Tsh and lab questions

[kilowhiskey]

I have been treated with 60 mg armour thyroid 2x daily for hypothyroidism/Hashimoto's. Have been feeling crazy lately so I had new tests done. In they interim, i removed gluten, wheat and sugar from my diet to cut down on inflammation (I have fibromyalgia and CFS as well).

Can anyone help interpret these;

Tsh <.005
Free t3 4.1
Free t4 2.03
Thyroglobulin ab .05
Thyroid peroxidase 138

I received a call from my PCP who rant the tests asking to speak with my pain management physican who prescribes the armour.

Can anyone interpret these? Am I being overmedicared?

Thanks!

[kilowhiskey]

Thank you! I will ask my doctor about an ultrasound.

[gimel]

Body weight changes do affect thyroid dosage; however, if you have been on that dose for that long, and just started having those symptoms, with FT4 and FT3 that high, it makes me suspicious that the Hashi's may have caused nodules to form on your thyroid gland.  Nodules can leak thyroid hormone faster than normal and cause cycles of hyper to hypo.  That is not unusual at all with Hashi's.  So, as part of trying to understand your situation, it would be a good idea to get an ultrasound of your thyroid gland to check for nodules.

[kilowhiskey]

Due to brain fog I can't remember exactly when they increased my medication. Perhaps 4 years ago?

I have been off of gluten for 3 years.

Thanks!

[gimel]

When did you go to the new dosage of 60 mg twice daily?  When did you cut out gluten and wheat?

[kilowhiskey]

Thanks so much for the response. I think I was start s on 30 mg twice daily about 8 years ago when I was first diagnosed.

After cutting gluten and wheat I had a rapid weight loss of about 20 lbs (weighed 114 at the time).

Most recently, I decided to cut sugar and have been off of all sugar for over two weeks.

I am just wondering if cutting out the inflammatory agents such as gluten and the weight loss might have 1. Caused a need to change the dosage due to body weight change and 2. Decreased inflammation causing me to need less medication.

Is that possible?

Thanks!!!

[gimel]

Based on your TPO ab test it appears that you have the most common cause for diagnosed hypothyroidism, which is Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.  With Hashi's the autoimmune system erroneously identifies the thyroid gland as foreign to the body and produces antibodies to attack and eventually destroy the gland.    Along the way, the output of thyroid hormone is gradually diminished and has to be replaced by thyroid medication.  

At this point it also seems that your doctor has way over medicated you.  When already taking thyroid med, TSH is basically a useless test; however, both your Free T3 and free T4 are over their ranges.  That is too much med.  Many members say that hypo symptom relief required Free T3 in the upper part of its range and Free T4 at the middle of its range, at minimum.  The objective of treatment is to relieve hypo symptoms, and get the patient to a euthyroid state, which means having neither hypo nor hyper symptoms.  

So obviously your med needs to be decreased.  What was your original starting dose of thyroid med?  When did you increase to the 60 mg twice daily?  

[kilowhiskey]

I posted the lab reference ranges above

[gimel]

Please post the reference ranges for those tests, as shown on the lab report.  Please describe symptoms you have been having.

[kilowhiskey]

Reference range for labs:

Thyroglobulin ab <35
Thyroid peroxidase <35
Tsh .4-4.0
Free t3 2.3-4.2
Free t4 .8-1.8