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Thyroid numbers and Lyme dusease

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Posted 5/4/2016 11:21 AM (GMT 0)
Hi. Is anyone having problems with their Thyroid numbers being too low since dealing with Lyme? I've increased my meds however my T4 and T3 are still in the lower range. My T4 is 1.0 and my T3 is 2.7. My TSH is .45. Prior to all of this my numbers weren't great...but at almost half of what I'm taking now..my T4 was at least 1.4-1.6 and my T3 I've never been able to get further than 2.7. These are all numbers pre-testing before taking my meds. After taking meds my T3 is around 3.3. Has anyone had any success getting their numbers better? I do have hypothyroidism so even when I start getting this Lyme and co-infections better treated..I am hoping that my thyroid numbers will look better. I'm thinking that perhaps this is why I've never been able to have better numbers (some infection, bacteria) in the background.
Posted 5/4/2016 11:27 AM (GMT 0)
cd3764 I did send you an email about this also. Thanks
Posted 5/4/2016 8:51 PM (GMT 0)
Well, your hypothyroid is either increasing at a faster rate than before, or some of your suppliments are interfiering with thyroid meds absorbing properly. I think there are way more supps that can do this than we know of.
Posted 5/4/2016 9:28 PM (GMT 0)
Is there a list somewhere of what meds would interfere? My numbers aren't changing and I've been through 2 dose increases of nature throid. Seems strange to me.
Posted 5/4/2016 10:10 PM (GMT 0)
From what I understand, lymes interferes with your hormone receptors which essentially means it is not getting to the cellular level. However from my understanding once you make strides in your treatment and you are essentially absorbing nutrients, etc, your numbers improve.

This started for me before I even began supplements which makes sense. Inflammation, viruses, bacteria....it all interferes. This is how some people become autoimmune in the first place.
Posted 5/4/2016 10:12 PM (GMT 0)
My doctor is going to interpret my latest bionenergy results along with my latest thyroid numbers and will be able to tell at a cellular level what's happening, thus we'll know how much I need to increase at least while treating.
Posted 5/5/2016 4:14 AM (GMT 0)
..........."and will be able to tell at a cellular level what's happenin"

I'd really like to know how this is accomplished. Mind sharing more info when/if you know.?

Seems very questionable. "bionenergy results"? So is this some meridian thing or applied kinseology of some sort?

I would not trust thyroid treatment with anything other than combined symptoms and lab testing.

As far as actual blood draw lab tests, the free T3 and free T4 only represent the AVAILABLE hormone floating around in your blood, not what your cells are using. But its better than total T3 and regular T4.

There are theories that a body under stress (mental/physical/or infection) might somewhat lack the ability for the cell receptors to "accept" hormones. Thats pretty much what happens in high reverse T3, which there is a test for.

I dont know of any list of SUPPLEMENTS and Rx meds that interfere with thyroid supplementation. However, both CD and I have discovered some on our own. Alpha lipoic acid, some mushrooms, duflican for candida, lithium, magnesium, calcium, vitamins. Meds that slow down or speeds up liver function might alter thyroid Rx strength as well.
Posted 5/5/2016 1:17 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for info. The only meds I take somewhat close (probably 2 hrs after) are NAC and Vitamin C.

I think there must be an alternative reason as to why my thyroid is not accepting the meds. I thought I read that sometimes it's an adrenal issue. I actually feel no different with the thyroid meds and would like to stop them if they are not doing anything. I don't think my numbers are too bad FT3 - 3.0, FT4 is right around 1. My current doctor is frankly not very good. I actually had to request that he test my levels 2 months after starting the meds. He increased my dose after the first month because my hands were still cold.

My brain MRI noted a thinned pituitary gland and I've wondered if that could have some effect. I just need a better doctor.
Posted 5/5/2016 1:24 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry Krimpet, I just read your message above. So basically Lyme could be blocking it? So if my numbers are not improving with meds it seems like a waste to take them. I will continue on though in hopes that my body can use some of it.

Hopefully treating Lyme will get me back in balance. I am currently off all meds and doing a parasite cleanse and focusing on immune health. Supposed to see a LLMD the end of June and I expect I'll be taking a high load of abx at that time.
Posted 5/5/2016 1:29 PM (GMT 0)
Krimpet

You know I've emailed you ;)

And, k07

While I don't know what the ranges are for the FT3 and FT4 levels you shared (they do vary by lab), I can tell you that, using the most common ranges for each level means that a healthy person would have a FT3 level 3.8 or higher....and an FT4 level of 1.6 or higher.

If I had your levels, I'd be dealing with an insane number of hypothyroid symptoms. Heck, both of my levels were higher when I first started taking thyroid hormone replacement.

I would hazard a guess that it's not that your thyroid isn't accepting the meds, it's that your dose isn't high enough.

NatureThroid contains T3 which has a direct impact on TSH.

I don't know when you started meds or what's going on with your TSH but, increasing the dose of any T3-containing med lowers TSH.

Well, once TSH is lower, the thyroid isn't being stimulated to produce hormone as much. Unless dose increase compensate for that, the FT3/FT4 levels can drop lower.

Having optimal thyroid levels is like being pregnant - either we are or we're not. "Not too bad", "close enough" just doesn't cut it.

It's like trying to run a car on watered-down gas. Every single cell in our body needs thyroid hormone and our immune system is no exception.

Most savvy thyroid patients have to push for proper care.

You really should be getting labs done every 4 wks. and also be getting dose increases until your FT3/FT4 levels are at healthy levels.
Posted 5/5/2016 1:50 PM (GMT 0)
I am up to 1.5 grains of nature throid. Started at 3/4 grain. I thought it had both t3 and t4 in it. So basically I just keep increasing the dose until my numbers are good. I go next week and will likely have to ask again for him to check my levels. Also, I'm supposed to not take meds before test, right? He never told me that and my last test I took my meds.
Posted 5/5/2016 2:56 PM (GMT 0)
..........."my last test I took my meds"

Any T3 taken before testing will temporarily lower TSH (maybe for 6 hrs?).

Drs dont know this stuff. Its a fact.

Best to have thy labs AM, before any thy med that day. Do this for every tests for comparison reasons.


Anyone with thyroid issues needs to study it and learn it for themselves.

Drs do not understand it correctly- its not tought correctly in med school - no time spent on it.
Posted 5/5/2016 4:46 PM (GMT 0)
Cruciferous vegetables can interfere with thyroid function also. Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, etc., in case you weren't aware of that. I just have them occasionally and in small amounts, cooking them until soft. Not the was I like them, which is lightly cooked.
Posted 5/5/2016 7:41 PM (GMT 0)
There are 2 schools of thought on the veggies. Many nutritionist and doctors say that once thoroughly cooked all of the components that would affect your thyroid are no longer there so no impact. And of course there are the others that say what Garden Peace has said.

The other thing that I want to point out is that there are varying schools of thought on RT3. Some say it's not important...others say it is. Personally for me I think it is. Chris Kessler and others often talk about infections, inflammation, leaky gut etc. interfering with how the liver converts T4 to T3 (thus RT3 in many patients). They are finding that once a patient is able to lower the inflammation and heal the gut from infections, food allergies, etc, patients are often able to improve their thyroid numbers because you are no longer taxing the liver. I do agree with cd that you have to get to an optimal dose for you but often when the body is compromised and not working optimally that extra hormone goes to RT3. I know for a fact that I'm one of those people.
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