# The Elusive Euthroid State



## peaches (Sep 29, 2009)

I have a question to all you long time experts on the subject of thyroid medication. I went from having a totally whacked out thyroid on no medication(felt like death)-- to 50mcgs of levothyroxine(felt great, then felt like warmed over death)-- to 100 mcgs of synthroid(felt even better than great, then felt like death that had been stuck in the broiler for a minute or two)-- to 100 mcgs of synthroid & 5 mcgs of cytomel(once again, felt great and now am starting to feel like death that took a short vacation on the grill). Each time my meds have been bumped up and I feel like a normal human for a bit then start having those night time attacks again and some anxiety thrown in for good measure. I must say though, that each time I nose dive it is not as bad as the time before. The attacks are not nearly as bad as they were orginally. I am just wondering how I could go up then down. I was kinda thinking that I would just progressively get more better as my medicine changed, not the up and down effect. I know everyone is different, just wondering if this is common or not.


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## GD Women (Mar 5, 2007)

What are you levels and ranges.

Anything could be going on.


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## peaches (Sep 29, 2009)

I don't have a complete work up. These are the tests that they will do for me for free at work. I have an appt. on 5/20. Hopefully my endo will do a more thorough work up.

Test done on 4/22/2010

AST (SGOT): 45 (0-40)range
ALT (SGPT): 43 (0-40)range
Cholesterol, Total: 207 (100-199)range
Triglycerides: 186 (0-149) range
LDL Cholesterol: 122 (0-99) range

Thyroxine (T4): 7.3 (4.5-12.0) range
T3 Uptake 29 (24-39) range
Free Thyroxine Index 2.1 (1.2-4.9) range
Hemoglobin Alc 5.6 (4.8-5.6) range
--- (Increased risk for diabetes: 5.7-6.4)
--- (Diabetes: >6.4)
--- (Glycemic controls for adults w/ diabetes: <7.0)
TSH: 0.939 (0.450-4.500) range


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

peaches said:


> I have a question to all you long time experts on the subject of thyroid medication. I went from having a totally whacked out thyroid on no medication(felt like death)-- to 50mcgs of levothyroxine(felt great, then felt like warmed over death)-- to 100 mcgs of synthroid(felt even better than great, then felt like death that had been stuck in the broiler for a minute or two)-- to 100 mcgs of synthroid & 5 mcgs of cytomel(once again, felt great and now am starting to feel like death that took a short vacation on the grill). Each time my meds have been bumped up and I feel like a normal human for a bit then start having those night time attacks again and some anxiety thrown in for good measure. I must say though, that each time I nose dive it is not as bad as the time before. The attacks are not nearly as bad as they were orginally. I am just wondering how I could go up then down. I was kinda thinking that I would just progressively get more better as my medicine changed, not the up and down effect. I know everyone is different, just wondering if this is common or not.


Very common for as you feel better you insidiously do more thus necessitating further titration. Soon, you will be at your peak performance at which point you should be very near euthyroid state.


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## GD Women (Mar 5, 2007)

You haven't found you correct dose yet or your sweet spot. Hopefully your levels are getting better with each med. dose increase.
One thing is that you are dosing slowly which is good because you don't want to over shoot your goal level. This might make you yo yo back and forth taking longer to get where you want to be. So go slow is best - small doses at a time. My question is secondary hypothyroid.

Good luck with the endo. Let us know how the endo. went for you - let us know everything.


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## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

Finding the "sweet spot" - excellent way to express it.

In the beginning, for me it took all kinds of juggling of meds to get it right. Then I was fine for almost 20 years before some gremlin came in and took over [in my case, my Vitamin D tanked]. Once the culprit was found my thyroid medication reverted to its normal course.

I want to comment on your liver function tests: they're not really bad, but there is something going on......and it could be your thyroid that's wreaking a little havoc with your liver. I am not a doctor of medicine, though. But you should bring this up at your next doctor visit if you haven't yet.

But I will share something a very wise veterinarian once told me: *The liver is the spokesperson for the rest of the body.*

Not meaning to pry, but are you diabetic or pre-diabetic on meds for that [e.g., Metformin]? I ask because I am a Type 2 diabetic and find that Metformin causes my thryoid tests and liver function tests to go a little off-base.


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## peaches (Sep 29, 2009)

CA-Lynn said:


> Finding the "sweet spot" - excellent way to express it.
> 
> In the beginning, for me it took all kinds of juggling of meds to get it right. Then I was fine for almost 20 years before some gremlin came in and took over [in my case, my Vitamin D tanked]. Once the culprit was found my thyroid medication reverted to its normal course.
> 
> ...


I have McArdle's disease. It is a disease that prevents me from processing carbohydrates and using them for energy so my body can break down muscle tissue to find energy to burn. When it happens (and it can happen from doing nothing more that lifting a bag of groceries) then my liver gets plugged up with broken down muscle tissue. The liver doesn't process it well and has over the years caused some liver damage. This is why I have to be very careful with the medication that I take. No lipitor or anything that can cause liver damage. I do wonder about my sugar levels though. It had never been an issue until all the thyroid stuff started.


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