# TSH 5.7 on Armour?



## Jezahb (May 17, 2012)

I am really confused. My Thyroid seems to have rapidly gotten worse over the past few months. In September I was tested while on 30mg of Armour and my TSH was 1.36 but yesterday it was retested and the result was 5.73! I am very confused as to why, in only 3 months my Hypothyroidism went from relatively under control at 30mg of Armour to not under control at all. I feel awful to boot, hair has been coming out in chunks and I have NO energy.

My doctor is taking forever to get back to me on this, and as its coming to end of day on Friday I am concerned this won't be addressed until Monday at earliest. After weeks now of feeling this crappy I don't want to wait any longer. Would it be safe to double my dose of Armour (so I would be taking 60 mg) for now? Or should I cut one in half and take 45 mg....or worse, just wait it out and amuse myself by watching my already thin hair fall out? So frustrated


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Jezahb said:


> I am really confused. My Thyroid seems to have rapidly gotten worse over the past few months. In September I was tested while on 30mg of Armour and my TSH was 1.36 but yesterday it was retested and the result was 5.73! I am very confused as to why, in only 3 months my Hypothyroidism went from relatively under control at 30mg of Armour to not under control at all. I feel awful to boot, hair has been coming out in chunks and I have NO energy.
> 
> My doctor is taking forever to get back to me on this, and as its coming to end of day on Friday I am concerned this won't be addressed until Monday at earliest. After weeks now of feeling this crappy I don't want to wait any longer. Would it be safe to double my dose of Armour (so I would be taking 60 mg) for now? Or should I cut one in half and take 45 mg....or worse, just wait it out and amuse myself by watching my already thin hair fall out? So frustrated


Your doc left you hanging. He/she should have been seeing you every 8 weeks for labs and further titration upward as needed.

When are you going to get labs? You need TSH, FREE T3 and FREE T4.

Dr. Mercola (FREES)
http://www.mercola.com/article/hypothyroid/diagnosis_comp.htm

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.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Have you discussed these new labs with your doctor? Seems like an increase may be in order, but definitely don't double your Armour on your own...that would likely be way too big of a jump.


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## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

Keep calling the doctor's office every day. Make a nuisance of yourself.


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## Jezahb (May 17, 2012)

Yea, my doc said to have the labs redone every 3 months. I tried to call to schedule them several times and each time the receptionist says she will have the nurse call me back to schedule them, and nobody ever calls. Same thing today, I called and told them that my gyn had retested me and it came back high. Again I called at 10 am and the receptionist said "Oh, I will have a nurse give you a call back because they can get you in quicker than me"....and no call the entire day. I feel a bit abandoned by my doctor at this point.

The reason it was my gyn is I went for my annual and my gyno, who is way more attentive and seems to frankly care a hell of a lot more about me saw that I had gained 15 lbs and my hair had thinned noticeably and grew concerned. I told her my doc was being difficult and she decided to do the labs herself to find out...hoping if they came back high my doc would give me an appt. No such luck, I did double my dose today and I felt fine, better than fine, I actually felt a bit more alert and energetic (maybe its just in my head though).

They did test my T3 (I think... maybe it was T4) and that came back "normal" as I believe it was 1.3? I know it was 1. something


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Jezahb said:


> Yea, my doc said to have the labs redone every 3 months. I tried to call to schedule them several times and each time the receptionist says she will have the nurse call me back to schedule them, and nobody ever calls. Same thing today, I called and told them that my gyn had retested me and it came back high. Again I called at 10 am and the receptionist said "Oh, I will have a nurse give you a call back because they can get you in quicker than me"....and no call the entire day. I feel a bit abandoned by my doctor at this point.
> 
> The reason it was my gyn is I went for my annual and my gyno, who is way more attentive and seems to frankly care a hell of a lot more about me saw that I had gained 15 lbs and my hair had thinned noticeably and grew concerned. I told her my doc was being difficult and she decided to do the labs herself to find out...hoping if they came back high my doc would give me an appt. No such luck, I did double my dose today and I felt fine, better than fine, I actually felt a bit more alert and energetic (maybe its just in my head though).
> 
> They did test my T3 (I think... maybe it was T4) and that came back "normal" as I believe it was 1.3? I know it was 1. something


Order and pay for your own labs - for $85 you could save yourself alot of suffering.

healthcheckUSA.com had a FT-3 FT-4 and TSH panel for around $85.

You order the lab sheet, got get the draw and they email you the results. Many times they use the same lab as your doctors office.


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## seabreeze (Jan 1, 2013)

Hey - thanks for that link!! Sorry Jez you're having so many problems with your Dr. Been there  Remember the good old days when the Dr. made house calls. Or at least seeing TV shows when that did happen. 
Now very few even care. I went to that link and they are having a Jan special for thyroid panels


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