Re: New poster, labs, long post, feedback greatly appreciated / RT3 test?

[Guest guest]

Econolabs.com has an RT3 test, it is possible it could be drawn at LabCorp of

Bellingham, WA, about 1 1/2 hours from you. You'd have to check with

econolabs.com to be sure about this. Also don't know econolabs.com rules, if

any, about Canadian residents, you'd have to check with them first about that,

too.

Also: you'd mentioned unstable temps, see Moderator Nick's website:

http://www.thyroid-rt3.com/adrenals.htm

>

> Hi Everyone,

>

> I've been a lurking member here for a few months trying to absorb all the

incredible information that you wonderful folks provide. I'm hoping I can get

some feedback and help regarding what I suspect is an RT3 issue. I live in

Vancouver, BC Canada and finding someone to test for RT3 is a nightmare (we only

have 2 labs to do testing and BC Biomedical has never tested RT3, Lifelabs

stopped testing in March 2009)

>

> Quick facts:

> Female

> 44

> Premenopausal

> 5'7 "

> Have gained 50 lbs in 2 years despite LC WOE, current weight is 185

> Confirmed gluten intolerant (Enterolab)

> High stress environment began 2 years ago, has continued on and off since then

(beginning to calm down now)

>

> Symptoms:

> cold hands and feet, cold at night (would get up at 2 am to take a hot bath);

weight gain,

> edema in extremities

> hair loss, significant enough for hairdresser to comment, also premature grey

> toenails peeling off,

> very dry skin, excema or psoriasis on both ankles (right side relieved when

went gluten free, left stopped blistering....maybe DH but never tested)

> years of constipation

> FATIGUED, falling asleep by 7

> Lack of motivation

> Loss of libido

> Anxiety

> Insomnia, can fall asleep but wake up between 2-4 am every night, often with

pounding heart

> Peripheral numbness and tingling in left hand (comes and goes)

> Temps traditionally in 96.5-97.2 range, not stable

>

> Found a doctor that did thyroid last fall:

>

> Labs October 2009

>

> Tsh 0.50 range 0.38-5.5

> (this has been time and again with the following results 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.75

reference range is the same)

>

> Ft3 4.7 range 3.5-6.5

> Ft4 16 range 10-20

>

> Serum Cortisol:

> Am cortisol (test 1) 455 range 140-690

> Am cortisol (test 2) 337 range 140-690

>

> Pm cortisol 135 range 50-300

>

> Was put on ½ grain ERFA and slowly worked up to 2 grains by new year. Still

feeling quite hypo, Edema was getting worse and beginning to feel more tired and

cold, wondered about going up further, did new labs first

>

> Feb 2010 labs:

>

> TSH 0.01 range 0.38-5.5

> Ft3 7 range 3.5-6.5

> Ft4 18 range 10-20

> TPO Antibodies < 10 range > 30

> Ferritin 80

>

> Salivary Corstisol

> AM 4.8 range 3.7-9.5

> Noon 2.0 range 1.2-3.0

> Evening 0.2 range 0.6-1.9

> Night 0.3 range 0.4-1.0

>

> Was put on herbal adrenal supps (no effect)

> Dropped down to 1.5 grains to try and reduce water retention, pounding heart

>

> Forward to June, decided that based on what I had read here I might have an

RT3 problem and moved from ERFA to 25 mg cynomel split 4x day moving up 6.25 g

every week.

> Current split is:

> 12.5 12.5 12.5 6.25

> Temps are not stable but range is higher 97.5-97.9

>

> Latest labs drawn 15 h after last dose:

> TSH 0.06 (0.38-5.5)

> FT3 3.9 (3.5-6.5)

> FT4 5.0 ( 10.5-20)

>

> Ferritin 128

> Folate >50

> Sodium 137 (135-145)

> Potassium 4.5 (3.5-5)

> B12 501 (150-650)

> D3 110 (21-135) note, I had been supp 4000iu/day

>

> Serum Cortisol

> Am 339 ( 140-690)

> Pm 87 ( 50-300)

>

> Sorry for such a long post but wanted to get everything out there. Any

feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

>

> Warm regards

>

> maile

>

[Guest guest]

hi Margery

thanks for your response, I've thought about heading to Bellingham but with an

average 1 hour wait at the border I've hesitated. I am going to Maui in July so

thought I'd see if econolabs or healthcheck have a lab there, but at that point

I'd be about 2/3 way through the 12 week cycle.

would it still be worth it to do the rT3 test at that point?

> >

[Guest guest]

No, in my opinion it really wouldn't be worth testing at that point. You might

get a low RT3 test result; but it would not be an accurate reflection of your

RT3 status, because at that point (roughly 8 weeks into the 12) there would

likely be RT3 still in the receptors, and there is no test for that.

> > >

>