# My labs- getting worse



## Brooke11 (May 11, 2013)

Here are my most recent labs. I had them done about two months ago. What I don't understand is that my Free T 3 consistently gets worse. It is worse now than it was before taking meds. Prior to meds (started them 1.5 years ago) my results were a tiny bit better. I have gradually increased meds and now i take 75 synthroid and 5mcg of cytomel 3x a day (total of 15 mcg a day). Help! I don't get why free t3 isn't going up w cytomel?

My weight continues to go up and I have very little energy.

Free T3 158. Lab values (210-440) 
Free T4. .7. (.8-2.7) 
TSH 1.6


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

A few questions for you:

1. The labs you posted are two months old?
2. When are you next scheduled to do labs again?
3. How long have you been on the 75mcg of Synthroid and 15mcg of Cytomel now?

It seems like you need a bump up in both the Synthroid and Cytomel at this point, but I think you need to do labs again since it's been a while.


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## Brooke11 (May 11, 2013)

I had them redone this past week, but haven't gotten the results. I'm pretty sure nothing has changed based on how I feel. I have been on this dose sine August 2012. I got lazy and even though I wasn't feeling great I didn't go back to get labs done since then.

When I look at my labs work from my original tests my free t3 and 4 were at the very low end of normal. So how could they get worse with meds?


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

> Free T3 158. Lab values (210-440)
> Free T4. .7. (.8-2.7)
> TSH 1.6


You need an increase in your Synthroid dose.

They are testing your total T-3 based on your ranges, NOT FT-3. You still are on the low side.

Because of your high dose of Cytomel - look at how/when you take it as I believe you are having absorption issues. Do you drink a full glass of water when you take your pills or just a sip to get it down? It makes a big difference when you drink more water.


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## Brooke11 (May 11, 2013)

I didn't know water makes a difference. I will start drinking more of it. Why do you think synthroid increase as opposed to cytomel increase? Thanks so much for the feedback! Also, the lab report does Dow those are my free results, not totals. Could that be an error?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Brooke11 said:


> Here are my most recent labs. I had them done about two months ago. What I don't understand is that my Free T 3 consistently gets worse. It is worse now than it was before taking meds. Prior to meds (started them 1.5 years ago) my results were a tiny bit better. I have gradually increased meds and now i take 75 synthroid and 5mcg of cytomel 3x a day (total of 15 mcg a day). Help! I don't get why free t3 isn't going up w cytomel?
> 
> My weight continues to go up and I have very little energy.
> 
> ...


You appear to need more Cytomel. I require 31 mcgs. of T3 per day. We are all different but I would not throw in the towel until your doctor continues to raise you by 5 mcgs. per every 6 to 8 weeks until that FREE T3 is at about 75% of the range given by your lab.

I do think undermedication may be the problem here.


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## Brooke11 (May 11, 2013)

Does it ever happen that someone just doesn't improve their hormone levels despite medication? I'm worried that is going to happen for me! My FT3 has never improved with any medication.

I did realize that the pharmacy switched the generic Cytomel I use. It was from Mylan and now it is Paddock. I'm wondering if that causes problems, although I don't think it typically does for Cytomel.


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