I am hypothyroid. I was diagnosed several years ago. I still don't think I'm on the right dosage. I'm tired. I'm GAINING on LC now.

Here are my last two labs:

Oct. 2010
TSH, 3rd Generation 0.066/mIU/L (Range: 0.300 - 2.500)
Free T4 1.76 (Range: 0.89 - 1.76)
Free T3 3.14 (Range: 2.30 - 4.20)

Jan. 2011
TSH, 3rd Generation 0.017/mIU/L (Range: 0.300 - 2.500)
Free T4 1.51 (Range: 0.89 - 1.76)
Free T3 3.00 (Range: 2.30 - 4.20)

In January they didn't change my meds because I didn't have fatigue. I stopped taking Wellbutrin a few months ago and I definitely have fatigue now. The Wellbutrin has stimulating effects, and was masking my fatigue.

Could I have something wrong with my pituitary? WHY is my TSH so low, yet my T4 and T3 aren't very high. If they cut back on my T4 or T3 I will be exhausted, yet my TSH is too low. What gives?

Any advice? (I've called the endo to move my August appt. up to ASAP.)

All I want to do is sleep, my face is tingling (a definite hypo symptom for me) and I'm gaining about 1-2 lbs. a week with NO change in my LC diet. I'm cold when it's warm and my head aches. I'm also urinating quite often.

I ordered a glucose meter from the internet. It's supposed to arrive Wednesday afternoon.

My endo appt. is May 31st.

Well, my FT3 was always a notch below the range, so you actually look fine to me.

You might have something else going on. An autoimmune disease? Most of them are fatiguing. Perhaps adrenal fatigue?

How do I know if I have adrenal fatigue? (I have a phone consultation on Monday with Dr. Marlene Merritt -- I'll ask her about it. But I don't know what she's going to be able to do for me since we live in different states. It's my first phone consult. with her.)

I've given up all gluten and I was feeling okay (but still not losing, still gaining.) But we ate out on Sunday -- maybe I got glutened???? I asked and the waitress went to the kitchen and came back and assured me there was no gluten in the sauce. Maybe she was wrong? I feel HORRIBLE and all I can do is lay in bed.

I'm definitely going to keep avoiding gluten.

There's a 24 hour saliva test for adrenals.

It is possible you got glutened. Some people react pretty strongly. There are some adrenal web sites around, forums too. I found I was slightly overproducing cortisol. I started taking a couple of astralgus and relora each day to help them out. I think it works. If you've got severe adrenal fatigue you might need something more than that.

That's interesting, I'll have to look that up. Thanks!

With T4 that high in range, I'd check RT3. Many people do fine with lots of T4 but for me, whenver my T4 goes beyond mid range I start overproducing RT3.

You can get info on labs that test adrenals here: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.co...mended-labwork/

What meds are you on?

I was on Synthroid 88 mcg and Cytomel 5 mcg. --- but today they told me to double my Cytomel until I hear back about my labs.

Here's a small update from today:

THYROID UPDATE:

I went to the office to get my blood drawn for my appointment in two weeks. I looked SO bad and apparently was bleeding so slow the lab tech asked me if I was alright. I said I was hypothyroid, had low blood pressure, and my face was numb. She said I wasn't bleeding fast enough! She told me to go around to the office and get seen right away. So I did. (Apparently saying you have low blood pressure and that your face is numb is the way to get seen right away!)

I'm glad I did. The dr. said to go home and take another Cytomel. They're also taking me off generic and stipulating name-brand only on my Synthroid and Cytomel. Some of my labs will be ready in a few hours, they're going to call me later today to let me know if they're raising my Synthroid dose. I think the Free T3 will take longer to come back, so they won't know anything about the Cytomel for a while, but she told me to double my Cytomel at home and keep doing that until she let me know otherwise.

Maybe I'll get some relief soon?

Oh, it isn't Astralgus I'm taking. It is ashwaganda.

No, astralagus.

Yes, ashwaganda?

I'll have to find some. Thanks!

LOL! I forgot the negative. Not astralgus. Sorry! Second time today I've done that.

UPDATE:

TSH 0.012 (Range: 0.300 - 2.500)
Free T4 1.68 (Range: 0.89 - 1.95) GOAL: 1.7 (per dr.'s comments)
Free T3 2.8 (Range: 2.30 - 4.20) GOAL: 3.5 (per dr's comments)

She said that my numbers didn't look that bad, certainly not as bad as my symptoms would indicate.

She said to continue on double Cytomel until I come back at the end of the month and at that time we could also discuss my 'elevated cholesterol numbers.' She said that my HDL was very good, but that my LDL was 'very bad.' Ahem. I asked her if they would run the particle size test that I requested and she said yes. I also asked for a thyroid antibodies test, since they've never run one. I'll have to pop in some time this week to get blood drawn for that one.

I'm feeling much better today, still a little fuzzy/tingling feeling in the face but not total exhaustion like before.

Yesterday: 172.4 lbs.
Today: 170.8 lbs.

I hope I continue to improve and feel better, so I can be at my best when I do battle over my cholesterol numbers in two weeks. I will NEVER go on a statin! My cholesterol is healthy. (I can't wait to see my particle size! )

Hi Beez in BR

I'd get RT3 checked if my T4 was that high in range personally. YMMV of course.

I'd fel DREADFUL with that T3 though. I always need mine to be at the top or even slightly over the range. I'd want to be at least 4.

Have your adrenals, B12 and iron levels been checked?

I did feel like I was about to die. One night I was afraid to go to sleep because my BP was so low! I'm probably just like you and need it to be high.

I don't think they've ever checked Return T 3. (That's what RT3 is, right?)

I will ask. If it was too high, that would mean I'd need to cut back on the Synthroid and compensate with the T3, right?

Adrenals have never been checked. (That's a spit test, right?) I'm thinking of having Dr. Marlene Merritt do that for me. She works with people over the phone and will send me the test. I'm sure I'll do that soon.

B12 and iron were checked a while back and really good. With the supplements I take and LC eating, I can't imagine them going down. (When I was vegetarian my iron was always low, but my B12 was always high because of the supplements.)

I'm hoping to discuss the T3 levels in depth at my appt. on May 31st. It's clear to me that my T3 needs to be high(er) than it's been. I'm hoping they are agreeable to working with me to get it up there and keep it up there.

Hey Beezer, I'm the same maile from the "other" LC board thyroid thread.

RT3 is "Reverse T3" if you have cortisol issues (high or low), estrogen imbalance issues, low iron or just stress in general then the T4 can be converted into greater amounts of RT3 instead of T3. if there is too much RT3 then they block the receptors of the cells and the T3 can't get into the cells but still floats around the blood giving you an "okay" FT3 read despite your increasing hypothryoid symptoms (which are happening because the T3 isn't getting to the cells)

ask the doc your are doing the phone consult with about RT3 when you are asking about the AF or go to Holtorf's site to read up on it.

AF and RT3 are tests you can get done yourself, Dr Lowe has arranged for testing for RT3 through his site (there's a link on his site) and if you go through canaryclub.org you can get the 4x salivary test for AF at a reasonable price.

I think Nancy and Scarlet are right to point you in these directions, your symptoms sound scary!

Thank you!

I am going to the endo next Tuesday. I will ask him if he's checked my RT3. I doubt he has.

I do want to get the saliva test done.

Since I've doubled my Cytomel I've been feeling normal. No more numb face and the 10 day long headache stopped after three days of doubling the Cytomel (which made it a 13 day headache, I guess! LOL!) I'm just glad it's gone and I feel so much better now!