# Doc FREAKED wants to decrease meds!



## sjmjuly (Mar 23, 2012)

Oh the mess of it all,,,,,
Have hashi's and taking 1 1/4 grain of Naturethroid. Felt good. Had labs done and here are the results:
TSH - .09 (range: .3 - 3.0)
FT3 - 2.8 (range: 2.5 - 6.5)
FT4 - .9 (range: .6 - 1.2)
TPO: 237

TPO is down from 438. My Kaiser doc freaked AND SO DID MY NATUROPATH! I expected my Kaiser doc to freak because he is TSH obsessed, but my naturopath isn't. She wants me to decrease 1/4 every three days until I am at HALF THE DOSE I AM TAKING! I see her next week and will discuss. I did decrease back to 1 grain, but when I go lower than that I feel like crap. I am going to stay at 1 grain. Everything else is perfect. All other blood tests were great and my cholesteral is down to 157. I am sleeping through the night, little to no heart flutters (even wore and event monitor - all fine) CT & MRI both normal. I still don't know why all the numbers (TSH & the free's) are all low???? That one kinda baffles me, but WHY should I decrease my meds when I finally feel better????? Anyone else have suppressed TSH yet feel ok with no hyper symptoms? HELP!!!!!


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Yes...my TSH is around .05, and I feel good. (I am suppressed on purpose, post-cancer.)

My doc's goal is to keep my TSH as low as possible while still keeping my Free T4 within range (at the upper end).

I'm no expert on Naturethroid or Armour by any stretch, but my understanding was that TSH becomes less important with those drugs, and the "real" numbers are the FT3 and FT4. Curious to see what others say.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Was there a number in particular she (the NP) freaked at? Not the TSH, right? I mean, I'm no expert either, but your free t3 looks low...


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## sjmjuly (Mar 23, 2012)

joplin1975 said:


> Was there a number in particular she (the NP) freaked at? Not the TSH, right? I mean, I'm no expert either, but your free t3 looks low...


Yes - the TSH. My T3 IS low and I have problems getting it into the upper range. If I test soon after I take my meds the level is around 3.5. I purposely waited to take my NT until after my blood was drawn. My T4 has been consistent at .9 for months now. But she freaked at the TSH which totally surprised me.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

sjmjuly said:


> Oh the mess of it all,,,,,
> Have hashi's and taking 1 1/4 grain of Naturethroid. Felt good. Had labs done and here are the results:
> TSH - .09 (range: .3 - 3.0)
> FT3 - 2.8 (range: 2.5 - 6.5)
> ...


OMG!! That is ridiculous! Your FT3 is in the basement!!! Find another doctor and quickly!

Dr. Mercola (FREES)
http://www.mercola.com/article/hypothyroid/diagnosis_comp.htm
FREE T3 explained by Woliner
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/testsforthyroid/a/freet3.htm

Free T3 is naturally lower when taking anything w/T3 in it. That should not be a concern; nor should the TSH. Only the FREE T3 counts at this point. Most of us feel best when it is at about 75% of the range given by your lab.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

sjmjuly said:


> Oh the mess of it all,,,,,
> Have hashi's and taking 1 1/4 grain of Naturethroid. Felt good. Had labs done and here are the results:
> TSH - .09 (range: .3 - 3.0)
> FT3 - 2.8 (range: 2.5 - 6.5)
> ...


I forgot to say, my TSH is always @ 0.03 or less...................no exceptions! My FT3 is perfect at about 3/4 of the range given by my lab.


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## sjmjuly (Mar 23, 2012)

The weird part is that I feel the best I have felt since I was diagnosed and my T3 is still in the basement! Wonder how good I would feel if it were in range????? The naturopath said she "had some other methods" to treat hashi's and that NT was not the silver bullet. We shall see. I have an appt with her next week and we will go from there. I am going to BEG her not to decrease my meds and if she still wants to, I am kicking her to the curb.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

sjmjuly said:


> Yes - the TSH. My T3 IS low and I have problems getting it into the upper range. If I test soon after I take my meds the level is around 3.5. I purposely waited to take my NT until after my blood was drawn. My T4 has been consistent at .9 for months now. But she freaked at the TSH which totally surprised me.


Yes, T3 peaks in 4 hours but it does sound like you would have had perfect labs had you taken the NT.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm; what to do?


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## sjmjuly (Mar 23, 2012)

Andros said:


> Yes, T3 peaks in 4 hours but it does sound like you would have had perfect labs had you taken the NT.
> 
> Hmmmmmmmmmmmm; what to do?


Thyroid transplant. :tongue0015: That's what I need!explode

I am at a loss. I would have had better labs if I had taken my meds. I can tell when it wears off too. I kinda drag a little in the afternoon, but I go home and have chores that get done every night. We have horses and they require ALOT of work!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

sjmjuly said:


> Thyroid transplant. :tongue0015: That's what I need!explode
> 
> I am at a loss. I would have had better labs if I had taken my meds. I can tell when it wears off too. I kinda drag a little in the afternoon, but I go home and have chores that get done every night. We have horses and they require ALOT of work!


Yes; horses do require lots of work!! Lots and lots.

What time do you take your NT? What time do you lab?


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## sjmjuly (Mar 23, 2012)

Andros said:


> Yes; horses do require lots of work!! Lots and lots.
> 
> What time do you take your NT? What time do you lab?


I take my NT at 4:00 AM, but that morning I didn't take it until after I did labs at 8:00 AM. So, it had been over 24 hours as I took it at 4:00 AM the day before.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

sjmjuly said:


> I take my NT at 4:00 AM, but that morning I didn't take it until after I did labs at 8:00 AM. So, it had been over 24 hours as I took it at 4:00 AM the day before.


Bearing in mind that T3 peaks in 4 hours, could you get labs in the afternoon?

Once you get stabilized and become euthyroid, you will have energy steady on for taking care of those horses!

It just takes time and the co-operation of the doctor to get you there.


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## sjmjuly (Mar 23, 2012)

Andros said:


> Bearing in mind that T3 peaks in 4 hours, could you get labs in the afternoon?
> 
> Once you get stabilized and become euthyroid, you will have energy steady on for taking care of those horses!
> 
> It just takes time and the co-operation of the doctor to get you there.


You know, I never thought of that. Next time I will do labs in afternoon. I do wonder though, why do alot of us feel better when our TSH is suppressed and looks hyper???? That part I don't get.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

sjmjuly said:


> You know, I never thought of that. Next time I will do labs in afternoon. I do wonder though, why do alot of us feel better when our TSH is suppressed and looks hyper???? That part I don't get.


TSH is not a criteria for hyper or hypo as a stand alone. That is my humble opinion and I am sticking to it!! There are many many exogenous circumstances that affect TSH.

That is why at the very minimum, FREE T4 should be done and ideally the FREE T3 as well.

See if you can do that but nonetheless, I do think you need to consider finding a doctor who really gets all this.


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## sjmjuly (Mar 23, 2012)

Andros said:


> TSH is not a criteria for hyper or hypo as a stand alone. That is my humble opinion and I am sticking to it!! There are many many exogenous circumstances that affect TSH.
> 
> That is why at the very minimum, FREE T4 should be done and ideally the FREE T3 as well.
> 
> See if you can do that but nonetheless, I do think you need to consider finding a doctor who really gets all this.


I can get all the tests run - not a problem at all. I thought my naturopath understood, because when I first starting going to her she said she based her treatment on how I was feeling and used the labs "just as a guide". I am starting to wonder now. I will see what she has to say next week.


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Am I missing something? Why would your NP freak over your TSH being .09? I mean, technically, that's still in range, right? So weird!


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## sjmjuly (Mar 23, 2012)

jenny v said:


> Am I missing something? Why would your NP freak over your TSH being .09? I mean, technically, that's still in range, right? So weird!


No. Range is .3 - 3.0

Are you maybe looking at my T4? That's in range.


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## SFLHashi (Mar 5, 2012)

Read this out-loud to your doctor.

Doctor. I want to treat my hypothroidism by partnering with you. My research states that many men have shared on the internet that when they have managed their free T3 and Free T4 to a level that is 75% of range they feel good. The anxiety, weight gain, brain fog, short term memory loss, brittle hair and other symptoms should subside.

I DO NOT wish to be on any anxiety medicines until I am at that 75% of free T3 and Free T4. That would mean " My Free T4 should at or around 1.5 and my free T3 will be greater than 3.

Will you partner with me to adjust my dosage to achieve those T3 and T4 (free) levels?

Also understanding my body is powered by T3 and T4 we will consider my TSH level but it will NOT be the core of my treatment. MY TSH will probably be below 1.0.

My communication as to how I feel will be more important than my TSH or t3 and t4 levels, and we are partnered to get me Free T4>1.5 and free t3 >3.0 and we will protect me from going hyper.

Are you my partner?


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