Re: Help interpreting blood results

[Guest guest]

-Sorry the results were Ft3 3.4 in July

> (Results in July were:

> T4 14, TSH 1.46 & FT3 3.8)

>

> If anything I would say that I haven't felt quite as good on Armour as

> Levothyroxin - of course I changed to Armour in the hope that it

> might help with being able to have a baby).

>

> I would love some help with interpreting the rsults because of course

> they are all normal so far as the doctor's surgery is concerned!!

>

> Thank you,

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi,

> I have been taking Armour since September & have just had my first

> blood test since switching from levothyroxine (which I had been on > for 3 +

years).

[Edit Abbrev Mod]

Why have you not managed to get higher than 1.5 grains?

I ask because if you were taking the amount of Armour you need I would expect

your TSH

to be suppressed more, and your FT4 and FT3 to be higher.

It also looks like you need iron supplements, and these have to be taken at a

different

time of the day to your Armour.

When supplementing I think the majority of people need their FT3 and FT4 to be

in the

upper part of the range (at least). I'd say you're not taking enough. Are you

trying to

increase your dose?

Patients with hypothyroidism entering pregnancy need their FT4 in the upper

quarter of

the range as the foetus needs T4 from the mother, especially in the first

trimester.

I wish you well, and hope some more people here will be able to advise you more.

Cat.

[Guest guest]

Hi

Sorry

to hear that you are still not managing to get pregnant and carry a full term

baby, especially as you are now taking Armour. However, three months is a very

short time to expect everything to be working as you want it to be, and you

need to be taking the right dose of Armour so your metabolism is working

properly along with everything else.

You

are definitely NOT on enough Armour. How long have you been taking 1 1/2 grains

and what happens when you try to increase your dose. Try to be as precise as

possible. Armour should definitely be making a difference but your blood

results show that it isn't, and this is because you are on too low a dose. Your

FT4 and FT3 should be well into the upper third of the reference ranges and

both are too low.

What

are you taking to increase your Ferritin level because that is also too low and

such a low level will stop you from absorbing all of the thyroid hormone

replacement, as will Candida (you should get the candida antibody test to make

sure you do not suffer this, and also, I would strongly advise that you also

get the 24 hour salivary adrenal kit from www.gdx.uk.com

so you can test to see where your cortisol and DHEA levels are at four specific

times during the day - even though you couldn't see much of a problem when

answering the questions on the adrenal questionnaire. Ask your GP to test

your Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D - also folic acid and zinc. You CANNOT just rely

on Armour to get you to the place you want to be, because you have to face

facts that there are some conditions that will make your Armour less potent

than it should be.

You

should be increasing your Armour by half a grain every 3 to 4 weeks until you

are on the dose that takes away your symptoms and makes you well.

Luv -

Sheila

T4 9.5 (9-19)

TSH 0.72 (0.35-4.95)

FT3 3.8 (2.6-5.7)

It seems that my FT3 level has hardly changed & my FT4 has dropped.

(Results in July were:

T4 14, TSH 1.46 & FT3 3.8)

If anything I would say that I haven't felt quite as good on Armour as

Levothyroxin - of course I changed to Armour in the hope that it

might help with being able to have a baby).

_._,___

[Guest guest]

Hi Val - with a free T3 level above the top of the reference

range when you had not taken any T3 that morning, it does appear that you might

be taking a tad too much. Though, if you are not experiencing any symptoms of

hyperthyroidism whatsoever, I per4sonally cannot see any point in lowering your

dose at this time. You titrate your dose according to how you feel, i.e.

do you still have symptoms - you need to increase the dose - you have symptoms

of hyperthyroidism - you need to decrease the dose.

Luv - Sheila

Hi Sheila, No I didn't take my thyroid medication on the day

of blood test and I realise that the TSH will be suppressed so from what you

are saying I imagine that the T3 is ok too even if above range.....Val

> hyper....

> 15/11/2011

>

> Serum free T4.....13.2 (12-22)

> Serum free T3......7.4 (3.1-6.8)

> Serum TSH...........0.01 (0.3-4.2)

>

[Guest guest]

If you think you would feel good on 2.5 grains of NDT - then go

for it Valeria. It is always best to take as little supplement that will make

your body work, rather than too high a dose.

Luv - Sheila

Hi , My Free T3 in May on 1 grain of NDT was 4.9 (3.1-6.8) and my bone

profile was 2.43 (2.15- 2.55) and I have been increasing my NDT since then to

feel my best and try and find my " sweet spot " . What exactly is a bone

profile and how useful is it and can it tell us the same as a bone density scan

or is it pretty useless? I was under the impression from the bone profile that

my bones are good! I was thinking of dropping half a grain of NDT and see how I

get on with that. I've never actually reached that point in NDT dosing when I

know I have more than enough and have to cut back to the previous dosage. But I

feel fine on my actual 3 grain dosage but could easily feel fine on two and a

half grains I think. Thank you for your help..

__