# Doubled meds, then doubled TSH



## hashimotocoaster (Mar 22, 2013)

30, female, Hashimoto's, been on various doses of Synthroid for about a year. I was on 25 mcg all spring and most of the summer. Here are my labs from July:

TSH 3.379 (0.55-4.78)
T3 Uptake 33.5 (22.5-37)
T4 7.4 (4.5-12)
Free T4 2.5 (1.01-4.44)

Not terrible, but I was starting to feel pretty bad again, so at the beginning of August, my doctor doubled my Synthroid from 25 mcg to 50 mcg. In September, I finally started feeling like a human being. (I wasn't around here much!) It was amazing. Then, at the beginning of October, I started crashing again. My thyroid actually hurts sometimes, and it has definitely increased in size. Major fatigue. I've gotten shaky and started having heart palpitations again, and I thought I might even be hyper.

For the past week or so I've been having constant chest pain, and finally my friend convinced me to go to the ER and get it checked. I made sure they ran my TSH, at least. Guess what?

TSH 6.33 (0.358-4.82) HYPO!!!

Has anyone else had that much of a TSH increase AFTER a med increase?

I'm obviously under pretty serious autoimmune attack, and my thyroid's obviously tanking. Somebody please just tell me I'm in the home stretch now and it'll be dead soon.

I know there's only so much TSH is going to reveal, but luckily, I have an appointment with my new endo this week (whom I saw once in the summer) and I'm going to be asking for my Free T3 to be tested. I'm also going to ask about adding a T3 med. Do you guys think there's any point in asking for TSI antibodies at this point? Any other advice/things I should ask?

Any input appreciated.

EDIT:

Also, if anyone who knows about Vitamin D levels can tell me what the ideal number is and if mine is low enough for me to supplement, that'd be great. In September, my D was 39 (30-89). So many questions! Sorry--looks like I've been saving it all for one post.


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

You definitely need a bump up in the Synthroid, no doubt about it. I would push for the Free T3, too, because it will help paint the whole picture and tell if you need to supplement with a T3 med. Have you ever had antibodies tested at all (TPOAb, Trab, TGAb)? It wouldn't hurt to see those, if you never have before.

I don't know what the "ideal" Vitamin D level is, but yours is definitely on the low end. Do you supplement with D at all?

I had constant chest pains with my thyroid issues, too! And always on the left side of my chest; I had a full battery of heart tests that revealed nothing wrong (thank goodness) and oddly since I've had my thyroid out for 10 days now, I've had no chest pain. And I went into surgery with it happening almost every day.


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## hashimotocoaster (Mar 22, 2013)

Thanks so much for your reply. I've only had my TPO antibodies tested, last October: 109 (<35). I bet it's higher now.

Earlier this year, I actually had to reduce my dose of Synthroid from 50 back to 25 mcg because I was HYPER on this dose! Argh.

I used to supplement with D, but haven't for a couple years.

I'm very familiar with the left-side chest pain! This week, though, it's been on the right, which is odd. I guess my main concern with that is substernal goiter, as the pain has coincided with my thyroid pain/inflammation.

CONGRATULATIONS on getting your thyroid out! You should have a party. I'm gonna go find your posts--I'm interested to know how that came about, as most doctors seem to think it's not an option for Hashimoto's.


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## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

Yowzer!

Re the antibodies testing.....is that a measure of the antibodies NOW, or a measure of what the antibodies were a couple months ago?

for example: diabetics run a glucose test to show the glucose NOW, but run an A1C test to show the glucose for the last 90 days.


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## sjmjuly (Mar 23, 2012)

Oh the wonderful joys of hashi's,,,,,Trying to get the right dose is almost rocket science I swear. I was on 1/2 a grain of Naturethroid and my labs said HYPER yet NO hyper symptoms. Then I slowly increased to 1 1/4 grains and DID go hyper so I had to stop taking all meds for 4 weeks. Went and had labs redone and my TSH was 9.78 and my T3 & T4 were in the toilet AND I FELT GREAT! (this disease,,,,I don't get understand it half the time)
Now I am finally stable on 3/4 a grain of Westhroid and feel awesome. 
Nobody knows when the little sucker will die off so we are all in for a nice ride. Hang in there - you will find the "right mojo" eventually. 
I take 1,000 units of vit D everyday and it does help. Selenium too.


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## hashimotocoaster (Mar 22, 2013)

I just can't imagine my thyroid can possibly recover/swing back from this. Ugh. I can't seem to find any answers on how long it generally takes for the thyroid to die, how to know that's happening, etc.


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