What is the right amount of T4?

[Guest guest]

My last set of labs looked great, but my TSH was still high at 2.86. My doc just

blew this off.

This is down from 2.89 when they put me on 75mcg of levothyroxine.

So, recently I've been having a bit of a relapse in symptoms and decided to take

a bit more T4 - up to 100mcg and I'm feeling better.

I also take Isocort and have tried adding T3, but T3 made me feel terrible.

Should I just ask them to keep moving up my dose until my TSH goes under 2.0?

At this point it seems like they didn't get my starting dose right.

[Guest guest]

Dave,

You wrote:

> My last set of labs looked great, but my TSH was still high at 2.86. My doc

just blew this off.

> This is down from 2.89 when they put me on 75mcg of levothyroxine.

>

> So, recently I've been having a bit of a relapse in symptoms and decided to

take a bit more T4 - up to 100mcg and I'm feeling better....

You're playing with fire.

The 75 mcg dosage suggests that you still have some thyroid function left. What

you are calling a relapse is just the progression of the condition. Your doctor

should keep titrating the dosage until you reach stability with a full

replacement dose. That will depend on various things, including body weight.

The danger with adjusting T4 dosage to symptoms is that you could accidentally

get too much. The half life of T4 is so long, that this could present a serious

danger for several days, not to mention discomfort.

Chuck

[Guest guest]

Thanks Chuck. I appreciate your answer.

I realize I took matters into my own hands, but I'm not taking it any further

and have an appointment next week.

In short, you answered my suspicions. Docs should have been moving me up until

TSH normalized and they didn't do that. Hopefully I'll be able to make them see

the light.

> > My last set of labs looked great, but my TSH was still high at 2.86. My doc

just blew this off.

> > This is down from 2.89 when they put me on 75mcg of levothyroxine.

> >

> > So, recently I've been having a bit of a relapse in symptoms and decided to

take a bit more T4 - up to 100mcg and I'm feeling better....

>

> You're playing with fire.

>

> The 75 mcg dosage suggests that you still have some thyroid function left.

What you are calling a relapse is just the progression of the condition. Your

doctor should keep titrating the dosage until you reach stability with a full

replacement dose. That will depend on various things, including body weight.

>

> The danger with adjusting T4 dosage to symptoms is that you could accidentally

get too much. The half life of T4 is so long, that this could present a serious

danger for several days, not to mention discomfort.

>

> Chuck

>

[Guest guest]

When I have reluctant doctors I try to tell them that I very much want to try

what I'm asking for.

If it doesn't work, then we can always go back to their method. Sometimes that

gives them the

room to be a bit less rigid in their approach.

<>Roni

Immortality exists!

It's called knowledge!

 

Just because something isn't seen

doesn't mean it's not there<>

From: Dave <dcbaden@...>

Subject: Re: What is the right amount of T4?

hypothyroidism

Date: Saturday, February 12, 2011, 9:25 AM

Thanks Chuck.  I appreciate your answer.

I realize I took matters into my own hands, but I'm not taking it any further

and have an appointment next week.

In short, you answered my suspicions.  Docs should have been moving me up until

TSH normalized and they didn't do that.  Hopefully I'll be able to make them see

the light.

> > My last set of labs looked great, but my TSH was still high at 2.86. My doc

just blew this off.

> > This is down from 2.89 when they put me on 75mcg of levothyroxine.

> >

> > So, recently I've been having a bit of a relapse in symptoms and decided to

take a bit more T4 - up to 100mcg and I'm feeling better....

>

> You're playing with fire.

>

> The 75 mcg dosage suggests that you still have some thyroid function left.

What you are calling a relapse is just the progression of the condition. Your

doctor should keep titrating the dosage until you reach stability with a full

replacement dose. That will depend on various things, including body weight.

>

> The danger with adjusting T4 dosage to symptoms is that you could accidentally

get too much. The half life of T4 is so long, that this could present a serious

danger for several days, not to mention discomfort.

>

> Chuck

>

------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Yeah. It's a bit of a game isn't it?

You have to offer a suggestion without bruising their fragile egos, while still

offering them an avenue of plausible deniability.

> > > My last set of labs looked great, but my TSH was still high at 2.86. My

doc just blew this off.

> > > This is down from 2.89 when they put me on 75mcg of levothyroxine.

> > >

> > > So, recently I've been having a bit of a relapse in symptoms and decided

to take a bit more T4 - up to 100mcg and I'm feeling better....

> >

> > You're playing with fire.

> >

> > The 75 mcg dosage suggests that you still have some thyroid function left.

What you are calling a relapse is just the progression of the condition. Your

doctor should keep titrating the dosage until you reach stability with a full

replacement dose. That will depend on various things, including body weight.

> >

> > The danger with adjusting T4 dosage to symptoms is that you could

accidentally get too much. The half life of T4 is so long, that this could

present a serious danger for several days, not to mention discomfort.

> >

> > Chuck

> >

>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

LOL! Yes, what I'd actually like to do is smack some of them out of their

autocratic apathetic indifference to the suffering of their patients. When we

find a good doctor, they are worth their weight in gold and that's a lot at

today's prices. The bad ones are useless.

<>Roni

Immortality exists!

It's called knowledge!

 

Just because something isn't seen

doesn't mean it's not there<>

From: Dave <dcbaden@...>

Subject: Re: What is the right amount of T4?

hypothyroidism

Date: Saturday, February 12, 2011, 7:02 PM

Yeah.  It's a bit of a game isn't it? 

You have to offer a suggestion without bruising their fragile egos, while still

offering them an avenue of plausible deniability. 

> > > My last set of labs looked great, but my TSH was still high at 2.86. My

doc just blew this off.

> > > This is down from 2.89 when they put me on 75mcg of levothyroxine.

> > >

> > > So, recently I've been having a bit of a relapse in symptoms and decided

to take a bit more T4 - up to 100mcg and I'm feeling better....

> >

> > You're playing with fire.

> >

> > The 75 mcg dosage suggests that you still have some thyroid function left.

What you are calling a relapse is just the progression of the condition. Your

doctor should keep titrating the dosage until you reach stability with a full

replacement dose. That will depend on various things, including body weight.

> >

> > The danger with adjusting T4 dosage to symptoms is that you could

accidentally get too much. The half life of T4 is so long, that this could

present a serious danger for several days, not to mention discomfort.

> >

> > Chuck

> >

>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>