Thanks for sharing that, CD.

My doctor sometimes looks at me like I have three heads because I tell him: "My labs don't *stick* more than 8 weeks." So far, they haven't. They usually do the labs, but still look at me like I'm a nut....until they get the labs at least.

In other words (math):

You're optimal is:
Free T4 0.820 -1.760
Result: 1.850
Percent of range: 109.57%

Free T3 2.000 -4.400
Result: 4.400
Percent of range: 100.00%

And what's the almighty TSH say? lol

less than .005 once again :)

Yup. That's what I figured. Mine was zero. Doc nearly had a cow...then we had the same old "Well the pituitary hormone is artificially repressed, while the replacement hormones are jacking up the Free T3 and Free T4, so TSH doesn't apply"

Bewildered look.... "Yes, but it's a feedback loop"

"I get that it's a feed-back loop, but it's no longer a "feed back" loop if it's short-circuited by replacement hormones. That would be like expecting one's pancreas to create more insulin even-though one is diabetic and getting replacement insulin, right?"

Disconcerting pause....

"A TSH of zero (in my case) isn't a worry as long as the replacement hormones (T3/T4) are doing the work they're supposed to, correct?"

"Well, but the parathyroid glands won't be stimulated to regulate calcium"

"Who cares as long as my blood calcium is at an adequate level?"

Shoves rx at me...


PS If anyone has any enlightening info on TSH and parathyroid glands, I'm all ears.

MB, you should be a script writer!!! That scenario was so well written with the dialogue, I couldn't stop reading!!!!

Yes, the effing TSH nightmare just reared its nasty head with my and my doctor today after Fridays lab results. TSH 01. Dr. had a fit. Wont increase my NT dose, says it too dangerous. WTF???

cd

SO happy that your labs STUCK and that it might have just been an almond blip It makes me wonder just how delicate this system is and what else besides goitrogens might be effing with your levels or the way we feel to assume we are under or over medicated.

You have convinced me now that getting labs every 3 weeks whilst trying to optimize is the only route to take to keep on top of things. I have to wonder what people do who don't test this regularly, there must be lots of additional suffering happening because of it.

I have consumed goitrogens and felt it. Once I had this broccoli slaw type dish with raw cabbage and broccoli in it....I felt like I was super hypo for a day or two, then I was okay, never eat that again!

It's great you don't have any symptoms of thyroid problems Barbell....or ones you know of! Usually people come here to help or get help. Just sayin..

I did some research on the Parathyroid, it is not regulated by TSH, but rather from Calcitonin, that is generated in the thyroid. So if your TSH is zero, big deal... Luckily I have never had a TSH driven doctor, both have known that it would naturally be suppressed by thyroid supplementation. Even my GP knew that, though it turned out, he was a real piece of work when it came to other diagnoses.
So more dialog for you MButerfly, when you next see your "doctor".

Thanks Jonsparky,

You're right - and that assumption drove me crazy. I know everyone says, "The endocrine system is complicated." But nothing is complicated if you break it down into smaller steps, right?

So, I did some digging of my own. Drum roll please.....

The parathyroid glands have NOTHING to do with the thyroid gland. Nada, zip, zilch. (This much I knew).
"The bottom line is that the only connection the parathyroids have with the thyroid is their physical location. - See more at:" http://www.jonbarron.org/article/endocrine-system-thyroid-and-parathyroid-gland#sthash.XwjnwXAR.dpuf


What does the parathyroid gland have to do with TSH? Even less it turns out...

The parathyroid glands respond to calcium levels in the blood - (which is why our creator put them near the rich blood sources in our necks) - if they detect low calcium levels - they send a signal saying "Hey, we need more calcium" so calcitonin is adjusted in order to adjust the amount of calcium in the blood. TSH plays NO part in this. NONE. TSH only regulates the thyroid - that's it - and ONLY if the thyroid is HEALTHY (meaning no thyroid replacement meds are being taken).

Here's more on that (I KNOW you wanna know - lol)

http://www.parathyroid.com/parathyroid-function.htm
http://www.parathyroid.com/parathyroid.htm

"Parathyroid Disorders

Most people have four pea-sized glands, called parathyroid glands, on the thyroid gland in the neck. Though their names are similar, the thyroid and parathyroid glands are completely different. The parathyroid glands make parathyroid hormone (PTH), which helps your body keep the right balance of calcium and phosphorous.
If your parathyroid glands make too much or too little hormone, it disrupts this balance. If they secrete extra PTH, you have hyperparathyroidism, and your blood calcium rises. In many cases, a benign tumor on a parathyroid gland makes it overactive. Or, the extra hormones can come from enlarged parathyroid glands. Very rarely, the cause is cancer.

If you do not have enough PTH, you have hypoparathyroidism. Your blood will have too little calcium and too much phosphorous. Causes include injury to the glands, endocrine disorders or genetic conditions. Treatment is aimed at restoring the balance of calcium and phosphorous."

http://www.sacent.com/condition-thyroid-parathyroid-sacramento-ent-ca.html

"The blood calcium level is the main stimulus for the release of these hormones, as the release of these hormones is not controlled by the pituitary."
See more here:
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/the-thyroid-and-parathyroid-glands

How they work:
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/the-thyroid-and-parathyroid-glands

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-connection-between-calcitonin-and-pth.htm

It's not so confusing if you remember:

Parathyroid (PTH) gets rid of Ca2+ from the bones and sends it to the bloodstream.
Calcitonin will tone up the bones by depositing Ca2+ from the bloodstream into the bones.


Note: Where things get tricky is when someone says, "Oh, Calcitonin is made by the C-cells in the thyroid, so TSH of zero is a problem."
Well, no, it's not. Yes, the C-Cells do produce calcitonin, but "C-cells of the thyroid" is another way of saying "Parathyroid tissue". Ugh.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_are_calcitonin_hormones_produced#slide2

If a problem with the parathyroid hormones are suspected a PTH NOT a TSH test should be performed along with calcium level tests.

Now, the BIG questions for thyroid patients (well, mostly their doctors) is: Will a low TSH damage my bones and give me osteoporosis? No, but having a low PTH might. The reason I say "might" is that calcitonin is poorly understood. Most of the studies done on women and bone health have more to do with sex hormones than thyroid hormones or, conversely, they look ONLY at thyroid/parathyroid hormones and leave out sex hormones.

Here's the big question: Why do women (almost exclusively) suffer from osteoporosis when men do not? Even when both sets of study subjects have hypothyroidism? So far, it hasn't been answered conclusively. But, more studies have been done on sex hormones (and lack of them).

This study is a good representation of that dichotomy:
http://www.thyroidresearchjournal.com/content/6/1/11


And that's it for parathyroids and TSH for now!

More on that: http://www.intechopen.com/download/get/type/pdfs/id/29569


Bonus: GREAT article by vets: https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.prod.vetlearn.com/3a/b3d1f0542211e19900005056ad4735/file/VT0312_Liss_CE.pdf