# HELP!!!



## Nickbob17 (Apr 4, 2013)

Hey everybody, I have posted my results here before and recently got new results, hopefully you guys have some advice for me! So, I have been suffering with hypothyroidism for 3 years now. I am a 26 year old male, work out 5 days a week and eat healthy. The symptoms that I am suffering most from are fatigue, especially in the morning and in the middle of the afternoon, I feel like a zombie, my libido is also non existent and has been since I have been hypo and that is very depressing seeing as I am only 26 years old! I cannot lose weight either, not matter how well I eat or how hard I work out, it is impossible for me to lose weight. So, my last doctor I went to about 6 months ago put me on 90mg armour as I have requested because I have been on synthroid before that. I do not have the results with me but my T3 definitely increased but my T4 was very low, almost out of the range and my TSH was almost nonexistent but I know that that happens when you start on armour. Well after 6 weeks on armour I went back to him for a follow up. I was still feeling all the same symptoms and felt like I needed an increase in my dosage but he went on to tell me that my thyroid was fine and that he thought it was my sleeping that was giving me the fatigue, I know that sleeping is not my problem so I got rid of him and started my search for another endo. I found a new doctor who is an interal med doctor and very respected. On my first visit she immediately put me on 75 mcgs of synthroid and knocked my armour down from 90mgs to 60 mgs, she also put me on axiron testosterone therapy because my free and total serum testosterone levels were very low when I got the checked with the previous endo. I got the results about 2 weeks ago:

Triiodothyronine, Free, Serum: 2.9 (2.0-4.4)

Thyroxine (T4) Free, Serum:1.14 (.82-1.77)

TSH :.671 (.45-4.5)

Vitamin D : 64.8 (30.0-100.0)

Vitamin B12 : 790 (211-946)

Testosterone Serum :320 (348-1197)

Free Testosterone :18.3 (9.3-26.5)

LH: 0.1 (1.7-8.6)

FSH: <.2 (1.5-12.4)

Endomysial Antibody: Negative

Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA: <2 (0-3)

Immunoglobulin A, Qn, Serum: 249 (91-414)

Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) Ab: 8 (0-34)

I also had a thyroid ultrasound performed and she never said anything about that so my guess is that everything came back clean. So when I went in for my follow up after she took this bloodwork she said that my thyroid was ok. I had to talk her into upping my synthroid to 88mcgs, she went on to tell me that upping it would not make much of a difference with me but she agreed to do it anyways. When I asked her to up my armour thyroid she refused to do that. By the way, I take synthroid first thing in the morning and armour thyroid half way through the day. With my axiron, I was originally prescribed 1 squirt under each arm and she upped that to 3 squirts total. I am still feeling all the same symptoms as before and I am sure that is because my free T4 and free T3 are not high enough yet. I have been taking the new dosage of synthroid for almost 2 weeks now but not much of a difference. I will see her again in August and try and get her to up my dosage on my armour but I dont think she will. What do you guys think and what do you think I should do?? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

> Triiodothyronine, Free, Serum: 2.9 (2.0-4.4) *3.8 is 3/4 of range*
> 
> Thyroxine (T4) Free, Serum:1.14 (.82-1.77) *1.54 is 3/4 of range*
> 
> TSH :.671 (.45-4.5)


Your doctor is dosing based on TSH.

On this board, we feel that being in 3/4 of range for both FT-4 and FT-3 is your goal.

SInce you are taking Armour, if you were properly medicated your FT-3 would need to be at minimum 3/4 of range, FT-4 is usually lower because Armour is higher in T-3 hormone.

Based on your "free" labs you are still hypo. Your doctor is trying to control this by adding Synthroid which is a more unconventional way to do it and many people who take Armour swear by taking Armour only to get their labs into a decent range.

You may need to find a new doctor since the one you have is keeping you in a hypo state.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Understanding the Thyroid: Why You Should Check Your Free T3
http://breakingmuscle.com/health-medicine/understanding-thyroid-why-you-should-check-your-free-t3
(Copy and paste into your browser)

Dr. Mercola (FREES)
http://www.mercola.com/article/hypothyroid/diagnosis_comp.htm
(Copy and paste into your browser)

Free T3 and Free T4 are the only accurate measurement of the actual active thyroid hormone levels in the body. This is the hormone that is actually free and exerting effect on the cells. These are the thyroid hormones that count.

Oh, boy......................

Your Armour should be titrated according to your FREE T3 until that FREE T3 is at about 75% of the range given for that test by your lab.

Synthroid and Armour don't mix; soon you will feel not so well.

You may have to go doctor shopping. Alas! 90 mgs. of Armour is not nearly enough for a grown man who is active.


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## Nickbob17 (Apr 4, 2013)

Thank you for the responses! I figured that I would need a new doc, I was just hoping that this doc would be the one that would work with me. Does anyone know of a good website or way to find good docs in your area? My last 2 docs, the one that put me on 90mgs armour and the current doc, I found on thyroid-info.com. I thought that was a great way to find good docs but so far I am 0-2 using that site, any ideas?


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## Lynne (Mar 8, 2015)

vitalplan.com Dr. William Rawls That is who is helping me.


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## Nickbob17 (Apr 4, 2013)

I was able to find my results from December 14.

Cortisol- 20.3 (2.3-19.4)

FSH- 1.9 (1.5-12.4)

LH- 5.1 (1.7-8.6)

TSH- .338 (.45-4.5)

Testosterone Serum- 512 (348-1197)

Free Testosterone- 8.4 (9.3-26.5)

Thyroixin (T4)- 4.6 (4.5-12.0)

T3 Uptake- 35 (24-39)

Free Thyroxine Index- 1.6 (1.2-4.9)

Triiodothyronine (T3)- 129 (71-180)

These results were when my previous endo put me on 90 mgs armour. As I mentioned previously, I have a different endo now. I am currently on 88 mcgs synthroid in the morning and 60 mgs armour in the afternoon. I decided to change endos because after these results came back I still felt like crap but the endo told me that it was my sleeping that was the problem. With these results being on 90 mgs armour I feel like if I had a little bump in my armour dosage (120 mgs), and stop taking the synthroid, I would feel alot better. My T3 is at about the 55th percentile, I think 120 mgs would put me where I need to be. What do you guys think?


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Are you male or female? Based on your name, I'll assume male until told otherwise.

Your Free Testosterone is in the basement (well below range). Your Free T4 is barely in range (low). As you noted, your T3 is just above mid-range.

You are going to continue to feel lousy until that Free Testosterone is addressed. Has your doc talked with you about this? Other people here know much more about this than I do. I'm sure they'll be along to share their experiences.


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## Nickbob17 (Apr 4, 2013)

Well my current endo prescribed me axiron and my free testosterone is currently up to 18.3 (9.3-26.5), and she just upped my dosage on it as well so that should be ok. Yes I am male. Do you think my free T3 could be a bit higher? Should the free T4 even be a concern? Thank you for the responses!


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## Nickbob17 (Apr 4, 2013)

As I mentioned previously, the rusults I just posted were from December 2014. At that time I was on 90 mgs armour. I told the doc I needed a little jump and he said my thyroid levels were spot on, so at that time I changed endos. My current endo has me on 88 mcgs synthroid and 60 mgs armour and axiron. Based on those results do you think a jump in armour (120 mgs?) maybe would get my thyroid where it needs to be?


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

I honestly think you should drop the sythroid and try to stabilize on Armour only. It's really hard to give advice when t4-only and desiccated meds are mixed because the lab results are always a little screwy. Remember on Armour, your t4 will be suppressed, as will your TSH. You more or less want to soley focus on getting your free t3 to the 75% point of your reference range.


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## Nickbob17 (Apr 4, 2013)

Thank you! I guess the doctor shopping begins all over again


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

You also had high cortisol, which can cause awful sleep patterns (even though I'm assuming this was a blood cortisol test and not a saliva one?).


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## Nickbob17 (Apr 4, 2013)

Yes, it was a blood test. I did not know that. I sleep like a baby every night. Thank you for the information!


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