While we shouldn't concern ourselves with TSH as far as dosing is concerned, the decrease in your TSH explains a few things.

Firstly, T3 has a direct impact on TSH. The pituitary "senses" the presence of T3, the active hormone and doesn't "think" it needs to produce as much hormone. Thus, TSH decreases when someone takes T3.

As we know, TSH is the pituitary hormone that stimulates the thyroid to produce thyroid hormone.

A decrease in TSH means the thyroid will produce less hormone....this means the FreeT4 and FreeT3 levels can decrease.

Thankfully, once TSH stays low, increases in thyroid hormone doses will usually result in increases in FreeT4/T3 levels....unless our needs for hormone increase.

It does get easier once our levels are optimized.....regular labs and appropriate dose adjustments can usually maintain optimal levels and keep us free from symptoms. That's where I've been at for the past 2+ years and it's awesome :)

Getting a dose increase was obviously exactly what you needed....glad you knew to fight for it.

I hate that this site doesn't have an edit feature.

I realized the second sentence in the second paragraph could be more clear.

I'm retyping the whole thing and will use asterisks for the area I think needs clarification:

Firstly, T3 has a direct impact on TSH. The pituitary "senses" the presence of T3, the active hormone and doesn't "think" it needs to produce as much **thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) to stimulate the thyroid to produce hormone**. Thus, TSH decreases when someone takes T3

Isn't it absolutely pathetic and hideous that #1 our doctors lie to us and #2 they have no clue what they are doing and we are put in the position of BEGGING for proper treatment? It's a scandal beyond comprehension.

You are wise to ignore TSH!

re: my FT3 and FT4 had went DOWN after an increase of Armour -

I've had this happen and here's why:

So many things can affect thyroid health - stress, dietary changes or deficits, weight changes, and above all if you have auto-immune issues (Hashimotos') the anti-bodies themselves will keep attacking your thyroid and can cause this (Free T3 and Free T4 levels dropping despite an increase in thyroid meds).

This just happened to me as a matter of fact. I contracted a pretty nasty case of shingles - which obviously affects the bodies response system - and my levels dropped like a rock despite an increase in meds. So, I had to increase again....and will most likely need another increase.

So, unfortunately, it's the nature of the disease. Hang in there....and keep on keeping on.

Hugs
MB

Glad to read someone realizes that a person's numbers DO fluctuate depending on what else is going on with their health. This is not rocket science here folks.

Blueindy ...watch the TSH number if it goes down into negative you very well could go "hyperthyroid" . You will know it for sure.

Think of this....how many hypothyroid people have a TSH in the negative ? ? Yep....none.

Blulady...you are in the MS group so if you have that too it could be messing with your numbers....if you take meds for MS they may affect too.

You are right Gagle, it is a scandel to keep us all sick, so the medical community can sell their drugs for the health conditions that can happen with untreated thyroid.

so sorry BlueIndy. You might want to join the naturalthyroidgroups@yahoo.com and they will help you find a good doc.

Thank you all, I do have a route to a much better doctor, a naturopath, but so far this one is doing what I ask for, (except for just wanting to look at my TSH). Staying with him allows me to get my blood work done for free so I will stay as long as I can.

I'm not on any ms drugs, yet. I am considered a mild case so I'm okay with that so far :)

CD what you wrote makes perfect sense, I now understand WHY it can take so long to get your levels optimized.

Mbutterfly I asked the endo if my Hashi's could make my symptoms fluctuate and he said oh no, you will never feel that happening, it can take decades for the destruction to happen.
Sigh.

GageL it IS scandalous to have to beg for proper treatment! I mean, it's not like I am asking for a thousand Xanax or a big bottle of morphine here, I just want a half a pill of a thyroid med increased! He certainly makes me feel like I am asking for so much more though!

Bluesapphire I will watch my TSH, it is still up at 1.41 .

And that, my dear, is why I refer to them as "endo-criminologists" ;)

" I asked the endo if my Hashi's could make my symptoms fluctuate and he said oh no, you will never feel that happening, it can take decades for the destruction to happen.
Sigh. "

Sigh indeed. While it can take decades for Hashi's to TOTALLY destroy your thyroid gland, the attacking antibodies DO account for fluctuating symptoms and TSH.

But, as long as you get the care you need, well that's all that counts isn't it?