Hey snippy...I cant remember where you are at with your labs. Anyway...there are 2 different kinds of sweating associated with out of whack labs. Right now I am hypo and I have night sweats as well. Mine come and go through the night...its more like a cold sweat...I still feel hot but not flushed. With hyper sweats...everything is elevated...hear rate, total body temp and the sweats last much longer and you feel like your cooking from the inside out. I'm just not sure which one applies to you...Big Hugs...Kathy

Oops...forgot to answer your question...yes a change in meds can cause that for a brief amount of time. Once you adjust it should go away unless you are still hypo or hyper

I don't remember your last labs for sure. Were you on 15 mgs then ?

Do you think maybe 7.5 mgs would be a better choice for now. ?

My hyper sweating was a steady, whole body glow. Tiny beads of sweat that didn't really show, but I was hot all the time and going outside with no jacket and working in the rain or snow felt good. Even my hands were sweaty like a boy in seventh grade dance class. LOL

My hypo sweating was when I had to move in any way. Get up to empty the waste basket and I broke into a 'workingman's sweat', with huge drops of water running down my face in into my eyes. Sweat is salty so that burned my eyes horribly.

Let me clarify I was on 7.5 and she raised it to 15 because she said I was headed toward hyper. Last labs were FT3 3.5 range 2.3-4.2
FT4 0.97 range 0.62-1.57 TSH less than 0.008 range 0.350-5.500. I choose at that time to ween myself down to 5mgs. Because the way i see it if you raise my meds then you are gonna lower my FT's. Is there a danger point for low TSH or does that matter?

I forgot when I was on 15 before my arms and legs hurt so darn bad so i don't want to go back there. Just not sure how to tell the endo dummy I didn't do what she said.

Maybe the drop to 5 mg was too much to handle at one time? Ideally the rule of thumb is when one is needing to drop down the ATD, is to cut back by half of the original amount. Half of 15 mg would be 7.5 mg.

{{{hugs}}}

You are correct.
Mid range for your FT4 is 1.09, which makes the more likely place within the range to be about 1.33. We are all different, so this is where each of us has to trust the process and find that perfect spot within the reference range where we feel best.

To do that we adjust the dose till we feel closer, than stay at that spot for awhile and allow the body to adjust. The first week we hit a particular lab number, we don't necessary feel great. Too much has happened to the body , so it takes time to really feel how that number is going to be long term.

As Kathy mentioned when we first change a dose and our thyroid levels start to move, we typically have symptoms caused just by the swing. That may be what your feeling. The 5 mg sounds like exactly what I would have done. It's a large enough dose you would not be able to go hyper according to your last labs.

Unless something else has changed. Now that your closer to right, you will be able to feel some diet change affecting you. before when we are off, diet changes are over shadowed by the bad thyroid levels.

For example, if you recently started any supplements that advertise they increase energy or promote weight loss..those are most likely high in iodine. High iodine would require a higher dose of the MMI to control it. That's just the first thing that comes to mind.

I found when changing my dose, it was easier to not change other things in my life. One thing at a time was easier to judge what was happening to me.

What to say to the endo ?

Well, you know now she is going to insist on causing a TSH, no matter how it makes you feel, or how hypo she makes you. Not worth arguing with. She simply doesn't understand our Graves' antibodies.

I would say what ever would allow me to continue to get labs and MMI refills. That's a priority, especially with no insurance. Eventually you will hopefully find a decent doctor, but till then don't burn any bridges behind you.

Hi Linda !

Go back..she clarified she was on 7.5 mg when those labs were done.

But..thinking more now..
Snippy,

How long were you on the 7.5 before those labs were drawn ?

I was on 7.5 three months

Three months is plenty long to know what that dose was going to do.

Well done Snippy. :)

Back to the first post...you said

quote;
On my own I took my meds down from 15mgs of methimazole to 5mgs

reply:
did you take the 15 for a little while because that's what you were told to do ?

If so, you would have dropped more hypo, then when going to the correct 5 mg..you would feel more of a swing as the correction takes place.

Pam:

That's where I'm confused. That 15 mg was taken and then was dropped down to 5 mg. When was the 7.5 mg was taken?

I don't really have time to read/help. I'm rather rushed right now. So appreciate your input to this thread.

{{{hugs}}}

Linda,

I'm glad you posted and I went further back, where the original 15 mg was posted. I'll just bet she tried to be a good patient and do exactly what the doctor said..raising to 15 for a bit, but soon realized what that was doing to her. Snippy , is that a good guess?

It would explain having more temporary hyper symptoms during the adjustment.

Snippy,

You have had such a hard time trying to find a decent doctor, and been forced hypo for so long, It's just wrong. Many of us here care very much about how things are going, I think your finally on the path to helping yourself, and doing a good job of it. I know we should not have to be put in this position, but it happens all too often. Your not alone.

I was on 15 then they put me on 10 then last blood work she moved it back up to 15. I was stupid and started the 15 weened from that
back to 7.5 and then to 5. Since March of last year I started on 40,30,20,15,7.5,back to 15 but this time I'm gonna take charge. I guess when I see her I will lie they my teeth. I changed endo in Feb. Of this year and she agreed on dosing the TSH. Then I consulted both my gyn and family doctor and they both agree dosing by the TSH. All gave me the bone loss story among other things.

Snippy:

I have been there and done that.

You know exactly what you will have to do as the doctors you are seeing, IMHO, are ding-a-lings.

Why it takes us patients and the support boards to help us be our own advocates to figure things out and we end up 'knowing' more than the doctors, is amazing...!

{{{hugs}}}