Labs Question-Elaine/Simon

[Guest guest]

Hi Elaine and Simon,

I have not posted for months but I read every day. I saw a post of

Simon's a few days ago (then had to leave on a business trip and

couldn't respond immediately) and it reminded me I had a question I

hope Elaine can help me with.

Just to summarize to date. I was diagnosed with GD in December 2001 in

Australia and RAi was recommended. I live in Japan and when I got back

to see my own internist in Osaka he put me on a carefully monitored

course of Mercazole for the symptoms which I supplemented with

traditional Chinese medicine to try to get the immune system back into

balance. RAI was never mentioned here. I have been euthyroid since

July and antibodies have been dropping steadily but are not quite at

zero yet. I am currently on 5mgs of Mercazole a day, one pill that I

take in the morning. Labs are now every 6 weeks.

Labs on November 12th:

TSH 0.54 Range 0.35 - 3.73

FT4 0.81 Range 0.88 - 1.81

FT3 3.1 Range 2.2 - 4.1

Trabs4.4 Range <15

Labs on September 25th

TSH 0.54 Range 0.35 - 3.73

FT4 1.25 Range 0.88 - 1.81

FT3 3.4 Range 2.2 - 4.1

Labs on August 2nd

TSH 0.92 Range 0.35 - 3.73

FT4 1.1 Range 0.88 - 1.81

FT3 2.8 Range 2.2 - 4.1

So my question is what might the dropping FT4 mean when all the other

numbers seem OK? Simon asked the same question but of course he is on

PTUs and I don't know if that makes a difference. I have started to

feel quite tired again ( was hypo earlier this year and was very tired

then) and recently have had small blisters inside my mouth but apart

from that I feel fine and do not seem to have any other hypo symptoms.

The doctor is very happy with the way things are and always takes note

of the way I feel in relation to the lab numbers.I am seeing him again

on Friday to get a supply of Mercazole to last me over the year end

vacation period so any comments would be most welcome to help me

discuss these latest numbers with him.

If it looks as though I am drifting towards hypo should I try to take

2.5mg morning and night rather than one pill a day? Or 2.5 mg a day?

The Neo-Mercazole I take is a white coated round pill and is very

difficult to cut. I have a pill cutter and experimented with one and it

shattered.

Thanks in advance,

[Guest guest]

kitkat4184 wrote:

>

> So my question is what might the dropping FT4 mean when all the other

> numbers seem OK? Simon asked the same question but of course he is on

> PTUs and I don't know if that makes a difference. I have started to

> feel quite tired again ( was hypo earlier this year and was very tired

> then) and recently have had small blisters inside my mouth but apart

> from that I feel fine and do not seem to have any other hypo symptoms.

Don't know if it helps but I've had a series of three viral

infections, and still have " mouth ulcers " - is this what you

mean by blisters inside your mouth? I was sure I was hypo, but

this was all during the infections, and was just being ill with

fairly nondescript symptoms.

> If it looks as though I am drifting towards hypo should I try to take

> 2.5mg morning and night rather than one pill a day? Or 2.5 mg a day?

> The Neo-Mercazole I take is a white coated round pill and is very

> difficult to cut. I have a pill cutter and experimented with one and it

> shattered.

No you may be heading hypo, splitting the dose into 2 x 2.5 mg

is like an increase, so I wouldn't change it till the doctor

suggests. Some will also prescribe a small amount of

levothyroxine to keep T4 levels up if it drops further.

Sounds like you are getting good treatment.

[Guest guest]

kitkat4184 wrote:

>

> So my question is what might the dropping FT4 mean when all the other

> numbers seem OK? Simon asked the same question but of course he is on

> PTUs and I don't know if that makes a difference. I have started to

> feel quite tired again ( was hypo earlier this year and was very tired

> then) and recently have had small blisters inside my mouth but apart

> from that I feel fine and do not seem to have any other hypo symptoms.

Don't know if it helps but I've had a series of three viral

infections, and still have " mouth ulcers " - is this what you

mean by blisters inside your mouth? I was sure I was hypo, but

this was all during the infections, and was just being ill with

fairly nondescript symptoms.

> If it looks as though I am drifting towards hypo should I try to take

> 2.5mg morning and night rather than one pill a day? Or 2.5 mg a day?

> The Neo-Mercazole I take is a white coated round pill and is very

> difficult to cut. I have a pill cutter and experimented with one and it

> shattered.

No you may be heading hypo, splitting the dose into 2 x 2.5 mg

is like an increase, so I wouldn't change it till the doctor

suggests. Some will also prescribe a small amount of

levothyroxine to keep T4 levels up if it drops further.

Sounds like you are getting good treatment.

[Guest guest]

kitkat4184 wrote:

>

> So my question is what might the dropping FT4 mean when all the other

> numbers seem OK? Simon asked the same question but of course he is on

> PTUs and I don't know if that makes a difference. I have started to

> feel quite tired again ( was hypo earlier this year and was very tired

> then) and recently have had small blisters inside my mouth but apart

> from that I feel fine and do not seem to have any other hypo symptoms.

Don't know if it helps but I've had a series of three viral

infections, and still have " mouth ulcers " - is this what you

mean by blisters inside your mouth? I was sure I was hypo, but

this was all during the infections, and was just being ill with

fairly nondescript symptoms.

> If it looks as though I am drifting towards hypo should I try to take

> 2.5mg morning and night rather than one pill a day? Or 2.5 mg a day?

> The Neo-Mercazole I take is a white coated round pill and is very

> difficult to cut. I have a pill cutter and experimented with one and it

> shattered.

No you may be heading hypo, splitting the dose into 2 x 2.5 mg

is like an increase, so I wouldn't change it till the doctor

suggests. Some will also prescribe a small amount of

levothyroxine to keep T4 levels up if it drops further.

Sounds like you are getting good treatment.