now my T3 and T4 are high

After years of being hypothyroid, no matter how much thyroid replacement I was taking, I am suddenly high in both my T3 and T4.

I imagine this is a good sign! Something has shifted. It must be because I'm making headway on the infections, or because of my work with an acupuncturist.

My T4 is 1.99 (.82-1.77)
My T3 is 4.5 (2-4.4)
My TSH has been below range for years, even when my T3 and T4 were also below range.

I am not going to be able to talk to my doctor about this until Tuesday. I want to just go ahead and lower my thyroid replacement... It's hard to imagine continuing to overmedicate myself given this new information. Do you guys think I should wait?

If I did lower it, what should I lower and by how much? I am on three different kids of thyroid replacement (I know I know, totally chaotic, long story). Levothyroxine, Naturethroid, and time released T3. Probably easiest to go down on the Naturethoid. Though I've been wondering about coming off the synthetic (levothyroxine) for a long time.

Yes exactly! My TSH indicated hyperthyroid even when all of my actual thyroid levels (FT3, FT4, even reverse T3, were well below range). So we concluded that something was off in the communication system between hypothalamus/pituitary/thyroid and stopped using TSH as an indicator.

I went from being very low in the acceptable range for FT3 and FT4 to above range sometime in the past 5 months, without having increased anything.

marigold33 - Could you fill us in with a little more thyroid history?

In hopes of healing thyroid with infection- Knowing thyroid antibodies is the key. Regular Drs don't care, and they are WRONG.

Autoimmune thyroid is different than regular thyroid issues. Are/were your autoimmune?

Have you had all three thyroid antibodies tested in the past? If so, get update on your current levels to take the guesswork out of this. TPO, TgAb, and TSI (graves only).

This is important to know and track during infection or solving food issues that reflect thyroid health.

Marigold - did you ever have an mri of your pituitary gland?

Girlie and Astro, that's a good idea.. To look further into the pituitary gland. None of the doctors I've seen has thought of that, and it now seems like an oversight.

So thats what happened to my brain........I was blaming thyroid and lyme all along.

I've been "cat scanned".

Girlie said...

astroman said...
So thats what happened to my brain........I was blaming thyroid and lyme all along.

I've been "cat scanned".

Once? I'm sure you'll be fine.

Were you a child?

I had a CT scan in 2013 - to look at my adrenals when my cortisol was high.
That led me to having the mri of my pituitary gland.

Joking about cat scan being the cause.

Same story as yours. A GP did ordered a brain CAT in my mid-early 20's after I was at the top of the range on a regular cortisol test - since pit tumors can cause that. At least this guy didn't totally ignore my symptoms. Pit looked OK.

marigold33 said...
So neither of you ended up having a pituitary issue?

I refrained from decreasing my dosage today.. It felt more responsible to wait and talk to my doctor on Tuesday.. But now it's 2pm, when my thyroid replacement would probably be causing my levels to be highest, and I feel exhausted/like I'm on speed... Now that I recognize this feeling as a hyperthyroid symptom it's going to be hard to keep doing this to myself. I may decrease my Naturethroid a little tomorrow. That should lower both my T3 and T4 a little.

My ct scan wasn't necessary, as I had a dexamethasone test done and I passed the test.
A couple months later, retested the cortisol and it was normal.

i had the mri of my pituitary gland already scheduled, and went ahead of it.

There was another blood test done - ACTH

I can't remember all the details now.

So, the MRI didn't show a tumor or cyst, but it said something like: "pituitary stalk slightly deviated to the left of unknown significance"

Of course I'm thinking maybe they missed the tumor or cyst that is pushing the stalk to the left...lol.

I have to add that my thyroid tests - TSH, FT3 and FT4 are good...and I've had them tested at least 3 times.
I never had thyroid antibodies tested...

Ask to have your Reverse T3 (RT3) tested as well.

Also, did you have your adrenal gland hormones tested? The better test for Cortisol is a 4 point Salivary test (you fill 4 different tubes with saliva 4 different times - throughout the day).

Our adrenal glands get taxed by the strain that is put on them from the physiological and psychological stress that we experience with these infections. Whether your Cortisol is too much or too little, it can cause all your other hormones to get out of whack. Antibiotics will stress your adrenal glands as well. Additionally, too much Cortisol or too little will weaken your immune system, as well as can increase inflammation within your body, and possibly causing other immune system issues. If the adrenal glands are stressed, then the thyroid will be stressed, as well as the sex hormones. They all work together.

The important thing here is to rule out physical/structural issues. The salivary test can be done by an alternative doctor.

Have you had any blood pressure issues? How about a fast or too slow pulse? Palpitations?

Post Edited (Justin01) : 5/19/2018 7:48:11 PM (GMT-6)

onother option-

Maybee just wait it out for the next test.

Many calming herbs to get you by till then.

I've taken thy med for 20 years and have been hyper at times. skipping dose is the most effective if your hyper. Then carry on the next day.

High adrenal makes you hyper too. could have both? same feeling.

So perhaps the weight loss is what MADE the thyroid replacement I've been taking for a year suddenly render my hyper? - doubt it.

Wow, thats a lot to lower in short time!

You might have some weird side effects from that. Great news.

The labs will tell more. You can do T3 labs though- the Drs dont tell you that. The "6 weeks stable" is really for T4. I've done short term labs for T3, since I also took a combo med with T3. T3 goes in and out in relatively short time, unlike the 6 week life of T4.

I'm kinda jealous. My thyroid is toast from years of antibody attacks disfiguring it, no more butterfly shape, its a blob on U/S imaging. I still upped thy med even though one antibody drastically improved.

marigold33 said...
A Astro, did you ever lower dosage on a T3/T4 medication? Do you think that I'm going to feel another major drop in 2 weeks due to the changes I made this week?

Yes, during the US desiccated thyroid powder shortage of 2009. Unfortunately 90% of the US pharmacy's could not get ANY brand of desiccated thyroid in for a period in 2009.

I also have lowered one brand while ramping up another brand, then lowered the new brand since my body used it better and became hyper.

**So my experience with lowering pig thyroid med because of hyperness is I felt better for **three days** , then many symptoms appeared as this confuses the body. Symptoms being : worse insomnia, hot/cold sweats, sore thyroid, horse voice, more aches. If this happens to you, you might find gradual med changes are more comfortable.

Some people are just more sensitive to thyroid med levels than others. I had chronic lyme then too so i'm sure that made thyroid symptoms worse.

Even back then reading other thyroid forums- when people decreased they felt great for a few days, then..wham, it hit them for a few weeks. So that is a popular pattern with others who have done this to. But......you will live and feel better in the long term.

The T4 symptoms are more spread out (makes sense). My thyroid adjustment symptoms last accoring to how much change occurred. Minor changes lasted 6 weeks, major changes (like med shortage) lasted up to 3 months and honestly 6 months to feel best again.

Shortage history: The med companies and FDA dont seem to understand or care that many cannot function without thyroid med, and many lost there jobs in 2009 due to this. The FDA was part responsible in 2009 as they also shut down two other desiccated thyroid manufacturing plants, Major and Time Caps I think they were called. They were great and just copies of old Armor.

The FDA does not like desiccated thyroid because it was grandfathered (1900?) in before FDA came to being , so.......US desiccated thyroid even today has never been FDA "approved"!! The FDA does inspect these plants more and tells them what fillers they can and cant use. They did that in 2009 and just did recently.

There was a lesser shortage of desiccated in the US since new years - but again, the FDA intervened and Armour is again, different fillers than in 2017. Changing the fillers changes "absorbability", so you have to change dose when they change fillers.

"F" the FDA, .........myself and others ordered online from Canada (ERFA thyroid brand) so we could function. I now use NP thyroid, but almost had to go with Canada again as NP was in high demand..

There was even a levothyroixin shortage in the late 90's. Any thyroid shortage is not acceptable in modern times, and every time this happens..a US price in crease follows:

Wow: Armour in 2008 cost $18 for 180 for one grain pills, now its over 200 at some places. Canada is $50, only $10 more than in 2008. My NP with Walgreens "club" card is $52, without club discount its $160. Many Rx insurance will not cover desiccated at all, if they do its in the $90 tier bracket.

The FDA sucks.