Oh, absolutely. I like to say that we are geared to be chased by a tiger. Whether we win or lose, it doesn't last long!

I LOVE that! LOL

If you want to see if you have normal labs if you are ON Armour...then you take HALF your daily dose, and then have Free T3 run exactly between five and six hours after you take the half dosage (blood draw at that timing).

If you keep being told you are 'normal' labs...make SURE you are keeping your copies of labs..now, go and look...and if there is JUST a TSH there..then you haven't been tested for thyroid.

The reason it's mostly women who have hypothyroidism is because out of allll the cases of hypothyroidism, 98% are autoimmune Hashimoto's (the test for that is TPO AB, BTW), and in the USA more than 2 out of every 10 women HAVE this autoimmune disease.

Low estradiol, and low progesterone (progesterone is the first hormone to lower in PERI meno...as young as 30 in some..) and when that progesterone slides...it 'alerts' the thyroid...the thyroid, being progesterone's 'BFF' starts rising to the occasion, and if you have Hashimoto's antibodies...the thyroid starts to get tired doing the job of BOTH progesterone and thyroid hormones...and then this triggers the antibodies.

Most triggers are being pregnant, sliding into menopause (even the peri state), and other hormone 'upheavals' Labs will be all over the place while pregnant and while lactating.

Menopause 'mimics' adrenal 'fight or flight' and so does thyroid disease...many aren't caught because the doctor only does a TSH (faulty! if you take 5600 'normal, non thyroid affected women...their TSH is around a 1 or very slightly higher...yet the range is .23 to 5.5...and doctors who don't know thyroid will 'claim' anywhere in range is just fine and dandy'

My last doc did a TSH which was normal, a free T3 and free T4, which fall into the normal but not optimal range (according to STTM) and won't do the antibodies now because my other levels are normal and said one needs to be off to show the other.

Also I've never been diagnosed. I know this is WereBears thread, I couldn't tell if you were talking to me or her.

I've been reading studies about treating non hypothyroid issues with T3 supplementation. Should be interesting to see where they land. For instance, fibromyalgia.

Oh, sorry...didn't mean to 'steal the thread'...

I was saying to anyone who is having a problem with doctors not doing the correct tests.

You don't need a doctor to get a TPO AB test LoralaiS ...there are lots of places online..you order the test, and pay for it online..they send you to the nearest lab to you.

I was misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia. I've been reading studies relating to off list uses of T3 for years...but, as several doctors have discussed with me, they don't see it actually being used. Sigh.

Don't worry about that. This is what the thread is about.

Thank you for this amazing thread!
I'd be very grateful if you'd point me to a site where I can get the test, TPO AB.
I'm learning at this point and do need to have tests done.
Thanks!

The site I and thousands of others have used is www.healthcheckusa.com but there's several others.

You go there, you get the panel you want (thyroid panel II used to be the one I got...but look for: TSH FT3 (Free T3), FT4 (Free T4) and I think there is a larger one that includes the TPO AB (test for Hashimoto's) or it's separate.

You pay online at site after you pick your panel/tests, and they send you to a lab near you (they give a list of labs).

NOW, certain States (and I do believe NY was one of them...) used to not allow you to do this, but I see people from my part of NYS (Western) doing this now... best of luck.

Thank you!!

They offer a Premium Thyroid Panel which includes:



Does this one cover enough?

Thanks in advance!

Yes Judy that is a 'good' one. Now..the only 'problem' is that...um...if you DO have Hashimoto's (so common, the most common type of hypothyroidism)...getting a doctor to TREAT you is rough 'where you are'. (you know that, right?).

I'm assuming you are researching and know that going by the TSH and just T4 alone...usually results in not being replaced well. Yes? And that in the State (and that CITY) is where many of the doctor will NOT NOT NOT do much other than a TSH.

There are a 'few' who do more...that doesn't mean they give natural dessicated thyroid...few and far between...but some will give T4 and T3 synthetic (BUT, if they give any amount at ALL of T3...your TSH will go WAY low, and if said doctor is a TSH taker...they will take that T3 right back off you).

RT3 (reverse T3) is not well understood for the most part and 'treating it' involves T3 ONLY in graduated dosages. I will say this: I have NOT EVER in the last 15 years seen a person who was treated for RT3...get any lasting changes... none...one paid over 7000 dollars out of pocket for treatment (EEEK) and her RT3 and panel went right back to where it was ....and finally, she was biopsied (thyroid) and had Hashimoto's...so I don't know much about RT3 treatment in that it 'may or may not work'. ??

Thank you again! I Truly and deeply appreciate your words.
I'm just learning so a lot of what you know and say easily is still a bit confusing to me. I did read at stop the thyroid madness.com web site and ended up ordering the Thyro-Gold that will be here in a day or two. I'm sure you know about it. Do you have any suggestion on how to begin taking it?
There aren't any endo's here in NYC who do this right? That's really amazing!

The thing with RT3 is that you're just trying to overcome human biology. Your body kicks up the production RT3 when it thinks you're starving. This is one of the criticisms of low carb.

Thanks Nancy.

I know nothing about thyroid, but whenever it is discussed, there seem to be tons of comments. Just linking to today's WheatBelly Tip; it has link to a previous Thyroid Tune-up checklist and includes current Iodine recs. When I was having mild symptoms (maybe from being too low carb and calorie) kelp helped me and I continue it.
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialWheatBelly?fref=ts