# My latest labs-should I increase my synthroid?



## sickofbeingfat (Apr 30, 2013)

Hello everyone 

It's been a few months since I posted on this forum but I have a quick question about my most recent labs..

I started 25mcg of synthroid last june with a TSH of 3.88 and Free T's below the ranges. Then in August I added 10mcg of cytomol a day and increased the synthroid to 50mcg, then my tsh went to .10 (lab range .55 - 4.85) my total t4 was 1.2 (range .8-1.9) and free T3 was 120 (range 68 -190) I honestly felt super great but my doctor thought my tsh then was to suppressed so he took me off the synthroid and decreased my cytomol to 5mcg daily. I thought that was stupid because I felt great so I only decreased the cytomol but stayed on the 50 mcg of the synthroid. In October I went back to my endo because I felt aweful and found out my tsh was a 17 and my T4 and T3 were below the range, Thank God I didn't decrease the synthroid as he wanted me to 2 months prior or I would have felt even worse. In October I pretty much cried my eyes out in his office and told him I felt like crap and that he didn't care about me at all after seeing him for 6 years! I told him, "I don't even think you even know my last name and I have been your patient for 6 years" I told him that I believe I feel aweful because my T4 has been below the range for 6 years now.. but all he ever looks at is my tsh, honestly I don't even know why he orders the other labs...because he doesn't use them. Anyway he increased my synthroid to 75mcg in December and put me back on the 10 mcg of cytomol. Now 8 weeks later my recent labs show a TSH of 2.89 (range .55-4.85) Total T4 of .9 (range .9 -1.8) and T3 of 93 (range 68-190). He said my labs look, "normal" but if I want, I can increase the synthroid now to 88mcg and stay on the 10mcg of the cytomol.

I still think my current labs look like crap because my tsh isn't near a 1 yet and my t4 is still in the basement.... Honestly I think I am being waaaay under medicated. I really want to get my T4 at least up to a 1.2 because when I felt great in august it was a 1.1. But if I keep increasing the synthroid to increase my T4 it will suppress my TSH to much and my stupid doctor will have a problem with this. Should I decrease the cytomol in 6 weeks so I can continue increasing the synthroid? Should I try I different medication all togather? Does anyone have any advice on what I should do?

Thank you all!

From the still tired girl in NY


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

I am so sorry for your troubles! The situation as I see it is you need to find a doctor who will run your FREE T3 and FREE T4 and base your thyroid medication requirements on the FREE T3 results.

Most of us feel best w/TSH @ 1.0 or less and the FREE T3 @ about 75% of the range provided by your lab for that test.

When taking exogenous T3, TSH is rarely relevant.

Good luck!


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## sickofbeingfat (Apr 30, 2013)

Thank you for your response. I have asked my current doctor twice to run the free t3 and free t4 but he just won't for some reason. There are only two endo's that work through the health system I get my medical care from. One is the doctor I currently see and the other is his colleague that works in the same office : ( A few months back I did go to the other hospital in my area and saw the director of the endocrine department and this was at a large teaching hospital, that doctor also only would look at tsh also and told me he would only prescribe the synthroid and is completely against using cytomol for any of his patients. I checked the "Good Thyroid Doctor List" on yahoo's natural thyroid hormone forum and most of them are located in NYC but I am in upstate NY. There is only one doctor on that list that is near me that has good reviews and my pharmacy personally told me she does prescribe amour thyroid. Heck, the girl that takes my labs every 7 weeks even said many of my doctors current patients have left to go see this other doctor instead She has an MD from Harvard and extra training in holistic medicine. But she doesn't take insurance and charges $400 for the first appointment then $200 for each appointment after that. I really think at this point I should just go see this other doctor and spend the money because I have been undermedicated for years at this point.. I really just don't know what else I can do at this point to get the correct treatment, I feel pretty helpless. All I can do is just keep pushing my current doctor to increase my synthroid I guess... This really sucks


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## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

Your current doctor obviously isn't amenable to ordering the tests you need. In your case, I would consult the other doctor outside your network. Get the testing, get the meds, get on track, and then see if you have an internist in your network who can "maintain" you and do subsequent testing.


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## sickofbeingfat (Apr 30, 2013)

Do you guys at least agree that I should increase my synthroid to get my T4 up as it has been below the range for years? So what do I do if say I get my tsh to between .20 - 1.00 but my T4 is still to low, is it still safe to raise my synthroid more? This is what I am confused about.. Thanks!


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