Need confirmation of approach

[Guest guest]

Hi there!

I just saw a Naturopathic Doctor today and I wanted to confirm his recommended

approach.

I've been sick and tired for as long as I can remember. I work full time, have a

family, and have been battling Lyme and coinfections for over 3 years.

Here are my labs:

Free T4 1.22 (.82-1.77)

rT3 422 (90-350)

Triiodothyronine, Free 2.8 (2.0-4.4)

TSH .717 (.45-4.5)

Vit D 91.3 (10-75)

Ferritin 36 (13-150)

My cortisol levels have improved dramtically in the last 8 months, from near

zero across the board to the following:

7am 11.2 (7-10)

11 am 7.4 (3-6)

5pm 3.1 (2-4)

10pm 1.9 (<1.5)

The doctor is rerunning the cortisol tests b/c of the big difference.

He also recommended 25mg of Cytomel (12.5 am, 12.5 noon) to lower my rT3.

My question for the group is... does this sound right? Anything else I should

consider??

Thank you so much!

[Guest guest]

Sorry... one more thing to add...

I'm on 75 mg of iron a day

No hydrocortisone

antibiotics for the lyme

3000 of Vit D

3000 of Vit C

Should have included that in my original post. Sorry!!

>

> Hi there!

>

> I just saw a Naturopathic Doctor today and I wanted to confirm his recommended

approach.

>

> I've been sick and tired for as long as I can remember. I work full time, have

a family, and have been battling Lyme and coinfections for over 3 years.

>

> Here are my labs:

>

> Free T4 1.22 (.82-1.77)

> rT3 422 (90-350)

> Triiodothyronine, Free 2.8 (2.0-4.4)

> TSH .717 (.45-4.5)

>

> Vit D 91.3 (10-75)

> Ferritin 36 (13-150)

>

> My cortisol levels have improved dramtically in the last 8 months, from near

zero across the board to the following:

>

> 7am 11.2 (7-10)

> 11 am 7.4 (3-6)

> 5pm 3.1 (2-4)

> 10pm 1.9 (<1.5)

>

> The doctor is rerunning the cortisol tests b/c of the big difference.

>

> He also recommended 25mg of Cytomel (12.5 am, 12.5 noon) to lower my rT3.

>

> My question for the group is... does this sound right? Anything else I should

consider??

>

> Thank you so much!

>

>

[Guest guest]

He is correct that your RT3 needs to come down your FT3/RT3 ratio is 7; anything

under 20 indicates an RT3 problem. Your Free T3 is too low and your Reverse T3

is too high.

He has the starting timing right (breakfast and lunch).

He's started you on a somewhat higher dose than we usually start at. You didn't

mention being on any other thyroid meds; assuming you are not, starting T3 from

scratch

" A suggested starting dose is 12.5 per day split into 2 doses. "

from

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

If it were me I'd start a little lower and taper up, perhaps

Days 1-3, 6.25 breakfast, 6.25 lunch

Days 4-7, 12.5 breakfast, 6.25 lunch

Days 8-11, 12.5 breakfast, 12.5 lunch

He seems to be on the right track in many respects. I don't know what T3 dose

increase(s) he has in mind, if any. Here's info on the one we usually use:

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

What jumps out at me is your low ferritin - people with low iron sometimes can

not tolerate an adequate dose of T3. In addition to a ferritin of 70-90, we

recommend an iron panel test be done; for good thyroid utilization the %

saturation should be 35-45.

Our iron-raising recommendations are 150-200 mg elemental iron per day, taken at

the same time as some Vitamin C, divided into two doses. Here's a link to an

iron that many here have had very good results with:

http://www.iherb.com/Bluebonnet-Nutrition-Chelated-Iron-90-Vcaps/11571?at=0

we've also had good reports on:

http://www.amazon.com/Solgar-Gentle-Iron-veggie-caps/dp/B00013Z0QA/ref=sr_1_1?ie\

=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1282844942&sr=8-1

Starting a lot of iron suddenly sometimes causes digestive upset; I tapered up

to my dose over about two weeks time.

Don't miss the rest of Moderator Nick's web site, it has excellent RT3 info:

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

Hope this helps.

> >

> > Hi there!

> >

> > I just saw a Naturopathic Doctor today and I wanted to confirm his

recommended approach.

> >

> > I've been sick and tired for as long as I can remember. I work full time,

have a family, and have been battling Lyme and coinfections for over 3 years.

> >

> > Here are my labs:

> >

> > Free T4 1.22 (.82-1.77)

> > rT3 422 (90-350)

> > Triiodothyronine, Free 2.8 (2.0-4.4)

> > TSH .717 (.45-4.5)

> >

> > Vit D 91.3 (10-75)

> > Ferritin 36 (13-150)

> >

> > My cortisol levels have improved dramtically in the last 8 months, from near

zero across the board to the following:

> >

> > 7am 11.2 (7-10)

> > 11 am 7.4 (3-6)

> > 5pm 3.1 (2-4)

> > 10pm 1.9 (<1.5)

> >

> > The doctor is rerunning the cortisol tests b/c of the big difference.

> >

> > He also recommended 25mg of Cytomel (12.5 am, 12.5 noon) to lower my rT3.

> >

> > My question for the group is... does this sound right? Anything else I

should consider??

> >

> > Thank you so much!

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

This is very helpful. Thank you!

I've been taking the iron with no increase in ferritin levels. Are there other

ways to raise ferritin? What causes it to be low?

How high do people go with the T3 and for how long? Do you keep tapering up

until you feel good and then stay there awhile and taper down?

Thanks so much! So nice to find this group!

nicole

> >

> > Sorry... one more thing to add...

> >

> > I'm on 75 mg of iron a day

> > No hydrocortisone

> > antibiotics for the lyme

> > 3000 of Vit D

> > 3000 of Vit C

> >

> > Should have included that in my original post. Sorry!!

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

It can take months to raise ferritin with oral supplements, but that's the route

most people take. That does not work for me, so I've had Iron IV's, as have

several people on this group. (I get the Venofer brand.) They raise iron

wonderfully but they are expensive and it can be tough to find a doctor to

administer them. We were just discussing iron IVs, here's a link to the thread:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/message/48774

Hypothyroid and low iron go hand-in-hand, here's a link about this:

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ferritin/

How high we go with T3 and for how long is all covered on Moderator Nick's

excellent website, here's a link:

how much T3 do I need?

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

main page

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

> > >

> > > Sorry... one more thing to add...

> > >

> > > I'm on 75 mg of iron a day

> > > No hydrocortisone

> > > antibiotics for the lyme

> > > 3000 of Vit D

> > > 3000 of Vit C

> > >

> > > Should have included that in my original post. Sorry!!

> > >

> > >

> > >

>