T3 Free level

[SandyLou54]

What does it mean if your T3 Free level is high?  Mine is 7.5 where normal is 1.8 - 4.2.
My T4 Free and TSH are normal at 1.2 T4 and 1.51 TSH.

[goolarra]

That is good news.  Just keep an eye open to any hyper symptoms you might have.  4.83 is still above the range, and your FT3 will drop with two days off the meds, but it will also come back since your dose hasn't been adjusted much.  Give your doctor a buzz if you start feeling hyper.  Hope all goes really well!

[SandyLou54]

Ok Good news...  New labs showed FT3 only slightly elavated at 4.93.  She wants me to not take any meds tomorrow or Saturday to bring my level down fast   Then only
1-60 mg on  Sunday. After that its back to 120 mg daily then only 60 mg every Sunday then will reheck labs in 2 months.
I hope this does the job...Thanks for your input on this it helped a lot... :-)

[goolarra]

I think it's a good idea that she's doing the labs over.  I would think that if your FT3 were that consistently high all day you would feel raging hyper.  Keep us posted!

[SandyLou54]

She did a do over yesterday on the labs.  She said it could have been from having my lab done to close to the time I took my med.  She said if this one came back high  she would have me to just cut back on my dosage one day a week like instead of 120 on Sunday I would just take 60. I didnt hear from her today but I also didnt take any meds either...  Actually I didnt see my Endo it was just her PA  I hope she will go over the results with the real doctor.. I will call tomorrow

[goolarra]

You might find that once you cut back on the Armour, your T4 will go too low.  But, you do have to get that FT3 down soon.  Menopause mucks up the whole situation, doesn't it?  I can't promise the flashes will end, but they just might.  What does your doctor say about your FT3 level.  Has he decided to change your Armour dose?  When do you see him next?

[SandyLou54]

I've been having some major hot flashes and night sweets I guess this could be the cause. I just happen to be in perimenapause too.. I have only had a few heart palps. It is going to be great if cutting back on my Armour will stop the flashes.

[goolarra]

Armour has a lot of T3 in it compared to what a human thyroid would produce.  Armour has a ratio of T4:T3 of about 4 :1, the human thyroid produces about 20:1.  You do have thyrotoxicosis...you need to lower your dose of Armour and possibly supplement with some straight T4 meds.  You must have hyper symptoms???

[SandyLou54]

Actually My thyroid was removed almost 6 years ago because of nodules.  I have been on armour thyroid 120 mg for almost 1 year.  My T4 and TSH are within normal range

[mtkst13]

you have t3 thyrotoxicosis/hyperthyroidism.  you must be very anxious and have heart palps?

you need to have further testing to determine the cause...graves vs thyroiditis vs hot nodule.

did you have any other blood work done?  you'll need more blood work done (antithyroglobulin, antiTPO, TSI, etc) and an iodine uptake scan (high uptake indicates graves, low uptake indicates thyroiditis, or you could have hyperfunctioning nodule)