# Help! Results crazy. How to interpret?



## Sandi (Nov 15, 2011)

I have been on Cytomel (T3) for 50 years - yes, 50 years. I have horrenous insomnia so doctor took me off Cytomel to try - especially after looking at my lab tests. Now after 6 days I can barely breathe - like I just can't get enough oxygen and I have all kinds of other weird symptoms. Due to go back to doctor in a week - don't know if I can make it without going back on meds. Here are my lab tests:

T3 Uptake 23.2 (norm 20.0 - 38.5)
T4 <2.0 (norm 4.4 - 12.4)
Free T3 8.9 (norm 2.3 - 4.2)
TSH <0.1 ( norm 0.3 - 5.1)

Any thoughts?

thanks,
Sandi


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Sandi said:


> I have been on Cytomel (T3) for 50 years - yes, 50 years. I have horrenous insomnia so doctor took me off Cytomel to try - especially after looking at my lab tests. Now after 6 days I can barely breathe - like I just can't get enough oxygen and I have all kinds of other weird symptoms. Due to go back to doctor in a week - don't know if I can make it without going back on meds. Here are my lab tests:
> 
> T3 Uptake 23.2 (norm 20.0 - 38.5)
> T4 <2.0 (norm 4.4 - 12.4)
> ...


Something has changed. Have you added any new supplements or medicines to your regimen in the past few months. Based on the Free T3 it is quite clear you are hyper.

What is your dose of Cytomel and have you been on this same dose for a long time?

To be honest w/you; no one should go cold turkey off their thyroid meds. Why did the doctor just not reduce your dose? And can we rule out lab error here? Unlikely because you feel it by not sleeping and other symptoms! Do you lab in the morning and do you always take your Cytomel prior to the lab draw? Cytomel peaks in about 4 hours. (also unlikely based on what you have said)

We have to put on the thinking caps here. When you furnish more info, that will help!

Something has changed, but what? You are on the name brand Cytomel®? Or did you change to generic or vice versa?

I do think you are in danger having completely quit your Cytomel.


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## Sandi (Nov 15, 2011)

If T3 peaks in 4 hours that might be something. I take 75 mcg. all in the morning and the labs were drawn about 4 hours after taking it. Labs were double checked and verified. I have been on the same Cytomel and same dosage for at least 15 years. Stopped sleeping after menopause - I am 70. The only other things I take are Zestoretic (Lisinpril/HTCZ) and Potassium which I have been on for several years. Doctor wanted to reduce me down to nothing and come back in a month. I said I would rather go cold turkey and come back in two weeks. He said it wouldn't hurt me but if I had to I could go back on the Cytomel. I have felt great until recently. But the breathing problem really bothers me. I realize the T3 is high but why is the T3 uptake in the normal range? Thank you for responding.

Sandi


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Sandi said:


> If T3 peaks in 4 hours that might be something. I take 75 mcg. all in the morning and the labs were drawn about 4 hours after taking it. Labs were double checked and verified. I have been on the same Cytomel and same dosage for at least 15 years. Stopped sleeping after menopause - I am 70. The only other things I take are Zestoretic (Lisinpril/HTCZ) and Potassium which I have been on for several years. Doctor wanted to reduce me down to nothing and come back in a month. I said I would rather go cold turkey and come back in two weeks. He said it wouldn't hurt me but if I had to I could go back on the Cytomel. I have felt great until recently. But the breathing problem really bothers me. I realize the T3 is high but why is the T3 uptake in the normal range? Thank you for responding.
> 
> Sandi


Sandi..................that may be it. If I take my Armour the morning of my labs, it goes over the top on the FT3. I take Armour @ 5:30 AM like clockwork and always get labs around 9:30. On the morning of the labs, I take my Armour as soon as I hit my vehicle when I am ready to leave.

There is a lot to be said for consistency. I have had this schedule w/labs for many many years and one time I forgot and took my Armour the morning of my labs. Oh, my goodness! Off the charts! LOL!!

Yeah..........see there? T3 uptake is sometimes a handy little test. If you were truly hyper, it would have been off the charts.

T3 Resin Uptake (hyper if high)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003688.htm

I am impressed that you knew to question that!!


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## Sandi (Nov 15, 2011)

Thanks Andros! I started back on my Cytomel this morning. Just took one 25 mcg and another at 4:30. I just couldn't breathe. I'll see how I feel in the morning. But at least that seems to rule out the Cytomel causing the insomnia because I still have it just as bad after being off T3 for 7 days. I'm going to ask doctor to test Pituitary and Adrenals. If he sends me to an Endo I'll have to wait 2 to 3 months to get in.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Sandi said:


> Thanks Andros! I started back on my Cytomel this morning. Just took one 25 mcg and another at 4:30. I just couldn't breathe. I'll see how I feel in the morning. But at least that seems to rule out the Cytomel causing the insomnia because I still have it just as bad after being off T3 for 7 days. I'm going to ask doctor to test Pituitary and Adrenals. If he sends me to an Endo I'll have to wait 2 to 3 months to get in.


Sandi,

Quitting your thyroid replacement cold turkey isn't a wise decision - did your doctor tell you to do that? You could have had some serious consequences.

I am an insomniac - have been since my kids were born which is the same time my thyroid disease began. On nights I can't fall asleep or wake in the middle of I take 1/2 a Klonopin. I don't take it for anything but sleep - sleeping pills don't work at all for me.

Your Cytomel dose is H-U-G-E and with no T-4, WOW!

Your lab's are completely being run wrong -the uptake test is obsolete.



> T4 <2.0 (norm 4.4 - 12.4)


 - again useless for testing thyroid hormone levels if you are female. The "Free T-4" test is the one you need run.



> I take 75 mcg. all in the morning and the labs were drawn about 4 hours after taking it. Labs were double checked and verified.


75 mg of Cytomel 1 dose a day for 50 years? I never take my hormone before a test and with Cytomel I believe the 1/2 life is 6 hours so you were full of it for sure at the draw.



> I'm going to ask doctor to test Pituitary and Adrenals.


Your Pituitary and Adrenals will not be normal, you have thyroid disease and both have been taking a beating because of it.

To get a good reading on your thyroid levels you should get back to your original Cytomel dose for a few weeks, at least 2 and have your FT-4, FT-3 levels run.

Your body has gotten use to a very powerful thyroid medication. I have never met a person on T-3 only before, I'd love to hear more about how you've felt being on it. Why did you originally go onto Cytomel?

I'm curious, do you suffer from anxiety?


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## Sandi (Nov 15, 2011)

Yep. Doc said it wouldn't hurt me to go off cold turkey. But also said if I couldn't stand it I could go back on.

Originally went on Cytomel because I did not respond well to Synthroid and in all the years I have had docs try to switch me but it never worked. I am also allergic to iodine - gives me hives. I have felt good on it all of these years until fairly recently. Don't know what changed. All of the women in my family have been hypo.

But the insomnia drives me crazy which led me to pursue the reason why. It isn't that I have a hard time going to sleep or waking up - its that I never go to sleep at all and I can go days without sleeping until I break down and take a sleeping pill. Then it starts all over. I figure there has to be something wrong that docs can find. But, of course, they say its because of the thyroid meds but after 7 days off the meds there is no change to the insomnia.

No, I don't have anxiety and really don't have much to stress out about either. My life is pretty good except for the insomnia.

Thanks for the help. What exact labs would you suggest?


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