# 6 week post-med results - opinions?



## LMSchune (May 30, 2013)

So it's been 6 weeks since I was started on 12.5mcg Levothyroxine. I try to take it consistantly at 8PM every night.

So far, I would say I've seen a slight improvement in my symptoms - I'm usually having a BM once a day, I have not had a heavily fatigued day since I started meds, and generally my moods are stabalized (except currently but I'm attributing that to the Red Tide :tongue0015: ). I have also been GF for that time period as well, and I'm going to keep on that for a little while longer before testing my TPO Ab.

What I have not noticed an improvement in is:

Hair loss - still losing heavily every day
Cold interolance
Dry skin
Weight gain - I am still running my half marathon this Sunday, but it will be challenging. I have also been put on a heavy-emphasis strength training program by a friend who is a fitness model
Energy - while I have not had a 'quicksand' day, my energy overall is still subpar. "Meh" is the best description for me most days, but that is an improvement over "Ugh".

My 10/11 lab results are:
TSH 0.969 (0.45-4.5)
FT4 1.25 (0.82-1.77)
FT3 2.0 (2.0-4.4)

My TSH has gone down, which I'm happy about, my FT4 has increased minimally from 1.13, but my FT3 decreased to borderline from 2.5. My suspicion is that my Hashi's/antibodies is preventing me from converting T4 to T3.

I am not scheduled to be checked by my treating DO until late December, however, as much as I would like to talk about upping my Levo and/or adding in some T3 replacement.

What do ye thyroid pros say about my latest results?


----------



## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Me thinks you could try a dose increase, just to see, but I bet you'll be headed from t3 supplementation in some form or another.


----------



## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

Yep, what joplin said. You look as if you're not converting T4 to T3 properly.

Also have your ferritin and D checked if you haven't recently. We're really bad about not having the correct levels of both, and low iron can cause hair loss and cold intolerance while low D can attribute to dry skin and weight gain. Deficiencies in either can cause low energy.


----------



## LMSchune (May 30, 2013)

StormFinch said:


> Yep, what joplin said. You look as if you're not converting T4 to T3 properly.
> 
> Also have your ferritin and D checked if you haven't recently. We're really bad about not having the correct levels of both, and low iron can cause hair loss and cold intolerance while low D can attribute to dry skin and weight gain. Deficiencies in either can cause low energy.


Thanks Jop and SF.

At my last appointment when I was put on meds, I think I was so relieved that I completely forgot to ask for ferritin, Vit D, and B12 testing. I called back a few days later but was told that DO said to just take a good multi-vitamin. Not going to accept that, but okay.

I can get all 3 tests done at DirectLabs for about $130 but that will have to wait for a few weeks until I can really scrape the money together.


----------



## LMSchune (May 30, 2013)

Ok, so I managed to survive my half marathon and finished somewhat decently even with being taken down by a volunteer on course.

I decided to make an appointment with my DO this Thursday morning, because I want T3 replacement. I know I don't have any sort of medical degree, but going by my labs and how I feel, I am not interested in waiting until December for another round of lab work and to talk about it then.

I am seriously over being wishy washy, but I don't want to come across to this doctor, who has been nice enough to treat me, as whiny or overly aggressive. Nor do I want to seem demanding when it comes to the medication, or that I'm trying to use him as my own personal pharmacy.

If ^ was the case, I would have let me MD sister write me a Cytomel script over the weekend when she offered


----------



## LMSchune (May 30, 2013)

Well, basically back to square one after this appointment.

Was told no to Levo increase or addition of Cytomel, I'm too focused on my thyroid, he doesn't think that's what is causing my symptoms, etc. Even though my T4 barely increased and my T3 is right on the line of abnormal, he still was looking at the TSH. I don't give two shits about the TSH, it's not important.

What he said didn't make sense - in a healthy thyroid person, the dose of 12.5mcg (HALF of the normal starting dose of Levo) would have produced a big change. Um, doesn't that support my position that I am not 'normal' when it comes to my thyroid levels aka I'm HYPO? I have NEVER BEEN HYPER, I AM CERTAINLY NOT HYPER NOW.

I did get 8 tubes of blood drawn to test Ferritin, B12, VitD, CBC, and whole lot of other junk. He asked me WHY I've never been to see any other specialists, gotten other testing etc, and I had to refrain from saying something not nice. Hello, you are a doctor. You KNOW that a patient is highly unable to see any other type of doctor without a referral, WHICH NO DOCTOR WOULD GIVE ME. THEY SAID I WAS FINE AND MAKING EVERYTHING UP.

Good gawd. He did say, at the end of the appointment, that maybe after all of these tests are done he would consider upping the Levo.

:anim_08::anim_55::aim33::anim_38:


----------



## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

> finished somewhat decently even with being taken down by a volunteer on course.


LOL

As far as what you are experiencing - I totally agree that 5mcg of Cytomel might be a good 1st try, since you have none you may also consider trial.

I split my 125mcg Unithroid into 1/4's and added it over a week period. It raised my FT-4 but my FT-3 remained low.

If the additional Levo does not boost your FT-3 up then you need to keep doctor shopping because the one you have will likely never budge.

You can order labs at Healthcheckusa.com and avoid another visit to the one you currently have and then go doctor shopping - take your labs.


----------



## LMSchune (May 30, 2013)

Lovlkn said:


> LOL
> 
> As far as what you are experiencing - I totally agree that 5mcg of Cytomel might be a good 1st try, since you have none you may also consider trial.
> 
> ...


She was close to passing out (?), stumbled backwards into the traffic of runners and decided I was the best upright thing to grab onto hugs6

I'm eagerly waiting the results of the tests done, but I figure I'll have to wait until Monday. Gah. I might end up trying to see an endo in Asheville NC that I hear good things about, or seek out what type of naturopaths are in my SC area.


----------



## LMSchune (May 30, 2013)

So after 2 weeks the lab work the DO drew came in, and I picked up a copy; due to some flags, he wants to see me next Thursday. Whoop di doo. So per the labs what flagged was:

Vitamin D, 25-OH Total; 24 (30-100)

Vitamin B2 Riboflavin; <5 (6.2-39)

Iron % saturation; 13 (15-50)

Vitamin B12 I am fine in, but he did NOT test ferritin. If I am correct, ferritin and iron are two different things, and you can have low ferritin with relatively normal free iron? My total iron and iron binding capacity were normal, although the total iron looks skewing low to me, 50 on a 40-175 normal range.

So I am getting ferritin done myself, as USUAL, in time for Thursday appointment. But I do have a bead on two possible places near me that understand Hashimoto patients and are much more individual in their treatments.


----------

