I think there something wonky going on with my Feritin/Iron, etc. I did these tests fasted, btw.
I would like to get all the sex hormones redone…I asked them to hold off since it was that time of the month. Not sure what some of the tests mean. And I don’t see the Progesterone test that I asked for even though I wanted to wait.
Looking up some stuff now! And making an appt with the Doc.
[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!
I got some lab test results back that are kinda interesting.
Tsh is still high( 5.257)
T3- 61 (60-181)
FT4- 1.5 (0.8-2.7)
T3 Resin Uptake- 36 (22-35)
Thyroxine Total- 6.7 (4.5- 12.0)[/quote]
You got these done while on synthroid correct?
If so, YOU NEED TO SWITCH TO A T3 TYPE MEDICATION!!! THIS IS LIKELY THE SOURCE OF ALL YOUR ISSUES…NOT FERRITIN, NOT IRON, NOT CORTISOL, T3!!!
[quote]
Cortisol…13 (A.M. 4.3-22.4) isn’t that kinda highish for the morning?[/quote]
You mean lowish? Good response is upper range for the morning.
Cooooooool…I’ve never seen the women’s ranges for sex hormones before…I can’t make heads or tails of this, but its interesting to me for my own education.
[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
Tsh is still high( 5.257)
T3- 61 (60-181)
FT4- 1.5 (0.8-2.7)
Cortisol…13 (A.M. 4.3-22.4)
[/quote]
It is interesting how close most of your test results for the above were to mine. My Cortisol was even 13 like yours. In my case I also got Reverse T3 tested at it was in the upper range. As I said earlier, I am now on T3 only and it has been going into 3 weeks. My body temps are gradually increasing and today are around 98 degrees.
Too bad they didn’t test RT3 again but it still looks like that might be your issue.
He did test it but it was ‘still in transit.’ Are you doing anything for the cortisol??
Vtballa- lol!! glad my hormones are of interest! So do you think this all goes back to me JUST needing T3? Will the other suspicious areas correct themselves, you think?? Yep been on synthroid since June. blargh
part of me just wants to stop taking it and shove it up the Dr’s butt.
I think addressing your T3 will be a huge step in the right direction…it is the biggest red flag in your bloodwork…This will help clear up your RT3 and maybe help cortisol as well…
I know you are familiar with stopthethyroidmadness.com, but did you ever read thyroid-rt3.com? They have lots of good advice on how to deal with high RT3. Your high TSH in combination with your use of synthyroid seems to indicate that your current protocol is not working for you and that some change is in order.
[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
Are you doing anything for the cortisol??
Vtballa- lol!! glad my hormones are of interest! So do you think this all goes back to me JUST needing T3? Will the other suspicious areas correct themselves, you think?? Yep been on synthroid since June. blargh
[/quote]
I’ve been told that 13 isn’t ideal but not too bad and I have no issue getting out of bed in the morning. I’ve decided to focus on the one BIG problem of RT3 and solve that first. After that I will see how things stack up. T3 is the known answer to fixing RT3 issues. A hypothyroid along with low body temps screws many things up so until that is right you just don’t know where things really are.
obviously there is now enough of a pattern to see that my current med IS NOT WORKING. It makes me pissed that the various Doctors I’ve seen have all told me the same thing.
The last one was the worst even though he was the nicest. Making it seem like everything else was wrong…eating too much, not exercising enough, etc…instead of just addressing the MAIN PROBLEM. grr
So would ARMOUR not be good to take I’m wondering?? Cytomel or something of the like seems like it would be better since it can be more accurately regulated.
I stopped taking the synthroid as of this morning. Maybe an unwise move, but I just don’t see the point. :idk:
ALso wondering if I should pursue my low iron issue?? I’ve read if that isn’t under control then trying to fix the other issues will be challenging.
worry about iron when you have the real problem addressed…you are not seeing the forest for the trees…
May not be a good idea to stop taking your snythroid cold turkey…i have no idea how those are supposed to be tapered, etc…I would consult your doc, no matter how bad he might be…
But priority #1 for you should be to attain a trial of T3 meds/dessicate thyroid.
i found out I had high RT3 when I ran out (ADHD forgetfulness) of my Armour prescription and didn’t notice a single difference.
Armour is better than T4 only meds, but still has a lot of T4 in it and if you have high RT3 it may still overload your system with too much T4. Stoping cold turkey is not a problem usually because it takes T4 so long to clear from your system. Stopping T3 only meds can be life threatening I believe if your system can’t pick back up in time (just like stopping cortisol medications cold turkey).
My wife is on Armour. She was taking too much and had high RT3 as well, I got her to cut back her dosage (with the agreement of her doc) and to start taking IsoCort (which has been a God-send). She is now doing much better (started lossing weight again, more energy, etc.).
ideal morning cortisol I hear should be 15-20. I have blood results showing that I was at 5.9 levels a couple of years ago (and never above 12).
T3/T4 need cortisol to work. not enough cortisol = higher RT3. you could also think about supporting your adrenals (may or may not be necessary and may or may not be prudent) with IsoCort (each pill is equivalent to 2.5mg hydrocortisone I believe). start with 1 pill a day for a week or two. then 1 am / 1pm for a week or two, up to a max of 4 am / 4 pm or 3 am / 3 afternoon / 2 late afternoon IsoCort is over the counter. I get ours through Amazon.
I had my appt couple days ago. It went ok…I got my Armour!!
ohhhh I felt the energy I’ve been missing all these years about 20 minutes after taking my first pill yesterday morning!!! jumps up and down
I got STUFF DONE! whew buddy!! lol
This is going to be goooood if I can figure out how to get the Dr. to look beyond the TSH(which he WORSHIPS) And he doesn’t test for Ft3!!!
I know I need more, cause I started to crash about 6 hours of taking it. I know it’s recommended to split your dose, but splitting the tiny pill causes it to crumble so I just took it all.
It’s almost like taking a really good diet pill. And it’s mood enhancing!!! I feel like my old(but new!) self again!
I’m saving my pennies for an out of pocket doc if need be. I don’t think this guy is going to budge beyond 1 grain cause as soon as he sees that my TSH is loooow, he’ll probably say I’m ‘better,’ and don’t need anymore.
I’m going to email him in a couple weeks to ask if I can take a 1/2 grain in the afternoon and see what he says.
1 grain wears off in about 6 hours though. I’m hoping I get don’t get ‘stuck,’ here.
I plan on paying for my own FT3 test to go along with the tsh and Ft4 the Dr. put in to SHOW HIM that I need MORE.
I’m trying to line up an out of pocket doc to get to just in case. I’m tired of playing these games. I didn’t get this far just to get blown off again.
HUBBY IS GETTING ADVANCED TO FIRST CLASS TODAY AND IT’s A SURPRISE!!!
OMGOMGOMG!!!
lol
His Chief just called me while I was vacuuming of all things and explained it all. Apparently they didn’t add in the necessary points in from the last test and HE SHOULD HAVE MADE IT OFF OF THAT TEST!!!
THey’ve been keeping this under wraps and all the correct paper work was finalized this morning… OMG!!!
This is so exciting!! He’s on gate watch all day today but they made a plan to pull him off. Julia will get home then we’ll go get Coby and will be there waiting at the ceremony to surprise Matt!!!
2 - yes what you are experiencing is the T3 portion of the Armour. The problem is that if you have issues converting T4 to T3, then the extra T4 you are taking with the Armour will convert to Reverse T3. Over time the RT3 will build up, and it will start blocking the effects of the T3 you are now feeling.
3 - You really need to get more detailed tests and you really need to consider talking to your doctor about going on a T3 only regimen for a short time to clear out your system before possibly reintroducing Armour.
4 - and yes, you really do need to divide up the dosage. Just like other drugs (methamphetamines, etc.), ramping your system up and crashing it intentionally can have serious longer term health repercussions.