RE: Re: Lab results that I need some help understanding

[Guest guest]

Hi Jeff, 120mg Armour isn't really a large dose- many folk need 180mg or more. If you are adequately medicates that TSh is a poor indicator- often it will be >0.01 which does not matter a jot -it's the Ft4 and most importantly Ft3 levels that matter.you've got it backwards about the zinc- chalky means low levels and a sharp metaiilc taste means levels are OK- supplement for a month and try sucking it agian and you'll see the difference! > thyroid treatment > From: jeff2051@...> Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2011 10:38:18 +0000> Subject: Re: Lab results that I need some help understanding> > > > > > Thank you Shiela and Galathea for the comments and feedback. I greatly appreciate it. Some more background. I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism a few years ago and started with synthroid, switched to Sythroid and Cytomel and then to Pig tyhroid when the others still were not helping with symptoms of fatigue, low metabolism, etc. Thanks to your forum and the help of one individual in particular I began to feel better but the TSH levels actually went down at my last visit to the Dr.. He wanted me back on Synthroid which I refused to do so he prescribed 120mg of Armour which I began on 01/31/11. He is patient and is willing to do what I ask but he thinks its all mumbo jumbo and you can't believe what the internet tells you. I know that I am not feeling better on his meds alone and that the underlying issues must be addressed. The proof for me was your interpretation of the lab results and his failure to think that the low copper results is an issue. He made no reference to it in his notes to me along with the labs. He basically justified his position. Still he is willing to allow me my opinions and works with me which from what I have been reading here is better than most. > > I will head to the store today to check out the supplement for the low copper readings as well as begin the process of the adrenal swab test ehich I will post here when I get the results. Oh, I also bought Zinc yesterday and bit into one of the tablets and it definitely tasted like chalk so I am assuming my zinc levels are OK. Thanks again. > > > > > ------------------------------------> > TPA is not medically qualified. Consult with a qualified medical practitioner before changing medication.> >

[Guest guest]

Perhaps if your doctor did a bit more research, he would realise

that ALL the top thyroid research is published on the Internet in the top

medical journals - such a shame they shy away from the Internet - is it any

wonder they know so little and their thyroid patients remain suffering the

terrible symptoms and they are unable to help them. LOL!

Your TSH becomes suppressed when taking combination T4 and T3

because there is no NEED for any thyroid stimulating hormone. Your pituitary

gland recognises when your body is not making sufficient amounts of thyroid

hormone and that's when it starts to secrete TSH (so the TSH rises) to tell the

thyroid gland to start producing more. It is suppressed when there is no need

for any TSH - if only doctors would learn about how these glands actually work!

He will eventually learn that taking natural thyroid extract is not mumbo

jumbo, and perhaps you should remind him that every patient suffering the

symptoms of hypothyroidism was ONLY treated with pigs thyroid for over 50

years, and it was used VERY safely and effectively in all that time. This was

before the manufacture of the synthetic thyroxine (T4), which doctors were told

was the be all of everything. Sadly, T4 is a prohormone, and although for most

people it works, for a large minority it does not, because they are unable to

convert it to the active thyroid hormone T3. it is T3 your body needs and not

T4.

Remember you need 200mcgs Selenium and zinc to help with the

conversion and ensure that your adrenals are functioning as well as they can,

because with any adrenal fatigue, your thyroid hormone cannot be utilised at

cellular level.

If, at any time after increasing your dose by half a grain

(30mgs) 9and this should be done every 3 to 4 weeks to find the level of

thyroid hormone your body needs), you suddenly find you get palpitations,

feeling 'spaced out' edgy, irritable, dizzy, sweating etc (symptoms of

hyPERthyroidism), then you know you have taken too much. Don't take any more

that day, and the following day, decrease your dose again by half a grain, and

that is the way you find your 'sweet spot'. Usually that is the amount of

thyroid extract you will need for the rest of your life.

If your zinc tablet tasted of chalk, then your zinc levels are too

low and you need 15mgs zinc daily for a while until your levels are built up.

Luv - Sheila

Thank you Shiela and Galathea for the comments and feedback. I greatly

appreciate it. Some more background. I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism a few

years ago and started with synthroid, switched to Sythroid and Cytomel and then

to Pig tyhroid when the others still were not helping with symptoms of fatigue,

low metabolism, etc. Thanks to your forum and the help of one individual in

particular I began to feel better but the TSH levels actually went down at my

last visit to the Dr.. He wanted me back on Synthroid which I refused to do so

he prescribed 120mg of Armour which I began on 01/31/11. He is patient and is

willing to do what I ask but he thinks its all mumbo jumbo and you can't

believe what the internet tells you. I know that I am not feeling better on his

meds alone and that the underlying issues must be addressed. The proof for me

was your interpretation of the lab results and his failure to think that the

low copper results is an issue. He made no reference to it in his notes to me

along with the labs. He basically justified his position. Still he is willing

to allow me my opinions and works with me which from what I have been reading

here is better than most.

_

[Guest guest]

Jeff, please

will you remove the other messages you leave appended to your responses and

just leave a small portion of what you are responding to, before clicking

'SEND'. It is OK to respond by interspersing your responses as you have done

below however.

Luv - Sheila

I ordered Thiroid from Greater Pharma in Thailand

when I switched from Synthroid because at the time I wanted to switch Armour

was in short supply and had some back order issues so I decided to go

with a non prescription thiroid. After these last tests my Dr.

recommended going with Synthroid again which I refused so he suggested

Armour. Because of my elevated TSH readings compared to the last test

with him over a year ago he believed that the thiroid I was using was

ineffective. I went with the Armour because its covered by my insurance

and easier to get.

>

> But the most important question is – why is your TSH still 26.22

> after years on thyroid medication (particularly since taking natural

> thyroid medication ????? ) This does not make sense at all. If those

> figures above are correct, then something is very seriously wrong.

> After only a few months on any kind of thyroid medication your TSH

> should have gone down to at least 1 or below, in particular since you

> have nearly always taken a combination of T4 and T3 .... those figures

> just do not add up.

I wish I had an answer for you but I can't explain

it either unless the undrlying issues of adrenal fatigue, low copper and zinc

levels, etc. have had an adverse affect on the thiroid or as my Dr. suggests

the pig thiroid from Thailand was not good. Of course my Dr. argued that

the synthetic thyroid was working as my levels were lower when on it.

>

> You also mention that your TSH levels actually went down.... as if you

> were expecting the TSH to go up. This is not what you should be

> expecting. On medication your TSH should go down and your FT's (FT3

> and FT4) should go up and on the correct level of medication your TSH

> should be between 0 – 1, or even below 0, your FT4 and FT3 should be

> in the upper third of the ref range...... your figures seem to show a

> reversed picture.

My mistake. The levels were elevated not

suppressed.

Has a scan

> of your thyroid gland ever been suggested? - or any other attempt been

> made to get to the bottom of what is going on here ? You need some

> answers, Jeff. To have a TSH of 26.22 after years on thyroid medication

> and for an endo to do nothing about it is just not on.

>

> I live in the States so that might explain the

fact that my Dr. prescribes Armour. He is not an endo. but he states its an

interest of his but I can't explain why he doesn't take an interest in my total

lab results just the ones that support his decisions. I am grateful that

he at least will work with me. He has suggested that I see a more

holistic co-worker of his and I am going to schedule an appointment with her to

see if she is more willing to address these issues. In any case I at

least have taken charge of my own recovery and feel more in control at this

point.

[Guest guest]

Dear

Jeff,

Ask your doctor to test for HAMA (HHA) - Human

Heterophilic Antibodies. The presence of these causes falsely

raised TSH levels. I would say that it is urgent that you ask your doctor to

use a different laboratory to test your TSH again, which might confirm the

possibility of interfering substances with your first test, and to check for

the presence of these antibodies http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/88/7/3069.

It is really important that your TSH checked again and without delay as HHA are

not well recognised by laboratories or doctors unless this is pointed out to

them. If these are now the culprit, then your high level of TSH must be

investigated as a matter of urgency.

Thyroid

function blood test results can be influenced by many factors, any of

which should be taken into consideration, e.g.

·

Labelling

errors

·

Bacterial

contamination

·

Yeast/Fungal

contamination

·

Clotting

·

Sampling

errors

·

Sample

preparation errors

·

Sample

storage errors

·

Thermal

cycling

·

Antithyroid

antibodies (any)

·

Antibodies

from any other cause

·

Presence

of specific ‘toxins’ in the blood

·

Presence

of pharmaceutical drugs (interferences) within the blood

·

The

method of analysis being carried out eg radio-immune assay (RIA)

·

‘Systematic’

errors in analytical equipment or methodology

·

Composite

errors <> pre-analysis (not mentioned above)

·

MCT8

mutations

Luv - Sheila

I believe that there is more to it than meets the eye, and I reckon it

would be a good idea to have a thyroid specialist take a look, perhaps do a

needle biopsy of the thyroid, or a thyroid scan to look for any abnormalities,

perhaps a CT brain scan to check the pituitary function – I don't know what

in particular, nor do I know of all the available options, but something is

clearly not working as it should, and it needs investigating. According to your

TSH your cells are saying loud and clear that they are not getting any thyroid

hormones despite the fact that your FT3 says the opposite and there does not

appear to be an rT3 issue which might explain this discrepancy. So either

`something' is making your pituitary gland malfunction and send out the wrong

signal, or your FT3 figure is not what it appears to be..... or there is

something else going on. You do need a specialist to look at you, Jeff.

Please

keep us posted of any progress.

With

best wishes,