# new labs opinins?



## ymlaura (Feb 2, 2010)

Well, I am back with new labs. Just to re-cap.......RAI about 20 years ago, fine up until December of 2008 (after I had my appendix out) on levoxyl 150 and armour.......started to become hyperthyroid (supposedly, I don't have the labs.)

For the last year and a half my tsh has been next to nothing. MY T4 and T3 have alays been within normal but doc insists hyer and lowers levoxyl everytime I see her trying to raise my tsh. I still feel hypo, getting worse. I am cold, hair loss, muscle spasms, numbness in different parts of my legs and arms, tired and lathargic. I went to a neurologist and had an emg that came out normal. Of course I am also in pre-menopause I guess.....periods are irregular, estrogen going down but no hot flashes or anything.

In june I went to endo and she lowered my levoxyl from 112 to 100. but mId July, I went to another endo for second opinion but she was as hard nosed about the tsh as this one.

Yesterday I went back to my original endo and now (august) my tsh is up to .39, almost within normal but my T3 free continues to drop. And she once again lowered my levoxyl.....to .88 Does that make sense to anyone?

My last three labs were:

May

TSH .01
T4Free 1.5
T3Free 283 (range 230-420)

June 
TSH, 3rd generation 0.01 - the paperwork didn't list a range for this but I know is is low
T4 Free 1.1 - range 0.8-1.8
T3 Free 236 - range 230 - 420

August 25

TSH .39 - range .40 = 4.50
T4free 1.1 - range 0.8 - 1.8
T3 free 227 - range 230- 420

Anyone know of an endo that doesn't look at TSH only in the Orange County California area?

Thanks,

Laura


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## chopper (Mar 4, 2007)

My question is why is your TSH so low AND so is your Free T4 and Free T3?????

Your T3 and T4 are similarly hypo like my numbers except my TSH is 6.

Have you ever had a pituitary MRI?


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## ymlaura (Feb 2, 2010)

Hi. Thanks for responding.

I have never had any other tests. If my tsh hadn't gone up this time she was going to run some other pituitary tests, not sure if an MRI was one of them but now that the tsh went up, she didn't. She just lowered my meds which doesn't make sense to me.


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## chopper (Mar 4, 2007)

Im sure others will chime in. I know RAI usually deems TSH useless according to some here.

Your TSH is really low, yes but so are your "Frees". Normally there is an inverse relation. With your Free scores in a truly normal, healthy person, you would probably expect a TSH of about 3 - 5 or so. Your pituitary is shutting off TSH saying "ok thyroid, we've got enough meds now. No need to produce any more" But since you theoretically don't have a thyroid anymore due to RAI, Im not quite sure how that works.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

nasdaqphil said:


> My question is why is your TSH so low AND so is your Free T4 and Free T3?????
> 
> Your T3 and T4 are similarly hypo like my numbers except my TSH is 6.
> 
> Have you ever had a pituitary MRI?


Antibodies are most likely suppressing her TSH.

She needs to ask for a TBII test to "prove it" How sad we ave to "prove it" to our doctors.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

ymlaura said:


> Well, I am back with new labs. Just to re-cap.......RAI about 20 years ago, fine up until December of 2008 (after I had my appendix out) on levoxyl 150 and armour.......started to become hyperthyroid (supposedly, I don't have the labs.)
> 
> For the last year and a half my tsh has been next to nothing. MY T4 and T3 have alays been within normal but doc insists hyer and lowers levoxyl everytime I see her trying to raise my tsh. I still feel hypo, getting worse. I am cold, hair loss, muscle spasms, numbness in different parts of my legs and arms, tired and lathargic. I went to a neurologist and had an emg that came out normal. Of course I am also in pre-menopause I guess.....periods are irregular, estrogen going down but no hot flashes or anything.
> 
> ...


Well, they might as well be trying to starve you to death; it is one and the same!

You are very very very undermedicated. You do not need an endo. What you do need is a doctor that understands that FT3 is your active hormone and that it must be kept at slightly above mid-range provided the patient feels well and does not clinically present hyper.

You can go to a D.O., a GP, a PCP.......................just any doctor who "gets this!!

The one you are seeing now is trying to kill you. She is inducing hypothermia. Read this.....

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3867

My doc keeps my TSH @ 0.03 and I am fine. FT3 is right where it should be, slightly above mid-range.


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## ymlaura (Feb 2, 2010)

Thank you all for your responses. I am not sure what I am going to do. I just don't have the energy to fight or search for a good doctor. My GP agrees with me but I don't think she wants to go against an endo's opinion. She told me to get a second opinion but that endo said the same thing. What are antibodies and what exactly is a DO?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

ymlaura said:


> Thank you all for your responses. I am not sure what I am going to do. I just don't have the energy to fight or search for a good doctor. My GP agrees with me but I don't think she wants to go against an endo's opinion. She told me to get a second opinion but that endo said the same thing. What are antibodies and what exactly is a DO?


These are tests I recommend and I provided a link so you can look them all up to see what they do.This is a complicated field of study. There are antibodies and autoantibodies. There are also binding, blocking and stimulating antibodies and autoantibodies! (And much more.)

TSI (thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin),TPO (antimicrosomal antibodies) TBII (thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin), Thyroglobulin Ab, ANA (antinuclear antibodies), (thyroid hormone panel) TSH, Free T3, Free T4.

Also, radioactive uptake scan (RAIU); sonograms have limitations.

You can look this stuff up here and more.........
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/conditions/thyroid.html


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

ymlaura said:


> My GP agrees with me but I don't think she wants to go against an endo's opinion. She told me to get a second opinion but that endo said the same thing. What are antibodies and what exactly is a DO?


Ummm, you did get a second opinion - from your GP who agrees with you. I think you need to find a doctor willing to treat you and if your GP will not then find another doctor.

A DO is a doctor of osteopathy - they supposedly "listen" better to their patients and are more open to treatment options.

http://www.osteopathic.org/index.cfm?PageID=ado_whatis

Since I began seeing a DO I have finally gotten the medications I need at the doses I need.


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## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

I don't think the "listen better" trait applies to DO's. I think it's a highly individualized thing. My experience has always been that my doctors listen.....except for a couple and they were fire immediately. I think a large part of the "listening" quality in the doctor begins with the patient. The patient needs to make the doctor understand that there needs to be a DIALOGUE. Too many patients tend to be silent and only answer questions when asked. Patients need to understand that they are paying for the service and therefore are entitled to a physician who listens and understands and prescribes accordingly.


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