Graves' Disease Support Group

Graves-Basedow disease is a medical disorder that may manifest several different conditions including hyperthyroidism (over activity of thyroid hormone production), infiltrative exophthalmos (protruberance of one or both eyes and associated problems) and infiltrative dermopathy (a skin condition usually of the lower extremities). This disorder is the most common cause of...

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Maglady 04/29/2013

Hi, I just got the results back on my TPO and TRAB
TPO is 15.9 it was 237.9 in Sept. 2011 when I was diagnosed so it has come down a lot. My TRAB is 108.8 which was 310 in Sept. 2011. Given that these numbers are lower do I have a decent chance at remission and if not will I in the future?
Also my most recent labs on 7.5mg of MMI were
FT4 0.68 normal is 0.61-1.12
Total T4 5.0 normal is 6.1- 12.2
TSH is 7.35 normal is 0.30-3.00
Free T3 is 3.1 Normal is 2.3 to 4.2
Total T3 is 0.76 normal is 0.60 to 1.81
So I'm on the hypo side. Mainly I'm wondering about My antibodies and what you guys think this indicates. Thanks

mmztcass 04/29/2013

Yes, definitely on the hypO side. You might want to get the Free T4 to come up so the MMI doses will need to be lowered down.

Unfortunately the antibodies like it when we are either too hypER or too hypO. Getting the Free Ts just right in the 'right' places where we feel our best there at will help to get the antibodies numbers to drop down.

{{{hugs}}}

Maglady 04/29/2013

I thought I was feeling great. But now I'm tired all the time. Would now be a good time to start taking Selenium?

mmztcass 04/29/2013

I don't suggest adding Selenium when the FT3 is approximately mid range. If the FT3 was very low, yes, add some Selenium to get it to come up.

I suggest you talk with doctor about lowering down the MMI to get the FT4 to come up.

{{{hugs}}}

Maglady 04/30/2013

She wants to do a trial off meds actually, so I just cut down from 7.5mg to 5mg for one week, then tapering down to 2.5mg for one week, then off completely and we'll recheck labs in two weeks following the point that I stop. She wants to see what will happen off of meds since it has been 18months since diagnosis and she says I have a 30% chance at remission. I'm not that hopeful, and think that I will go hypER again. But I guess I could stand to lose a few pounds after being hypO for 3 months. LOL I'll let you know what happens.

mmztcass 04/30/2013

I suspect that with your antibodies higher like this, remission will not likely be in site. It looks to me that this doctor is in a hurry to yank you off of the MMI just because of the so called rule of 18 months.

Also when one is coming off of doses such as 7.5 mg and promptly lower down to nothing within a couple of weeks will show rebounding hypER very quickly.

To truly work on tapering off of doses can take several months. A very gradual every four weeks of getting labs and dropping down with something like 2.5 mg at a time is the way to go. With rechecking labs every few weeks, one can see how their Free Ts is with whether these are holding steady or not.

I have a feeling then should you go rebounding hypER, this doctor will then tell you the MMI didn't work when in fact it did. It is that your antibodies would not be ready for remission since the numbers are still way up there.

Slow and steady wins the race.

{{{hugs}}} :-/

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