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...
Sorry if I'm impatient--I pulled these labs from my post about double vision. I've started the new recommended dose, but I'm nervous about it and would appreciate any thoughts before I'm on it for too long, if it's too much. What troubles me is that my levels were moving down nicely with the 5mg daily, so in my mind, while increasing to 7.5mg will surely get me all the way back to the "normal" range in a hurry, what's to stop it from lowering my levels back into a hypO range? At the office visit in early April the endo noted clinical signs that I was pretty hyper and would most likely need an increase when labs were done, but talked about maybe alternating 7.5mg and 5mg. Now that the labs are back, even that would seem unnecessary, unless I'm missing something?
Thanks for your thoughts on this.
Ranges FT4( .8-1.8), FT3( 2.3-4.2), TSH (0.2-4.5) TRab (less than 1.75)
8/29/13 FT4 3.2, FT3 13.2, TSH less than 0.03, TRab 3.01 MMI 20mg/day.
10/16/13 FT4 0.8,Ft3 2.8, TSH less than 0.03 MMI 15 mg/day,. After 1 week on 15mg, decreased to 10mg on my own
11/14/13 FT4 0.4, FT3 1.7, TSH 5.74 MMI 2.5mg daily
12/12/13 FT4 1.1, FT3 2.9, TSH 0.05 TRAb 6.05 MMI 2.5mg daily
1/10/14 FT4 1.3, FT3 4.0 TSH less than 0.03 MMI 3.75mg daily
2/6/14 FT4 1.3, FT3 4.2, TSH less than 0.03 MMI 3.75mg daily,
3/24/14 FT4 1.8, FT3 6.7. TSH less than 0.03 MMI 5mg daily
4/30/14 FT4 1.4, FT3 4.4, TSH less than 0.03 MMI 7.5mg daily
Thanks for your thoughts on this.
Ranges FT4( .8-1.8), FT3( 2.3-4.2), TSH (0.2-4.5) TRab (less than 1.75)
8/29/13 FT4 3.2, FT3 13.2, TSH less than 0.03, TRab 3.01 MMI 20mg/day.
10/16/13 FT4 0.8,Ft3 2.8, TSH less than 0.03 MMI 15 mg/day,. After 1 week on 15mg, decreased to 10mg on my own
11/14/13 FT4 0.4, FT3 1.7, TSH 5.74 MMI 2.5mg daily
12/12/13 FT4 1.1, FT3 2.9, TSH 0.05 TRAb 6.05 MMI 2.5mg daily
1/10/14 FT4 1.3, FT3 4.0 TSH less than 0.03 MMI 3.75mg daily
2/6/14 FT4 1.3, FT3 4.2, TSH less than 0.03 MMI 3.75mg daily,
3/24/14 FT4 1.8, FT3 6.7. TSH less than 0.03 MMI 5mg daily
4/30/14 FT4 1.4, FT3 4.4, TSH less than 0.03 MMI 7.5mg daily
The MMI is taken for the Free T4.
In April when your doctor said your were hypER, he/she was taking about the Free T3.
What is needed is to take a beta blocker such as Propranolol or Atenolol to help the Free T3 and to lower it down. This is called slowing down the T4 conversion into the T3.
You do not need to increase the MMI, if you did, not only will you lower the FT4, the FT3 will drop down as well.
{{{hugs}}}
I suggest getting a good pill cutter, the kind that has a thin razor blade in an enclosed box.
{{{hugs again}}}