# I'm really super confused!!!!



## lisa4kids (Sep 7, 2008)

Hi...I'm new here! I'm just going to jump right on in and ask my question. Real fast, I've had hypothyroidism for 7 years and have spent the majority of the time going back and forth between 50 and 75mcg's of Levoxyl, except when I was pregnant, then I was on 100. My TSH was really good for a few years, hanging out at around 1.25 and the Free T's were okay...the T3 could have been higher. I've had problems with weight gain, and I'm 43 so premenopausal with estrogen dominance and I also did cortisol testing which came back fine. I have a lot of symptoms (tired, but jittery too, leg aches, twitching eye, weight problems, dry skin and brittle nails, heart palpitations, constipation and IBS issues, GERD, LPRD which is GERD that has moved up into my larynx area and lots of headaches and dizziness.)
Here's the rundown starting in March when I started going to the endo instead of just my family doc:

*March 12:* had been taking alternating doses of 37.5 and 50 mcg's of
Levoxyl because a prior test of TSH only (that time, because it was
done at my Primary physician's office) had come back on the low side
when I was taking 75 mcg's.

TSH 3.45 range .35-5.5
FT4 1.15 range .61-1.76
FT3 2.7 range 2.3-4.2

*May 25 *we moved me up to 62.5 Levoxyl at the last appt. and I had
taken 62.5 for all that time in between (10+ weeks)

TSH 2.109
FT4 1.19
FT3 2.8

*August 29* took 62.5 for two weeks after last appt, then the small
dose of armour for 10 days, then went back to 62.5 for a few weeks
and then I bumped it back down to 50 as I felt a bit jittery, and
stayed there for over a month

TSH .055
FT4 1.48 (I've never, ever had it go above 1.24)
FT3 3.9 I don't think I've ever hit 3 before.

How could my tsh go WAY down and my FT4 go up on a lower dose of
levoxyl than the months before? How could my FT3 go up over one
whole point without any T3 replacement and while also taking LESS T4?

I also had a D deficiency, which surprised me. The vitamin D being
deficient is possible, even though I have gone in the sun a good bit
this summer (I have a bit of a tan and tons more freckles, for
heaven's sake) but what on earth would make my B12 go sky high
without me taking any type of vitamin or supplements whatsoever?
All I know is the lab tech who drew my blood did something horrible
to my vein (swelling and extreme bruising and this has never
happened to me before) and she seemed very scatterbrained. 
I'm starting to wonder if my vial of blood was mixed up with the
next lady after me. By looking at her at that moment, my immediate
guess was that she had Grave's. I could be wrong. I'm not certain
what to think. I do want to question the Dr. on this one though, as
it doesn't make sense. Last month, I also received someone else's lab results and was told I had osteporosis....it was the result of another woman who shared my birth date, but 20 years earlier!
I am very confused.


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## GD Women (Mar 5, 2007)

Hi and Welcome!

Several things come to my mind.

1. I think you mucked upped your levels with the Armour.
I don't know how long you were on Armour or which labs were done while you were taking it or even how you took it. Armour can cause hyper symptoms if the med dose is taken all at one time. The goal of Armour patients is for the FT-4 and FT-3 to be above the median (middle) but below the upper end of the laboratory normal reference range. The goal for healthy adults would be to have numbers close to the upper part of the range. However, Armour should not be given or taken unless BOTH T3 and T4 are equally (please notice the word "equally") low because it will cause excessive levels of the hormone you are not as deficient in. The T3 is a transient figure meaning it can change throughout the day.

2. Are you waiting long enough between med. dose changes before doing test?

3. Like you said, could have been a mix up with labs some where in the process. Wait until your next Labs to see if they repeat August Labs, or thereabouts. I always do a repeat or wait until next Labs which I do approx every 10 weeks or so, before any med. dose changes.

4. (If Labs repeat August Labs, or thereabouts)You could be going into Graves' or Ha****oxicosis, especially if you are Hashi, due to Hashi being autoimmune. Various autoimmune thyroid disorders may occur in us autoimmune thyroids at different times during our lifetime. So, it is not unusual for Hashi's to go Graves' or Graves' to go Hashi. I would do antibodies for Graves' to confirm your levels. In fact I would do all 6 antibodies which would be for Graves' and Hashi.

For Graves': 
TSH cell receptor autoantibodies = stimulating (TSI specific for Graves'), binding, and, Thyroid growth immunoglobulin( TGI).

For Hashi:
TSH cell receptor autoantibodies = blocking Hashi antibodies.
Anti-TPO (thyroid peroxidase TPO) antibody and anti-thyroglobulin (TPOAb)

Thyroid hormone levels and levels of the pituitary hormone TSH are used to diagnose hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, whereas thyroid antibody tests are used to determine if patients with these disorders have autoimmune thyroid disease. Although the concentrations or titers of thyroid antibodies do not indicate the severity of the thyroid dysfunction, nor the presence of autoantibodies doesn't mean one has autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). Only when antibodies correspond with levels are we autoimmune thyroid. When one has good levels with antibodies, one has thyroid autoimmunity. When one has corresponding levels with antibodies, one has autoimmune thyroid disease.

5. You should always seek your doctors advice.


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## GD Women (Mar 5, 2007)

P.S. 4. The dominate antibody is the autoimmune disease you have, at the present.

If you start to have symptoms of the opposite, levels should be checked and if levels relate to the symptoms, then you probably will be that autoimmune disorder. In other words if you are Graves' and start to have hypo symptoms with corresponding levels, would suggest autoimmune Hashi or visa versa. Antibody test would verify.


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## Jenny (May 17, 2007)

I am not sure about the levels, I'm still learning. 
But the vitamin D I have been tring to find info on. I was dignoised with Graves diesese 18 years ago. I have been on synthroid since. 2 years ago my doctor told me I was vitamin D difficent. I have since found out he was telling most of his thyroid patients this. I do not know if it is the throid causing this or the medicine they put us on.


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