Blood results high in range when treated with T4/T3 combo.

[Guest guest]

Hi

Here is Dr Theodore Friedman's take on the expected blood results in patients who take combination therapy.

Luv - Sheila

" If patients start with a low blood free T3 level, then I am more inclined to treat them with T4 plus T3. On T4 plus T3 therapy, I use blood tests to make sure the free T4 and free T3 are in the upper-normal range. The TSH value is usually suppressed on combination treatment . A percentage of patients will have symptomatic improvement on T4 plus T3 therapy. For those that do not improve, I occasionally recommend treatment with dessicated thyroid preparations, usually Armour, plus synthetic T4. This combination is needed as desicatted thyroid preparations have a higher T3/T4 ratio than desirable and need to be supplemented with synthetic T4 to achieve normal ranges of both hormones. Again, I aim for a free T4 and free T3 in the upper-normal range.

Patients with central hypothyroidism can be treated with any of the preparations available for patients with primary hypothyroidism. The difference is that treatment needs to be monitored by aiming for a free T4 and free T3 in the upper-normal range, as TSH is suppressed with proper treatment. Patients with both central and primary hypothyroidism also needed to be treated by aiming for a free T4 and free T3 in the upper-normal range. " http://thyroid.about.com/cs/hashimotos/a/tedfriedman_2.htm