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]

Hi ,

Good to hear from you. If I recall, you were also here for the last Olympics.

I remember that because it sounded like so much fun to travel.

Your drop in FT4, especially with it still being so close to the low end of

the hypo range, suggests that you're hypothyroid. TSH will likely follow suit

and rise within the next few weeks.

With your receptor antibodies falling so nicely, you're probably close to

remission. Why don't you ask your doctor about taking 2.5 mg daily until your

next appointment? Dividing the doses and staying on the dose you're on now

won't help much. 2.5 mg is the minimum maintenance dose used and it will help

relieve some of your hypo symptoms. You sound like you're in great hands.

Take care, Elaine

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Good to hear from you. If I recall, you were also here for the last Olympics.

I remember that because it sounded like so much fun to travel.

Your drop in FT4, especially with it still being so close to the low end of

the hypo range, suggests that you're hypothyroid. TSH will likely follow suit

and rise within the next few weeks.

With your receptor antibodies falling so nicely, you're probably close to

remission. Why don't you ask your doctor about taking 2.5 mg daily until your

next appointment? Dividing the doses and staying on the dose you're on now

won't help much. 2.5 mg is the minimum maintenance dose used and it will help

relieve some of your hypo symptoms. You sound like you're in great hands.

Take care, Elaine

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Good to hear from you. If I recall, you were also here for the last Olympics.

I remember that because it sounded like so much fun to travel.

Your drop in FT4, especially with it still being so close to the low end of

the hypo range, suggests that you're hypothyroid. TSH will likely follow suit

and rise within the next few weeks.

With your receptor antibodies falling so nicely, you're probably close to

remission. Why don't you ask your doctor about taking 2.5 mg daily until your

next appointment? Dividing the doses and staying on the dose you're on now

won't help much. 2.5 mg is the minimum maintenance dose used and it will help

relieve some of your hypo symptoms. You sound like you're in great hands.

Take care, Elaine