# Labs look normal but I don't feel normal



## Huggenkiss27 (Oct 15, 2012)

First I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read and look at my results. As of today I am on 50 mcg of synthroid and still feel awful. I am so tired that I cannot function normally and I'm having awful headaches and dizzy spells. My wrists, ankles, and elbows are also aching (and I'm 29; I did post a "Hi" in the introduction area for more info on me)

Some bloodwork in May showed that my TSH was 3.96 no reference range and in August I went to the endocrinologist because I suspected hypothyroid. He started me on 25 mcg of Sythroid and did bloodwork 7 weeks later on September 21. Here are the results-

TSH 1.9 (.450-4.5)
Vit D 20.9 (30-100)
T3 86 (71-180)
T4 1.33 (0.82-1.77)
TPO Ab 39 (0-34)

At my appointment the doctor also did an ultrasound. He told me that my bloodwork shows Hashimoto's and my thyroid is indicitive of it being pretty progressed. My thyroid was "did not light up but was mottled and full of white blood cells". He did not see any nodes.

So he said he'd like my TSH levels to be around 0.5 because of the Hashimoto's. I told him how poorly I was feeling and he said that my labs do not indicate that I would be feeling bad or even have known anything was wrong. I really do not believe that at all. I questioned if T3 could be added to get my energy up and he said not until I'm at a dose higher than 75 mcg of Synthroid. I also got a prescription dose of Vitamin D to take once a week.

Is it true that at those levels I should be feeling fine? He wanted me to come back in 5 months but I don't want to wait that long to see how my bloodwork changes from the increase to 25 mcg o 50 of the synthroid. I'm really considering going to a different doctor for another opinion. This is supposed to be one of the top thyroid doctors in Houston but I feel like I was just part of a herd of cattle going through the office.


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## Alw1977 (Aug 6, 2012)

Hi there! Take heart, you are at the beginning of a long road and have a lot to learn about your condition. Take it one step at a time, read all you can, but take charge of your condition - find a doctor you like if this one isn't cutting it.

Okay, so I am relatively new too, but a few things jump out. First, I'm not sure your doc ran the correct labs. They must run the FREE T3 and FREE T4, not total. Free T3 in particular is important. Total T3 tells you almost nothing, is my understanding.

Second, your Vit D is pitiful (sorry). I've learned that your body needs to be replete with Vit D and Ferritin in order to properly process and use the replacement thyroid you are receiving.

Third, your doc needs to run one more antibody test. TPO is only 1/2 of the equation. You also need to have him/her run something called AB (Antithyroglobulin) Test. It should be two separate values.

I couldn't say if your labs look "normal" because they haven't given you all the information. Also have them test your ferritin, or just start taking an iron supplement. Most women of childbearing age are too low on iron anyway. I take megafood Blood Booster, but Floradix liquid is also good. I have no stake in those products, they are just what works for me. I was anemic while pregnant so I have been on the iron supp roller coaster for a while. The two I mentioned don't have any nasty stomach side effects and are very soluble.


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

I would agree that your Vitamin D is waaaay too low and that could be adding to the fatigue you're experiencing. I would also push to do the FT3 and FT4 tests and do labs every 6-8 weeks, especially if they are increasing your Synthroid. 5 months is way too long to go between lab tests.


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## Alw1977 (Aug 6, 2012)

One more thing - I'm not a Hashi's patient so I don't know as much about that condition as I do garden-variety Hypo, but... I do know that many Hashi's patients report that adopting a gluten free lifestyle relieves many of the symptoms. You can google "gluten free hashimoto's" or similar and find a ton of information. I think it's becoming a widely accepted fact that Hashi's patients fare better gluten free.


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## Huggenkiss27 (Oct 15, 2012)

Alw1977 said:


> One more thing - I'm not a Hashi's patient so I don't know as much about that condition as I do garden-variety Hypo, but... I do know that many Hashi's patients report that adopting a gluten free lifestyle relieves many of the symptoms. You can google "gluten free hashimoto's" or similar and find a ton of information. I think it's becoming a widely accepted fact that Hashi's patients fare better gluten free.


I actually was diagnosed with Celiac in June before I found out about the hashi's and have been gluten free since then. I am sensitive enough to gluten that even touching bread and not scrubbing my hands makes me sick :-( But on the good side I am feeling better on the celiac side of things (i had awful digestive issues)


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

I want to echo what the others have said about your Vitamin D deficiency...that can really make you feel lousy. I would suggest you REALLY concentrate on getting that level up, and once a week is probably not going to cut it. What is the once-a-week prescription you are referring to? Many of our members here take Vitamin D once or twice a day.

Also, you may be wise to have your Vitamin B12 tested as well. Seems like several members have a deficiency there, too, which leads to lots of fatigue.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Boyfriend might appreciate this:

http://www.stltoday.com/entertainme...cle_33469e9e-8013-504b-8555-ba8dc11aa1cf.html


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## Huggenkiss27 (Oct 15, 2012)

I am taking 50,000 IU of the vitamin D once a week plus my multi-vitamin once a day that has 1600 IU of vitamin D. I am going to a new doctor next week and I have a full list of bloodwork that I am going to request including B12 and iron levels.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

50,000 IU all at once? And your body is supposed to absorb it? Um...I'm no doctor or dietician...but wow. I can't help but think that the vast, vast majority of that is going right down the toilet. A body can only absorb and process so much at a time.

But I'm glad to see that your daily vitamin has a nice dose of D in it...that's good. 

Oh, good...I see you have iron on your list as well...didn't think of that. You might want to add Ferritin, too. It's related.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Huggenkiss27 said:


> First I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read and look at my results. As of today I am on 50 mcg of synthroid and still feel awful. I am so tired that I cannot function normally and I'm having awful headaches and dizzy spells. My wrists, ankles, and elbows are also aching (and I'm 29; I did post a "Hi" in the introduction area for more info on me)
> 
> Some bloodwork in May showed that my TSH was 3.96 no reference range and in August I went to the endocrinologist because I suspected hypothyroid. He started me on 25 mcg of Sythroid and did bloodwork 7 weeks later on September 21. Here are the results-
> 
> ...


To leave a patient on 50 mcg. of Synthroid for 5 months is unconscionable. The patient should be getting labs every 8 weeks and medication titrated upward for a long as it takes until the patient feels well.

It would be prudent to go doctor shopping. Your T3 is in the basement and that is really bad because that is Total 3, Free 3 and rT3 (reverse.)

Next time insist on the FREE T3 and FREE T4 tests.

Here is info.

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

TPO is only "suggestive" of Hashimoto's in addition to a myriad of other things.

Anti-microsomal Antibodies- TPO Ab
Negative test is normal; you should not have any of these antibodies. And the healthy person does have a low titer of TPO.

Mild to moderately elevated levels of thyroid antibodies may be found in a variety of thyroid and autoimmune disorders, such as thyroid cancer, Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, pernicious anemia, and autoimmune collagen vascular diseases. Significantly increased concentrations most frequently indicate thyroid autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto thyroiditis and Graves disease.
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/thyroid-antibodies/tab/test


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## Alw1977 (Aug 6, 2012)

On the topic of Vit D, I have a friend who is also on the 50K IU pill of Vit D once a week. It seemed weird to me to get it all at once, but I didn't ask any questions. I believe to build up your stores you do need a significant amount - in excess of 5K a day if you are depleted. I am taking 10,000 IU's per day, until my next bloodwork.


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## Huggenkiss27 (Oct 15, 2012)

Octavia said:


> 50,000 IU all at once? And your body is supposed to absorb it? Um...I'm no doctor or dietician...but wow. I can't help but think that the vast, vast majority of that is going right down the toilet. A body can only absorb and process so much at a time.
> 
> But I'm glad to see that your daily vitamin has a nice dose of D in it...that's good.
> 
> Oh, good...I see you have iron on your list as well...didn't think of that. You might want to add Ferritin, too. It's related.


The thought behind that high of a dose of vitamin D is that when your stores are so low (mine are very low!) that your body will use what it needs and store the rest. It is only given weekly for a couple of months. After that I'll have my bloodwork redone and hopefully be in a more normal range and can just continue on with my daily multi-vitamin. From what literature I've looked at it's a comman way to treat a vitamin d problem.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

I see. Thanks for the extra info!


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