin with.  Given the tests he's ordering, your doctor isn't impressing me that he's very "up" on thyroid.  He should be ordering FT3 and FT4.  Is he the same doctor who ordered FT4 in January?

Also missing is any test of FT3.  FT3 is the test that correlates best with symptoms.  So, we have no idea what your FT3 has been doing.  Both FT3 and FT4 levels have to be right to be symptom free.

So, you'd been down to 25 mcg for a couple of weeks or longer when the June labs were drawn?

  

[D0831]

My lab test last April just said
T3 Uptake 31.2  Range 23 - 36  
Thyroxine, Total (T4) 7.2  Range 4.5 - 11.7
FTI (T7 CALC.)  2.2  Range 1.0 - 4.5
TSH - 4.63  Range .270 - 4.2

I was a little tired, but my doctor said because of my age (64) I should be tested.  After this lab test, he put me on 25 Synthroid.  I had another lab test  In June                                                                                                            T3 UPTAKE 33.6 Range 23-36 Percent Final
Thyroxine, Total (T4) 7.1 Range 4.5-11.7 ug/dL Final
FTI (T7, CALC.) 2.4 Range 1.0-4.5 Index Final
TSH 4.65 H Range 0.270-4.20
This past January, I had another test -

3061 TSH, 3rd Generation
TSH 0.87 Range 0.270-4.20
Thyroxine, Free (FT4) 1.60 Range 0.93-1.70

He then had 100 Synthroid called in to my pharmacy (which I say was a mistake, but he said no)  I stayed on this until the end of March when I called & said I wanted a lower dose.  So now 50 Synthroid.  I stayed on the 50 until about a month ago when I lowered myself back to 25. I stopped taking it yesterday. During this whole time I never felt good.  I gradually became so achy that I couldn't sleep at night & felt like I was 80 years old. My back aches, legs ache, fingers ache, etc.  I told my husband I wanted to stop altogether, have my blood tested in a few months (maybe this time by a specialist) & see how it is then. I do have an appointment with my doctor on the 24th & will tell him. I just wonder if I should have ever started Synthroid?  I appreciate any input you may have.  Thank you.

[goolarra]

That depends on your doctor.  Were those FREE T3 (FT3) and FREE T4 (FT4)?  If "free" isn't specified, they are total T3 and total T4.  Also, please provide the reference range.  Ranges vary lab to lab, so they have to come from your own lab report.

Do you have symptoms?