Terrible Weight Gain On Synthroid and Cytomel! Please help!

[casteroil]

I have been taking 50mcg of Synthroid and and 5 mcg of Cytomel for a year.
MY labs just came back at:
T4 free .88
T3 Free 3.75,
TSH-.801
Cholesterol/HDL ratio: 3.8
LDL-126, and Triglycerides 135, VLDL at 27.
I've never had high cholesterol in my life.
I have gone from 135 pounds to 180.
I need advice. I started taking 30 mg of Armour this morning and Standard Process Adrenal Desiccated (one pill). I stopped the Synthroid. Am seeing a new doc this coming Tuesday.
Should I continue with the 5 mcg of Cytomel as well?
I also have polycystic ovaries too.
I was a finalist in the miss texas USA and it's been downhill lately, believe me!

[gimel]

What is the Standard Process Thyroid?  And why did you decide to take iodine?  

We never recommend self-medication.  Even if the change ijs successful, you will ultimately need a doctor to provide scripts for your med dosages.  Plus you are thinking of making a big increase in a short time, which sometimes causes adverse reactions.  Your plan is to go from 50 mcg of T4 and 5 mcg of T3 (equivalent to 65 mcg of T4) to two grains of Armour plus 5 mcg of T3 twice a day which is equivalent to 132 mcg of T4.  I realize you are excited with the weight loss, but that much of an increase in only a week may be too much.  Believe me you don't want to create hyper reactions.  I would suggest that you extend it out to at least a month, because it takes that long for T4 to reach 90% of its final effect on serum levels,  and also discuss with your doctor and get his agreement.

[casteroil]

Thank you very much! I am appreciative of your help in assisting me to "get well." I went OFF of Synthroid and am taking Armour, 30 mg and have upped the Cytomel to two doses at 5 mcg a day. I am also supplementing with Standard Process Thyroid (desiccated) and Iodine. I've done this for two days and have lost 5 pounds in two days. My plan is that in a week I am taking 60 mg of Armour twice a day, or Nature-thyroid after I see a new doc.

[gimel]

Your Free T4 of .88 is only 17% of its range, when optimal is 50% or higher.   Your Free T3 of 3.75 is only 39% of its range, when it typically needs to be in the upper third of its range, or as needed to relieve hypo symptoms like those you listed.  TSH is a useless test when already taking thyroid med.  That is because it frequently becomes suppressed below range when taking adequate thyroid med.  Many times TSH actually becomes an impediment to adequate medication because doctors misinterpret suppression as being hyperthyroid.  In reality hyperthyroidism is present only when having hyper symptoms due to excessive levels of thyroid med.  

A good thyroid doctor will treat a hypo patient clinically by testing and adjusting Free T4 and Free T3 as needed to relieve symptoms without being constrained by resultant TSH levels.  Symptom relief should be all important, not just test results.  

You can get some useful info from the link within the following link.  After reading at least the first two pages, you can give a copy of the paper to your doctor to try to persuade him to treat clinically.  If that fails, then you will need to find a good thyroid doctor that will treat clinically as described.  

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/2019570/Diagnosing-Treating-Hypothyroidism-A-Patients-Perspective?personal_page_id=12021
.
In the paper you will note that in addition to testing for Free T4 and Free T3, it is also recommended to initially test for Reverse T3 and cortisol.  In addition, since hypo patients are so frequently deficient in Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin I also suggest that you try to get tested for those and then supplement as needed to optimize.  D should be 50 min., B12 in the upper end of its range, and ferritin should be at least 70 and some sources say 100.

[flyingfool]

BTW: Your profile says that you are male!!!

I agree need to know how you feel and we need the reference ranges!

[casteroil]

Last time I checked, I'm all woman. Better go change that. Ick.

[gimel]

Before discussing further please post the reference ranges shown on the lab report for those tests.  Even more importantly please tell us about any symptoms taht you have, other than the weight gain.  

[casteroil]

Okay here they are:
Yes, my T4 free is .88 (ng/dl) Reference range: (.76-1.46)

T3 is 3.75 (pg/ml) Reference range: (2.77-5.27)

TSH .801 (mIU/L) Reference Range: (.358-3.740)

[casteroil]

Also, brittle nails, thinning hair (not bald though--just really thin) and aching back. (Most of the weight is in my gut) Legs and others parts still look awesome.