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lab results
So now I am 4 1/2 months post-op TT, I started out at 150 levo was changed to 135 Synthroid . Saw the endo Thursday with new lab results. He has changed the dose to 125 Synthroid. My labs are as follows:
TSH 0.012 range 0.400-4.500
Free T4 1.7 range 0.8-1.3
Free T3 3.5 range 2.3-4.2
After he lowered the dose last time the TSH has actually fallen. I have gained 14 lbs since the surgery, I am so tired I can hardly think. My symptoms mimic Hypo but the labs say Hyper. So confused. And he said the FT4 is too high. What does that mean? Why would the TSH fall with even less Synthroid. He said I was burning calories at a very rapid rate. Could have fooled me, I feel like a slug! Any thoughts?
TSH 0.012 range 0.400-4.500
Free T4 1.7 range 0.8-1.3
Free T3 3.5 range 2.3-4.2
After he lowered the dose last time the TSH has actually fallen. I have gained 14 lbs since the surgery, I am so tired I can hardly think. My symptoms mimic Hypo but the labs say Hyper. So confused. And he said the FT4 is too high. What does that mean? Why would the TSH fall with even less Synthroid. He said I was burning calories at a very rapid rate. Could have fooled me, I feel like a slug! Any thoughts?
I haven't seen the FT3 and FT4 that go along with your 0.50 TSH, but I suspect that your TSH probably fell because, even though your meds were reduced, your FT3 and/or FT4 had gone up???
TSH is very volatile. It can change considerably intraday, so can even be affected by the time of day the blood was drawn. That's why it's such a poor diagnostic when used alone. Several people on this forum have TSH close to zero, but they are not hyper. In fact if their meds are decreased, they immediately become hypo.
Quite the logic on starving, burning calories and gaining weight! It's laughable...too sad and illogical to be funny!
T3 and T4 are the two main thyroid hormones. T4 is the storage form of the thyroid hormones. It's very slow-acting and just kind of floats around in your blood until your cells need thyroid hormone. However, cells can only use T3, the active form of the hormones. Your liver (mostly) converts T4 to T3 when it's needed. T3 is fast-acting and neutralized by your body if not used promptly.
Synthroid is synthetic T4. Your FT4 is above the "normal" range, so it would appear that you are taking too much Synthroid, which is why your doctor keeps wanting to reduce your dose.
However, enter symptoms...you are feeling hypo. Are you absolutely, positively sure these are hypo symptoms? Many symptoms can cross over and be symptoms of both hypo and hyper (overmedication). Some people gain weight whether hypo or hyper...it's often a symptom of "thyroid not right". Are you tired because you have insomnia and sleep poorly (hyper), or are you tired despite getting plenty of sleep (hypo). Constipation or diarrhea? Increased or lowered HR and BP?
Were you either hypo or hyper before your surgery?
TSH is very volatile. It can change considerably intraday, so can even be affected by the time of day the blood was drawn. That's why it's such a poor diagnostic when used alone. Several people on this forum have TSH close to zero, but they are not hyper. In fact if their meds are decreased, they immediately become hypo.
Quite the logic on starving, burning calories and gaining weight! It's laughable...too sad and illogical to be funny!
T3 and T4 are the two main thyroid hormones. T4 is the storage form of the thyroid hormones. It's very slow-acting and just kind of floats around in your blood until your cells need thyroid hormone. However, cells can only use T3, the active form of the hormones. Your liver (mostly) converts T4 to T3 when it's needed. T3 is fast-acting and neutralized by your body if not used promptly.
Synthroid is synthetic T4. Your FT4 is above the "normal" range, so it would appear that you are taking too much Synthroid, which is why your doctor keeps wanting to reduce your dose.
However, enter symptoms...you are feeling hypo. Are you absolutely, positively sure these are hypo symptoms? Many symptoms can cross over and be symptoms of both hypo and hyper (overmedication). Some people gain weight whether hypo or hyper...it's often a symptom of "thyroid not right". Are you tired because you have insomnia and sleep poorly (hyper), or are you tired despite getting plenty of sleep (hypo). Constipation or diarrhea? Increased or lowered HR and BP?
Were you either hypo or hyper before your surgery?
I rechecked the labs, I have a print out from the endo....the Free T4 is 1.7 with the range listed as 0.8-1.3 ng/dl and the results listed as high. I am so uneducated about all of this. I had the TT because the thyroid was enlarged significantly with 8 lg nodules . The doc said it would be unadvised to biopsy the nodules since there were so many, I was also have some trouble swallowing. So he took it out, everything was benign. When I was on 150 my TSH was 0.50 and he lowered it to 137 and the labs were 0.012, he was surprised. Now he has me on 125. If I was burning so many calories on the higher dose I wonder what will happen now! LOL No explanation about the weight gain.....he did suggest I diet! hmmmmm I told him my eating had changed some because I was STARVING all the time now since the TT. He said that was a side effect of burning so many calories. Its almost funny!
That's a very unusual FT4 range. Usually, it's in the vicinity of 0.8-1.8. Could you check it one more time, please? I'm wondering if someone didn't take an "8" to be a "3".
Why did you have the TT?
Your FT3 looks pretty good...it's in the top of the middle third of the range. However, your profile is a little "upside down". FT3 should be higher in it's range (as a percentage of range, not as a raw number) than FT4 is in it's, and your FT4 is higher. This indicates that you might be a slow converter. My guess is that you might feel tremendously better if you added just a little T3 to your meds...say 5 mcg split into two doses as a trial. That might be just enough to do it for you. If not, you could always try increasing a little if symptoms don't resolve. Is your doctor agreeable to using T3 meds?
So, does he have an explanation for why those "burned" calories have taken up residence on your hips?!
Why did you have the TT?
Your FT3 looks pretty good...it's in the top of the middle third of the range. However, your profile is a little "upside down". FT3 should be higher in it's range (as a percentage of range, not as a raw number) than FT4 is in it's, and your FT4 is higher. This indicates that you might be a slow converter. My guess is that you might feel tremendously better if you added just a little T3 to your meds...say 5 mcg split into two doses as a trial. That might be just enough to do it for you. If not, you could always try increasing a little if symptoms don't resolve. Is your doctor agreeable to using T3 meds?
So, does he have an explanation for why those "burned" calories have taken up residence on your hips?!
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