# I felt great until....



## xdopamine (Aug 17, 2010)

Hi, some weeks ago I have been put on 25mcg T4 although my blood values were in range (fT3 2.9 pg/ml, fT3 1.3 ng/ml, TSH 4.64). Well, I didn't notice any improvements so I decided to try Westhroid 1/2 grain. After about 1.5 weeks on Westhroid I felt awesome. The past week was one of the best for years... My depression was fixed completely and my fatigue improved remarkably. Damn, I felt GREAT.... but yesterday I crashed severely. My fatigue and the tingling in my legs and feet is worse than ever and my depression returned as well.... Therefore I increased my dose to 3/4 grains but no improvements so far... So my question: Is this normal? Is it because my own thyroid downregulated the hormone production due to my Westhroid supplementation? Can I expect to become better again? Does anybody have similar experiences?


----------



## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

You should not make dosage changes without having blood work to support them.

It's also not uncommon for people to have a "crash" shortly after a dose adjustment as you did.

You really should wait 4 to 6 weeks on the same dose and then do lab work before making adjustments.


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

xdopamine said:


> Hi, some weeks ago I have been put on 25mcg T4 although my blood values were in range (fT3 2.9 pg/ml, fT3 1.3 ng/ml, TSH 4.64). Well, I didn't notice any improvements so I decided to try Westhroid 1/2 grain. After about 1.5 weeks on Westhroid I felt awesome. The past week was one of the best for years... My depression was fixed completely and my fatigue improved remarkably. Damn, I felt GREAT.... but yesterday I crashed severely. My fatigue and the tingling in my legs and feet is worse than ever and my depression returned as well.... Therefore I increased my dose to 3/4 grains but no improvements so far... So my question: Is this normal? Is it because my own thyroid downregulated the hormone production due to my Westhroid supplementation? Can I expect to become better again? Does anybody have similar experiences?


Welcome to the board! Do you have ranges for the lab results? Different labs use different ranges.

How is it you are getting Rx for all of this? The proper protocul is to stay on one dose of the same Rx for 8 weeks, get labs and reassess the situation and titrate up or down as needed.

No doctor worth his or her Hippocratic oath would do this in the manner just described.

Anyway, if you can post those results with the ranges, we will be glad to comment and maybe steer you in the right direction.

The thing is, what you are doing is dangerous and it could end up that you would never ever be able to tolerate thyroxine replacement again at all and that would be a very bad thing.

Your initial TSH is high.

Did you have any antibodies' tests? What took you to the doctor in the first place? Symptoms? If so, please list them.


----------



## xdopamine (Aug 17, 2010)

> Anyway, if you can post those results with the ranges, we will be glad to comment and maybe steer you in the right direction.


Here are the results with reference ranges:

fT3: 2.9 pg/ml (2.1 - 4.7 pg/ml)
fT4: 1.3 ng/dl (0.8 - 1.7 ng/dl)
TSH: 4.64 mU/l (0.3 - 4.0 mU/l)

Unfortunately I don't have antibody values but I will ask my doctor on the next occasion.



> Symptoms? If so, please list them.


My symptoms:

- Fatigue
- Depression
- Brainfog
- Strong constipation
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Brittle hair
- Low Vit D3 (level was 6.42 ng/dl) and taking vit D3 increases my fatigue
- Paleness / yellowish skin color
- Tingling legs
- Chronic sinusitis
- ADHD
- Low body temperature

I am struggling with these symptoms for years now. When I first went to my doctor he said that my thyorid is fine (TSH 2008: 2.75 mU/l).

As you can see my values except TSH are in range but I feel terrible. My doctor said I have subclinical hypothyroidism and prescribed 25mcg T4/d.
I took this for 4 weeks without improvements and since my T3 is a little bit low I decided to try Westhroid which I ordered from the internet without prescription. I might note that my sister is being treated against hypothyroidism as well.


----------



## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

You shouldn't be medicating yourself.

You shouldn't be changing doses with out lab work.

It takes 4 to 6 weeks for T4 to build up in your system. It takes some time after that for the symptoms to leave, provided that the dose was high enough.

Stop taking the Westhroid and see your doctor.


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

xdopamine said:


> Here are the results with reference ranges:
> 
> fT3: 2.9 pg/ml (2.1 - 4.7 pg/ml)
> fT4: 1.3 ng/dl (0.8 - 1.7 ng/dl)
> ...


Thank you so much; the ranges help me figure this stuff out. For starters, mid-range on the FREE T3 is 3.4 so you are way low on that even though you are in range. Most of us prefer our FREE T3 to be @ 75% of the lab range given by your lab. FT3 is your active hormone and if you don't have sufficient, you generally feel really bad.

FREE T4 is just a tad above the mid-range of 1.2. This is what converts to FT3. Therefore, yes..................you do need thyroxine replacement Ranges are only suggested guidlines and are primarily used to detect movement either up or down.

Target for TSH for most of us is 1.0 or less.

The main thing to do here is to find out what your doctor's game plan is and also where he/she would like to see you with your "numbers" as I have explained to you. If your doctor is not willing to get your numbers at the place where they are right for you and you feel great, you may have to go doctor shopping. Sad, but true.

And oh, my......................you are symptomatic for real!! I am so sorry for this!! Interestingly, T3 is much needed by the limbic system (mood related portion of the brain) so getting your numbers where they should be is very very important.

It takes 8 weeks for T4 to build up in your system. This whole process takes time and patience; getting labs every 8 weeks is essential as is having a good doctor. Just being in range is in no way satisfactory.

Now, some old lady advice and I say this with kindness; ordering Rx over the internet w/o a prescription and sometimes even with is like playing w/fire.

You are a grown-up so I am counting on you to make the right choices for yourself. And you can count on our help here; you really can. We have a great group.

Just in case you have not had any of these tests; I do strongly recommend them.

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.

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


----------

