Re: doctor lowering T3, but I felt fine

[Guest guest]

I will let Nick answer this more when he gets on here, but just from what I have read when Val has posted, she said that she feels her best when she is around 6.0 or so. She also said that some will give a range up to 6.0 +. So if you are still getting symptoms at 5.4 I don't think you are an your optimal level. Just my .02, but I am sure Nick will chime in with further info.

From: colcroke

Sent: Sunday, January 17, 2010 8:33 AM

To: RT3_T3

Subject: doctor lowering T3, but I felt fine

My recent levels: Ft4: 0.7 (0.82-1.77)FT3: 5.4 (2.0-4.4)RT3: 160 (90-350)He said my low Ft4 was because I'm a fast converter. Well when I was on 1.5 grains of Armour, my FT4 was stable at 1.17 or so and the FT3 was 3.2, but then I found out my RT3 was 390 around that time. If I was a fast converter then why wasn't my FT4 low then?My ferritin came up to 90 from 47 in just 2 months. He said it was because my Free T3 was getting much higher. I have been supplementing all year and the ferritin just creeped up, then in 2 months shot right to 90.I had been on 2 grains Erfa and 25mcg Cytomel for about 6 weesk or so and got those results. Prior to that I was on 37.5mcg of Cytomel and my Ft3 came back 3.6I had been on 20mg of Cortef for the last 6 months,prior to that 15mg for 5 months.How could my FT3 get that high on 2 grains of Erfa and 25mcg T3, it's only a little bit more T3 than I was taking before. Is it just that the Erfa is stronger and seems to work better in my body than the Armour and NAture Throid before?Also, he is lowering my Cytomel to 12.5mcg because of being over the range. He also wants me to see my local doctor for an EKG. I don't feel hyper at all, I still have dry skin and lips, joint and muscle stiffness, thinning hair, and sensitive to cold at times. My temps are getting normal now most of the time. Why should I lower?Questions:Should I not be over the range and lower? Do I need to worry about heart issues, hence the EKG he wants me to get?Is there a reason I'm converting faster all of a sudden then before while on 1.5 grains of Armour?Will lingering symptoms of dry skin, cold hands, muscle stiffness, thinning hair get better after being at top of T3 range?

[Guest guest]

>How could my FT3 get that high on 2 grains of Erfa and 25mcg T3, it's only a

little bit more T3 than I was taking before. Is it just that the Erfa is

stronger and seems to work better in my body than the Armour and NAture Throid

before?

Maybe the Erfa is better absorbed than the Nature Thyroid??

>

>Also, he is lowering my Cytomel to 12.5mcg because of being over the range. He

also wants me to see my local doctor for an EKG. I don't feel hyper at all, I

still have dry skin and lips, joint and muscle stiffness, thinning hair, and

sensitive to cold at times. My temps are getting normal now most of the time.

Why should I lower?

Why indeed, what matters most is how you feel and vital signs, pulse

and temperature.

If he's treating you rather than the numbers then it might be

appropriate to stay where you are

Nick

--

for more information on RT3 and Thyroid Resistance go to

www.thyroid-rt3.com

[Guest guest]

My resting pulse the last several weeks is usually 90-100, mostly 96.

My temps can still drop down, but in the last week or so, I'm getting to 98.6

more often than ever before. So I'm confused as to him wanting me to lower.

He's doing it because I'm over the range. He said he wants me to say at the high

end of the range for awhile and see how I do, so dropping 1/2 my cytomel for now

and staying on 2 grains Erfa. And he wants the EKG done only because I told him

I have had palps and fast heart rate when laying down at bedtime once in awhile,

not every night. But I used to get that before taking thyroid too, so I

attributed the palps to menopause and low estrogen even though I am

supplementing. I guess he feels that since I've been taking small doses of

estradiol and progesteorne the palps may be hyper symptom so he wants EKG done.

Well I can always raise if I feel worse after lowering, right?

>

> >How could my FT3 get that high on 2 grains of Erfa and 25mcg T3, it's only a

little bit more T3 than I was taking before. Is it just that the Erfa is

stronger and seems to work better in my body than the Armour and NAture Throid

before?

>

> Maybe the Erfa is better absorbed than the Nature Thyroid??

> >

> >Also, he is lowering my Cytomel to 12.5mcg because of being over the range.

He also wants me to see my local doctor for an EKG. I don't feel hyper at all, I

still have dry skin and lips, joint and muscle stiffness, thinning hair, and

sensitive to cold at times. My temps are getting normal now most of the time.

Why should I lower?

>

> Why indeed, what matters most is how you feel and vital signs, pulse

> and temperature.

>

> If he's treating you rather than the numbers then it might be

> appropriate to stay where you are

>

> Nick

>

> --

>

> for more information on RT3 and Thyroid Resistance go to

>

> www.thyroid-rt3.com

>

[Guest guest]

>

>Well I can always raise if I feel worse after lowering, right?

Yep, that's the great thing about T3, the level stabilises after 3

days rather than 6 weeks.

Although you have some T4 from there Erfa your own production is

probably low enough that there won't be an appreciable TSH and hence

thyroid production change from the T3 change.

The heart tests are worth doing for peace of mind, though I have had

some " missing beat " type events from LOW T3.

Humour him but be prepared to swap back if he is proved wrong.

Nick