Do you have your thyroid labranges that go with those results? Unless you already know how to read them then there is no need to post them.LOL

I do have the ranges....Should I post them too, LOL !!! I do know that my tsh is somewhat high, and wanted to share:)

It could be your t-3 is low and that's what's making your tsh still too high. The FT4 of 1.39 isn't bad.You may need some additional T-3 med.Yes, post the ranges.

Reference Intervals

TSH ( 0.27- 4.20 )
T4 ( 4.5 - 11.7 )
T4, Free ( 0.93 - 1.7 )
T3 ( 80 - 200 )

I hope this can help :)) As we all know the higher TSH the more HYPO we are.

momshere

I just don't understand how your doctor is doing things - sorry

Firstly, to have you taking your doses the way you're taking them just can't feel as good as taking the same daily dose or close to the same daily dose each day.

I know I'd feel the effects of a dose that is 25mcg from one day to the next.

Maybe this is the "meds sensitivity" you think you have......I think most of us would have it.

I did some quick math in the thought that you are basically taking 100mcg for a total of 4 days/week and 125mcg 3 days week.

That comes out to a weekly dose of 775mcg. If you divide that total by 7, your average daily dose is a little higher than 110mcg.

I don't understand why your doctor just doesn't have you take 112mcg/day.....there are tabs made in that dose size.

In looking at your labs, your FreeT4 level would have many people feeling good and others, such as myself, would need that level a little higher.

No matter what, no one would feel good with the T3 level you have - it's at the bottom end of the range and probably explains your very high TSH.

People who are optimally medicated on T4 only meds (I can tell that you're taking a levothyroxine preparation due to the dose sizes you've mentioned) will have TSH 1.0 or lower.

And, it's really best if your doctor monitors your FreeT3 level vs. the "plain" T3 level which is often falsely elevated.

So, with a bottom-of-the-range T3 level, there's a good chance your FreeT3 level is even lower.

You would benefit from the addition of some T3 (Cytomel/liothyronine)......is this something you'd be inclined to speak to your doctor about?

I was on one dosage one day and another dosage another - the only difference between the two was 13 mcg - I felt AWFUL. I always felt either hyper or hypo...and never felt good.

I wouldn't think your doc would mind giving you a level dosage of T4 since they make it. Adding T3 (cytomel...) shouldn't be that big of a deal either.

Hugs - you *have* been thru it....

Thank you ladies for your replies:) My DR is an internalist and not an endo...My daughter age 34 just had a total thyroidectomy in Oct, due to a canerous nodule. Thank the lord above that is was small and they were able to remove it all, ironically our internalist found this with his fingers, and her ultrasounds before surgery had a heck of a time finding it, she is still trying to get her meds leveled out, but is doing extremely well. That said she has an endo dr at the university of wa medical center. I have been thinking of giving him a try, but he was very impressed with our internalist findings. Yes and still have hyper days which drive me looney:))) Again thanks for the replies:)

I see an internist for my thyroid care - she's MUCH better than the 3 endos I saw.

I wonder just what might be happening when you say you still have your "hyper days".

It could be due to the huge difference in the sizes of your doses.

Or, perhaps, you think you're having hyper symptoms when, in actuality, they are hypo symptoms.

As my first-ever thyroid forum used to say: "Symptoms can be confusing, labs don't lie" and your labs are quite hypo.

Yes my lab work says that, Ive talked to my dr about the hyper at times and he said my thyroid can produce hormones on its own and with the meds this at times can make me feel that big energy surge. But you mentioned it too could be hypo side effects, so confusing at times;/ I will mention to him some of the posts that Ive been reading to see what his take is on all of it:)) Thanks for the reply.

Sorry this is off subject but I just realized your moniker is probably "mom's here", right?

I'm a lingo nut; I love to play around with words, so please don't get upset when I tell you what I had it down as was a take-off as
mon chere.

'Course, they're still pretty similar, aren't they? And both good meanings.

Welcome

I need advice and have never posted before. I have been taking the lowest dose of Levothyroxine for about a year. My TSH was 5.3 about 2 weeks ago. I am feeling like I am having more severe symptoms of being lethargic and depressed. Also, no matter how much I exercise or eat right, I can not lose weight.

Is 5.3 high? Should I be feeling normal with that number? I am just trying to figure out if I am just getting old, tired and grumpy or if it could still be related to my thyroid. :)

Welcome shannon42!

Sorry to hear of your struggles!

When you think about the fact that a healthy person has TSH around 1.0, I think you can now appreciate that your level is way too high.

And, besides watching pituitary hormone TSH, your doctor should be monitoring your actual thyroid hormone levels: FreeT4 and FreeT3.

Optimizing those levels are what eliminates thyroid symptoms.

It doesn't sound like your doctor is having you get labs frequently enough.

Truly, every new thyroid patient should be getting labs/dose adjustments every 6 wks. until those FreeT4/T3 levels have been optimized.

Here's a link to a site that explains the right way hypothyroidism should be treated:

http://www.mercola.com/article/hypothyroid/diagnosis_comp.htm

I hope you're able to get your doctor to run the right labs. We'll show you how to interpret them and give you information that will help you have a meaningful conversation with your doctor.