Welcome to the forum!

Your TSH was insanely high before you switched to Armour.

This indicates that your thyroid function was quite inadequate and could very well be the cause of your weight issues (and probably many other symptoms).

Just so you know, people who are optimally medicated on Armour will have suppressed TSH (below the bottom end of the range). This is mentioned on their website:

http://www.armourthyroid.com/treatment.aspx

Will you be getting labs soon?

I will get new labs at the end of August. So you think it was high enough then that it is causing my weight gain and fatigue to be so horrid??

By the way, I am only on 60 mg of Armour Thyroid, and will increase to 75 mg next week, according to my PCP. I am scheduled to see an endo. but could not get in until September.

Hi! I'm glad Cd answered you here. It does sound like your doc is on the right track switching you. You will feel better initially (most do) but if you are like a lot of people switched to Armour, you will probably need more of a dose as time goes by. I bet you don't convert well. This means some of the T-4 in Synthroid is not converting enough to the more active hormone T-3. If this is the case you will have fatigue, joint pain, weight gain. It seems like your doc is on to this but find out if this tsh test is all you had. I hope an endo will keep you on the Armour (some don't like it) or maybe try some Cytomel with the Synthroid.

It looks like the TSH was the only thing tested. It also says T4, Free was 1.0, which is in the normal range, but that is the only numbers I see for thyroid. The rest are just things like cholesterol, blood cell count, etc.

Ahhh....the FreeT4 test.

That is one of the two major thyroid hormone levels that should really be used to guide treatment.

The other is the FreeT3 test (tri-iodothyroine, free, serum)

You see, having those levels within the normal range isn't good enough.

Healthy people have certain types of levels within the normal range.

Since your TSH is so high, that's an indication that your FreeT4 and/or FreeT3 levels aren't YOUR normal.

It's not until we are stable at our optimal levels that issues being caused by an out--of-whack thyroid such as weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, etc. will be gone.

If you share the ranges for your FreeT4 result (and possibly a FreeT3 result), I will show you what type of levels a healthy person would have.....and what your doctor should use as a treatment goal.

TSH doesn't cause symptoms - it can sometimes indicate a problem.

The FreeT4 and FreeT3 levels are the only reliable tests to evaluate thyroid function and it's those levels that can cause symptoms.

As I mentioned earlier, people who are optimally medicated on Armour will have suppressed TSH. That's usually a TSH associated with being hyper but, the patient will be far from hyper
because, if the Armour dose is appropriate, the FreeT4 and FreeT3 levels will be in-range and, most importantly, the patient will be without symptoms.

For whatever it's worth, if your PCP started you on Armour, he/she seems to have an idea of what to do.

The dose you were started on was slightly less-equivalent to your earlier Synthroid dose. This is the right way to switch over to Armour since it contains T3 which some people have trouble adjusting to. The 75mg Armour dose you're supposed to start is equivalent to the Synthroid dose you were taking.

But, again due to the fact that Armour contains T3, people often feel better than they did on an equivalent Synthroid dose.

Just as bransnana mentioned, you will likely need a higher Armour dose. Per the Amour website, most people take 90-120mg. However, we all have to have our doses slowly titrated up.

Endos tend to not like Armour for inaccurate reasons. So, if you get any resistance to continuing with Armour (or don't get a dose increase), you might want to consider letting your PCP continue to treat you.

Since it seems you've been dealing with inadequate care for quite some time, I don't think you should solely rely on any doctor to help you achieve wellness.

Instead, if you learn how to interpret your labs, you can rally for the proper care.

CD - Can you give me your opinion of my lab results. I think I have hypothroidism as I have all the symptoms but I also have fibromyalgia with shares some of them. I do everything possible to get rid of my fatigue, I"m better but still not to a point that I have a life. I work, I come home and lay in bed and repeat. I also have two 4mm nodules on my thyroid I've been told.
TSH - 1.3
Free T3 = 2.8
Free T4 = 0.6
TPO = 2

Thank you

Please also read this and tell me what you think.
http://www.holtorfmed.com/index.php?section=downloads&file_id=55

I don't know your lab ranges but your FT4 is way low (your range must be lower than my lab's) and your FT3 at 2.8 is probably why you have fibromyalgia. If that number is higher in the range,your pain will probably be greatly diminished.Even though your tsh seems normal,your frees prove it's not,they are too low. What med and dose are you on and have been on? Just my two cents worth:)

I don't know the range either, I got these over the phone because I asked for them. The doctor who ordered them, not my regular said I don't have hypothyroidism so I'm not on anything for that. For fibromyalgia I'm not Savella 50mg's twice a day. I take a lot of various vitamins that are supposed to help. I can't get in to see my regular doctor to discuss until 7/30. What do I do if he says the same thing, that I don't have hypo?

Those two were the only ones listed on my printout....the TSH W/Reflex to FT4 was 14.55 and my T4, Free was 1.0.

My doctor wanted to continue me on a higher dosage of Synthroid, but I said I really really wanted to try Armour, and he let me. The reason I keep him as my PCP is because he usually gives in to me when I want to try something new or see a specialist.

Tammy, as we are getting answers mixed up here,can you start a new thread? Try to call the doc's office and ask for a copy of your thyroid bloodwork, then you can post them. The ranges will be on the sheet. You have a right to a copy,it's YOUR bloodwork.

Tammy3164

bransnana already gave you some good info and I would like to help as well.

It's hard to help two people within the same thread so, if you could create your own with what you've posted here already, it would be much easier.

Just so you know, it doesn't look like your doctor understands thyroid disease so, I hope you'll let us help you.

megsmom

I'm glad you have a cooperative PCP - that's more than 1/2 the battle.

1/3 of all Hashi's patients need T3 which is found in Armour so, I suspect you will benefit from the switch.

However, your labs before the switch indicate that you needed a higher dose of *something*.

How often do you get labs? Your TSH didn't rise to 14.55 overnight.

People who are optimally medicated on meds like Synthroid will have TSH 1.0 or lower.

More important is optimal FreeT4/T3 levels and your FreeT4 level was far from that.

It's clear you're very concerned about your weight and, with proper diet and exercise, it will improve. But, it usually doesn't start to improve until after the FreeT4/T3 levels are optimized.

That's why we're talking more about those. It doesn't seem like your levels have ever been optimized and thus, your issues.