Re: 4 weeks to go - Needing a little reassurance / ratio

[Guest guest]

A ratio under 20 indicates an RT3 problem.

from

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

> >

> > >

> > >I am feeling good, which I think it is also the result of tweaking other

things like Vit.D, and HC and B12 etc. For me, thyroid was just one part of the

package. I would love to have had an earth shattering experience, but I am

quite content to be doing better.

> > >

> > >Just wanted to share my slow and steady experience!

> >

> > Slow and steady is fine, glad you are feeling good.

> >

> > The people who feel a surge are the ones who had bad resistance and

> > took the T3 dose up high to minimize hypo symptoms while waiting

> >

> > Nick

> >

> > --

> >

> > for more information on RT3 and Thyroid Resistance go to

> >

> > www.thyroid-rt3.com>

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Yeah, I already knew that a ratio below 20 meant there was a problem but thank

you anyway! (in a nice way . I guess what I meant was, with a ratio of 11,

would I expect a 'spectacular clearance'(as apposed to a worse ratio - say below

10). Is a ratio of 11 really that bad?

It feels bad enough to me. Although I've had improvements since starting on T3,

I still can't even drive and feel very uncomfortable venturing out alone on

foot, especially crossing a busy road, due to the brain fog/out of it/off

balance thing... I feel a lot less anxious if I am with someone for some reason

yet I still get the same feeling in my head. I get it in the car too - it used

to cause panic attacks in the car, whether I was a passenger or driving, before

I worked out it wasn't anxiety causing the weird feeling.

I don't feel like I can go back to work and do the things I want to do in life

until this feeling clears... it creates so much confusion and anxiety and 'out

of it-ness'. I have had two days of amazing, total clearness since starting t3

but it has gone again both times.

Just scared it won't work properly - like everyone else in my situation, it

seems. We can't imagine after being so sick for so long that it will work! I can

hardly bear the thought of being stuck like this after now having that feeling

and high hopes that it will all go away.

Reading Ariela Levi's post 'Does clearance really exist?' and it's responses has

helped... thank you Ariela and to those that responded. Val, your story takes

the cake - thank you so much for sharing (I have also read it in Janie

Bowthorpe's 'Stop the Thyroid Madness' Book)and for all that you do for us!

(that thank you does not feel adequate - it's hard to put into words).

I just want to get better and get back home to my partner in Denmark. Less than

3 weeks to go now until clearance (please let me feel actually clear in the head

after wards!). I have only been able to raise to 95mcg (110mcg plus high

cortisol and a stressful situation caused problems with high pulse, heart palps,

insomnia and sweating).

That is officially enough writing for me for one day (something I could not do

so well before starting on T3 only treatment). Good night (sleeping is another

thing I have got better at).

Alana

> > >

> > > The people who feel a surge are the ones who had bad resistance and

> > > took the T3 dose up high to minimize hypo symptoms while waiting

> > >

> > > Nick

> > >

> > > --

> > >

> > > for more information on RT3 and Thyroid Resistance go to

> > >

> > > www.thyroid-rt3.com>

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I think a ratio of 11 is pretty bad. If T3 can't work - that's hypo. I would

bet money that with a ratio of 11, clearance will be a big help to you, whether

sudden or gradual.

My own ratio was 13 and my clearance was not sudden, it was gradual. In

contrast, Moderator Nick's was sudden, if I remember correctly he said it

happened during the course of one night; but I don't know what his ratio was. I

read another post where someone said they " woke up smiling " .

You mentioned anxiety - I had problems with that too - it was partly low iron in

my case.

I'm not sure how much ratio affects how one experiences clearance; one thing

that does affect it is how high you've gone on the T3 while waiting for

clearance. I see you're at 95. Here are two posts from Val that mention this

subject:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/message/40588

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/message/40546

I hope you " wake up smiling " , and will still write to us from time to time from

Denmark!

>

> > > >

> > > > The people who feel a surge are the ones who had bad resistance and

> > > > took the T3 dose up high to minimize hypo symptoms while waiting

> > > >

> > > > Nick

> > > >

> > > > --

> > > >

> > > > for more information on RT3 and Thyroid Resistance go to

> > > >

> > > > www.thyroid-rt3.com>

> > > >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Wow Val, that certainly puts it in perspective. So a ratio of 11 really is bad

- damn, and (most) psychiatrists wonder why their hypothyroid bipolar patients

often end up experiencing worsening in their anxiety levels and grade of

depression over time when they are being treated with lithium and T4 only drugs.

Not only does it effect the thyroid function, it also can cause tumors on the

parathyroid gland. Not a nice drug in high doses! Not when all you need is T3!!

Damn that makes me mad - and wanting to do something about it - lobby for

change. You hardly see any mental health support groups of sites mentioning

thyroid - when I am well this is going to change.

I have been struggling to convince my family and friends just how sick I really

am - that this treatment will work. Heck - I have even had trouble convincing

myself - thinking maybe I really am just being a wuss/sook. Now all I have to do

is refer to your story to make people see just how serious this can be and could

end up.

Although it's not nice to be told you really are pretty darn sick, it's nice to

know I have a good reason for taking this time out of life (working, studying or

feeling guilty about not doing so), to get help, including financial support

from my parents for a few months, and get well... even though I already know I

do, I am no longer fighting that doubt/guilt about it.

Thank you for putting it into perspective for me... it really helps.

Alana

> > Yeah, I already knew that a ratio below 20 meant there was a problem but

thank you anyway! (in a nice way . I guess what I meant was, with a ratio of

11, would I expect a 'spectacular clearance'(as apposed to a worse ratio - say

below 10). Is a ratio of 11 really that bad?

> >

> > It feels bad enough to me. Although I've had improvements since starting on

T3, I still can't even drive and feel very uncomfortable venturing out alone on

foot, especially crossing a busy road, due to the brain fog/out of it/off

balance thing... I feel a lot less anxious if I am with someone for some reason

yet I still get the same feeling in my head. I get it in the car too - it used

to cause panic attacks in the car, whether I was a passenger or driving, before

I worked out it wasn't anxiety causing the weird feeling.

> >

> > I don't feel like I can go back to work and do the things I want to do in

life until this feeling clears... it creates so much confusion and anxiety and

'out of it-ness'. I have had two days of amazing, total clearness since

starting t3 but it has gone again both times.

> >

> > Just scared it won't work properly - like everyone else in my situation, it

seems. We can't imagine after being so sick for so long that it will work! I can

hardly bear the thought of being stuck like this after now having that feeling

and high hopes that it will all go away.

> >

> > Reading Ariela Levi's post 'Does clearance really exist?' and it's responses

has helped... thank you Ariela and to those that responded. Val, your story

takes the cake - thank you so much for sharing (I have also read it in Janie

Bowthorpe's 'Stop the Thyroid Madness' Book)and for all that you do for us!

(that thank you does not feel adequate - it's hard to put into words).

> >

> > I just want to get better and get back home to my partner in Denmark. Less

than 3 weeks to go now until clearance (please let me feel actually clear in the

head after wards!). I have only been able to raise to 95mcg (110mcg plus high

cortisol and a stressful situation caused problems with high pulse, heart palps,

insomnia and sweating).

> >

> > That is officially enough writing for me for one day (something I could not

do so well before starting on T3 only treatment). Good night (sleeping is

another thing I have got better at).

> >

> > Alana

> >

[Guest guest]

Thanks Margery - your words and your links to the other posts have really

helped. I feel a lot better about the whole clearance situation now - still

just over 3 weeks to go.

With regards to my anxiety, my iron and ferritin levels are good (my most recent

ferritin result was 102!) - however I do think low magnesium has something to do

with it, along with the lack of T3/too much reverse T3.

'Wake up smiling' what a wonderful way to put it - fingers crossed I do! I

will write from Denmark too! Just the thought of being back in Denmark, actually

well for the first time, makes me so happy. I will be able to enjoy living in a

foreign country so much more and be so much more independent than I was the

whole time I was there previously.

I was in Denmark for 18 months, from June 2008 to Dec 2009, and although I

attended language school and made many friends, I could barely felt comfortable,

and rarely did, go grocery shopping on my own and rarely ventured out on my own,

except to go to school. And even, the walk to school was very uncomfortable due

to the brain fog, off balance, 'out of it' feeling mixed with anxiety - I

thought it was ALL anxiety and in my head - and consistently trying to combat

this was so tiring.

My partner has stuck by my through all of this and has been sitting over there

in Denmark, patiently waiting for me to get better, since December 2009. It was

in November 2009 that I discovered STTM, and that GSK ELtroxin was causing major

problems for thyroid patients in Denmark, I was VERY VERY sick, and had been

since about May 2009, and was diagnosed a depressed hypochondriac by my doctor.

He flew home to Australia with me (I could not fly alone) so I could get off GSK

Eltroxin - I was not allowed an emergency substitution as I was not considered

hypothyroid despite a TSH of 2.98! - and to find a good thyroid doctor and get

help. However, he had to fly home two weeks later to go straight back to work

to keep paying for our apartment etc.

Since December 2009 he has got up early, before work (he starts work at 6:30 or

7am), in order to talk to me on webcam every single day despite putting up with

endless talk about how I'm feeling and health related topics (we call it

'thyroid talk'), despite my attempt to keep it to a minimum. He has stuck by me

through a number of set backs with my new, good treatment (including when I went

even more hypothyroid when on 8 weeks on a low dose of NDT - thinking this was

the beginning of me getting better and wondering why it wasn't working - before

discovering I had an issue with reverse T3). I'm so lucky to have him and just

can't wait to be back together with him again, this time well and healthy!

In fact, he should be online in about 30 minutes so I better finish up here and

go talk to him

So yes, apologies for being a bit long and off topic - but those good feelings

are what your post has prompted, so thank you Margery!

Alana

> > > >

> > > > My rT3/free T3 ratio is 11 Nick - is that considered bad?

> > > >

> > > > Alana